Atlantis: a mare's tale

As the lantern is lit a clawed hand opens a book, the book was leather bound with metal cross, metal diamond and in the center was a strange symbol. It was so old that the paper was yellow and pieces were missing, but it held the path to the first civilization. The clawed hand flipped to a certain page, traced along the page and said " We've passed the final marker." as he tapped a picture of what looks like light coming from the same symbol with stones orbiting it in the same path. "We'll find the portal in these waters"

One griffon crew member nervously asked " My lord, have you forgotten about the monster that guards the gateway?"

He was grabbed by the neck, hoisted up and slammed into the mast of the ship. "I know! But I'd slay as many monsters as needed to get to the treasure spoken in the journal!" The captain leered at the man and said " starting with you."

The scared crewmember shouted "I was mistaken! Please forgive me!"

The king growled, threw him to the deck and yelled " Coward! A true griffon never begs!" And pointed ahead "Sail on!" as his crew got to work, Steering the Viking ship.

Lightening struck with a boom, rain came down heavy after. One Viking shouted " The storm is picking up, Captain!"

" Row!" He yelled over the storm "put your back into it!" Just as he said that, something massive jumped out of the water and over the boat like it was a toy. It landed with another huge splash, creating an enormous wave that almost sunk said ship.

"What in the name of Faust was that?" One griffon fearfully said " A sea monster!" Screamed another

After coughing up some sea water from the splash, he said " hold steady, men." As he dashed to railing, he saw it.

With the tail only poking out and quickly going under, one crewmember said "Is that a whale?" another shouted "It's a leviathan!" a third asked fearfully "Do you see it?" As all but the captain whimpered in terror

One looking over shouted "It's gone!" He was suddenly pulled over by a smooth tentacle wrapped around his neck. More came and starting throwing the crew overboard.

The men started shouting things that couldn't be made out over the storm or waves. The captain shouted "I've killed worse!" as he sliced a tentacle. Two humongous claws rose up and smashed the figurehead. The king yelled "Do your worst" he was suddenly hit with a piece of the mast, knocking him out.

The claws and tentacles suddenly sunk back in the water. Just when the survivors thought it was over, a white light shown up under the ship. Immediately it was blasted by a powerful beam that tore the ship half. Then a nuclear sized explosion went off, obliterating the ship and crew.

As flaming wreckage fell from the sky, something splashed in the water. It floated to the surface, revealing it was the journal. The same one that holds the path to Atlantis.