Minutes passed, and hours faded away as the moon slowly rose and dipped in the evening sky. [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i] guided by Edward’s steady fins kept a sure course. Meanwhile the young friends conversed well into the night. Caleb asking for answers and stories about life beneath the ocean, and Edward piling on his own inquiries regarding the land, each marveling at the mysterious wonders that lay outside their respective reach. Words droned into obscurity for Caleb, and as the stars slowly faded away, he felt more and more challenged to keep his eyelids from drooping. The child yawned larger and larger until at last he resisted no more and dozed against the rail, giving into the urge to pass unto peaceful slumber. Warm sea air, nor gentle rocking of the ship disturbed him, and Caleb dreamt of grass and trees and earth of his distant homeland, far, far beyond the horizon. He could not say how long he slept, it could not have been exceptionally long however as the sky was still black of a late evening, or an exceedingly early morning. Caleb stirred, uncertain as to what woke him. Nothing seemed out of place on deck. Rainbow was most likely below, sleeping. Flower roosted nearby head tucked under her wing, and Ribbon was nowhere to be seen.

	“Edward?” He asked, rubbing at his eyes, and forcing back an overwhelming yawn. No answer was offered by the hippocampus, or by anyone for that matter. Deciding whatever it was did not require his attention Caleb reclined against a coil of comfortable rope and prepared to return to his dreams of home.

	[i][b]THUNK[/b][/i]

	This time it could not be denied. Something powerful impacted their keel, sending shivers down the sloop’s wooden spine. Caleb sat up straight, all tiredness leaving his body in a sudden surge of adrenaline. Standing the boy leaned out over the darkened waters, scanning for any sign of his friend. Edward was gone, or at least deep enough to be out of sight. That was unusual, Caleb frowned, the young sea beast always kept close by, guiding their vessel true. If he was not there, they were sailing randomly wherever the water bid. The sea remained calm under his sharp gaze, Caleb sprinted to the port railing, scanning those waters as well. “Edward?” He called again, this time louder and with a hint of urgency. No response from the hippocampus curtailed his concerns. Perhaps Edward had gone to the ocean floor to find something to eat, or maybe he was resting. The waves seemed calm, perhaps they would not be blown to far off course. Besides, the hippocampus surely knew the ocean better than Caleb. He would be back in no time, the boy reassured himself, forcing his body to relax. And whatever hit their ship? A large piece of driftwood most likely, and nothing to worry over?

	A sudden burst of power rocked the ship from bow to stern sending the proud prow high out of the water and crashing back down with a tremendous force. It was all Caleb could do to clench tight to the port railing and keep himself from being thrown overboard. A surge of water crashed down around him, soaking the boy to the bone as he released a terrified cry. Flower, startled from her sleep rocketed off the mast spar, squawking at this injustice. Then, before Caleb could catch his breath, he heard the scream. A young voice, crying out in pain and terror, alien, and yet all too familiar to Caleb.
	
	“EDWARD!” Caleb screeched as the ship rocked again. He clung tight; his arms wrapped around the railing in a death grip, desperate to maintain purchase as the ocean roiled angrily beneath the sloop. “Edward, where are you?” The ocean frothed as if some massive storm raged just beneath the surface. Edward’s forlorn cries echoed out from the dark depths where Caleb’s eyes could not penetrate, and he knew something terrible was happening. But Edward was a giant, spanning nearly the length of the Sloop and undeniably powerful even in his youth. He dragged the ship through a storm for crying out loud! What could possibly cause him to yell out in such horror. Caleb thought he saw a sheen of blood in the water and his heart jumped to his throat. “Edward, no.” He croaked; his voice having gone hoarse from his own cries.

	“Caleb, hang on. Do not let go of that railing.” Rainbow appeared, outlined in the shadows of the cabin door, clinging to the frame to keep balance. “What’s going on, whose screaming?”

	The impossible sound ceased, as if in answer to Rainbow’s inquiry and the waters stilled. [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i] rested uneasily on a freshly calmed surface, but Caleb did not reduce his grip, lest the turmoil resume. Not once did the boy stop searching the waves, his hands shaking as tears ran freely down his cheeks. All he could think about was that terrible shriek, and the way it so suddenly concluded. A flash beneath the surface caught his eye, and he leaned out, unable to believe his eyes.

	A shape, an enormous monster three times Edward’s size resided below. An eerie bioluminescent spine glowing a victorious evil green, illuminating its pale scales, four massive flippers, powerful amphibian tail, and long wicked jaws within which was trapped the writhing form-

	“Caleb no!”

	The boy did not heed Rainbow’s cry. His sword set between his teeth Caleb plunged into the icy brine, forcing his eyes to remain open against the agonizing sting of salt and blood. The aquatic monster did not even heed the tiny, insignificant being who now swam ten meters from it. So intent on the prey, ensnared by her foot long teeth. She shook her head this way and that, trying to break the spine of the stubborn hippocampus who fought bitterly for his very life, a rare treat to bring back to her brood…