Chasing the Lantern(34)

"I've never seen one before," Lina replied. "How does it glow like that?" She held out a hand, tentatively. "Come on, little fella. I won't bite." The scryn reared higher, leaning away to avoid her hand. Lina moved closer. "C'mere little guy." She turned back to her friends. They stared at her, appalled. "Normal pirates have parrots right? Those big, pretty birds I keep seeing all over the place. Is this what we've got instead?"

"Lina," said Andrea. "Come away. They're nothing like parrots."

The scryn leapt forward, uncoiling its length. It landed on her arm like a heavy limp rope, but curled in an eyeblink up around her shoulders. The creature was surprisingly light for its size. It smelled of the ocean, and something else, a sharp musk.

"Chirr," it repeated.

Lina laughed. "He likes me! I think I'll keep him." Standing, she wobbled a bit. Lina realized she was very tipsy, if not drunk outright from the Cure-all. She pushed the thought aside. "It's so strange up here," she said. "I didn't even stop to think, but you've got probably got all sorts of things living up in the clouds, right? Flying snakes, floating whales..." She grinned at Andrea. "What should I name him?"

"Lina," said Ryan. "Those things aren't pets. They're really, really vicious."

The scryn nuzzled her cheek. Lina laughed. "Look! We're bonding!"

She wobbled as the creature shifted its weight, sliding further down her left arm towards the still-open flask. Lina shifted it into her other hand. The scryn cried out, and stretched after it.

"None of that now," said Lina. "Terrible stuff. Probably eat your innards out."

"Chirr," it said, insistently. The scryn constricted around her arm painfully. It reared up to hiss, jaw unhinged, rows of needle-teeth displayed within. Four barbed tongues waved on the air, musky spittle dropping down to sizzle on the iron exhaust-pipes. The hump behind its head unfolded, spreading to reveal a wide flat body like that of a manta ray, the mandibles really hooked claws at either end. The patterns glowing across the underbelly flared into strange, hypnotic arrangements.

Lina gave a surprised shout. Then she grabbed the tail-end of the scryn with her free hand and swung it down like a whip at the exhaust-pipe. The creature banged against the heated steel, ringing it like a bell. The scryn yowled in pain.

Lina didn't give it time to recover. She looked about for the closest weapon at hand and only found the flask. Why not? She jammed the open end of the drink into the hissing, spitting maw of the sky-ray. It struggled, but Lina held it tight, pinned against the exhaust-pipe by the upended flask. It uncoiled from her arm, flailing hard to get away. She let go, throwing herself from the flying monster. Hitting the deck she scrabbled backward, to where Andrea and Ryan stood with their blades drawn.

The scryn struggled to right itself atop the pipe. It reared back, blinking. Looking at the pirates, it reared up to show them its belly. The red patterns were intermittent, confused. The creature wavered in the air, gave a weak hiss, and fell abruptly over. It slapped against the pipe again and rose up, head shaking, body weaving. Then it fell over again.

"Stone me," said Andrea. "I think it's drunk."

"Chirr," said the scryn, rising again. It looked at Lina with eyes like the bottom of a well, then threw itself over the side of the ship.

She climbed to her feet and pulled herself up over the pipe to look past the gunwales. The Atalian Sea shone blue down below, sunlight shimmering on its waves. The scryn dropped through the air, not at all gracefully, seeming to wriggle and coast as it flew below the ship out of sight.

Lina turned back, breathing heavy. The pleasant buzz from the drink was gone, cold shock and realization replacing it. Goddess above, what was I thinking?

Lina looked over to see her friends staring at her. The two pirates broke out into laughter. Ryan fell to his knees, Andrea wiped at the tears dampening her face. Lina giggled. Then she hiccupped.

As others came over to see about the noise, Lina learned that scryn were uncommon creatures, but widely hated and feared by pirates of all sorts on this side of the Atalian Sea. Though many strange creatures lived in and around the Yulan Continent, scryn were among the most obnoxious, extremely territorial of the rocky hive-clusters they tended to prefer. The rest of the crew were all amused by the tale Ryan told about Lina, and more than a little impressed. In short time Lina made easy acquaintance with several others.

Time passed and by mid-afternoon Lina found herself desiring quiet, a little nauseous as her body found equilibrium with the drink. She made her way up to the bow, which was momentarily empty. Without a forecastle or even a prow, the bow was more of an observation deck, a place to watch the world go by. Andrea told her that the lookouts were up above on the gasbag frame, a place Lina had yet to go.