The sun was just rising as the guild gathered at the docks. Their next mission was to a place called Esteria, a city far away from where they were now. No one really knew what the mission was about they only knew they had to get there quickly. For that, they'd be taking a huge boat.
The boat itself was massive, bigger than anything any of them had seen before. It had tall masts, ropes everywhere, and a wide deck where the group could gather. The smell of saltwater mixed with the faint scent of fish made the air feel alive.
Kajala was already climbing the rigging, showing off as usual. "Watch this!" he shouted, balancing on the ropes high above, almost like it was a playground.
Regulus tried to follow but slipped twice, each time crashing noisily onto the deck. "I'm fine!" he said quickly, brushing himself off as Rika just stared, chewing on a piece of dried fish like it was candy.
"Don't fall, Reg!" Rika said flatly, her weird calm tone oddly comforting.
Rei leaned against the railing, watching the others with a small smile. He was still trying to figure out the whole "boat life" thing. It wasn't like running around in dungeons or fighting knights. This was slow, steady and honestly, a little boring.
That was until the captain showed up.
"Name's Lancer," said a deep husky voice. The man was leaning casually against the railing, a toothpick hanging out of his mouth and a small bottle poking out of his pocket.
He had a scruffy beard, not too neat but not wild either, and his eyes held a strange mix of chill and mystery.
Lancer gave a slow nod to everyone. "Used to be a soldier of Esteria. Don't ask why I'm not anymore. Nobody really does."
Kajala raised an eyebrow. "So... what, you just quit?"
Lancer smirked. "Let's just say the army and I... had different plans. Now I'm captain of this beauty."
Regulus, still sore from his falls, tried to look tough. "Bet you can't beat me climbing that mast."
Lancer laughed a low, rumbling sound. "I might not be as young as you, kid, but I'm faster than you think."
Rika just tilted her head. "You drink on duty?"
"Only a little," Lancer shrugged, taking a quick sip from his bottle.
Rei chuckled. "You're a weird one."
Lancer gave a slow smile. "Weird's just my style."
As the boat pulled away from the dock, everyone gathered on deck, the wind blowing through their hair.
The boat was moving fast, cutting through the waves as they passed the famous Oulen Gate a gigantic stone arch standing tall in the middle of the ocean. It was so huge it looked like it could swallow the whole boat.
"Wow," whispered Elrya softly, her cloak fluttering behind her.
Kajala grinned. "That gate's crazy. Imagine the stories behind it."
Rei nodded. "Yeah, but what's on the other side?"
Lancer took a long look out toward the horizon. "That's Esteria. And whatever's waiting for you there... well, you'll find out soon enough."
That night, the group tried to get some rest, but the boat's gentle rocking made sleep tricky.
Regulus was clumsy as always he tried to walk in a straight line but ended up bumping into everything, even once falling into a barrel of fish.
"Reg! Watch it!" Kajala laughed, helping him out.
Rika just sat in a corner, nibbling on strange snacks she'd pulled from her bag.
Elrya was quiet and calm, meditating softly near the ship's railing.
Kajala, never one to stay still, tried to prank Rei by tying his shoelaces together.
"Hey! What the-Kajala!" Rei exclaimed, stumbling over his own feet.
"Gotcha!" Kajala said with a smirk.
Lancer just watched with amusement, taking a slow sip from his bottle. "You kids are something else."
The next day, while eating breakfast, the conversation turned to the mission.
Rei asked Lancer, "So... no one's gonna tell us what the mission actually is?"
Lancer gave a sly grin. "Where's the fun in that? You'll see soon enough."
Kajala rolled his eyes. "Typical mysterious captain."
Regulus dropped his cup three times in a row, making everyone jump.
"Smooth, Reg," Rika teased.
As they sailed closer to Esteria, the excitement mixed with nerves.
Rei thought about the battles ahead but also about how weird and fun this trip was. It wasn't just about the mission it was about the team, the strange captain, and the giant gate they'd soon pass through.
And whatever was waiting on the other side was sure to be something none of them would forget.
The skies had darkened halfway through the second day of travel. The ocean, which was calm and glistening hours ago, now tossed the massive ship side to side with rolling waves.
Kajala clung to the rail, staring overboard with his cheeks puffed. "I don't like boats," he muttered, tail flicking as he leaned a little too far. "I think I'm dying. I'm actually dying."
"You're not dying," Elyra said calmly, sipping tea she somehow managed to brew even with the boat rocking. "You're just being dramatic."
Regulus slipped and landed face-first on the deck for the fifth time. "We're all gonna drown!" he wailed, still holding a sandwich he somehow didn't drop. "I told you! I told you the sea is cursed!"
Rika was curled under a bench, gnawing on a piece of dried fish. "Mmm. Tastes like socks."
Rei stood at the front of the ship, arms crossed. The wind tugged at his jacket as he stared out across the growing storm. Something felt… off.
Lancer, the weird captain, stood with one foot on a barrel, twirling a toothpick between his teeth as he drank from his pocket flask. "Mmm. Smells like kraken weather."
"What?" Rei turned.
Lancer took a slow sip. "Kraken weather. You can smell it. Like wet socks and fish oil." He paused. "Or maybe that's just Rika."
Rika waved. "Hi."
Before Rei could say anything, the water suddenly exploded upward. A massive tentacle slammed down on the deck with a splash that drenched half the crew. The ship lurched, boards cracked, and a deafening roar echoed from beneath the waves.
"KRRAAAHHH!" Kajala screeched, leaping onto Rei's back like a cat. "WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
"I KNEW IT!" Regulus wailed as he crawled away, still holding his sandwich.
"Brace for impact!" Lancer shouted, tossing his bottle aside and cocking his shotgun. "It's kraken time, boys!"
Another tentacle whipped through the air, nearly smashing into the helm. Elyra blocked it with a barrier spell just in time, but the force still knocked everyone off their feet.
"We can't beat that thing!" Rei yelled. "We don't have enough firepower!"
The kraken rose higher. Its massive body dwarfed the ship, with glowing red eyes and slimy, seaweed-covered skin. A dozen tentacles snaked around the hull.
Then… something crashed from the sky.
BOOM.
A streak of light descended like a meteor. Chains flew out, wrapping around the kraken's neck mid-roar. It screeched in surprise as the chains tightened like a noose.
From the clouds above, a figure descended armor gleaming, red cloak torn by the wind, a cocky grin on his face.
"Well, well," he said with a laugh. "This ugly thing's still alive? Thought I strangled it last time."
He landed hard on the deck, cracking the wood. "Name's Leo Geyer. Beast Tamer. You've heard of me. Or thought I was a myth." He yanked on the chains, slamming the kraken's head into the water with an enormous splash. "Oops. Too hard?"
Rei's eyes widened. "Wait… the Leo Geyer?!"
Kajala peeked from behind him. "I thought he was just a story!"
Leo laughed, pulling more chains from midair, each one wrapping tighter around the beast. "My beast powers are sealed, thanks to the Lock Queen. But a good ol' strangling still works just fine!"
The kraken screeched again, tentacles flailing wildly. One of them flew toward Regulus, who panicked and threw his sandwich at it.
Oddly enough, the tentacle recoiled.
Rika blinked. "Huh. Maybe it did taste like socks."
Leo flipped in the air, dragging the kraken's head back down again with the chains. "Time to sleep, sea monster. You had your chance!"
With a final tug, he slammed the kraken so hard into the sea that it stopped moving. The water stilled. The clouds slowly parted. Silence.
Everyone stared.
"…You done?" Kajala asked, still on Rei's back.
Leo dusted himself off and spun one of the chains like a lasso before wrapping it around his waist. "Yup. No big deal."
"You're insane," Rei said, still in shock.
"And awesome," Leo corrected. "Anyway, who's the leader of this little boat party?"
Lancer raised his shotgun. "That'd be me. Lancer. We got a mission in Esteria."
Leo nodded, smirking. "Cool. I'm coming with you guys. Been a while since I had an adventure. And hey, you've got snacks, right?"
He plopped down next to Rika and grabbed a piece of her dried fish.
"You're weird," Rika said.
"So are you," Leo said with a wink.
Rei sat down slowly, exhausted. Kajala finally slid off his back and flopped beside him.
"…That was the most insane thing I've ever seen," Rei muttered.
Kajala stretched. "I threw up five times."
"And I lived," Regulus added, still hugging his soggy sandwich.
Lancer leaned against the helm, watching Leo with a mix of concern and respect. "This trip's gonna be a mess."
"Good," Leo said. "I like messes."
As the boat pushed onward toward the Oulen Gate and the far-off city of Esteria, the group tried to rest. But none of them could shake the feeling that things were only getting crazier from here.
And deep below the ocean, something else stirred… something even the kraken feared.