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"Water water everywhere, but I don't want a drink" (Coronet) Amy cautiously stepped off the boat and onto the docks of Coronet. The trip had taken her two days by boat, and she had no idea where that kraken was. It was dusk, and almost everyone had gone home for the night. Amy thought it would be best if she got a room at the inn and looked for Abizboah in the morning. Not knowing where the inn was, she asked one of the men she passed by as she walked into town. "Excuse me, I'm new here. Could you tell me the way to the inn?" she asked. The man, who looked to be some sort of a sailor, looked at her with beady eyes, and Amy felt almost instantly it was a mistake asking him. Her feeling was justified when she was shoved up against a wall with one of the sailors large hands holding her wrist and the other over her mouth. She tried to break free, but the sailor gave a slight twist to her wrist, and pain exploded up her arm. "Why go to the inn?"he hissed "You're more than welcome to stay with me. In fact, I insist" his eyes scanned over her body, and the lecherous look he gave her gave Amy the feeling he wasn't looking for hidden weapons. She looked to the dock, all the sailors were evidently below deck, too tired from working to get to the inn. No one was on the street, so no one would see her and with her attackers hand over her mouth, it was doubtful anyone would hear her. She frantically looked for some way out, and her eyes suddenly looked to the docks edge. Something long and blue was snaking its way out of the water, heading for them. The man obviously didn't see it coming, but in an instant it had wrapped around his leg. He turned in surprise, and the tentacle gave one deft twist. A sickeningly loud ‘snap' was heard, and man screamed, falling to the ground with broken leg hanging at an angle far that most definitely was not natural. Amy turned her head and for a brief second her eyes locked with those of her rescuer, and she was glad he hadn't moved on without her. His form slipped silently under the water, and she saw a dark shape move through the water to the east. "My leg! My leg! Damn you, you broke my goddamned leg!" came the pitifully childish cries from the injured man. Amy looked around, and saw that her attackers cries were starting to wake the town. "Oh bloody hell, this is not the night for this..." she thought out loud. Amy ducked through an alleyway and ran through the village, heading in the direction she saw Abizboah swim away. Being so out of shape, she soon was reduced to walking, and after about an hour she had to stop at a grove of trees to rest. As she leaned against a particularly large tree, she froze, hearing an exceedingly bizarre sound "*hiss* gro-o-o-ok, *hiss* gro-o-o-ok..." Amy was so scared she was sure every creature in the countryside could hear her chattering teeth. While all good sense told her to run like the dickens, her morbid curiosity won out...again. She slowly turned her head around the tree...slowly...slowly...and was suddenly staring at her own face. Upon closer inspection, it was her reflection. A reflection in an eye. A really big eye at that. Amy jumped back, very sure her bladder would go awol on her in a few seconds, and then realized the whole of what she was looking at. Abizboah awoke slowly. He lazily opened his right eye, and was staring at very large human face. He recoiled at the sight, hitting the back of his head against the tree he was sleeping against a moment ago. "Owww...' he said "must you humans always sneak up on others? It is quite annoying" Amy blinked in surprise. Abizboah's voice wasn't as clear as it was when she met him that first day...in fact, his words were muddled with several ‘grok's, ‘kroons's, and ‘craw's. Perhaps it is just another point which merited further study. Oh well, at least she got the basic message: don't sneak up on a sleeping squid. Amy yawned, tired from running and then walking so far from the town of Coronet. "Mind if we sleep here tonight? I'm tired and it's way too late for much more walking..." she asked sleepily. Abizboah seemed to agree, so she sat against a large tree next to him and promptly tried to sleep herself. Abizboah was quite puzzled. He didn't understand the humans speech as well as he had before. Judging by her actions, he guessed she was quite tired. He watched as she leaned against the tree and tried to sleep. *Why am I so concerned with this girl?* he thought *I don't owe her anything, and I should still be searching for Chuchara...still...* He looked at the girls sleeping face as she drew her arms around herself, trying to shield herself from the cold. Abizboah felt so strange...did he care for this girl? Abizboah's thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound from the bushes. He stayed perfectly still, and watched as a rabbit, fur dark as night and axe in hand, crawled out from the bushes made its way to Amy, obviously thinking he had an easy meal. Well, he wasn't getting this girl as long as Abizboah was around! His instincts ignited, he whipped out one tentacle past Amy and wrapped it around the rabbits throat. The rabbit dropped its axe, and Abizboah quickly and painlessly snapped its neck. He drew the rabbit into one tentacle, protecting the kill should they be Hungary later. He again looked at Amy, and he realized he really did feel protective of the this girl. He quietly drew his tentacles around her back, and drew her closer. He wrapped her up in his tentacles, keeping her safe from the cold night air. She hardly stirred, and smiled in her sleep. When Amy awoke, she felt oddly warm. She looked around, and realized Abizboah was wrapped around her. *Was he...trying to keep me warm?* she wondered. That such kindness could come from such an unlikely creature confused her. She nearly tripped over something on the ground. Picking it up, she discovered it was a small hand axe. She looked at Abizboah's left, and saw the dead rabbit hanging in one tentacle. *He even fought that thing...amazing...* she thought. Her moving around seemed to wake the sleeping kraken, as he opened his eyes lazily and looked at her. "Your up? Good, we should get moving" he said. He slowly started moving away, picking up speed as he drove the sleep out of his system. He stopped a few yards away, looking at Amy, who was still standing there. "Well? You coming or are you staying out here?" he asked. Amy saw Abizboah move away and thought he was trying to leave her. A sudden twinge of fear ran through here, thinking he would abandon her. When he turned back and looked at her, she relaxed, realizing he wanted her to come with him. She walked towards the waiting Abizboah, and together they made their way west, quite possibly one of the weirdest traveling parties ever seen. ***three days later*** Amy trudged alongside Abizboah, thoroughly tired. They had been traveling three days with nothing to eat, and that rabbit hadn't exactly been a filling meal. On the contrary, the meat was hell on her bowels. But that had been three days ago. Like it or not, Abizboah just wasn't fast enough on land to hunt or catch the animals roaming the countryside. They had been attacked by Furfurs several times, but they were two small to eat. Amy had to use here Flowing rune to replenish their energy as the days went by, but it was definitely no substitute for a good hearty meal and a clean bed. Yesterday they had come upon the burnt remains of Toto village, and the destruction would have made Amy lose her lunch, if she had any in her stomach. By shear luck, she remembered hearing of some sort of fort south of the village. Abizboah was hurt, tired, and very irritable. He had been more than happy to follow the human when she started going south, and in the distance he thought he saw what she was aiming for. It was apparently a human structure, the outside composed primarily of wood. He could see several flags flying in the wind on polls mounted to the walls. They eventually came to what passed for an entrance, with two guards on either side. They didn't make any sort of attempt to be stealthy, and walked right up to the guards. He was hoping that there wouldn't be any trouble, but was sorely disappointed by what happened next. After their initial shock (you'd think they didn't see a kraken every day), the one on the left drew his sword. *I...I can't let...them hurt her...* he thought, afraid he was too weak to fight. He had to protect the human. He slowly inched his way in front of her, trying to look threatening. Amy was surprised when the left guard drew his weapon. It certainly didn't make her feel better after three straight days of walking and no food. She didn't even look threatening. Her dress, which was one the best available when she left Coronet, was tattered and cold. Abizboah was in bad shape too, and he was still inching forward to the guards. "Put that away. We need help...please...."she pleaded weakly. The guard on the right evidently got the message, as he looked to the other guard and said "Stop it. Put that sword away, you really think they look that dangerous?" The other guard looked like he wasn't sure what to do, than apparently saw the other guards logic. He put his sword away as the right guard turned to them. "Come with me." he said "This place is friendly, and we can help you. I'm uh...not sure about you um...'friend' there?" He looked suspiciously at Abizboah, who looked like he was about to pass out. Amy asked the guard"Will you help him? We're so hungary..." "Of course. We'll get you some food and we have one of the best nurses around" said the right guard. "Thanks..." Amy said. She smiled weakly, and promptly passed out. A few moments later, Abizboah followed suit.
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