The White Serval
an excerpt

“We are almost there, if they can hold it just a little longer …”
The ship, which had floated on the upset waves closer, and then farther, from Miquelon and Yann’s dinghy, was now nearly looming beside them. Miquelon stood and set a foot on the prow, reaching out to grab the ladder of the rogue ship as it leaned towards him with the sea. “Just a little closer …”
The creature suddenly crashed over, finally sent to sleep by the repeated tune. The resulting wave met Miquelon and Yann in a matter of seconds, and pitched the ship acutely away. Miquelon grasped at air where a moment later had been wood, and lost his footing. With a yell and a splash, he ended up floundering in the deep waters and spitting water out.
“Yann! Ptah! Yann!”
“Make fer the ship! He’ll be comin’ for ya!” Yann said.
Miqeulon tread water for a moment, looking back towards the beast. The serval-person’s presence in the water seemed to have snapped the sea creature’s attention back on, and it thrashed in the shallows and then slipped quickly out of sight. Miquelon’s eyes widened as he realized he was the intended meal, and started kicking madly towards the *Endless Ocean*, grabbing at the water and trying to propel himself forward. The ship seemed to be just out of reach. Then, there was the sound of breaching water, and the ship pitched luckily toward him. He grabbed wildly and was able to make contact with the ladder and hold on. He pulled himself up and smiled, turning to look back at Yann and pump a fist in the air.
Yann, however, did not look so confident.
“The deck! You need to be on the deck!”
Miquelon’s ears fell. He turned back to the ladder and started to pull himself up when a shadow blacked out the sun, and water fell from above. Knowing what was there, and dreading it, he slowly looked up.
The sea creature had arisen on the other side, and it’s long neck craned over the *Ocean* and looked down at Miquelon. The two locked eyes, and for a moment were still.
“Shit.” Miquelon said. He made a mad attempt for the deck, grabbing as far up as he could reach and pulling himself up the rungs, propelling himself forward with thrusts from his legs.
The creature retreated, and then lunged forward, completely clearing the ship and grabbing Miquelon’s arm as it passed, ripping him off the ladder and dragging him under the water. The serval-person was able to gasp in a last lungful of breath before he was pulled under.
His first thoughts during what seemed like an impossibly long time would always amazed him; he had never been so far under such clear wonder, and looked up at the hulls of the *Ocean* and the little dinghy. The sun sifted through the waves and expanded in the surrounding water. He looked around. There were fish, in lots of colors and patterns, and plants, lots of sinuous, green plants weaving in the currents. He thought he saw a giant turtle. Then he turned and looked to his left, and saw, past little rivulets of blood from where the creature’s teeth bit through his skin, a great black eye watching him.
The sea creature made another arc and sped back up towards the surface, and once breaking into the air (where Miquelon took another great gulp of air), threw him high up into the sky like a toy. There, the creature waited, opening it’s great jaw in anticipation.
Miquelon was sure this was the end. As he tumbled up through the air, he saw the ship, the sun, the bay, the sun, the jaws, the ship …
The ship! The creature had come up right next to the ship! As Miquelon’s ascent slowed and changed direction, he looked down and quickly assesed his situation. If he could make this, he told himself, he could make anything. Now, he could only wish for the sea to agree with him.
“Please, if anything, this, please …” He pleaded her, and the great clear, turquoise waters beneath him seemed to hear. The waves pulsed and the ship tilted; Miquelon reached out at the last minute and grabbed the rigging, tearing him away from the waiting jaws and whipping him around. He was thrown from ropes to masts and halyards, ending up on a yardarm. The creature looked at him, angered that he had so far been able to avoid death. Miquelon smiled arrogantly, but that soon faded as the creature gathered itself for another attack, and Miquelon realized he was still not on the deck. As the gray beast launched itself, Miquelon stepped forward and let go, and dropped down into a roll onto the deck as the beast soared past him and splashed into the water on the other side, it’s tail whipping angrily back and forth before disappearing.
Miquelon stood, testing his legs, and then crumpled to the ground gripping his shoulder as the pain from the creature’s bite finally registered in his addled brain.