This is another excerpt from my upcoming serial, The Voyage of the Miscreation. In this bit, our intrepid band of heroes are being chased by a sea serpent. Knowing that they have no chance of winning in direct combat, they attempt to outrun the monster with some tricky sailing and a few other tricks:

Yuri looked up behind him to see what they were doing. Sure enough, when Mynta unwrapped the first parcel, he saw an entire haunch of meat—meant for their supper in the future. He shook his head at the waste of good food. Did the captain doubt his ability to avoid the monster?

Mynta handed the hunk of meat to Nikephoros. “Throw it as far as you can.”

Nik gripped the meat in one hand and did a spin like an athlete throwing a discus in the Summer Games. It arced up into the air and hit the water so far away that the splash was inaudible.

“Again.” Mynta handed him the next piece, and Nik repeated the process.

Yuri wished that he could see the serpent—if the bait slowed it even a little, he could still make the coast. “Any reaction?”

“That last piece almost hit it, but it’s still coming on strong,” Rei called down, still perched on the main mast.

Leina stomped up on the deck just in time to hear the announcement. “Stop throwing my prime cuts away! That beast doesn’t know good meat from rancid!”