The Hunter - Chapter One

The sea was raging out of control in the middle of a dangerous storm. The SS Believe was rocking back in forth as the forceful current nearly tipped the ship over. Pieces of the wooden shielded craft broke off as the wind swept in, ripping away at layers of the ship's foundation. The men on the deck are being thrown off their feet; some thrown overboard. The rain beat against the ship and thick fog surrounded the area. Captain Bail Henry is below deck, struggling to keep his balance as he walks through the darkness with the flame of a lighter for guidance. The light casts over a door in the floor of the ship that is bound in chains. Henry hands quiver as he shuffles through the keys to unlock the chains. Loud thumps are the deck and his men are screaming in agony. He quickly opens the door and steps down a wooden ladder, tripping after missing the last step. His body collides with the ground and his lighter goes flying in to the unsettling silence below deck. Henry's attention was snatched away by the flicking of a lighter, his lighter. In the corner, a man with a dark beard and long grayish hair sat in the cold corner, chained at his feet. He stares into the flame from the lighter, revealing his scarred face, strong body and sea blue eyes that shined in the dark.

The men are back to the second level; Henry is still struggling to keep his feet beneath him as the boat rocks back and forth. The bearded man is in warrior-like shape and has no trouble walking. They reach the deck and there is no one there, complete silence. The boat is suddenly still, the rain stops but the fog darkens. The shadow of a gigantic figure appears in the fog. The bearded man reaches beneath his tattered cape and pulls out a large Makhaira-like blade; a mighty sword used by Greek armies. It was unlike any weapon Henry ever seen and his face showed it. Henry ducked as the man raised his sword, screaming in anger and ready for whatever was coming. A loud screech comes from within the dark fog and the shadow disappears. The man readies his sword, creeping towards the edge of the ship. The dead silence was louder than ever. Henry pulled out a little pistol, trembling in fear. The man gets to the edge of the ship, but cannot see into the thick fog. He slowly takes a peek over the edge into the water below. A large tentacle rises up and slaps the man back off his feet, into the air, while dropping his sword.

Henry let off a few shots but missed each one. He threw the gun down and ran for the sword but another tentacle grabs him, hoisting him into the air. The man gathers himself and jumps to his feet, dashing for the sword. He ducks the tentacles and lunges for the sword, grabbing it as he slides across the deck. He looks around for Henry, not aware that he's being swung around in the air by a 30-foot long tentacle. Another tentacle comes in and snatches the man up, but he manages to hold on to his blade this time. The tentacle thrusts him against the ship, crashing through the windows of captain's helm and they whipped back into the air with mighty force. The man is struggling to breathe as the tentacles grip becomes tighter. His arm trembles as he tries to raise the sword. He gets it up in the air, weakened. A blue light shoots from the tip of the sword, through the man's body - transforming him into a beast-like creature with blue eyes, sharp teeth, and long claws. The beast comes down with a mighty thrust, slicing right through the tentacle. He falls into the ocean as the tentacle limply hits the water. The beast is thrown deep beneath the dark water full the bodies of the men that we on the ship.