Page 17 of Queen’s Griffon (Swords & Tiaras #2)

Chapter 16

Griff

Griff’s ship struggled to catch the Emperor’s Folly . The wind wouldn’t cooperate, meaning they kept turning on the engine to try to make up for the lack of full sails. Despite their efforts, they didn’t manage to catch up to the other ship until Verlora came in sight. Or rather, the wall of mist that hid it from view.

“There she is, Cap!” Kreed stated unnecessarily, pointing a thick finger at the vessel anchored a fair distance from the fog wreathing the continent.

A part of Griff had worried they’d sailed in the wrong direction, that Simhi might have been mistaken. But it turned out she’d heard right. Koonis had come to Verlora and, seeing as how its skiff appeared to be missing from its starboard side, someone had gone ashore.

“What’s our next move, Cap?” Kreed asked.

“We could try diplomacy.”

“You really think they’ll just hand back the queen?” Kreed sounded skeptical.

“No, but by making the demand, we reiterate our right to use force given they broke our laws.” Not that the emperor would care. Most likely, attacking a Merisuan ship would cause trouble, assuming anyone found out. After all, Koonis had sailed to Verlora—from which few ever returned.

A thought Kreed had as well. “Shame how people disappear visiting our country,” he murmured.

Griff slapped him on the back. “Indeed, it is. Let’s get within parlaying range.” Griff gave the command and his crew scurried to furl the sails, allowing the gentle roll of the ocean to carry them while his helmsman kept them steady.

The other ship must have noticed them because their crew gathered on the main deck, and he could see the bright red coat of Captain Koonis as he stood on the poop deck with a spyglass. Griff hoped Koonis could see the rude gesture he sent his way.

As they got close enough to shout back and forth, Koonis began the conversation. “I’m surprised to see you in these waters. I thought you pirates avoided this area.”

“I could say the same of you,” Griff yelled back. “But I’m not here to discuss your trespassing in Verlorian territory. You took something of mine. I’m here to take it back.”

“Ah yes, the deposed Queen of Daerva. Let’s be honest, she wasn’t really yours. And the lady did ask me to give her passage to the continent.”

“You knew full well she was in my care. Just like you know the rules of Saarpira. No stealing, which also includes abducting.”

“Ah yes, your pirate laws. I’m afraid those don’t apply to an envoy of the emperor. And in any case, you’re too late. The queen is no longer on board.”

“You sent her ashore!” More a hollered shock of a statement than a query.

“Well, yes. It is, after all, what she wanted.”

“You had no right.”

“According to who? I am following my emperor’s orders.”

Wait, the emperor had commanded Koonis to send Avera to Verlora? “How long since her departure?”

“Not long, actually. You just missed them. Quite the exciting trip too. A kraken managed to take one of the men sent with her before they entered the mist.”

A kraken?

“A thief and a liar. We both know these waters have been dead since the evacuation.” The volcano had boiled and poisoned the area. Nothing lived here. Or at least, that was what he’d been told.

Kreed sidled close enough to whisper, “I don’t think they’re lying. They’ve got their harpoon cranked.”

Rather than address his first mate, Griff inclined his head, the signal they should also be ready.

“I’m surprised you’re anchored if that’s true,” Griff continued the conversation.

“Some of us aren’t afraid of an overgrown squid,” mocked Koonis. “Besides, I did promise the queen passage when she returns.”

“Passage to where?”

“To Merisu for her wedding. She and the emperor are engaged.”

“Like fuck they are,” Griff hotly exclaimed. He’d examine the spurt of jealousy later.

“It was fairly recent. Probably why she didn’t tell you.”

More like she’d been told she had no choice. Or did Avera want the union to happen? The emperor would have the troops and resources to oust Benoit from her throne. Had Griff made a mistake in coming after her?

By his side, Simhi murmured, “No way she agreed. Avera don’t like the emperor one bit.”

“Looks like we have company,” shouted Captain Koonis.

As he spoke, Griff’s eyes caught the shadow of movement beneath the surface of the water. Closer to the Emperor’s Folly than his own ship. Before he could think of a suitable response, Peter in the bird’s nest hollered, “Incoming.”

Something catapulted from Koonis’ ship, a mishappen lump that hit the water with a splash too close to their boat. As it bobbed, the water around it turned dark.

It took Griff a moment to realize what the other captain had done.

“That bastard just baited the area with chum.” The meat, with its strong scent, would draw any carnivorous fish in the area—and the kraken.

“Ready the harpoon,” Kreed bellowed. “Spotters, get your asses to the rails and snap yourselves in place.”

Like in a storm, with a kraken about, everyone tethered. It wouldn’t help someone grabbed by a tentacle, but it might save a life if they were simply knocked overboard.

“Going to grab me bow,” Simhi announced before trotting off. They had only the one on board since everyone else fought with blades. Only Simhi had put in the time to learn how to shoot arrows. It had come in handy on more than one occasion.

“Incoming, port side,” screamed one of his crew.

“Brace!” Griff yelled. He had no time to tie himself off, so he grabbed the rail ringing the poop deck.

The kraken nudged their keel as it passed under, rocking them slightly.

Captain Koonis thought it a good time to taunt. “Enjoying the gift I sent your way?”

Rather than reply, Griff’s jaw tensed.

The kraken surfaced and flung tentacles on the deck, the flesh of them dark and slick, seeking snacks.

His crew didn’t panic—much. They reacted to the sea monster incursion with blades, beating at the appendages, lopping off chunks, sending its questing arms back into the water.

But they would return. A stung kraken tended not to flee, but rather retaliate.

Sure enough, it heaved itself from the ocean. The bulbous mass of menace was not a full-grown adult, but close—and very dangerous.

Whiplike arms sinuously infiltrated the deck, wrapping around crew, masts, anything it could grab. Those caught grunted while those unfettered yelled as they hacked to free their crewmates. Griff leaped from the poop deck and landed with his sword in hand. Unlike his crew’s blades, his sword of wolfframm, a rare metal, sliced clean through, severing appendages, freeing those caught. However, in doing so, the kraken went from annoyed to peeved. Its body flopped towards the side of the ship, smashing the wooden rail and buckling part of the deck.

As it recoiled and readied to slam again, debris fell, taking Ashton with it into the water. No one jumped in to save the man. His crushed body made it a pointless effort.

“Clear the line of sight!” Kreed yelled. With a proper target, they now could aim the harpoon. “Fire!”

The massive metal arrow, with the rope bound to its tail, sprang forth, arrowing for the monster. It landed without a sound as it punched the gelatinous flesh.

The kraken uttered a piercing cry but didn’t die. The harpoon had only injured it. Tentacles flailed with anger and pain, smashing more railing, sweeping the skiff on that side from its mooring, knocking the crew that got in its path into the water.

“Let’s see how keen it is after I blind it,” Simhi muttered, having returned with her crossbow. She took aim and shot, the missile sailing true, but the kraken moved, and the arrow missed.

“Dammit.” Simhi slotted a new missile in and cranked it into place.

While she prepared her next shot, Griff darted closer to the ruined side of his ship. When a tentacle came whipping by, he lopped it off.

“Haha! Got it!” Simhi crowed as her next shot punctured the kraken’s left orb.

The maddened beast still refused to leave. Kraken were unlike other creatures in that they didn’t flee no matter how dire the injury. They had to kill it.

“Kreed, we need that next harpoon shot!” Griff yelled, ducking under an appendage before pivoting to slice the tip of it.

“I’m working on it,” his first mate yelled. “Bloody idiot who last coiled the rope fucking tangled it.”

“Then cut it.” Griff would pay to replace the harpoon if it got lost.

“Cutting it now.”

Kreed didn’t have a blade of wolfframm, and the rope was sturdy, meaning he kept chopping while the kraken raised itself to slam the boat again. A hit that would sink the ship. The weakened section couldn’t handle any more impacting blows.

A torn Griff readied to die. No point in abandoning the ship. With an angry kraken in the water, Verlora’s shore too far to swim, and Koonis close enough to pick them off, they didn’t stand a chance. He’d failed his crew. Failed Avera. Failed?—

“What’s that in the sky?” Peter yelled.

Griff almost retorted, “Bird,” only no bird ever cast a shadow so vast or flew so fast.

He craned and gaped. Everyone did. Except for the kraken. Its limbs slithered from the deck, and it began to sink. Not fast enough to avoid the swoop of…

Griff blinked.

It didn’t change the fact a dragon dove from the sky, claws on its feet out. Claws big enough to grab the kraken and lift it from the water—with the harpoon in its flesh still tethered to the boat!

The rope uncoiled rapidly as the dragon began heading for the mist and Griff ran for the taut, woven strand, leaping and swinging as the ring holding it groaned.

Twang. As he sliced through, the taut line snapped but caused no damage. The other half of it hung down as the dragon, with the kraken in its grip, flapped its way into the mist, disappearing from sight.

Silence reigned on the ship until Simhi exclaimed, “Holy fuck, I just seen a dragon.”

They all had, including Koonis’ ship which had fled the area. But Griff didn’t doubt it would return, meaning they had little time.

Griff glanced at Kreed. “I’m going ashore. You have the bridge.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

He had no choice. “Avera is there and seems to me the best time to go into a dragon-infested area is when said beast has a kraken-sized meal to keep its belly full.”

His first mate frowned before sighing. “Aye, Captain.”

Despite his declaring he’d go alone, Griff found himself rowing ashore with Simhi, Monty, and Mohan.

All Verlorian. Armed to the teeth, plus they all carried knapsacks of supplies. As Griff glanced back at his ship, he could see Kreed directing the repairs. Garth stood on deck with his special vat of resin for patching. Peter watched for danger from the nest. The sailors not busy with repairs were planted all over—prow, aft, starboard, and port—watching the waters for another kraken.

A part of him felt guilt at abandoning his ship in its time of need. However, excitement—mixed with trepidation—proved stronger than his contrition because he was finally going home.