What lurks within the abyss?
Deep beneath Earth's expansive oceans, there exists a race of people unbeknownst to most humans, who live in an underwater realm all their own- the Seafolk. An ancient evolutionary offshoot of human beings, these mysteri...
Riding upon Kale wasn't nearly as terrifying as I had expected. His speed was unmistakable, but Chrystal and I hadn't been thrown off, and I felt somewhat safe around the bigfin squidfolk now, though I remained understandably wary, considering that he had tried to eat both of us when we first met. But now, his demeanor had almost completely changed. He seemed happy, almost excited, to be traveling with us. I supposed it was all a matter of keeping his appetite in check.
The liminal nature and lack of light in the twilight zone made deciphering the passage of time difficult. Kale had been carrying us for a long time now, but in our current location, there was no true difference between day and night. At this depth, as the name implied, the world was bathed in a perpetual twilight. We could swim for days without eating or sleeping, which was what made us great messengers for Her Majesty, but it also meant we had no idea when we were reaching our limits until it was too late, and we had no more strength left to move.
"So, how are you two girlfriends feeling up there?" Kale asked.
"We're fine, you're doing great," I assured him. "You're really fast...at this rate, we should be able to get to Prince Stellaris in no time." I gently petted his flapping wing-like fins.
"Aww, your flattery is too much," Kale chuckled. "It's nice to be treated like a person every now and then, ya know."
"I would appreciate it if you didn't refer to us as an item," Chrystal said. "Though...I suppose I have to admit it isn't so terrible. I was expecting you to suggest something like carrying us around in your stomach."
"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Kale grinned. "Wanna give it a shot?"
"N-no, no!" I interrupted. "It's okay Kale, you're doing just fine as you are!"
"Ah, that's too bad," the squidfolk smirked. "It's nice and warm in there, after all. By the way...looks like we've got company."
Out in the ocean, we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a roving swarm of sharks, the feral and Seafolk variety alike. They paid little attention to us, simply swimming around and going about their business. "Well, that's a smidge unsettling," Kale remarked. "My soft body isn't the best for going up against a great white, we should keep moving."
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"I suppose even you can be reasonable at times," Chrystal commented.
"I'm a bigfin squid, not the frickin' Kracken," Kale retorted. "I know who not to mess with. I don't exactly have the most well-built physique anyway." He poked at his pudgy gut with a clawed finger.
"Sharks aren't that frightening," I piped up. "They may look scary, but jellyfish aren't their preferred prey. I've delivered many messages to sharkfolk before, and they've all been very polite. As for squidfolk, on the other hand..."
