“Can we keep him?” Barracuda looked up at Keith.
“Unfortunately not, prince. We are on a very important mission from The Agency, and we’ve already spent too much time standing here.” Keith answered, pulling his hood over his head with his blackout veil over his face. He turned to the guards.
“Is there a Gulper nearby? We need to get to R’lyeh and speak with Archmage Archibald.”
Guess I’m just an item now. Caster rolled his eyes.
“There’s a few by the peer,” answered Cod.
“Aww. Well, it was nice to meet you, Caster. Please come visit again!” The child stepped his feet together and placed his right hand near the center of his chest. He tucked his thumb over his palm and left his remaining fingers pointing upward. “Umbasa. May the Great Dreamer watch over you.” His tone was reverent.
With a youthful smile, he turned and skipped his way back up the shoreline. The guards followed close behind and approached the wooden fence first. Both took a deep lunge, then leaped.
The guards landed on top of the barrier, their frog-like hind legs easily absorbing the impact. It seemed as if they managed to scale an obstacle - that had to be at least two men tall - without effort.
Barracuda followed their lead and jumped. His leap went high, and with outstretched fingers, he just barely clutched onto the edge. Both guards knelt and assisted him in joining them at the top. Then the guards leaped over and into the other side of the unseen island city. Barracuda looked back for a brief pause, waved to Caster and his party, then followed them over.
“Well, ain’t he just a cute little bean,” said Eleanore. “I wish all royalty could be as decent as him.”
Caster’s eyes looked around the beach shoreline, stopping as he found Keith. He’d already started walking and was nearly a dozen paces away.
“Keith, hold on-oh for Pete’s sake!” Elenore groaned, kneeling so Caster could once again climb up and into his hiding place in her rucksack.
She jogged down the sands and caught up with Keith.
“You know The Agency is going to want to know that you’re not just some random assassin from R’lyeh right?” Elenore asked as they made their way toward a series of piers that stood just above the calm night’s waters.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“I’m sure they already know. We all know that nearly every Legend and Intern has connections to the city-state families and their Old Gods. You should know this better than most, Amberkirke,” said Keith. Elenore did not reply.
They strode onto the wooden structure that connected the scattered piers. From his hiding spot in the rucksack, Caster was able to see past the gates of the small town. He couldn’t see well, as the torchlight only traveled so far, but he could tell that there were hundreds, if not thousands of Dagonians roaming about the streets.
“How am I supposed to know you’re even on our side?” Elenore said. “For all Caster and I know, you could be working with The Usurper.”
“You’ve known me for months, Elenore. Stop being stupid,” Keith sighed, kneeling to touch the waters.
“I ain’t stupid. You’re fishy.”
“Very funny,”
I don’t get it-oh!
“Watch out!” Elenore shouted.
Caster’s stomach churned as Elenore suddenly jumped back, unsheathing her weapon once more.
Caster poked his head out to see what had happened.
Within an arm’s length of Keith was a massive sea creature. Its bulbous and giant eyes looking aimlessly on the sides of its head. Its body reached deep into the waters, and even without being able to see the rest of the beast Caster knew it could swallow the three of them and the entire pier, whole.
A small box appeared above the creature. Caster quickly glanced over its text.
(Tamed) Gulper Monster Level: 90 Status: Peaceful Info: Never tell it your secrets – it’s got a big mouth!
“Ahh,” Keith said calmly, tapping his hands on its snout.
The beast’s maw unhinged, revealing - to their relief – a lack of teeth. The roof of its mouth rose several men high, clearing a way for them to see deep inside its mouth, and the long-spanning line of its fleshy tongue that led to what Caster assumed was its belly. The smell was putrid and overwhelmed Caster’s sense of smell.
“This thing’s peaceful?!” Elenore asked.
“More than you. You might want to put your weapon away, it’s our only ride to R’lyeh.” Keith took a single step onto the monster’s tongue.
“You’re getting inside of it? It’s just gonna eat you!” Elenore refused.
“My people have tamed these beasts since the First Age. They were practically our birthright.”
Clever - Knowledge is Power, activated! +1 Arcane
Keith continued deeper into the Gulper's mouth. Elenore groaned but followed him.
The Gulper's mouth closed, sealing them inside. Inside the darkness, they shifted and slid as the Gulper moved away from the island and fresh air, and plunged deep into the murky depths below.