A storm surged from the West, blotting out the sky. The Sly Maven clung to the treacherous rocks. The Imperial fleet following close in its wake. If I could set my sextant to the North Star before the clouds smothered it, we would escape, but it was not to be. My guiding star and my greatest betrayer dropped from the sky to the gasps of my crew.

Sweeping my telescope across the storm-blackened sky, I sighted the glowing edge of a monstrous silhouette. A single eye glinted with cunning and hunger from the enormous face of the Kraken clinging to a rock. It seemed as if the star blazed behind it, but clouds blanketed the sky to all but the south, where the Imperial ships drew closer.

I ordered the sails struck and all lanterns extinguished, and so we disappeared into the night and waited.

The North Star reappeared, wavered a moment, then remained steady. The spyglass showed the curve of a tentacle holding a lantern stripped from a lighthouse aloft in place of the star.

We watched in silence as the Imperial ships swept past us in the dark, headed for the false star, following the path we had just abandoned. Too late, they sighted the beast. The lantern dropped, lighting a horrific scene on its way to the sea.

Tentacles swarmed out of the deep and wrapped the vessels in their deadly embrace.

“Clever,” I whispered in appreciation before ordering sails raised and a hard turn to starboard.

Composite Photo: Octopus by Sigmund, Lantern by Vladimir Fedotov