Chapter 1
The water ripples along my shoulders as I float with the swells and dips of the waves. The men on the dock are serious and quiet. Their heads tipped close to each other as they whisper. I’m hesitant to swim closer and reveal myself until I’m sure they are the ones who can help me save my dying race.If I didn’t need help so badly, it would be better to stay away.
They speak, in hushed tones, of mythical creatures. Some who still live, and some that died out long ago, but they don’t seem to be aware of my kinds existence. Not even the one who’s eyes glint with condescension toward his co-workers.
There are three. One, who seems to be in charge. He’s the shortest, an older balding man. The other two are younger, perhaps assistants. One is blond, the other has dark hair that falls to his shoulders in messy curls. The dark-haired man leaves me— unsettled. But it’s the shorter one I watch most closely. He darts his eyes away from the others when he’s speaking. He hunches his shoulders and creeps along the dock, staying close to the boxes and tools stacked on it.
My kind, the cacaelia, have been unknown for many years though it hasn’t always been so. We used to live in harmony with the humans, now all they know of us is legend. They’ve even forgotten what we are, calling us kraken. I must change that. Myself and my brothers are the end of our race. As their King, I cannot allow that.
I wait patiently while the men finish their conversation, wrinkling my nose and resisting the urge to cough as the smells of gasoline and waste water choke me. The seaweed that floats past me drags an empty bottle and coils of fishing line which I carefully avoid. It makes me long for the caves, deep within the ocean where we live now.
Finally, their conversation ends and they begin to walk back towards the land. Even as I approach them I wonder if I’m doing the right thing or if these men will betray us as the others did.
A cacaelian is a mighty creature to behold. I will terrify them when I reveal myself. Because of this I’m prepared for a hasty exit if they’re armed, or raise an alarm. My father wasn’t prepared and we lost him to their fear. If they aren’t afraid of me, they might be willing to help us.
I swim noiselessly up to the dock. Just before I reach the it the dark-haired one glances down. His mouth falls open and his eyes widen. He pales and steps back. His heel catches on something bolted to the dock and he nearly falls over the side, regaining his balance at the last moment. The dock tilts under my weight as I climb out of the water and the other two jump back, balancing themselves until the rocking stops.
“Hello humans.” I cross my arms over my chest and lower my voice. In my non-aggressive state I’m close to seven feet tall, probably the largest being they’ve ever seen. In my aggressive state, they’d likely faint from fear. I hope I never have to show it to them.
The short one splutters, removing and then replacing his glasses, as he takes in my form.
“Wh-what are you?” says the blond one, his wide eyes sweeping up and down my form as the color drains from his face.
The dark-haired one closes his eyes and shakes his head as if to convince himself I’m real. Their inspection freezes on my tentacles.
From the waist up I resemble a human male though I am larger than these men by far. My lower half differs significantly. Beneath me, eight tentacles shift, supporting my weight. I have ten in total, but two are retracted and out of sight.
“Wait!” The blond fists his hands in victory. “You’re a Kraken. I knew you existed.”
“I am a cacaelia.” I correct him, waiting as they absorb my words. When I think they’ve recovered from the shock of meeting a mythical being they didn’t know existed I reveal my need. “My race and I need your help.”
The dark one’s face is pale, his hands shake as he stuffs them in his pockets. “You need help? From us?”
I don’t respond, waiting, watching for their reactions. Their reaction will determine their ability to help me.
The short one, the one I least trust, narrows his eyes as if calculating how this might benefit him. “How can we help you?”
“I knew it. No one would listen,” the blond mutters.
The dark-haired one holds his hand out, silencing him and points to the short one, indicating he should go on. It’s clear the short one is the one in charge.
“As I was saying, what help could we offer you?”
The truth will overwhelm them, they only think they want the whole story now. The delay will give me time to learn if they are trustworthy.
I cross my arms over my chest, spreading and flattening my tentacles under me, making myself less intimidating. I tilt my head in respect towards them and reach a hand out in the human manner of greeting and introductions. “I am Lir, King of the cacaelia.”
The short one holds a shaking hand out, the others shrink back. His hand is trembling and hot in mine as he speaks.
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance- er- King Lir. I’m Harold Banks, the senior research scientist here at the facility.”
“Just Lir.” I look to the other two who are still staring as if they can’t quite believe I’m here.
The dark haired one recovers first, reaching out his hand to me. “I’m Ed, geneticist and researcher.”
Finally, the blond one reaches out a shaking hand. “Please forgive me. It’s just— I mean. I’m Kevin. I’m Harry’s assistant.” He grips my hand and then stares at it in wonder. “You’re cool to the touch.”
He runs his fingers over my palm, exclaiming at it’s size and color. He shakes his head and mutters under his breath. “Amazing.”
“As you were saying.” Harold has recovered and is ready to listen to my needs. As the least trustworthy in the group, it’s unfortunate that he’s the senior here.
“My people are dying out. I need a mate so I can reproduce.”
Ed and Kevin blink back their surprise at my request, but Harold simply nods. His eyes narrow and I get the feeling he’s already plotting to turn this to his own advantage.
“So you just expect us to find you a female— what did you call yourself? Cacaelia? Pardon me, but we didn’t even know you existed until five minutes ago. Where do you think we’ll find a mate for you?” Ed sounds confused and incredulous.
This is where it gets tricky. here…
