'Dhraji!' Bradan held on for a moment more and then dived after her. He had no choice: Dhraji was his link to Melcorka.
The water was warm and welcoming as Bradan entered, to surface, spluttering, a few yards away, searching desperately for Dhraji. He could not see her. He could only see a confusion of fighting ships littering the sea, with Dhraji's ship locked with the smaller Chola loola and men striving desperately with sword and spear. A Chola warrior screamed as an arrow sliced into his face, penetrating both cheeks. He plucked at it, and another bolt slammed into his belly, throwing him back onto the deck of the loola.
'Dhraji!' Bradan ignored the carnage and searched desperately for Dhraji. He peered over the tops of the chopped waves for her long, black hair or a glimpse of her pearl headdress. Seeing neither, he took a deep breath and dived back below, searching. He surfaced again, gasping for breath. If Dhraji was dead, what chance had he of rescuing Melcorka? Virtually none.
'Dhraji!' He dived under again, with the same result.
Thiruzha warriors were running along the deck of the Chola loola, pushing back the Chola crew by force of numbers. However, the second Chola loola was approaching. Her master had the choice of running for safety through the minuscule gap, or steering to help her colleague. He chose the more gallant latter course. Bradan could see men massing in her bows, with the sun glinting on spear points and steel helmets – and then the impossible happened.
The sea rose up beside the Chola ship, erupting like a miniature volcano. Bradan stared for a second and then swam away, hoping for safety as a multi-armed monster emerged from the depths. The creature wrapped its long tentacles around the loola's masts and dragged sideways, toppling the vessel into the water. Some of the loola crew tried to hack at the arms with their swords; others thrust spears at the enormous eyes, but most jumped into the sea. More tentacles appeared, grabbing at the men in the water, tearing off their heads and arms, lifting them out of the sea and dashing them against the hull of the loola, or throwing them bodily skyward.
'Oh, dear God,' Bradan said, as the monster hauled at the Chola ship until it capsized and lay bottom-up on the waves. The creature pulled itself onto the hull and crouched there, with its shield-sized eyes glaring at the battle and its parrot-beak snapping at the Chola warriors who struggled to escape. Blood smeared the sea.
Melcorka, hold on! Bradan pleaded. How can I get you back? I know where your body lies, but where is your mind?
Bradan knew his world had ended. With Melcorka an empty shell of herself, and Dhraji drowned, or killed by this monster, he was stuck in this terrible land of slavery and cruelty. His wandering had brought them both to this end. The monster glared directly at him before sliding back under the waves.
Bradan shook his head. I will not give up. There is always hope. Somehow, I must get Melcorka free. Somehow, I will get us back to Alba.
'What are you doing in the water?'
The voice was familiar, and Bradan looked up. Lost in his thoughts, he had not seen the monster disappear, and now he floated a few yards from Dhraji's ship. The Thiruzha leopard banner hung from the stern of the captured Chola loola and those few of her crew who survived sat in a frightened clump amidships, with their grinning captors tormenting them with jabbing spears and barbed insults. Dhraji leaned over the stern. 'Did you fall into the sea?'
'No.' The shipmaster was drinking from a gold-embossed skull. He was a stocky, muscular man with a twisted turban on his head and a short sword at his belt. 'He roared your name and jumped in to try and save you.'
Dhraji's laugh tinkled across the water. 'What a loyal little slave you are.' She threw a rope. 'I will reward you later. Up you come, slave.'
'I was worried about you.' Bradan hauled himself on deck, shaking from reaction. 'Did you see that thing in the water? Did you see that monster with the many arms?'
'No.' Dhraji shook her head. 'What was it?'
'A monster,' Bradan said. 'It was a gigantic beast with ten long arms, that dragged a Chola ship under the water and killed the crew.'
Dhraji shook her head again. 'I was trying too hard not to drown,' she said. 'There are lots of terrible things in the sea.' She pointed overboard, where a school of sharks were busy with the dead and dying from the battle. 'I rather like sharks,' she said absently.
Bradan shook his head. 'This thing was worse than any shark.'
'Oh?' Dhraji shrugged. 'Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. Let's see what Bhim's next plan is. He's calling all the ships together.'
The Thiruzha ships gathered, some looking battered, with rents in their sails and arrows protruding from their hulls. One had lost her mizzen mast; another was smeared with blood, with the crew throwing their dead overboard.
'We have disposed of their loolas,' Bhim shouted through his speaking-trumpet. 'Now, you outriders, here's your chance to show what you can do. Hit and run, sail to arrow-length, fire a few volleys and turn away. Lure some of their main fleet. We will wait beyond the horizon and destroy any Chola vessel foolish enough to follow you.'
The scout captains and crews cheered and left at once, with their oars flailing the sea to white foam
