When Ravens Call: The Fourth Book in the Small Gods Epic Fantasy Series (The Books of the Small Gods by Bruce Blake (books under 200 pages txt) 📗

creature took Bryder, at the disembodied limb lying near the edge of the chunk of the Whalebone's deck—the last remains of the captain perched on the final remnant of his ship. Rilum had been quick to pull the prince from the sea when he fell in, but neither of them hurried to venture back to the raft's edge, or to touch Bryder's arm.

Though he'd been concentrating on saving the captain and hadn't seen the beast's teeth sink into the man's flesh, Teryk couldn't help imagining it. The ragged end of the captain's arm and a splash of red soiling the deck painted a picture in his mind of dagger-like fangs flashing in the sun, blood spurting, shimmering as if streams of liquid rubies. The ocean had long absorbed any trace of him, and neither he nor Rilum spoke in the time since, except when the prince thanked him for pulling him out of the sea. His last remaining companion didn't respond and the silence between them reigned so complete, he wondered if the sailor might have slipped over the edge when he wasn't watching.

Worried, Teryk suppressed the latest quake threatening to jar his bones and diverted his eyes from the empty sea and to his right.

Rilum Seaman knelt in the spot where he'd plucked the prince from the ocean, but he didn't gaze where Teryk had been. Instead of staring at the macabre remnant of their captain or scanning the water for signs of the thing that killed Bryder, he peered over his shoulder, looking toward the land across the sea. He wore an expression so intense it compelled the prince to do the same.

He craned his neck, tight muscles threatening to cramp. The pain disappeared when he realized what so captured his companion's attention.

The prince gaped. How had they come so much closer than before?

It must have happened when the sea creature took the captain. Its emergence and subsequent disappearance created the largest wave they'd seen since the end of the storm, pushing them nearer to shore as they mourned their friend. The lush green shoreline stood tantalizingly close yet, with a deadly monster lurking in the depths, the space seemed as insurmountable as if it remained a mere dot on the horizon. Short of washing up on the beach, any distance requiring they enter the water where the ravenous beast lurked was too far away by Teryk's estimation.

As if he'd heard the prince's thoughts, Rilum shifted himself around to face the land perched on the near horizon, mocking them with its proximity. He struggled to his feet, listing and leaning, setting the chunk of deck rocking under his shifting weight. The movement forced the prince to place his palms against the wood to steady himself. Bryder's severed arm rolled nearer to the edge.

"What are you doing?"

"Fuck this," Rilum spat. "I'd rather die in the sea than stay floatin' here until I wither away to nothin'."

He shuffled a half-step closer to the brink and drew a deep breath.

"Rilum—"

Before Teryk spoke further, the sailor lunged forward, belly-flopping into the ocean. Water splashed, and the chunk of deck tilted without Rilum's weight for counterbalance. The prince collapsed, spreading himself flat against the rough wood. The raft lurched, and he pressed himself flatter until the tilting diminished. He remained stationary, not wanting to raise his head and find a toothy creature making a meal out of the last man he might ever see alive.

The rhythmic splashes of a swimmer floated through the afternoon air. Teryk steeled himself, awaiting Rilum's scream as dagger teeth tore into his flesh. He waited. And waited.

The screams didn't come.

By the time the prince raised his head, his shipmate had covered more than half the distance to the shore. Incredulous, Teryk propped himself up on his elbows to watch.

Droplets splashed and sparkled in the sunlight; Rilum's kicking churned the ocean white in his wake, spreading ripples out across the water behind him. Teryk's gaze strayed from the man, following along the line of waves he produced. They reminded him of the creature and the captain's screams; he shuddered.

Other than the shallow swells created by the sailor's escape from the raft, the surface remained smooth and peaceful.

Is the sea ever this calm?

Nowhere did he spy the hump of water pushed ahead of an onrushing serpent. No fish leapt, no gulls wheeled. Everything appeared as though the entire world ignored the sailor swimming toward the shore. Teryk gulped a mouthful of saliva. Left alone on the raft. Survive or die, his choice.

If his future included surviving to fulfill his destiny predicted by the scroll, he must follow Rilum's lead.

He inhaled, tasting salt on the air as he continued watching his companion's progress. His mind knew he should stand, dive in, and follow Rilum to safety, but his limbs disagreed. He remained in place, picturing himself standing, preparing, launching himself from the chunk of deck into the sea. During his life, he'd only swam in the river under the castle and lakes near his home until he found himself submerged during the storm. The thought of it returned the salty taste of brine to his tongue, and his throat closed. His last two times in the water had both come close to costing him everything.

"I'll die if I stay here." I may die if I leave.

He scanned the ocean around Rilum, between him and the shore, but spied nothing unusual. Teryk shut his eyes, pictured himself swimming, sun sparkling on droplets thrown up by his hard-working arms. He imagined himself trudging onto land, water streaming from his clothes. Trenan had spent many sessions teaching him the visualization technique, but he rarely remembered to use it. Perhaps this time it might prove its usefulness.

He sighed again, filling his lungs to capacity before letting his breath go all at once. He repeated this over and over, searching for courage