There are some things that should be left alone. Those were my final thoughts on board the Malevolence, one of the fastest ships in Leotold.

I remember signing my life away at the only seafront inn. You see, I was only there for a few drinks with an old friend who had finally made port and was staying for a day or so. During my second drink, he mentioned the sea serpent they were chasing with the leadership of their amazing captain, Fitzgerald.

"It is supposed to grant magical powers," he gushed, hardly able to keep his gruff voice below a whisper. "We've tracked it to the Emerald Peninsular, to a cave system in the heart of it."

I shrugged, taking another swig of my rum. "Magic doesn't exist," I reminded him.

He slapped his hand on the table. "Well, it is an adventure, is it not? That is what life on the sea is all about!" he bellowed.

Instinctively, I shrunk into my seat at the glances from the other patrons.

When the conversation moved along, I thought I wouldn't hear mention of this magical sea serpent again. However, I was mistaken. Not even five tankards of rum in and I was being introduced to Captain Fitzgerald of the Malevolence.

I blinked at the sight of the mane of midnight ringlets that framed a perfectly dainty face. Her eyes fluttered in response from under her captain's hat.

"What have you brought me, Danny?" she said softly, a small ounce of excitement coating it.

He clamped his hands on my shoulders. "Fresh meat and a volunteer."

She raised an arched eyebrow.

With nimble fingers, she pushed a piece of parchment towards me, uttering off some spiel about safety and her not being liable for any deaths caused by these missions. To be honest, I didn't take it in as I signed my life away for the impossible mission.

It took moments for me to be ushered onto the ship and shoved into the hull with the rest of the crew. There were fewer than expected with some of them injured. Though they all looked dangerous with their sharp teeth, cutlasses, and hidden knives they threw repeatedly at the wooden planks that made up the walls.

After an hour or two of restless sleep, I was awoken by the call of the first mate. They'd found it. The sea serpent. It was real!

Before I could leap out of my hammock and wake myself up, I was thrust out and onto the floor by the rushing stampede of feet trampling me. Everyone was alert, throwing orders and weapons while I covered my head to protect myself from the remaining feet.

Something tugged at my collar, and I was pulled to my feet. I came nose to nose with Danny, a look between stern and grave pulling his face taut.

"Be alert, Lewis," he said with a nod before storming off towards the stairs.

I followed closely behind, carefully trotting up the stairs until we reached the canons. Crewmates were at the ready, three men to a canon. I slowed to take the chaos in—the frantic bark of orders, the slackened jaws of men who were prepared to die, and the perspiration of the first mate. How many men would he have to say goodbye to?

I glanced around at their terrified faces one last time before trying to find Danny in the crowd. He was close to the next set of stairs. It was hard to miss his wispy, greying hair. I sprinted through the crowd, bumping into everyone and treading on some boots, but I finally made it up the stairs and into the midnight air.

Everyone was crowded around the edge of the ship. I wandered over, clutching my stomach and gulping air. There in the middle of the ocean was a dark shadow gliding alongside the waves, the green scales shimmering in the moonlight and reflecting on the mirror of the water. It was beautiful, even if I could only make out its body.

Captain Fitzgerald sauntered down the stairs of the quarterdeck to where her crew was gathered, a smirk playing on her pink lips. "Ready the sails!" she ordered, her voice roaring above the wind. "Ready the net! And ready your nerves, sailors!" She turned to me, her voice lowering to a murmur, "You're going to need them if you're to survive the night."

I gulped, racing towards the net. I fumbled with the side of it, making sure it was ready for the capture. The other sailors around me were more seasoned to this work and had their part fixed in no time, a determined gaze overtaking each of them that fixed on the creature below.

We waited, silence beckoning the sound of something.

"Get ready for capture!" the captain shouted.

"Fire!" the first mate bellowed from below.

Canon fire flittered across the waves aimlessly. Each bolt of flame made me flinch as the serpent gave a guttural cry. It reverberated in my soul whilst it slashed and splashed through the water, avoiding the chaos of canons.

Above, gunmen stood proudly, aiming their bullets at it. The sound of the kickback, the grunts, and the loud bang of the cannonballs deafened me. The world around me became muted and dull.

There was a moment of reprieve. Nothing stirred. The ocean was still. We waited. For the next command, for another sighting of this fabled serpent, I had the inkling none of us knew. But we would wait.

Out of the ocean in a spiral of water, the beast flooded the deck. A waterfall glided down its back as its emerald eyes glowered at us before unleashing a mighty, powerful roar. Its head leaned back and some of the gunmen took their chances with the bolt throwers. The metal rods bounced off the slimy scales.

As more cannonballs were thrown at the monster, its tail slashed through the water and came down with an almighty crash upon the middle of the ship. It cracked in two, slicing through the gunport down into the hull. The two parts began to sink, falling into the ocean.

My feet slid on the wood as I scrambled to find a perch on anything. All I could do was hold onto a railing as the crew fell into the black abyss below us. Their screams were quickly silenced by the water filling their lungs. None resurfaced. The beast dove between the two parts, mouth gaping, and chewed as it flew up. Blood dripped down its scaly chin, its eyes fixated on me.

The ship slowly inched closer to the ocean, but those eyes chilled me. I wasn't going to make it to the water.

Twisting around, the beast opened its mouth, readying itself for the final crushing blow. The last thing I saw was the sharp canines as a sharp scream tore from my throat when my skin was ripped into. Another bite and I was silenced, my heart no longer beating, and my soul wandered towards the golden light.