Page 31 of Jewel of the Sea

In front of him, the kraken he’d clawed had recovered himself and turned to charge at Arkon.

Gritting his teeth, Arkon bent at the middle. The crushing force around his stomach increased as he lashed out with his tentacles, twisting them to the right and closing all eight around the charging foe. The captured kraken struggled, and Arkon’s vision dimmed. He had but one chance at this.

Focusing all his strength into the movement, he wrenched his lower half to the right, using the struggles of the kraken caught in his tentacles to increase the power. Arkon’s body shifted, and for a moment, the enemy behind him held tight, fighting the motion. Claws bit into Arkon’s tentacles.

Then Arkon twisted his body, breaking the hold.

He continued the spin, lashing out with both hands to open new wounds on the chest and belly of the kraken who’d caught him while tightening his grip on the second foe.

As quickly as it had begun, the altercation ended. Kronus, still locked in Dracchus’s hold, shifted his skin to pale, yellow-tinged gray — his admittance of defeat. The wounded kraken backed away warily. Arkon swung his tentacles, tossing the trapped foe into his companion so they could retreat together.

Dracchus released Kronus, and the two sides separated.

Several kraken sported fresh injuries which misted blood, including Arkon.

It was anexcellentstart to a hunt, especially considering Arkon hadn’t wanted anything to do with it from the beginning. At least the wounds appeared superficial; all but the worst were shallow enough to close before the party reached its intended hunting grounds, so long as they were not agitated during the swim.

As he took position in the ring of onlookers, Arkon noticed one of the females — Leda — staring at him. She flashed maroon. Leda was an attractive female, and males often battled for her attention.

Leda smiled and waved a hand down to her waist. Her slit parted, revealing the petals of her open sex. An immediate invitation.

Arkon was aware of many other males she’d taken to her den, and they’d likely been many more beyond. Even if she had offered before he met Aymee, he’d have been hesitant; was he only worth her time because he’d spilled blood? Because he was capable of meeting violence with violence?

Only one female interested him. Only one female tempted him. And all of this was keeping him away from her.

He shook his head.

Leda scowled at his disinterest.

A tap on his shoulder called his attention away.

Jax signaled with a combination of limb movements and colors.Can we trust them?

Arkon looked at Kronus and his followers. Though Kronus had relinquished leadership to Dracchus for this hunt, his aggression hadn’t diminished; he had shifted his color from the yellow-gray of submission to an angry red, and his features were drawn in fury. His companions wore similar expressions, though their anger was laced with pain, their wounds proof that their advantage in numbers had done them little good.

Kronus and his group would be complacent for a time, especially after suffering such a resounding, public defeat. But they’d eventually make another attempt.

For this hunt only, Arkon signed.

Dracchus hadn’t moved from his place at the center of the crowd. All eyes rested on him. The sense of anticipation that had pervaded the onlookers had been replaced by recognition and respect. Dracchus, Jax, and Arkon had won despite being outnumbered and having been faced with an egregious violation of custom.

A pair of light posts stood on the seafloor nearby, detached from the Facility. Dracchus swam to them. The net hanging from one of the posts served as the signal that a hunt was being organized.

Staring at Kronus, Dracchus stretched the net and hooked it over the top of the other post.

The hunt had begun.

* * *

The waters surrounding the reef teemed with life. The variety of creatures was staggering; even Arkon didn’t have names for all of them. Segmented, many-legged things scuttled along the bottom, fish in all shapes and sizes swam around and through the stone-like coral, and hundreds of different plants — and creatures that only looked like plants — swayed in place. Every shade of every color seemed to be on display here, constantly changing in the dancing rays of sunlight streaming through the surface.

How would Aymee depict this scene in a painting? What would her artistic eye latch onto and accentuate?

Arkon waited beside Jax, their bodies pressed to the rocks at the edge of an open patch of sand. More stones and tufts of plant growth were scattered about ahead, but the space was largely devoid of cover. Sea creatures only braved crossing it because it bridged two sides of the reef.

Prime hunting ground for sandseekers.

Tentacles writhing with impatience, Arkon looked up.

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