Chapter 16 - The Thief's Tale

On her first mission major mission for Clandestine Services, Kessa certainly makes some waves.

Audio version of "The Thief's Tale" read to you by the author Meena Mason

Chapter 16 Excerpt:

She was enjoying both a breath-taking view out on glossy, moon-lit waters that spanned as far as the eye could see and an intriguing chess match when something enormous in the water caught her eye. It swam under the ship; there was a loud bang and the boat tipped alarmingly.

“Wrestrook!” the ship’s lookout screamed.

Kessa heard the fear in his voice. Gripping the railing tightly to avoid being tossed into the wrests, she ducked low.

The chess pieces scattered. Captain Covaso and Tragor leapt from their seats and rushed to the deck. The crew sounded terrified as the creature played with the boat like a toy. Kessa held onto that railing for dear life as they tipped and pitched. It wasn’t long until she comprehended the crew’s dread. A creature the size of the boat swam a couple metres out portside and raised a portion of its body above the waves, though the moonlight did a good job of amplifying the terror beneath the waves. Part crocodile, part squid, and part… penguin the creature boasted impenetrable opalescent scales and a belly of coal-black plating. Two parallel rows of ivory horns rippled down its armoured back and massive crocodile tail. It had two humongous flippers on either side beneath which were numerous tentacles that Kessa kept losing count of. Its penguin shaped head almost leant it an adorable aspect if it weren’t for the beak-snout lined with razor sharp, blue teeth the size of her entire body, and two huge, black orblike eyes that glinted with a yellow sheen when they caught the moonlight.

“We’re done for!” Kessa breathed, too frightened to speak above a whisper.

With a deafening cackle that incapacitated every person on the ship, the wrestrook spun several lower tentacles like propellers at incredible speed and launched itself over the whole ship. If it belly-flopped it would rent them in two or crush them completely, but that wasn’t the plan. It dived to starboard. Kessa swore the resulting wave would capsize the ship. It came close.