The Water Goddess

Chapter 4, Part 2: Evil intentions

The cold sting of the southern Pacific ocean was the only thing Atalanta could feel at that moment. But she didn't mind the vague pain, what she is after at this moment is to get her friend back. Atalanta swam so fast after she left Felipe, it only took her 2 minutes to get there.

As soon as she felt that she had reached the deepest part of the south Pacific, she stopped swimming and so did that the other pixies. She talked with them through her telepathy.

"We stop here. Stay close to me, this place is not for pixies. This place is the home to a dozen giant Kr'emul."

They all shuddered with fear when they heard that from her. But she took them all so they could hide on her shoulder.

Atalanta began summoning a Kr'emul by sending a patterned drumming through the water. That pattern is set to call out the alpha of the Kr'emul.

In a matter of minutes, gargantuan tentacles appeared in front of them, covered with large suckers in each tentacle. And a great disturbance of the water appeared as the colossal alpha Kr'emul, Ghaku, floated right in front of them.

It stood at 200-300 meters including the length of the tentacles, a big mass of a monster in the deepest part of the ocean. Its great circular mouth in the middle of the tentacles had rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth that could crush any ship in one biting motion. But the most horrendous part of its anatomy is the eyes, almost 50ft in diameter, with the darkest pupils enclosed in a yellowish-bloodshot canvass. It was the old monster of the sea that everyone feared of, but to Atalanta, he is just another creature of the deep ocean that bows down to her.

"Oh great goddess, Atalanta, you are most welcome to our home! How may I be of your service?" It even motioned a bow to give respect to the goddess that is floating in front of him.

"Spare me the formalities, Ghaku. And tell me only the truth, have you seen a pixie just now? Or today?"

His eyes widen, "But my goddess, this is the deepest part of the oceans, no pixie would venture here."

Suddenly, Atalanta conjured a hardened water spear and pointed it out on Ghaku, "Do not toy with me! I know you Kr'emul and one thing is that you never tell the truth!"

This enormous heap of a monster covered himself with tentacles, fearing for its life with Atalanta's threats.

"My dear goddess, please spare me! My herd will be lost without their alpha! We have not seen any pixie today or any other day, my goddess. It has been hundreds of years since the last time we ate pixies... And it would be a savory treat to have one or three now..." and he noticed the pixies hiding in Atalanta's shoulder.

"You wouldn't dare!" And she shot a sharp water blow into its eyes that it was blinded for a while. "Even if you are on the top of the food chain, I wouldn't give a second thought on annihilating your herd! Go back now to the depths!" She shouted through her mind, that it made Ghaku swim and disappear quickly.

When the water calmed down, the pixie came out of their hiding place and all of them had worrisome looks on their faces.

"Oh goddess... Where could have our brother gone to? We hope he is fine." Said the red pixie.

"I also worry for him... I think we have to go back to the palace, he might be there already. He might have come home." Atalanta then took them with her hands, and she started swimming to the west.

She can only hope that she is right with her assumptions.

----

The bioluminescence of the algae that covered the palace could be seen a few meters away. Atalanta swam more till she arrived at the gates of the palace. It opened freely to her, but she noticed that the guards were not facing her. This is a sign of disrespect but unless something have happened and the council had ordered it so.