"Galdor, what was that thing?" Allen asked the Elf of Lindon who had recognized the monster, still shaken as he watched the sea settle a little.
"Ancient records call that dreadful thing a sea serpent. They are said to be monsters that evolved over time from dragons that survived the First Age. There are only a handful of such terrifying creatures in all of Belegaer. Lord Allen, I must say, your journey has been quite a challenge."
Galdor's handsome face showed the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped death. He had encountered a monster like this only once, long ago, but the memory remained vivid.
Many, many years earlier, when he was still very young, he had often accompanied Lord Círdan on adventures at sea. After encountering a sea serpent, he had come close to losing his life in the ocean several times.
Only their exceptional seamanship and a favorable wind that lasted a very long time had finally allowed them to barely escape its hideous, terrifying jaws.
Their arrows and heavy crossbows could do little damage to a creature of that size. His order to attack had merely been a final struggle before death claimed them.
"Lord Allen, sea serpents are fiercely territorial. It will never allow us to remain here. I believe leaving as soon as possible is our best choice."
There was one thing Galdor did not mention: sea serpents also held terrible grudges, pursuing other creatures that invaded their territory with relentless, frenzied vengeance. The last time, it had chased them for an entire day and two nights.
After suffering such a severe setback this time, who knew what might happen to their ship next? Its intelligence far exceeded that of an ordinary beast.
"Sail out of this area first. Once I've found what I