Large paddleboards made of ice, carried them both across the water. Each wielded a pole with which to guide and propel them along the turbulent surface. The man, which I now recognized as Monroe, made strong and very effective leaps across the rolling waves. Victoria appeared to be using some of her magic to keep pace and simply used her paddle to change directions on occasion.

Zigzagging back and forth, intertwining like masterful dancers upon the liquid surface they made this look entirely too easy. As they drew closer to the falls, I watched as the billowing spray of water and rapid pace of the rapids held not a candle to their unstoppable momentum.

I had heard that at one point, or maybe it still even exists back on Earth, there was a boat called the Maiden of the Mist which took paying passengers as close as its many engines could take it to the base of the crashing Niagara Falls. Those on the deck were given cheap ponchos to keep somewhat dry amidst the spraying mist as they enjoyed the close-up view and exposure to the turbulent rushing water and billowing mist.

What was impossible for industrial level technology to fully resist, Monroe and Victoria challenged with playful ease through magically enhanced bodies and talent.

After a few impromptu games of chasing and racing, they finally made their way to the massive lake born from the falls. At that point, they had begun attempting to knock each other off of their personal board. Laughter abounded as they each used their own methods to dunk the other. Monroe, as if afraid to hurt Victoria targeted her board with his paddle as he sought to overturn her. Victoria appeared to have no such compunction as she sent ice daggers, lances, and whips at the seemingly impenetrable and unshakable form of Monroe. All that the blades did was cut his clothing into near ribbons while his body appeared to be free of any injury or blemish.

It was a strain for my eyes to focus hard enough to see those details, and so I had to ease back on the energy expended to watch their water play.

At last! Monroe managed to capsize Victoria’s paddleboard upending her into the deep dark waters below. Just as her body touched the water, my heart was seized with fear as I beheld what sprouted from the depths!

A gigantic, dark tentacle encircled around her entire waist and then dragged her under! I couldn’t see many details for how quickly it occurred, but thankfully I wasn’t the only one to see what happened.

Monroe instantly sprang into action, cracking his board as he dashed off it, diving into the black water like an air to surface missile in high pursuit of its target!

Racing to the railing despite the risks to better see the view, I forced my eyes to focus on the treacherous and turbulent water where Victoria had disappeared mere moments before. Her unbroken board continued to bob about on the water, forming a bright contrast in the waning light of day. ‘Why would they play here so close to the evening when they knew the dangers present!?’ I screamed in my mind.

With fear clenching at me with its piercing claws, I watched this late evening tragedy unfold before my very eyes.

For too long, I couldn’t see a thing amidst the violent waters. Maybe a flash of alien like tentacles or a hint of clothing, but nothing stood out as an obvious body of either of my precious masters. What could I possibly do?!

I felt something furry and heavy come down on my left shoulder! Reflexively flinching away in fright, I was then jarred as I found myself held rigidly in place under a firm grip! Panic set in more firmly and I began to struggle in order to break free. Then a low growling voice spoke up. “Calm yourself apprentice!” The familiar voice appeared to pierce through the panic which had beset me, and I was able to then turn and address the still present Lion-man.

“Dalton!” I cried out. “Please! Help them!!” My voice broke as I begged for his aid.

Something about his continued calm disturbed and confused me, as it appeared unnatural with the current goings on in the water below. His eyes held a sense of contentment and confidence within them. What was he so confident about?!

A hint of a smile tugged at his lips as he peered over the platform into the depths below. A touch of horror came over me as I feared this was a set up to kill his master. A solid knot formed in my throat at the extreme likelihood that I had just lost my two masters to this sick monster behind, and the larger kraken in front of me.

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With a bemused shake of his head, Dalton then opened up his mouth widely before bellowing out. “Master Monroe!! I think that you have scared your apprentice enough!! Please end this nonsense!!”

An odd stillness echoed forth from the water at the wake of his roar. . . Then, before my disbelieving eyes, I watched as both Monroe and Victoria leapt out of the water, each trailed by numerous tentacles in vicious pursuit.

Both of them shot nearly three meters in height above the water. As they reached their peak and began their returning descent, white energy gathered around Victoria and icy ribbons speared forth from her hands, crashing into the water below their falling figures.

A blanket of solid ice formed at the point of impact between ribbons and waves. In the short time it took for them to fall from that height, they near simultaneously fell and rolled to a recovered stop amidst a floating white table.

The pursuing tentacles did not stop their assault despite this sudden development within the home of the kraken. Bundles of three to four tentacles each which targeted the two figures slammed down hard upon the ice. Victoria was standing at the ready as she poured solid energized ice into sealing those wriggling limbs into unwilling statues.

Monroe took a more confrontational and physical approach as he raised up both of his hands to clash with his personal batch of pursuing appendages. Muscles bulged as he braced himself somehow barefoot on the buoyant ice, refusing to shift even an inch. The head-on clash surprisingly resulted in being out of favor with the attacking beast.

Those diminutive hands of the elven councilman, when compared against the might of the gigantic tentacles of the kraken, logically should have broken under the impact. Instead, the pulsing deep purple flesh of the beast broke upon those fragile looking fingers which were held as near nail-less claws.

Liquid viscera and gore splattered over his still figure while the torn remains of the tentacles retreated with pained haste. A thunderous roar, almost a cry, sounded out from the hidden depths of the water. The previously trapped tentacles held at Victoria’s mercy broke free of the ice, yet leaving behind a good chunk of flesh as they too retreated.

The table of ice on which they both stood began to tilt and twist about dangerously as if the beast below was taking its anger out on it. Victoria dropped to a crouch and pressed her hands against the top. I watched as torrents of energy drew to her figure which then poured into the icy table with abandon. Soon, the turbulence slowed and then stopped altogether. The result was now a fully stationary frozen land amidst the rushing waters below.

Had she actually anchored this massive structure to the bottom of the lake?! The sheer magnitude of energy necessary to resist the crashing tides of Niagara falls bespoke of a power that I had not yet seen to such a degree. The only exception might be that heavenly display over the mages guild when we had fled after my initial elemental evaluation.

Another echoing roar sounded out from the depths of the water, likely in frustration at this new development. Suddenly, the water several meters away from the solid ice table began pushing up from the surrounding surface. Like a massive pressure spout pushing up from below, what was then revealed was a terrifying monstrosity which threatened to highlight in my nightmares for many nights to come.

A bulbous head, measuring nearly as large as the ice table was adorned with countless hardened spikes which jutted out at various points, many forming into a crown of sorts. Its mouth which sported circular and serrated teeth pulsed in soundless anger. What truly threw me for a mental loop, were the smaller and more dexterous tentacles which framed its mouth, as if to aid in capture and consumption of prey.

A pair of large saucer-like eyes paused to peer at both Monroe and Victoria in obvious fury at its foiled attacks on them. As if making a decision, its mouth tentacles sprang forward with impossible to avoid momentum aimed at the apothecary.

Monroe seemingly teleported from his position as he appeared instantly in front of Victoria. He arms outstretched to either side as if to brace this tide of unstoppable squiggling chaos. Upon impact with his body, he made quick twisting movements with both arms which entwined his upper limbs with those flailing orifice tentacles. The tips of those tentacles then revealed sharp barbs which thrust and tore repeatedly at the still body of my self-defense teacher.

At that moment, in starstruck amazement I gained a hint of just how strong his defensive measures were. Through no evasive measures taken, his bare skin repelled the thronging blades and spikes of the monstrous kraken. I could have previously believed that Victoria had taken it easy on him from before, and yet I could not imagine such restrained coming from this monster as well.

Had it not been for the many deep and gouging chunks taken out of the icy platform by those spiked and bladed tentacles which missed their target, I would have thought that it was a failing of the creature itself with subpar tools at its disposal. No, Councilman Monroe was simply that strong and resistant. His clothing did not survive the encounter for sure as he was effectively denuded. Only a few stray scraps lingered on his skin, due to the water aiding in its adherence.

As he was resisting this onslaught of the kraken’s targeted might, Victoria remained close by him with her hands pressed firmly upon the ice shelf. Occasionally a stray tentacle slipped past Monroe’s guard only to stop short as it struck an invisible barrier around my teacher. Flattening itself against the intermittently revealed spherical shield, it would then pull back to re-engage the more accessible of the two.

Eventually, Monroe had grown weary of the many attacks and began mobilizing his arms in such a way so as to more tightly grip the orifice tentacles. Then with slow but relentless progress, he pulled the face of the kraken closer and closer to him. A trace of fear seemed to pass over the monster as it realized its intended food might not settle well within his stomach.

Many times in its past, it had to stab some of its stronger prey countless times before it had been properly worn down by its attacks. This diminutive humanoid, which stood before it now, had been the first to so easily repel its vicious spears. The expected wearing down hadn’t even begun as the integrity of his skin still remained unblemished by the constant barrage.

After a relatively short while of Monroes paced advances, the scissoring teeth of the kraken were within arms-reach of the resilient master. However, that did not appear to be his target. With a single great thrust downward, he yanked the entire head of the kraken downward. Then, with a leap during which he disengaged his arms from the limp tentacles, he brought his first to bear, swinging it into the left eye of the monster.

A squelching *Pluck!* sounded out even over the background roaring of the falls as the membrane of the eye was punctured. Then, with the remaining momentum, he slammed his other fist onto a more armored spot closer to between the eyes, launching the head of the kraken back into the water where it fell. Stunned, it simply lay there for a moment, being tossed about by the current before coming to its senses. As if finally coming to a realization that its intended prey was too hard to crack, it quickly retreated into the water’s black depths.