----- Chapter 6 : From Seeing the Rough Wave -----
The docks themselves proved to be a puzzle in themselves, they were crammed with boxes of supplies and weapons and moreover only an automatic cargo barge was docked there, it too piled with similar items. The barge offered no control panel with which to program a destination, so it must have been used to ferry items between two destinations, but where? Was this equipment being brought here or was it being prepared to use elsewhere? There were enough weapons there to equip an army...
It was while she worked on a panel that activated the raft that she realised that she was not alone, a creature had emerged from the water and was poking around the stacks of boxes. This looked like the ones she had christened sharks yet at the same time different. It was much smaller for a start, and its claws seemed underdeveloped. She had been unsure what to make of it, perhaps it was a child of the species, but she would get no time to decide on a course of action, as the water near where the creature had emerged began to churn and bubble violently.
What had finally broken the surface was astonishing, a giant worm-like creature, what happened next was even more amazing. The giant worm had tentacles that protruded from behind what she assumed was its head and it used one of these tentacles to pierce the young shark nearby. This done, it rolled over and disappeared once more beneath the murky depths.
From behind the boxes she used as cover she had watched the creature writhing in pain. She was stunned as she watched the creature mutate before her very eyes! She could see it slowly come to resemble the things that she had battled against throughout the caves. Was that worm responsible for transforming all the creatures? What would happen if one of those tentacles hit her? Would she be transformed too?
Those thoughts had disturbed her, after all, with that monster inhabiting the water her escape route had suddenly been made infinitely more perilous. Her resolve saved her, she was Red Ring Rico, a legendary hunter! And what feat could possibly be more legendary than facing something like that. She quickly dispatched the shark before it could reach full strength and activated the raft to go to its destination.
Leaping aboard she had hid herself amongst the boxes piled high as the raft slowly gained speed down the poorly illuminated channel. The sound of rushing water from behind assured her that her departure had not gone unnoticed. Drawing out her trusted Kaladbolg she prepared for battle. The monstrous serpent swam up alongside with the raft and with a mighty leap in the air pounced upon the raft, the long hooked teeth of its armoured head burying deep into the surface of the raft.
The sheer force of this attack had caused the entire raft to shake, sending Rico to the floor and with its weight concentrated to one side the raft began to list heavily, sending boxes tumbling against the creature and into the water. Once Rico had regained her composure she attacked it in earnest but her blows seemed to do no damage to its armoured carapace. It shook the raft in attempt to perhaps knock her into the water but she had wisened on to this early on and stood her ground.
It had then unleashed its tentacle attack on her. The first blow came as a surprise, nearly cracking through her frame, the next flurry of shots neatly deflected with the Ring she wore on her left arm. As the water began to lap at her feet she knew that she must do something or risk having the raft sink beneath her. Watching the way the serpent flexed as it struggled to remain clamped on gave her an idea. She had smashed open the few remaining boxes till she chanced upon exactly what she needed, a Berdys. She picked up the long sword and charged the worm with a loud yell. Avoiding its clumsy attempts to stop her with its tentacles she had plunged the weapon deep into its 'neck' at the joint between two segments. The effect was almost immediate, it gave off a shrill, high-pitched scream then relinquishing its grip, peeled off and plunged once more into the depths.
She had waited many minutes, unable to relax until she was sure that it would not return for a fresh assault. Shifting her focus to the journey itself, she was concerned at the sheer length on this underground channel. With low-powered lighting mounted at regular intervals into the ceiling and structural bracing where needed the tunnel seemed almost purpose-built, an unnaturally convenient system of transport for some hidden purpose. Sensing a drop in speed, she had glanced up ahead to see a set of docks similar to the ones that she had left behind. Once the raft ground to a halt she leapt off, fearful of how vulnerable she was on it or that it might sink.
-----
Rico was snapped back to reality by the metallic hum in the distance. Rising slowly to a crouching position, she strained her ears to determine the source. Most likely Gunners, patrolling the area. They served as mindless sentinels, packing quite a punch but easy to trick into injuring any enemies present also. Rico held her breath and listened closely to the sound they made when they hovered. She wondered if her dropping the message disk might have alerted them but the only sound that greeted her now was silence. Satisfied that she remained undetected, she sat back down on the ground and closing her eyes, cast her mind back once more to events of the past.