Chapter 13: On the Prowl
"Danger lurks around every corner."
"Ow!" Brooke yelped after bumping his head against the jagged rocks for the millionth time. Luckily for him, they were somewhat smooth, otherwise he'd be bleeding from the noggin excessively right about now.
"Quit bumpin' into every little rock!"
"I'm sorry, Cap'n! I can hardly see..." Brooke complained, which Craig couldn't really blame. The little light their bodies gave off didn't exactly help them navigate through the dark tunnel. They were lucky there was only a single direction to go.
Still, Craig would've liked to move faster. "Just try not to..." He stopped, holding a hand out in front of Brooke.
There was a short pause before the youngster spoke his mind. "What is it?"
"There." Craig pointed up ahead to where a bright, purplish light glowed. It seemed to be the end of the tunnel. "Keep those tentacles at the ready."
The duo inched their way closer and closer to the light until it became blinding. It took a second for their eyes to adjust, but once they saw their surroundings, they were amazed.
"Holy mackerel," Craig exclaimed in awe. All around them were shimmering purple crystals, giving off a sparkling effect and creating pleasant light displays. He's seen a lot of things in his life, but this was by far one of the more beautiful sceneries.
"Wow..." Brooke gasped in astonishment, sharing Craig's sentiment. "This place is—"
"Mesmerizing." Craig finished, slowly spinning around in place. He wondered if the octarians had sights like these in their domes. If so, maybe he should've thrown the war so his people could live underground.
As he surveyed his surroundings, he spotted a platform jutting out from the wall. It wasn't anything special—just another rock formation within the cave. What caught Craig's attention was the torn pieces of fabric littered on its surface.
Craig rushed over, getting a better look at the torn clothing. He quickly identified the torn fabric as pieces of Callie and Marie's kimonos. The biggest telltale sign was Callie's headpiece resting in the center.
"They were here." He confirmed, looking over at Brooke, who gave him a slightly worried look. "C'mon. They've gotta be close!" Before Brooke could respond, Craig continued down the path, leaving the well-lit area of the caverns.
Eventually, they found their way outside, though the fresh air was not a comfort to Craig. "Blast!" He cursed, looking all around. All he could see was the valley-esque landscape before him. "They couldn't have gone far!"
"Jeez, they're just kids! How are they moving this fast?"
"Must take after me," Craig gloated, but was quick to focus.
He spotted Inkopolis in the distance. Knowing his girls, they would likely head to the city to find help. Before he could notify Brooke, a light boom sounded off in the distance, followed by a light rumble of the ground.
"C-Cap'n!" Brooke quietly yelped, his tone seething with fright.
Craig looked over to see what had caught his attention. To his surprise, it was the beast from earlier, nestled in a small crater. Had it climbed over the mountain just to get around it? The crater it made implied it dropped from a massive height... how did it survive such a fall?
Just as the thoughts raced through Craig's mind, the beast lowered itself onto all fours and sniffed the ground. It let out a low snarl as its eyes dilated in anger, only to see it take off towards the closest building on the outskirts of Inkopolis. It ran on all fours like some feral beast.
"It's headed for Walleye Warehouse?" Brooke said in confusion, not understanding what it was doing.
Craig was also confused. Something didn't sit right with him. This creature had taken Callie and Marie from Brooke's gang, and evidently had been chasing them throughout the wilderness.
His grip around his trusty bamboozler tightened. He couldn't stand the thought that this monster had been terrorizing his granddaughters for who knows how long. More importantly, it hadn't given up its chase. If it was heading for Walleye Warehouse, then...
"We gotta get movin'. NOW!" Craig yelled as the monster distanced itself from them with each passing second. "Hang on, girls! Gramps is comin'!"
