They needed to move.
Now.
But unfortunately, it was already too late.
The rift groaned, the sound echoing around them. And from the darkness within it came more creatures, not as massive as the dragon, but vicious all the same.
They erupted forward, serpentine monsters with translucent fins, spined backs, and mouths that opened far too wide for their skulls.
They screeched as they shot through the water, the sound like nails dragged across a slate, sending shivers through even the most hardened Tidecallers.
These monsters were leaner, faster. Their movement across the waves was unnatural, like they skated across glass.
The moment they surfaced, they veered toward the ship, their bodies undulating and cutting through the water like living torpedoes. In an instant, they were before them.
Before anyone else could react, Captain Hook stepped forward.
She was bleeding from a cut along her brow, but her eyes were anything but distracted.
