Demetrio heaved the heavy load over his shoulder again, sighing at the pain. The bag was a light brown in color and had jagged objects pushing against its leather surface. What little personal belongings the healer owned were in this small container, and although there weren't many things inside it, it was certainly heavy. Trudging along the docks of the port, Demetrio dragged his magician’s boots along the erratic boards that lined the port, skipping over the occasional fishing net or crate of rum. A slight nostalgic emotion began to build up inside of his head as he remembered his last encounter with alcohol. It had ended up with a night in the Lomedor prison and quite the hangover.

Quickly, Demetrio unraveled the roll of parchment which had strangely been sent to him via a strange guardsman from the Angband Guard. Scratched and mixed with what seemed to be the red earth and sand that littered the Anfalgufir Desert, it was rumored that the desert city’s strange red earth, unique to Angband only was due to the countless blood that had been shed upon it for the water and jewels that was so valuable in the desert. Although Demetrio had already scanned the document countless times, the reason for its request was still a mystery to him. Flicking his eyes to the black ink written the in calligraphy of the Angband dialect, Demetrio began reading the scroll.

To Demetrio Vasquez, healer:

On behalf of the government of Angband and the governor of the provincial state of the Anfalgufir desert, Colonel Veranz of the Angband Guard, 1st Company would like to formally invite you to the city in order to serve as a lieutenant in the Healer Division. All expenses of the trip will be paid. Enclosed are the tickets for your vessel, the Thunderbird.

PS: Bring armor and weapons.

Yours truly,
Captain Rashid of the 1st Company

Lifting his head, a sudden growl caused Demetrio to suddenly pause followed by a flitting glitter of gold as Demetrio suddenly sighed, noticing the signature black pelt of Kikkam, his hell hound trotting towards him. With a frustrated look, Demetrio gave both the miniscule fly dragon flitting around a stern look. “I though I told you two to stay at the inn? You know I can’t take you on my trip to Angband,” sighed Demetrio. However with the boat leaving in twenty minutes, the healers suddenly gave up and beckoned the pair of polar opposite familiars to follow him, as countless sailors gave him a curious look…only to flee at the sight of the hell hound, both heads growling at strangers.

Demetrio came to an abrupt stop and slung his belongings off of his shoulder. The bag emitted a jingling sound upon impact with the ground. The healer stretched his back and moved his arm and shoulder in a circular motion experimentally to try to minimize the terrible soreness.

Slowly Demetrio weaved through the crowds, tightening his bag to allow him better maneuverability. While his attention was focused on the large docked ship he would be soon boarding, The Thunderbird, his fly dragon gazed at the sea from its position near Demetrio’s shoulder. Being a relatively young dragon, it had never seen the ocean before, and it intrigued it. It was especially calm today, only faintly sloshing against the boats. The morning sunlight cast a mesmerizing glimmer on the water's surface. Demetrio received his ticket and got in line on the dock to board the ship. Extracting a dazzling golden pocket watch, the chain jingled against the fresh air. Snapping it shut, the Vasquez wondered when the ship would finally leave the Port and get to the desert.

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"Last call for boarding The Thunderbird!" called out a crewman of the ship. "Destination: The Port of Anfalgufir!"

Demetrio's shoulder was soon throbbing with pain. It was only a short walk away before he would finally board the ship and would be able to store the heavy load somewhere. However, during this short window of time he felt as if his bag of belongings was getting heavier with each step. With a sigh, he said nothing, only walking up the docks along with the other people funneling into The Thunderbird. Finally it was the healer's turn to board. He was among the last, having the courtesy to let others go before him. The last call for entering the ship rang in his ears. Demetrio strode around the deck, finally dropping his belongings on the ground where he would be sitting for the duration of the trip. It was only then that he heard the cry of someone behind him. Whether it was a phrase in a different language or a name, or both, Demetrio had no idea.

Turning his head, his body was unprepared as the ship suddenly left the dock, leaving only a scattered feeling in Demetrio's stomach. It was a good thing that Demetrio wasn't too seasick.

The sun was rising on the horizon, casting a brilliant golden shade on the deep blue sea that surrounded them. The waves were calm that day, currents crashing against each other as they made their way around. Birds of all sorts could be seen hovering around, flocks gathered in formation. Their bright wings and sharp eyes surveyed the ocean surface, wary of any food that might come across. Beneath the tide dark shadows could be seen, making their way beneath the ocean floor, trying to not disturb the ship that traveled quietly.

Gentle waves brushed the hull, a cool mist spraying the passengers as the ferry pushed its way towards the faint outline of distant isles. However, due to the uncouth design to the ship, it continued to crawl through the waves.

Getting up from his rest, Demetrio brushed the few particles of dust from his clothes. A small cloud of dust made its way to his nostrils, causing him to sneeze. The irritation was troublesome, and with his nature, even little details could be detected quickly with his senses. Moving his body a bit, he let his feet touch the ground, before pushing himself up. Stretching his arms a bit, he let out a sigh just as the last sights of the sun reached its pinnacle upon the horizon.

Walking around the ship was a feeling of relief for Demetrio. The halls on the deck were tight, but allowed room for at most three people to walk side by side. The currents provided an uneasy feeling, as each crash into the hull of the ship caused it to sway slightly. The swaying was smooth, but still forced the passengers to exert some effort in maintaining their balance. It even occurred earlier that a young alchemist spilled his ingredients on the floor, causing quite a mess. Several of the healers were dulled by the foul odor and retreated to their quarters. It was silly fun, and the scene was amusing for one like the healer himself.

Traveling closer to the bow of the ship, he could see several healers discussing amongst themselves. Their eyes were filled with hope and eagerness, valuable traits for their profession. However, the boredom of the trip and the pacifying effect of the ocean waves soon caused Demetrio to nod off as he slumped to the ground, probably due to the effects of the alchemist’s anesthetic potion.

"I'll just sleep for a few minutes," mumbled Demetrio as his lids closed down upon his pupils and in a few moments Demetrio was snoozing away.

Merenwen was walking about the ship and wondering what the end of this voyage would bring. She had never been to Anfalgufir before and hoped that the changed wouldn't be too difficult. She was wearing a dark blue bodice, light blue chemise, and green breeches. Her dagger was attached at her belt and her small sack held all the rest of her worldly possessions. Her long blonde hair was loose about her shoulders and her eyes golden brown eyes were glowing.

She was looking out at the water and doing her best to ignore the odor that came from a potion that an alchemist had spilled a short time ago. Suddenly, the boat lurched under her feet and she found herself falling to the ground right over where a man lay. She attempted to divert her fall but in the end she fell partially over the man. This frightened her because she did not know how this man would react. She hoped he would not be too angry and quickly got back to her feet.

Along the edge of the Palanean Ocean, a lone Kraken ravenous after the mating season drifted silently through the murky depths of the water. It had not eaten a whale in two days now and was especially hungry. Luckily, it spotted a gigantic vessel rapidly ploughing through the waves not too far above him and it eagerly planned its attack. After about a split second of thinking, the sea monseter's plan was to destroy the ship and devour all creatures aboard it. A smash and grab job again, the traditional method of all Krakens.

Gently, the multi-limbed animal pushed his way through the water like most squid do and made its way to the other side of the ship. It could see a face looking down on its silhouette from the ship and suddenly realized that his element of surprise was lost. He couldn't afford to give them any time to prepare for an attack as the element of surprise was always his best method of hunting. However, these days no-one seemed too surprised to get attacked by a Kraken in this part of the ocean. Attacks occurred daily and pirates had even named the place 'Kraken Sea'. The name was a bit of a give away really.

His many tentacles would play a vital part in the destruction of this ship, as they were covered with suction cups which stuck the ship and guided in dragging it down to the murky depths the Kraken called Home. He stretched out his 12th tentacle (which happened to be longer than the others by about 5ft) and slowly uncoiled it so it would stretch out of the water without the actual monster needing to get anywhere near it. He punched through the waters surface like a erupting volcano and slithered his way up the side of the ship.

When the tip of his tentacle was visible at the bow he sped up his strike and swept it as fast as he could across the front of the boat. He could feel at least three people getting swept off their feet, and he saw two of them splash into the water. One of the victims, a hairy ape man was frantically scrambling back up the side of the ship on seeing the Kraken. The attack had begun, and no doubt he would begin feeling the mere annoyance of swords and spears jabbing at his arms. Surely today would be like no other...

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Gently, the flaxen rays of caressed the bronze skin of the healer's spanish descent, his blade lying gently on its side. Sweet dreams of Demetrio's home in Laskar quickly flickered through his subconcious as the aromas of the kitchen, fragrance of the gardens, and the Antamarinian sunlight rained down upon his face. In a way it was similar to his current abode upon the schooner, The Thunderbird, yet the fragrance of the kitchen was replaced by the harsh salt of the sea and the fragrance was interrupted through the malodor of some stink potion or another. Maybe even a vial of Chanced Healing? The only pleasant feeling was the sunshine was passed through his eyes every now and then.

Suddenly, the daydreams of the healer was interrupted when a sudden vibration shook the entire ship. Slowly, Demetrio began to sitr when another lurch caused a flaxen-haired female to crash straight upon the reclined body of the Demetrio Vasquez, his breath lost in the collision. Yet just as suddenly the weight shifted off of him, Demetrio groaning as he lifted himself off, dusting off the auburn magician's robes he had packed specifically for his journey to Angband. Curiously, he adjusted to the bright sunshine that rained through his single bedroom scanning the intruder who had so uncerimoniously shooken him from his daydream.

"Excuse me, but I hope you had a good reason for crashing into me," Demetrio stated in his usual stern and apathetic attitude, his voice cold and emotionless despite his good intentions. Scanning the female, Demetrio noticed a the girl's cerulean attire that almost matched the aquamarine of the ocean's spray, the saphire overcoat she wore, along with the verdant trousers that matched her outfit, a large contrast towards the austere appearance of the healer's hooded robes and boots.

However, with another sudden lurch and a large rumble, Demetrio lost his sense of balance as a pair of sailors ran through the corridor, scimitars and spears in their hands. Catching one by the arm, Demetrio attempted to question the sailor on what was happening above deck, yet the fear in the man's eyes answered his question...the ship was under attack. Extracting his brilliant blade of polished mithril, Demetrio quickly followed the sailors, noticing the efforts of the entire ship both crew and passengers to drive back the invisible menace...until the young healer was knocked back by a roaring tendril.

When the man awoke he frightened Merenwen for he seemed to be rather annoyed with her. The coldness of his voice shocked her and she wasn't sure how to respond. In the time that it took her to think of a response the boat had jerked she was barely able to keep from falling over again. When she had regained her balance she was going to try to explain to the man that this was her first time on a ship and she was sorry for falling on him but she didn't get that chance. She saw the sailors running by with weapons raised and the fear on their faces confused her. She decided to follow them and this other man, who had also pulled out his sword, and see what was going on. When she reached the other side of the ship the sight before her brought the greatest fear she had ever felt. She had been told about the Kraken prior to boarding the ship and now this nightmare was upon her and her shipmates.

She saw Demetrio get knocked back and in that instant she pulled her dagger. She hoped that she could help but did not expect the dagger to do very much. As she pulled the dagger she ran to the man to see if he was alright and wished that she had taken the time to learn some water spells before coming aboard the ship. It was too late for that now though and all she could do was try to help this man and her other shipmates. She was scared but she loved adventures so she decided to just look at this as another adventure and hope that it would turn out okay. As she was running across the ship she had to duck and dodge incoming tentacles so it took her longer then it normally would have. At one point she came extremely close to being knocked over by a tentacle but she was able to make use of her agility and combat reflexes to dodge the blow and deliver a short cut to the Kraken with her dagger. She finally reached the man's side and asked him "Are you alright?"

Blackness surrounded Demetrio’s vision as a sharp tendril of slime began wrapping its crushing pressure upon the young healer’s chest. Slowly, Demetrio’s breath became labored and constricted as sparks began to jump from the young boy’s fingers. A slight whisper was immediately lost in the wind as a crack resonated against the deck of the ship, the snapping of the healer’s ribs creating a sickening crunch.

With what little energy and consciousness Demetrio had left, the healer uttered a single incantation in the Sindarian tongue as a fiery inferno began crawling up Demetrio’s fingers, imploding into but a single spark as bolts of chaotic lightning raced across the short distance of the Kraken’s eye and the healer’s hands. With an ear-shattering shriek, the Kraken immediately unraveled its tentacles around Demetrio’s waist, as the healer collapsed upon the ground, causing moans to echo across the waters.

Quickly and almost instinctively, Demetrio’s own body began to subconsciously heal itself as white sparks shot out of his body, healing his broken bones, as Demetrio dragged himself up, his finger’s weakly clasping the hilt of his sword. Reaching into his bag, Demetrio took a mouthful of his Elixir, allowing the amazing liquid to rejuvenate the young man. Immediately a spark went into his eyes as his grip tightened. Looking to the side, Demetrio quietly thanked a young woman he had seen below deck. “We need to find a way to turn the ship around!” Demetrio roared over the cacophony of battle above deck as a geyser of boiling water erupted below the Kraken’s body.

((Sorry if its so short! My time is limited on the internet))

((Not a problem))

Merenwen could see that the man had been caught by a tentacle and begun dodging across the ship as fast as she could to help him. She got hold of a Wolf's Bane Shortsword and wielded it to the best of her ability. As she was running across the deck she saw a tentacle moving steadily in her direction. She dodged to the right and sliced her sword into the tentacle but was still knocked of her feet. Rolling to the side she managed to jump up and begin running again.

As she ran across the ship a spell her mother had once taught her came to Merenwen's mind. She had not done the spell in a long time but hoped that she would get to the man fast enough and that it would work. The spell was ice grip, and she knew that with this creature it would take more then a mere touch to freeze it but at least she could take out the tentacle.

Before she had a chance to use the spell she saw that the man had cast a spell himself. His spell had caused lightning to run along the Kraken's tentacle and he had been released. She knew he was hurt badly, worse then her magic could heal, but then noticed that he also had the ability to heal himself. She stood at his side while he healed himself and managed to use her ice grip spell when one of the tentacles again came for the man. She was only able to freeze a small amount of the tentacle before the Kraken pulled it from her grip but it was enough to keep the man from being grabbed again before he had fully healed.

As the man finished drinking the elixir he stood and gave her a small thank-you. She told him there was no need, this was a time when everyone must help one another or they would all die. Then the man yelled that they must turn the ship around and Merenwen looked to see if the captain was still on deck. She saw that the crew had been lessened greatly but it seemed the captain was still there. She continued to try and ward the beast off and hoped that they would get turned around fast enough.

Almost as suddenly as Demetrio arose from his injured position, another tentacle went flying as Demetrio quickly uttered the simple incantation for teleportation, diving through the myriad of tendrils each hoping to avenge to fall of another as sailor upon sailor fell to the Kraken's attack. Suddenly, a crash rumbled through the bottom of the ship, splinters flying into the air. It was just that instant where the Kraken crushed the hull, causing flooding to sweep through the lower decks of the ferry.

Quickly screams of panic arose as the ship began taking on water, its passengers flooding out onto the deck like rats. However each met a similar fate as tendrils plucked each one like a simple flower throwing the defenceless into the water to meet their watery grave.

With a roar, Demetrio climbed upon the railing brandishing his sword as a fury arose in his eyes that he thought had never appeared before.

The flaxen beams of twilight soon began to weave themselves through the tapestry of the sky, giving in to the midnight darkness that provided an almost ethereal appearance to the grandiloquent horizon that seemed to mock the very attempts of countless artists who had all tried to themselves mock the ability of nature itself. However, these same beams of vibrancy and vitality that bore the appearance of splendor soon felt the pain as the almost glowing blades of Demetrio's blade as it ruthlessly tore through the ethereal beams of sunset.

Swirling throughout the locale of the sinking ship, the young healer’s feet danced to the rhythm of death, his limbs gracefully tapping across the splinterd floors of unvarnished beech. Each foot step was light, cushioned by reality itself as the damp wood spread around his feet. However, the gentle taps of Demetrio’s boots provided no disguise for the gruesome death that would meet any who came in the way of the lethal pattern to which his blades danced. Silently, tendril upon tendril fell to his fury.

Together, the fangs of glaring war metal, battle eternity old and warped of being sharpened and reformed through the ages flowed slowly at the call of Demetrio’s palms, leaving a trail of invisible dust mimicking the trails of pixies, disguising even more the graceful terror that only the blade was able to wield.

Spinning forward once more, Demetrio whirled through the clouds of floating dust, penetrated and revealed by the dying beams of light, revealing only a golden nature as if bathed by the precious metal, so adored by the the entire population of the world.

Yet the young healer carried on, his hands wielding the blade faster, each revolution of the blade carrying the boy closer and closer to death, as the blade soon began leaving the authority of his digits, independently leaping from his control, as if a simple toy used to juggle, before Demetrio brought both blades down unto the final decapitation of his unseen antagonist, causing another tentacle to fall, flailing in the open air.

"Abandon ship!" Demetrio screamed as a final stomp caused Demetrio to dive straight into the water. As his head plunged into the briny solution, his eyes went straight to the girl who had assisted him, hoping to find her.

Merenwen saw that it was not to be, they were not going to be able to turn about and escape. The man who was beside her suddenly disappeared, avoiding a tentacle in the process and on the tentacles return trip it swung toward her. She sliced her shortsword into the tentacle but lacked the power to send the blade all the way through. As the tentacle continued its path she was lifted off her feet and though she managed to keep hold of her sword it slipped from the Kraken's limb and she was sent flying across the ship.

When she landed the wind was knocked out of her but beyond that she seemed to be okay. Another tentacle came crashing down towards her she and rolled to the side. As she prepared to stand again the ship was torn nearly in half from bottom to top. Her body lurched and she began to slip towards the water that was rising up quickly onto the ship. She managed to slam her dagger into the wood in front of her and drag herself away from the flooding.

She could see the other civilians from the ship running onto the deck in order to escape the flooding waters. They had no weapons, and thus had no chance. The Kraken grabbed each of them as the scurried on deck and dragged them out to an unpleasant death.

When she was finally able to stand another tentacle was sweeping towards her. She was lucky in that she had combat reflexes and great agility and thus was able to jump over the tentacle. A little ways from her she could see the man slicing through the tentacles and rather then attempt this again she repeated her ice grip spell. She leapt into the fray and managed to catch one of the tentacles. As the tentacle froze the ship continued to overflow with water. She knew the tentacle would only be frozen for ten minutes but all she could do was try to give them a chance. She could here the man yelling to abandon ship but before she had a chance to follow these orders another tentacle caught her and the Kraken began to pull her in.

As the creature crushed her small body she was able to mutter her ice grip spell one last time. She froze the tentacle that was wrapped so tightly around her, not thinking that this would leave her stuck in her current position. She could only think of keeping this creature from crushing her further. When she had finished freezing the tentacle she passed out, still lock in the death grip turned to ice. She did not have the power to heal all the damage that had been done and would need help if she were to survive.