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That, he thought, is not the s red tail twitching on the deck, his bat-like wings folding behind his back On heavy feet, he walked across the deck, through the aard, hateful silence and stench surrounding the humans, his eyes intent on the side of the tiny vessel The tall, ugly one in black, made no movement to step aside
‘What’s the matter with you, reptile?’ he asked with a sneer
Gariath’s ansas the back of his clawed hand against the rogue’s jaw and a casual step over his collapsed for the scowl shot at his back, Gariath leaned down over the side of the boat, nostrils twitching, black eyes searching the water
‘What … is it?’ Lenk asked, leaning down beside the dragonman
Lenk was less stupid than the others by only a fraction, Gariath tolerated the silver-haired human with a healthy disrespect that he carried for all hulowered over the water Lenk stepped beside hirunted
‘What is?’ Kataria asked, ears twitching
Not an inch of skin was left without gooseflesh when Gariath looked up and s teeth
‘Fate,’ he answered
Before anyone could even think how to interpret his statement, much less respond to it, the boat shuddered Lenk hurled hi
‘Sword,’ he said ‘Sword! Sword! Where’s ht up with his mind as he reached up and tore the blade from the sheath on his back ‘Grab your weapons! Hurry! Hurry!’
‘What is it?’ Kataria asked, her hands already rifling through the bundle that held her bow
‘I … was looking into the water’ Lenk turned to her ‘And … it looked back’
It took only a few moments for the bundle to lie open and e in his hand, Kataria’s arron back, Denaos’ knives in his hand and Dreadaeleon standing over Asper, his eyes pouring the crih him
Only Gariath stood unconcerned, his sentle across his face
The boat rocked slightly, bobbing with the confusion of their own hasty movements The seaangrily as the waves settled The boat bobbed for an anxiety-filled eternity, ears twitching, steel flashing, eyes darting
Several moments passed An errant bubble found its way to the surface and sizzled Denaos stared at it, blinked
‘What?’ he asked ‘That’s it?’
And then the sea exploded
The water split apart with a bestial howl, its frothy life erupting in a great white gout as soht sky Its wake tossed the boat back, knocking the companions beneath a sea of froth Only Gariath re his eyes as the water washed over hi and half-blind with froth, Lenk pulled his wet hair like curtains froh the salty haze he swore he couldyellow eyes
The Deepshriek, he thought in a panic, it’s come back Of course it’s come back
‘No,’ the voice made itself known inside his head ‘It fears us This … is …’
‘So worse,’ he finished as he looked up … and up and up
The great serpent rose over the boat, a column of sinew and sea Its body, blue and deep, rippled with such vigour as to suggest the sea itself had co pillar ca crested fin running fro from its jowls
The sound it erowl, butand caused the waters to quake Its yellow eyes, bright and sinister as they ht have appeared, did not look particularlynoise, Lenk was half-tee kitten
Right A kitten, he told hie kitten … with a head the size of the boat Oh, Gods, we’re all going to die
‘What is it?’ Asper asked, her whisper barely heard above its song-like noise
‘Captain Argaol told us about it before, didn’t he?’ Denaoselse about it Damn, what did he say? What did he call it?’
‘An Akaneed,’ Dreadaeleon replied ‘He called it an Akaneed …’
‘Inseason,’ Kataria finished, eyes narrowed ‘Don’t make any sudden moves Don’t make any loud noises’ She turned her eet down or it’ll kill us all!’
‘What makes you so sure it won’t kill us now?’ Lenk asked
‘Learn so about beasts, you nit,’ she hissed ‘The little ones alant flesh There’s not enough flesh around for this thing to get that big’ She dared a bit ofat its head ‘Look Do you see a ht not even have teeth’
Apparently, Lenk thought, the Akaneed did have a sense of irony For as it opened its rather prominent mouth to expose a rather sharp pair of needlelike teeth, the sound it e at all like any kitten should everabout beasts,’ heit had teeth so it would kill me and save you the difficulty?’
Her hand flashed out and he cringed, his hand tightening on his sword in expectation of a blow It ith nearly as loved hand clenching his orapping her fingers about it His confusion only deepened as he looked up and saw her staring at hi
‘Not now,’ she whispered, ‘please not now’
Baffled to the point of barely noticing the colossal shadow loo over him, Lenk’s attention was nevertheless drawn to the yellow eyes that regarded him curiously It seemed, at that moment, that the creature’s stare was reserved specifically for hi incomprehensible queries to him alone
Even as a distant ru and split the sky open for a light rain to begin falling over the sea, the Akaneed remained unhurried It continued to sway; its body rippled with the droplets that struck it, and its eyes gloith increasing intensity through the haze of the shower
‘It’s hesitating,’ Lenk whispered, unsure what toattentions
‘It’ll stay that way,’ Kataria replied ‘It’s curious, not hungry If it wanted to kill us, it would have attacked already Now all we need to do is wait and--’