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Six
Leon
Slamming my elbow into the twisted’s face, I cursed the day I met Elon. I knew this ship was after him. The cursed creature I fought hissed, its razor fang mouth snapping at my face. I don’t know what I hated more, the stringy moss-like hair that hung off in slimy strands or its skeleton face that reminded me of a rotting corpse.
“Was this part of your plan?” Havoc growled beside me as he kicked one creature off portside.
“Not exactly.” I dodged an incoming blade and parried the attack, sending the lichen stumbling over another one. “Elon neglected to tell me the lich king’s minions would pay us a visit.”
“Captain!” Declan called from the rigging. “Wizard at the helm!”
Sure enough, on the other ship, behind a wall of lichen, stood the puppet master. If we killed the wizard, the lichen wouldn’t be able to coordinate attacks. “On it!”
Sprinting past Havoc, I ran across the gangplank to the other ship. A roar to my left announced Broxton, the saber always eager for a fight. He landed on the ship, his double-sided spear swinging above his head as he released another roar.
Grinning, I shifted my stance and raised a hand, calling on the water outside of the ship. Having fought beside me many times before, Broxton charged forward into the crowd of lichen keeping us from the wizard. A shimmering ball surrounded the caster, making it difficult to see who I was dealing with. No worry, unless he had a set of gills, he or she wouldn’t last long.
Water rose along the side of the ship, shifting into the form of a serpent. Stabbing the moss-covered creatures venturing close, I focused on moving the liquid serpent higher until the head swayed over the wizard. With a downward slam of my arm, I dropped the open maw, engulfing the robed figure.
Instead of the lichen stopping, they continued their relentless assault, hacking away at my flanks.
“The wizard lives,” Broxton called from my left.
Releasing the water, the shimmering ball encasing our foe stayed. I muttered, realizing we’d have to dispatch this particular target with more conventional methods.
A loud wail erupted from theRavager. Only one creature could make that grating and ear-piercing noise. I ran toward starboard and lifted my hand, creating steps of water that led me back to my ship.
Havana flew up the stairs to the main deck, heaving, blood covering the bottom of her face and dress. She stumbled and fell onto the deck, a strange blade in each hand. The wail grew closer, and I slid to the floor in front of her, blocking her from the stairwell. The crew and nearby lichen all stilled as if the fear-inducing scream coming from below deck would kill us all.
And he just might.
“What happened?” I asked, shifting my body in front of her.
She grabbed the back of my shirt, trying to lift herself up. Her hands trembled.
Black shadows crawled up from the stairwell, a cloud rising and expanding until the sun disappeared.
Havana gripped me, panting. “What is that thing?”
“Something that should’ve been asleep.” Calling the water to my aid, I covered the opening in front of me.
“Captain.” A crossbow clicked to my left as Harris, my watch leader, prepped his magical weapon, the rugged man always eager to kill something.
“Do not fire that until I give the order.” Slowly standing, I waited for the shadows to attack.
An umbral shape screeched loudly as it slammed into my chest in an attempt to get to the female behind me. Havana screamed and rolled out of the way, and I took the brunt force of the hit.
“Get a hold of yourself!” I grabbed Elon’s neck. His eyes were pitch black and red veins snaked around his skin. He snapped his razored mouth, and it took all my strength to keep him from tearing my throat open.
Something flashed above my head as a blade slashed across Elon’s forehead, slicing open the pale flesh. His head twitched up.
“Damn it,” I growled as Havana leaned over me, the blade poking out of the bracer on her wrist. “Everyone back away from us right now.”
My crew listened and someone hauled Havana away. The lichen withdrew the attacks, slinking toward Elon, their real target. The shadows surrounding him, blocked out the sun’s rays, protecting him from the light. Normally, vampyres couldn’t be out in the sun and Elon rarely did either, even with his shadow magic.
“Elon, listen to me.” The vampyre was in a frenzy which could only be caused by one thing, but even if he had scented blood, it wouldn’t necessarily make him this crazed. Something about Havana must have switched off his common sense. “The lich king sent the lichen for you. We are under attack and if we don’t stop that wizard, we’ll all be in danger.”
The vampyre hissed, his head ticking to the left.
