Greave, Aurelle said, pointing. Look, a whale.

Greave looked and saw a broad gray shape rising from the water, but the maw at the front was too long and too full of spiked teeth for any whale. Its body was as large as any whales, but it ran with fronds of flesh that might be mistaken at a distance for seaweed. Greave found his memory flickering back to Lollands Creatures of the Deep, and fear rose inside him.

Thats no whale, he said. Hold onto something, Aurelle. Louder, he called out so that the crew could hear. Darkmaw!

The crew looked round at that, and it took them a second longer to respond than they should have simply because it was him bellowing it rather than one of their own. Greave knew what they must be thinking in that moment: that this was a soft, cosseted prince who wouldnt know a darkmaw from a shoal of herring. Even so, a second later, they saw it for themselves, and they ran for the ships stock of harpoons.

By that point, the creature was already diving.

Greave watched its shadow through the water, his eyes picking it out as he clung to one of the ropes of the ship. Around him, sailors watched warily, several still scrambling for weapons.

Then the creature struck.

It slammed against the side of the boat, but the boson was already turning the ship away from it, so that it didnt bear the full brunt of the attack. Even so, it was enough to make the ship rock violently, listing to the side strongly enough that only Greaves grip on the rope kept him upright.

Aurelle wasnt so lucky. She cried out as she fell, sliding down toward the edge of the ship. The darkmaw was already rising up, its great mouth open to take its prey while those great fronds clung to the ship, holding it at its tilted angle.

Greave leapt forward on instinct, grabbing for Aurelle, even though it meant letting go of his own safe hold. He felt his fingers fasten onto her wrist, but even as he did so, he could feel his own footing giving way.

Ahead of him, Greave could see harpoons starting to sprout from the creatures flesh, but they didnt seem to make any difference to it. He was sliding closer now, and he could see great, unblinking eyes on him, looking at him with a malevolence that was terrifying.

Your highness! one of the sailors yelled, and Greave looked over his way just in time to see the man throw a harpoon to him. The weapon hung in the air for a second before slamming into Greaves palm as he caught it.