Strikingly different.
Returning to the ship, the immense cephalopod promptly wrapped all ten of its tentacles one after the other around the vessel’s sturdy sides. Startled seamen were shaken loose from the lower rigging or knocked off their feet by the repeated impacts. With its arrow-like tail pointing westward and its beak hard up against the prow of the ship, the Kraken held her in an unbreakable titan’s grasp.
A gasping Stanager had instantly stopped handing out orders and directives to stumble back to Ehomba’s side.
“What’s going on? What went wrong?”
“Wrong?” Utterly unperturbed, Ehomba was as calm as the heavens. “Nothing has gone wrong, Captain.” He gestured at the mammoth-eyed beast that even as they spoke continued to tighten its grip on the ship. “You expressed a desire to recover some of our lost travel time. I have coaxed our new friend into assisting us in this enterprise. See?” He gestured forward.
Seeing that he was trying to point out something beyond the bow, Stanager moved warily forward and looked down. At the base of the Kraken’s mantle, a pale yellow tube had emerged. The translucent organ was pulsing slightly, as if readying itself to perform some unknown function. Having eaten many a squid, Stanager Rose was more than familiar with the organ, but not with its function. This was about to be made clear to her and to the rest of the Grömsketter’s crew.
“I suggest you grab something and hold on to it.” Looking past her, Ehomba repeated the warning even as he took a firm grip on a nearby stay. “Everyone hold on tight!” Noticing the stocky helmswoman still standing at her post far back on the helm deck, he added as loudly as he could, “You too, Priget!”