“This is fabulous. Thank you so so much.” She bounced with excitement and started to unpack her bag.
Dave stepped out of the cavern to give her a moment, plus he needed a quick breath himself. He was becoming attached, and he knew it.
A cracking sound broke the quiet, making Dave bolt for the cavern where all the eggs were housed.
“Dave?’ he heard Jessica’s voice, but he had to get to the egg before the hatchling broke free completely. He almost flew over the rocks that littered the cavern floor, drawn only by the sound of the breaking egg. Finally, he found it, the egg that Jessica had saved the day before was vibrating, cracks covered the surface of the little blue and green egg. Dave could see the broken pieces move and flex as the hatchling inside fought for freedom.
Dave hummed to the egg as he climbed into the nest, squeezing his large bulk into the small area, careful to not hurt the other eggs.
He heard Jessica’s light footsteps approach, and without asking any question she stood next to the nest, her sleeves already rolled up, her hair tied back away from her face.
“Come on, little one, you can do it,” she cajoled to the egg, urging the hatchling out.
Slowly, each piece of the egg broke away, and each time a hint of the hatching inside was revealed. Hours passed, and the day eased away into the evening. Light from multiple sconces filled the cavern until finally the first Kracken hatchling of Kracken’s Hole was born. It was smaller than he expected, but Dave picked up the wriggling mass of tentacles and climbed out of the nest to head to the nursing pool.
“Oh my, how cute. Is it a he or she, Dave?” Jessica asked.
Dave wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t about to look now, it was hard enough to keep hold of the little one. Stepping into the pool, ignoring the fact his clothes were getting soaked, he sat in the water and gently lowered the hatchling. Like a Kracken to water, the moment it submerged it shot off into the deeper area of the pool, twisting and turning, and getting used to being out of the confines of the egg.
Dave couldn’t stop the little smile that graced his lips as he watched, this was the next generation of Krackens. It was no longer just him and his brother.
“That’s a girl,” Jessica called out from the other side of the pool where the hatchling was playing with her, the tentacles reaching out for her as she looked over the little one.
“Small in size in comparison to what I believe is the norm, but great colouring, eyes are bright, and she’s very active.”
Dave watched as Jessica filled in her notebook as she measured and weighed the hatchling, only the sound of more cracking pulled him away. Their night was about to be a busy one, and yet with Jessica by his side, Dave was looking forward to it.
12
Bruce rolled out the aged,yellow parchment and spread it across the table in the captain’s cabin. The boat rocked slightly with the ripple of the waves, and items that had not been stowed away rolled this way and that. The cabin itself was sparsely furnished, with only a table, a few chairs, and a small bed off to one side. The window let in the early morning light, the dawn a stunning mix of colours, but the sight was forgotten by the crew as they looked to their captain.
“This is the target,” the captain pointed to the centre of the map using a small dagger.
All five members of the crew pressed against the table to look closer, until one started to cough. Each cough echoed and sounded more like a squawk.
“Come on, Pansy, cough it up,” the crew member next to them patted their back.
When all had quietened again, the captain continued.
“We must strike hard and fast, get in and out before they deploy their weapons.”
“What weapons? You never said anything about weapons.”
“You said this was a no risk job.”
“I just came to get out of that shit hole we lived in.”
“I came for the food.”
“Have you lot bloody finished?” the captain shouted. He made to stab the table with the dagger, only when it hit the table, it flew out of his hand and out through the window into the water.
“Did you mean to do that?” one asked, and they all looked at the captain who was just as shocked as them.
“Anywho, back to the plan. We get in, grab it, and get out, back to the boat and we leave. No fannyarsing about.” They all nodded, standing a little taller. Until the smallest of them spoke.
“What are we stealing again?”
Groans erupted from all the members, and one took the opportunity to slap them upside of the head.
