Sea Serpent

Two crewmen, the lookouts for the night, barreled out of the cargo hold screaming bloody murder, and the ship bell rang frantically from the upper deck. "All hands!" The bell ringer shouted at the top of his lungs, "ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

Most of the crew scrambled up to the main deck while the rest clung to their hammock posts, refusing to move. Flora tore after the least fearful sailors with a writhing headache. They were under attack, but by what? How was she not able to sense this before?!

You were with Athair, you dolt, that's why! Her inner self answered, and her headache worsened. I hope he's alright…

The night was black as tar when she arrived on deck; there weren't even any stars to provide the smallest of lights from above. Lanterns were being arranged across the port and starboard railings as the crew took a gander at the wine-dark seas below them. "What're we lookin' for?" A crew mate asked, "What's goin' on?"

"THERE!" Someone called from the rigging, "PORT SIDE!"

A flash of red in the abyss, and the Glory suddenly swayed as something pressed against it. The crew grasped whatever they could to keep their bearings, and it was young Ackley who called next. "A tail! Look!"

"No, there!" Captain Wilbur hollered from the helm, "Starboard side!"

First port, than starboard, how was it moving so fast?! Flora held her head as she tried to search along with the crew, still not fully recovered from how she was forced out of the dream world.

Finally, something moved close to the lantern light. "Here!" It was Milo who called. "Look!"

Everyone raced to the first mate's side and beheld what had rudely awakened them from their slumber. Eyes widened, and small gasps and oaths of horror uttered into the night.

A gigantic eel was plodding along the surface of the sea; only it was no eel anyone aboard the ship had ever seen before. Its body was twice as long as the Glory's length, with spiny green fins and yellow appendages akin to whiskers trailing from the side of its jaws. Red scale-like skin blazed like dark rubies in the lantern light, while a dorsal fin of the same color coursed down its spine. Translucent teeth gleamed like daggers when it opened its mouth to breathe in the briny water, but the most frightening of all were its eyes. Bulbous, intelligent, and larger than any of the crew's heads, the iris's within glowed the color of sea grass as their owner coiled around the ship.

"A sea serpent!" Flora heaved in a sharp breath. Memories of home flashed back to her aching mind, of the hours she'd spent reading the myths and legends of the sea. Like the Kraken, there have been numerous sightings and attacks caused by these great ocean serpents, but these encounters have waned the past few centuries, to the point where many believed there were few left in the world, if any at all. And yet there's one right here! Looking right at us!

Milo shot a venomous glare at Wilbur, no doubt blaming the captain for this encounter when the serpent suddenly dipped back into the sea. "Look!" shouted Edmund, "Where's it going?"

The crew watched in both reverence and revulsion as the serpent swerved away from the Glory, appearing to have lost interest. Suddenly, the ocean began to ripple, and then burst into twin waves as the beast charged right back for them.

There was no time to act. "Brace yourselves!" Milo ordered, right when the serpent rammed into the ship.

BANG!

The Glory teetered dangerously to the port side upon impact, knocking everyone onto the deck in the process. By the time everyone was back on their feet, the serpent had resumed its attack on the cargo hold, biting and tearing into the wooden hull with its crystalline teeth.

"It'll sink the ship at this rate!" Captain Wilbur proclaimed as he shoved his hat back onto his head, having nearly lost it from the beast's onslaught.

Milo cast another foul expression at the captain, waiting for him to give orders. When Wilbur didn't move, the first mate took matters into his own hands. "Arm the muskets! Grab the harpoons! Defend the masts!" He glared down at the serpent. "We'll scare that Devil away, or take it down before it takes us!"

Oh gods! Flora's headache dissolved into vertigo. They were going to battle the beast head-on, just as sailors have done in the tales of old!

The crew hastened across the deck, opening crates containing the requested musket rifles and harpoons and arming themselves. Flora took a harpoon for herself, her hands quivering, and her heart throbbing frantically against her ribcage. I'm no coward! She ordered herself, trying to remain steadfast. We can do this!

She adjusted to the harpoon's weight and then squinted down into the sea. The serpent was coiling back around the ship, its eyes fixed on the growing hole by the cargo hold. Something stirred deep within the girl at the sight. Despite its grotesque appearance, the way the beast swam was elegant, beautiful even, like a wayward dance. As though it were one with the sea...

"Positions!" The sailors armed with rifles arranged themselves by the starboard railing and took aim at the creature. The serpent paid no heed. Its focus remained solely on the cargo hold. Flora hesitated. Shouldn't it have noticed the crew by now? Why hasn't it attacked them yet?

"Lawrence, get back!" Milo grabbed the cabin boy from behind and pulled her away from the railing as the order gave out.

"FIRE!"

The muskets fired, flurries of gray smoke billowing into the night as shots rained down on the beast like hellfire. The serpent reared back and hissed, its spiny fins rattling as it dove back into the sea. If the musket shots had any effect, there was no sign.

"Ha!" A few crew mates cheered. "That'll teach it!"

"It's comin' back!" A sailor cried. "Port side!"

The crew scrambled over to the opposite railing. Sure enough, the beast had swerved to the port side, trying to force a new way into the cargo hold. "It's still not attackin' us," Flora found herself saying out loud. Why is it after the cargo hold?

"It will soon enough," Milo stated as he came up beside her. "Get Ackley, run out the cannons, go!"

Before long, Flora, Ackley, and a number of sailors were racing below decks, opening the gun ports and readying the cannons with the hope that the cannon fire will scare the beast away.

Yes, scare it away, Flora found herself thinking. Scare it off, let it live to see another sunrise!

The cabin boy stuffed the gunpowder into one of the cannons, and followed it up with a cannon ball as both Milo and Athair taught her. When the order came to shoot, she ducked over and covered her ears. "FIRE!"

Fire erupted out of the guns like a volcanic blaze, and a grizzled howl roared into the night. "WE GOT IT!" A crewman proclaimed with glee. "IT'S BEEN HIT!"

Flora lifted her head when the cannon fire ceased. We hit it?!

The girl retrieved her harpoon and raced back to the main deck, gagging at the stench of gunpowder and burnt fish wafting through the air.

It was true. Further out on the port side of the Glory, the sea serpent thrashed and writhed in a sickening spiral, a large scar blistering crimson between its neck and the rest of its body. Iron dropped into Flora's gullet. The crew was cheering and taunting the serpent all around her, but rather than joining in, the teenager found herself pitying the beast.

It attacked the ship, but it never came for us. Why…?

Before the girl could contemplate further, the serpent suddenly straightened out and glared back at the Glory. Its flashing eyes fell onto the vessel's tiny inhabitants, and a second pair of jaws thrust out of the beast's maw as it roared.

Silence descended upon the deck. Now it had noticed them.

"Harpoons!" Someone clamored, but the order fell on deaf ears as the serpent charged. "WATCH OUT!"

Half of the crew dropped on deck, while the other half bolted as the serpent lunged. Its head landed on the floorboards with a sickening CRACK and snapped its jaws out at anything that moved. The men screamed and scrambled as they tried to get away, but one crew mate by the name of Brimley was not so lucky.

Blood burst from Brimley's leg as jagged teeth bit into his thigh, and the sailor wailed in agony as the beast gnawed deep into the bone before beginning its decent back into the sea.

STAB IT! Flora's mind ordered, Hit it! Prod it! DO SOMETHING!

Yet the girl remained sprawled on the deck, transfixed by the beast with an expression of both awe and horror.

"Ya bugger!" Before Brimley could be dragged into a grisly death, Milo dashed in with a battle cry and threw his own harpoon. The lance pierced the serpent on the snout, and the beast brayed as it released its prey. "Get up, get up, get him out of here!" Milo pulled the Brimley up the best he could, and handed him off to the crew before swiveling onto Flora. "You too Lawrence! Take shelter below decks!"

The thought of retreating now was atrocious! "But-" The cabin boy fumbled, "I can-!"

"That's an order!" Milo snarled, only to look up and take cover as the serpent leapt out of the sea.

Time slowed to a crawl as the beast soared across the ship like a monstrous whale, exposing its green-gray belly as it smashed into the main mast before vanishing into the ocean with a mighty cascade.

Why did it look so thin…?

The Glory tilted and quaked from the force of the cascade, and Flora shielded her head from falling debris as the main mast collapsed, one part across the ship, the other out at sea.

The girl ripped the shards of timber and rubble from her head and peered across the ship. The deck was nearly destroyed. The port railing was in shambles, the floorboards were strewn with sharp debris, and half of the mast was lying from the main deck to the forecastle. Yet from what she could see, there were no casualties. The crew was battered, cut up and bruised, and Brimley will definitely need a peg leg, but they were alive. The Devil's serpent hadn't taken any of them, not yet.

Flora straightened up as the serpent resurfaced. It resumed its coil around the ship, its green gaze fixed on the deck. She could see red staining its teeth from the previous attack. The beast had tasted blood, and now it knew there was food on this ship.

Food…

A candle flicked in the back of the teenager's mind. The way the serpent tried to bite into the cargo hold where in lay an abundance of supplies, including food for the journey home. Could it be…?

The cabin boy scrutinized the serpent as it circled around the vessel, her mind flashing back to when it breached over the deck. How thin it looked, even for an eel, and the way it attacked the cargo hold, completely ignoring the crew until they drew first blood…

It's starving, Her inner feelings concluded. It only wanted the food from the cargo hold the whole time!

Could it be true? Could this perhaps be the reason why she didn't sense it before?

There was no time to debate. As Flora gazed after the sea beast, her sea farthing instinct began to reach out. As it did, an idea took shape in her mind. An idea so ludicrous, it was the most preposterous and impossible notion she ever thought of, but it was all she had. The image of Brimley screaming in anguish streaked through her head, and she clenched her fists. It was the only way to stop the beast before the crew could kill it, before it could finally kill someone! It was a long shot, but she could do it!

She had to!

"LAWRENCE!" Milo's voice boomed from somewhere across the demolished deck, "LAWRENCE, GET OUT OF THERE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Flora paid no heed to the first mate. She had to get the creature's attention.

The teenager pulled her coat off and started waving it in the serpent's direction. "Hey!" she hollered, "HEY! OVER HERE!"

The serpent paid no heed to the bellowing cabin boy, its gaze lingering instead on the crew screaming and shooting at it. "Damn it!" Flora thrust her coat to the side, and took aim with her own harpoon before throwing it. "HERE!"

The harpoon bounced off the side of the serpent's head, and the creature paused before whirling onto the one who threw it.

Their eyes locked, kelp green burning into storm-gray sea. "That's it…" Her heart battered harder and harder against her torso as she moved away from the railing. "Pay no attention to them, keep looking at me!"

The serpent lofted in the ocean for a time, and then started following after Flora. "Come on, beastie," The girl bared her teeth like a beast herself, "Come on…" Her breathing accelerated as the serpent drew closer, her heart hammering so fast she thought it might burst! She couldn't believe she was doing this!

"Lawrence, you daft pup, what are you doing?!" A few of her crew mates approached from behind, and she raised a hand to stop them. "Don't!" She suddenly barked. "Get back, the lot of you! I said GET BACK!"

Some part of her wavered. Bloody hell, she sounded like Athair!

The sailors glanced uneasily at each other before backing away, just as the serpent appeared above the starboard railing. It snapped its jaws as it drew closer, its gaze never leaving Flora's. "That's it, come on…" She took a few steps back and grimaced as the odor of rotten flesh washed over her from the beast's maw.

It was right where she wanted…but now what? How in heaven's name was she going to get it to leave!?

The serpent bared its teeth, and all confidence drained from Flora's body. No, she couldn't do this, she was in over her head! What was she thinking!?

The beast reared back, and the cabin boy darted out of the way as it lunged. It smashed into the capstan, and it hissed in agitation before giving chase. Flora sprinted, ducked, and jumped across the ship to avoid the creature's onslaught, but in the end the snake was faster. It rammed its head into the girl, sending her hurdling across the deck and into the fallen mast. Flora cried out upon impact, and gaped in horror as the sea serpent opened its second set of jaws, ready to close in for the kill.

I did this…The frail thought slithered across the girl's defeated mind. This is my fault…

Panting, Flora reached for her flintlock pistol, but didn't have the strength to lift it out of her belt. Hopeless, all the teenager could do was clutch her locket and brace herself as the beast moved in to devour her-

It stopped.

When she realized nothing was biting down and stealing her life away in a gory mess, Flora opened her eyes, and remained motionless for a moment before slowly looking up. The sea serpent had halted in its assault, its mouth now closed.

Her torso and stomach clenched as she gaped. Why did it stop? Why was the monster staring at her like that? Is it looking at me, or…or the locket…?

She carefully placed her locket back under her shirt. The serpent didn't move. When she found herself rising back on rickety feet, the serpent followed after her. What was going on? Why wasn't it attacking her? Her heart skipped a beat. Could her original idea be working…?

No, it can't be, she thought. This is something else…

The girl peered into the sea serpent's eyes, losing herself within its green hue. There was no more malice or blood-lust behind those eyes, only a flicker of confusion, and perhaps a little curiosity. It wasn't going to try and eat her anymore. But why...?

She took a chance and raised her bandaged hand to the beast. It glanced at her palm and the serpent leaned closer before giving it a cautious sniff. Despite herself and despite the situation, Flora almost laughed. The gesture reminded her of Mildred.

Maybe, she thought, just maybe, this can still work...

"You-there's-ya can't eat anythin' here," Flora faltered as she spoke, "You'll get yerself and everyone else here killed."

The serpent stared blankly at her, giving no indication that it understood what she said.

What the hell am I doing!? Part of her felt stupid for talking to the beast, for even thinking that she could persuade it out of eating her and the crew, and yet she didn't stop. "There's…there's a school of fish a number of leagues behind us," she continued, recalling the indescribable amount of shoals she witnessed earlier that evening. "If-if ya hurry, ye might catch them in time and you won't starve."

The serpent inclined its head. Did it understand that…?

"Go on, now." Flora pointed cautiously back to the sea, "G-go on, git! Shoo!"

She went to push the monster away, only for it to swerve around with a low growl and make its way to the Glory's railing. The cabin boy watched it dip back into the ocean, and then quickly followed and looked on as the sea serpent slithered away into the dark, open waters of the night.

As soon as the creature faded from sight, a sudden wave of exhaustion and nausea overwhelmed Flora, and she gripped the railing and heaved twice into the ocean. When the vomit was disgorged, the cabin boy slouched against the ship, utterly spent. She'd done it! She'd gotten the sea serpent to leave before it could take any of the crew, and without taking its life!

But-but how? She wondered, weakly, this-this shouldn't have been possible, so how could I…?

You know, said her inner self in a soothing voice. Deep down, you know why…

Did she…? The girl strained to remember, and then shook her head. She was too weary to contemplate the matter now.

Trembling, Flora collected herself and turned behind her. All sense of accomplishment vanished.

The crew was gaping at her with various expressions of horror and contempt. Some were muttering prayers and clutching charms while others were brandishing their harpoons and muskets, eyeing her with frightening, beady eyes.

"L-Lawrence…?" Young Ackley sputtered as he pointed at the cabin boy, "Y-you…?"

A weight plunged down her chest, and she immediately checked and felt her attire. Her bandana was gone, ripped away from when she tore the debris from her head, and her hair had come loose from its bun during the chaos. On top of that, her coat was nowhere to be found and her jerkin had torn from the attack, revealing to all her true identity.

NO.

The world she knew began to crumble. No, no, no! Flora opened her mouth to explain, but nothing came out. She tried to speak, tried to confess, but all the moisture had gone from her throat. Not like this! NOT LIKE THIS!

THWACK!

A blunt yet agonizing pain cracked into the back of Flora's head, and black spots flickered across her vision before she collapsed onto the deck. Milo came up from behind the unconscious teenager, out of breath and gripping the butt of the musket he used to knock her out.

The older sailor knelt over and checked to see if the girl was still alive in case he struck her too hard. He sighed when he found she was, and then straightened out as Wilbur approached them. The captain glared down at Flora and then at Milo, his face swelling with outrage.

"BRIG." He ordered, "NOW."

Welp, that happened! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, though I'm still not quite satisfied with it. Yes, sea serpents exist in the Pirates universe, I'm pretty sure one attacked Jack and crew in the young Jack Sparrow book series (though that series' canon is called into question thanks to On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales/Salazar's Revenge). I wanted my version of the serpents to fit into this world while still being somewhat grounded in reality, so I based it off the moray eel (hence the second pair of jaws) with elements of a catfish. I even drew a picture of this particular serpent, but I made it look more cute than it's supposed to be.

Two music tracks gave me the motivation to go nuts with this chapter. The first is the Kraken theme from Dead Man's Chest (for obvious reasons), and the second is Ripples in the Sand from Dune (2021). That track specifically to capture the sense of awe and urgency Flora felt when looking upon the sea serpent, as well as the fact this chapter might be where her powers finally begin to awaken.

Anyway, another cliffhanger! Flora's true identity has been discovered! Not good! Where will this plot development lead to...?