Page 155 of The Last Guardian

Around me, soldiers were falling, screaming as the water took them, their screams lost among the monsters’ cries.

Dax screamed orders, his sword imbued with sunfire. The sound of steel clashing against steel filled the air, and I caught a glimpse of Arthur on the upper deck, fighting with his sword against five of the creatures. My heart pounded as one of them charged towards him, oblivious to my presence.

Just as I was about to aim, a creature leaped at me.

Together, we fell to the floor, knocking the air out of my lungs in the process. But the monster was already on me before I could react, its claws digging into my thighs and neck.

“There it is,” it hissed, its foul breath brushing on my cheek.

With a hand around my neck, the creature touched my face with the other, a slimy substance dripping from its face, as I struggled against its weight. In a single sweep, I adjusted my hips and reversed our positions. My hands encircled its throat too, with me now on top.

Its grip was so strong, its claws dug into my skin, leaving gashes at the base of my neck. A hiss escaped my throat—burning in my lungs, my blood.

The wounds scorched so much that dizziness washed through my mind as I lost control of my muscles.

Ignore the pain, ignore the pain.

Struggling with its hands on me, another lunged at me, grabbing me by the hair, my head hitting the ground violently, a scream roaring in my throat.

The second touched my chest with one of its claws, where my heart was hammering like a drum. And it pushed—every inch felt like a knife piercing my chest.

I screamed—screamed so much my lungs blistered, part of its claw penetrating my skin in slow torture.

But then⁠—

A violent wind knocked them off me. Their bodies slammed hard on the floor, blowing up.

From that whirlwind, Arthur emerged, his silvery armor stained with the creatures’ blood, his breathing shallow as he cast an anxious gaze my way. For a brief instant, nothing but terror and rage filled his eyes.

Before the sea creatures attacked us again, the sea roared around us all, storming with Hells and fire.

A cacophony of shouts, pleas of help and agony, blended with the clang of swords.

In a state of panic, I quickly released every arrow, firing in the center of each creature’s head. A heavy cry echoed in the night as I tried to fight the panic rising in my chest to turn and see who was screaming.

Please, not one of them. Not my siblings, not my friends…

I tried to chase away their names from my mind as I aimed again and again, with Arthur at my side, his sword slicing through a few monsters, their cries sending chills through my spine.

There were too many of them. The more we killed, the more enemies rose on the deck. I cast a desperate glance around, my gaze locked on the black ship watching the carnage unfold. The shadowy figure remained, their eyes stained red with blood.

“We have to attack the other ship!” I yelled to Arthur through the roaring sea.

“Are you mad?” Arthur shouted, cutting the hand of a creature.

I shook my head and looked up to the mast nearby, assessing my next action. “Back me up.” Without giving him a chance to argue, I ran.

My boots slipped on the damp wood, which creaked under each step. I tried not to focus on the horrible sight: crew members lying on the ground, creatures devouring them alive, body parts and blood everywhere.

The agonizing cries… I would never forget them.

When I reached the base of the mast, I grabbed the damp rope ladder.

My boots were slipping on the rungs, and I could hear Arthur’s angry shouts and curses as he protected the area.

I climbed higher and higher. Every step took me closer to the infinite black sky.

The ship jerked hard; the rough sea below us made the mast move abruptly and almost tore the rope from my hands. But something kept me from falling.