The Jellyfish Messenger

Chapter Six: Leviathan's Lair

The darkness closed around me, and the force of the currents swept me away- straight into the monster's jaws. I flailed, trying to fight the current with all my power, but it was no use. I was sucked in, along with the horde of krill that were easily swallowed up. I desperately reached out, clawing at the blackness, until I latched onto something. I tightly clutched it, clinging on so I wouldn't end up being part of his dinner, like the rest of those poor little creatures.

Eventually the tugging currents stoppeed, and my bioluminescence kicked in, lighting up the expansive space I had been sucked into. I sloshed around in a shallow pool of water, resting on the beast's tongue. As much as I wanted to escape, I didn't want to sting him, because that would be a quick method to get a one way trip to his stomach. All that surrounded me were walls of fleshy pink, coupled with the wide gullet in the distance that I wanted to stay far away from. What I had been clinging to the whole time were something kind of like...teeth, I suppose. But not really teeth, because they weren't sharp fangs, and the whalefolk didn't use them to bite his prey. They were more like layers of bristles. They were used to filter out the food that he usually dined upon, and as far as I was concerned, it was the only thing that had kept me from meeting an early death.

But...now what? I was trapped in his mouth, being taken away to wherever he happened to be going, and I had no way to get out. Even if he did spit me out, who knew where I would have ended up, or how long it would take me to get back on course, if I could even get on course at all. I could be lost at sea forever...and I wouldn't be able to see Chrystal and Kale ever again...

The thought made me burst into tears. I sobbed into my hands. If I knew the trip was going to be like this...I would have never taken Princess Tamayori's request so readily. Or would I? I likely would have naively taken it anyway, because I knew nothing about how dangerous the sea really was at the time. If I had known then what I know now...I would have asked for more help. Maybe that was why Her Majesty chose me. She knew I would take up the mission, no matter how dangerous. Because I was stupid and blindly devoted to her, I would have done anything she asked me. She did save my life all those years ago, but I had nearly lost it so many times just in my time out here alone.

What happened to me? When did I become so jaded and disillusioned? Right now, all I wanted was to see Chrystal and Kale again. I wanted to hug Chrystal tight, to take in her warmth and never let go. I wanted to ride on Kale's shoulder and pet his fins, complimenting him on what a great swimmer he was. Even though I may have met him as a terrifying predator, I had become so attached to him since then. Kale and Chrystal were my friends. I had never made true friends in my life before them. But now I had to face the reality of possibly never seeing them again...and I couldn't handle it. All I could do was cry.

A rumbling voiced echoed around me, not seeming to come from the whalefolk's throat. More like the sound was being streamed into my mind. "Are you alright, little one?"

"Y-you...can hear me?" I asked.

The creature responded. "Yes, I can. I didn't notice you at first until I felt you in my mouth. Then I heard you crying, and I became concerned...my name is Itazura, by the way. I travel through this area a lot looking for food. Don't worry, I don't eat jellyfish, never mind jellyfish folk. Some Seafolk think it's okay to cannibalize each other...that's just not right to me. The feral creatures of the sea are for us to eat, we aren't supposed to be devouring each other. It's likely why our kind can never manage to work together, when everyone's arguing over who's going to be dinner."

"Yes, I suppose that's true," I mumbled. "My name is Kurage. I'm on a journey to the Antarctic Ocean where Prince Stellaris reigns. He's supposed to be wed to Princess Tamayori of the Sea of Japan...I was sent as her messenger to deliver the betrothal declaration, but I've had nothing but setbacks since the very beginning."