A small night storm blows

Saying ‘falling is the essence of a flower’

Preceding those who hesitate

—Yukio Mishima

The scenery runs past slowly. Wind creates patterns in fields and forests as we pass. Occasionally we hear the call of monsters and beasts but almost none come close enough to bother us. Soon one part of dirt road seems to be the same as any other. The occasional waterfall and story seem insufficient to stave off the boredom. I am more used to travelling fast like the wind. To compete with the likes of Hermes I had to be fast.

To break up the travel we rest for the night. I have the second watch. Shaken awake I move to beside the campfire and throw on a log. The embers rise and chase each other in spirals through the air. I listen hard and stare at the darkness a step away from the fire to build up night vision. An hour later a rustling is heard and a beast man with muscles like iron steps from the undergrowth. He is covered in scars, scratches and mattered fur. His cloths are obviously tribal, and a tattoo of a wolf is visible on his shoulder. He seems tired. "Hello." I call out to him cautiously. "What brings you this far from the plains." He stairs for a second and responds. "I am looking for the one who betrayed my clan. He is a wolf with this tattoo on his shoulder, covered in scars and with the marks of an arrow on his back with a ring on his tail." He shows me the tattoo on his shoulder. "I haven't seen anyone like that near here. He is probably further ahead on the road." I respond. I offer him some food and a seat, but he refuses. "I will not rest until I have killed him the wolf proclaims and disappears into the night I see a ring of white fur at the base of his tail and a white arrow on his back. "Be careful not to become your own worst enemy." I whisper to the retreating wolf.

The next day the carriage trundles on and I have a new story to tell. It is not long before our rout takes us to the sea. The smell of salt is strong in the air and a light sea mist blows inland in patches. After an hour we are enveloped in fog for longer than usual and jagged rocks rise from top of small cliffs that drop to the sea. A disturbing sight greets us. Chained to each rock is a person. One of the surfs runs forward and shakes a young man awake. Before making an effort to free him. " Don't save me." cries the boy in a weak voice. "The kraken will destroy the village if you do. It always takes 8 before leaving." The surf takes some wires from his pouch, bends it near the end and places it in the lock. The shackle clicks open as he turns the wire. This pattern is repeated for the rest of the people. Soon 8 people are collapsed on the wagon some begging to be put back and we continue. A short time later a small town comes into view.

The first people we see are farming. After noticing the sacrifices, they rush back to the village with scared looks on their faces. It is not long before we are met with a man in high quality attire surrounded by armed men. "You have no right to free those people." He says to Suoh. "8 of us must die to satisfy the monster. It is better that it is 8 chosen fairly and sent to the shore to avoid damage to property than 8 from the town with more dying in collapsed buildings and due to a lack of home. Take them back or try to slay the kraken yourselves and become sacrifices in the attempt." Suoh nods and we wander back up the path.

Mari looks back on the town with a large harbour and taps me on the shoulder. "Krakens are like squid and die if not in water?" Mari asks. "Yes." I reply. I am unsure of exactly how similar or different kraken are from squid but they are somewhat similar. We continue walking but after less than a minute I get another tap on the shoulder. "I think I know how we can kill the kraken." She says. I ask for her plan and nod. "That might work but we need the mayor to agree to help." I say. Mari grins and nods her head energetically before running off. I call the rest of our group and tell them the plan. Soon we are back in the town with the mayor nodding his consent. It took us nearly an hour of hard bargaining to convince him. Some of us would play the most dangerous part of the operation as bait. Two of the surfs, a dancer, three of the sacrifices and I all stand on the harbour wall near the gate with ropes tied to our wastes. It is not long before the kraken appears and begins patrolling the coastline. A few tense minutes later it moves close to us and the sacrifices and surf take a dive off the wall with their ropes tugging them towards safety. The dancer and I dodge the first tentacles to ensure it will follow before joining them.

A few seconds later the great monster has found the open harbour door and given chase. We are moving fast but it is catching up Suddenly the great chains used for docking ships are raised up by a group of villagers. This slows the kraken down and it roars in annoyance and expands, drawing in water. It then sends a mighty jet of water out the gate to propel itself forward and over the chain. The harbour gates close due to the inflow of water leaving the harbour shallower than usual. The rest of the docking chains raze up with the cries of exertion from the villagers and I place a spell on the kraken to convince it that everything is fine so it doesn’t struggle too much for a few seconds until the chains have been secured. A moment later the spell breaks and two small volleys of arrows and short spears tied to ropes sink into the sides of the kraken before being tied down. The spell is broken and the kraken flails breaking some of the ropes. I try to distract it and oil is poured into the harbour and lit after it flows beneath the kraken. It’s flails become more frantic and one of the chains break but it quickly weakens before going still. The villagers cheer and as the sun drops below the horizon and we are escorted away from the charred harbour.

Everything went well in the end. I grin and take the hand of one of the ex-sacrifices. We are assured that work to repair the harbour will begin tomorrow but that a party is in order. I doubt we will be allowed to sleep tonight.