4 Chapter 1 - Into the seas

Part 3

The disturbed waters and the rocking of the damaged wooden ship were now far calmer than the earlier ruckus. Broken woods floating in the seawater were once part of the ship but now dragged by the retreating long and vicious tentacle.

Nearly beneath the damaged ship, I was steadily sinking and getting a closer look at the kraken's mighty figure. Now, the old man and his crew were looking down in the calmer water, troubled and worried. Instead of worrying, I should retort them that the best course of action they should have taken was to sail away from here since they had the time to escape now that I had the kraken's attention. However, they stopped their panic withdrawal watching me as I dove deeper underwater to have a fruitful negotiation with the young kraken.

With a rapid succession of my attacks, the young kraken became more irritated when red bubbles first said 'hi' exploding to the tentacles. It immediately replied 'hello' to the water flea that lacked with affection. I mean, I was the water flea who's lacking affection and demanding some cariňo brutal. The Two big round eyes and its deep round black pupil angrily greeted me.

He was not a squidy at all! He was an oversized octopus with more than eight tentacles in a bigger perspective, I guess. An ostentatiously large water beast with myriads of swirling tentacle of ranging size around its dreadful grinding mouth. At least in my eyes, it still looked like a proper mouth.

What perplexed me was; should I named him octopus even his tentacles exceeded eight?

Ah, nevermind.

Nevertheless, that was a good way to initiate a proficient and productive conversation to negotiate a ceasefire.

"Well, now that I got your reply, let me walk the talk"

I casted another sets of red bubble and exploded them to the tentacles. The results were the identical as the earlier attempts. The tentacles were utterly unharmed. It was as if his tentacles were also covered with his tough shell like on his back. How could I not damage its swirling tentacles when I clearly blasted some earlier above water?

"Like I already said, that simple trick won't work once the kraken is underwater." Marikit inserted while poking the back of my head with her finger. "Once the kraken's underwater, he had the immunity of magic attacks."

Eh, is that so? How should I defeat this squid - I mean, this kraken then?

"So, I can't kill him with these bubbles… how naïve I am. Then, what's the plan?" I asked the pixie.

"I am the one that should be asking you that question. I thought you have a complete plan since you dove in this water with such grace." Her eyes were dead, looking at me with disappointment. "Had you been listening to Nanang? She told a story once about a pirate that defeated a mature kraken… underwater." The pixie tried to remind me while I was busy evading attacks of swinging tentacles.

"Underwater? Had she told one?" I asked." Sorry, but I am busy, I could not recall."

"It can be help then" She crossed her little hands. "Well. As far as I remember, the captain of the Flying Dutchman named Capt. Coco defeated the kraken by letting his self be eaten by the kraken."

"Whut?!" I turned at her. "Eaten by the kraken?"

I dodged a horde of tentacles while still sinking down closer to the mouth's opening of the kraken. Marikit was not worried strengthening the barrier as long as I was moving around, playing tag with the kraken's tentacles.

"What 'whut'? That is, the kraken is invincible from the magic attacks underwater from the outside, it doesn't mean it's not susceptible from the attack from the inside" She passed backed.

"Are you serious?" I heeded a glance at her.

"I am always serious. Look at my pretty face, it's full of seriousness"

Thankfully now, she started paying attention to her task supplying additional mana to the bubble barrier as another large wave of tentacles was incoming.

Hmm, let ourselves be eaten, huh. Now that you mentioned it, I am certain that Nanang did not tell a story as perturbed as that, but I definitely heard the story before. Ah, who cares? We had a situation in front of us right now.

"Ney, Marikit, do you think the barrier would stand?" while I was asking, the young kraken grabbed a descending log and crush it with such unrivaled force.

The mouth of the kraken was the last thing someone would like to see. The sharp things, which resembled teeth inside in its mouth, were like the jawless lampreys. One smack of it, whale's meat will be grinded in an instant.

Hmm? Do lampreys use their mouths to grind meat? I doubt, no. However, this kraken here definitely uses its mouth for grinding ships into several small pieces in addition to his grappling tentacles.

"Leave it to me. I have enough mana reserve left," She said tapping my shoulders twice. She sounded so confident so I thought I could lay my back on her like I always did.

"I guess it's a go, then." I faced him with a nod plus a smile.

Since I had affirmed she had still mana left to be able to support the bubble barrier, I swiftly rushed our way toward the young kraken. Large tentacles tried to intercept us, but I was too sneaky and evading successfully the tentacles with ease. A hit or two of those big tentacles and the barrier would smash into tiny pieces, if Marikit's aid were uncounted though.

"Not close enough" she demandingly said while grabbing my ears to maneuver me as if they were like the wooden steering wheel of the Old man's. "And don't let the large tentacles grab us, or we'll be crush."

"Eh? I thought you had enough mana to deal with that?"

"I thought you were talking its mouth only" She pointed the mouth of the kraken. The enormous mouth of the creature armed with sharp tooth like structure as if it was a grinding saw. Around the mouth, wiggling small tentacles as big as my arm were guarding.

Ah, misunderstanding is the thing that will kill us here. Even with her aid, we would be looking ourselves floating dead in the middle of the sea if we let those big tentacles grapple us!

"This stupid pixie always is disappointing me. Then we don't have any choice but to – "

There's no time to play dodging tentacles. My mana was also stabilizing the bubble barrier and my mana pool was not unlimited. Therefore, I had to get inside the kraken's gut quickly before my mana run low.

With full speed, with only nothing left running in my mind, I charged straight to the mouth of the young kraken. I could feel the resistance of the seawater as my speed rapidly increases. I was like the bullet aiming to shoot straight into the hole. Taking up my challenge, the kraken gory mouth roundly opened attempting to catch by its mouth.

"Here we go, Marikit….YAAHHHHH~~!" "I am not prepared to die yet. Noooo!"

Our speed was continuously increasing. Even every second, we grew closer to the mouth of the young kraken. Some tentacles tried to interfere, however since I could do no more but only to add more speed, I did not move change my direction but to hope that the tentacles will not block our way on time. I only go straight like an arrow.

Eh?!

Suddenly we went into a full stop. My face, as well as the pixie's, kissed the bubble barrier. Sooner, I faintly shook my head to gain my focus again and to grasp the situation we are in or to see if we were able to succeed getting inside the kraken's gut. However.

The kraken successfully caught and trapped us by its mouth!

The kraken was intelligent enough not letting us to enter it guts alive and its tooth-like grinding thing started to press harder against the bubble barrier. Oh, it's kraken's teeth after all!

"J-just a few more" I tried to push as hard as I could pouring more mana to the bubble barrier to move. I could see the opening, a hole toward inside its guts. It was just sitting right there. "Just a little more!"

If we manage to pass through from that opening, certainly, we would be inside the kraken's guts.

The kraken's mouth gripped was tremendously powerful and its sharp tooth-like structures, or should I call its sharp teeth, began to pierce through the barrier. Marikit had a pale expression as she was aware of the barrier's weakening – the kraken's mouth was stronger than the barrier's defense, and sooner, it would break the barrier and… and… grind us alive!

"L-Laum?" she's freaking me out, asking my situation.

"No good, Marikit, we're… still stuck!"

I was still trying hard to push forward but I could not even bulge an inch.

"Hurry up! T-This barrier's not gonna last" she yelled.

"I know! I know! Just focus maintaining the barrier."

T-this will not do… Forcing the bubble barrier to move would bring nothing but our certain death.

I had to stay calm as I could so I could think of a way to escape in the dire situation we were in. Think Laum, think… but only an idea came out. Our dreadful death would be inevitable if this pinch continue. As we must escape with this tremendous grip no matter what, I decided to play the only plan I came out. For that to play out, I needed the pixie to follow my instruction rigorously.

"M-Marikit, weaken the barrier as I say so"

"Moron Moro. Have your brain's vein already dried up which is why you could not came out a plan or something? Don't tell me - are you planning to die here?!"

It was an expected reaction of her. She knew what I had felt when I had left my village. She knew that I was not willing to leave and I would rather die than losing the purpose I was building since I was just small kid. However, I had her. I would not risk her life because I was planning to kill myself. Perhaps my Grandmother allowed her to accompany me knowing I could not forsake the pixie's safety.

"Of course not, just listen to your Laum!" I told her while still focusing trying to push the barrier.

"Then, what are – jeez! D-don't blame me later" She must had seen the seriousness in my eyes, she backed down with her voice telling that she had agreed on that I had thinking even though I had not presented my plan on her. Well, it was not a perfect time to present my agenda on her since we were inside the kraken's mouth. I guess, it was her being reasonable enough.

Like you can still blame me if we're both dead after. Maybe, in afterlife?

The cracks were ceaselessly escalating as second passed by and it was only a matter of time before the misguided young kraken will turn us to grinded meatballs.

I prepared myself by amassing and concentrating mana and waited to for right time to signal the pixie to weaken the barrier. As soon I had concentrated enough mana, I was ready to fire up my signal to her.

"Now!"

As soon as the pixie heard me, she immediately weakened the barrier and I jumped grabbing the pixie in my hand then curling up body with knees bended. The kraken successfully smashed the barrier but as soon it happened, I hastily created a new smaller barrier, in which inside of it, a squeezed pixie and me.

Succeedingly after creating the smaller bubble barrier, like a blue bird longing to escape its iron cage, I utilized the anticipated moment gushing out inwards the kraken's guts. I burst my way inside the kraken guts as the stampeding grip of the kraken's mouth loosened for a split of second.

The pixie shrieked at the time the sharp teeth crashed the outer barrier but now, the rackety pixie became muted and dumbfounded.

I could not blame her not to, even I, my loud heartbeat stopped, troubled if the new smaller barrier could make it in time with an additional hard work boosting my speed up as fast as I could when the new barrier formed. Sure, it was a not-so-easy plan while we were just given a blink of an eye to carry out the rash plan to save our lives.

However, it was an undoubtedly a success or maybe we just got lucky. We cheated death and no matter how we look at it, we were still kicking and alive and had entered the kraken's belly. No, let me rephrase that, we were half-dead, panting as I enlarged the bubble barrier when we entered inside the kraken's.

"Whew, I thought I am a goner."

The pixie let out a sigh of relief but instantly retracted it back and her pale face became whiter as the clouds seeing the great horror before her eyes. "What in the world is this?!" she blurted out like she was looking into a tragic and gory scenery, which in fact was the case.

Broken woods, which were parts of a sunken ship, along with countless ripped corpse, heads, torso, a leg, an eye, everything was there, floating above a boiling greenish and slimy liquid with red spots. I bet these misfortunate ships were mostly pirate' ships. Inside the kraken guts was another strange world, like we were inside a spacious hall of mansion except its walls, which were the kraken's inner linings, moved as if a heartbeat, reminding us that we were inside a living thing.

"Laum, I want to get the hell out. I going to die if see this stuff here longer - blee."

Holding her mouth with her tiny hands, she shook herself not letting her breakfast go in waste. Her eyes were wet enough for me to notice.

"This stuff… you mean this" I flipped a melting body with my stick. "It seems his last meal was grasses and leaves… and green grasses. What is he, a goat?"

"Kill… kill, Laum, Kill this creature immediately!" Black miasma and red bloodshot eyes, the pixie was. She glared at me threatening I would untimely meet my creator if I would not kill this kraken right away.

You sounded like a heinous criminal.

"I, I am just kidding, Marikit… hehe… Calm down."

"Then, speed things up!"

"I know. Just close your eyes and don't you ever puke at me. It's gross…"

"Huh, gross? That thing…bleeh" she covered her mouth again holding herself "- is the definition of gross," she pointed out another dissolving human with entrails displayed. Finally freed, her puke was.

"Y-yeah. I get your point."

I think it's not good for the health staying longer here inside a someone's belly without their proper approval. If I don't hurry, surely those green vicious and boiling liquid would also dissolve the unwanted guest like us.

"Bubble attribute: seven stars of Ulfsaar"

Another set of red bubbles.

Boom!

A loud explosion bounced inside the guts, followed by 'BOOOOOOH' as the kraken groaned.

It was working but not quite enough. It was possible firing several many rounds of red bubbles until I made a hole on the kraken's guts as its inner lining was far less sturdy than the outside shell. However, my mana permitted me not to. I am running low of mana and instead of wasting my remaining mana, I casted again the bubble barrier to find an alternate way of killing this young kraken.

"If you want to get out as soon as possible, then help me out"

"Humph! How? Uhm, wait. I might not help but the wreckage over there might," She pointed.

"Alright, that…"

Therefore, we went over there in the wrecked ship to see something that would help us. Wrecked ship was not an appropriate description, nope; a bank of raggedy woods once part of a ship would be more fitting. Perhaps, maybe a holy sword that could cut through the kraken's flesh was hidden beneath this. However, there was no such hopeful thing in these piles of broken and dissolving woods.

"Nothing here's Laum"

She said that but as if to reproof her, something floated up on the green slimy sea of juices. It also her fault bringing up the idea to examine this part to begin with.

"Nope, look" I said to her disapprovingly.

Since she was sitting on my shoulders, it was easy for her to turn up to where my finger pointed.

"What about that floating barrel?"

With the aid of my bubble, I lifted the barrel out of the slimy liquid. I made a small hole to know what the barrel contains.

"Powder keg, black powder"

"But it's only one, not enough. One set of red bubbles is far stronger than that sole barrel. You need more than ten barrels of black powder to decimate the wall, I guess. And… wait, don't tell me -"

Severely shriveling, she just had read the train of thought running bouncingly inside my head. Since the barrel suddenly appeared in front of us as if telling to save his little friends down there, I thought I should check it out.

"Yup! There may be other barrels deep down" I grabbed the pixie quickly who tried to escape outside the bubble barrier." And you're going down with me"

"Nooooo!" Like a powerless child force to do the thing she detested the most, she complained as hard as she could.

"Yes!"

I ignored her complaining screams. I dragged her down with me as we submerged again. I could not leave her alone here, could I? Of course there that issue about her safety however the most important thing that played was that I was certain she could lend me a hand just in case.

This time, we were under the green juice of the kraken's tummy. These juices apparently dissolved every organic material and our skin had already dissolved minutes ago if not for my bubble barrier. But how about the pile of raggedy woods? How come did they not dissolve completely?

Splashes as we met the juices.

The pixie thoroughly had her eyes closed and her nose handheld as we went down. The under water's, or under juice's I argue, surrounding was too dim, therefore I was right to dragged the pixie with me as I needed the pixie's aid.

"Hey, I barely see anything, could you –"I humbly requested for her help but she was still grudging.

"No! I only see the dark. Good, I only see the dark"

"Of course, you're shutting your eyes off. Help me or I'll toss some pixie outside my barrier."

"Th-that would be bad! Yes! I'll help!" Upon hearing her answering spiritedly my humble request, she eagerly started chanting a spell without opening her eyes.

"Lineaments of the sun, the stars, and the silver moon of the clear night skies,

Apportion a little illuminant to her blurry eyes,

Hear me, oh, take heed my request for I –

The queen of the south, of the Faerie Cry."

"Bubble bulb"

"Much appreciated." My animated toned was enough for her to tell I was smiling at her grateful.

"Hmmmp!"

A small bubble just the size of my fist lighted up to guide our way down as soon as she finished her spell and sooner than I expected, wooden barrels, there they were, sitting together in group as if they were longing for help to come.

"Oh, Bighearted Marikit, could you lend me a hand again"

"No. I don't want to for I should not open my eyes"

"You said you want to get out her quickly. Just lend me a hand, okay… Or else…"

"Jeez, alright… so?"

Taking account what I had said, she slowly opened her eyes. It was not as grotesque submerged on the slimy juices' of the kraken. At least, I had slight toleration with these things. However, the pixie had no immunity with gross things and puked seeing the acidic green liquid dissolving some meaty stuff.

"Okay, okay… just let it out."

****

There were fifteen large barrels tightly tied together. I just wondered why it was still in perfect shape since it was soaked with acidic juice of this kraken for probably a long period of time.

I got curious enough and took a closer look to inspect. Ah, protection seals. I thought seeing the carvings and seals on the barrels. It must be responsible for its acid resistance. Convenient for me, but not for those who own these barrels.

"Okay. I'll take ten, you take care the rest."

"Okay~"

"Bubble Attribute: Bubble barrier" "Bubble barrier"

With that, the bubbles barrier floated up with the barrels inside. I hurried my way up emerging from the sticky, slimy, acidic stomach juice for the pixie had been making weird faces and groaning for the long time now.

"So, what's next?"

"Let's see" I placed one box rechecking what the barrels contained. "Black powder, see?"

The pixie nodded.

"But we have to replace it near the vitals of the kraken. Moreover, it is not enough just killing the kraken. We need our way out." She sat again into my shoulder feeling better now.

"I know. The inner linings kraken is throbbing. Just on that, I could locate where its heart is."

The more intense the throbbing is, the closer the heart is.

She flew away from me. "However, don't go assuming that this kraken had only one heart. Aside from that, how do you plan to escape these living walls?" She returned wiping some sticky liquid on my clothes after grazing the red wall.

"Just don't worry about that"

"Of course, I do! Sorry but I have to remind you we're inside a kraken!"

"You do worry too much, don't you? Just sit on my shoulder and watch, okay?"

"Ah, whatever" She replied, but she did the same as I floated again the barrels.

After minutes had passed, I decided to place the barrel on a part of inner wall of the kraken where I thought it was the closest on its heart. No doubt it was, for the wall was throbbing so hard as if it was the waves of the seas and the sound were the drums of our homeland.

My unsophisticated preparation to take down the kraken was nearly complete. All I had to do was to ignite these barrels of black powder. However, before that, I needed to assure if the pixie had still mana left to maintain the barrier.

"Just don't worry about that, okay?" She said.

"Of course, I do. My life is in stake and so is yours" I replied, slightly agitated.

"You do worry too much, don't you? Just hold on tight and watch," She said with a carefree tone.

"Eh? I think I heard this conversation before."

"I bet, you did"

"Huh?" I tilted my head.

"Just do whatever you're plan is. But do you think it will dig a hole for our escape?"

"Probably"

"Probably!?" She gritted her teeth.

"I'll cast ten sets of red bubble to heighten to explosion "

"Ah, whatever. I'll strengthen the barrier, right?" She finally sighed and smiled. "Fine by me"

"If I had some mana left, I'll help you maintaining the barrier."

"You design this plan without my consent, just get this through already"

I heard her clear. Therefore, I started casting ten sets of red bubble according to my plan. After that, she turned to me, still unconvinced. "Wait, Seriously, how will we able to escape from this?"

"You do little faith in me, don't you?"

Still protected inside the bubble barrier, I floated near the pile of explosive barrels while facing the red wall. Even without saying a word, the pixie got my plan.

The plan was to make use of the explosion's force as a driving fuel to propel us forward and to pierce the resilient meat of the kraken.

"Haha. I see. Not bad, but… Her voice sounded diffident somehow.

"We don't have any other option, right?"

"How about its mouth as an exit?"

I responded her with a stare.

"I guess that's not possible."

"Yeah. So…"

I gave her a 'go' nod. I tapped my arnis sticks once and the bubbles heard it. The bubbles simultaneously grew red, ready to go wild and explode.

"Marikit"

She nodded. "Leave it to me"

This pixie get immediately what I intended her to do. She strengthened the bubble barrier again with her remaining mana while we were too close from the barrels and red bubbles. And -

BOOOOOOOM!

Everything became white and that part kraken's guts reduced into dust. The calmed water above started to bulge and the ship swung like in a cradle as the large waves formed from the shockwaves produced by the huge explosion.

I checked upon the pixie.

Oh bad… H-Her mana could not hold the explosion.

Still, the power of the explosion pushed us and the bubble barrier pierced into the living walls.

The white light completely enveloped my sight and the explosion's heat started to radiate into my skin. I never did a blink as I helped Marikit maintaining the bubble barrier. Nevertheless, I knew it was hopeless. I could tell. The explosion was too powerful and her mana and mine could not stabilize the bubble barrier's formidability any longer. Surely, we will perish too.

However, if we did stay alive after this, mana deficiency will make us unable to move and the seawater will drown us along with the kraken's carcass. In addition, burn would cover our cooked body.

I opened my eyes slowly feeling the blinding light was replaced by something less intense but somehow feels good on my skin. I could feel the warm air yet I was too refreshing for me. My hair was turning up, dancingly swaying with the sea breeze. The sea and the sky were with harmony. They were in the same color. Like a newborn babe, I witnessed I was still breathing with my lungs.

I-impossible… How?

I found ourselves flying downwards opposing the blue sky with greet speed. Miraculously, we cheated death again. The bubble barrier was still intact in spite of the very fact that the explosion had completely engulfed us.

Marikit must have done something. So –

"What did you - ?"

I was answered with a shrugged as she leaped in to my shoulders. We were above the blue seawater, just the two of us.

"Now, even myself is also surprised. We even defeated the monster. Though it was young and not on its mature age, it was still a kraken, you know, a kraken." She averted her eyes from my state.

She was right.

"But, I feel bad for the kraken somehow." Yes, I felt bad for the kraken somehow. Surely, he was doing only his primal instinct.

Whatever happened, it would not change the fact that we were still alive. She smiled like the usual smile she gave to me, a warm and gentle smile to ease my uncalled sentiment. I could not help myself but to smile back at her. Then, we laughed at death, which we had ditched twice today.

However, I was sure Marikit did something we wish me not to know while saving us from our certain death.