Episode Seven - Octopod (Part 2)

Indeed it was. Eira's gaze followed his and horror filled her at the sight of their little friend caught in giant tentacles, evidently struggling in pain. She charged before Florian could stop her, a roar spilling from her lungs. Sinking three arrows into the beast's tentacle, Eira unstrapped her handy knife and viciously severed the unyielding muscle. The little one fell free, at the same time a round, bulbous torso broke through the mild waves.

Eyes widening, Eira never saw the tentacle until it smashed into her. An explosion of pain numbed her left cheek as she went sailing in the air. She heard Florian's voice, but it drowned out when she crashed underwater, the saltwater shooting up her nostrils. Panic assailed her as she recalled that she couldn't swim.

"Eira!" Swearing under his breath, Florian eyed the mature Octopod. He couldn't save Eira without getting past it. The grotesque eyes mapping its spherical torso and unhinged mouth warned Florian that it was raging mad. God, he wished the entire team were here. It would make taking down this big bastard easier.

"Think, Florian! There must be a way!" he uttered to himself.

The Octopod had the advantage in the ocean, so it was best to lure it to shore. It would give them a fighting chance. The hindering waves would only drown them by accident if the Octopod didn't get to them first. "Eira, hold on," he prayed fervently. Backing off slowly, Florian knew he was being marked. Without warning, tentacles shot forth to capture him. Evading instinctively, he ducked and hustled for shore, turning frequently to ensure the Octopod was chasing him. Without legs, it had to support its ball-shaped body with its long appendages. Perfect. That was four less tentacles to worry about.

A familiar head bobbing in the waves caught his eye, and he released a breath of relief. Thank God! Eira was safe. Now he could concentrate on killing this bastard. Trading his blade for sharpshooter, he huddled behind a large boulder, using its rocky surface as a platform to steady his reaper as he fired several rounds. Although sharpshooter's abilities were limited, every hit still packed a punch.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Three eyes taken out. The Octopod wailed angrily.

As he continued shooting at the giant predator, Florian was taken aback when their unexpected ally swooped in and mercilessly wounded and scratched the Octopod. Clearly, it was taking revenge. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, he was grateful for the unanticipated backup.

Trudging back to shore, Eira's lungs contracted, expelling mouthfuls of water. That was a harrowing experience. She had nearly drowned! In her rush to save the little one, the fact that she couldn't swim had slipped her mind. "That was stupid and reckless of you, Eira!" Her heart palpitated on the verge of failing, her breathing still choppy.

Regaining her composure, she took in the situation. Swiping her lips, she checked the huntress's condition and blended into the shadows. She'd never seen an uglier beast. This was an Octopod? Without tentacles, it was merely a ball covered in hundreds of horizontal slit eyes and a mouth rimmed with gnashing teeth. Mother Nature would never give birth to something so hideous and evil. It was mankind that destroyed its original beauty.

Florian's bullets echoed in the night, followed by an unholy shriek. A sudden rush of wind swept by her, and she spotted the little one attacking the beast. Contributing into the fight, Eira didn't hesitate to fire her arrows, aiming for its underbelly. This thing had to have a weak spot.

{Fire. Heat.}

Was the little one trying to convey the monster's weakness? Firing a few more rounds before reloading, Eira crept closer to Florian. "I think I know how we can kill it."

Teeth clenching in concentration, Florian bit out harshly. "What is it?"

"It's heat! It's susceptible to heat."

"Fuck! This is harder than I thought." Florian unclipped his empty shells and reloaded. "We'll need to drive it into a corner."

{Water. Heat!}

"We can lure it into the aquaculture pool," she suggested hotly.

"And do what?"

{Heat. I can.}

"Little one says it knows what to do."

Brows slanting in exasperation, Florian was highly unconvinced. "You're trusting our lives to a predator? Are you for real, Eira?"

"Just trust me!" she snapped. "If it fails, then I'm fine if you never trust me again."

Releasing a frustrated growl, Florian slung sharpshooter over his shoulder. "You better be right about this."

They raced across the beach, heading back to the fishery just a stretch away. Eira waved at the beast. "Over here!" Little one followed and so did the Octopod. Luckily, the aquaculture pool wasn't faraway and Eira continuously fired at the creature to get its attention.

"I don't know if you're crazy or just plain reckless, Eira," Florian catapulted at her, his words somehow sarcastic and furious. He couldn't forget that she had risked her life minutes earlier when she couldn't swim. Unbelievable! They hurried to the edge of the pool and watched as the Octopod plunged in, generating a huge wave that swallowed the fishery's main building. Little one landed beside Eira, making indecipherable noises.

{Stay. Will heat up.}

"What do you mean?" Its stilted vocabulary made it hard for her to understand. Little one huffed, flexing a wing towards the Octopod.

{Stay. In Water.}

"Florian!" Eira exclaimed, watching little one dipped its snout into the water. "Don't let the Octopod escape the pool!" Her concentration broke when the Octopod cut swiftly to Florian, intent to prey on her partner. Sprinting to his aid, she fired relentlessly and took out more of its eyes. Shortly, an unexpected rise of steam bubbled from the pool, the surrounding temperature surging.

"What the hell is going on?" Florian threw Eira an askance look.

"I-I don't know." Eira was equally puzzled. "It appears to be boiling up."

Their gazes darted to little one who was likely responsible for this bizarre occurrence. Eira noticed an orange glow emitting from its chest. The Octopod started thrashing violently, unable to bear the scorching heat. Water surged and danced along with its flailing tentacles, nearly submerging the place. Its nails on chalkboard screech had her wincing. Luckily the fishery was isolated, or the Octopod's screams would wake up the entire neighbourhood.

"Keep firing!" Florian cried, covering from the other side of the pool.

Eira reloaded her last magazine, sweat sliding down her face as she resumed attacking. At this point, she couldn't differentiate perspiration from the sea water matting her hair. She only knew she mustn't stop. Click! "Florian, I'm out of arrows!"

"Fuck! Same here," he responded, though the Octopod had stopped struggling seconds ago, its large body gradually sinking. "Is the fucker dead?"

Eira caught a flash of red slithering to where little one was vulnerable. Once again, she dashed off to play the heroine. "Watch out, little one!" Shoving the smaller predator out of the way, the tentacle seized her instead, wrapping tightly. She couldn't move an inch, unable to reach for her knife.

"Eira!" Florian rounded the pool, whipping out his blade.

An agonizing scream erupted from Eira's lungs as several tiny, serrated teeth tore into her flesh. The pain intensified with her struggles, hot tears running down her cheeks. It felt like she was being eaten alive!

A shot of fear mingled with adrenaline as Florian pumped his legs, afraid he couldn't reach her on time. Leaping onto the suspended tentacle, he sawed through thick muscle, drawing a copious amount of blue blood before it released her. Eira was passed out cold. Kneeling beside her, he carefully patted her cheek. "Eira, can you hear me? Eira?" His eyes travelled over the countless bite marks covering her torso and limbs. She was bleeding profusely from the deep wounds. If there were just a few, he wouldn't be so worried but, she needed medical attention now.

"Damn it!" Concern flooded him. Scooping her into his arms, Florian ran to save her life.