Ruthless Winds and Raging Seas

Chapter 18

At long last they reached the lair of the kraken. It was dark, misty, both dry and moist at the same time. When they found a place to tie their ship at, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel went off to hunt for the sea monsters while Erza and Laxus stayed behind to protect the ship.

The three men went down into deep, dark caverns that were filled with murky waters and had cold winds echoing around them. As it started getting darker, Gray lit a match that he had brought.

"I don't like this place." He said.

"We won't be here long." Natsu said. "We're just going to get the ink and get out."

"It's not that simple." Gajeel said. "Krakens kill on sight and they'll eat anything that moves. They live in caverns and they're typically nocturnal."

"So the beast should be asleep right about now?" Natsu asked.

"Yes but don't assume that the creature won't wake til nightfall."

Further on they walked until at last the reached the area where sea beast slept. It was hideous, slimy, and utterly repulsive. A legendary, giant, cephlopod like monster that had been known to destroy hundreds of ships and devour the lives of thousands. The bones of it's victims were scattered all over the place.

"Keep quiet." Gajeel hushed. "Make no loud noises, one false move we'll all be lunch."

"How are we going to get the ink?" Natsu asked in a whisper.

Gajeel quickly pulled out a dagger and an empty jar.

"Here's the plan, I'm going to cut the kraken with this which will cause ink to bleed out of it's wound. While I'm keeping it busy one of you fill this jar with the ink and the other will help me keep it distracted. Now which one of you is it going to be?"

Natsu and Gray looked at each other.

"Draw straws?" Gray suggested.

"Using what?" Natsu asked.

Gray turned to Gajeel and took notice of his long black mane.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked.

"Gajeel forgive me." The religious pirate told him.

"For what? Ouch!"

Gray plucked a strand of his hair.

"That."

"Why you-"

"You're turn Natsu."

"Oh no. Don't you dare!"

But Natsu did the exact same thing.

Gajeel would have angrily beaten them both to a pulp in an instant if it wouldn't risk waking the kraken.

Gray and Natsu compared to two strands of hair they had plucked. Gray's was the biggest which meant he would be the one charged with collecting the ink.

Gajeel quietly crept over to the sleeping kraken and made a deep cut in it's side with his dagger. The monster woke and screeched in pain, acting quickly Natsu and Gajeel distracted it while Gray began collecting the ink bleeding out into the jar. Once enough had been filled he sealed the jar up.

"I got it! Let's go!"

The three pirates bolted out of the caverns but the kraken wasn't going to let them escape the easily. It slithered after them like a serpent, snapping it's jaws hungrily and trying to grab them with it's tentacles.

"Why is it following us?!" Natsu shouted.

"Why do you think?! It's hungry! We're it's idea of an entree!" Gajeel responded.