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 nodded uncertainly. It seemed to work. Grandiose phrases always work with eighteen-year-old girls. Someday she’ll realize that although I’m a professional, I almost never know what I’m doing.
– Ahem… – the dragon interrupted our idyll with a polite cough. – Excuse me, professional! Do you happen to know how much longer we have to dive?
That overgrown lizard! He’s even sarcastic!
– About forty minutes, – I estimated. – Tuzik isn’t very fast, and the depth is over eight kilometers.
– How much?! – Asya and the spellcaster exclaimed in unison. Even Zheka seemed to twitch.
– Trust me, I’m a professional! – I smiled reassuringly at Asya and winked at the dragon unnoticed.
The main thing now was that we were finally approaching our goal. We’d deal with minor issues like immense pressure as they arose. That’s always been my approach. And it always works. After all, I’m a Guardian!
***
It turns out, sinking in a magic-protected yacht is quite dull. Even Zheka, who had come to his senses, was no longer panicking. In fact, no one else was expressing fear. Perhaps my grandiose speech had calmed everyone, or maybe they were just tired of being scared. After all, we’d been descending for forty minutes and nothing terrifying had happened yet.
The dragon proposed doubling our protection by adding his own air bubble spell, but I forbade it. Yes, double protection is good, but only until the shields start morphing into something unimaginable. The spellcaster, taught by bitter experience of reckless magic use, didn’t argue. A pity. It would have been nice to have someone to blame if things went awry.
Asya remained seated, legs on the armchair, thoughtfully staring at the opposite wall. Zheka was quietly conversing with the professor, while I, comfortably seated on the floor, pondered deeply. What awaited us ahead? Could we make it to the headquarters? Where had the other Guardians disappeared to? When would the invasion of the Nizmors begin? Where did the rifle in my closet come from? Too many questions whirled in my head, yet I had no answers to any of them.
Suddenly, the yacht jolted as if we had hit the bottom. And why ‘as if’? Most likely, we had indeed finally reached the bottom. A loud crack sounded, and the entire cabin shook.
– What’s happening?! – Asya exclaimed, a hint of fear in her voice.
Both the dragon and Zheka looked to me for an explanation.
– We’ve reached the bottom, – I explained calmly. – Now Tuzik will drag us to the main entrance, and the air bubble spell will vanish. From this moment on, any magic you use will function improperly, so be cautious.
No sooner had I reminded my companions of the dangers of using magic inside the dome of confusion than my air bubble burst with a soft pop. Dark