9. The Commander
“Your king.” The beast bowed its head slightly, stepped aside, and gestured forward with his hand. Paws pushed Alexander onto his knees from behind—as he looked up to where the creature pointed. Behind the crowd of characters and the torchlight, Alexander could see a set of giant, ornate doors beginning to open toward the back of the boat. Something large was coming out of them, and right away, he knew it wasn’t human. It seemed to slither and lurch forward, jiggling as it came. The first thing he noticed was the smell—of burnt coffee. The second thing he noticed were the tusks. The creature coming into the firelight before him was now very clear: a great walrus.
“Your king.” The beast bowed its head slightly, stepped aside, and gestured forward with his hand. Paws pushed Alexander onto his knees from behind—as he looked up to where the creature pointed. Behind the crowd of characters and the torchlight, Alexander could see a set of giant, ornate doors beginning to open toward the back of the boat. Something large was coming out of them, and right away, he knew it wasn’t human. It seemed to slither and lurch forward, jiggling as it came. The first thing he noticed was the smell—of burnt coffee. The second thing he noticed were the tusks. The creature coming into the firelight before him was now very clear: a great walrus.
“Your king.” The beast bowed its head slightly, stepped aside, and gestured forward with his hand. Paws pushed Alexander onto his knees from behind—as he looked up to where the creature pointed. Behind the crowd of characters and the torchlight, Alexander could see a set of giant, ornate doors beginning to open toward the back of the boat. Something large was coming out of them, and right away, he knew it wasn’t human. It seemed to slither and lurch forward, jiggling as it came. The first thing he noticed was the smell—of burnt coffee. The second thing he noticed were the tusks. The creature coming into the firelight before him was now very clear: a great walrus.