Kraken IIII: One Damn Spell

After what felt like hours, everyone was severely exhausted.

By now, dozens of enchanted spears protruded from the Kraken’s enormous body like a blowfish.

The frozen rose vines binding the creature had begun to crack and splinter as the Kraken slowly regained consciousness, its massive body twitching beneath the weakening restraints.

Back on the deck, Lina stood over Skayla, who lay exhausted atop Barbarossa’s coat.

“This is the last one,” Skayla said weakly, holding an enchanted spear out toward Lina. “You know where it needs to go.”

Lina reached down and took the spear, even though her condition wasn’t much better. Every muscle in her body screamed from exhaustion as she struggled to stand straight, with her bloodied hands trembling around the cold steel shaft.

“Get some rest now,” Lina said, gently brushing Skayla’s light-blue bangs away from her face.

She turned toward Barbarossa.

“Take Skayla to the bridge and have everyone else get inside too if they want to survive.”

Lina tightened her bloodied hands around the final spear.

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Barbarossa replied softly.

Barbarossa carefully lifted Skayla into his arms and carried her toward the bridge. Behind him, Lina took one long, deep breath before sprinting toward the Kraken for the final time.

Once inside, Barbarossa gently lowered Skayla into the captain’s chair.

The remaining crew members retreated into the bridge and crowded around the windows as they watched Lina make her final ascent.

Despite her exhaustion, Skayla refused to close her eyes. She leaned forward in the chair and watched Lina carefully, gripping the armrests whenever her friend lost her footing.

Eventually, Lina reached the center of the Kraken’s head.

“Almost there...” she muttered, forcing her exhausted body beyond its limit.

Lina raised the final enchanted spear above her head, preparing to drive it deep into the Kraken’s flesh.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed beneath her as the frozen rose vines began to shatter.

“Shit!” Lina shouted, struggling to adjust her footing and position the spear.

The Kraken thrashed violently, breaking free from the last of its restraints and sending chunks of frost and ice flying in every direction.

Lina suddenly lost her footing.

“LASSIE!” Barbarossa shouted as she fell from the Kraken’s head and plummeted toward the sea.

Lina desperately reached for anything she could grab as she fell toward the freezing water.

A sharp CLANG! rang out as Lina caught one of the enchanted spear shafts embedded in the Kraken.

The metal shaft bent beneath her weight, but remained firmly lodged inside the monster.

“PHEW...” Barbarossa released a long breath. “Don’t scare an old man like that.”

“Captain!” the lookout shouted. “The final spear... Lina dropped it into the frozen sea!”

Barbarossa’s relief immediately disappeared.

“DAMN IT!” Barbarossa shouted, turning toward Skayla. “THE LAST SPEAR! LINA DROPPED IT INTO THE SEA!”

“WHAT?!” Skayla shouted, forcing herself out of the captain’s chair. “SOMEONE GIVE ME ANOTHER SPEAR!”

“There aren’t any left,” one of the crew members answered.

The room fell silent.

“Would a sword work?” another crew member asked, quickly offering Skayla a longsword.

“No.” Skayla immediately shook her head. “The blade’s too wide. It wouldn’t work properly for the spell.”

She began pacing back and forth, desperately trying to think of another solution.

“Then what exactly do you need?” one of the crew members asked. “Can you describe it? Maybe we have something else that’ll work.”

Skayla stopped.

“Something long and made entirely of metal,” she began, counting off the requirements on her fingers. “It needs to be thin enough to pierce through the Kraken’s tough outer layer, but strong enough to lodge itself deep inside.”

Barbarossa’s eyes slowly widened as his right hand moved toward the cutlass hanging at his side.

“...How about this?” he asked, drawing the weapon and holding it out for Skayla to inspect.

Skayla leaned closer, immediately noticing how unusually thin the blade was for a cutlass.

“I had it custom-made for my late wife, Anne Reed,” Barbarossa explained. “She had a slender build and preferred a thinner blade. I gave it to her along with an engagement ring, but the gemstone on the ring kept falling out during battle, so she had it fitted into the cutlass’s guard instead.”

“...This would work,” Skayla said hesitantly. “But are you sure? Isn’t this the only thing you have left of her?”

“Aye, it is,” Barbarossa replied with a warm smile. “But right now... saving everyone matters more.”

He placed the cutlass firmly into her hands.

“Use it,” Barbarossa insisted. “Otherwise, if we end up in Davy Jones’ locker because I refused to give it up, Anne’s going to rip me to shreds... and then some.”

Skayla stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“I understand,” she said, lowering herself onto one knee and gripping the cutlass with both hands.

With what little mana she had left, Skayla began enchanting the blade. A faint glow slowly spread along its thin metal edge.

“Come on...” she muttered through clenched teeth. “Just... a little more...”

The enchantment finally settled into the blade.

“...Finished,” Skayla whispered.

Skayla’s vision blurred as blood began pouring from her nose and her exhausted body swayed forward.

“Please... deliver this to Lina, Captain Barbarossa,” she requested, weakly handing him the enchanted cutlass before closing her eyes.

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Barbarossa muttered.

Barbarossa gently lowered Skayla into the captain’s chair before gripping the cutlass and stepping back into the squall.

Fierce winds and freezing rain battered his old body as shards of ice whipped through the air and cut across his exposed skin.

Barbarossa pushed forward, shielding his eyes as he searched for Lina among the Kraken’s thrashing tentacles. The enormous limbs churned the sea and rocked the ship violently as the creature tried to shake her off.

“You know, I was never gifted with magic,” Barbarossa shouted over the storm.

“I tried my damn hardest to learn magic as a kid. I studied for hours at school and even longer after class, but in the end... there was only one damn spell I ever managed to master.”

Barbarossa finally spotted Lina climbing back onto the Kraken’s head, and a grin spread across his face.

“Funny enough... this was the same damn spell that first caught Anne’s attention at a bar.”

Mana began gathering around Barbarossa’s right arm as he pulled the enchanted cutlass back.

“LOCK ON TO MY TARGET—TRUE AIM!”

He hurled the cutlass with all his strength.

The blade tore through the storm, weaving between the Kraken’s thrashing tentacles as if an invisible force were guiding it toward its target.

Lina spotted a shimmering light heading straight toward her and immediately extended her right hand. She caught the enchanted cutlass by its handle and tightened her grip, making damn sure she wouldn’t drop this one.

“Perfect throw, Captain!” Lina shouted with a smile.

“Not bad for a silly parlor spell I learned from a drunken pirate at a bar, eh?” Barbarossa replied with a grin.

For a moment, Lina reminded Barbarossa of Anne. She wore the same impressed smile Anne had always given him whenever he showed off his marksmanship.

Without wasting another second, Lina flipped the cutlass downward and drove it into the center of the Kraken’s head. The entire blade disappeared into its flesh, stopping only when the curved guard struck the surface.

The Kraken released a deafening shriek, thrashing violently in pain and flinging the exhausted Lina from its head toward the ship.

Lina closed her eyes as she fell, trusting Skayla to slow her descent like she always did.

But as the deck rushed toward her, no spell appeared to break her fall.

“I GOT YOU!” Barbarossa shouted, sliding across the rain-soaked deck and catching Lina moments before she struck the wooden planks.

Lina opened her eyes and stared at him in confusion.

“Sorry to disappoint ye, but your princess is currently asleep,” Barbarossa chuckled. “You’ll have to settle for an old man this time.”

Lina released a long sigh and, without a single argument, allowed Barbarossa to carry her back inside the bridge.