The Escape of the Bonded

Within the broiling acidic waters of the belly and current cage of Nips and Kildren the two stomped about as another wash of sea water cascaded to fill the belly further.   Nips clamored upon the slippery back of Kildren, the dragon grumbling at the thought of having a rider of all things, and Nips took a moment to stare down at her scarred and hairless legs, the broken leather armor, her melted sword, torn clothes, and the bone carved flute stuffed within her belt. She let out a groan of exhaustion before she found her grip on the dragon as the grumbling of Kildren filled the room. 

 “Remember stupid child, hit fast and hit hard. Its either the front end or the back and I’d prefer to not get sick.” The dragons head turned to stare piercingly at the small tabaxi, and its eye spoke words where his nonchalant gait did not. He shifted about to face the front of the belly before continuing his directions, “When we jettisoned out its going to be rough so hold on tight and mind my wings, I can’t control them as well as I might hope so no apologies if you get smacked in your empty skull.” 

 Another wave of sea water washed its way in splashing to sear at what was left of Nips legs. A roar from Kildren left vibrations in the surrounding walls and from within the young bronze dragons throat heavy burst a lightning that spidered out against the entrance to the kraken’s stomach charring the fragile skin surrounding it. With another roar Kildren brandished all his weight against his claws as he pushed forward tearing further into the skin taking large chunks of flesh with each pull. 

 There was a visible shake as the innards of the Kraken wavered under the onslaught and Nips watched shocked for a moment, her hand reaching to grasp at the necklace around her neck, and with a soft warmth from within she shook herself to focus. A burst of Blue energy shimmered out from around her as Kildren’s claws that continued to rip at the flesh flashed with and were joined by lightning and thunder that torn and reverberated the flesh even further. Another burst of darker and stronger energy nearly blinded her as she closed her eyes tight. 

 From within the watered floors and the various sea life that grew within, spectral vines and leaf covered wood barks grew to push the throat open further. The divine energy channeled to strong arm an opening for the two. 

 For a moment the two felt weak as they waited, Kildren’s last clawed effort resounding with a boom of thunder before he stood back to stare at their work. Nips opened her eyes watching as the spectral vines continued to pull harder and harder. “I do not know if it worked Tomsfellow…” 

 A sadness filled her lungs with cold breath, that thought of ‘ No this cant fail!’ filled her head and with a grunt she squeezed her eyes tight and her fist tightened against her necklace; ‘Please I need help!’ . A deeper and unimaginable flash of energy pierced the walls as the vines gave way to grow not spectral, but of moss and real white wood bark tearing and piercing the creatures flesh uninhibited by its strength. There was a shake and convulsion in the Kraken’s innards as a rush of air pulled the contents of its belly towards its throat. 

 Kildren reared his head with a roar, “Yes! Stupid child do not stop! Hold on tight and for whatever purpose do not pull out any of my scales!” The air pulled hard as the vines twisted and turned, Kildren and Nips were given a glace behind them as the air turned them about. Kildren was surprised to watch as from the bellies floor a tree grew; one of white pine bark and crimson leaves. 

 “Well let me concentrate you Stupid Dragon and maybe I can!” came the holler as Nips lowered her head close to Kildren’s neck, her hand clutching her holy symbol tight, and the other digging her claw into what ever flesh she could find along Kildren’s back. A deep voice rattled her skull with each pulse of energy, ‘Keep calm, you’ll find your way. I will watch on; find your friends as they may need your help sooner than later.’ 

 Any thoughts were interrupted as the dragon was picked up by the force of the contents pushing him out and through the Kraken’s throat. With the last glimpse of the tree’s roots growing into the monstrosity’s inner walls, the duo was thrown forth into the dark and cold depths of the surrounding ocean. 

 Nips was in shock as she blinked her head tumbling as it took a moment to come to focus on the surrounding waters. Kildren nearby was quicker to grab at the small form nudging her back into to place, ‘No time to lay around stupid child!’ were the only warning and words that slammed into Nip’s head. She turned about to see the colossal form of the Kraken they once were trapped in writhe in pain as tree roots pierced out from its form to tighten and wrap around it. Its deep crimson eyes glared but remained still as the tree’s growth finally began to still. 

 

 Nips only got another glance as Kildren pushed off into the waters beginning to propel himself further through the waters. She watched as hundreds of yellow eyes turned to stare after the two before making chase. 

 

 The water pushed back against the two as Kildren tipped himself upwards swimming to the surface of the waters. The pressure of the waters rippled and pressed against his scales causing grunts of pain to fill his throat and a fear of failure filled his mind. But with each meter up that he swam it became easier and easier. What was fearful was the distance being gained by the spawn behind him. An obvious advantage to their underwater nativity. 

 He craned his neck to search and as they pierced over an underwater cliff his eyes caught the sight of buildings all strewn across the sea floor. A city that seemed to stretch as far as his eyes could see and he felt Nips nudge him her voice filling his mind, ‘We can lose them in there!’ fear filled his lungs as he remember the words ‘a dragon did not fear’, his mother’s words before she would attempt to crush him under her weight. From the dark of his mind Nips voice pushed forward, ‘Trust me! I can guide you!’ 

 Kildren did not hesitate as he twisted his form following the words of his rider with the ever-growing mass of krakens that followed behind and the ever-growing fear that filled his head. ‘You need to tuck your wings as close to you as possible! Use the buildings to pull your self through the water and make quick turns! Maybe we can find a place to hide that they can’t reach!’ Kildren had to admit that he was impressed with the little ones bravery, that is if he hadn’t heard the shake in her voice as she spoke, but with a nod and another heavy flap of his wings against the water he pulled his form closed and propelled into the tight streets of the drowned city. 

 The quick chase was a lot for the dragon’s eyes to keep focus as buildings passed by as blurs. Every opportunity to grab at the ocean floor was another propulsion forward as he waited for the feeling of his rider’s intent. He could feel the relief as Nips watched a large portion of the chasers break off to wait in the distance above the city leaving a few to try and follow alone. The sound of stone breaking was heard as one went headfirst into a building nearby was signaled by the feeling of cheer from Nips. 

 ‘Break!’, the stupid child’s scream filled both their heads as Kildren dipped down pushing all his weight against the sand. They slid as he ground himself against the ocean floor and his eyes turned wide as the intersection before them came to an end in the form of a stone building. He felt her intent and with that he let go of the ground aiming for the corner of the building that turned right into the intersection. He twisted onto his side and with a surprising quickness, even for himself, used the corner to pull himself forward. Another deft turn and with a whip of his tail he braced himself as what was left of his momentum pressed against the stone of the far building before twisting once again to turn once more before slipping into a long stretch of a street. The pain overwhelmed him for only a moment when with a flash of blue light, he felt the pain subside, his rider’s healing powers were joined by a whisper in their minds by her, ‘We lost them for now! Be quick but slow down!’ 

 Kildren knew his form was bulky and heavy. He wouldn’t last long in these tight corners but with the chasers forced to follow above instead of behind he was at advantage in some ways. Knowing that just twisting and turning throughout these streets wouldn’t get them anywhere he rose up from the ocean floor to fly for a moment just above the buildings rise. The moment gave their chasers a glimpse of them, but off in the distance he was able to pinpoint a larger building that rose above the rest. With his task done he dipped low to the ground and quickly slowed to turn into an even tighter street as they began shifting and turning through the maze. 

 ‘We need to move quiet; I think I have lost them again’ Kildren thought and waited for a response as he prowled through the oceans floor, ducking under a shadow as a set of krakens swam above them. 

 Nips took a moment to breathe and release the tense muscles that threatened to spasm. ‘Where do we go?’ She thought into their connection as she looked about at the black hewn stone of the buildings intent on figuring out where they may be upon the ocean floor. She couldn’t believe they had made it that far but knew that Kildren was growing exhausted and to push him further would not be good. 

 Kildren came to a stop just before they would exit out into a larger street and taking care to try and press his form against the buildings shadow. His eyes would capture the sight of their predators every so often as the mass of them moved in patterns above the city. He thought back to his rider ‘I saw a cathedral of some sort far off in the distance. It will hold me better then any of these buildings would, but we can’t stay for long we have to escape this city, or we are trading one cage for another.’ He caught a momentary thought of Nip’s in which she wished her could be smaller and with a chuckle he answered her unasked question. ‘I can be smaller but for not long an hour at most; it was at least the best I could do for my mother to excel at one aspect of being a dragon.’ 

 Nips was visibly surprised before she took a calculating look, ‘ We need something small if not tiny, something that can fit in my pocket if not arms. Can you do that?’ Kildren gave her a look as if to ask if she was questioning his abilities. He tensed under her as a shadow past above them. She only had a moment to react her head turning to look into the maw of the kraken that stared down with its yellow eyes. 

 Kildren’s form fell out from under her as she floundered for only a moment as she felt the paws of something grab at her. The Krakens pseudopods and tentacles all reached to grasp at her only for them to meet ground as with the help of the small otter they both swam quickly towards the other end of the alley; the Kraken soon followed to give chase. 

 Nips and the otter, its metallic blue eyes and the bonded connection solidifying the form as Kildren, rushed to twist into a window cut out of a building only moments as the kraken tried to fit itself after them. Each taking a quick glance as the stone around the sill began to crack under the onslaught, they took off into the city through another cut out. 

 Nips had to admit to herself as the skulked through the drowned city that it had been long since she had played this game of hide and go seek. Normally they would be guards or drunkards after her and sometimes whole taverns, but this had to top those games. Shadows passed over the two as they swam their way through building to building rushing off into the distance where Kildren had seen the cathedral in the distance. 

 It was eerie quiet and tense, each moment was mere meters to their deaths. With each meter came a warming to Nips chest. Her hand coming to press against the clawed necklace that Barnaby had given her in Clarence’s stead to feel it warm to the touch. It was as if each meter closer to this building they came the stronger the warmth filled her and the safer she felt. 

 Each wasn’t sure how long they were building hopping, yet it was in their already chilled bodies that the waters grew colder and a massive shadow overcame the city. Above them moved the colossal form of the crimson eyed Kraken as it took its turn to prowl the city. They stilled to watch it form a window that overlooked the courtyard. It was the last stretch of waters before the cathedral doors that lay slightly cracked open to their safety. 

 It was almost unimaginative for her to see the tree that grew from the kraken’s center and it left Kildren to wonder at what power could cause such an ability. His eyes turning to his young rider calculating and he wondered if he had misread her abilities. Meanwhile her face turned to look out into the courtyard only to cause her to gasp. 

 The once dark city was a glow by soft flittering lights that drifted among the water leaving a dull glow in their wake. Off in the distance she could see as these lights filled the streets beyond only to float into the waters above. A singular word filled her mind, ‘Go!’, that sent her scrambling out of the window and Kildren pushed after her before the building they once stood within was demolished under the heavy weight of the Kraken’s siege. 

 She wasn’t sure what to think or what to do but to push onwards forcing her feline dexterity to help her further. Kildren swam behind her as fast as he could, his more nature form dashing through the waters to pass through the cathedral doors only to turn and wait. 

 Nips pushed onwards with each kick of her feet and the shadow that towered over her coming ever closer. She clutched at her necklace as her breath caught in her throat. She heard deep in the back of her mind a familiar voice that made her stop still. 

 “Well, I suppose little one. You’ve made it all by yourself didntchya? I knew you could do it; I always had faith. But Its best ye look up and keep still, Okay? Well I suppose a little help once in a while might help won’ it? I want you to remember that when you find yourself stuck on the golden shores that the talking waters are not far from your flippers or your ears. You will find your light, little one. I know I wasn’t the best in life, but I hope I did the best by you and I will be here if you really need me… now swim quick my little turtle, captain and the first mate may need you, the crew too.” 

 Nara felt the tears well up in her eyes and the warmth that filled her chest… with another kick she closed her eyes the mass of tentacles wrapped around her to hold and crush. A roar pierced the waters followed by the light of Kildren’s breath filling the ocean’s floor. And then her eyes tightened as a familiar burst of blue energy flooded around her and her consciousness slipped away into exhaustion and sleep. 

 Kildren watched as the spectral vines solidified as they burst from the center of the courtyard. This time he watched as the tree pierced from the stone floors and grew to wrap and ensnare the Kraken, a few pulling the tentacles from around the slow drifting form of Nips. He rushed forward grabbing her in his now dragon wings and paddled towards the cathedral doors. He wasn’t even sure he would fit, but that was solved as a lone figure swam out from within the building her eyes filled with panic and the merfolk pushed the door open, her free hand beckoning him forward and so he swam with the last energy he held a small burst of cat like energy pushed him passed the threshold. The sounds of the door closing behind him followed by the siege of the kraken outside. 

 He lay unmoving upon the floor, the stupid child’s form curled under his claw as he watched wearily as the merfolk stepped forward. They both listened as the cathedral stood strong against the bombardment, finally with the softest of voices the mermaid spoke to him; “Hello, I’m Lorelei, what’s your name?” He was surprised for only a moment before speaking in broken common ; “Kildren and Nara, can you heal?” and the mermaid nodded in response as Kildren fell into darkness.