The spray stung Tyler's eyes as he struggled to keep his footing on the pitching deck of the Wavecrest. The longship lurched and rolled, the creak of strained timbers and the bellowed orders of the Drillmaster echoing all around him. This was no mere training exercise; they were headed straight into the heart of the Dragonspine War.
Tyler gripped the rigging as he fought to maintain his balance. He was no seasoned Oceanrider, and the relentless motion of the waves was making him sick.
“Landsman! Get those lines secured before we lose 'em to the undertow!” The Drillmaster's gruff voice cut through the chaos, his gaze zeroing in on the young Shorling.
“Aye, Drillmaster!” Tyler scrambled to secure the lines before they were lost to the churning waves. His clumsy fingers fumbled with the thick ropes as he fought to obey the Drillmaster's barked orders amidst the chaos of the pitching deck.
The Dragonspine War had erupted with a sudden, savage fury, pitting the seafaring Oceanriders against the raiding parties of seadrake-worshipping marauders from the distant eastern shores. The very survival of the Oceanriders' age-old nomadic island-hopping way of life now hung precariously in the balance.
Tyler turned his attention toward the strained rigging, ready to do whatever it took to secure the Wavecrest and prepare her for the coming battle. He was determined to defend his people and his island home against the dragonkin's merciless expansionism.
Swallowing down the knot of nerves that threatened to choke him, Tyler redoubled his efforts. The Drillmaster's imposing shadow loomed over him; a disapproving scowl etched deeply into the weathered features of the grizzled veteran.
“You call that secured? By the Seafarer's Trident, you'll get us all killed, boy!” The Drillmaster snatched the line from Tyler's hands, deftly tying it down. “Move, before you bring the wrath of the waves down on our heads!”
Deflated, Tyler retreated toward the relative safety of the ship's waist, where Tobias was busy coiling extra lines.
“Don't take it too hard, Ty,” Tobias said, offering a sympathetic glance. “The Drillmaster's bark is worse than his bite. You'll get the hang of it in no time. Everyone here were all landlubbers once, you know. It just takes a bit of practice to find your sea legs.”
Tyler nodded. The Drillmaster Ravenlock’s gruff demeanor was intimidating, but the old salt's harsh words were more bluster than true malice. “I just . . . I've never even set foot on a ship before, let alone one heading into the heart of the Dragonspine War.”
“None of us recruits have, not really.” Tobias paused coiling the rope. “I know it's overwhelming. The Wavecrest and her crew will weather this storm, I'm sure of it. We just have to keep our wits about us.”
“Aye, Tobias. I'll do my part . . . or die trying,” Tyler said with a wry grin.
Tyler knew Tobias was right, but the weight of that responsibility still felt crushing.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, bone-rattling impact that sent him stumbling. The ship had collided with something, and the cries of his fellow recruits filled the air. Tyler struggled to regain his footing.
He raced to the starboard side, peering over the railing. What he saw made his blood run cold—a massive, serpentine shape had emerged from the depths, its scales gleaming like polished obsidian. The seadrake's gaping maw was lined with rows of sharp fangs.
“That's a seadrake,” Tobias said, having run up next to Tyler. “I've heard the tales . . . the Dragonkin marauders from the east, they worship these beasts as living gods. Offer them sacrifices and all manner of dark rites.”
“Looks like it could tear this ship apart in a single snap of those jaws.” Tyler was transfixed by the serpentine creature as it undulated through the roiling depths.
“It can, and worse,” Tobias said. “I've heard that these monsters can even breathe fire, incinerating any who try to mess with them and their dominion over these waters.” He gripped the railing tightly as the ship rocked. “The Dragonkin make offerings to them, fearing that to do otherwise would bring the wrath of the sea down upon us all.
