Hunter's Choice

by C E Keene

Mira let a crossbow bolt fly, the tip of it lodging behind the beast’s shoulder. Galen’s attack was far flashier. He lifted his hands in the air and appeared to do nothing at all… until Arheis saw a broken piece of the mast rise up from the deck, turn one hundred and eighty degrees ‘til the tip of it was pointing at the Exsetus, then be sent flying like a makeshift javelin.

  The beast thrashed under the onslaught, sending massive waves crashing into the Lady Katherine. Arheis heard the damning sound of something breaking apart below them, and his heart hammered as he realized their time was limited.

  “Keep up the attack,” he called to everyone, putting his Leadership ability to the test.

  Even Higrem seemed inclined to listen this time. He rushed the beast and launched himself off the railing in an acrobatic display Arheis would have thought impossible for how big the man was. With a fierce yell he gripped the hilt of his blade with two hands and drove it into the creature’s neck, barely managing to dodge to the side when black sludge gushed from the wound as if he’d punctured an artery.

  He wasn’t fast enough to avoid the beast completely, though. It swiped at him, its hand almost as big as his body, and swatted him away with ease, sending him flying back toward the boat. He was caught in the rigging, held practically defenseless as the Exsetus prepared to follow up with its tentacles.

  But Bren threw her spear with strength and accuracy to spare, piercing it right behind its neck, almost exactly opposite of the wound Higrem had opened up. The beast reeled, spinning backward from the boat as if it planned to retreat. Then it lowered itself down to the water’s surface, only the crest sticking above it, and sped toward the ship.

  “Brace yourselves!” Treyous bellowed, though the warning came too late for some.

  The Exsetus slammed into the Lady Katherine, sending the ship upward so quickly and so severely that Arheis was forced to drop his spear and grab on to the mast just to keep from falling. It could have easily capsized them with one more shove, but instead its hands came up, long, spindly fingers reaching out over the deck as it pushed the ship back down and swept several members of the crew overboard, toward its waiting mouth.

  Screams echoed through the night, the sound of bones being crushed in powerful jaws. But the sound that reached into Arheis’ soul and painted it with terror was that of the boat continuing to break below them, the hull starting to split apart.

  This wasn’t working. They were going to end up in the ocean soon, picked off or drowned one by one.

  They needed a better plan, and as Higrem fought to free himself from the last of the rigging, Arheis came up with one. It was desperate and possibly futile, but it was all they had right now.

  “Is there enough rope on board that we could tie it down?” Arheis called to Treyous.

  “Good thinking,” the captain said. “Listen up, lads! If you can’t attack it from afar, unspool that rope and tie the beast down. Everyone else, let’s buy them some time.”

  Arheis moved quickly, knowing they had a limited amount of time. Pulling his knife from his belt, he cut Higrem out of the rigging and all but shoved the man in the direction of the rope. Thankfully he didn’t need to be told twice.

  With sailors on either side of them, Higrem and Arheis helped unspool the length of rope while Bren held the anchor, her arms buckling as she prepared to throw it.

  “Spread out across the deck,” he instructed as fire, metal, and lightning rained down on the beast from above.

  Taking his share of the heavy rope, Arheis put some distance between himself and Higrem.

  “Watch out!”

  He felt Mira’s warning before he ever heard the words, and was able to pull back on the rope and dodge out of the way with it as one of the tentacles slammed down, spearing itself into the deck.

  “Get ready to pull harder than you’ve ever pulled in your life,” Bren said before she drew back and threw the anchor.

  The Fulcorn’s lightning and the mage’s fireballs illuminated the night sky in such a way that Arheis saw the anchor arc through the air before it was embedded in the creature’s neck.

  “Pull!”

  It roared and fought, sending the two men holding the end of the rope flying. Treyous and the mage replaced them, with Galen and Mira filling in the gaps on the other side. Everyone pulled, and Arheis threw his weight into it, digging his boots into the ever-splintering deck. Slowly but surely, the Exsetus was brought closer and closer—close enough that Arheis caught the scent of briney water and rotting fish on the creature’s breath.

  “Zindar, Higrem, get ready to peel off and attack it. Aim for the back of the neck,” Arheis said, having to shout himself hoarse to be heard over the endless screeching.

  “Bren, with me,” came Treyous’ similar order.

  “Captain.”

  “Everyone else keep hold of that rope like your life depends on it.”

  Because it does. Arheis left that part unsaid, and just focused all of his energy, all of his strength into the task, no matter what. He held that rope as he watched Zindar spring up from the deck, using his powerful back legs to propel himself onto the creature’s back. He braced himself, locking his knees when the creature tried to shake him off. And even when he felt the Lady Katherine creaking and breaking apart beneath his feet, Arheis told himself if he let go of that rope, they were all dead.

  > You have learned Resolve. Keep your cool in the face of impossible pressure. This ability grants a bonus to any action attempted in the midst of a life or death situation.

  He sure as hell used it now, drawing upon a quickly-emptying reservoir of strength even as the line to either side of him buckled.

  And then several things happened in the span of what must have only been a handful of seconds, each more catastrophic than the next.

  Higrem had managed to climb onto the Exsetus’ back, and rather than taking a lot of small strikes like Zindar, he raised his massive sword and brought it down like an executioner’s blade, hacking a visible gash into the creature’s fleshy back. It lurched forward, slamming into the deck, straining the ship even more and forcing Arheis and the others to yank harder on the rope.

  That in turn kept it there long enough that when Higrem pulled his sword back out of the beast, it was still close to them. It, and its acid sludge-spewing wound.

  “Look out!” Arheis called, knowing it was too late.

  The mage who’d launched the fireballs earlier jumped back, dropping the rope in the process. It seemed she’d gotten clear of the creature’s blood, but then Arheis heard the word “no” mumbled over and over, almost incoherently, until the sound just turned into screams. It took him far too long to see what had happened—the dark fluid clung to her robes, eating through them and disintegrating everything it touched.

  “Falenna!” Bren’s voice was ravaged by emotion so raw that it carved through Arheis as the woman ceased to exist.

  It might not have been the event that kicked off this chain reaction of awfulness, but it was definitely the catalyst as Bren leapt onto the Exsetus with a great roar, ripping her spear out of its body and thrusting it back in with reckless abandon.

  “Dammit, Bren!”

  Treyous moved to try and pry her off of the thing, but the beast’s arms were flailing into the deck again, knocking even bigger holes into their already weakened formation. Galen and Mira were forced to let go as one of the arms came crashing down on their section, and when the creature reared back, it was at the exact moment that Zindar had just landed on its shoulder.

  The Pruvari was sent flying, lightning arcing through the air and crippling the beast moments too late. Arheis watched the whole thing almost in slow motion as his friend tried desperately to right himself, to grab on to anything.

  But he couldn’t. He was tossed into the violently churning ocean, and there was nothing Arheis could do about it.

  “Zindar!”

  The fight to hold the beast down was nearly lost, and he was tempted to give up his section of rope a
nd jump in after Zindar. But he knew that wouldn’t accomplish anything besides getting them both killed, and instead he pulled back even harder, squeezing every last drop out of his strength stat. The beast hit the deck with a loud crash, and Arheis felt the boards beneath him give way. A fissure ran the length of the vessel, splitting it in two.

  It didn’t matter that he’d managed to get over to one side. It didn’t matter that through everyone’s combined efforts, the beast was being torn open, ripped apart and fatally wounded, its massive body slumping further and further.

  The two pieces of the ship were sinking. Fast. Arheis tried to locate his companions, quickly scanning those left. He could feel that Mira was still with him. He saw Galen furiously trying to right the vessel with his magic and failing. Higrem had managed to keep his balance and was, from what Arheis could tell, about to deliver the death blow.

  But the Exsetus wasn’t done fighting. It lashed out, flailing its deadly limbs. Bren was right in the path, still stabbing relentlessly, seeming completely unconcerned by the fact that the toxic blood was landing on her armor and clothing. Treyous leapt for her, tried to tackle her out of the way. Instead he put himself right in front of the grasping limb, and Arheis’ eyes widened in horror as he saw one of the beast’s bony fingers pierce clean through the captain’s body.

  He couldn’t just do nothing.

  Racing to the edge of the boat to retrieve his spear, Arheis leapt from the sinking ship, spear gripped tightly. A light enveloped him, so bright it was almost blinding, and a crossbow bolt whizzed over his shoulder.

  > You are protected by Amira’s Shielding Bolt.

  He was protected, but he knew he only had one chance. He drove his spear into the Exsetus’ skull just as Higrem’s sword was buried into its neck, and finally—finally—the creature fell.

  And it took Arheis, Higrem, Bren, and Treyous with it.

  11

  > You have slain Exsetus!

  > You gain 200 XP.

  > Lost At Sea

  The Lady Katherine has been destroyed by an Exsetus, your companions scattered to the winds. You must find them quickly, for who knows what other dangers lurk in the sea.

  Quest Level: 4

  Reward: 150 XP

  The system messages were the first thing Arheis saw, and for a second he thought they were floating amidst a series of black windows. But no. That wasn’t the game interface. That was the abyss he’d fallen into, the cold water that was pulling him under, dragging him down with the very beast he’d just slain.

  Frantic to dismiss the messages, Arheis kicked out and swam toward the surface, the faint glimmer of moonlight pointing the way. His arms and legs pushed against the water, but it felt like his body was weighed down by cinder blocks. It didn’t seem to matter how hard he swam or how much progress he thought he was making. The surface of the water felt impossibly far away, and it wasn’t getting any closer.

  > You are fatigued. Stamina is now decreasing 25% faster.

  Oh, fuck. He was going to run out of stamina in no time at this rate.

  Panic flooded through Arheis’ veins, shooting icy cold fear through him. Technically it didn’t matter if he drowned here. He’d respawn and continue without anything more than another hit to his already lowered Morale. But the idea of just letting it happen didn’t sit well with him. Not when he’d seen his friends get knocked into the ocean.

  He needed to find them, and that meant he needed to fight.

  Digging deep, Arheis pushed himself, relying on the very last reserves of his stamina. His muscles burned, he felt cold in a way he hadn’t experienced in a long time, and he still didn’t know if he was making any progress whatsoever. Until he burst through the surface of the water, sending sprays of it everywhere, gasping as he drew as much air into his lungs as he could.

  The fact that he’d made it was something he took a moment to appreciate, but only a moment. As soon as he could think beyond his own survival, Arheis looked around for his friends.

  “Arheis!”

  That was Mira’s voice, and he could feel her fear now, as keenly as he’d felt his own. He saw her clinging to the broken length of the mast, along with Galen and Bren.

  “I’m here,” he managed, sputtering when the ocean threatened to pull him under again.

  He was so unbelievably tired, but he needed to get to the others. It would at least give his arms and legs a break, and give his stamina time to recover. He could figure out what to do from there.

  Drawing in a deep breath and steeling his resolve, Arheis put all those swimming lessons he’d had as a kid to use, moving with a practiced stroke, his legs kicking out behind him as he guided himself toward the mast.

  Mira reached for him, gripping his arm and pulling him up onto the mast. It bobbed precariously, the weight of four people threatening to pull it under. But once Arheis moved so he was balancing out the rest of them, it settled. He slumped against the broken wood, still having to move his feet in the water, but expending much less effort now to keep himself afloat. He could practically feel his stamina slowly refilling.

  “Has anyone else surfaced?” he asked, looking around.

  After the battle and now this, all he really wanted to do was sleep. But they needed to find the others first.

  “Some of the crew started swimming to shore.” Bren pointed them out, and sure enough Arheis saw three sailors putting their own training to use.

  The shoreline wasn’t that far away. Maybe three hundred feet in total. Right now it seemed like an impossible distance, and he was exhausted just watching the men propel themselves toward a more stable place of rest.

  “Haven’t seen the captain yet. I need to look for him, but I—”

  “But you’re hurt,” Mira proclaimed, that familiar, firm resolve in her voice. “If you go after him now, both of you will drown.”

  He hadn’t seen Bren take the brunt of any attacks—not the way Treyous had—but looking at her now, seeing how pale she was, it was obvious something had happened. The blood he could see covering the surface of the water in a film near her was also a grim truth he wasn’t sure how to handle just yet.

  “And Zindar?” he asked his companions.

  Galen had been quiet up to this point, clinging to the mast for dear life. He spoke now, his voice wavering. “He hasn’t surfaced yet.”

  Dread washed over Arheis, a physical sensation that felt as real as the water that lapped at his back. He’d been sure someone would have said they’d seen Zindar already on the shore, or at least headed that way. But when Arheis looked, he still only saw the three sailors as they just barely reached the beach, all of them on their knees, doubled over.

  “Higrem?” he asked, looking around.

  Galen just shook his head.

  That was three people missing. No, not just three. There were more sailors than that, even beyond those who’d almost certainly been killed by the creature. What were they going to do? It was the middle of the night, the water was alarmingly cold, and there might be other beasts nearby, attracted by the scent of blood.

  How were they going to check for survivors? How was Arheis even going to make sure Zindar, Treyous, and Higrem were still alive?

  Well, one thing was certain: staying here wasn’t going to accomplish any of those goals. Pulling up his character sheet in his mind, Arheis checked on his stamina.

  > Stamina: 130/130

  Good. He had a full bar, and probably the best shot of reaching the others out of all of them. Now to decide how to look. Drawing in another breath to steady himself, he scanned the water’s surface, trying to find any signs of movement. The waves were louder than he expected, and his companions were breathing heavily, their exhaustion obvious. Arheis did his best to tune all of it out, focusing on any unusual sounds.

  After a long, almost fruitless moment, he finally heard it: the sound of bubbles rushing to the surface and breaking. He looked around, managing to isolate the noise to one specific area, and found the disturba
nce.

  “Zindar!” he called hopefully. “Higrem? Treyous?”

  None of the three burst forth. No one did, in fact, and so Arheis acted on instinct. He pushed away from the mast, barely hearing Mira’s protests over the sound of his own swimming. Paddling toward the spot where bubbles still rose up from below, he dove beneath the water, eyes open, lungs filled with a breath he would hold for as long as he possibly could.

  The water still seemed impossibly dark, even though his eyes had adjusted. But he saw the glint of something; some kind of metal fastening. He swam toward it, further and further down, until he recognized the figure who was unconscious and bleeding: Treyous.

  Arheis’ eyes widened and he swam faster, legs forcing out powerful kicks, arms pushing water away. He grabbed Treyous, catching the collar of his coat first, and then getting an arm beneath the other man’s. The water had made him deceptively light, his body’s natural buoyancy wanting to bring him to the surface. Arheis just had to help it along.

  But that feat was easier said than done, because even though the water was helping, he still had to exert double the effort to get himself and Treyous to the surface. He could feel his stamina draining away fast, the bottom of that reserve racing up to meet him with every push. Only this time he knew if he gave in, Treyous would die.

  And while he suspected the man might be a PC, he didn’t have proof. If Treyous died here, that could be the end of it. He could be gone for good.

  > You are low on stamina.

  Arheis pushed onward, drawing on every possible reserve of stamina. He pushed through the pain, the exhaustion, all of it. Until the moment he and Treyous both broke the surface of the water. He gasped for air, his mouth immediately filled with water as the weight of the man tried to push him back down.

  > You have reached 0 stamina.