We pushed them back to the entrance of their...well, the beak of the giant squid, the ranged support we had proved to be overwhelming for them. And while we had a few elites who could handle their brawlers, the smaller Gyohin were no match even for our sailors with their improvised weapons.

But the blood stood thick on the planks, and while the feetless Gyohin were not hampered, the humans slipped and fell. And died.

I roared in anger as I pressed onwards into the mass of Gyohin, hacking overhead with always the same motion, it was too crowded to really swing my sword. It was far from perfect, I had to crush the shafts of mauls, hammers, and spears before the steel found the skulls of the brawlers.

Only my armor and the passive application of [Stonehide] protected me from the stabs and strikes from below, where the small Gyohin slithered in and out of the fights. I kicked one, who had stabbed me in the leg and I felt his face cave in but lost sight of him immediately as one of the brutes shoulder-charged me.

And yet we were driving them back, painting the deck red with their blood, throwing them off the railing and into the churning waters. A bloody day.

Which was naturally the moment everything went horribly wrong.

I saw them through the bodies of the last Gyhoin desperately guarding their squid, two big, floating jellyfish in iridescent colors with a head-part that was translucent. A blue, pulsating brain swam suspended in a liquid up in that sphere. There were two of them, and between them, in their tendrils, they held a giant crystal.

It had a sky-blue hue and was glowing with cold light from within, pulsing, as I realized, in rhythm with the pulsing of the brains.

Not only did the downed brawlers of the Gyohin began to move again, their eyes clouded as I had seen before, but two of the squid's tentacles also began to glow in the same blue light of the crystal and, with mechanical and sudden movements, began to rise up above us.

These must be the...creatures steering their 'ship‘ - or whatever matter they wanted. A pulse shot out from the crystal and I - and the humans around me - felt the urge to lie down, to do nothing but wait. Around us, a few sailors let their weapons drop, sinking to their knees, staring up at the looming tentacles with clouded, but panicked eyes.

[Breaker of Chains] activated and I threw off the invisible weight pressing down on me. Around me, the mauls and clubs of the Gyohin smacked into the stunned humans. I had to act fast. There were too many to just go over them, so I ran around, charging the side of the mass of enemies in front of the entrance.

”Zero, try to get them!“ I shouted, throwing the chain over the battle lines, immediately losing sight of him.

A maul caught me in the side, pressing me into the railing, as a brawler swung again, driving me further back. He heaved his heavy club up again, but an inch of barbed steel exploded out of his chest. The [Harpooneers] from the ships below! With force he got pulled back, up and over the railing, and tumbled off, dragged by the line the [Harpooneers] were pulling on.

I threw a glance over the railing and saw the longboats and the dinghies circling the squid. A few fighters had jumped over to the Albatross, climbing the nets on the side to join the fray, spears tucked under their arms. Brave. Brave and mad.

But the squid was bleeding from a thousand stab wounds, the small boats hounding the creature like a swarm of sharks. It was just a matter of time.

The tentacles slammed down on the battle, and the screaming stopped. Time was running out.

Arrows began falling on the jellyfish, as Grim had noticed the danger, but if his hits had any impact, the gelatinous creatures didn‘t show it.

I stumbled through the rolling and moaning men - the tentacle must have broken quite a few bones in addition to breaking up the desperate fight - trying to reach the crystal.

When a splash of water rained down on us and the sun went dark.

A giant, magnificent beast, colored in clouds of vibrant light and dark blues breached the red sea, jumping out of the water in a fountain, screwing itself higher and higher. A whale the size of the frigate hung in the air for a second. It had a bearded front but opened its broad maw to a row of giant, stumped teeth. A layer of horn or thick, ripped skin protected its head where, farther back, a crystal glowed. Very much a crystal like the one in the hands of the Gyohin.

The whale slammed into the side of the giant squid with a force that almost broke the Albatross in half. Both giant beasts went down, the squid being dragged over the side of the frigate, helplessly flailing with the tentacles it had released from their grips on the ship to slam down on the humans. With another giant splash of water and a smashing noise, both went down under the surface of the sea.

The Albatross rocked wildly under the force of the impact and the following waves, as did all the other ships. Men, women, and alien fish-creatures went overboard. Masts cracked and planks broke, but the ship held.

The sailors had the best bets of staying on board, with their [Sea Legs] and other related Skills. But the fighters, the [Hunters] ...they went tumbling. And I? Well, I had been closest to the impact and only found my orientation as I slapped, back first, onto the water, dragged down immediately by the weight of my armor.

I panicked for a good long second, before I remembered to activate [Hold Breath] and to recall Kingsbane into its [Hidden Sheath] so as not to lose it. For good measure, I activated [Eyes to Pierce the Darkness] as well.

Just as another pulse of blue light erupted around me. I looked around frantically and saw that every fish and especially every shark hit by the pulse immediately turned around and fled as fast as they could.

The light illuminated the scene of the whale battling the giant squid, its crystal pulsing in the ghostly light as it rammed the tentacled beast, tore it apart with its teeth, shook it, and dragged it under, while the tentacles of the squid looked for purchase on the smooth skin of the whale, the beak snapping mechanically after its flesh. I soon lost sight of them, even with my Skill, in the murky depths.

My head breached the bloody surface soon after, swimming among dead fish, Gyohin, and men. The stench was nauseating.

”The sharks are gone!“ I yelled. ”Get them out of the water!“

I needn‘t have given that order, as all free hands were focused on saving the ones that had gone overboard. We had enough smaller ships around to get them all and get them quickly. Even those that did not breathe anymore.

There were still Gyohin around, trying to get the swimmers, but they were speared and harpooned from above. At roughly the same time the clean-up of the battle on the deck came to a close as well, as Higgins, Locksley, and Grim finished off the jellyfish.

The battle was won.

We stood on the deck of the Albatross. Cleaning up, catching breath, and taking care of the wounded. The Doctor was a godsdamned miracle worker, as he saved lives quickly and efficiently, no matter the consequences, even if it meant cutting away limbs. It was the way of the seafaring folk. We had lost some: A couple of fighters, a dozen of [Sailors] and [Marines].

That was the way of the world as well. The weak or the unlucky died, while the survivors leveled. And level they did. Grim had taken down one of the Jellyfish and risen to Level 12. Higgins had leveled. The fighters, [Harpooneers], and [Hunters] had leveled. The crew of the Albatross would have to have leveled as well.

The aftermath always was the worst part. If you were awake to be witness to it. Counting the dead. Killing the wounded enemies while recovering your own. A grim task, with no honor or pride, but a necessary one.

Soon, the sharks returned to their feast, but no one had the energy to hunt them anymore. We did not watch as they tore the bodies of the Gyohin into pieces. We had other problems.

Like the whale, breaching the surface around us, blowing water out of its blowhole. Coming close, then diving under us. Watching us. Circling us. It even came so close as to bump into our hull, pushing the smaller vessels gently aside. The beautiful, crystal-adorned whale looked at us straight. Its eyes were...so human-like, so hauntingly expressive. They were a deep blue, with speckles of white, looking at us as if the eyes contained the wisdom of the ages.

And anger. We saw the whale biting down on the Gyohin, not eating them but making sure they were dead.

It bumped our ship again. Lightly. Softly. But the Albatross swayed wildly under the impact.

”What does it want?“ Higgins yelled over the railing. ”And what it is? Never saw a whale like that before.“

Grim walked over to him, watching down on the whale. ”[Nature‘s Wisdom].“ He mumbled as he leaned over. ”It says it‘s a crystal whale, who would‘ve thunk. Apparently something like a mind-bender or something. Has to do with the crystal.“

”And what does it want, then?“ I asked.

Grim shrugged impassively, but a small hand tucked at my side. I turned to find Samson, the blonde boy, sheepishly smiling up at me. My eyes went wide in shock.

”Me.“ He said. ”She wants me.“

”What are you doing here?“ I grabbed him hard, shaking him in my confusion and worry.

”I could not stay back. I was down in the hold, where no one was looking.“

”A stowaway, on my ship no less.“ Higgins cursed. ”That was dangerous foolery, young man.“

Samson shrank down even further. ”I am sorry mister shipman, sir officer, sir. I didn‘t mean no harm. But I...had to be here.“

”Let him be, Higgins.“ I said, placing myself between him and the bloody carnage that was still being cleaned behind me. ”Samson, right? Why did you have to be here?“

”She called me. And...I wanted to see her. She is so sad, so angry...And I knew I would be safe here, with you and the fighers, Hanni...my lord! I knew I wouldn‘t be if I tried to go on my own.“

”Do you know what she wants from you? From us?“

”I know she lost her child. And that it hurts less for her when I listen to her song.“

Something clicked in my head. The crystal! The Gyohin had killed the calf of the crystal whale. And either she was hunting them down or they had been hunting her, to get her crystal too. And maybe...

”Do you think she sings to you as she would have to her own calf?“

Samson nodded. ”It feels warm. Like the embrace of mum...“

I slapped my head. ”The Gyohin thought you were a calf as well. They wanted you because they thought you had a crystal too. That's why they followed the singing to you down in the Wreckage. That's why they attacked the ship. That's why the whale came to defend you.“

”The whale came because of you?“ Higgins grinned, tousling the hair of Samson. ”Then you saved our life today, boy. Be proud!“

Samson‘s cheeks reddened, then he said: “Can I go to her?“

”Do you want to?“ He nodded. ”Do you think she wants the crystal?“ Samson shrugged again, but took it with him nonetheless.

We build a quick bosun‘s chair, a plank that could be lowered by two ropes, and let Samson sit on it, as we let him down to the surface of the sea. The whale came up, looking intently at the whole process. Then she came close, almost standing vertically in the water, exchanging a look with the human boy.

He touched her.

And they stayed there, for minutes. Nothing was being spoken, nothing was happening but a human boy touching the wet and cool skin of a beautiful whale, while their eyes met over a sea of red, speaking much more than any exchanged words could have. Then Samson sighed, and held up the crystal, asking something that the wind took from his lips. Again, nothing happened, then slowly, impossible slowly, the whale pushed the outheld crystal back towards Samson with the force of a slim blue tendril of light that sprang forth from her own crystal sitting in her forehead.

She wanted him to have it.