The wailing started soon after their first discovery of the wave. It was huge, and headed straight for them. As Eliot faced the receding sea, his heartbeat thudded with the gong of the bells. His brother was up there, ringing and ringing and ringing, until everyone was away from danger. But not Eliot. He waited. He knew his brother would be the last to evacuate.

Crying near him drew his attention away from their doom.

One of the villagers, a woman he couldn’t remember the name of, was trying desperately to carry all of her children. The twins had been a good omen, but she now had three kids who couldn’t walk. Her husband was nowhere to be seen. The coward.

Eliot ran over and picked up two of the children, holding them close even as their mother’s cries filled the street. When she looked up through her tears at Eliot, she inhaled sharply.

“I can help you get them to a wagon,” Eliot offered, gesturing into the street with a nod of his head.

But he could take them no further than that. His brother still needed them. Eliot and the woman hurried toward one of the carts left in the street, the horse still harnessed. It wouldn’t be faster with the wagon, but she still had a chance. As he set down the children gently, their mother thanked him before hopping onto the horses back and snapping the reins. Some maternal instinct had clearly kicked in, as Sliot watched them go he noted how she lead the horse through the crammed streets like an expert. Fear would do that to a person. The wailing was quieter now, as whoever was crying had started their departure from the town. Eliot returned to his post outside the bell tower door, facing the sea. His brother was hitting the bell more frequently now. Since he was up high, it was likely he could see the wave approaching. Eliot scanned the bare rocks of the harbor, the occasional unfortunate fish or… something larger was down there. He peered over the harbor wall. Something dark, misshaped.

Before his eyes it shrunk, getting smaller and smaller. The water line was only a few meters away, but the further it got from the creature, the smaller the creature got.

Eliot glanced behind him, but his brother was still diligently ringing the bell. The creature was now no larger than Eliot’s head. He sprinted. Jumping the short harbor wall and bounding onto the pier, not a moment of hesitation met him as he jumped. He landed in a soft patch of sand, got to his feet, and ran for the creature. It was the size of his hand, and as he picked it up, it began to cry and shake. Eliot ran for the waterline, struggling under the creatures growing weight as he got nearer. Once he was able, he tossed the creature back into the sea. It dissapeared, melding into a shadow of the water. Eliot panted, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. The water receded even more, and now he could see the wave. It loomed in the distance.

“Eliot!” He turned to see his brother in the tower, leaning over the edge. From this point they could see each other.

“Roman!” He smiled and waved. A brave face was what they both needed.

“What are you doing?!” His brother shouted, hands waving above his head.

“Just enjoying the view!” Eliot called back, beginning to pick his way toward the ladder on the end of the pier.

“ELIOT!” His brothers voice had taken on a hysterical edge that made Eliot pause. His brother’s eyes were wide. Eliot slowly turned around. The wave was here.

Eliot crouched down, knowing either way that he would be swept into the rocks. “I’m sorry, Roman.” He whispered as it loomed above him. His brother would have to watch him die.

At least Roman had the chance of surviving in the tower.

He closed his eyes.

But no impact came. After a long moment, the sound of water rushing cascaded around him, but it sounded… off.

He opened his eyes.

Standing before him was the creature he had rescued, now twice the size of the tower Roman was in. It loomed above him, blocking the brunt of the wave. The water cascaded off its back, eventually calming and returning to its normal level. Eliot was left treading water as he faced the monster. It’s black eyes bored into his as it stood a mere few feet away from where he swam. Eliot glanced back at the pier and realized the water hadn’t hit the town at all. The beast had saved him and Roman.

“Thank you,” he told it as it watched him. A soft screech emanated from the ocean as the creature dipped its head. A few seconds later, Eliot was lifted out of the water, held by a clawed hand. He would never admit it, but when he had first felt the creature grip him, he had soiled himself. But it lifted him up and over to the pier, rising with him so they were always at eye level. Once Eliot’s feet touched the dock, he sank to his knees.

“Eliot!” Footsteps pounded on the dock, and a few seconds later, Roman embraced him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Eliot nodded. “I’m ok.”

“The… monster?”

“It saved me.”

A low whine echoed across the ocean surface as the monster raised its head, then slowly sank beneath the waves.