“Captain! Dark clouds ahead!”

A man of an imposing height stood up from his folding chair in the middle of the top deck to look in that direction. In just a matter of minutes, the entire eastern horizon has been engulfed by an oppressive blanket of darkness. The captain stroked his long beard and adjusted his thick fur cap before the rising winds could take it from him. 

Along with him, there were another 6 people on this ship. The small cargo sailer could fit several tons of goods, but because of the limited living space, the crew had to be this small. Out of the 7 people on board, four of them were hired mercenaries from one of the cheaper companies in Pest. If it wasn’t for the threats coming from the owner of these containers, the crew would be enjoying hot drinks in one of the many establishments around the docks. 

The captain grabbed his forehead and tried to calm his nerves. He remembered the fight he had with the transports manager that has pushed this awful run on him even though the weather forecast was so bad. The plan was that because this was a light ship, they would be able to ride a warm wind and get to the destination in double the time, but reality had other plans.

“Get me a map!”

The captain’s crackling heavy voice echoed everywhere and in no time, one of the crew members brought what he wanted. After a few moments in which he looked though several navigation devices, his boot came crashing down on the wooden deck producing a loud sound as it broke.

“You, half-thing! Fix this!”

The young Ouctanad quickly ran to execute the order before the captain would get even more mad. As he passed through the hatch, he encountered the sole female member of the crew, an elven Rhyflender with a tendency to slack off. She passed by the Ouctanad without giving him a single look and went straight to the captain.

“Old man, have you finally lost it?? Your boot almost went through the deck!”

The harsh words turned the heads of the mercenaries that were also present on the top deck and the last member of the crew, another human.

“Go back to sleep pointy ears! The decks are clean enough for now.”

“You senile...”

“Alright that’s enough!”

The man stood between the two before a fight would break out. Everyone’s nerves were strained right now because of the nasty situation they have been forced into, but this was not a reason to start a fight.

“Captain, we should abandon the idea that we would make it to Dunlin today. We should prepare the ship for a storm.”

The elven girl backed away and crossed her arms, allowing the captain the breathing room to make a decision.

“Let’s look for an anchorage. We aren’t that far off the coast.”

The ship roamed around the empty waters for almost an hour, looking for a suitable place to wait out the incoming storm. In this short period, the weather became a lot more violent, the wind being strong enough to send people flying off the deck. Everyone either went below or secured themselves with ropes. In a matter of minutes, the wind intensified and huge waves started to pound at the ship’s exterior making the wood creak and wail from the pressure. The light of day vanished completely, being engulfed by oppressive black clouds. 

The captain was standing in the middle of the deck, battered by the heavy rain, overseeing all the ropes and planks of his ship. His senses were active on full throttle and his awareness now extended all in all directions, engulfing every corner of the ship. Using this magic technique consumed a substantial amount of Ley Energy, but being on the open sea during a storm provided an increased amount of Chaos Ley that could be used. At this moment, the captain was one with his ship, feeling all of its strains and knowing where the greatest threat of damage was.

The elven girl and the ouctanad boy were watching the captain from the relative safety of the door which led to the second deck. Both of them were fascinated by the display of magic powers which were so rare in Zenterfalen. Chaos mages, as they were called by the people, were people which could use the tainted Ley which flowed throughout Zenterfalen. Nobody knows exactly the reason why the Ley took this form, but most of the bets were on the ancient structures found at the bottom of the Zenter Sea. 

Because of her improved vision as a member of the elven race, the girl managed to spot first the object in the distance and immediately dashed towards the captain.

“Hey!! What is that?!”

Some distance away, obstructed by mist and rain, was an object that peeked its form from under the waves. Despite the ferocious pounding of the waves, the object stood motionless, a paradox of incoherence.

The captain moved his gaze towards the pointed location, only to have the hair in his beard rise all at once as his entire body was engulfed in numbing fear. He thoughtlessly took out the map he had stashed away in his coat to consult his position, but without a moon or stars to confirm, he had no way of finding out.

“We have to get out of here!” 

“Why? What is that thing?”

The answer was postponed, as the captain left her side to find the other human of the crew. The crackling voice of the captain resounded throughout the halls of the ship, searching for the man. Eventually, the two stumbled upon each other both wearing puzzled looks but because of different reasons.

“What is it?”

“We have to leave, rise the anchor.”

“What do you mean? Can’t you hear the storm outside? The ship is going to get shredded by the high waves!”

“I’ve seen it! It rose from the sea like a tower of blight! The horrors will be upon us any moment!”

The man’s eyes went wide as the truth of the matter washed over him. Without further bartering, he immediately headed topside, along with the captain. The storm picked up in the last several minutes, with the wind blowing terribly seemingly from all sides.

“Elven girl! Where are the mercenaries?”

As if she had just remembered about them, the elven girl looked around, but found no trace of any other living beings because of the low visibility. Her shoulders indicated to the two the fact that she didn’t know. 

“We have to raise the anchor!”

“Huh?! With the storm raging as it is? Have you gone mad?”

“The captain is right! We have to get away from this place as fast as we can! Our odds are better at the mercy of the waves than in this place!”

“Head down below and find the others! Get all the weapons you can carry and bring them up here along with every living soul!”

Their shouts were muffled by the heavy downpour, but in the end they managed to coordinate and execute their plan. Two of them remained on the top deck and started the maneuvers for raising the anchor, while the elven girl went below.

The lights on the hallways were almost out because of the dampness in the air, but this presented no problem to the elven race. Using her keen hearing, she was able to discern the sounds of the living from the rumbling of matter, and something else entirely. A slithering noise, like scales brushing over scales slowly crawled its way up from below, all around the ship. She bit her lower lip and steeled herself to hurry up with the search. In a few minutes, she had located the three mercenaries and informed them of the situation. Upon hearing her explanation, the three immediately grabbed their weapons and dashed topside, their eyes filled with murderous determination.

As for the last one, the elven girl could hear a whimpering noise coming from one of the rooms, but became overcome with the desire to protect the little one’s life and chose to omit him, heading straight for topside right behind the mercenaries.

Once outside, they were immediately confronted with the horrifying reality of the situation.

“Captain! Watch out!”

Years of training in the higher arts, culminating in one swift, perfect motion. The thing crawling towards the captain turned to mincemeat by the sheer power of the impact with the high-pressure water that bent from the elven girl’s surroundings. The brilliant light emitted from her pocket indicated that a large amount of stored Ley had been discharged for this spell, but it also revealed dozens upon dozens of scales, shining in the waters below them..

“You should mind that battery you have there! Several more volleys of that spell and you’re done!”

“How about you thank me first!”

The respite they have been granted by the light was used by all of them to gather around the corpse of the horrendous beast. Its eyes, black as the abyss,its body was covered in grey, fishlike scales and its mouth was filled with thick, black needles. 

“Get that anchor! Cut it if you must!”

“I’m on it!”

“You four, take defensive positions around him!”

The captain threw down his coat, revealing a hunched but massive body. His hands went straight for the two pistols he was always carrying on his belt. As he took his position, he straightened his back, seemingly doubling his already enormous height. His wide back protected the others from the sight of the horrors amassing opposite of them. Upon witnessing their dead brethren, the things howled as one and charged them all at once with mindless rage. Some were wielding long spears made from materials of the abyss, others were just brandishing their long claws or maws. One after the other, the captain blew away the ones closest to him with tremendous accuracy. The mercenaries also took aim with their rifles, pouring their own rain on the abominations. At first, it seemed like they managed to hold their ground, having built between them and the creatures, a wall of death, made from the corpses of the fallen, but one after another, lone monsters slipped through the net of lead, only to be cut down by the elven girl’s glowing shortsword.

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“I’m almost done!”

“Hurry up!”

The anchor was almost out of the water, but before the man could catch his breath, a bunch of horrors closed up on him by climbing on the rope of the anchor.

“They’re here!”

One of the mercenaries broke the line and turned towards them, shooting one and stabbing another with the bayonet latched on his rifle, but stood wide open as the third leaped through the air straight at his neck. In the nik of time, a blade went through the thing’s throat, breaking its charge and saving the mercenary from his doom. Using the rope to climb, a dozen more beasts were crawling out of the water, leaving the man with no time to hesitate. Using his blade, he delivered a decisive blow to the thick rope, cutting it clean and throwing the monsters back into the abyss.

“The anchor went down!”

“Maintain the formation! Move towards the door!”

The path was littered with corpses and their juices, making an already perilous prospect much more dangerous. Putrid acid filled their lungs as they were slowly making their way through the horde by the power of disciplined fire. The door was just ten meters away, but this was going to be the decisive point of their battle, panicking now and routing through the open door would mean their certain doom. All of them understood this fact and maintained the formation until this point. The creatures seemed to have understood their intention as well and started to amass in more and more numbers between them and the door. With their nerves bent to the limit by the terrible onslaught and the raging storm, everyone was eager to just leave the topside.Then, moments from salvation, one of the rifles stopped shooting. Its owner looked at it for a moment as terror filled his entire body.

“I’m out of ammo!”

Right after him, the other also announced the same thing, then a few seconds later, the last one as well. The captain maintained the volley but he also nodded his head indicating that he was running low. They had maybe another 10 seconds until they had to enter a vicious melee with the sea creatures 

The elven girl took out the Ley Battery from her pocket and held it with both hands, praying in her heart that she might last to see the light of day one more time. Particles of light started to form all around her, growing larger and larger with each moment. Once the light fully engulfed her, the captain moved his massive body aside and allowed her to cast the spell at the mob that stood between them and the door. Each light particle picked its target and pierced through several rows of beasts before extinguishing, dropping at least twenty of them on the spot. In that moment, the formation broke, and everyone broke into a run for their lives. The monsters poured into the opening, attempting to cut their escape path, but they were met with the captain’s precise shots. One after the other, each of them entered and skipped all the stairs until they were in the relative safety of the second deck. The last to enter was the captain, who after using the last of his bullets, grabbed two of the horrors by their legs and started swinging them around like bludgeons. Once everyone was safe inside, they closed the door and bared it with a thick plank. Outside, the monsters were crawling for their flesh, incessantly pounding at the door, wanting to break through.

“We’re safe for now. But they will definitely find a way through eventually.”

“We have to hope that the wind will blow us away from their diabolical monument.”

The captain interrupted their chatter by raising his finger.

“Go and replenish your ammunition and get something to eat while you’re at it. The night has just begun.”

His huge body shambled towards one of the chairs and crashed with a loud thud. As the mercenaries and the man went to execute the command, the captain remained alone with the elven girl. Her demeanour was completely different from an hour ago. Even though she calmed down somewhat, her shaky hands were grasping the Ley Battery like some sort of religious object. 

The captain looked up and closed his eyes, trying to rest for a bit. The maddening screams of the beats outside echoed through the hallways, making the elven girl twitch each time. In a few moments, she unconsciously closed the distance between her and the captain, looking to hide behind his broad back.

“This must be your first time encountering these things.”

“Umm... Umhm...”

“You did well out there. Most people in your situation would panic and die in an instant.”

As her body relaxed and the processes of the mind started to catch up to reality, her eyes started to tear up, descending into a quiet sob. The captain gently patted her head and dragged another chair for her to sit on.

“There, there, the sun will rise again, don’t worry.”

After a few minutes, the mercenaries returned with lots of new weapons and a bag of food which they set up on a nearby table for everyone to feast.

“We need to think of a strategy. Are there any other ways through which they can come in?”

They all joined the man at the table. The captain searched his memory for a while, then concluded that the door was the only exit.

“There isn’t. We should create a barricade around the door, with murder holes for spears. If we kill enough of them at the entrance, they won’t be able to advance any further.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

“By the way, wasn’t there another boy with your crew?”

The mercenary that pointed the fact looked around the room, as if trying to find the small figure of the young ouctanad under one of the furniture pieces, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Last i heard him, he was holled up in one of the dorms. I thought that he would become a burden outside and left him there.”

“That was probably for the best.”

The captain frowned his thick brows for a moment, then suddenly turned his massive form and hurried towards the dorms. Sensing trouble ahead, the elven girl went along. 

“Start working on the barricades right away!”

“Aye, captain!”

The elven girl clinged to the captain’s hand and tried to stop him but he was as immovable as the blasphemous structure from outside.

“Captain, stop! He’s just a kid! He would’ve been killed out there! Stop!”

The captain advanced unfazed, until he reached the room of the kid. Without bothering to knock, he blew open the door, to find the room empty. After quickly scouring the room with only his eyes, he continued his advance and headed straight for the toilet, which was a separate room connecting the two bedrooms on this side of the ship. 

“Captain! What the hell!”

He grabbed the door handle and without announcing his presence in any way, he opened it, leaving both the elven girl and the ouctanad kid dumbfounded as they locked gazes in surprise. Without a moment of hesitation, the captain grabbed the kid by his collar while his pants were still down and threw him over his shoulder with one motion. Then, from the toilet echoed the bone chilling scream of one of the monsters, followed by their limbs emerging from the hole, looking for fools to drag to the bottom.

“What the hell are those!!!”

The young ouctanad recovered from the shock of being thrown out from the toilet only to be plunged in a deeper kind of terror as he found out how close he had grazed death itself.

“Move out of my way!”

The elven girl grabbed the boy and threw him out the door on the halway, giving the captain the space he needed to grab the bed and block the toilet door with it and what little furniture was in the room.

“The other rooms also have toilets!”

Realizing that the kid was right, the captain grabbed him and ran back to the second deck, followed closely by the elven girl.

The loud thud of the captain’s boots could be heard from everywhere, but beside it, the people on the second deck also heard the screams of the horrors closing in as well. As one of them peered through the hallway, he saw the three raun with all their might from a group of monsters.

“They’re here! Grab the rifles!”

At a moment’s notice, the three mercenaries assumed their positions and fired a volley right over the heads of the three, hitting the pursuing mob and slowing them down. At the same time, the pounding on the main door grew louder and louder and hundreds of steps could be heard above them. After the three entered, the door closed behind them but before they could use a plank to bar the door, the horrors caught up to them and pushed them back, trying to open the door with unholy determination.

“Put your backs into it! Push them!”

The screams echoed through the hallway as dozens more found their way in, and those outside were slowly but surely clawing their way through the main door as well.

“Push! One, push!”

The captain’s loud roar managed to engulf all the other sounds for a moment, giving the others the power to force their bodies beyond the limit and overpower the creatures. At last, the plank was set, and the door was finally secured. For a moment, there was silence, making everyone even more anxious. 

The silence was finally broken, when a pair of claws broke through the already broken planks where the captain kicked with his boots. The beasts peered with hungry eyes through the hole, before clawing away the rest of the planks and started pouring in from above. At the same time, the interior door showed signs of braking after dozens of them pounded it with all their ungodly might.

“This is where we die!”

The mercenaries started firing away at the horde, losing themselves in their panic. With their formation broken, the horrors massed on each of them, overwhelming them with sheer numbers. Having been together since they entered, the captain was able to protect the elven girl and the ouctanad kid behind his large body, but he was quickly overwhelmed and gaining grievous wounds every moment. The mercenaries were lynched by the mob of creatures and their parts eaten, drawing a large portion of the horde away from the captain. Seizing the moment, the captain clenched his fists and filled his lungs with air. With each passing moment, his form seemed to grow even bigger, steam rising away from each of his wounds. The immense power radiating from the captain in that moment was enough to paralyze the entire horde. For the first time, the elven girl was able to discern an emotion from the abysmal figure of the monsters, fear.

One after the other, the creatures returned to their senses and restarted their assault, this time, the entire mob targeting the captain. His fists were steel, and his blows dismembered dozens at a time. Although he was beating the horde back, their numbers weren’t dwindling in the slightest, dozens more pouring through the holes in the deck. If the door behind them would break, she and the boy would meet their end right then, and the captain shortly after, when his enhanced form would fade. Chaos mages were renowned and rare individuals that could perform superhuman deeds just like this one, but in the end, they were still human.

Feeling the Ley around the captain dwindling and the cracks in the door getting bigger and bigger, the elven girl fell to her knees and embraced the ouctanad kid that was also crying.

“Heh, looks like the sun will rise again tomorrow after all.”

The elven girl looked up seeing the captain return to his normal form. He looked back at her and showed her with his eyes the path he had cleared for her. In that moment, the captain abandoned any defense and charged at the horde. The elven girl also acted right away, grabbing the kid by his hand and going straight for the topside door. She used the last of her magic to blow away the barricade and opened the door. A bright light engulfed her vision, and for a moment, she believed the words of the captain. Her keen eyes adapted to the light in a few moments, revealing the scene of carnage. Large spotlights were locked on to their small vessel from a place so far up that she found it hard to bend her neck to find it. A few dozen meters from them, a humongous form blocked everything in her field of view. On the surface of the water, dozens of smaller ships were engaged in a fierce fight with the creatures from the deep. Several ropes came down from the huge ship, and a few people descended, heading straight to the place where the captain was fighting the monsters. One of them stopped in front of the elven girl, placing his thick coat over her and the kid.

“It’s alright, you did well. We’ll take it from here.”

“Who are you? What is this enormous ship?”

“I’m one of the lieutenants of The Magnificent, Leviathan-class.”

“Is this the Leviathan ship? The largest ship to have ever sailed?”

“One of them, yes.”