Its frantic herd trailed it.

    

“Don’t let them dive! Keep them in the trees!” The Captain shouted into the loudspeaker. "We need to get clear!”

Ether rifles fired from the deck; bolts rained down where tree line met the shore, piercing curling roots.  While they held cover fire, their crew members rushed to free the mooring lines.

The herd leader balked just shy of the shore, backing away from the gunfire. Emery winced at the thunderous crack of stumbling trees, the scrape of bark-against-bark as the pack halted behind the trees.

   

"Hold the line!" Emery spared a look towards the main deck and spotted Rhos, the First rifleman, keeping the line trained on the brush.

        

Siro dashed past Emery, not entirely knocking them over to almost launch themselves over the rail to yell at the crew below about the lines.

    

Thunder rolled Emery's ribcage once more. 

Like a cruel answer from the trees, there came a horrid shrill from the trees. The cephelokoi's defensive cries grew as they joined in, one by one, to an unbearable pitch until the herd cried as one.

    

Ether rifles clattered to the deck as Rhos and fellow riflemen fell to their knees, raking at their ears. Siro crumpled against the railing, screaming as blood dripped through their fingers, cupping their ears.  

 

Emery also fell to one knee from the onslaught. She clapped her hands hard to her ears and muttered a rushed mute spell to cease the mind-splitting screams. Then, slamming the end of her staff to the deck, Emery spread her magic through the ship. She waited until Siro stopped squirming before ending it.

Emery lurched to her feet in time to see the herd burst through the unguarded tree line and dive towards the river.

    

She ran across the slick deck to the back rail. Looking below, the crewmen sent to release the mooring lines were still recovering. Standing on the bottom rung, Emery swung her other leg over the rail to brace themselves on the bar.

    

Siro watched as the staff began to flare brightly in Emery's hand before they launched it into the river, where it sunk into the river bed. A pulse of light lit up the waters around the boat. When Emery formed a ring with her arms,  The water had begun to roil; unwilling to be tamed, not by some meddling mortal.

    

But the herd was already upon them, so Emery would not relent. As the first beast rammed past the ship, Emery wrenched her arms apart as if to tear the air in two; the water ripped away from the ferry,  parting the coming herd down the middle.

    

Siro and the crew gawked as The Waif secluded in a pond of semi-calm waters. Under her control, Emery directed the raging river and giant cephelokoi away.