Chapter 52. Sharp Attack

The school swam as one, guided by the leader.The biggest and oldest of all, nearly 20 feet long.Grey skin pocked and scarred from battles.She would always feed first then down to the smallest and youngest.No maternal instinct, just feeding and reproducing.

They had been sweeping the area nonstop for weeks and were ready to move on…until she caught the sweet smell of blood. Instantly turning and swimming to find the source…the school followed.

Chum was yucky, very yucky. Even wearing a raincoat, rain boots, gloves and her hat, Minnie was sure her fur was horrible. Reaching into the yuck barrel again she drew out a dripping bucket and tossed it over the starboard side, with the wind this time. That awful lesson had been learned. The children were lined up on the opposite rail now, well away from the unhappy first mate. Naomi was beside her, similarly clothed, with her own bucket of goo, also quite yucked out.

The two had been chumming for a while now. They were drifting along with several lines trailing, baited with bags of chum, lumps of bad meat and fish. The lines were strong rope, with massive hooks, meant to bring the sharp close enough to be harpooned. Will stood ready, heavy harpoon in hand. “I feel like Queequeg.”, he remarked to the two, “Or maybe Ahab.”. He didn’t notice Minnie circling her finger around her ear, Naomi giggled madly. When he turned they were both suspiciously busy looking over the rail.

“Captain, on the port rail, one of the lines is tugging.”, called Larry. Indeed one of the lines was jerking madly. Will set his harpoon down and started pulling the line in. Minnie held on to the harpoon, ready to strike. At the end of the line was a mid sized sharp, fighting madly, 400 pounds mad.

As soon as it’s head was out of the water Minnie launched her harpoon and hit the sharp right through the gills, it stopped moving instantly. It looked as though she had severed the spinal column with one hit. Will hauled the unmoving body in quickly, tied a wooden bucket over its head to prevent accidents. Then tied a rope around its tail and winched it into the fish hold, there’s one.

The herd felt it’s fellow die, it wasn’t much of a loss, just a small feeder but the oldest was angered.The blood smell was sending them all into a frenzy, they continued following.

The chum and the bait had attracted two more sharps, each larger than the first one. Both had bitten hard and were hooked deeply. Again Will hauled the bigger one in and this time Naomi tried her aim, she hit but not as accurately as Minnie’s. The sharp thrashed madly harpoon sticking out, Will pulled it higher with a gaff. Minnie threw again, and pinned it through the gills. It went limp with this hit. Bucket on the head and lowered into the hold. A extra hit severed its spine to be sure.

They repeated with the other, the largest yet.Will pulled it in, held it against the hull with a gaff and Minnie severed its cord with an axe.This seemed to be going well.“Good shot Min, we only need a few more.”, said Will.

Two more gone, but still the frenzied sharps headed to the chummed waters.They were unable to resist even after hearing/feeling three of their cohort die.

The Rose had hits on both sides now so Minnie hauled one up and Naomi harpooned it until it was dead, the she hurried to where Will was.He pulled his catch up and she repeatedly speared it until it wasn’t moving.One at a time they were hauled aboard, spines severed but still a bucket put on.Tied by the tails and lowered down.They now had five, one or two more depending on size and then back to Laketown.

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The chumming had ceased and the only blood in the water was their own. The trailing hooks still looked inviting but the old mother knew better, she turned and left the killing ground. In search of something not quite so deadly. Unfortunately a large male had been unable to resist the bait and had seized it and been hooked.

The boat yawed to one size as something caught a hook. Will pulled in like mad until it came into view, an 18 foot sharp. Fighting madly it was smashing into the sturdy wooden hull. Not damaging but the booms were terrifying the teens. As Will tied off the rope Minnie tossed him a gaff while she and Naomi readied harpoons. Smashing the razor tipped gaff into the sharps gills Will lifted the threshing monster high…harpoons sunk in and the beast went slack. “Holy moly that’s a big one dad”, said Minnie, poking the dead monster. Not quite dead enough as it roared back to life, with a flick of its huge tail fin Naomi was tossed off the side of the Rose. Minnie howled and smashed her axe clean through the sharps head into the deck below. This time it was dead.

As soon as he saw Naomi go flying overboard Will had acted. Curling a line into his fist he leapt out after her, harpoon in hand. Luckily she had been wearing her lifebelt and was bobbing safely, hand to her head. Will stroked over, took hold of her belt and began pulling them to the boat.

He felt something massive under his feet and was just as soon knocked flying and sent underwater.Face to face with the maw of a huge sharp.Quickly he let loose with his harpoon, causing massive bleeding.His enhanced strength easily sent the harpoon in and out of the sharp multiple times.Realizing it was in trouble the huge grey fish retreated and allowed him to surface.Naomi had reached the Rose and was pulled on by a terrified Minnie.Will headed for the boat but was suddenly grabbed by his leg and pulled under.

He didn’t realize until now how much he had changed when he came to this world. The menu he looked at on a daily basis that showed him his skills and stats hadn’t really sunk in. He knew he was much stronger than he had been, he rarely got tired and could run or walk for hours. But until he was face to face with a 20 foot wounded shark it didn’t really sink in.

Muscles that could lift 5 times his body weight needed stronger bones to anchor to, stronger skin to contain them. Overall this meant that the sharp who just tried to bite his leg off had quite utterly failed, and had really pissed him off. His harpoon flashed out and pierced the sharps bottoms jaw and nailed right through its skull. As it came out of the water so did Will, rising up about ten feet until it was smashed back down by a half ton punch, killing it instantly.

The herd felt the death of its leader and turned and fled.There would be other hunts but they were much weaker now.It would take time to rebuild, but they would, they always did.

The harpoon was tied to his hand to prevent loss so the sharp couldn’t sink. As he surfaced again he could hear cheers from the Rose…along with one high pitched “Woooooooo, you show that evil fishie dad!”. He swam over and climbed up the hanging ladder, securing the dead fish to the side.

All the teens gathered around, glad he was alive and marvelling at what he had done. Naomi rushed over and hugged him “Thanks for the save captain, I was done for.”. She was in tears and shaking with relief, Minnie brought over a blanket and draped in on her shoulders, then glared at Will.

“That’s not how you go fishing you know.”, she growled. Then ran over and jumped into his arms, “Don’t ever do that again.”. She hugged him hard then slipped down and stood beside him.

“I think we are done fishing.”, sad Will looking around at the huge sharps littering his deck. The pump and hoses were brought up and they started cleaning sharp goo off the deck. And off of Will, Minnie delighted in holding the hose high so he could shower off the blood and slime from his clothes. Then it was his turn to hold the hose on Minnie so she could get cleaner, then Naomi. What a bedraggled crew they were.

The dead fish had been pulled in, bucketed and lowered into the hold. The bucket was to protect if they had one last snap in them, and to catch nastiness dripping out. That hold would need a darn good cleaning at port.

Naomi had recovered enough to make a meal for all, aided by her crew, tea and cake, then bread, cheese, and smoked sausage had been laid out. The children were eating happily until the days excitement got to them and sleepy heads were dropping. Will sent them all for an early night and planned for the same.

He took a long warm bath to remove the salt and the traces of sharp still on him. Then Minnie did the same, there was much grumbling of “fish goo, yucky blood, horrible salt, my beautiful fur is ruined, I’ll be brushing forever, bald old dad laughing at me…grrr.”.

“We might have gotten yucky but at least the fishing is over, tomorrow we can steam straight to Laketown.”, said Will. There were still a few things to do before bed, he left Minnie to her brushing. As he left their cabin he could hear movements in the mess. He found Naomi still tidying and getting ready for the next day. The galley was done in a short time by the two of them and with a mug of tea Will was going on deck.

Naomi joined him, followed by a much shinier tidy Minnie. They sat on deck chairs on the bow. Will had already dropped anchor to stop their drifting for the night. A beautiful sunset followed by a cool clear evening. The crew sat for hours. Just talking of this and that, nothing earthshaking. Will told a bit more of a book he was trying to remember for them all. Minnie was quietly drawing, sharps and harpoons mostly. Processing the day as they all were.

As the stars began to show they went to their cabins for a well deserved rest. The ship was quiet.