Avice hopped below deck, immediately setting off to work and prepare the cannons. Gunpowder, hay, ammunition. Her mind repeated these words.
Jared walked up to the bow and looked into the distance. He had to squint to see what was going on and saw the tentacles. His eyes widened. "O-Oh God..." He managed to blurt out, stammering. "For the l-love of G-God no..."
Ellia joined him and cocked her head. "That's...." She frowned for a moment and then grabbed Jared's arm. "Come on, Jared," she said roughly, turning on her heel. "We have to get up to the crow's nest." Natalia stood on the deck and took a deep breath, and considered the situation. Her icy cold eyes swept over the crew, and she made a few calculations in her mind. "Battle stations, everyone! We've got some trouble coming!" (I don't want to move on too much without @Proxy.)
(*Her. Anyway, sorry for taking so long again!) Cobiah urgently ran to Jade's room, and barged open the door. "Jade? You think you're in fighting condition right now?!"
(No worries!) Jade was making notes on a score, and she glanced up at Cobiah as he entered the room. "Always. What's happened?"
"Well... I think it's best you see for yourself." He said, guiding her to a port facing window. He pointed at the tentacled beast. "Not even lunch time and we have to send some manner of creature back to the briny depths."
Jade squinted at it. "That's.. unfortunate," she said, heading to her cupboard. Inside, her sword and gloves lay patiently, waiting to be used again. "Let's go."
"Right." The two headed up to the firing deck, and Cobiah joined Avice in loading the cannons. He readied his flint, and waited for the order to fire.
Cobiah plugged his in, and gave her the thumbs up. He examined the beast closely. It seemed large enough to pick up the ship... probably strong enough to rip it in half with those tentacles as well. Not a pleasant thought.
Jack joined them below the deck, and he held a handful of earplugs in his left hand. "We're about to go through a mile of sea creatures from all depths of the ocean. The cap'n thinks this may include sirens, so keep these in even when not firing." Natalia stood up on the deck. They were very close to the tentacled beast now, and they were sailing straight into its clutches. She chased away stray misgivings and called down below the deck. "Wait for my signal!"
Avice pulled one ear plug out, to listen for the signal. She sat at a cannon, still as a statue, aiming with a professional eye and waiting for the word.
The creature reared backward, and everyone on the ship would see its shape. Its tentacles were jet black and strong, but they had no suckers. Natalia noted this. If the tentacles were not used for grabbing, then must be used for propulsion, and judging by the size and the muscles within the flailing limbs, this would mean that the creature was fast. Very fast. The tentacles connected to form a lizard-like creature, with two strong limbs with webbed feet at the end. The only color on the beast was the occasional yellow spot, and its deadly, cat-like eyes. "Ready..." Natalia said, her eyes darting between the create and the edge of the ship. The creature noticed them and screamed. The noise chilled the sailors to the bone and rattled the brain. "Steady!" Natalia called, feeling the tenseness from her crew. The creature swam towards them, moving with intense speed. "Aim..." The creature was very close now, and it leaned back, coiled and ready to strike. Unfortunately for it, it also exposed its chest in the process, and Natalia seized the opportunity. "Fire!"
Avice lit up the cannon, the barrel aimed right at the creatures chest. "Direct hit!" The bang that emanated from the weapon made ears ring, but Avice, who had become dull to the splitting sound, moved on to the next cannon, waiting again.
Cobiah struck his flint, and watched as the cannon balls tore through the flesh of the beast with ease, seeing it screech in pain, but it wasn't dead yet, it seemed.
The creature lunged at the ship, effectively headbutting it. It didn't do any severe damage to the ship, but the crew aboard it were tossed around pretty badly. Below the deck, all of the sailors operating the cannons were slammed into the opposite wall. Most were fine, but when Avice fell back, her head was thrown back into the wall, and she was knocked out. "Avice!" Jack called out. He abandoned his cannon and ran over to her, checking her pulse. For one terrible moment, all he felt was silence beneath his fingertips. But then, her heart beated. Steady. Strong. He took a deep breath of relief and gently leaned her against stacked crates. Another cannon blast brought him back to reality, and with one last lingering look at her, he returned to his station. "We've almost got it!" Natalia called from above. "One more round should do it!" The creature was bleeding murky, black blood that stained the water around it, and it was snapping at the ship with bared teeth. "Fire!" Natalia called. (lol Avice is gonna be PISSED that she missed out on the fighting. Also, Stuffy, Avice can drift in and out of consciousness, but she's not able to move very well or fight right now.)
(Alright.) Avice's eyes fluttered open for a moment. Disoriented, she open her mouth, but only slurred words came out. After a moment, she was gone again.
Jack shot a concerned look back at her and frowned, but he returned to his cannon. With the last round, the creature screamed and fell into the ocean, and the tentacles stopped flailing. "Keep your guard up!" Natalia called down. "We still have more to come!"
