Chapter 11

On the morning of the first day of the games, Kai was awake before first light. As dawn peeped over the horizon, he took to the water off the jetty. Submerged finally, he let his tentacles release, feeling them move around him like a halo in the water.

He was going to be blessed by Razad and the elders at the Sacred Caves.

Although the games were nothing like the fights of old, the ceremony remained. And this part at least was serious. Because it was all about Metan.

And sure, there were other ways that young kraken males prepared for Metan, through study of the ancient scripts and through service, but being a warrior was the most honorable. He knew the elders were saddened that Acha had been given this honor in the games and had treated it so loosely, with so little respect.

Kai had promised himself he would honor the spirit of the games. That he would not turn it into a complete circus. That he would not disgrace himself.

And before the games even commenced, he had.

He winced, remembering how he’d succumbed to that girl, how he’d gone and made a fool of himself even after that first humiliation, by seeking her out, demanding to know why she’d left him that night.

He could still see the hollowness in her eyes as she’d spat her hatred of kraken at him, a hatred so deep she was prepared to fight it out in the arena.

But why? That question hung over him like a heavy pall.

Gods, he was already dreading the last day of the games. The day he would have to engage in combat with her. The only way he would not have to face her was if he was defeated by another monster first.

And that was just not an option.

There were fourteen competitors, over seven days. Every day he would fight twice.

And each time, he would need to win. Drag his adversary down into the depths of the dungeon, until they begged him to let them go.

And then on day seven he would do the same to her.

Damn it. He’d show her no mercy.

And if she dared say he’d slept with her, well, he’d simply call her a liar. Ridicule her. Call her a whore.

Gods no, he wouldn’t say that about a woman, However she’d treated him, he would not stoop so low, could not…

Oh fuck. Stop thinking about her.

Now, as he saw the cave lit up with a thousand tiny sea creatures in coral branches, he gulped hard.

Yes, he had made a serious error of judgment. But he would keep his counsel, and pray to the gods of the deep that it never came to light.

As he swam into the cave, the elders were there waiting for him in the customary semicircle, Razad on the throne.

Shen was here, of course. And Kai’s own father gave him a nod, the tiniest hint of a smile showing he was proud of his son. The rest of the twelve were dignitaries, and other important senior members of the community.

There were no women present. They would have a different ceremony for achieving Lieu, the name given to their own time of reaching fertility and readiness to mate.

It had been this way since the beginning of recorded time.

And kraken were deeply traditional folks.

Kai swam to his own seat in the rock, settled his tentacles, then arranged himself atop of them.

The elders passed the conch shell. Razad struck it with the rod of the ancients and light sparked out from it in all directions before he advanced with it toward Kai. Kai felt his chest expand, strength flow through him. His tentacles jerked, and even those with the injuries felt stronger, more integrated than ever before.

Razad sank down in front of him and stroked ground-up holy Leberon shell in a line across his forehead, down the bridge of his nose, around his jaw. He painted it onto his chest and shoulders, then gave him a vial to take with him.

It would be invisible out of the water, but it would bring integration and strength. One-pointed focus. The luck of the deep sea gods.

Kai bowed his head and listened to the incantation of the elders, then repeated the words after them in awe and reverence.

“Egdah hanag.” Fight the good fight.

“Egdah hanag io, ancientes.” I will fight the good fight, ancient ones.

“Now you must go,” Razad’s deep voice rumbled.

The kraken rose and moved toward the entrance, their tentacles saluting as Kai passed through the opening of the cave and swam toward the surface.

And the games.

Kai hunkered low and narrowed his eyes, watching his opponent’s every move.

The handsome minotaur grinned at him as he flexed his big biceps. He was dancing on his hooves around the paved area in front of the arena, flexing his muscles and garnering attention and cheers from the crowd.

Kai hid a smile. Once those big hooves hit the mud inside the ring, the minotaur’s movements would slow, but he was brawny and strong. No denying that. He’d shaved his shanks and chest to remove the pelt that would only hamper him in the mud.

Kai surveyed the minotaur’s big horns; they’d be good to use against the beast.

His tail was too thin to gain a good tentacle hold, but Kai could use his hands to pull it, swing the minotaur round by it until he was disoriented.

He had done simulations of fighting with minotaurs in virtual reality, watched them brawl in countless videos.

He had this one’s measure.

Now it was Kai’s turn to posture around the outside of the ring, flexing his blue biceps. Not until he was in the ring would he show his tentacles, but he let them pulsate just below the surface, causing ripples in his torso, to loud boos and hisses.

A small bunch of kraken youths cheered loudly. Hard to believe he’d been one of them only last year.

He felt like a piece of meat right now, but hey, he was going to play to these crowds.

A succubi broke out from the audience, ran over and planted a smacking great kiss on his mouth.

Kai grabbed her hand as she tried to move it lower.

“Later, eh, babe?” She grinned lasciviously.

Now she ran and hugged Nils.

Kai put his hands on his hips and mock scowled, pretending to be offended.

It was just part of the fun. But the message beneath the surface was serious.

Look on, humans. And don’t mess with krakens.

Kai climbed into the ring and Shen gave him a quick pep talk as he coated his hands in wrestling dust. And then the ref blew the whistle, and it was on…

At first Nils was like a bull at a gate, full of brawn and noise. He managed to get Kai down in the mud in the first few minutes, and slightly winded, Kai realized he needed to focus harder than he’d thought.

When Nils turned and did a victorious fist pump to the crowd, Kai let a tentacle slide out and, laying it close to the ground, tripped him up. Nils fell face first in the mud to a big commotion from the audience.

He let out a bellow and righted himself, pawing off great globs of mud from his face and horns. And then he ran at Kai with his horns down, ready to gore him. But Kai was too quick. He twisted to the side, matador style, flicking a tentacle in Nils’ face like a flag.

That enraged the young minotaur. He ran at Kai again, and this time his left horn managed to gouge at Kai’s stomach—and fuck, those things hurt. Kai curled a tentacle around that fucking horn and yanked the minotaur off of him.

They landed in the mud, grappling and rolling, and that’s where Kai had the advantage.

He knew how to move his tentacles through mud. Nils’ did not.

The minotaur got up, tripped over his own hoof, lumbered around, and tried to run at Kai again, but Kai easily slithered sideways.

Before Nils could orient himself again, Kai twisted around, came from behind, and dragged Nils bellowing toward the dungeon. Nils flailed a hoof and managed to hit Kai on the chin with it, and the shock of the impact felled Kai, sending him face first into the mud. He lost his grip on the minotaur. Now Kai was really fucking angry. No clumsy-hooved beast was going to bring him down. When Nils aimed a kick at his ribs, he let rip—his strongest tentacle arcing up and lassoing Nils around his hind legs. And down the minotaur went again, into the mud, which was thicker now that they were edging closer to the dungeon. Here they grappled—arms, legs, tentacles, hooves, and horns for long minutes. But inch by inch, Kai knew he was dragging that fucking minotaur closer to defeat.

A few minutes later, panting and grunting, covered in slime, Kai coiled all his tentacles around Nils and heard the welcome sound of the pulley working. The trap door swung open and with a final grunt of effort, Kai sank into the murky depths, Nils in his death grip. Down they went in a vortex of swirling icy sea water, Nils’ eyes popping with the effort to hold his breath.

Their earpieces counted the time— you couldn’t hear it under the water otherwise.

Twenty seconds… thirty…. one minute… two minutes.

Nils finally gave the salute of defeat, his eyes literally startling out of his head, veins on his forehead bulging. Kai gave him a wink and rose to the surface with the minotaur still firmly imprisoned in his tentacles.

He hurled him back into the ring, raising his tentacles in the victory salute, leaving Nils to sprawl, defeated and trying to get his breath. Then Kai snapped his tentacles back into his torso and climbed nimbly out of the dungeon. Back in human form, he punched the air and postured around the exhausted minotaur.

Everyone knew how it went, but still the arena erupted.

The monsters of Motham loved nothing more than to hate the kraken winning.

But despite that, everyone was soon grinning. Nils was helped to his corner, given a pat on the back and a good talking to by his trainer as he tended to his wounds.

Kai did a victory lap around the outside of the ring to even louder heckling. There were shouts of “Show us yer tentacles” and “Cowardly fuckin’ kraken.”

That was the whole point of it. They only got to see his tentacles when he fought, and when it was all over, he was back in human form, leaving monsters scratching their heads as to what they’d actually witnessed.

Except for one—the human who’d seen everything he had.

Every—fucking—thing.

As he jogged, his eyes scanned the crowd. Would she be here, watching, trying to get tips for when it was her turn? He thought he caught the glint of her blonde hair, but no, it was an elf.

She hates you; she’ll have left by now, even if she was watching.

But when he turned to give one last wave, out the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a small figure, a hoodie over their head, sitting close to the front. From the shadow of the hood, he sensed a pair of golden eyes were piercing into him, like a thousand cuts. Then the figure got up and pushed through the rows.

He watched it disappear into the throng.

In his hearts he knew it was her.

Turning to leave the arena, Kai felt strangely defeated.

Even though he’d won.