An Octoling's Tale

Chapter 1

An inkling was running down an alleyway as she was being chased by two octolings. Her feet splashed in the puddles as she tried to escape from her pursuers. She came to a dead end and turned around to find that she had nowhere to run. She pressed her back against the wall as the octolings approached her.

"Now's your chance sis. Now's your chance to make dad proud," said the eldest of the two. They both wore what the female octolings usually wear: shorts, a small jacket, and military boots. The eldest was wearing goggles and had seaweed in her hair to signify her as a high ranking soldier.

"I-I can't," spoke the sister. "Stacy, it's not right to kill innocent inklings."

"It doesn't matter what's right," the one called Stacy said, "what matters is about asserting dominance over these squid freaks. So stop your whining Desti, and kill her."

Desti aimed her .50 gaus plasma rifle at the inkling and rested her finger on the trigger.

"What are you waiting for? Do it."

Desti's hand shook as she tried to urge herself to fire.

"I," Desti lowers her weapon, "I can't do it."

A blaster fire was heard and the inkling fell to the ground. Blood flowed from a stump where her head had once been. Desti looked and saw that her sister was the one that killed the inkling. She looked back at the now dead inkling. Blood and brain were splattered against the wall where her head had once been. She felt her stomach turn as she saw her sister rummage through the inkling's pockets.

"Let's see who you are." Stacy pulled out the inkling's squid phone, keys, and a wallet. She opened the wallet and pulled out an ID card. "So, Miss Starla Spletzer. It appears that today is your birthday. You turned sixteen today. How very nice." She turned to look at Desti. "Desti, take all of her clothes off. I'm sure we can sell this shit at OctoMart."

"Yes Stacy," Desti replied with a sad tone. She walked over to the body and pulled off the hoodie the inkling wore. She checked the tag and saw that it was the same size as her. She then pulled off the rest of the inkling's clothes and followed Stacy underground.

The place they had called home was nothing more than a rundown city. They went to one of the lower levels and made their way to the place called OctoMart. The building was rundown and covered in graffiti, much like the rest of the lower levels.

"Desti, take this stuff and sell it to the shop owner," Stacy ordered her sister. "And bring me back the money. If you don't, I will have you hanging by your feet naked, over a pit of piranhas again. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Stacy," Desti replied.

"That's Commander Stacy to you," Stacy spat out.

Desti sighed. "Yes Commander."

"Good."

Desti walked into the store and through the wreckage to the owner's office. She knocked on the door.

"Enter." Desti entered the office. "Desti! How's my favorite octoling?"

"I'm doing alright Gus. I have some stuff to sell you."

"Well? What are you waiting for? Bring 'em here," Gus said as he motioned Desti towards him. Desti walked up to the desk and set everything but the hoodie down upon it. After some hesitation, she finally set the hoodie down.

"Well, let me see here." Gus inspected the clothes and items. "Some of the stuff won't sell here, but everything else I will gladly buy for say...fifty Octopons."

"Fifty? Stacy will hang me by my throat if I return with that much."

"Alright, you drive a hard bargain. Two hundred, that's my final offer."

Desti sighed and looked at the hoodie, "Alright. I accept your offer."

Gus noticed that Desti was eye-balling the hoodie. "Listen, kid, why don't you take that hoodie. Consider it a late birthday present."

"Thank you." Desti grabbed the two hundred Octopons and the hoodie. She returned to Stacy and handed her the money.

"Two hundred Octopons. Not bad sis." Stacy noticed that Desti was wearing a hoodie. "Where did you get that?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, Gus let me have it," Desti responded. "He said it was a late birthday present."

"Of course he did. Come on, let's go home."