Ocean Of Fear (Book 6) by William King

the Ocean’s Blade or swim to the Sea Dragon.”
    “Those of us who can swim,” said Jonas. “Many sailors cannot. They believe that it merely prolongs the agony of a man before he drowns. They think that if Saa-Aquor, the Mistress of the Deeps, wants a man she will claim him.”
    The Ocean’s Blade showed no sign of turning at bay. As the long day wore on the reason became clear. A low smudge on the horizon indicated the presence of land. Birds appeared in the sky. Bits of flotsam drifted in the sea nearby.
    “The Pirate Islands,” said Jonas. “If we go much closer we will be sighted and corsair ships will come to meet us, then we will be the ones hunted.”
    Kormak shaded his eyes with his hand. “I am more concerned with what the Kraken is up to on the sterncastle of his ship. Lend me your spyglass, please.”
    He stretched out the telescope’s cylinders, rotating them until the rear of the Ocean’s Blade leapt into view. The Kraken stood alone on the command deck.
    The man’s regal bearing was as unmistakable, as was the strange living armour wrapped around his torso. There had been one change. The Teardrop of Leviathan now blazed on the centre of his chest, as if set in the living armour.
    The Kraken spread his arms wide and threw his head back. He seemed to be chanting.  
    Kormak’s hand went to the amulet beneath his armour. They were too far from the trireme for it to have grown warm with the eddy currents of magic but he did not doubt that, had they been closer, it would even now be becoming hot.
    “What is it?” Frater Jonas asked.
    “He’s working sorcery,” Kormak said.
    The waves to the rear of the Ocean’s Blade seethed. A monstrous shape rose from the depths. Shouts from the sailors all around Kormak told him that they had noticed it too.
      A huge head emerged, streams of water cascading down its side, running off gigantic slitted eyes that gazed up with a near worshipful air at the Kraken.
    Greenish-black tentacles stretched skyward. They looked able to pull a ship the size of the Ocean’s Blade below the water without difficulty.
    “Our sorcerer has called his namesake,” said Jonas. His tone attempted the ironic but fear lurked beneath.
    “I wonder what he intends to do with it,” Kormak said.
    “Come, Sir Kormak, you know just as well as I do what that maniac plans.”
    As if to give emphasis to his words, the giant head disappeared below the water. The tentacles sank out of sight heartbeats later. A white line appeared beneath the waves and a trail of bubbles moved in the direction of the Marlin. Ahead of it, a massive wave rose as if something huge was displacing the water.
    Sailors shrieked. At this speed, it would not take long for the great creature to cover the distance between the two ships.
    Zamara shouted orders. The catapults rotated on their great circular platforms. Flasks of incendiary chemicals dropped into place. The enormous arms of the war-engines whipped forward, sending their missiles spinning out over the ocean to drop in the path of the onrushing giant squid.
    The shots missed. The chief engineer shouted instructions, adjusting range and tension. Another shot arced out. This time it hit the onrushing mass but nothing happened. A yellow glow showed under the water but the monster kept coming closer.
    “Alchemical fire,” said Frater Jonas. “I am not sure that even that will work.”
    The glow vanished and the white wake faded out. A few of the crew raised a panicked cheer, relief evident in their voices.
    “Or perhaps I was wrong,” said Jonas. He wiped his brow. They studied the empty sea for long minutes.
    The ship shivered, as if it had encountered an obstruction beneath its waterline. A scraping sound rose from below.
    Colour drained from the priest’s face. The ship vibrated again. Had it risen by more than the natural ebb and flow of the waves?
    The Marlin shook as if in the grip of a storm. The scraping sounded much louder now. Out of the water,