A sea dragon appearing from our front right now is the last thing we needed!

"Where is it?" I hear Morakan ask and the first mate responding that it just appeared over the horizon. Since he's watching from the deck, that must be quite a bit closer than when something is spotted from the crow's nest.

But I don't have time to run to the bow and check it out, I'm occupied with trying to shoot flames that can reach the enemy. Redirecting a volley of crossbow bolts aimed at me using a burst of fire, I climb onto the railing and try to maximize my range in any way possible. I can hear the empire's ship as well as ours occasionally scraping across underwater rocks or reefs, but neither of us has crashed yet and we're barely slowing down.

The enemy prepares a small ballista and aims at me. Seeing it, I immediately grab onto the rigging and swing around it, avoiding the shot narrowly. It embeds itself onto the deck behind me, the shaft vibrating from the force of the impact. If I had been hit by that, it would have completely run me through and nailed me to the ship.

Swinging into my previous position once again, I see that our distance has shrunk. At this range I should be able to do something, and I immediately gather flames around my extended arm. I see Szaga create a spike out of a rock and extend it out of the water, impaling the side of the enemy ship before ripping a large hole into its flank.

That's my opening!

Putting everything I have into my fire, I throw it straight into the jagged hole beyond which I see piles of ropes, stacks of barrels and crates. That must be their cargo hold, so let's hope it's full of flammable materials such as alcohol! Although I doubt it, considering it's a military vessel after all.

At the same time, the empire's mage launches a fireball straight onto our main deck, setting ropes and sails ablaze in one large burst of heat.

Screams emerge from both ships as their crews rush to put out the flames, but I feel that we may have sustained more damage than they have. Since the enemy ship is bigger than ours, I couldn't hit their deck, but while they have a fire in their cargo hold, our main sail is burning up. We will slow down, which means they can overtake us and rain magic down on the entire ship however much they like.

Szaga launches a rock right into the already burning hole in the enemy's flank. I wonder why she aimed there, even though it's already damaged enough, but maybe she wanted to direct it somewhere else and failed to do so because of the rocking of both ships. I see the projectile disappear into the hole and hear wood breaking; at least she was able to destroy something, hopefully an important pillar to hold up the deck above, but I seriously doubt it.

Then an explosion rocks the empire's ship, and a burst of flames shoots out of the hole. I can hear higher pitched screams and watch in wonder as several people on deck jump over the railing after having caught fire. In fact, there are now flames licking the sails and the blaze seems to be spreading quickly.

It would appear that there was at least one barrel of highly flammable material, maybe even something explosive, which is exactly what Szaga's last attack broke. Maybe it had been a contraption to hold a jar of oil, which got knocked out of place and tumbled down, breaking on the floor and releasing its contents across a wide area. In either case, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

The enemy ship steers away to take some distance and the fire mage's last shot at damaging us misses narrowly, before I hear the creaking of wood and see that they have run aground. Unlike the Khurut sultanate's ship, they didn't shatter or even flip over, but it's clear that they can't continue their pursuit anymore. Our crew cheers as they notice it, although our situation doesn't look too good, either. There's still a sea dragon we have to deal with.

"I'll be, ye did it!" Morakan's voice takes on a pitch I've never heard before. It seems that he's actually overjoyed to see that our magic allowed us to shake our pursuers. But his expression immediately grows grim again as he looks ahead. "That thar be a sea dragon. They be nestin' near the center of The Devil's Crooked Teeth 'round this time of the year."

I follow his gaze and see two greenish blue fins in the distance, sticking out from the water's surface like sails. When I compare them to the burning sails on our ship, I can tell that the creature they belong to is massive. It must be past the edge of these shallows, because its entire body is hidden while it approaches our ship.

"Yo ho! Listen to me ye scurvy rats! Put out the fire and prepare the replacement sail. Don't be droppin' anythin' into the sea, lest ye give the beast reason to attack us." That may be the reason why he could speak about the sea dragons while remaining calm. So they really won't attack us unless we provoke them somehow. He turns the wheel and aims to leave these waters as soon as possible. "Let's get outta here."

In either case, there's nothing more I can do up here on the quarterdeck, so I head down to the main deck and help with putting out the fires. I can somewhat control flames that don't originate from my body, but I have to practically be in range to touch them. Now is the best time to utilize this otherwise not very useful ability, to siphon the fire off the wood and dissipate it into the air.

"Don't use your magic around the dragon." I say as I pass by Szaga, who's leaning against the railing with her back, clearly exhausted from the exchange of spells earlier. She must have been constantly moving about, dodging crossbow bolts and trying to find the best places to use her magic. Even though she's a gargoyle, when she isn't in her stone form her skin is still quite resistant to slashing attacks, but projectiles traveling at high speeds can pierce it.

"Understood..." She responds with a tired sigh.

After receiving this confirmation, I turn around to the burning deck, ready to get to work.

"How's it going down here?" When we finally put out the fires and the sailors start to lower the ruined main sail to replace it, I take the time to visit the cargo hold where the other three castle maids have been hiding out throughout the battle. It was the right choice, considering how dangerous it was above deck and how delicate their bodies actually are.

"I-I was scared to death..." Anthera has always been quite weak-willed, which is why she got bullied by Xaggavea before Asoko came around. "Is... is it over?"

"Yeah, our pursuers have been stopped and they shouldn't bother us anymore. But we still have the problem of a sea dragon watching our every move." During our repairs, it has steadily approached us and is now swimming side by side with us at a short distance away. I just hope it will be satisfied with watching and won't move to attack us. After all, we have no intentions of starting a battle against it.

"A-a sea dragon?!" Even Nezera, who isn't as easily shaken as Anthera, asks in a voice an octave higher than her already usually high pitch at this revelation.

"Yeah. That's why it's better if you stay down here for now. We shouldn't do anything to provoke it." I look at the crate holding the frozen Asoko, suspended in midair by Xaggavea's thread. She has been very quiet and reclusive throughout the journey, making Anthera bring her the meals down here, where she watches over the important cargo at all times. I think it's her way of atonement for what she did, even though it wasn't by her own will.

With a glance at the suspended crate, wrapped like a cocoon, I suppress a shudder at the thought that the dragon could sink our ship. We wouldn't be able to do anything against a beast that massive, and there's no way we could continue our journey from here without a ship. Anthera and Nezera may fly to safety, but between the two of them they aren't even strong enough to carry one person, let alone a frozen statue.

After making sure that everything is alright below deck, I climb up the stairs again. It appears that it has become rather dark, maybe because a cloud pushed itself in front of the sun. As I turn around and peer across the railing, my vision is filled with something dreadful.

The sea dragon is right at the starboard of the ship, its sail-like fins blocking the sun nearing the horizon completely. Everybody on board is frozen in terror, not a single one making a sound as they look at the only visible part of the underwater beast. I can feel an immense pressure seemingly holding down the entire crew.

The ship's movements have come to a crawl because the main sail has been taken down and the replacement is still in the process of being put in place, so the dragon must be thinking that we're stopping to do something. I heard from Asoko that they had been immediately attacked by a flying dragon in the Mineva Republic, when Onee-sama took the form of one and unknowingly flew into its territory.

Please don't attack us...

The fins seem to fold down and then a gigantic head on a long neck rises out of the sea. Blowing out water from a hole on top of its head, the dragon finally shows its ferocious face before us. A jaw full of sharp teeth slightly exposed, its golden eyes sweep across the deck with undeniable intelligence. I can tell that this isn't a mindless monster, it possesses reason and understanding.

"Levvy?!" The first voice to break the silence - with a seemingly nonsensical scream - belongs to the captain. Everyone spins their heads around to him in shock, thinking he has gone mad. "That be ye, me baby girl?"

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Turning its head to the quarterdeck on which the captain stands the dragons gazes at Morakan, an old cross-shaped scar near the tip of its snout is revealed. When he sees it, his expression changes to one of joy. The dragon tilts its head slightly as if trying to think, before blinking its eyes twice. It's a clear indication that there's more at work in this majestic creature's mind than just instincts.

"... Morakan?" A low-pitched but distinctly female voice emerges from deep within the sea dragon's throat, without its mouth moving. It talked!

"It really be ye, Levvy!" Stomping his cane in elation, the captain quickly and nimbly hops down the stairs from the quarterdeck despite the fact that he has a wooden leg which seemed to have caused him trouble walking all this time. It seems that it's been an act all along, to keep his abilities hidden, but being reunited with the one he calls Levvy seems to have made him forget to keep up his facade.

The dragon lowers her head almost right onto the deck to look at Morakan more closely, who simply runs up to her and embraces her chin. It would appear that they know each other.

"I missed ye! Where've ye been all this time?" His joy at seeing her again is almost tangible, and all tension leaves my body. This means she won't attack the ship, right?

"It has been so long, daddy." The dragon responds and my mind goes blank.

Daddy?!

"This here be me baby girl Levnalyth." Announcing like a proud father, Morakan turns to the crew and explains the situation. "I found her when she was still a wee baby, on an uninhabited island when I got me marooned after a battle with a blasted human armada. I'd barely lost me land legs back then. Must've been a hundred summers ago by now?"

"A hundred and two rotations of the seasons." Levnalyth corrects her foster father and I can feel gentleness in her voice. If I were told about this without seeing it myself, I would have never believed it, but a sea dragon is looking at a demon with loving warmth.

Also, it would seem that both Morakan and Levnalyth are over a hundred summers old. I cannot even begin to imagine living for that long, especially since my kind is rather short-lived compared to many other demons.

"Ye gave me this scar when we first met." Pointing at his head, the captain states with a toothy grin.

"You repaid it in kind right away." Nudging her foster father with her giant snout, the sea dragon responds while revealing her own teeth. If I didn't know they were actually very close, I would have been scared to death at the sight. After all, neither of them actually looks friendly with their smiles, as their teeth are sharp and deadly.

"What ye be doin' here?" It's clear that Morakan must already know the answer and it's a test. After all, he explained to me earlier what sea dragons do around The Devil's Crooked Teeth.

And I would've never thought I'd see a dragon showing an expression of unease and embarrassment. Levnalyth looks away and seems to be hard-pressed to find an answer she thinks her foster father would accept. I can sense the tension on the ship grow, as we all must feel that she could very well sink us just to escape the question.

"Who be the lucky lad?" Putting a hand on his foster daughter's cheek, the captain changes his angle of attack. I believe that if she was capable of developing a blush, she would have.

"I-I am a grown sea dragon, daddy!" Flaring up in response, she throws her head back in defiance. The entire crew ducks and takes cover at the move, fearing that she might throw a tantrum and break the ship in two. I myself almost jumped down into the cargo hold, but was able to hold back that urge. It really feels like the captain is playing with fire. "I do not need your permission to see anyone."

"Considerin' ye be here... the lad's gunna put a ship in ye dock, won't he?" I stare at Morakan dumbfounded. So does everyone else, including the dragon he made this insensitive comment about.

"Dad!" Levnalyth roars in indignation, but it's clear that she's flustered.

"Hey, at least let ye daddy see him." Standing his ground, the captain stomps his wooden leg. "Can't have ye daughter be taken away by some lily-livered son'uva biscuit eater."

"... I understand. I will call him." Finally giving in, Levnalyth lowers herself into the water, but her large fins indicate that she's still right next to us. Don't tell me he's actually been waiting right under the surface? Then she resurfaces while blowing a plume of water out of the nostrils on top of her head, and looks at her foster father with an expression that I could swear is a pout - even though she doesn't actually have lips to do so with. "There, he is on his way."

I suppose there's a way for dragons to communicate over long distances underwater, but for us on the ship we couldn't hear anything. Somehow I'm not really looking forward to meeting her lover, since I feel that male sea dragons are most likely much more ferocious than female ones. Especially considering he's someone who doesn't know Morakan, and might get irritated by him.

Let's just hope he's actually just a lily-livered son'uva biscuit eater... whatever that means.

"That is him." Levnalyth points to the port side of the ship with her chin, and all heads spin around. A pair of fins are coming towards us at an incredible speed, slowly rising out of the water, before very nearly reaching us. In an explosion of water, her mate breaks through the surface.

He has slightly darker scales than Levnalyth and there are two hooked spikes under his chin which she lacks, but other than that, they look very similar - except for the fact that he is a bit smaller than she is. Not to say that he couldn't still easily destroy our ship just by ramming it.

But I have a bad feeling about this.

"This scrawny sea snake is ye mate?" Morakan's scornful voice makes my heart sink. Don't provoke him! He may look smaller and skinnier than your foster daughter, but he's still larger than the ship you stand on!

"Who are you, puny creature?" See, he sounds angry!

"And he lacks manners, too. Name yeself first before askin'." But the captain is steadfast. Levnalyth seems to be hanging her head in shame and looks away.

"I am Zurvorryth the Dreadful! Who are you to dare speak to me like this?" Booming with a majestic voice, her mate announces his name and raises himself out of the water to tower above the ship.

"Ye be talkin' to this lil' girl's daddy." Throwing his thumb back to point at the sea dragon on the other side of the ship, Morakan responds in a low and threatening tone. "Morakan be me name." Where is that guy getting his courage from?! I want some of it, too!

"... daddy?" After a pause, Zurvorryth lowers himself back into the water and stares at his mate questioningly.

"How old ye be, lad?" But the captain directs his attention back to him.

"... what is this?" The question is directed at Levnalyth, who seems to want to disappear in a hole somewhere.

"Just answer him..." Her voice sounds resigned.

"I have seen fifty seven rotations of the seasons!" He's actually proud about this, but I know for a fact that this father-daughter pair are way older than that.

"Scrawny, disrespectful and a kiddo to boot!" Morakan looks completely bewildered, turning to Levnalyth. She actually looks at her mate in surprise; apparently she didn't know about his age.

"You are actually that young?" She feels compelled to ask.

"What do you mean, young? How old are you?" Indignant, Zurvorryth looks at her with what I can only guess is the equivalent of having a raised eyebrow. Don't you know not to ask a lady her age?

"Almost twice your age!" Angry at his expectation that she's actually younger than him, Levnalyth growls dangerously. I guess it's not important to know each other's age for dragons, since they're so long-lived that an age difference of a few decades doesn't matter at all.

"T-twice...?" He shirks back, and at this point he just lost.

What follows is a lover's quarrel between two sea dragons, with a frail wooden ship between them. I'm fearing for my life with every further escalation between the two, and I'm sure the same is true for everyone else on board - except for Morakan, who watches the two in curious silence.

"Alright! Alright ye two, stop it!" Finally, the captain steps in between the two fearlessly, and they quiet down in surprise. Turning to his foster daughter, his face fills with warmth and he pets her cheek. "Baby girl, I see ye really love this rascal."

"Then-" Hope fills Levnalyth's eyes.

"But he still be a kiddo." He continues, seemingly dashing her hope for his approval. "So ye better hold them reins in this relationship and teach the rapscallion some proper manners."

"Thank you daddy!" It shakes me to the core to see a creature twice as long as our ship snuggling up to Morakan. And hearing her purring like a little kitten must be my imagination.

"Now for yer sorry ass, kiddo." He turns to address Zurvorryth. "If ye make me baby girl cry, I promise I'll find ye and keelhaul ye with the entire dominion fleet. Then I'll make ye apologize, before repeatin' it all once more for good measure."

I stare at Morakan with my mouth hanging open. But it opens wider when the male dragon's reaction is reserved and almost fearful. If he wanted to, he could easily swipe at the ship and sink it in one strike, but he's being stared down by a person less than one tenth his size. Is this what they mean by presence? The captain's presence is easily overshadowing a sea dragon's, and most definitely because he truly cares for his foster daughter.

Then again, it's most likely because the female sea dragon behind that man is larger than he is, and because he knows that she will most definitely kill him if he attacks her foster father.

"Ye hear me? What be yer answer?" Banging his cane on the deck, Morakan emphasizes his question. Even then, I doubt he's actually relying on her to have his back in this matter. It's coming from his heart without any doubts as to the fact that he will succeed in doing what he just promised.

"... understood, father." Hanging his head in an almost demure-looking gesture, Zurvorryth replies.

"Who said ye could call me that?!" The captain sounds angry at being called father. But then again, I notice an almost happy undertone, which Levnalyth isn't missing either.

"Even though you are actually happy, daddy." Nudging him with her snout, she speaks in a smug voice and grins.

"What, happy?! Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be happy that this scrawny sea snake be takin' me baby girl away?" He doesn't actually sound angry and Levnalyth nudges him some more while laughing.

The fact that the scrawny sea snake in question doesn't even dare to refute it is evidence that he has learned to respect his father-in-law. It's an unbelievable sight to see a sea dragon being respectful of a being it would normally be able to swallow in one go without a second thought.

But I'm just amazed at Captain Morakan's grit, as must be everyone else on the ship. I'm fully convinced that he will bring us to our destination safely.