style="font-size:15px;"> – But you’re a massive lizard, – it was my turn to be amazed. – Can’t you handle it?
– I’m a reptile, not an amphibian! – the dragon roared angrily at me.
I stepped back cautiously, concerned for my safety. He really didn’t get the joke.
– Can’t we just create some magical bubble, get inside, and go bubble-bubble-bubble… – Zheka chimed in.
He must have been drinking alcohol. How many cocktails had he had? About ten?
– Actually, that’s a good idea, – the sorcerer suddenly switched from anger to grace. – Maybe we’ll do just that.
– The main entrance is covered by a confusion dome, – I declared both sheepishly and proudly. – My experimental design. It scrambles all spell weavings inside the dome, except for artifact and ritual ones. Simple light spells could cause a local tsunami or a rainbow of slugs. The outcome is unpredictable…
– But those are your spells, so you can remove them, right? – Asya asked logically.
– Well… – I became even more embarrassed. – There’s a small flaw. To remove the dome, you have to apply spells, and the dome scrambles them… In short, neither I nor the other Guardians could remove it after installation.
– Why did you try to remove it? – the dragon inquired suspiciously.
He was beginning to grasp the magnitude of the problem.
– Because it altered all the protective spells laid before, – I confessed humbly. – Except for the artifact ones, of course.
– So, even if we manage to get down there, we’ll encounter a mess of unpredictable protective enchantments from hundreds of Guardian generations? – Asya asked calmly. – I won’t do it, sorry. And I won’t let my brother either. We’ve had enough of your adventures.
She was right, of course, but…
– Asya, – I smiled affectionately at my fiancée. – We need you. Besides, didn’t I mention the Kraken that sinks anchored ships in the Bermuda Triangle? Its name is Tuzik, by the way…
The girl paled. And so did Zheka… Even the dragon turned a shade lighter! Perhaps I should have mentioned Tuzik earlier. Or not at all. But what’s done is done.
– You’re joking, right? – Zheka, now sober as a judge, eyed me warily.
As if in response to his question, ominous bubbles began to surface around the yacht, emerging from the depths. Indeed, I probably should have prepared them mentally in advance.
To the horror-stricken screams of my friends, Tuzik surfaced. Well, just a part of him – pink tentacles, twenty meters in length and about half the width of our yacht. Long seaweeds dangled from the suckers, raining down on our modest vessel. Surprisingly, even the dragon screamed. For the first time in his life, he probably felt tiny. Well, it was a good learning experience for him.
I closed my eyes and weaved a dome of shadows around the yacht. It was unlikely to be much help in this situation, but it felt somewhat reassuring. Soon, following the tentacles, the head of the Guardians’ tamed monster appeared, and my hands instinctively reached for the backpack with supplies.
– Tuzik! – I bellowed, simultaneously opening a can of fish. – Catch!
After tossing the tin to the kraken, I turned to my stunned friends.
– Sardines in tomato sauce, – I explained with a smile. – His favorite. Often feed him after work.
My friends, petrified with terror, just blinked silently, probably trying to incinerate me with their gaze. Someday, they might succeed, being practicing magicians and all… but I’d rather not test that.
– Tuzik! – I called out to the pet again and, seeing that he recognized me, dispelled the dome of shadows. – Wrap!
Understanding the command, the giant mollusk swiftly began to entwine the yacht with the tips of his tentacles. My friends screamed in unison and bolted into the only cabin. Right thinking. Following them, I quickly sealed the airtight door and cast an air bubble spell. Yes, the magic could turn into something terrifying and deadly, but it still felt safer with it.
The yacht creaked and tilted. Tuzik was sinking our rented vessel. A pity, but hopefully, the insurance would cover everything – nobody is safe from a kraken attack in the Bermuda Triangle. A genuine force majeure.
Meanwhile, my companions fell silent again. Had they resigned themselves? Or calmed down?
– I. Will. Kill. You! – Asya articulated each word with furious precision.
At least she wasn’t panicking. Zheka had fainted altogether. I really did choose a strong-nerved fiancée. Joint trips are quite beneficial for relationships, helping to unwind, change the scenery, and understand each other better. Maybe I should explain this to her…
– Joint trips… – I began, only to receive a sharp slap and fall silent, chastened. Apparently, I was wrong somewhere.
– Trips?! – the girl screamed at me. – You nearly killed us! You said we just had to sail to your office and grab a book! Was it so hard to warn us that the office is at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, guarded by a bunch of protective spells and a giant squid?! – Asya’s anger escalated. – I don’t want to be part of your schemes! And I don’t want to marry you! You’re a reckless idiot, always risking other people’s lives! I can’t stand to see you anymore!
Having finished her tirade, the girl climbed onto the sole armchair in the cabin and hid her face in her hands. It seems I really overdid it with the surprises, and we hadn’t even reached the office yet.
I cautiously crouched in front of Asya. The dragon tactfully turned away, pretending not to hear us. At least Zheka was still in a deep faint.
– Listen, – I began carefully. – I’m really sorry for presenting myself in such a way. By dragging you into this adventure, I wanted us to get to know each other better. Besides, you and Zheka need real-world experience in using magic, and this adventure is perfect for that. I can teach you things you’ll never learn in seminars or lectures. And I can protect you, trust me. No matter how scared you are now, remember, you’re with a true Guardian, who once nearly destroyed the world trying to save your life.
– What? – the girl looked at me, puzzled, while wiping the tears rolling down her cheeks. – What do you mean ‘nearly destroyed the world’?
Oops. Looks like I let slip too much. When will I learn to watch my tongue? Even the dragon was glancing at me with interest. But I couldn’t confess that I was actually behind the whole ley-line shift fiasco! Well, it’s time to lie elegantly.
– The slightest flaw in the forced evolution ritual could have wiped out humanity as a species, – I blurted out. – But I’m a professional and always know what I’m doing. Please, trust me.
Asya
