Ship Wrecked

The night crept up on the boat as the choppy seas rocked it.  Rain had began to pelt on the wooden deck.  Commands were shouted back and forth and the deck hands did their work to secure the rigging.  Below decks the people huddled together while other crew men secured the cargo.  The shifting waves made it all but impossible for the passengers to maintain a steady footing.  Lia brushed back her blond hair as she glanced around at the miserable human women and children.  The elf may have been smaller than them by height and build, but her hard heart made her feel sturdier than the whimpering people.  She stopped breathing for a moment, taking in the sounds of outside the protective hull.  Scrapping sounds whispered under the crashing waves and shouting men.  Taking one more look at the humans Lia grabbed onto the hilt of her sword and made her way up to the deck.

Chaos greeted her as she eyed first the scrambling deck hands, then what they were scrambling from.  Lizard-man like beasts with spears in hand, were boarding the boat. Drawing her sword the elf headed for the port side of the stern to rid the boat of its new pests.

On the starboard side of the bow several other passengers were also fighting the marine beasts. A human passenger, Drarun, used his fists and feet to hold off the attackers. He had spotted them first and had called the alarm, and had only managed to throw off a few of the lizard men from climbing. He moaned a sigh of regret at the loss of a dwarf that had helped him.  The boat had tipped and threw off the dwarf's footing when Drarun had tried to get by to get to the next lizard man. The dwarf had fallen overboard as the boat rocked by the stormy seas. Now all the man could do was help the next deckhand from being speared by the lizard man's weapon.

Blue lizards had leaped out of the water, and lizard men scaled the hull to clash steel with an armored human named Alistair, equipped with a morning star. As the blue lizard attacked a crew man, the man engaged it, only a moment too late as the deckhand was killed.  Alistair swung his morning star with a practiced hand, ending the beast with a sickening thud to the head. Several deck hands tried with all their might to either escape or help the fight, only to end up slain.

Drarun rushed to help the man in armor. Kicking and punching the unwelcome beasts. They were able to spear him several times leaving him bloody but still on his feet, fighting will all of his might. Drarun rained down a flurry of fists upon the creature, pushing the lizard man's lifeless body off the deck.

On the port side of the bow another passenger, Melandra the half-elf fought off large crabs that snapped at her.  With an expert swing she was able to slice under the shell splitting it open. She roared her triumph over the ocean, only to see a expanse of crabs in the water gathering closer to the hull.

Lia had her own worries as she fought along side two dwarves. They were surrounded by crabs, lizard men and blue lizards alike.  The boat swayed and she could't get a good shot at the nasty crab in front of her.  It snapped at her, grabbing enough of her leg to do a bit of damage before she swung again with a perfect deadly stroke.  It's snapping claws fell lifeless in front of her.

A shuddering sound came from the boat itself, and screams from the cabin followed.  The creaking and cracking of splintering wood was followed by the rush of water and more screams.  Lia swore and tried to hold on to her footing as the stern lifted drastically.  Something was pulling the bow down, whether it was the water or something in it didn't matter.  Things were starting to look hopeless.

In the cabin, Kalim the dwarf that was sucked into the boat after going over board, was finding this just as harrowing.  Human women and children were screaming when they could get enough air.  One child in the back was having a hard time of it, Kalim could tell that the little one was not going to make it.  He tried to swim over to the child, only to see a great tentacle wrap around the small figure and disappear into the depths. Heart sinking he made his way to the stairs, unable to help anyone but himself as the tentacle snatched more and more of the humans.

Kalim's problems spiked when he noticed an oily slick spreading on the surface of the water.  It didn't take him long to realize it was lamp oil.  He swam harder, spotting the torches getting closer and closer to the water's surface as the boat sank.  Two torches or the latter to his freedom of this watery grave.  He could grab one, but not both.  He began to climb.

Out on the deck, the battle continued. Drarun and Alistair moved to starboard, another lizard man had boarded and was attacking a crew man.  Alistair rushed passed Drarun, pushing the other man into the outside wall of the cabin hold. He needed to save the crew man.  He would not let another innocent die.  With one solid swing the morning star found its target and crushed the scull of the attacker.

The crew man was safe, and Drarun took that moment to rush past to reach yet more the the beasts. He was weak and wounded but steadied himself to fight on. He would not give up.

A high pitch sound broke through the raging storm. Lia turned to attack the blue lizard perched on the side, only to watch it jump back into the water. Other beasts followed suit.

Melandra looked around, not sure what was happening.  She made her way to starboard.

A moment later a waved crashed into the boat, flames rushed out of the cabin and everyone was flung into the water.  The boat was no more than a pile of burning wood and debris.

Each of the surviving passengers and crew splashed around for survival, while the sound of the storm was drowned by the sound of the dying.

To be cont...