With the sirens sounding, Dhaga immediately headed to the nearest armory to grab himself a long spear before he joined his father’s patrol. There were countless others who also hastily grabbed their preferred weapons for the upcoming battle. Since the Leviathan’s disappearance, the council had ordered regular drills to prepare for combat. Mandatory attendance was expected for nagas, young and old. When it came down to the survival of the race, every single naga was expected to play their part. Now that the dreaded day finally arrived, the drills had clearly paid off as the nagas retrieved their weapons in an orderly fashion and went into formation, ready to defend the capital at all costs.
Soce, being a sorceress, had already taken up a position behind the other nagas, ready to assist however she could. Other naga spellcasters also joined the ranks, greatly bolstering the offensive capabilities of the defenders. As much as he wanted to say something to Soce, Dhaga had to restrain himself. He couldn’t allow his emotions to get in the way of the upcoming battle.
I know we’ll both survive this and have plenty of time to talk later.
The young naga swam up to his father, a large naga with plenty of scars to prove his multiple close encounters with death.
“Father, how many foes do we face today?”
“Enough to level the capital,” replied the old naga. “The Kraken isn’t holding back anymore. Its followers are throwing everything they got.”
Upon hearing the response, Dhaga turned to face the enemy.
Wait, that isn’t the water?
The young naga realized that he had mistaken the enemy forces for a dark shade of ocean water. Now that he understood the scale of the enemy forces, he gripped his spear tightly, wishing he did say something to his partner. He glanced around, noticing a tense and nervous energy from those around him. It was one thing to face patrols of Kraken’s followers but it was something else entirely to face an invading force that could rival or even surpass what they could muster. As the young naga steadied his breathing, he felt something waking up within him.
What? What’s happening?
It’s nice to meet you, Dhaga! My name is Cridror. I will be fighting alongside you from now on!
How will you fight alongside me? You’re just a voice in my head.
Summon me then!
Dhaga was going to ask how he could do so but, almost as if it was second nature, he felt the presence move to his hand before he unleashed it into the ocean. The dark and white creature he saw in his vision appeared before his eyes. Yet, the vision failed to prepare him for the size of the creature. Nearly double the length of great white sharks, the creature was both majestic and terrifying with how easily it moved through the water. There was a playful nature to the creature but even Dhaga could sense a ferocity that few sea creatures could match. Many of the nearby nagas, including Dhaga’s father, readied themselves for an attack from the creature. Amidst the tense standoff, the young naga swam towards the creature with his weapon behind him.
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Cridror! What are you? I’ve never seen your kind before.
We are known as Orcas. Our kind sadly no longer swim in these parts of the water anymore. At least, I don’t sense my kind nearby.
Will you assist us in the fight against Kraken and his followers?
I thought you’d never ask!
Suddenly, Cridror swam off towards the Kraken forces. Dhaga only needed a minute to see what the orca was after. The Kraken followers had sent some sharks forward as scouts as they commonly did with the patrols they sent out. These sharks, upon seeing the orca, got into a V formation and went straight at Cridror. Yet, the orca picked up speed when the gap between them was only a few meters long.
“That’s…that’s Aqua Charge!” exclaimed one of the sorceresses.
Dhaga had heard of the ability before but this was the first time he had seen it in action. From what he heard from Soce, the ability formed a veil of water that protected the user while the user charged foes at full speed. The charging speed and impact depended entirely on the bulk of the user, making the ability practically worthless for the sorceresses who weren’t built for the frontlines. In a cruel irony, the ability was only known to show up in sorceresses, resulting in the ability never seeing a chance to shine.
Yet, it’s the perfect ability for Cridror!
The sharks, caught off guard by the ability, were too slow to dodge the first charge. As the orca readied itself for a second charge, a few of the sharks were no longer moving while the remaining ones moved very sluggishly. Cridror targeted the area where most of the sharks were concentrated and, after that charge, only a handful was left. The survivors, having realized how outmatched they were, tried to flee. Yet, they were hunted down and killed by the orca before they got very far. As soon as all the sharks were disposed of, the nagas around Dhaga cheered loudly. Their cheer was contagious as the other nagas soon joined in. The celebration was short-lived as soon as the more observant nagas noticed the Kraken's main forces advancing. Their shouts helped restore order in the nagas as the defenders readied themselves for the battle ahead.
Cridror, please don’t take on them all by yourself.
Understood! I’ll be heading back now!
Dhaga hadn’t expected his ability to communicate with the orca over such long distances but he wasn’t complaining. In his mind, he was already thinking about the new opportunities that would open up if he could take advantage of their long distance communication. Before he came up with any brilliant ideas, Cridror stopped by his side, surprising him with its speed.
Any plans on how to stop this invasion?
Keep your eyes peeled for anyone picked by the orbs. We need the other four orbs to find their owners if we hope to stand a chance. This battle may very well decided the fate of the nagas.