Edan rushed to check on his father, Reema just a step ahead of him. Sanik sat up with a groan, waving off their concerns as he got to his feet.

  “I’m fine,” He grunted, swinging his shoulders around in demonstration. He winced. “Mostly.” He amended, before gesturing towards the wolf man, "Marcus took the brunt of it.”

  The head of the Trade Guild was already getting to his feed. One of his arms had the flesh stripped from it, and Edan could see the white of bone beneath torn muscle. Slowly, the flesh began to knit back together as the man's constitution got to work.

  “I think there was sand mixed into that blast,” Marcus noted, looking down at his wounds.

  Edan turned his back on Sanik and Reema as they hugged, his eyes darting around for a way to help. He knew he wasn’t strong enough, but there had to be something he could do.

  There was the crack of displaced air as something streaked through the sky. It collided with the serpent's scaled neck and broke apart in a puff of white smoke. Frost crept over the scales from the point of impact.

  Gem passed another glittering stone to Tali and the Titan reared back, took aim, and threw. Another puff of white smoke and the frost grew further, invading the corner of the serpent's mouth. It let out another ear-splitting shriek and dove underwater.

  “Oh shit! Sail! Get away!” The Watch Captain yelled at the Merchant Guild vessel, waving his hands desperately in the air.

  A few of the men standing along the rail wearing the uniform of the Watch yelled back, encouraging their boss to get on their boat, but he continued to wave them away, his eyes tracking the dark streak that moved beneath the surface.

  “Move you idiots!” Gem yelled as well. “We’re sitting ducks! It can’t attack both of us at the same time!”

  Turning her back on the Merchant vessel as it limped away from them, she glanced across the deck before looking at her partner.

  “Can you get us moving?” She asked.

  Lem gave a grunt and nodded. Edan, trying to be helpful, ran around the deck collecting the sail and rigging Sanik had cut from the other ship's mast. The cubs followed him, nipping at the sails and pulling them along as they attempted to help.

  Smart little things aren't they. Edan thought to himself.

  The Sea Crystal started moving in the opposite direction to the Merchant Vessel, and the City Watch Captain moved along the railing until he stood at the stern, one hand raised as he watched his men sail away.

  Gem gripped the wheel tightly and scowled at the man as the Sea Crystal started to pick up speed.

  “You should swim after them.” She suggested snidely.

  “Ha-ha.” The man drawled. "You’re under arrest for smuggling, lying to a Stratta Watch officer during the course of an investigation, aiding and abetting fugitives of a ruling power...and who knows what else.”

  Gem laughed, the sound hard and forced. Edan was nearby, his arms already full of canvas and rope. Eavesdropping shamelessly, he pretended to scoop up more of the cut rigging.

  “And how are you planning on arresting us?” Gem asked.

  “I shall bring the full pow-fuck! It’s following us!”

  “I can see that!” Gem snarled through gritted teeth. Her expression softened slightly when she spoke to Lem. “Can you give us more speed, it's gaining.”

  Edan, arms still laden, waddled over for a better look. Humping its way through the surf behind them, the serpent would burst out of the froth, its slitted eyes seething with hate, before ducking back down, the curve of its spine rising up next.

  “Do you have more of those ice crystals?” Sanik asked Gem, moving to stand next to Edan. Reema appeared on his other side.

  “Just basic, unfaceted gems. I wasn’t expecting to fight a Leviathan and then an Aegean Serpent.”

  “It will be difficult to attack it in the sea,” Marcus growled, crossing fully healed arms over his chest as he scowled at the approaching serpent. “Can you do something that will help, dog of the Sects?”

  The City Watch officer bristled but had trouble meeting Marcus’s eyes and instead mumbled to the deck. “My name is Viagara, not dog of the Sect.”

  Edan almost mentioned his new skill, but then laughed. A dagger wouldn’t do shit to the massive creature, and he doubted his little spark of electricity could do more than a tickle to it.

  “You can put that down, son.” Sanik jerked his chin to the heap in Edan's arm. The excess canvas had spilled out around him like a dress. “Or you’ll get tangled up.”

  Distracted by the serpent, Edan had forgotten he’d been holding it. He was about to let it drop when a sudden thought stopped him. Looking around, he tried to estimate how much Canvas and rope he had. It was a lot, but was it enough for what he had in mind?

  It wouldn’t hurt to try, besides, it looked like the serpent was gaining on them.

  -

  It took Edan a couple of seconds to explain his idea to the rest. An idea that was born from too many hours wasted at the Stratta ports watching fishermen come and go.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  The Group nodded along with the explanation. Without any better options, they moved to help, even Viagara, though he kept his distance from Tali and Marcus. Sanik seemed the easiest to approach, and the City Watch officer moved closer to him.

  Sanik moved along the canvas, cutting thin strips in the material, as Reema worked quickly to remove the rigging from the anchor points along the sail. Edan didn’t know any of the terms used or any of the fancy sailor lingo, so he just pointed at things and said what he wanted to be done.

  They ended up with a large, uneven rectangle of canvas threaded through with ropes and chains from the riggings. The pulleys and metal fastenings were attached to the end of the ropes as weights.

  Sanik and Tali both pulled out lengths of rope they often kept in their storage rings, a useful item for adventuring cultivators, and added it to the heap.

  “It’s about biting our ass!” Gem called out, her eyes focused on the creature right behind them.

  The Aegean Serpent had gained significantly on them, its tireless pursuit fueled by anger, Edan was almost certain, was directed at Tali and Gem.

  Edan looked up, judging the distance. He gave the sea monster a few short minutes before it caught up. Reema took a couple of seconds to check the quick stitching she’d put in. The hope was it would prevent the canvas from clumping together in the middle. Job done, and the final check finished, she handed her sewing tools back to Sanik. They vanished into his storage ring a second later. No one seemed surprised a tailor had brought her tools.

  In fact, they were downright grateful at the moment.

  “Gem, can I get a few of those uncut crystals?” Edan asked.

  “They aren’t cheap, even uncut…but here.” She tossed him a couple of the glittering stones with one hand.

  Feeling the weight and nodding to himself, Edan looked at the rest of the group.

  “Anyone has a throwing skill? Or confidence in their aim?” He asked.

  Viagara stepped forward and held out a hand.

  Edan hesitated for only a second before passing one of the crystals over. “Aim for the right eye.” He said, before walking towards the stern railing, stopping only long enough to shoo the bear cubs out of the way.

  Behind him, the others helped gather the ends of the rope together before handing it to Tali. She twisted the fabric slightly and laid it out across her forearm to prevent it from tangling.

  “I’m going to need Lem to slow down,” Edan told Gem, before looking over at Viagara. “And I need you to not miss.”

  “Tell me when,” Gem muttered.

  Behind them the scaled head of the serpent broke the surface again, its mouth opened wide, before plunging back into the surf.

  Edan checked. Everyone was in position. Tali stood behind them, her stance steady. Pale amber eyes met Edan’s, and she smiled, her mouth forming the words ‘Emge’.

  Cunning and sneaky, Edan thought. I can live with that.

  Next to her, Marcus began to grow, his mane of red hair lengthening as it swept down his back and along his arms. His snout pushed out from his face, making Edan wince as he heard the crack of bone being adjusted.

  Reema and Sanik stepped back, their part done.

  “Now!” Edan barked.

  “Lem, ease off!” Gem called.

  The Sea Crystal slowed as the drag from the ocean pulled at it. The Aegean Serpent surged forward and burst from the water, its mouth opening in a shriek. The depth of its throat began to glow as it prepared an attack.

  “Viagara, now!” Edan yelled, ignoring the pain in his ears and having no idea if the other man heard him.

  Years of throwing a dagger leant itself to Edan now. Drawing his arm back, he stepped forward and released in one smooth motion. The crystal arced through the air, sunlight glistening off the blue exterior. A second crystal sailed forward in a similar arc. Both were aimed at the face of the water beast.

  It remembered the feeling of ice along its scale, the bite of frost to the soft tissue at the corner of its mouth. Instinct made the serpent snap its mouth closed and twist away, protecting its eyes from the freezing stones.

  The crystal Edan threw bounced off one scaly cheek, while Viagara’s sailed over its stubby snout.

  “Marcus!” Edan yelled, but the Guild Head was one step ahead of Edan.

  His howl cut off the end of Edan’s words. Marcus's stun ability hit the serpent and froze it. The Guild Head hadn’t been sure how long it would last, but they only needed a second.

  Frozen with its head facing away from the vessel, the Aegean Serpent didn’t see it when Tali stepped forward, and with a heave, arced the ball of canvas and rigging through the air. Like a spider unfurling its legs, the parcel opened up. The canvas center struck the serpent's face. The weighted ends curled through the air before wrapping around each other and tangling up behind the creature's head.

  Suddenly blinded and with the stun wearing off, the Aegean Serpent thrashed wildly.

  Tali, a length of rope wrapped around her forearm with the other attached to the net, slid across the deck. Marcus reached out and grabbed her around the waist with one arm, the other he punched through the deck to anchor himself. Tali was so large, his arm barely wrapped around her waist.

  Marcus felt his grip begin to slip.

  This what the most dangerous part of the plan. If Tali went overboard, she would die. The Titan was too dense to swim, and her race sunk like stones in deep water.

  The sleeves of Tali's robes slid down, exposing muscular forearms. With a heave, she jerked on the rope. It had tangled up around the sensitive fins behind the serpent's head. The Aegean Serpent screeched as it was pulled down.

  Edan staggered as the Sea Crystal shifted violently.

  The serpent’s face smashed into the stern of the vessel, turning the railing to kindling and making the ship jump. Its scaled body thrashed against the hull and there was the ominous sound of wood cracking. The rope holding Tali and the sea monster together strained.

  Pivoting on her foot, Tali pulled with the hand wrapped in rope. Dragging the serpent head along the deck towards her, a gauntlet appeared on her other hand, the golden metal shining bright. Edan felt so much raw power rolling off it, that his teeth ached.

  In one smooth motion, Tali slammed her fist into the side of the Aegean Serpent’s face. There was a thump and a wet splat as the opposite side of the canvas was suddenly dyed red.

  The body of the beast trashed violently, twisting and turning. Its death throes doing even more damage to the back of the Sea Crystal.

  It finally stilled, becoming dead weight as it began to slip back into the sea.

  Sanik appeared next to Tali, his fencing blade flashing twice, and severed the taut rope.

  “A weak beast, once contained,” Tali muttered, the gauntlet vanishing from her hand. “Still, The Experience and Vitalis are appreciated.”

  “Lem! Get us out of here. I don’t want to be around when its body attracts something worse.”

  Edan sat down heavily on the deck and let out a breath. He was surprised at how steady his heartbeat was. There had been excitement, but no fear, just determination.

  “That was a good plan, son,” Sanik said, sitting next to him and giving him a proud smile.

  “A very good plan.” Gem added from her place near the steering wheel.

  Edan gave a thumbs up, just happy he could finally contribute to a fight.