Page 36 of The Kraken Games

“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.

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