章 3: Survival of the Fittest
"I repeat; I shall face the abomination single-handed from this moment forward."
This was the dire moment when heroic feats were needed, so thought Aelthred. He didn't think he could possibly face the demon alone and survive, but for the least his ancestors and great kings of the past would greet him dearly should he die trying. To meet honorable death in a fierce battlefield had been the greatest wish a tech-warrior or a tech-maiden could ever conceive. Glorious fate awaited him, he was certain, since he was about to set his feet in the realms of heroism and honorable sacrifice.
There was no more time left for Aelthred to ponder, for Kraken had just struck his battleship right in the middle of its hull with one of the enormous tentacles. There left a deep crevasse on the ship's hull in the wake of the monstrous blow, but the bridge and the engine-room were still intact. 3-Divines did not yet forsake their pious children in torment, for sure.
"Gael, you shall take a full command of the ship while I try driving the demon back into oblivion."
"You are sure about your words, my lord?"
"I am damn firm in my decision, like a tech-sword stuck in my behind! Now you, a tech-maiden of doubts, shall command the ship or die trying!" 'Twas a remark of living legend, indeed.
"Very well. I shall do your bidding while you are in search for your eternal glory. May the Divines protect our noble Prince!"
Aelthred waited no longer; he came outside with his war-gears ready for action, and headed to the open ground that was the deck of this ship. Kraken seemed to be catching up a breath for the moment, with its destructive tentacles slightly away from the ship. This, Aelthred thought, was the opportunity that he should not lose.
He planned to strike its head first which was at the bottom part of the body. He was following the lessons of tradition, stating one should first aim for a foe's head in combat; these proved to be true in many past battles Aelthred had fought so far. Without hesitation, he dived into the freezing water where the bulky monster lurked. The exo-skeleton he was wearing provided him enough power to swim a long distance without any major problem. Locating his enemy with enough space between them, he switched on his tech-sword underwater. Incandescent, fluorescent light with sky-blue hue shone around the blade. The giant enemy sensed a threat coming in from Aelthred's position, turning its attention to the tiny challenger under the sea.
Moment for a fierce combat had arrived. Kraken reached out some of its tentacles toward Aelthred so as to crush him from where he was swimming. With an aid of his exo-skeleton, he successfully evaded most of the incoming attacks, yet letting one of the blows make him lose balance. Another batch of deadly swingings came right after; Aelthred activated the turbo-boost on his back, which was supposed to be used while on ground, managing to escape the scene of raging tentacles. He needed to get in closer to his enemy no matter what, or else he would never get a chance of defeating it. Thus, he decided to swim along one of its tentacles, despite huge risks of getting himself killed while doing so.
A few remaining tentacles surged into the position of Aelthred. Now this was his chance. He deftly evaded incoming assaults of his enemy and started to tag along one of them swirling back to its owner. Following its path, Aelthred relentlessly swimmed further into the ocean. Hydraulic pressures deep under the water didn't matter to him at all, for his earthly flesh had already been tempered in plasmas of numerous battlefields, and his ancient armor, a heirloom of the kings, was the finest among any other exo-skeletons in his kingdom.
He finally came to face his underwater nemesis in person. Sparing any time for greeting one another with hatred, Kraken, seizing the initiative, reached out its reeking muzzle to devour the warrior. Aelthred once again used his turbo-boost to evade it; however, it would be the last for the device on his back should he ever use it again in such manner. 'Another rush of its hideous mouth then it would be all over.' He thought. He momentarily sought wisdom from his ancestors in the heat of underwater combat. To annihilate one's invincible foe, or at least to make it retreat like a coward, one should fight in a manner that of destroyers and exterminators. Only through arduous, destructive labors would he achieve victory against his gigantic nemesis. He should maintain himself merciless, ruthless, and ferocious against his enemy. Behold, for 'twas the very wisdom from his ancestors that would even make Kraken falter!
Again, the monster jutted out its terrible mouth to swallow Aelthred, now ready and fired up with hatred. This time, he played a role of its prey, only making maneuvers necessary for avoding sharp teeth of the monster. Lo, here stood a grand tech-warrior on the filthy, slimy tongue of Kraken now destined for eternal humiliation! As soon as he positioned himself firmly on its tongue, he, for the last time, turned on the switch of his turbo-boost, with his tech-sword aimed high above. Aelthred flew with thunderous boom, for that fiendish place was airtight and contained little ocean water, and then split open the ceiling along with other chunks of Kraken's greyish flesh.
The remaining warriors and ship crew, with the slightest of hope, had been tirelessly waiting for their great lord to return, until a stream of dark blood suddenly gushed out of the ocean. Soon, a man-like figure covered in vile, sticky liquid soared from the water and then landed on the damaged deck.
"Thou shalt rejoice, for our almighty lord has returned in a manner of the victorious!" One of the loyal warriors exclaimed in joy.
"All hail Prince Aelthred, the spiller of Kraken's blood, the ripper of its flesh!"
"My flesh and soul shall be yours forevermore, for you are the greatest among all the sons and daughters of this universe!"
Aelthred felt his valorous heart filled up with a sense of honor. He had made this indomitable monster falter. He had succeeded in protecting his remaining people; a sight of Kraken's fleeing away guaranteed him his servants' safety.
Gael noticed his broken turbo-boost hanging haphazardly on the exo-skeleton. "What shall you do when you need to soar into the skies once again, for the turbo-boost of yours is now completely wasted?"
"There shall be no need for me to fly up in the air anymore. I shall suffice myself being a living terror that treads the ground."
"You have already become the fear itself for dwellers of both lands and seas." Gael said to him with respect.
However, innate modesty in his soul prevented him from relishing the moment any further; his duty called upon once again.
"Enough with your praises! We still have our duties to carry on, and so do men and women in our engine-room. Engine-room, come in; pray tell me you have finished soothing the venerable techs for our further journey?"
"Yes, my lord. The engines are now prepared to do our bidding."
"Good to hear, indeed. Men and women of this battleship, return to and man thy posts, by speed of gods! We shall set sail for the land of the Holy Empire of 3-Divines once again."
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