Ocean Of Fear (Book 6) by William King Page B

If Zamara did not come back with the Kraken’s head he might as well not come back at all.
    Frater Jonas looked gloomy.  
    “It was a demon of the deep,” Terves said. “It rose and damn near dragged us all down into a watery hell.”
    Zamara rounded on him, as if he wanted to curse the man, but his self-control reasserted itself. He extended a hand to the captain of the Sea Dragon and took his spyglass, focusing it on the distant outline of the Ocean’s Blade. The trireme had taken advantage of the struggle to open the distance between it and its pursuers. Kormak was surprised. He had half-expected the Kraken to come back and try and finish them off.
    Zamara let out a long seaman’s oath then ordered the crew to search for more survivors. He was not leaving any man of his to be marooned out here. It was a gesture calculated to endear him to his crew. It seemed he had already worked out that they could not overhaul the Ocean’s Blade before it reached Port Blood.
    A sense of despondency settled on the ship. The whole crew knew that the long chase was over and that there would not be any prize money for them. Zamara slumped against the sternpost, deep in thought. Father Jonas called for his attention and he and Kormak were given permission to come onto the command deck.
    “We have lost the Kraken,” said the captain. “And I have lost my flagship and the lives of a lot of good men.”
    “We can still take the Kraken,” said Frater Jonas.
    Zamara raised an eyebrow. “How? By sailing into the harbour of Port Blood? Three score and ten pirate vessels will give us a warmer welcome than we gave that squid. Not to mention the two great harbour forts. No, the only way we’ll get the Kraken is if we come back with the King’s fleet and the assembled fleets of a couple of allied nations.”
    “I was not thinking about a head-on assault,” said Jonas.
    “That’s good, for I would have thought you mad if you were. What exactly, pray, do you have in mind?”
    “Sir Kormak and I will go ashore and take the pirate’s head.”
    “By this I take it you mean Sir Kormak will do the beheading while you watch and applaud. Or do you mean to challenge the pirate-sorcerer to single combat yourself?”
    “I will be in an advisory capacity.”
    Zamara looked at him and laughed. After a while it dawned on him that the priest was serious. “You are not without courage,” Zamara said. “I’ll give you that, but your life won’t be worth a drunkard’s cuss if you’re caught.”
    “It’s a risk we’re going to have to take.”
    Zamara looked at Kormak and said, “I can understand why he is going. The mark of the killer is written all over him, and unless I miss my guess, this won’t be the first time he’s murdered a man by stealth. But why do you need to go?”
    “Because I have knowledge that might prove useful and I have contacts in Port Blood. And because I started this thing and I want to see it finished.
    “How do you plan to get into Port Blood?”
    “Simple enough,” said Kormak. “Under cover of night you can take us in as close as you can, and the ship’s boat can bear us to shore.”
    “You don’t have a problem with the priest tagging along with you?”
    Kormak wondered exactly why the man wanted to go into Port Blood when he could stay aboard the Sea Dragon in relative safety. “Not if he does not get in my way.”
    “On your own head be it then,” said Zamara. “I don’t think I’ll be able to wait too long out here for you.”
    “I’ve found my way back from Port Blood before, captain. I imagine I will be able to do it again.”
    He wished he was as confident as he sounded.

CHAPTER TWELVE

    THE MOON’S LIGHT turned the ocean’s waves silver and black. They broke softly against the side of the small boat, rocking it in the water. In the distance, the Pirate Island was a black smear on the horizon. Kormak checked his gear. This time he had left his armour wrapped in waterproof leather. His