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  They left Rockhaven at the end oftwo weeks, promising that they would do their best to return in the future.Jon-Tom knew it wasn't a lie, for he at least did make it there in the upcomingyears, just not as Lobo. The next leg of their journey was to take them to thecoast. A wolf was essentially a land locked animal, though they had no aversionto water. Jon-Tom wanted to spell up the Sloop John B again, only this time tohave a relaxing adventure. If they happened to run into pirates, the outcomewould be far different from the first time.   They appeared on an endless stretchof white sand beach. The waves rolled onto shore as gently as a feather,rolling along tiny shells and marine debris. Orath had never seen the ocean andwas immediately captivated. The sudden appearance of a sail boat didn't put adent in her admiration for the sight. Jon-Tom waded out and snagged the leader,drawing the boat to shore. He climbed inside and returned with a bottle and twoglasses. He answered her unspoken question with one word; "Champagne!" She hadnever heard of it before, but one taste and she was hooked. She particularlyliked the way the bubbles tickled her nose. He particularly liked the way shegot drunk on it.

   She was tipsy, and wanted to tryhaving sex right on the beach. He cautioned against it. "Sand has a way ofinterfering in a most intimate way." He instead picked her up and carried herto the boat. Once inside, she had an even tougher time standing upright due tothe motion of the ocean. She fell down onto a bunk. "I don't think I like boatsJon-Tom; they're kind of wiggly!" She giggled. Then she got serious. "Why this boat? I knowyour power well enough to understand you could make something huge andsplendid. This is nice, but rather small."He sat down next to her. "I conjured this boat from a song a long time ago,from my present perspective. It was the one Mudge, Roseroar and I used to crossthe ocean." She sensed something was amiss.  "And this Roseroar was a love?" Hesighed. "She was my first on this world. I still miss her with all my heart."This made things awkward. "I'm sorry Jon-Tom. I shouldn't have brought it up."He patted her paw. "It's alright. We had a good run together, twice. The secondtime she never knew it was me, and leaving just about broken my heart. I thinkit nearly did hers. I have two daughters from her, before it became acommonplace practice for me to inseminate anything I screwed." He sounded a bitbitter.

   "Again, I'm sorry if I brought upsomething I shouldn't have. I know you've gone through a lot in your life. ButI do appreciate you taking

time out for me. I don't think you'll ever know howmuch it means." He kissed her softly. "I know what it means, really I do. Butthere are times when it all gets to be too much." She stood, a little loose onher feet. "If it'd help Jon-Tom, why not transform me into her, this Roseroar.Maybe it would do you some good."  He pulled her down into his lap."It's a nice thought, but I've had all the chances I needed to be with her. Nowis my time with you. I don't want to remember it as remembering lost loves."She knew then that she didn't deserve him. "If not that, my love, then why notsomething else? Since you have all of this power, why not transform both of usinto something new? I can't believe that you've tried every creature on myworld." That got his attention. "You know Orath, you might be right. It's whatI did with Eve. By becoming someone else, I didn't taint my duty to the one Iwas presently with, in this case, you. But what would you like to become?" Sheabsorbed his words carefully. He called it duty, but she knew he meant muchmore.

   "Well, we're on water. What kinds ofcreatures live in the ocean?" He recalled Roseroar as a dolphin. It hit alittle too close to his heart. Maybe something similar, like an orca or anarwhal. They were native to this world too, though he had not laid eyes on oneas of yet. Then his mind took to flights of fancy. He wasn't constrained bywhat was; not here, not by what existed on his own world, not by any known lawsof the universe. He was thinking small. He could be anything he thought of.They could become mer-folk, legends from his own world, but maybe not so here.They could become a pair of hippocampus, or any number of fantastic creatures.He was suddenly overwhelmed with possibilities. In his head though, he knewwhatever they were; they needed to be able to have sex. That was going to be a definiterequirement.   "Look Orath dear, it seems to me wecould be any number of creatures. Perhaps you would like to make a suggestionto help me out?" That stumped her. Her knowledge of the ocean was limited tothe stories she had heard prior to meeting Jon-Tom. She did know of one thathad been told to her by an old, one-legged sailor. "What about Naiads?" Heraised an eyebrow. "Naiads? I thought those were mere stories only from myworld. Who told you about those creatures?" She looked a bit sheepish. "It wasa sailor that some of the guild had sought to rob. I was to engage him inconversation. He mentioned seeing them on a voyage he took. He said they werebeautiful." Jo-Tom nodded knowingly. "Yes they were reported to be quitebeautiful. And all female. I suppose that would be no

deterrent to me though."

   The she-wolf looked hopeful. "Canyou do it then? Can you turn us into these creatures? It would be an exquisiteway to see the ocean." She was feeling weird. It must be the bubbling wine hehad served. Her skin felt itchy. She scratched in a distracted manner. Her bareskin felt like it needed water. It hit her all at once. Her skin was bluishgreen, and her fur was gone. Instead offingernails she had webbed hands. She felt the sudden urge to jump overboard.She looked up to say something and noticed he too had changed. He looked likehow she felt she must look, but with a nice hunk of meat hanging between hislegs. She felt damper already. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the deck.Without the least bit of ceremony he dragged her overboard and into the waterwith a splash.   The moment she hit the water shefelt rejuvenated.  The story the sailorhad told said they were linked with water. It seems it was true. She expectedthe salt to burn her eyes, but instead, she found she could see clearly. It waslike looking through clear skies on land. Fish teemed around them, likebutterflies in a field of flowers. They were the colors of the rainbow! Shefelt a hand in hers and pulled her mate close. She tried to thank him, butfound her voice didn't work. He pressed his head against hers. "It seems that typicalspeech is impossible without air. Underwater this form communicates with theirbrains in a direct link. I experience something of the sort with Eve." Sherelaxed and mentally projected a image of happiness. He smiled. "Yes my dearlittle wolf, this is a wonderful experience. On my world, I would have to usecomplicated equipment to join with life below the waves. This is much better!"

   She couldn't agree more. On a whim,she let go of his hand and did a mid-water summersault.  This body was like fluid poetry. Jon-Tommatched her move for move. Then he pointed out to sea. "Follow me! I want totry something out." She complied, following him as he guided them down acrossthe sandy bottom. They passed reefs teaming with sea creatures of all description.Then, as the bottom fell away, they were hovering over a deep precipice. Thelight faded into the depths to disappear into inky blackness. He motioned thatdown into the abyss was where they were headed. She felt at ease in the water,but such an unknown destination as he was suggesting made her queasy.   "Jon-Tom, what is there to see downthere? It's so dark we'll lose our way." He did a few loops around her. "Closeyour eyes and take my hand." She steeled herself and did as she was told. She could"hear" him mentally

clicking off the seconds in his head in addition to theincrease in pressure against her skin. When he reached two hundred he told herto open them. It was dark, but her eyes could take in more than she expected.Here and there were glowing creatures, shaped as if by some mad imagination.Some fishes had rows of glowing dots, while others carried a lantern on theirforeheads. Most had long thin, wicked-looking teeth. There were an abundance ofpale crabs scuttling along the bottom, mixed in with starfish and urchins and ahost of bizarrely adorned crustaceans.

   "Jon-Tom, I never dreamed there waslife at the bottom of the ocean, shrouded in all this darkness!" He smiled andprojected his laughter. "Until today, you had never seen the top of the ocean.It's hard to fathom something you know nothing about. Who knows what lurkswithin the darkest depths?" She was shocked into realizing that he meant morethan he projected. Everyone had dark recesses that they didn't share. Perhapsthere was something as wondrous as this hidden within each and every livingthing as well as things best kept out of sight. It was enough to make herwonder.  They swan along the bottom formiles, taking in all that lived in these lightless depths. She wondered howthey themselves could see, but a glance at him showed that his irises had widenedto take in the ambient light, so hers must have done the same. She projected a thought at him, and he flippedthe idea right back at her. "Making love at the bottom of the ocean sounds likea wonderful way to spend our time. I'm pretty sure there aren't many who canmake that claim.

   It was then that she took the timeto evaluate this body she now occupied. It had slits along the her ribs, whichshe assumed were gills. She ran her fingers along her crotch, and surprised tofind only a tight crease. She wiggled in a finger, as far as the webbing wouldallow, and found that both her cunt and her ass were contained within itsconfines. The whole crack was tight. He saw her confusion. "Orath, it's a lotlike dolphins. Many creatures here in the sea need to keep the water out, aswell as parasites and such. Trust me; you'll like the feeling once I get inthere. I did it with a dolphin and it was great!" She was suddenly intrigued."Then what are we waiting for?"  She spread her legs wide, feeling asshe did the slit opening marginally. His cock was up and in a fighting mood,and made no delay in pushing its way inside. Her skin was smooth, but veryfirm. She could feel his cock straining against the edges of the slit, but onceit reached her cunt, it slid in without hindrance. In this cold water, it

feltlike a rod of hot metal. Her insides caught fire, and she felt a blush rise inher face. Whatever these creatures were, these naiads, they definitely had athing for sex! She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled herself soclose their gills brushed by one another. The feathery tough sent shiversthrough her.

   His cock on the other hand wassending thrills through her body. She couldn't explain it, but it was verydifferent from being a wolf. She tapped into his mind for a second. "Jon-Tom,when did you make love to a dolphin?" He sent back the image of Roseroar as thesea creature, and she could feel the love he had for her flow into her. It sentshock waves through her mind. What a love that was! But he was just as caringfor her. And just as sexually satisfying. She could feel him compare her bodyto the one in his memory, and he found it equal if not better. She could seethat back then, he was confined to breathe air. He now had the advantage ofbeing free from that liability. They had the whole ocean to play in.  She brought her legs up around hiswaist, pushing down against his cock. In his mind, she could hear these words; theysay the sea iscold, but the seacontains the hottestblood of all, and the wildest, the most urgent. She was beginning to feel it. She had no idea what he wasreferring to, but she felt the need to be loved, both physically andemotionally, until she could take no more. She had dealt with strong emotionsbefore, but these were scarily upfront and in her face. She clamped down tightaround his cock, and he responded by pushing in deeper. But it was when hepulled back that she really reacted. She could feel the inside of her cunt wascovered in small bumps. They seemed to point backward towards her insides.Thus, he pushed past them with ease, but on pulling back, caught them like aporcupines quills. Unlike those nasty little weapons, these bumps produced anarray of sensations that flooded her brain with more input than it couldhandle. She shuddered in response to his friction against them.

   To Jon-Tom, thefeeling was unique. If he tried to move too fast, they caught against his cockand forced him to decrease his speed. He found just the right speed and went toit, pushing in hard, and pulling back gently. It seemed a bit jerky, but itworked. Besides, those bumps were exciting the nerve endings in his skinsomething fierce. He would have to remember this combination for future trysts.It was very nearly like her body was trying to prevent him from leaving. Heknew nothing of naiads, and hoped, therefore, that this was something that wasnormal. He wondered if his own imagination had come up with the configuration.With as jaded as he was getting, it was a distinct possibility.  His own cockwas smooth skinned, blue green like the rest of his body, and ridged in aslightly swirling shape. It wasn't like anything he had ever modified it tobefore. The color alone would have looked out of place on any other body he hadtried. But it was a wonderful feeling. The twist made pushing in easy, but herinternal construction made pulling out more difficult; hard but not impossible.He had to assume that naiads were real, and this was an evolutionarymodification to increase the chances of fertilization. Except there would benone of that today. The couple had six grown cubs and that was the number itwould stay.

   He was used tohaving a solid surface to grip while having sex, so floating in the dark,pressure filled reaches of the deep ocean was proving to be a challenge. Evendropping to the bottom would provide only a small amount of resistance. Chanceswere good they would stir up the sand until visibility dropped to zero. Still,what was he supposed to do; stop and look for a better place? Then it struck him. He could defy the laws ofphysics and lock himself in place in mid water. It seemed like cheating butthen who was it going to hurt?  Once he didthat, everything else fell into place. It was like locking his toes into thefootboard, only better. They both now had the freedom to move as they pleasedwithout worrying about drifting, tilting, or worse. He concentrated now ontheir mutual pleasure. It was proving to be something new, this bodyconfiguration, and some thing was something decidedly interesting. It was evenmore thought provoking in that her slit, already fairly firm around the edges,seemed to tightly close about him. If it weren't for the slick skin, he mighthave been stopped dead in his tracks. The way it rubbed the base of his cockfelt so good he took a little license with his anatomy and broadened hiscircumference just a bit. He got no complaints from Orath.

   From here on itwas smooth sailing, so to speak. His strokesquickened pace as he adapted to the new, and quite frankly, unusual conditions.When it came time to release, he found he couldn't. His orgasm was just stuckon the brink. It was like being in a roller coaster, at the top of the highesthill, and getting stuck. He could feel his partner quaking with the buildup ofsensations, he could smell, in the water, a release of pheromones, and that wasall it took. They were both slamming together in the throes of ecstasy.

  The remainedstill in the water, barely noticing that they had disturbed the local faunainto hightailing it out of the area. Jon-Tom's nostrils, such as they were,remained filled with a chemical overload. He had never had a smell drive himwild like hers now did. He would have pushed effects of the sensation down, buthe rather enjoyed it. It was a bit like inhaling the aroma of flowers and wine,with just a touch of cocaine and marijuana. He was literally getting high offof her! She certainly wasn't in a rush to disengage, not the way she held himtight. She was breathing rapidly, if the actions of her gills were anyindication. He could barely see her now,now for any obscuring silt, but because they had scared away their lightsources. With barely a thought, he formed a green stone in his hand thatemitted an equally greenish light. It was soft of the eyes and illumined theyarea for 10 yards in every direction.

   Orath openedher eyes when the glow struck her eye lids. She looked around, not onceloosening her grip. "My, my Jon-Tom. We seem to have offended the localpopulation with our bit of fun. Perhaps we should have found a more secludedspot!" He was ready with a retort until he got that she was making a joke. Theywere after all on the bottom of the sea. "You're very funny my dearest littlesea wolf. There isn't an intelligent creature within miles of here, if then.I'm sure we can carry on undisturbed for days if you would like." She was aboutto reply, but a thin cautious voice interjected into their conversation."Excuse me. I'm not the smartest person under the sea, but I like to think thatI'm fairly intelligent." Orath unwrapped her legs and slid off of his cock fasterthan a rabbit on speed. She thought she was going to be pulled inside out. "Who'sthere?"  A creature of equalsize, color and body shape swam into the circle of light. Jon-Tom mentallykicked himself for not checking the area for strangers. Who would have expectedit? That the newcomer was a naiad was quite evident. That she was a female wasas equally evident. She swam around the two of them, testing the water beforeshe spoke. "I am the politest person I know, but who are you and where the helldid you come from? I know everyone in these waters for twelve hundred miles andI have never in my life caught the scent of you two. It's as if you justsuddenly appeared out of thin water! Jon-Tom chuckled. "How about thin air? Weare from the land above the water." The newcomer backed off a little, aprojection of distrust evident in her mental link.

   "Dry folk? Unlessyou are lying to me, if what you say is true, either you have great magic orare connected with someone who does. I must ask you to please leave. We haveenough trouble without bringing drylanders into this mess as well." Thenewcomer could feel a lot of strength in the sigh this unusual male let loose."Why is it I always happen to be around to fix the problems of this world?" Heheld out his hand, webbed fingers and all. "My name is Jon-Tom, and this is mymate Orath. As you say, we are drylanders, but understand we mean no harm. Weare visiting places on this world that neither of us has experienced before.This was one of those spots. We had no idea we'd be disturbing anyone."  The other naiadheld out her hand and grasped his, not certain what the gesture signified. "Myname is Kyma. I have lived for over three thousand tides and I have never laideyes on the likes of you. I am glad to know that you are misfits. I would havebeen shirking in my duty to protect the city if I had missed picking you out.After all, only fools mate outside the confines of the protection of the city.Have you no knowledge of the creatures you have probably attracted?" Jon-Tomwas ready to admit that he didn't, nor did he care. Kyma sensed his thoughtsand stopped him. "I see. You are the one with the power. I sense you are kindand therefore maybe it has been fortuitous that you appeared where you did. Iknow you will wish to discuss matters before you leave these waters, so might Irecommend we retire to Croiglas." Orath had to inquire. "What is Croiglas?" Theother stared for a moment before answering. "Croiglas is the city under thesea. The city. There is none larger,or more beautiful, or presently more endangered.

   Jon-Tom wasbemused. He had never heard anyone mention an underwater city, except for thePlated Folks. He had been prisoner in one of their air filled domes once in thepast. This sounded intriguing. "Lead on Kyma. I'm quivering with excitement tosee something I had no idea existed. And once you get to know me, you'll findout just how amazing that is." Kyma curtseyed in the water, but motioned to thestone he had created. "Please bring that with you. The elders will beinterested in your abilities. If you can create light stones like they weremere pebbles on the beach, you may be just the one to save us." Orath looked atJon-Tom, and he to her. "So, my wonderful, talented mate; what kind of messhave we gotten ourselves into now?" He shrugged. "I doubt it's anything wecan't handle." They followed the naiad across the ocean bottom.  In n time,however, they were accompanied by some gruesome looking

beasts. One seemed tobe some sort of shark, though he had never seen anything like this. It made abeeline for him but when it opened its jaws to attack; he touched its nose,freeze framing it in the moment. Inside the mouth was a whirl of nasty teeth,circling around right down into its throat. Its skin was as rough as a rasp,and the fins jutted out like blades. Kyma watched in fascination as he swamaround the immobile creature. When he was done he touched it again, and thething swam off like a frighten minnow. Kyma's eyes were filled with respect."No one plays with a Helicoprion like that!" She drew out a dagger fromsome hiding place on her person. "This is all they respect!" Jon-Tom ran thename over in his head; helicoprion. It was a lot like helicopter; an aptdescription of its whirling toothstructure.

   "Well,if that's the worst this ocean has to offer, I think we'll be fine." She lookedat him sharply. "The worst? Drylanders could be said to be the worst, which iswhy we are so far down beneath the surface of the water. But the city'sdefenses will show you what the worst to contend with under the sea really is."They traveled on in mental silence for a while until the sea bed dropped away,revealing a dimly lit expanse that could be nothing more than a city. It wasodd in that it was shaped like a donut. The center seemed to be a black hole,literally, for there was no light visible in the region. As they approached thecity, another shark-like thing made a foray, thinking to make them food. Fromthe black region a tentacle sank out, stretched to an impossibly long lengthand snagged the beast, a good twenty feet long, like it was a dainty morsel.The struggling shark was pulled into the inky blackness and was gone.  Kymaexplained. "That's what is worse. Thankfully, he's on our side." Orathshuddered at the sight of the huge thick ribbon-like appendage that belonged toan unseen creature of a dimension that she couldn't possible fathom. Jon-Tomput forth his mind to encompass the creature, sizing it up, literally. He hadheard of giant squid on his home world, but this thing drafted those at leasttwenty times in breadth and width. He had no background knowledge for what itwas, unless... "Kyma; does this creature have a name?" The true naiad looked himsquarely in the eyes. "Not one he answers to, if that's what you mean. Hisnickname is Polleplokami." Jon-Tom nodded, and then shook his head. "I didn'tmean figuratively; what kind of creature is he?" Kyma started; she hadforgotten they were not familiar with life below the waves. "He is a kraken ofcourse. One of the few remaining ones left on this world."

Orathhad no knowledge of such a beast, but Jon-Tom did. They were mere legends onhis home world. "A kraken? Why doesn't he eat you just as fast as he did thatshark thing?" Kyma smiled. "Because we have a deal. He stays and eats his fill,protecting us and our city, and we in turn have searched for a mate for him.You see, he has had run-ins with ships you drylanders use for crossing the sea.He was curious about them, but when he investigated, he was attacked. He may bebig, but he has a gentle heart. He gave up cruising the waters and settled downhere. That was a long time ago. We have yet to find him his mate. Many of oursearch parties have never returned. The ocean is large and often quitedangerous. It is why so many of us remain here.   Jon-Tomwas thinking furiously. He had never considered all of the life that might livebeneath the ocean waves. In his own world he had seen very little of the ocean,outside of sitting on a beach smoking weed and drinking beer. The wild life hiseyes were focused on then was members of his own species, but of the oppositesex. Now such narrow mindedness made him shudder. But his world was not thisworld, and that made all the difference. It seemed that here and now there wasa need for his services. As he was thinking, he was taking in the city, litfrom within by thousands of glowing lights, some affixed to buildings, othersfloating serenely in the water. It didn't take long for a crowd to develop.Apparently new things didn't come their way too often.

   Kymaspoke to one naiad in particular, who was unabashedly staring at them. Sheapproached, hovering what she considered a safe distance away. "Kyma tells meyou are drylanders in disguise. I have no reason to doubt her words, but I thereforehave every reason to doubt yours. Show me your true selves, or tell me anotherstory I can believe." Jon-Tom sensed that this creature was the queen of thecity. He had nothing to fear, but he rather hated being called a liar. "Yourmajesty, if we were to do that here, our bodies would be crushed by thepressure, assuming we wouldn't drown first. Perhaps if we could split thedifference?" She was watching him carefully. "What do you propose?" He broughtforth the glowing gem and set it against his head. He then handed it over. "Putthis to your forehead and allow its contents into your mind." She took it,looked at it, rolling it back and forth. She got a bemused look on her facebefore placing it against her skull. She froze. Kyma let loose a wail, mentallyof course. "What have you done?"

   Butjust as quickly the queen was animated again. Her eyes were wide with wonder."You are known to me, Jonathon

Thomas Merriweather. I was not expecting to everactually meet you, but it appears that the fates have deemed it otherwise."Jon-Tom's reply was tart. "The fates no longer control what happens in my life.I do as I feel needs to be done. If there is some way I can be of service,please let me know." Orath jabbed him in the ribs, which meant she poked him inthe gills. "If you're going to be involved in an adventure, don't you dare letme out of it!" He smiled. "And the services of my mate, Orath of Eastfallon areyours as well." The queen made a bow. "And likewise, the services of Smaragdi,Vasilessa of Croiglas, are at yours." The queen looked at Orath with shrewdeyes. "Orath? The Orath? The She-Devil whose footprints collect rain in theliving stone of Eastfallon?"  Orathwas both impressed and appalled. "I am one and the same. But please don't askme for an encore performance. That effort on my part was largely due to Jon-Tomhere and my own audacity." The queen was circling her slowly. "Perhaps. Wecollect stories and histories down here, where they are safe from corruption. Iwould be interested in hearing your side of it, to see how well my informationnetwork operates." Jon-Tom interrupted her. "Information network? It seems tome that it might not be that good if you can't find a mate for your protector!"

   Smaragditwisted up her mouth. Her mind told him what her mouth did not. "We have lostmany good people trying to keep our part of the bargain. Everyone who returnstells the same story; there is no other kraken, male or female, in the entireworld. Jon-Tom brashly asked; "What of those who don't return?" The queen wassilent a moment before replying. "We have lost many in the search. Thatincludes my own husband, the king. Many males have left never to return. It isthe price we pay for keeping our city safe."   Jon-Tomwasn't one to be balked by hearsay, rumor or even facts. "My dear queen, pleaseshow me a map of where everyone has been sent. I assume you have kept track oftheir movements?" She gave him a disgusted look. "We keep a roster of everyonewho goes out and comes back. Therefore, we have a list of those who have notreturned. What good will that do?" His eyes lit up. "Sometimes the most obviousfacts are invisible until you wish to see them. Take me to where ever you keepthis information. I think I have a hunch as to a solution to your problem." Thequeen directed Kyma to take him to the central archives. He was expecting aplace high and dry, filled with books and scrolls. He was also a drylander.Down here, those materials wouldn't last a month, even if they were in a waterproof area. Instead,

the shelves were filled with little white balls, lookinglike nothing more than bleached urchin skeletons. Like his gem, when a ball wasput to your head the information it contained flowed it. It was a uniquesystem, something old Clothahump would have appreciated. Perhaps this was theGreat Library he had been searching for. And it meant that the naiads had magicof their own.

   Onesmall room was a map of the world. Unlike a flat map, this one was an invertedglobe, where one could swim around and examine areas in great detail. The firstthing he noticed was that the oceans were well detailed, and the land was not.It made sense. He asked for the ball containing the rosters. He began bydownloading them into his head, and placing markers on the map. It soon wasoverwhelmed with hundreds of year's worth of exploration.  But as the markers grew, with lines in andlines out, a hole appeared. Lines went in, but none came out. And the gapfocused on one spot. "You see Kyma, where ever your people went; this was the onespot where they were lost. Someone, or something, is there. It seems that itwill be necessary to travel there to find out what the problem is." Kyma wasstaring in awe at the map. "You figured this out in hours, whereas we haven'thad the sense to look for a pattern this whole time. You are indeed theGitajadugara!" Orath, who had wisely remained out of the limelight this wholetime, came forward. "He is a what?" Jon-Tom laughed as he deciphered it. "Shesaid I was The Spell Singer. Apparently my reputation was stronger than I knewat this time."

   Orathstood tall. "My mate is far more than a mere spell singer. He is consort to thegoddess of this planet, as well as to me." Kyma looked confused. "Goddess? Howcan one be consort to the life force of a whole world?" Jon-Tom chuckled. "Itwould take a lot of explaining, which I don't feel like doing right now. Anddon't go asking me to put it in one of these white balls so that you cantransfer it directly. If I downloaded everything in my head, you wouldn't haveenough of them to hold it all. You'll just have to trust everything we tell youfor now." Considering he was helping them, and doing a good job of it, sheopted to take their word, for now.  Theytook their findings to the queen, who was quite impressed. "I must be an idiotfor not thinking of this solution before. Would it be too much to ask you toinvestigate further? It seems that you two are well suited for toughsituations. If any situation calls for it, it's this one." Jon-Tom looked tohis mate. "Well, my fine lupine. Would you like to have an adventure? It seemsto me that this one might prove to be

interesting, since even I have no ideawhat lies at the end of it." She hugged him close. "Hey, with you around, whatcan go wrong?" He kissed her soundly. "That is a question you should neverask."

   Thequestion that remained, then, was how they would travel. The distance to thefocal point was a thousand leagues away. In standard swimming that would takeweeks. That meant no time for sightseeing. Therefore, he decided to spell themthere. "I'm sorry dear, but unless you want to let our kids think we'vedeserted them for good, we had best expedite matters." Orath didn't argue,knowing full well the futility in that. Kyma asked to come too, which Jon-Tomacquiesced to with the queen's blessing. One moment they were treading water inCroiglas, and the next they were suspended in freezing water. If they weren'talready a bit blue, they would have turned that color from the subzerotemperature. The shock of the sudden change caused Kyma to black out. Orathclung to Jon-Tom with a death grip. "C-c-c-c-c-cold!" He spelled into her bodythe ability to deal with the frigid water, and did the same for the othernaiad. Kyma woke up immediately, but still shivered a little.  "Sorry.I forgot to mention that this position on the map was one of the poles." Sureenough, overhead was a sculpted roof of translucent ice. Diffuse light shownthrough it, illuminating the waters below. Fish swam in large schools, notcolorful, but abundant and large. As the females looked about, he concentratedon fixing his position. He knew they had to be close to the focus point, butnow that they were here, finding it proved not so easy. His mind went out, exploringthe nearby area. He caught the fleeting glimpse of something immense, justbefore three tentacles lashed out and grabbed them all. He nearly laughed, butthe girls were both screaming. "Calm down you fools. She won't hurt you!" Whenthe fact of what he said sank in, Kyma's fear turned to joy. "She? This is aFEMALE kraken!" Jon-Tom finally did laugh. "Yes Kyma, it's a female. And Ithink she has a good reason for snagging us. Let's wait and see." They werepulled through the water so fast; it was hard to keep water running past theirgills properly. Then they stopped.

   Theywere looking at the maw of the giant sea beast. Then it moved out of the way,exposing a cavern of huge proportions. Three tentacles deposited the threenaiads deep inside, and then positioned itself back at the entrance. The waterin the cavern was warm, with heat rising from volcanic vents in the oceanfloor. But the most amazing thing was the abundance of naiads that came togreet them. Kyma recognized one and lowered her head. 

That lasted only a moment. "Father!" Shecharged him and wrapped her arms around him and refused to let go. He finallyhad to pry her off. "Kyma darling, it's good to see you too, but have somedecorum. It doesn't do to have a princess behaving so wantonly, even in a placelike this." Jon-Tom spoke his mind, literally. "Princess? As in the daughter ofSmaragdi?" The king smiled. "Yes, and of my loins as well. I am King Reidomar,wife to Smaragdi. How fares the queen?" Jon-Tom bowed before answering. "Yourmajesty, she does as well as she can without her husband, and now herdaughter." Here, he glared at Kyma. "Who, by the way did not tell me she wasroyalty."

   "Younever asked, Gitajadugara. Mother gave me permission because she trusted you.Already you have found a female kraken and at the same time discovered thewhereabouts of our missing people. Her trust in you is well deserved." The kinglooked at Jon-Tom with an appraising eye. "Gitajadugara? Not the drylander?"Kyma swam in circles. "Yes father, the one and the same. And with him is hismate, Orath of Eastfallon." Naiads didn't have eyebrows, but if they did, hiswould have raised about two inches. "The She-Devil? But you are both in our form.Would you care to explain?" Jon-Tom was painfully honest. "No I wouldn't. Bethankful we were. If not, I would never have come to know this place andtherefore affect a rescue."  Theking made a motion to have them look around. "This is not a prison, though itmay seem as such. The kraken is no enemy to intelligent beings. She found andsaved everyone here from the effects of the icy waters. She has a telepathylink in common with ours, so she was able to pick up our distress. We have fooda plenty that she snags and brings in, but we cannot leave, for the cold willkill us well before we would make it to safe water. It is her body that keepsback the icy water, except for those times when she is forced to leave. Thus,none have been able to depart to give word to our grieving families. But now,perhaps we have hope of leaving."

   Jon-Tomhad listened to him, and when he was done, politely excused himself. "Yourmajesty, there is more involved here than just you. You found a female kraken,which if you haven't forgotten, was the purpose of your journey. We need to gether, as well as yourself and your people, all back to the city." The king wentto say something else, but Jon-Tom was swimming away. "My this fellow is rude!"he exclaimed. Orath apologized for him. "Your majesty, from one monarch toanother, please understand that Jon-Tom doesn't fit the mold when it comes to royalty.Since he has power that most creatures cannot

fathom, his opinion holds sway inmost things. But if you have patience, you will see that he has a good heart."  Jon-Tomswam up to the immense bulk that blocked the opening. He pressed his headagainst it. They had quite the conversation. It lasted for several hours. Whenthey were done, Jon-Tom came away awed, something not easy to do. "Thiscreature is so old it makes my head hurt. She has not seen another of her kindin centuries and is excited by the prospect of continuing her species. She isdedicated to keeping you safe, however, and has not left on account of your presentpresence here." The king nodded solemnly. "Her effort is greatly appreciated.Is there something you can do to fix this problem?" Orath laughed. "Is thereanything he can do? The question is, is there anything he can't do? I am fairlysure he can fix this problem without breaking a sweat."

   Jon-Tomscowled. "I'm not certain it's that easy. You see, while the male is presently protectingthe city, he will have to come here to breed, if he chooses to. Kraken can liveanywhere, in fresh or salt water, but their bodies are only receptive forreproduction in these icy cold waters. This one is ready; in fact, she has beenready for a long time. It's almost painful, feeling her longing. So then theproblem becomes this; who will protect the city once the male kraken is gone?"The king looked defeated. "We must trade off our safety for the benefit of theone who has protected us for so long. It seems the right thing to do. We canfind some other way of dealing with what the world throws against us."Jon-Tom nodded. It seemed the king said the correctthing.  "Thenit's settled. I think that there are a lot of people back in your city who willbe overjoyed in knowing that you still live. I believe a trade is in order, butit would be proper to tell your kraken what's going on, just in case he has noinclination to leave." He told the female of his plans, and a quiver could beseen running down her tentacles. She was definitely excited by the idea. Hereturned to Kyma, Orath and the king. "All right, have everyone gather close. Idon't want to inadvertently leave anyone behind." Several hundred naiads,mostly male, but with a number of females mixed in, formed a tight ball aroundthem. In a blink they were back. The group disbanded like a shoal of fish beingattacked by a barracuda. The place was soon awash with projected emotions fromthe grateful reunions.

   Nonewas more joyous than the reunion of the king and queen. Kyma joined in too,since it seemed only proper. Jon-Tom and Orath remained apart, swimming

insteadto the hollow center of the city where the other kraken lived. Jon-Tom divedin, disappearing into the darkness. Orath wasn't afraid, but she knew that forthe moment she would be of little use. This was going to be a man to man talk.IT didn't take long. After a few minutes tentacles were waving excitedly aboutin the water. Orath could smell the pheromones the beast was emitting.Apparently he was just as eager to go as the female was to have him. Jon-Tomswam out and to her side. "Typical male; he finds out he gets to have sex andhe can think of nothing else. I told him we need to find another solution toprotecting the city, but he wants to go now.  "Solet him, mate of mine. I'll protect the city in his absence." Jon-Tom smiled,not condescendingly, but with a touch of humor. "Orath, being the She-Devil ofEastfallon doesn't make you the protector of Croiglas. You have no more abilityin defending this place as do any of the others." She got a crafty smile."Really? You think small for such a big hearted person. I can defend this placefor as long as is necessary. It will give Kyma the chance she wants, and itwill give me the perspective of  alifetime." His head was wrapping itself around what she was saying. "Kyma? Areyou telling me she wants a child by me?" She kissed him on the nose. "Indeed,and why not? You produce the best offspring on this world, if our cubs are anyindication." He was still confused. "But what will you be doing during thistime, and why are you so willing to grant her something like this?"

   "Because,you silly fool, you will turn me into a kraken so that I can protect the cityin our big friend's absence. Then, I'll be occupied, leaving you free todally." He sighed. "But I'm mated to you!" He could hear her laughter resoundingin his mind. "You silly man. How many wives do you have? One of them is thecreator of us all. If she can share, I can share. Call it an exchange. I get tobe one of the greatest creatures on this world, at least for a bit, and Kymagets to have a child by the other greatest creature on this world. I'm sure shewould do the same for me." Jon-Tom floated motionless in the water. Her planwas a perfect, if temporary solution to the present impasse. "Ok wolfmate, youhave yourself a deal."  Heswam to the other kraken and in an instant, the tentacles disappeared. The nextmoment, Orath felt herself change, and her perspective on things alteringdramatically. Suddenly, everything she saw and sensed seemed really, reallysmall. She could sense Jon-Tom, feeling his diminutive size, but at the sametime feeling the enormity of his power and intellect. She could also feel

hislove. Whatever a kraken was, it wasn't a mindless brute. It was ratherremarkable. She was glad she was taking part in saving this nearly extinctspecies. Her senses shifted when she felt the presence of an intruder. It wasanother of those huge, freakily teethed fishes. But now, they were snack sized.Without even thinking she lashed out, grabbed it, and made a meal of it. It waspretty good! Jon-Tom watched her with fascination, seeing that she took to hernew form way too readily. But she no longer needed his help so he swam to thepalace to report the status of the krakens.

   Theking had just finished his telling of how they had been saved, but trapped, inthe cave so deep into the frigid polarwaters. He saw Jon-Tom and hastily told of how they would be losing their ownkraken. The queen's eyes went wide. "But if we lose him, our city will beoverrun with deadly creatures!" The king hastened to assure her. "Look my dear,we will fend as best we are able. It simply isn't right to detain this poorcreature any longer than is acceptable. He must go and breed before his kind isgone forever!" The queen was hardly assured. "I do not give permission forthis! My concern must be the safety of our people!" Jon-Tom cut in, ratherunceremoniously. "Your kraken is already gone. I sent him on his way." Thequeen glared at him so intently he though she must be trying to burn holesthrough him. He had dealt with worse.  "Howdare you remove our only source of protection? Who do you think you are?" Sheregretted saying that immediately. "Oh, I'm so sorry Gitajadugara! I hadforgotten who you were in all the excitement. But if he is gone, what will we doto protect the city?" He did a flick of his wrist, pulling another crystal outof thin air, er, water. It glowed so brightly it made her eyes hurt. He set itin her hand as the light dimmed and faded. She waited for an explanation. Nonewas forthcoming. But he did relieve her immediate concern. "The city willremain protected as it was before, until such time as I see fit to changematters. As it is, there is the possibility that the kraken will return. I donot profess to be an expert on their reproductive or emotional tendencies. Itmay be that once they are done, he will return. If not, I have another plan tokeep you safe. For now, you may thank the She-Devil of Eastfallon if you feelsuch sacrifice as she is presently giving you is deserving of it. He swam awaywithout further explanation.