The Ruby was quickly tugging him back towards the Temple. Edgar felt exalted as the air rushed around him. For a brief moment, he wondered why he'd been worrying so much.
He landed softly in front of the ruins, and practically dashed inside. He held up the glittering red jewel for the Elders to see.
Hoa nodded his approval. "Well done, arachnid. I'm very proud of your work."
Edgar blushed a little. "Well, thanks."
Marlow, the Sea Elder, spoke up. "Your next location is the fisherman's hometown - Sedove Cove."
Just hearing that made Edgar want to cry again. He could only imagine what Barley was suffering through right now.
Apparently his unrest was obvious, because Marlow interrupted his inner thoughts. "Did I cause you pain?"
"You certainly did," Hearth said. "I can feel his sorrow from here. It is unbearable!" Tears could be seen on her transparent face.
"No, no, it's fine." Edgar dabbed at his own tears.
Marlow turned back to him. "Go quickly. We cannot allow the Apparitionist to get his hands on any more of the Ethereal Stones."
Edgar held his head high. "Got it."
Immediately afterward, he experienced a sensation like his was folding into himself. Brief fizzing accompanied the feeling, and he could smell the sea.
When his vision cleared, he could see a lot of sand and ocean. The breeze ruffled his fur, carrying the taste of salty spray. Looking to either his left or right, he could see lots of beach and sea and people. Looking straight ahead, he saw a bustling sea town situated on a boardwalk. Every person in his line of sight was dressed either as a pirate or sailor of some sort. Edgar could definitely envision Barley growing up here.
But the question was, where would there be a place to hide an Ethereal Stone in a place so mellow?
The answer surfaced: try asking a local. It seemed so obvious now.
Edgar approached a woman in a typical sailor costume. With her deep blue eyes and hair dyed pink, she looked like she'd just stepped out of an anime.
Edgar tapped her leg. "Excuse me."
She glanced at him. "Can I help you?"
"Uh... yes, you can, actually. Have you heard of the Sea Stone?"
The girl stopped examining her nails and looked him right in the eye. "So you're the Destined One that the Fire Tribe told us about. I don't know where it is, but maybe you could ask Naori."
Edgar felt relieved. At least there was someone who could actually help him out. "Sounds good to me. Who's Naori? Where do I find her?"
Anime-girl waved her hand in the direction of the village. "She works at the Black Pearl. Souvenir shop. You can't miss it. Tell her Sunday sent you."
Edgar nodded and set off for the village. On the way, he caught the attention of several sea-goers. One couple in particular, a blonde sailor guy and a brunette pirate girl, stared him down all the way to the store. The anime girl - Sunday - had been right. The souvenir shop was impossible to miss. Fashioned from dark glossy wood, it shone in the sun with a faint sheen. Above the weathered door was an old-fashioned sign that clearly said "The Black Pearl Souvenirs".
Inside, the shop looked new. Everything was marble and glass. A flustered woman who looked around Barley's age was tidying. Her cinnamon-and-sugar hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and her glasses were silver, advertising her sea-blue eyes. She was wearing a long white cardigan, a shirt with a sailboat pattern, and washed-up jeans with a pair of brown boots. She didn't notice the young spider and his fairy companion standing in her doorway.
Edgar cleared his throat and she jumped, whirling to face him. "Goodness me! Don't sneak up on me like that! I've been on edge all day!"
"I'm very sorry," Edgar said, genuinely. "I needed something."
She sighed and turned her back to him, taking out a small rag and beginning to polish an elaborate ceramic conch shell. "And that would be...?"
"I need directions to the Sea Stone."
Naori froze, nearly dropping the ceramic shell. "Who told you that I know the way?"
Edgar pointed outside to the anime girl. "She did."
Naori huffed. "I swear, Sunday is always trying to find ways to bother me. Yes, I can tell you where to find it. However, there is a ferocious monster guarding it closely."
Edgar nearly screamed. He hated monsters. A few weeks ago, Barley had told him a story about a goat man, a half-goat half-man who snuck up in the night and devoured helpless children in their beds. Edgar had slept with the lights on since then.
Faith sighed and asked, "What kind of monster? Please tell us what we need to know."
Naori tilted her head, scrutinizing Edgar's face. "You look familiar. You don't happen to know a Barley Fisher, do you?"
Edgar perked up at that. "Of course I do! He's one of my best friends!"
Naori gasped. "You must be Edgar! The last time Barley came through here was when he was still somewhat young. He was in his late fifties, I believe. He told me about that Charley and about you. He said you were so cute it hurt his eye to look at you."
Edgar smiled at the thought of his friend, "He's a wonderful toon, isn't he? We three are the bestest of friends." Then Edgar remembered, "but he and Charley have been kidnapped."
Naori covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry, I didn't hear. Is this why you're looking for the Sapphire? To free him?"
Edgar nodded with a sad smile, "So what can I do? How about the monster?"
Naori sighed. "If Barley is that close to you... you're telling me he has never told you about the Kraken?"
Edgar shook his head. "Is that a type of nut?"
Naori laughed. "No, it's a large octopus with too many tentacles. Such a legendary beast is a common story shared among the Sea Tribe. It lives in a cave under the waves. The entrance is well-hidden on the beach." Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "My little sister, Elenid, went to face the Kraken. She didn't come back."
"Ne-never came back? Not even a piece of something came back?" Edgar gulped. This meant defeating the monster wasn't going to be easy.
Naori shook her head miserably. "Poor Elenid... she was only twenty-four... I tell you, kiddo, if you're brave enough to challenge a tentacled shark the size of a planet and still be sane, you're a hero to me. Are you really planning to handle the beast alone?"
"Don't worry,I will be with you. You won't be alone." Faith replied. "I'm sure we can handle it. My magic hasn't peaked yet, but I can still help."
Naori nodded. "You're both either crazy, or just incredibly brave. Go visit my sister-in-law, Kiari. She's usually on the beach, and she's dressed like that famous pirate that owned a ship with the same name as my shop. You're look for a girl with auburn hair and an elaborate blue and gold uniform."
Edgar thanked her and went out to the beach again. Almost immediately, he saw the girl Naori had described. She was in fact dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow, with thick auburn locks that fell loose to her waist. She stared out over the waves, appearing to be thinking.
Edgar quickly approached her. He was so close! "Are you Kiari?"
She eyed him suspiciously. "Who's asking?"
"I'm Edgar, I'm looking for the Sea Stone."
She sighed. "So old Naori sent ya, did she? I guess I am more familiar with Mother-of-Pearl Pass than most."
"Mother-of-Pearl Pass? What's that?" Edgar exclaimed with his forehead scrunched.
"It's the name we gave the passage that leads to the Kraken's lair," Kiari explained. "It's got the same colors."
Edgar nodded. "Can you take me there?"
"I could, but I'd rather not. Anyone with a shred of common sense would stay as far away from those caves as possible."
Edgar huffed, greatly annoyed. He was tired of all the people doubting him. "I have to do it. My friends and the whole world depend on it."
Kiari rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine, if you insist. Follow me."
She led the way to a vacant part of the beach, dominated by gigantic sand dunes. She waved her hand, and a mysterious gust of wind blew away one of the largest dunes, revealing the rocky mouth of a cave. "There's you way in. Careful though - go in too far, there's no telling if you'll get back out alive."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, coat flowing in the breeze.
Edgar marched toward the cave, but Faith hovered in front of his face. "Are you sure you want to do this? Those girls made a point of staying away from this place."
"Why does everyone doubt me? My friends are at stake here!" Edgar said, sounding glum.
Faith sighed. "It depends on whether or not your loyalty runs as deep as the sea. You're not much use to your friends if you're dead."
Edgar had to admit she had a point, but he couldn't just abandon his quest now! He already had the Ruby, and Welkisberk would definitely punish him when he found him just for trying to interfere.
No. He'd started this. He had to be the one to finish it.
"Here, I have a magic pill. If you can swallow, you can breathe underwater. I figure it'll be a great help when you're facing the Kraken," Faith said, trying to encourage Edgar. She took one and gulped it down.
"Thanks. Let's do this," Edgar quickly swallowed the pill as he entered the cave.
Not many feet below the entrance was a spacious room. The salty smell of seawater had quickly been replaced by the smell of rotting meat. Corpses hung from the walls.
Edgar nearly jumped out of his skin when one of the dehydrated bodies raised its head to look at him. "Who... are... you?"
He tried not to throw up. The stench was overpowering. "Edgar. I'm here to kill the Kraken."
The corpse, who he could now see was simply a girl in tattered clothes, blinked her big bloodshot eyes. "How long has it been? I haven't seen Nay-Nay in what feels like an eternity..."
Edgar frowned. "Who's Nay-Nay?"
The girl wheezed. "My sister... Naori..."
Edgar covered his mouth. The corpse had to be Elenid. But hadn't Naori said the Kraken killed her?
No! She'd only said that Elenid didn't come back!
"Rest assured, Elenid," Edgar said, gently touching her hand, "I'll bring you back to Naori if I survive this thing."
Elenid gushed her tearful thanks as Edgar continued down lower."Thank you, thank you so much."
Lower down, Edgar struck water. It was freezing cold. Edgar's fur clung to his skin. Thankfully, when he submerged himself, he could breathe. He could also see, clear as day. He vowed to thank Faith again later.
Lower down, they started hearing roars. Loud noises that couldn't have come from anything smaller than a planet. The noise shook the walls of the cave, and sent bubbling surges through the water.
Suddenly, something zoomed through the water, nearly ramming into Edgar. Luckily, Faith sensed its presence before there were any injuries.
"Edgar, watch out! There's something behind us!" Faith gasped. Her eyes were glazed with terror.
A gigantic monster the size of a planet, with thousands of tentacles curling behind it.
The Kraken.
It was just like how Naori described it, but much more horrifying up close.
Edgar gulped. This was not going to end well.
The Kraken roared loudly, sending them both tumbling through the icy water before slamming against the rough, rocky walls. It swiped at Edgar, not noticing where Faith went. He barely managed to dodge.
Out of nowhere, the Kraken screeched. There was a stump where one of its tentacles had been. To Edgar's shock, Kiari was there, slicing away at the beast with a dagger. Behind her, Naori held a saber sword.
"The Sapphire is in its forehead!" Kiari shouted.
Edgar's gaze shifted to the creature's gargantuan head. Sure enough, embedded in between the large, bulbous eyes was a shimmering blue jewel.
"Use this," Naori yelled, tossing him a crowbar.
"Okay, w-wait! What do I do with this?!" Edgar panicked, until it finally clicked. "Oh, OK! I'll try to swim above him! Faith, Kiari, one of you distract him and the other, grab anything important that can assist us as you free those corpses."
Kiari, having the faith of the corpses, began to free them and tell them instruction about how to help unlock the others' chains. Then something gleamed on the table as she went to get it.
Elenid was more than happy to join the battle. She drew a glowing saber and swam to join the battle. Several others followed her. A few more made a break for the surface.
The Kraken was flailing at Naori and Faith, screaming in its primal language. It hadn't noticed Edgar yet. At the last moment, the spider dove, prying the Sapphire loose.
The Kraken screeched, an ear-piercing sound, before it collapsed against the cavern floor. It crumbled into dust, similar to how Maxia had.
Relieved, triumphant, and soaking wet, Edgar and co. made their way to the surface. The sea-goers were cheering wildly for them, throwing their hats in the air.
Elenid embraced Naori tearfully, and all the other "corpses" rushed forward to receive their loved ones with open arms. The Sapphire shed a gorgeous blue light over them all, and yanked Edgar skyward again. Two down, eight more. Edgar could see he had a fighting chance. He was close to his goal. Victory would be his.
Welkisberk would never know what hit him.
~END OF CHAPTER~