Kat fought her way out from under the sails, her heart thumping so hard against her ribs that she felt faint. The fingers of her right hand tightened around the hilt of her father's sword, but no matter how dire the situation, she knew better than to cut through the material. They needed it.

The ship tilted again and her knees hit the deck. Pain shot from her kneecaps, up her spine, and into the back of her head, making her feel even more faint. The material, heavy from the rain, seemed to be smothering her. Then, there was sudden reddish light breaking through the dark night. It made the sails flicker like the canvas of a late-night theater show.

"To your right, Jinx!" Jazz called.

More flames sent light into her linen prison. With a grumble, she fought through and finally managed push the edge of the material over her head. Rain splattered across her cheeks, cold and sharp, but she barely felt it, her eyes desperately searching for whatever it was that had attacked them.

The others were near the edge of the ship again, bodies tense and poised to strike. Kat could feel Cage's tension even without seeing how still his frame was, two swords out and ready. There was a tiny ball of flames in Jinx's right hand as she seemed to be scanning the dark seas beyond.

For a second, all was still, as if even the wind had forgotten to howl.

Then something enormous shot out from the water, spraying them with salt water. The flames in Jinx's hand fizzled and they were once again drenched in darkness. At least until a lightning bolt cut through the sky and illuminated the creature before them.

Its body was long, about the width of al three of their masts put together, and icy blue with a slightly florescent tinge which unpleasantly reminded Kat of Cusith blood. It stretched towards the clouds, its head, if it even had one, lost among the stormclouds.

"Shit," Jinx breathed and produced another, much larger fireball.

It seemed to upset the creature as it snorted a gust of cold air towards them. Kat's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. It did have a head , and it was large and reptile like, rows upon rows of pointed teeth bared in a snarl from its long snout. The eyes were slited and blood-red. There were two large fins on either side of its face which reminded her of bat wings, like a pair of grotesque ears. Two long horns sprouted from its forehead and cut the night, their tips as sharp as the fangs.

"Move!"

Jazz's order broke the spell a second before the monster dived towards the deck, poised to strike. Trix and Cage moved out of the way to avoid the body of the thing and charged at it with their swords as soon as they were no longer in reach of the deadly fangs. Jinx tossed her fireball at the serpent. It let out an annoyed screech, but the fire left no mark on its scales.

It had scales, carefully stitched together, looking like the thickest armor.

The ship tilted forward this time, closer to the beast, and with ringing panic, Kat realized it had probably curled under the ship. It could tighten around them and destroy everything. Her fears were confirmed when she heard a scream from behind.

Leila and Harrison had reached the deck as well, the older man armed with his largest butcher knives, and the two of them were now facing what appeared to be the tail of the serpent. He didn't hesitate to swipe at the tail.

Because Harrison was a fighter and she had to be one, too.

Even if every muscle ached from the day's training, Kat forced herself to turn back to face the monster. She pulled a rum barrel closer and lowered to one knee, perching her crossbow on top of it.

Jazz, Trix and Cage were dancing around the monster's head, avoiding its bites while Jinx continued to hurl fireballs at it. Kat fired her first arrow, aiming for the beast's eye. The giant head moved and the arrow hit the right horn and ricocheted into the night. She took out another arrow and fitted it, taking aim. She was a breath away from pulling the trigger when she halted. Trix had appeared in her line of fire, tossed up towards the serpent by what was obviously magic.

One look towards the others, and it was obvious Jazz was holding him up. Jinx kept tossing fireballs to little effect, while Cage had managed to get around the slithering body and sink one of his swords between the scales. Trix tossed a fireball straight into the thing's open mouth.

Its body began to tremble, tightening ever so slightly around the ship and rocking it in a different rhythm from the waves. Kat was tossed off her feet again, but was near enough to lean her shoulder against the shattered mast and keep upright. There was so much happening, it was hard to take in.

Cage had started climbing the side of the monster while Jazz lowered Trix back to the deck and next to Jinx.

"Recharge," he called out over the roars of the serpent.

Jinx paused her throwing and reached out her hand to Trix who, for the first time, Kat noticed, was not wearing gloves. Their skin brushed together for maybe a second before Jinx stumbled back a little and Trix's hand became engulfed in flames.

Jazz tossed him upwards again, towards the monster's head, while Jinx resumed her attacks, aiming as high as possible.

Kat broke away from her admiration at their ingenuity and retook aim. This time, she waited for Trix to release the fireball before she took her own shot. The arrow speared the night and most likely hit its target, even if she couldn't tell where it landed. The serpent let out a hiss, opened its terrifying mouth wide, and something blue seemed to be building at the back of its throat.

"Run!" Jazz called out all of a sudden.

Trix and Jinx complied immediately, both of them moving away from the serpent. Jazz however began using his magic to send a rain of wooden splinters at the thing.

Jinx and Trix both halted next to Kat who shot another arrow towards the monster.

"What is he doing?" Jinx said between her teeth. Then, her eyes widened and a sinking feeling caught hold of Kat's stomach. "Shit, Cage is still on that thing."

The fear overtaking Kat didn't even have time to settle before the serpent released a rain of steel-sharp icicles upon them. She instinctively ducked her head and cover it to protect herself, and the tiny blades cut her arms and shoulders. She sucked air through her teeth, but ignored the pain, her gaze frantically searching for any sign of Cage.

The monster screeched again, jerking its head left and right. Trix jumped on one of the barrels and hoisted himself on the nearest beam of the half-broken mast, climbing higher and higher. Jazz watched his progress, and the moment he ran out of wood to climb, he propelled him forward towards the serpent, then rushed out himself, swords out and ready.

With shaky hands, Kat loaded the crossbow again. Don't threat. You'd feel if he got hurt. Cage could do anything. He'd slay the monster. And she was going to help. This time, when she shot, the arrow went straight through the monster's eye. It roared so much louder.

"Nice shot," Jinx said with an exhausted grin.

Before Kat could open her mouth to thank her, there was a scream from behind. Then something hard and very cold, yet fleshy collided with her body, propelling both her and Jinx against the mat.

The impact tore through her and her bones rattled as her back hit the wooden mast. Her muscles screamed and it felt like something had torn inside her, turning her into a rag doll. More screaming and curses let her know that Leila and Harrison had also been tossed to the deck. She could hear Jinx moaning.

Then something cold, slimy and incredibly heavy fell upon her. The little breath she still had was quickly expelled from her lungs, leaving her heaving. She fought to squeeze her hands under her chest and push herself off the deck to avoid suffocating. Her entire body cried out in pain, from the impact, the heaviness and the weariness of her previous training that day.

Tears streamed down her face, but she wouldn't give up. She pushed harder and harder, raising one inch and then another. The body of the serpent pushed upon her, but now she could breathe again. With inhuman effort, she managed to push herself to her knees, the heavy coil over her shoulders. She could only raise her eyes so much, but she noticed that Jinx was caught under the body just like her.

The serpent let out another unearthly screech before its body tightened. Like a miracle, Kat managed to slither out from underneath it before it crushed her against the deck.

"Shit!" Jinx breathed, her hands filled with fire.

The confusion only lasted for a fraction of a second before Kat realized what was wrong. The thing was tightening against their ship, tearing it to pieces. They'd be dead without the ship, giant sea serpent or not.

Her heart pounding with despair, she yanked her father's sword out of her sheath and sunk it into the monster's body. It was already screeching so much that she had no idea if the newly inflicted wound fazed it. Next to her, Jinx stuck her hands against the scaly skin, continuous fire pouring out of them. Sweat dripped down her brow and it was obvious that the use of magic was taking its toll on her.

Kat pulled the sword out and stabbed again. With impressive speed, the enormous body coiled and uncoiled, twisting the sword loose and propelling it overboard.

"No!" She cried in outrage. That was her father's sword. An irreplaceable heirloom.

The serpent didn't care, it kept twisting and she once again found herself pressed against the mast, doing her best not to get outright crushed. Her arms trembled as she struggled to keep the body off her chest. She could hear the ship creaking and moaning underneath her. This was it. It was over. And her position didn't even allow her to look to Cage, see what Jazz and Trix were doing, if they were still alive.

Leila screamed and it seemed to tear the night apart. Kat's weariness grabbed hold of her together with an unyielding sadness. She could no longer help Leila now. They were all going to die together. The ship continued its agonizing symphony around them.

Then, it happened.

Jinx let out a frustrated scream and burst into flames all together, her long hair floating in the night and lighting up the scene. For the first time, the serpent's body seemed to feel the heat, because it coiled away from her. It was enough for the pressure on Kat to loosen and she fell to her knees on the deck, away from the mast.

She didn't get to draw a breath before the phantom pain of broken bones had her entire body twitching and tensing. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Yes, she'd been hurt, and right now her muscles felt ready to snap. But she'd never outright severed a bone. It was horrifying. Cage couldn't be injured badly enough...

Her thoughts screeched to a halt as she realized that she was wrong.

"No," she whispered.

With desperate eyes, she turned to her right, searching for Cage. The serpent seemed to stretch into the night forever, but on the top of its head, she spotted one long figure pulling on its horns. The monster shook its head desperately, trying to rid itself of Cage, of Trix who had sunk his blade into its throat, held up by Jazz's magic. Cage was too far away to see properly, but she was sure he looked bigger, more hunched. More dangerous.

A sharp movement from the monster tossed Trix away and propelled him against the mast. He dropped to the deck with a deafening crash. Jinx moved forward, her flaming body repelling the serpent.

Kat forced herself to pick up the crossbow off the floor and take aim again, trying to focus on the beast's remaining eye. It seemed to feel the danger because it shot another shower of icicles over them. She didn't have the strength to cower away, just turn her face to make sure they wouldn't get her in the eye. They cut her cheek and her arms, but did little more, so she refocused on her task.

The icicles seemed to go through Jinx and melt as they made contact, but it was obvious that holding up the flames was overwhelming. Her knees shook as she continued to move forward. Once she directed the fire into her hands to shoot it at the monster, her knees gave in.

With a loud groan, Trix rolled next to Kat. His entire body was covered in sweat, but he pushed to his knees and lifted his hand. A myriad of splinters burst from the mast towards the serpents, sinking into its underbelly. It made the thing squeeze the ship tighter and the planks under Kat's feet splintered as well.

"Jinxy, stop!" Jazz called.

He stood on the very edge of the ship, his body a mere foot from the monster. Now that he wasn't holding Trix up anymore, there seemed to be a surreal sort of shimmer around him, only heightened by the flickering light of Jinx's flames. She did not stop, her hands expelling fire towards the creature.

"Bring it down, Cage," Jazz said.

His voice was low and even, but it still carried without difficulty over the ruckus. It seemed to momentarily freeze the monster as well. Kat took her chance and shot the arrow into the serpents remaining eye. At the very same time, Cage released on of the horns and seemed to plunge his hand into the top of the monster's head.

The scream it let out was like nothing they'd ever heard before. It was more than just the screech. It had an underlying sense of terror, as if it was the sound of death itself. The giant, sightless head seemed to focus on Jazz and decide that he was the real threat because it plunged towards him, mouth gaping.

Jazz didn't move, just waited, and when the serpent was close enough, he thrust his blade in the roof of its mouth. It went out the other way, tearing its nostrils. Its sharp fangs sunk into Jazz's arm, but he didn't move. A shower of black blood splattered on the ship. Kat got a face-full of it as well because she couldn't look away.

For the first time since the fight started, she could properly see Cage. She hadn't been wrong. He'd let the Beast out, at least partially. The hand still curled around one of the horns had claws. His shoulders were much broader and at un unnatural angle. His other hand was sunk deep into the serpent's skull. When he raised his eyes towards her, they were swirling between gold and dark blue. The snarl on his face revealed his fangs.

The terror sneaking its way through Kat's veins was overpowered by the sudden exhaustion crushing over her. They were still in danger from something worse than the Beast.

The monster thrashed for a few moments, then its hold on the ship finally loosened. With a final screech, its giant head plopped on the deck, spraying more thick blood over them. Jazz stepped back to avoid it. Jinx's flames died out abruptly and she crashed to the deck, completely naked. Cage hopped off the horned head right before it slid over the deck and disappeared in the sea from which it came. The moment his feet hit the deck, he let out a strangled yell. 

Kat could feel it, too, the pain in his body as his bones rearranged again and the Beast retreated inside him. She dropped her crossbow and rushed to his side. Or at least tried, because her kneed buckled with the effort and she more likely fell over him.

Jazz also dropped his sword and charged at Jinx, taking his shirt off as he went. Kat focused on Cage. His right arm was coated in the thick black blood to his elbow, but he no longer had claws. Other than a few scratches and bruises and the newly rearranged bones, he seemed fine. And she could finally breathe properly.

When he opened his eyes, they were dark blue again. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "We made it."

"I've seen sea serpents before, but what the hell was that thing?" Trix asked, limping towards them. He propped his hands on his lower back and tried to stretch. "Ugh, I think I broke something."

Jazz on the other hand seemed completely unaffected by the fact that his arm was shredded. He whispered to Jinx, holding her against him.

"Nice shots, sweetheart," Cage said, drawing her attention back to him.

"You were amazing. How did you even get up there?"

"Jazz helped." He tried to push himself up in a sitting position wincing.

"I think we should all get inside," Harrison said. He and Leila joined them and he glanced mournfully at all the blood. "This shit will take forever to clean up."

"Be happy there's anything left to clean up," Trix pointed out. "Good job having our back, old man."

"The lass and I handled it just right," Harrison said, his tone as gruff as ever. There was a cut on his cheek and one of his cheekbones was swollen, but other than that, he seemed fine.

Leila too appeared not to have suffered more than a bit of bruising. She still held one of the long butcher knives, blade dripping black blood, her entire body shaking like a leaf.

"I like Harrison's idea," Jinx said, her voice weak. "After all this, I need a fucking drink."

Kat couldn't agree more.

I hope you had fun with the epic sea serpent battle. It got a little intense and you all could see what our heroes can do. Useful, aren't they? And epic Jinx is definitely epic.

Now they just need to get some rest because poor overstrained people! Youch! Stick around for more good fun.

Thank you for all the support and don't forget to vote and comment.