The Water Disaster

Furious waves lapped against the sides of the ship, drenching Tepnu in a freezing salty spray. It stung his eyes and half-blinded him as he fought with the rigging. It was his fifth consecutive day at sea without even a glimpse of land, let alone the treasure he desperately sought. The seas grew increasingly unforgiving, the days grew shorter, and the nights felt never-ending. Tepnu hunkered down, his back braced against the railings on the quarter-deck, and checked his map once more. He squinted at the image before him, but the effort was wasted. He had to admit it: he was utterly and hopelessly lost. Resigning himself to his fate, Tepnu decided to ride out the remainder of the wretched night inside his cabin. No stranger to sleeping through rocky seas, he closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful slumber. But, in what seemed like only moments, his sleep was interrupted by what can only be described as a deep bubbling purr emanating from below the ship. The wood of the boughs around his cabin began to creak and the ship felt strangely suspended, no longer swaying with the movements of the sea. Tentatively, Tepnu emerged from his cabin and stared at the steps ascending to the deck. He knew hiding wasn’t an option--he must face whatever had captured his vessel, before it was too late! As he reached the top of the staircase, he froze. Huge furry tentacles slithered around him, covering the deck in a shimmering blue ichor. The head of the beast loomed menacingly over the bow, seemingly intent on destroying this wooden foe which had haplessly floated into its territory. Tepnu, an experienced seafarer, knew instantly he was in the grasp of the legendary sea creature, The Kritten! Half cat, half octopus, the epic beast had long been inhabiting the nightmares of every seaman in Cooltopia, and now it was his reality. Wracking his brain for ideas, he glanced around the deck for assistance. He momentarily contemplated jumping ship, but it would be futile, as he was leagues from any land. Tepnu needed a way to scare the beast. Spying the heavy rope that held the anchor, he fought his way towards it, dodging thrashing tentacles as he went, leaping over and sliding beneath them as they skimmed the top of his head. He slid across the damp deck, reached the anchor, and frantically unwound the heavy rope. The anchor fell down the side of the ship and became entangled in The Kritten’s tentacles. The ship rocked as The Kritten jumped in alarm and let out a thunderous hissing sound that shook the very air around him. The ship shook so violently, Tepnu hugged his arms around the railings of the deck. Tentacles slithered around him as The Kritten shrunk back into the depths. Still hugging the side of the ship, Tepnu let out a deep sigh as he glanced around at the damage. But, before he could even catch his breath, the ship began to creak once more. It moved slowly at first, then picked up speed. Tepnu was being dragged through the waves at the mercy of an angry Kritten! Powerless to detach the anchor, he crouched down and clung on for the ride. Land loomed into view on the horizon--a small, unknown island with a mountain sprouting from its centre. A strange feeling of slight relief crept over Tepnu. Land ahoy, at last...but he was approaching that land at ship-shattering speed! As The Kritten swung around the island in its fury, the heavy rope on the anchor snapped, throwing the ship onto the island and straight into the base of the mountain. The last thing Tepnu remembered before he closed his eyes and braced himself was the ear-splitting sound of shattering wood and rock. Tepnu’s eyes flickered open, squinting against the harsh sunlight flooding in. He pushed himself to his knees and brushed sharp sand from his eyes. It took a few seconds to gain his bearings and recall what had happened. He had been thrown from his ship onto the beach. His ship was melded with the side of the mountain, and a great crack had formed in the stone at the point of impact. Amazingly, a beautiful waterfall flowed from the fissure all the way down to the beach, where it joined the ocean. Tepnu’s gaze followed this river down and out onto the waves, where he noticed curious egg-shaped objects floating out to sea. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of little eggs covered in runes. Making his way to the water and sticking out his webbed foot, he caught one as it bobbed past, picked it up, and turned it carefully in his hands. To his surprise, it felt warm to the touch. Tucking the egg under his arm, Tepnu strode toward his broken ship and the open fissure in the rockface. Perhaps there was treasure to be found here after all….