A Serpent Surprise

“WINGS!” Grigg yelled, accusation in his eyes, over the crack of thunder and violent spray of the icy sea. “Yer said nothin’ about the blasted thing havin’ wings!”

Captain Wilhelmine Vexx flashed her teeth at him as she clung to the railing of the crow’s nest, growling at her First Mate. “I didn’t ruddy know! You saw the painting, did it look like it had wings?!”

Another crash against the underside of the boat sent Wil flying, raven hair whipping across her face as her hat flew from her head.

“That was my favourite hat you wicked beast!” She roared, the beast in question erupting from the wild waves, exactly where her favoured hat had landed, and soared into the grey sky.

Gods above, the thing was ginormous.

It sailed higher, wings flat against its scaled, serpentine body, before whipping them out to catch on a mighty gust of wind and careening round to circle the ship.

No, the painting of this magnificent creature truly hadn’t done it justice. It had depicted something serene and spectacular, a serpent of the sea. Whilst this creature was certainly spectacular, it was also terrifying, more ferocious dragon than gentle guardian.

Its body was covered in scales of aquamarine and amethyst, but so pale and iridescent it almost seemed made of glass. It refracted light, and had the sun beamed instead of being shrouded in a stormy gloom, Wil felt it might have melted into the landscape around them.

She never thought she’d be thankful for rain.

“Cap’n, what’re our orders?” Grigg barked, pulling her from her reverie.

Her mind whirled, trying to formulate a new plan. On the one hand, they’d gravely underestimated this creature and were fantastically unprepared for this fight. But on the other… riches, riches beyond their wildest dreams.

“Keep to the plan, head for the cave!”

Grigg only shook his grizzled head, growling orders to the crew.

Wil calculated as the creature circled nearer, mad glint in her eyes as she climbed up onto the rain slicked railing, bracing herself.

Three.
Closer.

Two.
Nearly there…

One.
She jumped.