“It von’t be long now!” Heindel reported, peering out of the large glass view port at the front of the ship just below the command deck. He was watching Boz operate the digger outside while Frangen piloted the sub, dodging all of the debris that was falling from the battle above. “I tink he’s found somezhing. Ze drill bit just sunk into the rock like as if it punched through to zhe other side of a cave or somezhing!”
“Really?” Nataleigh jumped up and ran to the front of the sub to see what Heindel was talking about. This was it! They had found the underwater cavern of the Serpent’s Eye! Their quest was almost over and they would soon have it! Through the portal she could see the digger pull back and then move in to drill another whole next to the first. As he did, the thin layer of rock that he had drilled through began to crumble and give way. The cave beyond was open.
“That’s it! He did it!” Nataleigh shouted joyfully.
But before anyone else could join in her excitement, she watched, horrified, as a large, orange colored tentacle shot out of the newly opened cave and grabbed the little one-man digger! The princess screamed as Heindel, watching next to her, shouted orders to Frangen and jumped up to the command deck.
“Frangen, bring the ship around while I load the ‘Biters’!”
Nataleigh watched as the little inventor pushed his glasses up with determination and began to lift a torpedo tube as big as himself from the wall. The torpedo looked like a shark with a hinged jaw on the front and razor sharp teeth. Heindel struggled to get the torpedo into the launch tube at chest level. He was not as muscular as his two brothers were. Maid Madelyn moved to help him and they soon had one tube loaded.
“I’m in position, Heindel.” Frangen reported.
“Dhere’s no time to load zhe other von.” Heindel said, panting. “Just fire this von before it’s too late!”
Nataleigh turned back to the observation window. It was hard to see Boz now. The falling rock and the sudden movement of the tentacle had stirred up all kinds of murk from the bottom of the sea and the water was very cloudy. She thought she could see Boz struggling to unhook the harnesses that strapped him to the digger as the tentacle dragged the machine into the darkness of the cave.
“Wait!” She warned. “You might hit Boz! He’s trying to get loose from the digger.”
But even as she said it, he disappeared into the murky cloud and darkness. She held her breath, feeling hopeless as she watched.
Maid Madelyn jumped down beside her to get a closer look as Frangen moved to load the other torpedo tube. Heindel held the sub steady and they watched as the cloud began to disperse. All was settling down, when they saw another shadow darting from the cave. It was Boz!
The brawny dwarf was swimming for the submarine for all he was worth! And right behind him three more tentacles were pursuing!
“Frangen, are you ready?” Heindel asked. The first tentacle began to encircle one of Boz’s feet!
“Ready,” answered Frangen, and Heindel yanked on the firing chord!
Both torpedos blasted from the sub and struck their targets and Nataleigh saw why they were called ‘Biters’. As each metal tube struck a tentacle, the iron hinged jaws on the end clamped down, biting into the rubbery tentacles. Immediately the tentacles pulled back, releasing Boz’s foot and he began to swim for it again.
“Frangen, reload! Quick!” Ordered Heindel, already beginning to turn the sub around.
Then he turned to the girls and spoke a bit softer. “If you young maidens would be so kind as to assist Bozwin…”
“Say no more!” Maid Madelyn cut in. She was already moving for the ladder to the lower deck.
Nataleigh began to follow, throwing one more glance out the front window. She wished she hadn’t. As the sub turned away from the cave, she saw a huge, dark, bubbly shadow squeezing itself through the opening very quickly. It had many tentacles and they were already stretching out for them. And then she saw the creature’s black eyes and huge rubbery head and knew what it was. It was a giant octopus and it looked hungry!
Seeing those eyes the princess froze with fear until she heard someone calling her name. It was Maid Madelyn calling from the deck below for help. That snapped her out of her moment of panic and she jumped for the ladder, glad to run away from the horrible sight looming larger and larger in the front view port.
As she climbed down, she could hear Heindel shouting at Frangen to move faster and hoped that the torpedoes would be enough to stop the angered monster. Below, Maid Madelyn had already opened the diving hatch and was reaching into the water for Boz, but she was having a hard time hauling him up.
“I think it’s got him again!” She shouted with a grunt.
The princess jumped from the ladder and ran to help when out of the portal burst another tentacle! This one began to feel around the hatch for another target and was closing in on Madelyn!
Nataleigh stopped short, not sure what to do when she spied the saw-bladed power can-opener hanging on the wall nearby. Grabbing it from the wall, she looked for the mechanism that would operate it and hoped it didn’t need batteries. All she could find was a pull-chord.
“Hurry Princess! I’m losing him!” Maid Madelyn warned.
Nataleigh looked back to see that Madelyn’s grip was slipping from Boz’s arm and now the tentacle had found her as well! It was wrapping around her waist! Frantically, she yanked on the pull string. Nothing happened. She jerked it again and still nothing! Several more times she pulled the chord with all her strength and still the invention refused to work. It was useless!
“Princess!” Madelyn cried out again, this time in pain as the tentacle began to squeeze her and drag her down through the open hatch with Boz! Desperate, not knowing what else to do, Nataleigh threw down the contraption in her hand and ran to grab hold of her friend. But before she reached her the ship shook softly again and sparks of electricity leapt up from the water!
The tentacle stiffened with the shock and then released Madelyn and disappeared back into the ocean. Unfortunately, the maiden was stunned by the shock as well and Nataleigh reached her just in time to catch her before she sank into the water.
As she dragged Madelyn onto the floor, Boz’s arm reached up through the open hatch behind her weakly gripping the side rail. The princess grabbed his diving suit and helped him out of the water quickly, slamming the hatch behind him before another tentacle surfaced. Boz collapsed on the floor next to Madelyn and didn’t move.
Nataleigh noticed that the sub was speeding up. She sealed the hatch, then crossed over to check on her friends. Boz had what looked like a burn on one ankle and had lost a flipper, but he was breathing. Nataleigh guessed that the electrical shock had hit him as well.
Suddenly Frangen’s head popped through the open hatch above her and called down from the command deck.
“Is everyone inside?” He inquired a bit breathless. “Heindel is accelerating!”
“Yes! Go!” She shouted, then asked. “What happened out there?”
Frangen smiled from ear to ear. “Heindel’s newest addition to the submersible: ‘Tickler’ Torpedoes! They pack quite a punch, but that big beastie won’t be laughing for long. Heindel has found another cave where we must hide until it’s gone!"
And with that, he disappeared leaving Nataleigh below to care for her two friends alone and to consider the very real impact of her recent choices.
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