Chapter Two

From the Sea and the Sky

'There it is!' Mirana exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

Marci hastened to her side and leaned on the railing. There was no missing it: the Golden Coast. They were perhaps less than a day's travel from the northern beaches of the Imperium.

They were almost home.

Marci sighed wistfully, glad to see those cliffs again, to be returning home. She only wished that Davion could be here with them.

'You see, Aiushtha,' Donté smiled. 'You will soon be on dry land.'

'Good,' Aiushtha groaned, still leaning over the side. 'Urgh… I think I'm going to be…'

They all grimaced and looked away as Aiushtha heaved and threw up yet again. Even the two lunar cats, who did not like ships any more than Marci did, were doing better—though they had stayed up on the deck for the whole journey, unnerving some of the crew.

Luna leaned towards Marci and muttered, 'If we have to sail with her again, maybe we should just knock her out.'

Marci shrugged. She did sympathise with Aiushtha.

'Stow the sails and prepare to drop the anchors!' Haldrien shouted from the helm. 'Prepare the longboats and skiffs for travel.'

Sailors rushed around to carry out his commands. Marci could feel the excitement trembling in her heart. Mirana looked more cheerful than Marci had seen her in weeks. Donté was clearly pleased. Luna looked pensive. Aiushtha was still being sick.

'Captain?' the lookout up in the crow's nest pointed at something east of the Reprisal. 'There's something on the horizon, in the sky!'

Marci tensed. She was expecting it to be a dragon. That would be just their luck!

Haldrien extended his spyglass and peered into the sky. 'They look like some of those keenish contraptions. Skyships or whatever they call them.' He stowed the spyglass. 'Must be one of their experimental teams gone astray with the wind. I can't imagine why else they would be out here.'

Marci relaxed. The keen were not at war with the Imperium, nor did they want to be.

Aiushtha finished retching at last. She lifted her torso back past the railing, looking wretched. 'Sorry… I don't think the fish are happy.'

'I don't think they would be.' Luna murmured.

'Are those dolphins or sharks? I can't remember the difference.'

Marci leaned over to get a better look. She frowned.

There was something swimming around under the water, something large. More than one of them.

Marci had seen dolphins before, when she and Mirana had fled the Imperium. She had also seen a picture of a shark. But these things, despite having shark-like snouts, did not seem to be ordinary sharks.

As far as she knew, sharks did not have arms. Or legs. Or…

Weapons?

Marci yanked Aiushtha back and blew a sharp whistle. Mirana knew what she meant at once and did not question her. 'Captain! We're under attack!'

'What?' Haldrien demanded, leaving the helm and striding to the side. 'These waters should be perfectly safe, your majesty.' He peered over the side. 'Perhaps you saw a dolphin, or a basking shar—'

Before he could finish, something with a shark-like head, teeth poking from its lower jaw over its nose, leapt from the water and sank its teeth into his torso, enveloping his head. Its skin was a poisonous green, rippled with cobalt stripes.

Haldrien was yanked right off the deck, and both he and the monster fell back into the water. The ripples were soon red with blood.

Marci blew another whistle as Luna yelled, 'Levianths! Arm yourselves!'

They gave them little time. They were already leaping onto the decks of the ships, an entire army of green-skinned, hulking shark-like humanoids. All of them were armed with crude but lethal looking weapons, some of wood and steel, others of rock and coral. They hardly seemed to need them with their vast arrays of vicious, ripping teeth.

The sailor right in front of them proved how lethal their teeth were. The levianth which he faced simply snapped him up in its jaws and bit him in half.

Marci ran forwards and leapt, driving her foot into the side of its head. She felt bones crack and the levianth fell to the deck, disgorging the mangled half of the sailor.

Luna drew her borrowed spatha as Mirana took the dead sailor's gladius, grimacing at the blood coating the hilt. 'With me!' Luna told her. 'You're going to need your bow. Aiushtha! Stay close!'

Donté had his gleaming rapier in hand. Aiushtha had at least thought to bring her staff with her. Marci was completely unarmed, but of course she did not need a weapon to kill with.

If they could hold off the levianths, one of the other ships could help them.

That hope withered almost immediately. Marci could hear screams and roaring all around, and she could see bulky green forms everywhere. They were attacking the entire fleet!

How could an entire levianth army bypass the naga like this?

A second levianth leapt at them. Donté sprang aside and speared it through the eye with his rapier. 'Protect Mirana!'

Marci did not need telling. She moved with them, pausing only to break the arm and leg of an attacking levianth before smashing its skull. She blew another sharp whistle, calling Sagan to her.

Sagan dumped the mauled corpse of another levianth and bounded over. At Luna's call, Nova did the same, swallowing half of the foolish levianth which had attacked her.

Marci heard a cry from the crow's nest. 'The skyships are closing in!'

The lookout was not wrong. The keenish skyships were approaching. Maybe they had seen the attack and decided to help.

Marci felt her hopes soar. The primitive levianths would not be able to attack the airborne skyships. What the keen lacked in stature and physical strength, they made up for with intelligence and technological innovation.

The skyships, long platforms with flat, blunt twin prongs on each end, held aloft by whirling rotors and vast, metal-clad bladders filled with specially mixed gases, were rapidly approaching. Marci could see what looked like strange tubular contraptions mounted on the ends of the prongs. She had no time to examine them. More levianths were closing in.

There was no time to find additional weapons. The damn things were everywhere now. There were several legionnaires scattered throughout the fleet, but many of them had been left to recover with the Dragon Knights. The entire fleet had been caught by surprise, watching for attacks from the surface, not under it.

'Back to back!' Luna shouted. 'Protect Mirana!'

Marci felt her back bump against Donté's scales. The boats had stopped being an option long ago. Even if they could have reached them, even if the levianths weren't destroying them, they would never have made it to the shore. The levianths were much faster in the water, and they would easily sink them.

'This is not how I imagined dying.' Donté remarked grimly.

'I'd rather die on dry land.' Aiushtha groaned.

'I don't care where I die,' Luna growled. 'I'm not going to make it easy for these kochi! Nova? Feel like eating some more fish?'

Nova growled and bared her fangs.

'Gather around!' Mirana shouted, calling out to the few survivors still aboard the Reprisal. 'We have to hold them off!'

'All that will buy you is time, little morsel,' a rough voice declared.

Marci narrowed her eyes and raised her fists. The other levianths were stepping aside, allowing a much bigger one to approach the huddle.

This had to be their leader. He had the same poisonous green skin, which was covered in scars—marks from blades and teeth alike. And he was huge, more in bulk than height, but even so he towered over Marci by at least two feet.

Not that his size worried her. She'd taken on bigger foes.

The huge levianth chuckled as he lifted a crudely fashioned weapon onto his shoulder, a length of wood—probably once a ship's bowsprit—with half of an anchor attached. The two flukes were rusted, but with the levianth's strength it could have pierced a dragon's skull.

'You may buy yourselves some time,' the levianth continued in a deep, grating voice. 'But time and Tidehunter wait for no man.'

'This one thinks he's clever.' Luna muttered, picking a second sword up off the deck. 'How much chum do you reckon we can make out of this one?'

'If I had my bow…' Mirana murmured, clutching her gladius tightly.

'You shouldn't go anywhere without your weapon.' Luna hissed.

'Well… for…' Mirana gave up. 'Lecture me if we survive!'

'Deal.' Luna stepped forwards, both blades at the ready. 'The big one is mine. Marci, protect Mirana.' Without another word, Luna charged. The first levianth to try to stop her ended up sprawling on the deck, his intestines spilled across it. The second fell over the side with his throat opened wide.

The Tidehunter laughed and ran forwards too, eager to fight. He swung his anchor straight at Luna's head.

Luna ducked, tucked her shoulder and rolled under the weapon, coming up behind the Tidehunter. She closed in fast, jabbing one sword into the Tidehunter's back, swinging the other one upwards and slicing into his arm.

The Tidehunter spun, yanking one of the swords out of Luna's hand. It was still poking out of his back, yet he barely seemed to notice.

Luna glared, surprised that the levianth could ignore a sword in his back.

'My skin is thicker than yours, morsel,' the Tidehunter chuckled. 'You have not swum in the cold depths of the Dark Reef, unlike me.'

Luna did not waste words. She stepped in, intending to ram her sword through his heart. Thick skin or not, it would not be thick enough, not if she rammed the blade in all the way up to the hilt.

Behind him, Marci seized a levianth's arm and wrenched it out of the socket. As he staggered back, Marci grabbed his spear, rammed it through his eye, yanked it back out and threw it, killing a levianth about to attack Luna from behind.

She heard a hoarse yelp and saw another levianth stagger back, his arm nearly severed. Mirana advanced and pushed her dripping blade into his chest. A second levianth lunged at her.

Marci whistled sharply.

Mirana ejected the glowing blue shard from her bracer and shoved it into the levianth's head. It seemed she had not left all of her weapons in her cabin.

Mirana spared Marci a grateful nod, there wasn't time for anything more.

Aiushtha swung her staff, sending another levianth sprawling across the deck with a cracked skull. Donté was being far more precise, his rapier wielded with skill, always piercing some vital organ. Sagan and Nova were protecting the flanks, tearing out chunks of flesh with their fangs, opening veins with their claws.

Luna ducked under another swing of the anchor. She wanted to kill the Tidehunter, but she did not need to. Those keenish skyships would be in position any second. They might not have been in an alliance with the Imperium, but they were certainly enemies to the levianths. More than one keenish vessel had been sent to the depths by them.

The Tidehunter snarled and brought the anchor down this time, splintering the deck in front of Luna. She staggered, and the Tidehunter took full advantage. He left the anchor in place and rammed her, throwing her to the deck. Her sword spun away, far out of reach.

The Tidehunter roared and lunged, his maw open. There was nothing Luna could do against his teeth. Mirana was without her bow, and Aiushtha was in no fit state to cast spells, and too busy just trying to stay alive.

Luna reached for the knife concealed up her sleeve. It didn't matter that she was about to die, she would stick this in the Tidehunter's maw, hopefully he would choke on it.

There was a flash of light. Luna screwed her eyes shut on instinct. She heard the Tidehunter bellow in pain, heard him hit the deck, and heard feet landing in front of her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Marci standing with her back to her, golden light bleeding from her skin. She turned her head, giving Luna a glimpse of an eye filled with light.

Marci turned back to the Tidehunter, who was clambering back onto his large webbed feet, growling and gnashing his teeth. 'I'm going to enjoy eating you as a snack.'

Marci simply adjusted her stance, bouncing on the balls of her feet, then lifted a hand, sticking up her middle finger.

Luna scrambled round and lunged for her sword. Mirana got there first and hurried towards her, holding out the weapon.

Luna reached out, her fingers brushing against the hilt and Mirana's hand.

The ropes seemed to come out of nowhere.

Luna felt one whip across her forearm as the net closed around Mirana, wrapping tightly around her. Mirana yelled in shock, then screamed as she was yanked into the air.

Marci turned, unable to see more than a vague gold-hued shape being lifted into the sky, a large dark mass high above.

Marci heard a roar. The Tidehunter was charging at her again, his maw wide open, not even bothering with his anchor.

Marci had to save Mirana, but she couldn't fly! She could use her power to move, maybe leap at extraordinary speed, but she couldn't jump that high.

Maybe a grapnel… Yes, they had grapnels aboard!

Before Marci could think to even let her power abate so that she could see, the Tidehunter was upon her.

Marci quickly leapt aside, colliding with the mast. She felt the Tidehunter's claws scrape across her tunic, ripping the fabric, tearing shallow cuts across her side. Marci leapt aside, almost losing her balance as she slipped in somebody's blood.

She skidded across the deck, stopping close to Luna. There was another scream, this time from Aiushtha. She had been caught in a net too, and was being pulled up towards the nearest skyship.

What Marci could not see clearly, Luna could. It was now obvious that the skyships were not manned by keenish aeronauts. There were keen amongst the crews, but they lacked uniforms and insignias. They were mercenaries. Humans and others ran across the decks, manning the weapons. Luna saw them dragging Mirana, kicking and thrashing, across the deck, trying to restrain her.

One of the men seized hold of one of the odd, tubular contraptions and swung it around, pointing it at her.

Luna knew what it was. She had seen one before.

Back when she had been the Scourge, she had stolen one. One of her more idiotic comrades had broken it, but it had still been worth a fair amount of coin to some fool of a collector. The fat, yawning maws were aimed right at her.

Luna knew there was only one sensible thing they could do. 'Marci! Jump!'

She knew that the wooden hull of the ship was a hopeless defence against the flak cannon. The only thing they could do was jump overboard, submerge, hope the water lessened the momentum of the shots enough to render them harmless.

The gunner pushed the crank forwards. The gun rattled and spat, smoke erupting from its barrels, spewing lead slugs at the ship. They cut straight through the deck and hull, shredding the wood like paper, bursting into flame and spraying shards of metal with gruesome effect.

The other skyships were firing on the rest of the fleet. Their crews, what was left of them, had been too focused on the levianths. Rockets whizzed from overhead, blowing holes in the ships, blasting them into splinters.

It didn't matter if they were working with the levianths, as unlikely as it seemed. They were ripping the Imperium ships apart and nothing could stop them.

Luna saw the second gun swivel towards her. If she stayed, it would tear her to pieces.

Luna swore and broke into a run. The gunner was no expert with his weapon. He aimed at where she was instead of where she would be, hitting the deck where she had been.

Luna could feel the impacts shaking the deck behind her, hear them shattering it, feel splinters flying around her and cutting her skin.

She reached the rail and leapt. The waters of the sea rushed up to greet her.

Luna inhaled before she hit the water feet first. Bullets hit the water around her, trailing past slowly, still hot.

Luna swam downwards, hoping the gunners would lose sight of her. Then she realised that perhaps she might have been better off staying on the ship.

Death by gun would be less painful than death by levianth fangs, and quicker than drowning.

Marci was knocked off her feet, left confused and bewildered. She could only see vague shapes, and feel the ship breaking apart under her.

She heard the Tidehunter snarl, and a shape rushed past her and vanished. He must have leapt overboard.

Marci jumped up. She had to reach Mirana! But how?

A woolly fist of heat washed over her. The ship rocked violently and she lost her footing again. She felt her back collide with the railing, lost her balance, and tumbled over it.

She knew what was coming, but not when because she couldn't see the water. She had barely clamped her mouth shut when she hit the water face-first.

She was falling slowly, sinking into an empty golden void. The water hissed and bubbled around her hot skin. A familiar lurch of panic seized Marci as she sank, nightmares of drifting ever deeper into bottomless, dark depths rushing back to her. She saw herself left to die, helpless, alone, succumbing to the cold, crushing embrace of the water.

Marci quashed the fear. She knew how to swim, and now was no time for panic. Marci forced her power to abate so that she could see.

Seeing didn't help much. She was facing the seabed. She could see stretches of sand, rocks, and plants undulating in the current far below. Very far below.

'Surface, you fool!'

Marci turned around. The surface wasn't far away, she could be there in moments.

She almost hesitated. The skyships were still up there, but she would rather take her chances with them than the levianths.

Blinking as the saltwater stung her eyes and prickled against her skin, Marci kicked, pushing herself upwards. Debris and bodies floated past her. Some of them were Imperial sailors, ripped apart by Levianths or shredded by bullets and shrapnel. Others were Levianths, some cut down by the ships' crews, others torn apart by the skyships' gunners. Most of them had fled by now, knowing that they couldn't fight back against their new, airborne foes.

The fleet was falling apart above. But Marci did not intend to board one of the ships, not if they were being ripped apart. Whoever was in the skyships, they had taken Mirana and Aiushtha alive. Maybe they would do the same for her, and she could fight back once she was up there, with her friends.

She hadn't given any thought to getting off the skyship. It was the last thing on her mind right now, amongst other things.

'Marci! Below!'

The words had barely entered her head when something sharp dug into her shin. Marci's mouth opened in a silent yelp. Precious air billowed between her lips, rushing to the surface, along with twirling tendrils of blood.

The Tidehunter. She hadn't thought to defend herself against him!

Like a shark, he had smelt her blood in the water. He had cut her during their fight on the Reprisal, and she had still been bleeding when she had fallen overboard. Even now, she could feel the cuts stinging.

Marci lashed out with her free leg, and missed. She was literally out of her element. She had never been taught to fight underwater, and her movements were slower and clumsier down here.

But her opponent was perfectly at home underwater. This was his natural environment, where he preferred to hunt.

Worst of all, he was amphibious. He could breathe down here. Marci could not, and her lungs were already searing. If she did not surface soon, she would drown.

She had fought against a water drake underwater, but it had been much larger, and had found her impossible to dislodge. The Tidehunter was smaller, more mobile, more cunning.

The Tidehunter pulled her down, opening his maw. Rows of triangular teeth loomed before Marci. He was going to eat her feet first, maybe just bite off a leg and let her flounder for a bit before finishing her off, or just let her expire.

Marci wouldn't give in without a fight. She lashed out again, smacking him in the snout.

The Tidehunter roared and released her. By lucky chance, she had struck him right where it hurt the most. Like sharks, levianths had extremely sensitive snouts.

If she had been on land, Marci would have stood her ground or attacked again. But she desperately needed to breathe!

The urge was all consuming, and without another thought Marci propelled herself upwards. Not only did she need air, but Mirana needed her!

It was too far. She'd never reach the surface by swimming.

Marci focused, forcing herself not to panic. She still had strength enough, she could still call upon at least some of her power.

The water bubbled and hissed around her. She sliced through it, flying upwards, a streak of bright light painful to look upon.

Marci erupted from the water, lost control, and tumbled back down. She surfaced again, gasping for air.

'Marci!'

Marci trod water, turning on the spot. Luna was swimming towards her, gesturing frantically. 'They have Mirana!'

Marci looked up. The skyships were circling overhead like vultures, launching nets to scoop up whoever they could catch. The few surviving Imperium ships were scattering, trying to avoid the skyships' weapons. But the skyships' crews were ignoring them, which meant they had achieved what they had set out to do.

They had wanted Mirana. Alive. They had her now. They were content to let the survivors drown or be eaten by the levianths.

The Tidehunter was still prowling, even if his friends had gone.

Marci blew a sharp, piercing whistle and waved her arms. Luna stared at her, confused, probably thinking that she was mad.

One of the skyships sounded something like a horn, only tinnier, and turned towards the coast. Marci whistled again. Were they fleeing?

Another horn sounded and one of the ships flew lower, heading towards her and Luna. Good! They still wanted to take people alive. Perhaps they were slavers. Whoever they were, Marci would find some way to break free, neutralise them, and free her friends. Surely a skyship couldn't be that hard to land?

Marci tensed. The nets would be coming down any moment. She moved closer.

It was a good thing she did move. If she had not, she would have been ripped in half.

The Tidehunter erupted behind her, his maw open and roaring. Luna yelled.

Marci turned in time to see the Tidehunter loom over her, bearing down on her, seizing her shoulders. Before she could try to fill her lungs, she was shoved under.

Luna swore and made to dive, not caring that she was unarmed. She would tear into the Tidehunter with her teeth and fingernails if she had to.

The ropes whipped around her just as she submerged, wrapping around her, and she was plucked from the water, helpless as a fish caught by a hook. All she could do was thrash and yell.

Below, Marci had disappeared, dragged down into the depths by the Tidehunter.

Luna was pulled higher, until she was suspended in the net from a strange contraption, like a gibbet with gears. The gibbet swung round and she was dropped without ceremony or care, landing on the deck heavily. Men gathered around her, pointing weapons in her direction, laughing and jeering.

'She's got some spirit, this one!'

'What is she? Some kind of albino?'

Luna snarled. 'Let me out of this net and I'll show you some fucking spirit!'

'We won't be doing that, Scourge.'

Luna paused. She knew that voice. Low, a little raspy. The last time she had heard it, she'd taken a dagger in the side.

She turned her head, and there he was: a humanoid figure, on the short side, with canine features, large, pointed ears and a tufted crest of yellow fur atop his head. He was clad in dark clothing, a red mask pulled over his mouth. A pair of wicked looking daggers hung from his belt.

'Gondar.' Luna growled. 'You fucking coward.'

'It's nothing personal, Scourge.' Gondar chuckled. 'Most people assumed you'd crawled into some hole to die, but not I. And I am glad to see you alive, Scourge.'

'My name is Luna.'

'You cannot escape what you were, Scourge, nor can you escape that price on your head. You will make me very wealthy.'

'Luna!' Luna turned over in the net and her heart sank. Mirana had been forced into a metal cage, along with Aiushtha. Several sailors and legionnaires had also been captured. There was no sign of Donté or the night-beasts. 'Luna! Where's Marci?'

Luna swore yet again. 'Gondar! I know I'm worth a lot to you, but you should let them go. There's no price on their heads.'

'On the contrary, Scourge, the long lost Princess is worth a pretty penny too. In fact, I happen to know someone who will pay more for her than anybody would ever pay for you.'

Luna blanched. She could guess who he meant.

'And I'm sure the cervitaur will be worth something to some freak show or travelling circus.'

'Listen to me!' Luna had no choice, though by now it was probably too late. 'There's another! She'd be worth a fortune! But you have to save her! That levianth, the Tidehunter, he has her! He's trying to kill her!'

'Oh gods!' Mirana gasped.

Gondar held up a hand, stalked over to the side of the skyship, and peered over the edge. 'Huh. If Leviathan has her, she's as good as dead.'

'Hoy!' An oglodi yelled. 'Ship on the horizon! A big one. Looks Claddish.'

'I knew it.' Gondar muttered. 'Where the Tidehunter appears, his hunter is never far behind. Let's go! Leave the dead and the dying for the sharks. Make landfall!'

'No!' Mirana screamed. 'We can't leave Marci! Aiushtha! Help me!' She actually started to attack the bars, trying to bend them perhaps in her desperation. But she was not Marci, she had no chance.

Luna was dragged off to another cage as some of Gondar's friends laughed at Mirana's hopeless efforts, mocking her as tears coursed down her face, breaking down into hysteria as Mirana slumped, sobbing.

Luna snarled and writhed, but they'd had enough of her now. The last thing she remembered of that day was a boot striking her in the temple.

Marci squirmed in the Tidehunter's strong grasp, lashing out wildly, technique all but forgotten as panic overwhelmed her. Her chest was on fire, her lungs felt like they were about to explode.

The Tidehunter opened his maw as her struggles grew weaker. Many landwalkers had died today, sacrifices for Maelrawn. Such morsels for Maelrawn and his creatures would help to restore the god's stolen strength, and prove the Tidehunter a worthy servant once again.

This one woman though would be his meal. She was small and slim, but he had tasted her blood, rich, heady, potent with raw power and potential, burning gloriously even as Marci began to slip away.

Marci felt something sliding around her neck. Not the golden amulet, a leather cord.

Marci seized it and leaned forwards.

For a confusing moment, the Tidehunter thought that she was trying to shove her head into his mouth. Perhaps she thought it would be less painful. But she twisted, and the next thing he was aware of was stabbing pain, a wave of agony rushing from the side of his snout, and losing the sight of his left eye.

Marci jabbed the dragon fang into the Tidehunter's head again and again, clouds of red blood billowing around her. Finally he released her out of pure reflex.

Marci kicked, giving no thought to the Tidehunter. She was too desperate to reach the surface, even as her sight began to dim. Her mind was too starved of air for rational thought now, but if she stayed and fought, she would lose.

A large shape loomed above. It took her a moment to guess that it was the hull of a ship, a huge one, vaguely familiar. But she had no time to ponder it. She couldn't even rouse her power now, not without air.

He was faster than her. He was enraged. He was going to end her life or die trying.

Once again, Marci felt his clawed, webbed fingers digging into her shin. Once again, she was yanked downwards.

This time, she was too weak and too late to fight back.

Her lips parted, and the last remnants of stale air in her lungs trickled upwards. She could taste the seawater as it flowed into her mouth, burning as it poured down her throat.

Darkness closed in around Marci, smothering her. She didn't even feel the Tidehunter's claws in her flesh as oblivion swallowed her.

Marci's eyes closed, blotting out the sunlight high above. As she faded away, she thought she heard something. A voice. That voice, calling to her, imploring her not to die.

It faded too, lost in this abyss, as helpless as she was.

The Tidehunter grinned as he drew his now limp prey closer, yearning to taste her pale flesh, to rip her apart.

These landwalkers would one day learn to fear the sea once again. The cowardly levianths who had fled would feel his wrath, and the wrath of Maelrawn when His power was restored.

His victory was short-lived. Though Marci had lost the fight, she had distracted him from something he should have anticipated, something even he was wary of.

Blind in one eye, he did not see the interloper, but he sensed vibrations in the water. At first, he thought they were bodies sinking to the seabed, fodder for Maelrawn's many creatures and the denizens of the sea. Yet as it came closer, he became aware that it was moving quickly. It moved with purpose.

Like a hunter.

Leviathan turned his head as it approached. He just had time to take in the scarred face and the untidy, familiar beard before his nemesis shoved his sword into his chest.

Leviathan jolted, blood pouring from him as Kunkka withdrew his sword, his teeth bared in a vicious, victorious snarl.

Leviathan hadn't expected to be amongst those feeding the sharks today, or to finally be slain by his greatest rival. And all he had managed to eat of Kunkka was one of his boots.

Kunkka sheathed his sword, enjoying the satisfaction of watching his old foe sink to the bottom of the sea. Leviathan had cost him dearly, summoning his foul god to destroy Kunkka's old fleet, kill his loyal crew and nearly kill him.

Maelrawn had paid. He had broken the Covenant, and had been stripped of much of His power as a result. Now the feared Tidehunter had paid too, with his life.

Kunkka would have preferred a longer fight, but he was content just have killed the Tidehunter. He had been an opponent he had respected, once. But after Maelrawn's fall he had become little more than an opportunistic thug raiding hapless targets, all supposedly for his god rather than his own glory.

Kunkka almost made for the surface straight away, but his gaze alighted on the woman Leviathan had been about to eat.

She was dressed in Imperium colours, probably one of their citizens. He had little liking for Imperial folk. He thought of them as snobbish and grandstanding, basking in their own glory.

This one wasn't his concern. Another unfortunate casualty. But it was a shame to just leave her like this, he thought. She had distracted Leviathan, even wounded him. If she had not, he may very well have died too.

Kunkka seized her arm. There was still a chance. A slim chance, but a chance all the same.

He would at least like to thank her, for giving him the opportunity to finally kill the Tidehunter.

Donté had barely blinked since the two lunar cats had been scooped out of the sea and placed on the deck of this strange ship. They were alive, but exhausted and wary. The crew watching them had harpoons at the ready, anxious about these fierce creatures.

Donté understood their caution. He had done what he could to reassure them. They had never seen night-beasts before.

Donté had been flung overboard by an explosion, and had kept his life through luck alone. Pangoliers were not built for swimming, and it was only by seizing a floating chunk of a ship's hull that he had survived. The levianths had scattered when the skyships had attack. Or rather, most of them had. One had remained to fight.

He'd known who it was. He'd seen Leviathan the Tidehunter before. He knew his reputation.

He thought he knew who commanded this ship too. He had caught a glimpse of the man as he had been hauled aboard. He had stood out: the only human amongst a crew mostly comprised of keen.

As soon as Donté had managed to gasp out a warning about the Tidehunter, the man had removed his jerkin and boots, then leapt over the side. Donté had thought him suicidal at first, but none of the crew had objected. And if he was who Donté thought he was, the legendary Admiral Kunkka, then perhaps he alone stood a chance.

The skyships were long gone. There were other keenish ships following this one, smaller and sleeker compared to this flagship, which seemed to be of Claddish design, yet filled with keenish contraptions.

As they waited, the keen continued to reel in salvage and drag survivors aboard. There were few living people left amongst the wreckage of the once proud fleet now. Amongst others, Patrodis had been dragged from the water, injured but alive. They had taken him and the wounded below for treatment.

All around them bits of shattered hull floated, along with bodies and savaged limbs. Donté's heart sank yet further when one of the keen found a familiar object in his net: an elegant recurve bow made of white wood, tipped with silver. Mirana's bow.

He had seen Mirana and Aiushtha snatched away. He had no idea what had become of the others.

'Here he is!' one of the keen exclaimed, pointing over the side. 'He's got something! Get those lines down there.'

Donté stood as they hauled Kunkka aboard. He slumped visibly, groaning sadly, as Kunkka lay a body on the deck.

Marci.

Her tunic was torn, and something had dug claws into her shin. The Tidehunter, Donté guessed. Marci must have put up a fight, as he would have expected, but it had not been enough. He would have removed his cap if he still had it. Poor Marci had finally met her match, and it was such a terrible way for someone so courageous and heroic to die.

Sagan barged past the keen guarding him and bounded over. He lowered his head, huffing and nudging Marci with his nose. When she did not respond, he emitted a soft, mournful mewl and dropped to his haunches beside her. Nova padded over and bumped her head against him, as if she was offering her condolences.

Kunkka dropped to his knees beside Marci and did something very strange in Donté's opinion. He started to thump Marci's chest—not hard enough to cause damage, but seemingly violently all the same—alternating between that and pressing on her stomach.

Donté started forwards, glowering. 'What are you doing?' he demanded, ignoring his brimming eyes. 'Show her some respect you—'

Two of the keen blocked his path. 'The Admiral knows what he's doing. We've seen this happen before.'

Donté grimaced, but did as he was told. He had not known Marci for long, but he did consider her a friend. She might not have been a pangolier, but with her bravery and loyalty, she had been more than worthy of being an honorary Gallant.

'Come on!' the Admiral growled. 'I could have drowned fishing you out of the sea, girl. The least you can do…' he paused to thump her chest again, harder this time, 'is…' another thump, 'damn…' Thump! 'well…' Thump! 'live!'

Donté sighed. He had hoped… but Marci lay still and unmoving. He would just have to pray that whichever deity claimed her soul would treat her kindly. She deserved that much.

Kunkka shook his head, muttered under his breath, and thumped Marci's chest once more, more out of frustration than anything else.

Even he was taken aback when Marci's back suddenly arched. She gurgled, water spilling from her mouth, writhing with convulsions.

Kunkka quickly tipped her onto her side. Marci retched, vomiting water onto the deck. Donté gasped, pushed past his guards and dropped down at her side, not caring that he was kneeling in the water she had just expelled. 'Thank the gods! Merci, monsieur!'

Kunkka steadied Marci as she coughed, retched, and vomited again. She was shaking like a leaf, her eyes wide and fearful.

'It's Admiral.' Kunkka stated. 'Admiral Kunkka. And I thought it only fair. It's thanks to this girl that I was able to at last kill Leviathan.'

'You got him?' one of the crew demanded.

'Through the heart.' Kunkka confimred. 'Sailors across the world can rest easier. The Tidehunter is no more. May Maelrawn choke upon his accursed bones.'

Marci coughed again, still shaking. She looked a sorry sight. One of the crew must have thought so too, since he ordered some of his fellows to bring cloaks.

'Aurel,' Kunkka called to an oddly dressed keen with what looked like lenses strapped over his eyes. 'Did you see where those skyships went?'

'They flew towards the coast, Admiral,' the keen, Aurel, reported. 'I could fly after them, sir.'

'Get your gyrocopter ready, but wait for my command. If they're landing, we'll need a new strategy.'

Marci's eyes widened further still. She sat up and signed frantically at Donté, looking almost demented.

Kunkka stared at her, clearly taken aback. 'What is she doing?'

Donté ignored him. 'Marci, please, you need to calm down and move more slowly. I don't understand.'

Marci sighed, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths. She didn't seem much calmer when she opened her eyes and signed again, her eyes were still wide and frantic, but she moved her hands more slowly. Amongst other things, she mimed Mirana's tiara.

Donté nodded. 'Some of our friends were snatched by those skyships.'

'As we thought.' Kunkka grunted. 'Slavers.'

Marci waved her hands again, jabbing at the coast.

'Nearly drowning doesn't mean that you can't talk, girl.' Kunkka muttered.

'She can't speak, Admiral.' Donté explained. 'She lost her voice long before I met her. This is how she talks.'

'Hmph. That would explain the scars, though I can't say I've met many people who would survive such a thing. Can you translate for her?'

'Not well. I haven't know her for very long. But I think I know what she's saying. She wants to go after those skyships and rescue her friends. So do I, for that matter.'

'Things have changed, Gallant. I have to report back to Command before I go any further. Aurel! How soon can you fly?'

'Two hours, Admiral.'

Marci shook her head and indicated the coast.

Kunkka grimaced. 'I have my orders, girl. I was supposed to track those ships. But they're going into Imperium territory now. I can't just follow them ashore. Your people would accuse us of invading. Your God Emperor is ridiculously paranoid.'

Donté frowned. 'The usurper Shabarra has been deposed, forced to flee into the wilderness. Have you not heard?'

'I don't get much news when I'm at sea.' Kunkka answered. 'And I spare the gyrocopter's fuel for when it's most needed. But even so, I must wait for Command's blessing.'

Marci glared at him, jabbed a finger at herself, then stood up and marched towards the side of the ship. Kunkka frowned, clearly confused.

It was only when Marci swung a leg over the railing that he dashed forwards, grabbed her and yanked her back. She writhed in his grasp, still weak from her ordeal, yet still putting up a tremendous struggle.

'Ye gods, woman!' Kunkka grated, trying to wrestle Marci to the deck. 'Have you got a death wish? Bloody hell! Calm yourself! Look, your loyalty is impressive, but you wouldn't be able to swim all the way to the coast, even if you hadn't nearly died. You'd flounder well before you reached the beach, and that would be the end of you. I didn't drag you out and get you breathing again just so you could drown yourself.'

'Marci, calm down!' Donté advised. 'Admiral, could we at least borrow a longboat?'

'You'd go after them alone?' Kunkka clearly had his doubts. 'I know you Gallants are skilled duellists, but what good could you, having lost your sword, and this girl do alone?' Marci had at last relented, at least a little, too tired to keep fighting. 'I'll admit, she is strong, and she did hurt Leviathan, but…' he paused, then reached down and lifted the exposed dragon fang hanging from its cord. 'Is this…' he looked over at Donté. 'You're not about to tell me she's a damn Dragon Knight, are you?'

'No, she isn't one of them. Look, Admiral, you'll just have to believe me when I say that Marci is a gifted fighter. Right now, I'm more concerned about our friends.'

'Touching. But those slavers have a head start on you, and they just wrecked your ships. We only saw a handful of your allies flee.' He paused, thinking. 'Why did they attack you?'

Marci imitated the tiara again, nodding at Donté.

'We were taking Princess Mirana home,' Donté said, 'so that she could claim her rightful place as Empress of the Helio Imperium.'

Kunkka's jaw dropped for a moment.

'I assure you, it is true.' Donté continued. 'Commander Garrisan of the Sun Guard confirmed her identity, but even before then, I was never in any doubt. Marci's presence at her side was proof enough. There is nobody more loyal to the Princess than her.'

'So I saw.' Kunkka allowed. 'This… this changes things. Especially if Shabarra is really gone.' He considered for a moment, his thick brows furrowed. 'Aurel! Change of plans. Fuel the gyrocopter now, then see if you can find those Imperial ships which fled. Get them to make landfall on the coast.' He let go of Marci's shoulder, satisfied that she wasn't about to leap overboard in a brave, if suicidal, effort to rescue Mirana alone. 'We have a healer aboard. I'll have her see to you, make sure you don't have any complications after your ordeal. The rest of you, unfurl the sails and spin up the props! I want a landing party assembled in two hours.' He turned to Marci and lowered his voice. 'Your name is Marci, yes?'

Marci nodded.

'You're very brave, Marci. Foolish, but brave. Your loyalty is certainly compelling. It's not every day I go chasing slavers to rescue Princesses, you know.'

Marci smiled and extended her arm. He shook it courteously. 'Oh, and welcome aboard the Majestic Leviathan, the pride of my fleet. Just don't go poking around in the holds.'

Donté thought that unlikely. But it would be better to remain on Kunkka's good side. There was, after all, nothing but his goodwill stopping him from throwing them overboard.

He would want payment, of course. Kunkka was well known for his lust for treasure. But that was something they could figure out later. Provided Shabarra had not emptied the treasuries, there would be plenty of gold to satisfy even the legendary Admiral Kunkka.

Many thanks to Annbe11 and BarrissOffee99 for advice with this chapter, including, but not limited to, the method of resuscitation Kunkka uses.