This chapter, although it has nothing to do with Ukraine is dedicated to the brave men and women of the country who are currently defending it and who have fallen fighting against tyranny. I have friends, colleagues and a girl who means a lot to mean living in Kyiv and I want nothing more than for them and their families to be safe. Please donate to the save life charity and pressure your government to support Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine and Glory to the Heroes. Слава Украине, Героям Слава

In personal news I'm going to join the Marine Corps after I finish my degree. Scotland course work is coming down like an avalanche and I'm trying to stay healthy and keep my head on straight.

Hope you like this chapter, if you do leave a comment

James stepped out of the car and stretched, before yawning and adjusting his baseball cap. Looking out over the ocean James felt the sea breeze hit his face, the conditions were perfect. Naomi was wearing a red sailing jacket that was a size too large and a pair of aviators. Taking a sip of her coffee she looked around, "so, where's the boat?" James pointed behind him to a huge building that was open on both sides, "she's usually in there but I had them bring her out to the normal dock last night." Stacked vertically on crossbars were boats of all shapes and sizes from small fishing boats to larger speed boats and yachts on the lower levels. Naomi marveled at it for a second looking at all the names and phrases on the hulls, " do you know why humans name boats?" "I think it was originally for good luck and a safe journey. People would name ships after saints and deities so they wouldn't run into storms or get lost but now it's mostly just for fun. Naomi nodded, "makes sense but I also don't get why boats are called she or her." James scratched his head, "honestly I have no idea, but since most sailors are men my guess is they would rather say they rode Aphrodite than Hercules."

20 minutes later James and Naomi finished setting up the rigging and loading supplies. It was early in the morning and there was still a breeze to steadily carry them out to sea. James waved to the dockhand who untied the cleats letting the boat drift away from the dock. Naomi leaned over the port side to see the name on the side of the boat before sitting on the deck, "why did you name it 'Felicitas.'" "I actually didn't name her. He told me it was the name of the goddess of luck so I kept it. It's also bad luck to change a boat's name since boats supposedly develop personalities and spirits of their own the longer they sail."

"Are all sailors superstitious?"

"To some degree. When there isn't land for 1,000 miles and a storm could flip their boat, they take whatever they can get. There were also legends about sea gods, harpies, sirens, leviathans, and all the other stuff that was waiting out there to capture, bang, or eat sailors." Naomi rolled her eyes, "you know that mermaid probably goes after every guy she can get her hands on, right?" James laughed, "I wouldn't be surprised, but she could be a good asset if we needed help over there."

"Yeah, she and Scythia would be a good backup." Naomi glanced over her shoulder, "You think there are other mermaid kingdoms?" James scratched his head, "besides Atlantis I have no idea."

The boat was nice but by no means luxurious. It was a simple 39ft sloop that James had bought from a friend of Mckenzie who happened to have more money than he knew what to do with. His name was Alfred Stahlhersteller, the son of a northern steel tycoon with a business degree from Harvard. Despite his multimillion-dollar net worth Al preferred to stick to functionality and well-made things, so when James heard Al was replacing the boat he jumped at the chance… since there was no way he could afford something like it otherwise.

Staring up at the morning sky James saw a lone seagull circling overhead, occasionally squawking. They usually got on his nerves but he was in such a good mood today he couldn't care. Looking back to the controls James checked the heading and tweaked the sails. Naomi went into the cabin to have a look around, to her left was a small kitchen and countertop and to her right was a chest freezer that looked like it had seen better days. Past the entrance was a booth surrounding a dining table with a few pictures hanging on the opposite wall. Staring at the photos she recognized a few people from the agency and was surprised to see college James standing with groups of liminals in various places. To her surprise, there was only one photo of James in a military uniform. He was with four other people, all smiling. Reaching up to feel the picture it felt stiff like it had been wet but dried. "Hey Friday, is this your family?" James' face shifted like a signal flag and he almost forgot to duck when the boom swung over his head.

Correcting their course and turning on the autopilot, James headed down the steps to see Naomi awkwardly bracing herself against a rail and the freezer. James smiled, "yeah those are my parents and the other two are my younger brother and Michelle," said James as he carefully removed the tac and photo from the wall. "This was just after I graduated from the Navy OCS and everyone came out to see me. My Dad was in the Airforce and as long as I didn't join the Marines or army he was happy. My mom, on the other hand, didn't want anything to do with the military and tried to push me toward being a doctor like her but after I failed organic chemistry she said anthropology would be good as long as I wasn't getting shot at or hurt. My brother was even less hot on the idea of the military but for other reasons. He didn't like cities or the west in general so he learned a few languages and basically fell off the grid. We talk about it once every two months and he seems happy but I have no clue what he does for work. I know he was a farmer for a while then I think he worked on a boat but after he moved into the Tibetan mountains I have no idea. He mentioned a lot of studying but not much about work so I can't say for sure. The only thing I do know is that he doesn't miss calling on my parents' birthdays and he always shows up for Christmas. Which they don't hesitate to remind me about." James wiped the dust off the photo with the hem of his shirt and placed the photo back on the wall.

"When was the last time you talked to them?"

James sighed and scratched the back of his head, "probably Thanksgiving, last year."

"So they don't know about me or the rest of the team?"

"Yeah, I haven't told them. They still think I'm just a desk jockey with 401k."

"Do you plan on telling them?"

"I want to but I know they aren't going to take it well. Even mentioning paramilitary was enough to start an argument back when I was in the Navy. Then there's everything in the MH that they wouldn't approve of. Hell, they would probably lose their minds if they saw I got a tattoo and that's before I told them what it means."

Naomi walked behind James and draped her arms over his shoulders before pulling him into a hug, "but what if they don't?"

James turned to face Naomi, feeling her tail wrap around his waist, "I'll tell them after we beat the committee. I can fight my parents or Hargreave but not both."

"Fair. So how far away do they live?"

"Not too far, they live in South Hampton, New York."

Naomi's jaw dropped, "your parents live in the Hamptons?!"

"Yeah, they have a house there that they usually go to during the off-season since it's quieter. They weren't always rich though. For most of my life, we were as middle class as you could get."

"Huh,"

"My mom designed some plastic thing to fix collapsed lungs without surgery and my father used his Air Force connections to get a contract signed then all the other branches wanted it. Then it was basically overnight that they went from average to one percent. You wouldn't know it from talking to them though. They don't drive flashy cars or wear million-dollar jewelry and are still pretty much the same as when they didn't have money."

"You weren't very close with your parents growing up were you?"

James' expression became serious, "why do you say that."

"The way you talk about them and that you aren't close to them now," responded Naomi, still holding James.

James looked away and cracked his knuckles, " well… you're right, I wasn't, but it's not like I didn't want to be, it just turned out that way, and the longer it went on the more it felt like that's just the way it was going to be between us."

"What are you worried about, That they won't want a better relationship with their son? They're your parents."

James put up his hands and looked Naomi in the eyes "ok you got me, but what's really been on my mind is that disapproval you can hear in someone's voice when you know they wished you did something else. That's what I don't want, even though I don't talk to them, their approval still matters."

Naomi's expression flattened, "Friday, you're being stupid. And before you say I don't get it, hear me out. You're telling me that you want a close relationship without being open and that their approval matters even though you aren't honest about what you do. That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah…" James was silent, feeling the swaying of the boat and listening to the waves splashing against the hull he dug his thumb into his pointer finger, "can we talk about something else?"

Naomi took a step back, clasping her hands behind her waist, "sure"

Outside of the cabin clouds drifted calmly overhead. The ship cut through the waves, hardly shifting its course as the coast slipped over the horizon. Hours later, the seagull that had followed the boat from the harbor glided above the mast keeping pace with the ship. The bird eyed the cooler that was strapped down beside the cabin door. Inside were the snacks James brought and some sandwiches for lunch. Swooping down it landed on top of the cooler and pecked at the lid trying to pry it open. It soon gave up and moved to the stern of the boat to rest in the sun. Tucking its beak under its wing the bird fell asleep. From below the sea's surface, something large stirred. Suddenly a tentacle grabbed the bird and dragged it below the surface leaving a few feathers and a red mark on the deck.

Sitting in the galley James heard the depth meter signal they were heading into dangerously low water. Rushing to the helm his jaw dropped, less than a mile off the bow was a tropical island that put most postcards to shame. Putting the sails in irons he checked the GPS but there was no sign that anything should be there. Being only 25 miles from the coast it was strange that no one had put this island on any maps. James picked up the ship's radio and dialed into the coast guard's frequency but just before pressing the button he stopped. "Is something wrong," called Naomi from inside the cabin? James hung the radio up, "I'm, I- don't know but you should come up here." A minute later they both stood together staring at the island, "we should call this in, something isn't right about this" said James not looking away from the white sand beach and swaying palm trees. Naomi groaned, "if you call this in, the coast guard is going to show up and rope this place off and have survey teams grab anything worth looking at." James rubbed his thumb over the handrail feeling the gritty seaspray residue, "There's no way this isn't something crazy to do with liminals. Just look at it, why would there be a beautiful tropical island this far north in the middle of fall." James held up his hands for effect, "AND it's not on any maps."

Naomi tapped her claws on the helm, "Maybe, or it's just a tropical island."

"There is no way it's just a tropical island."

"Are you saying you don't want to check it out," asked Naomi.

"If stuff goes sideways we'll leave and it can be someone else's problem. Drop the anchor while I prep the dinghy."

"Ay ay Captain," called Naomi in a fake deep voice before dashing to the bow of the boat. James smiled and shook his head. Stepping onto the stern platform he brushed some feathers off the seat before noticing a red stain that was now on his hand. James frowned and wiped his hand on his pants and began to prime the motor. James shoved the inflatable boat off with his foot and carefully stepped into it trying to maintain his balance. As Naomi walked to the bow of the boat she was hit with the strong smell of sulfur making her gag. "What the hell," she mumbled before sniffing again only to smell the crisp ocean air.

Riding over the calm water James could swear he saw heat waves coming off the sand. "Friday slow down and get parallel to the island in 50 feet," called Naomi staring at the water. James nodded and cut the engine before swinging the tiller away from his chest. There was a clear line in the water where the dark depths of the Atlantic shifted to the crystal clear water of what could be the Caribbean. Leaning over the bow Naomi reached over the line and quickly recoiled, "holy shit!"

Steadying himself James quickly leaned forward, "You good?"

Naomi turned to James and held up her hand, "No, it's like 90 degrees. It feels great," James shrugged and cranked the motor, steering them toward the beach. Crossing the line in the water they were hit by a wave of heat that felt like stepping off an air-conditioned plane in the Bahamas in the middle of July. Later, they landed on the beach and immediately shucked their warm clothes in the boat. James was wearing a set of plain black briefs and Naomi wore an old black exercise bra and a pair of athletic shorts.

Turning away from the ocean James looked at the lush jungle that made up the interior of the island, despite it being around noon and the sun hanging directly overhead the jungle looked dark. Trying to see further in, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud splash behind him, "are you coming or not?" James turned back toward the ocean and took off in a full sprint and at the last moment heaving himself into a cannonball, making a huge splash next to Naomi knocking her over. Wiping her now-soaked hair out of her eyes Naomi grinned, "wanna go, tough guy?"

"I'm up for round two if you are," said James, holding out his arms and flexing. Jumping forward she talked him underwater, James hooked his leg around her waist as he fell backward then planted his right hand on the ocean floor. Twisting his waist he got on top but only for a second as Naomi found her footing and stood up. She felt him reaching for a headlock but grabbed his wrist flipping him over her shoulder with a hip throw. James landed squarely on his back with a loud splash. Still underwater James cleared his nose then flipped to his stomach and launched himself forward grabbing Naomi's left leg then standing up.

Naomi struggled to stay upright, unable to free her ankle from Jame's grip under his arm. James grinned "looks like I'm 2 for 2," lifting Naomi's leg higher making her hop on one foot to stay balanced. Naomi was breathing heavily, her wet hair hung over her face, fighting in water, cooled her tail, and slowed her down. In a few seconds, she would be dry and back at full strength but she couldn't let him know that. Steam was already rising off her body, slicking her hair back. She laughed as the last of the water evaporated, "if you wanted me to stop going easy on you, you should have just said so." James' grip went slack for a fraction of a second, "wait, what," and Naomi saw her window, her tail erupted in blue flames and she used it to brace herself as she launched a full-force kick at James' chest. Not having time to dodge or block James could only brace for impact and it was one hell of an impact. The kick lifted him off the ground and threw him back 5 feet. Had James been a normal human he would have been lucky to walk away with a few broken ribs and a cracked sternum, luckily he would just have a bruise in a few hours.

Now it was James who was trying to catch his breath, from exhaustion and getting it knocked out of him. He was standing in water just below his waist, if he wasn't swimming he would be covered in sweat. Not waiting for him to recover Naomi charged at James ready to make him submit. James steadied himself and got into a wrestling stance. As Naomi dove in for another tackle James looped an arm around Naomi's neck putting her in a guillotine hold. James let her momentum push him back into the water. James kneeled to get his head above water while keeping Naomi below the surface. Even underwater Naomi was strong, wrapping her arms around James' waist she planted her left foot in front of her then stood up, lifting James on her shoulder. James' eyes went wide as he felt himself being lifted out of the water.

"Good try Friday, but not good enough," called Naomi.

James slackened his grip and let go, he'd put up a good fight but unless he wanted to give his spine a stress test it was time to call it, "how about we call it a tie?"

"Not a chance,"

He didn't need to see Naomi's face to know how smug she looked at that moment but from the tone of her voice he had a pretty good idea, "Fine, you beat me. Now put me down," said James. "That wouldn't be responsible Friday, what if there was a terrible monster waiting to eat humans in the ocean," announced Naomi trudging back to the cooler. James heaved a laugh, "the only monster I know that wants to eat me is you." Naomi stopped, "you do remember what I said about if you ever called me a monster again don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, you can show me what a real monster looks like after lunch, I'm starving."

Back at the boat Naomi set James down on the side of the hull and stretched her shoulder while James retrieved the sandwiches and passed one to Naomi. Before she could remove the plastic James was already tearing through his. Naomi sat beside James and started devouring her sandwich too. A minute later they both finished and rocked back into the boat, Naomi closed her eyes to relax only to immediately open them and look at James.

"Hey," said Naomi, nudging James.

"What," responded James not bothering to open his eyes

"Are you still hungry?"

"Yeah"

"Me too"

"So," said James, still not opening his eyes

"So grab some more food, you're closer."

James smiled, "to the victor go the spoils"

Reaching to his right James fished around in the cooler before pulling out a bag of pretzels and two water bottles. James passed the bag to Naomi who eagerly opened it and started munching away, "Fanksh-." "mMhhm," James responded, lifting his water bottle. Once the water hit his tongue James realized how dehydrated he actually was. Sucking down the rest of his water, he breathed a sigh of contentment and put his arm around Naomi who rested her head on his chest. On the quiet beach under the shade of a palm tree that lightly rustled in the breeze the stresses of the world felt a million miles away.

An hour later James opened his eyes, Naomi had shifted and was now laying on top of him still sound asleep. Shifting slightly James was reminded of one of his least favorite feelings, dried saltwater. Naomi stirred too, "I need a shower." Standing up James looked out over the ocean, the boat was still anchored where they left it, just past the warm water zone. James shoved some clothes, snacks, a first aid kit, and two water bottles in a day pack before swinging it over his shoulder. Grabbing a compass he noted their heading marked a safety bearing on a tree 50 feet behind the treeline, "you ready," called James adjusting the straps on his pack. Naomi nodded and they set off into the jungle.

The temperature immediately dropped 15 degrees and the humidity felt like a steam room. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness James could see vibrant colors everywhere he looked. Naomi was mesmerized by the rainbow of orchids hanging from the bark of trees, bending to smell one Naomi's eyes lit up. The floral smell was twice as strong as the ones from florists. James moved ahead, pushing vines and leaves out of the way he slowly pressed forward. Up ahead was a pond and a small waterfall.

Stepping out into the clearing the sunlight felt hot; James looked around, there were still no signs that anyone or anything for that matter had been here. Walking to the water's edge James looked into the pond, the water was crystal clear. Dipping his hand in James was surprised to find it was almost the same temperature as the air. It felt like he almost wasn't touching anything. Wading up to his chest James slipped off his underwear and started to wring them out before tossing them on a nearby rock to dry. Dunking his head underwater James scrubbed the salt out of his hair. From underwater, he heard the splash of Naomi jumping in. Coming back up to the surface James floated on his back enjoying the feeling of being clean. Swimming naked was a strangely calming feeling, despite being vulnerable he was also free. A gentle breeze rustled the trees around the clearing and the faint crashing of waves could be heard in the distance. James let out a contented sigh, this was the most relaxed he had felt in a while.

[Lemon]

James felt a shadow cover his face, opening his eyes he saw Naomi staring down at him."Do you think you could wash my back Friday? I tried but I can't seem to reach."

"Only your back?". Naomi turned around and lifted up her hair, cupping some water in his hands he washed her shoulders first; hearing her hum contentedly James smiled. His hands may not be the softest but for her, they felt a lot better than scales. Moving down James let his hands feel the shape of her back, as he massaged the tense muscles. Naomi bit her lip trying not to lose her composure. Washing away the sand and salt James set his hands on Naomi's waist, her knees felt weak. James looked down, he was a few inches away from her rear, all he had to do was pull her closer…

Naomi couldn't hold back any longer, wrapping her tail around his waist, holding him in place, she pressed herself onto him. James was already hard, pressing his cock between the top of Naomi's thighs, he rubbed over her clit drawing a soft moan from her lips. In the water they felt almost weightless along with the sweet natural smell of the forest; it was almost intoxicating. James moved his hips back and forth relishing the soft tight feeling between her thighs. A blush spread over Naomi's cheeks, the feeling of James between her legs was nice but she needed more. "Friday, you really are lovely but I know you didn't take me all the way out here just for foreplay, Fuck me like you mean it!"

Tightening his grip on her waist and making his voice gruff James leaned to Naomi's ear, "I'll fuck you till you can taste it." James thrust himself deep into Naomi, she felt so hot he thought he was going to melt. Grinding her hips into his Naomi felt him press deeper. Crossing her legs, her walls closed tighter around James' cock. James groaned from the tidal wave of pleasure and heat. Moving deeper into the pond the water was up to his chest. Pulling out he spun Naomi to face him and lifted her leg so that the crux of her knee rested over his shoulder. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to be with her forever. Thrusting back into Naomi he pulled her into a deep kiss pushing his tongue past her lips. Naomi pressed her tongue into James' mouth tasting every bit of her lover. Naomi pulled back then locked her fingers behind James' neck and put her other leg over James' shoulder. With one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder, James thrust into Naomi with deep strokes savoring every second. Minutes passed and their breathing became ragged, Naomi pressed her face into the crux of his neck and gently bit down stifling her moans. James grit his teeth, endorphins flooded his mind as he felt her claws scrape over his bare-back, "I'm close."

"Give it to me."

James lifted Naomi one last time then buried himself deep inside her. The heat from Naomi's tail boiled the water around them as James' cum filled Naomi's pussy. Feeling her wall's pulse around him made his knees buckle as he emptied his load into her. They were both breathing hard as James rode out his afterglow, "your mouth better be as good as your dick, Friday. Cuz I still want to cum."

James carried Naomi bridal style over to where their clothes lay and set her down on a towel. She was so hot the water on her body had already evaporated. Spreading her legs Naomi put her foot behind James' head and pressed his mouth onto her clit, moaning as his tongue flicked over her lips. She was incredibly wet, her peppery smell plus the taste was irresistible. James felt her thighs tighten around his head, covering her vulva with his lips James hummed. Naomi breathed sharply grabbing a fist full of James' hair and arching her back she pressed her hips into his face "Friday don't you dare stop." Feeling him smile and keep humming sent Naomi over the edge. Her legs were like a vice grip around his head, not that he minded in the slightest. Shaking and breathing hard Naomi bucked her hips, hardly leaving James any room to breathe. Her body shook while she grit her teeth as each jolt of pleasure shot through her. Letting her legs go slack Naomi relaxed basking in her afterglow taking long contented breathes with a broad smile. James on the other hand fell back on the grass and panted, trying to catch his breath. He was about to make a joke about letting him breathe but after taking one look at her he couldn't bring himself to ruin the moment.

[end lemon]

The peace was short-lived, suddenly the hair on the back of his neck stood up and his blood pressure went up, frantically jumping to his feet he searched the treeline for anything out of place. Slowly turning in a circle he saw the familiar sight of tropical plants and trees with a few flowers. Suddenly, At the edge of the clearing, he saw a kitsune woman on her hands and knees wearing old ripped clothes. Standing up and staggering forward she cried out before collapsing. James turned to Naomi who was already sitting up, they immediately got dressed and rushed to the girl. She was painfully thin and injured. Opening the pack James grabbed the medkit and started tending to her wounds while Naomi opened a water bottle and tried to make her drink. Weakly she opened her mouth and drank as Naomi cradled her head. James poured some alcohol onto a sterile wipe, "sorry but this is going to hurt." The woman yelped in pain coughing up some water and weakly swung at James' head before falling back into Naomi's arms. After disinfecting her main wounds James moved on to bandage them. The worst was a large gash on her foot which luckily had not become infected. While he tended to her foot Naomi began feeding her. Once James was finished Naomi laid the woman's head on top of the backpack and she fell asleep.

"What's the plan, Friday?"

"We'll keep an eye on her till she wakes up then find out what happened and why she's here. From the looks of it, she's a nine-tailed fox, I've never seen one before but from the stories I heard while I was in Japan, no one had a good answer on whether they were good or bad. They also appear in Chinese, Korean, and even Indian legends. For some people, they were the gods of prosperity or rice, and other times I heard they lured men into the forest to eat their hearts and livers. The only constant between all the stories was that they liked tricking people and they have access to mana called foxfire."

Naomi looked at James' chest then to the sleeping kitsune, her clothes were hanging loosely from her thin frame, it looked like she was on the verge of starvation. Her hair was dark and the tips of her ears were covered in red fur. Her tails were also red but filthy and covered in dirt. Her skin was surprisingly white for someone who had been on an island for so long. Shifting from one leg to another Naomi looked back at him, "I don't like this Friday, why would a Japanese fox be off the coast of New Jersey on an island that doesn't exist. If she's hostile we are going back to the boat and leaving her here."

James sat down not looking away from the fox girl, "Neither do I, and I can't explain it either but there's a good chance she knows more about this place than we do. This place could also be a prison. Whatever the case is, we can't do much till she wakes up." Naomi sat beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder, and laid the back of her hand on James's knee. James took it and gave her a reassuring squeeze rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand. 30 minutes later the fox girl stirred causing both agents to jump. Slowly the woman pushed herself into a sitting position and saw the bandages on her arms and legs. Looking at James and Naomi, tears formed in the corners of her eyes, placing her hands in the dirt she pressed her forehead into the ground and began to sob, "Thank you, I thought-, I thought I was going to die here." Glancing at each other with uncomfortable expressions they watched as the starving kitsune cried at their feet. James was the first to speak, "it's okay but we have some questions you need to answer before we can take you back with us." Sitting up she wiped her nose with her sleeve, "I will tell you, any- anything you wa-want, just please get me a-way from he-here," she said, still choking back tears. It broke James' heart to see someone in this bad shape. "Don't worry we will, I promise. Now, can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Mikuzume"

"How long have you been here"

"I have been on this island for 117 days"

"What is your species?"

"Kitsune, but my kind are also known as Inari or nine-tailed foxes."

"Are you able to use mana or foxfire?"

"Yes"

Unconsciously James leaned closer, "could you show me?"

Mikuzume held her hands to her chest and her ears flattened against her head as she looked away. Naomi knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder, "we aren't pirates or criminals we just want to know who you are."

"Forgive me but I am not strong enough to show you"

Naomi glanced at James who gave an apprehensive nod, then looked back to Mikuzume, "can you at least tell us what you're able to do with mana?"

"It allows me to fly short distances and create illusions"

James nodded thoughtfully, "I know this may be a painful subject but how did you become stranded on this island?"

Mikuzume broke down in tears again sobbing into her hands while Naomi stroked her back. When she finished her eyes had become red and her cheeks were swollen, "Micheal, my boyfriend and I were on vacation sailing when we got caught in a storm. The waves came over the deck and the power went out. When the cabin began to flood we put our life jackets on and prepared to abandon ship. When he was sending out a distress signal our boat capsized and I was knocked unconscious. When I awoke, everything was gone and I was stranded and alone. I floated aimlessly for two days waiting and praying to be reunited with Micheal but neither he nor death came." Mikuzume brought her knees to her chest and began shaking, "When I washed up on this island I thought it was a blessing but it is hell, there is nothing to eat, I have survived only on fish. I tried to build a raft to escape but this island is guarded by a sea monster that destroys any vessel attempting to leave. I tried to build a raft but that- that thing destroyed it and almost killed me." The look on her face was pure terror but Naomi pressed her, "ms. Mikuzume this is the last question and you need to answer it as accurately as possible; what did the creature that attacked you look like?"

Mikuzume pulled her knees to her chest, "It is a giant sea monster with three heads and eight tentacle arms. It destroyed my raft then it tried to eat me." When Mikuzume finished talking she was shaking uncontrollably and on the verge of tears.

Naomi lifted Mikuzume's chin, "thank you, we won't ask you any more questions, get some rest and we will get you out of here soon." Naomi locked eyes with James and nodded toward a nearby tree. Once Mikuzume was asleep James spoke, "Bad news, whatever field this island is making blocks radio signals which means we aren't getting any backup. There is a 9mm pistol on the boat with two mags but I doubt that will be enough to stop whatever she was talking about."

"What are the odds I could just burn the hell out of it when it goes for the boat," asked Naomi, holding out her hand and creating a small ball of fire.

James stared at the fire, "that could work for the heads but what if you get wet? That thing could probably sink us with one hit"

Naomi leaned against a tree and looked up, "we could probably survive a bite from this thing but that still leaves the last head; if we are both fighting one and the third goes for her she's dead. We have a chance if we just outrun it. The only problem is the tentacles, if they grab onto the boat we have to fight."

James perked up, " what if it couldn't grab the boat? We could grease the outside with some oil from the engine and some sunscreen. But that still doesn't take care of the heads."

Naomi, glanced at Mikuzume then back to James, "we don't have to beat this thing, we only need to hold it off for about 90 seconds it takes to get out of range. We can make some torches, sea monsters hate those, right?"

"Only one way to find out." James checked his watch, pending they made it out of this alive they would be back home before nightfall. James looked at Naomi then to Mikuzume "You wanna take navigation and I'll carry her?"

"That works, just make sure she doesn't get her smell on you," said Naomi nodding to the sleeping girl.

James raised an eyebrow "you don't want me smelling like other girls"

"No, she just smells like rotting garbage," Naomi began walking toward Miku before glancing back, "and besides, you couldn't stop smelling like a salamander if you tried."

An hour later the boat looked hideous, dangerous, and uncomfortable. The outside and underside of the boat were made slick with oil and sunscreen giving it a filthy appearance with a smell to match. Next, Using some spare rope and Naomi's claws they had made and fastened several wooden pikes to the exterior of the boat paying special care to protect the engine. In the sitting area of the boat were 4 torches made from gasoline rags. Finally, James attached the pistol to his hip and chambered a round, "God let us get through this," he whispered to himself. Shoving the boat into the water James stood at the back, "alright get in." with some help from James she pushed herself into the boat, "Thank you, you both may call me Miku." With frail hands, she picked up one of the pikes and turned toward the ocean trembling. Naomi and James loaded in behind her, "you think we should tell the coast guard about this place, Friday?" James stared at her for a moment, "I don't know, something still feels off about this place and I want to see what I can find about it before the feds lock everything down. Plus if they knew there was a Kraken here they might nuke this place."

Taking a deep breath James cranked the engine to life, "are you both ready."

They nodded and readied their weapons. James gunned the throttle and the small boat shot forward. Naomi sat at the bow watching for any signs of the creature; she didn't have to wait long before the water in front of the boat started bubbling, "Friday cut right now," she barked. James violently swung the tiller and jumped to the opposite side of the boat to balance. A split second later a massive pair of jaws snapped where the boat had been. From the ocean rose one of the monster's heads. Rising further out of the water the monster's true size became apparent. Its sharp dark-blue scales glinted in the sun and its black eyes glared at the small boat. its mouth was filled with three rows of razor-sharp teeth, each tooth was as large as a kitchen knife. Before Naomi could speak two tentacles shot out of the water and began falling toward the boat, each was as thick around as a lamia's body, "Friday-."

"I see em'," shouted James, turning back to the left. When the tentacles hit the water it sounded and felt like a bomb going off, throwing the small boat around like a toy. James had a white knuckle grip on the tiller as they sped forward, "any eyes on the other heads?"

"Nothing, yet but this thing isn't going to give up that easily. Everything alright with the motor?"

James looked back and saw the motor still roaring in the water. "Yeah, it's working fine, wh-." To James' horror, the boat stopped, but the motor kept running… they were caught. The engine chugged along and the propeller sent a spray of water behind them but they didn't move an inch. The two agents sprung into action pulling a pike off the side of the boat, "NOW," yelled James as he tightened his grip on the pole. They thrust their spears with everything they could into the arm underneath the boat. The pikes sank deep into the creature's flesh causing it to let go just long enough to escape. When the boat lurched forward James almost rolled off the back but Naomi grabbed his arm steadying him. A deep groan began rising from the depths soon becoming a deafening roar. Seconds later, two of the creature's heads sprang from the ocean on the bow and stern side, teeth bared. Cutting back to the left, James saw the monster keep pace on either side, "lock and load," yelled James. Naomi reached down, igniting a torch in each hand as the heads lurched forward; James grabbed his pistol and took aim, squeezing the trigger the first shot pinged harmlessly off the monster's scales. Aiming for the mouth next James fired twice and landed both. Recoiling slightly, the second head recovered and locked back on target. Not wasting a second James grabbed a pike. Staring at the beast's massive jaws he felt the creature's bloodlust, James' body shook and he felt nauseous. This thing was going to kill them or die trying and he was going to make sure it was the latter. Steadying himself he raised his weapons, "COME AT ME YOU UGLY MOTHERFUCKER." Going in for a second strike the beast's jaws opened to their limit as it charged toward the boat. Just as the monster was about to devour him, James leaped over the side and thrust his spear into the roof of the monster's mouth forcing it open. The pike wedged itself in the monster's jaw with a sickening crunch. James' ears bled as the monster roared in pain. Naomi reeled from the noise, covering her ears and dropping her torches in the ocean. Glancing over her shoulder she saw James climbing on top of the second head's snout, "Friday, what the hell are you doing," yelled Naomi picking up another pike and lighting a torch as the first head dove in for another attack. James' vision was fuzzy and his ears were ringing but his grip on the monster's scales was like iron. Feeling the world spin around him as the monster tried to fling him off, he put his pistol's grip in between his teeth and crawled up the monster's forehead. Feeling a gap in the scales he reached for his gun only to be flung off the left side. His feet dangled 100ft above the waves and he held on for dear life as he struggled to maintain his grip. James was now less than a foot away from the monster's eye. The massive pupil contracted to a fine slit as it looked at James making his blood run cold. This wasn't the eye of a rabid monster, it was analyzing him. Quickly raising the barrel of the gun he didn't hesitate before firing two shots into the monster's eye. It violently jerked flinging James toward the ocean's surface. Meanwhile, Naomi was still in the boat pulling triple duty holding off one head with a torch, protecting Miku, and watching James who was now plummeting toward the ocean.

"Miku, steer us to Friday and I'll hold this thing off."

Turning her attention back to the monster in front of her she swayed slowly from one foot to the other waiting for it to make a move. Unlike the one, James fought this head was more cautious and cunning trying to bait her into losing her balance and falling into the sea. The boat hurdled over the waves toward James, who was now only 50 feet above the water. Luckily he would fall past the edge of the barrier. However, that meant that they only had 5 minutes before hypothermia set in. The head swayed to the left revealing a tentacle was behind it which struck at Naomi. Gripping her torch in her teeth Naomi held her spear firm. Thrusting it forward it cleaved into the monster's flesh causing it to split along the length of the arm. With a thunderous roar, the arm went limp as it splashed back into the sea. Slime covered Naomi and extinguished her torch. Naomi spit then wiped what she could off her face. The arms and heads were still for a moment as the monster sized up Naomi.

Not letting the opportunity slip, Naomi took the helm and aimed for the border. She was able to make up some distance before tacking hard and narrowly avoiding a tentacle shooting up from the surface. Tacking at random intervals every five seconds Naomi dodged the onslaught of attacks from the now six tentacles striking down at the boat. Steering toward the edge she was always forced to veer off to avoid an attack. Bearing her teeth Naomi slowly gained ground toward the edge. It would be up to James to get himself back to the boat.

Meanwhile, as James neared the water's surface he tightened his body and got ready, hitting the water wrong at this speed would cause a lot more than just a bruise. Cutting into the waves James held his eyes shut underwater. His ears were still ringing and the water was freezing. Bursting through the surface he gasped for air and from the temperature shock. Flailing around he tried to his bearing while keeping his head above water. Locking onto the boat he swam with everything he had. After 15 seconds his fingers and face were already going numb, after a minute he could hardly feel them and his legs began to feel heavy. The waves crashed over his head making him sputter and catch his breath. Each inhale became more painful as his body temperature dropped and his muscles tightened. He was still 100 meters from the boat, halfway there but a long way to go. Taking a deep breath he dove below the surface keeping an eye on the boat's keel. He was shivering but managed to keep his strokes controlled but his muscles were exhausted and he needed air.

It had been 3 minutes since landing and the water was taking its toll. He had made good progress but he was still 50 meters away and the shivering was making it hard to tread water much less do any stroke. James's teeth chattered and his fingers could hardly move but he slowly pulled himself meter by meter toward the ladder that hung off the back of the boat. Reaching up to grab the rail James's fingers were too numb to get a grip. Looping his arm over the bar he tried to pull himself onto the deck only to fall back into the water. His jaw was numb and even his tongue felt heavy in his mouth, "DAMAAAT." reaching up again he managed to get both arms over the railing. His muscles felt like they were on fire even though he was on the brink of freezing. Pulling himself up he was shaking so badly he almost fell back into the water. On weak legs, he fell against the railing and cabin as he made his way below deck. Slamming the door he ripped off his wet clothes and pulled a blanket over his shoulders. Turning all the stove burners on high the room slowly started to heat up. Leaning over the heat James slowly felt his internal temperature start to rise and feeling return to his limbs. Still shaking like a leaf, he fished his phone out of his pants only to remember it was waterlogged, tossing it to the side he grabbed a ziplock bag, walkie talkie, a speaker, and the toolbox he kept under the sink. Spreading the items out on the counter James was still freezing but he didn't have a second to waste, prying off the back he began disconnecting the battery and rewiring the audio output to the speaker.

Back on the motorboat, Naomi was starting to sweat. Her eyes darted from left to right looking for somewhere, anywhere to get away from this thing. For the past few minutes she had managed to push it back to the edge of the barrier but it was closing ranks. Openings were becoming smaller and misses were becoming narrower. The tentacles acted as area denial while aiming her into the jaws of the heads. Luckily for her, James gave her a blind spot to exploit on the second head. Whenever it made a dive at her she could reliably dodge to the left. Now all she had to do was get past the border which was now painfully close. Doubling back Naomi's heart sank two of the creature's heads and the remaining arms were closing in, in a pincer maneuver. The only choice was to break back toward the island. The gas tank was a quarter full and most of the oil slick had been rubbed off along with the spears which were now embedded in a few of the tentacles. Naomi's face was stoic as she raced back toward the island. Mikuzume wore a look of despair as she stared back at the white sand beach then at Naomi. Naomi looked to Miku, and summoned all the bravado she could muster, "trust me, I've got a plan to get us out of here." In truth there was no plan, James got a lucky break the monster would expect it the second time. Scanning her surroundings the best bet was to wait for backup or go around the island and try to outpace the monster. Pulling back onto the sand Naomi stopped the engine and watched as the monster closed in on the beach. Something was wrong, it wasn't slowing down. It wasn't just trying to stop them from escaping… it was after them. Cranking the engine Naomi spun the boat around as a tentacle impaled itself in the sand behind them. There was only one remaining option, she had to get past the border before they ran out of gas or they were dead.

Naomi's attention was dragged away from the border when she heard what sounded like a waterfall, whipping her head around her jaw dropped in terror the third head finally surfaced; it was more than twice as large as the others. As the head closed in on the boat Naomi gunned the motor straight for the monster, hoping to dodge out of the way at the last second. The leviathan loomed over them casting a dark shadow over the water it was rapidly approaching but Naomi held fast. Tears streamed down Mikuzume's face as she looked into the face of death. Finally, Naomi turned, missing the monster's jaws by a few feet. The water erupted behind them as the head collided with the surface. Angling the nose of the boat, Naomi rode the wave past the other two heads and was now closing in on the border with James and the boat directly beyond that. Suddenly, a tentacle exploded out of the water blocking their path, "shit, Miku, hold onto me as tightly as you can." Miku quickly moved behind Naomi wrapping her arms and legs around her pressing her face into Naomi's back. The tentacle struck at the center of the boat but Naomi didn't move an inch. The barbed spike punched a hole through the boat but because of its rubber construction got caught when it tried to free itself. Water began to rush in around her feet and the motor was smoking. Feeling the boat lift out of the water Naomi thrust her claws into the monster's flesh and held on while using her other hand to burn away the part attaching them to the boat. The rapid weight reduction on the tentacle turned it into a catapult, flinging both of them across the border and back into the natural cold Atlantic air.

They landed about 20 feet from the ladder and Naomi quickly got on board and rushed Mikuzume into the cabin. Seeing Naomi, James' face lit up and he immediately pulled her into a hug, "Now we just need to get as far away from this thing…" Their victory was cut short as a tentacle attached itself to the side of the boat and began pulling them back toward the island. Miku's eyes were wide with terror realizing what was about to happen, "I thought we would be safe out here," tension was rising in Naomi's voice. James returned to his makeshift workstation, "the whole thing can't get out but it can reach as far as those arms go. I've got a plan that might work. Call Akira and radio the coast guard cuz' if this fails we are going to need any help we can get." James went back to the table and began the final prep while Naomi rushed to the helm, pulling out her phone and pressing the power button. Frantically pressing and holding the power button on her phone she looked with dread at the approaching sunshine and blue water. "Fucking worthless piece of" cursed Naomi tossing her phone in the drawer, grabbing the mic she pressed the call button "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, this is the vessel Felicitas calling coastguard. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, this is the vessel Felicitas calling coastguard. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, this is the vessel Felicitas calling coastguard, over." agonizing seconds tick by before the radio responds.

"This is the Cape May coast guard station, What is your location, over?"

Naomi's eyes flicked to the GPS "We are at location 39 degrees 26 minutes and 8.6 seconds North, 73 degrees 14 minutes and 51.2 seconds west. Over"

"Solid copy, describe your vessel and emergency, over"

"Medium, Recreational, sailing vessel, 3 adult passengers. We are being attacked by a large sea monster, possibly a liminal, and are in immediate danger of sinking. We don't have any means to adequately defend ourselves and need evac asap over."

"Copy, 10 minutes from your position we have a 154 sentinel class cutter. Is there any other relevant information? Over."

"We are near an uncharted island that produces a climate field around itself. The monster can't leave it but it can reach outside of it. Over"

"Copy, sit tight ma'am we will be there as soon as we can, over."

"Wilco, out," Naomi hung up the receiver and looked back into the cabin, "Friday, you almost ready in there?"

James didn't look up, still, laser-focused on his plan, "one more minute, get the sails up and turn on the engine."

Naomi leaped into action hoisting the sail, pulling the anchor, and putting the throttle to full. Their slow march toward the border had all but stopped as the wind filled the sail and white foam churned out behind the boat. Feeling two more arms grab the boat they were once again being dragged toward the edge, Naomi ran into the kitchen grabbing a broom, duct tape, and a knife. Hastily she fashioned it into a polearm and moved to the side of the boat where the tentacles latched on and began stabbing down into them. "DONE" yelled James from within the cabin. The three heads waited hungrily just behind the border waiting to strike glaring at Naomi. The boat was now 30 feet from the edge and despite her best efforts, the tentacles wouldn't let go no matter how much she stabbed. Bursting out of the cabin James held a Ziploc full of a mess of wires and electrical tape connected to a radio and speaker. "Whatever you are going to do, just do it, Friday." Mikuzume stared at the bag with defeat, "we are going to die." James rushed to the back of the boat, cranking the dial and the bag made a loud low hum. The boat was now 10 feet from the border and Naomi raised her polearm and stood in front of the cabin entrance where Miku sat.

"OH YE' OF LITTLE FAITH."

James plunged the bag underwater… a second later the monster let loose an ear-splitting screech and its arms contorted and curled into itself. Waves pounded the ship as it rocked back and forth like it was about to capsize. The heads spasmed as the monster pulled away from them retreating toward the island. Everyone tried in vain to block out the noise. It felt like it was shaking their bones. The boat lurched forward, almost knocking James into the water. James breathed a sigh of relief, "thank fuck that worked," he whispered to himself. Despite the freezing water and a hand that felt like it was going to freeze off, James sat like a statue holding the bag below the surface. Simultaneously enjoying the success and too scared to turn it off, he sat shivering in his underwear. Once the battery died a minute later he pulled the bag up. When he got to the helm Naomi and Mikuzume stared in shock at the bag then at James.

"That was amazing Friday," said Naomi, still holding the radio receiver. "Yeah, low-frequency sound basically liquifies cephalopods' internal organs." James looked dazed and was swaying from side to side.

"How do you… Anyways you need to get inside before you lose your hand. I'll handle the comms while you heat up." James' hand had become discolored and his shivering was violent by the time he made it back into the cabin where Miku sat under a blanket still shivering.

"This is Felicitas calling coast guard we are no longer in danger of sinking, over"

"Do you need further assistance, over"

"Negative, over and out."

Naomi slumped down into the seat behind her, "fuck, that was close." Her ears were still ringing from earlier and her back was sore from piloting the boat. Pulling herself up she made her way to the cabin to find James and Mikuzume huddled around the stove with a blanket over their shoulders. Naomi smiled, "You know you can just heat yourself up, right Friday?" James was still soaking up the heat from the burners, "what are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you already forgot how to use it."

"Use it? Use what?"

"Did your brain freeze too while you were in the water"

"Naomi I genuinely have no clue what you're talking about"

"Look at your legs, that should give you a hint."

Tired and cold James looked down and saw the familiar snake tattoo twisting up his leg.

"Oh."

Dropping the blanket James stepped away from the stove and began to concentrate on focusing the fire over his whole body. Slowly he felt himself begin to warm up and the water on his skin evaporated.

"Oh captain my captain."

"Hey cut me some slack, I just saved us." James held out his arms, "want to help warm me up some more?"

Naomi pulled James into a bear hug wrapping her arms tightly around his chest and James did the same. They breathed sighs of relief in each other's arms.

"I'm glad you didn't drown"

"and I'm glad you weren't eaten by that thing."

A few seconds of silence passed before the silence was broken, "Is he your mate," asked Mikuzume, staring at them.

To say anything other than yes would be a blatant lie. Why else would she have her arms around a man, in his underwear, on a boat in the middle of the ocean? But there was also the problem of a civilian knowing about them since she would probably be questioned by authorities when they handed her off to the police. "James, help me out here," whispered Naomi. James also pulled a blank, "it's complicated."

Miku furrowed her brow, "Then why do you have a salamander's mark on your leg?"

I decided to leave this on a bit of a cliff hanger. The story will absolutely still continue just don't expect regular updates. I'll be abroad for a few more months so hopefully I can finish another chapter before I get back to the US.

Over and out,

Agent Friday