by H. M. Gooden
Once again, they found a quiet beach where they could spend the night along some of the most beautiful land she'd ever seen. After she got through the stress of meeting Jake's family, it would be so nice to relax along a beach somewhere, Mai thought. Her world was so much wider now that she'd discovered her affinity for water and now that Jake had shown her how far she could go with it. The world was quite literally her playground. She could swim anywhere her four legs and scales could take her.
The next day, they ran into rougher waters on their way north. They'd just narrowly managed to slide through the busy shipping lanes in the English Channel when the weather suddenly turned. The season was turning into fall and storms weren't uncommon in the North Sea. They ended up going deeper to avoid the wind and rain that were making the water near the surface choppy, but as Mai was following behind Jake, she couldn't see what made him abruptly stop. He slowed so quickly that she almost collided with him. He looked at her, gesturing for her to surface.
Curious as to what Jake had seen, she followed him quickly up into the wilder waters, lifting her head to look around. As she'd suspected, it was grey and blustery, with choppy waves that were easily up to ten feet high at times. She didn't feel cold in her dragon form, and due to her greater size, the waves weren't overwhelming her the way they would have if she'd been human. But the downside to the dragon form and travelling as quickly and deeply as they had been is that it was hard to talk to each other when underwater. As a result, they had to surface when one of them needed to speak, such as now.
"We need to be really careful right now, Mai. I didn't realize where we are." Jake sounded nervous, which she didn't like. He was very rarely freaked by anything, so the fact that he wasn't his usual calm self scared her.
"Why? What is it?" Mai knew she sounded anxious, even in her dragon form, but Jake's words weren't at all reassuring.
"Have you ever heard of a kraken?" Jake's large golden eyes looked around him, scanning the grey horizon as he spoke, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.
Mai felt her eyes open wide and her mouth drop open before she was able to collect herself enough to respond.
"I didn't think that was a real thing."
Jake grimaced then bobbed his head. "Yeah, it kind of is. And it lives out in the middle of the area that we're going to be coming to. We're already past the North Sea, and I'd totally forgotten that the sea floor between Norway and Greenland has a very old, very large creature that dwells there, that traditionally is what is called a kraken. Movies kind of describe it as a giant octopus or squid, but it's more like a crab the size of an island. It's enormous, possibly even a mile across. I'm not even sure if it thinks. It stays deep below the surface until it's ready to feed, then rises up and eats everything in a ten-kilometre area, sucking everything into itself like a giant black hole. We need to be ready to move if it happens to be lunch time."
Jake sighed, frustrated.
"Damn it. I can't believe I forgot about it. I'm sorry Mai. I wouldn't have come this way if I'd thought about the kraken sooner. But we're already in it's territory, so going back is just as dangerous.
Mai felt her stomach become queasy, beginning to churn like the sea around her.
"And how often does the kraken need to feed?"
Jake's whiskers twitched. "It's hard to say. Legends from fishermen in our area peg it at anywhere from two or three times a year, to once a decade, but it really just depends on when it's hungry, I think."
Mai shuddered. "I hope it's not hungry. What do we do if we see it?"
Jake gave her a quick hug, caressing her scales reassuringly even as his words amplified her fear. "We swim for our lives. This isn't a creature to speak with or try to fight. We just run."
Mai nodded, taking a shaky breath. "I can do that. Is there anything else we need to do right now?"
Jake turned away from her and Mai watched as he looked around, scanning the water again. They'd made good time and were coming up to the coast of Denmark now.
"Let's travel a little closer to the shore and a little higher in the water. It'll slow us down a bit, but at least we'll be closer to land if we encounter the kraken."
With that thought motivating her, Mai found it was easy to continue quickly. They'd just rounded the passage between Denmark and Norway when Mai felt a rumble in the water below them. She looked at Jake with panic and his equally frightened appearance confirmed that he'd felt the disturbance as well. They swam higher in the water, moving as fast as they could.
Suddenly, the water was churning around them, as though an underwater volcano had just erupted. Mai saw a school of smaller fish coming towards them, fighting against the current, appearing to be sucked by them into an invisible vacuum. Then she felt the tug on herself, as though some magnetic force field were pulling her toward it. A scream rose in her chest, which she managed to stifle. When Jake looked back at her and jerked his head to the right, she looked over and redoubled her efforts.
They were close to land now, but the tug had started to pull faster and stronger, and Mai felt as though she was moving in quicksand. She sent a quick pulse of her power into the water, propelling herself forward, managing to shake off the force that had been pulling her down. In moments, she'd changed into her human shape and was sprinting up the rocky beach that had thankfully been only a few meters ahead by the time she'd used her magic. She'd never been so happy to see land as she was at that instant.
She looked over to her left, relieved by the sight of Jake stumbling up the beach beside her. Finally feeling safe from the pull of the waves, she looked out toward the direction from which they'd come. There, only a few hundred feet away, she could see what looked like a giant island. As she watched the island, she noticed it start to shake before it began to slowly sink as water poured off the top into the ocean around it. In a few minutes, it had completely disappeared. Mai realized that she had narrowly avoided discovering what the real kraken looked like, up close and personal. For the first time in a long while, she was very happy she wasn't in the water.
"Oh my god, Jake. That was super close. Now what do we do?" Mai kept watching the spot where the moving island had been. "Should we stay here? I have to admit I'm kind of scared to get back into the water right now."
Jake looked at her, still breathing fast from his exertions. He smiled crookedly, his dragon whiskers drooping in the rain.
"Well, the good news is that we're probably clear of it for awhile. It's going to be a few months until that thing is hungry again. We can travel by land from now on, but it's probably also safe to head back to the water and swim the rest of the way. Up to you."
Jake waited for her answer, as Mai looked at the barren landscape around them. It wasn't cold anymore and the day looked like it would be sunny, as the rain and wind had died down at some point during their frantic swim to land. She looked back out toward the water and shuddered again. As much as she loved swimming, she didn't really feel like hopping back into the same water where an island had tried to eat her a few minutes earlier.
"Let's change into our hiking stuff and walk. I'd like to see some of the countryside. How far is our destination from here?"
Jake grabbed his bag and quickly transformed before taking his cell phone out of a waterproof case and looking at Google maps.
"We've surfaced at a good place. It's only an easy day's hike to Vestbygd, which is very near to my village. We can catch a bus from there to my parent's house. So it will only take a few hours, if you're up for some rocky ground and hard walking."
Mai smiled at Jake, having changed while he was talking into her usual jeans, t-shirt, and hooded sweater.
"I had a feeling Norway may involve hiking, so I packed my best boots." She held one up for his inspection and he smiled.
"You're learning, very good. These should allow you to almost keep up with me."
He smirked at her and she whacked his arm.
"Ha! You're so funny. It's a good thing you're so cute a
nd that I love you."
Jake made a kissy face at her, then jerked away when she went to hit him again.
"Alright, alright, we can go. Got everything?"
Mai held up her backpack for his inspection before putting it back on, tightening the straps for what she was sure would be a vigorous walk. Jake loved hiking and had introduced her to the activity from their earliest dates. He'd made her go everywhere they could to indulge his passion in the area close to where they lived. Luckily, California was a great place to take up the hobby, as the weather was nice and the scenery varied. Mai was pleased that all her practice meant that she was now able to keep up with him.
It didn't take long until they saw a pretty little harbor town rising in front of them. Mai looked at the colorful houses along the dock and harbor, amused by how similar they appeared to what she remembered seeing when they'd been in Scotland hunting for Carman. People have much in common with those who live similarly to them, even countries apart, she thought. She could see swaying fishing boats and gliding seagulls and felt as if she could have been in any port city in the world. As they came closer, she heard people going about their day and realized that she couldn't understand a word they were saying.
Jake, on the other hand, broke into a wide smile and Mai could see that he was excited.
"How much farther is it?" Mai asked, as they entered the town along a path by the water.
"Well, we're close. My family lives on the outskirts of this town. Many years ago it was its own village, but I guess you could consider it the outskirts now. It's not a big town, so the people from both places tend to get grouped together for population counts anyway."
Jake spotted a bus stop and they headed over. After reading the sign, he shook his head then took his phone out and quickly punched in a number.
"Kan du komme a plukke oss opp?"
While Mai knew Jake was speaking Norwegian, she was struck by how close the sentence sounded to English. He hung up after a minute and turned back to look at her.
"I got a hold of my dad. Luckily, he's nearby so he's going to come and get us. The next bus isn't for an hour, so this will be quicker. Are you ready to meet my parents?" Jake spoke nonchalantly, but his voice broke slightly on the last word.
Mai knew he wasn't as calm as he seemed and she felt her palms get sweaty.
"I guess so."
They looked at each other without speaking for a moment until Jake drew her into him for a hug.
"We've got this. If we can face soul stealers, witches, and demons, then we can get through this together too."
Mai rested her head against his warm chest and sighed. "I know. I just want them to like me."
Jake lifted her chin up and kissed her on the nose. "Me too sweetie, me too. But if they like you half as much as I do, you have nothing to worry about."
CHAPTER 6 MEET THE INLAWS
Mai turned when she heard the sound of a man clearing his throat, looking up with embarrassment. In front of her stood a man who looked very similar to Jake, but with the addition of a few years. He had the same stocky, muscular build with dark blond hair, although there were silver sprinkles at the temples. He had a neatly trimmed beard which had mostly turned to grey, and dark brown eyes with crinkles at the corner, suggesting he either smiled frequently, or had spent many years outside in the sun.
When Jake saw him, his smile broadened and Jake released Mai from his embrace. The two men hugged with manly pats to each other's back and guffaws.
"Far, it's good to see you!"
Mai found herself getting teary when she saw how tight the hug was and how happy Jake looked. It was obvious that he'd missed his father and that the two men clearly had a good relationship. There was none of the awkwardness she'd often seen with family members who didn't get along. It made her heart twist a little with sadness as well, as she remembered her aunt and her parents. They hadn't been physically affectionate the way Jake's family appeared to be, but they had loved each other.
"Jake! It's good to see you as well. Did you have any troubles on the journey?"
Mai watched as his dad seemed to be looking around for their luggage, but when he didn't see any, he took Mai's backpack from her instead.
"And this must be Mai. It's very nice to meet you. You can call me Anders, if you'd like."
He spoke English fluently, with only a hint of an accent.
Mai bowed respectfully.
"It's nice to meet you as well, sir."
"Anders."
He gave her a chiding look, then gestured for them to follow him to the car as Jake answered his father's earlier question.
"Only a little. We got to experience the legend of the kraken. Almost got a little too close. Luckily, we were near shore at the time."
Anders looked at him sharply.
"Seriously, Dad, we're fine. I hadn't planned to go that way but we were travelling fast and I kind of got sidetracked."
Jake looked sheepish, but his father just shook his head.
"You were taught better than that, sonn. But no harm done, right? Well, get in. Your Mor is waiting for you. And your bror and søster as well."
Jake's dad opened the door to the back seat and Mai got in gratefully. While she'd been prepared to hike, the three days of physical exertion had left her feeling exhausted and she sank comfortably into the small leather-covered backseat, while Jake slid into the passengers seat beside his dad.
As Anders drove, Mai was happy to notice they drove on the same side of the road as the United States in this country. While she'd tried not to jump when Zahara had sat behind the wheel and drove off down the left side when they'd been in the UK, Mai had felt queasy each and every time. When you get used to one thing being normal, everything else feels like a car accident waiting to happen. Especially after she'd only barely gotten used to the speed that people drove in cars. It had been a big shock when she'd first encountered modern traffic in San Francisco.
Mai continued to listen quietly as the two men talked in a mixture of English and Norwegian. She had a hard time telling the difference at times and often had no clue as to what was being discussed. She looked out the window at the scenery as they drove, realizing that Jake hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said the town was small and everything was nearby. It took them less than ten minutes to pull up outside an average looking, two-story house right at the edge of town. Mai felt her stomach lurch as they stopped. She froze in her seat, waiting for someone else to make the first move.
Jake noticed her stiff expression and tried to smile reassuringly, but failed miserably in his attempt to make her relax.
"Mai, honey, are you ready? We're here."
She gave him a tight smile. "Yes, I'm good. I'll follow you."
As before, Jake's father grabbed her bag so she was left trailing behind the men, anxious and empty-handed. Nothing to hang onto for support, she thought morosely, as Jake was again talking animatedly with his father.
The door to the house flew open and a bullet with long blond hair flew down the steps and into Jake's arms, wrapping her legs around him as she squealed. He laughed and spun her around in response.
"Aud! It's wonderful to see you! You've grown six inches since the last time I saw you!"
As Jake put the other woman on the ground, Mai's initial jealousy was replaced by relief when she saw that she was only about sixteen, and not the adult woman she'd first thought. Mai didn't have time to say anything though, as two more people came over to hug Jake. Everyone began to talk all at once, except Mai, who stood back in a state of quiet shock.
One of the people who'd come to hug Jake was a young man, who appeared to be even younger than Aud. The other person was obviously Jake's mother. She looked beautiful and golden, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a regal bearing. Mai continued to stand back during all of the hugging and talking, not sure of her place and feeling insecure.
As things calmed down, Jake looked around, noticing that Mai was still hanging back behind his dad. He gra
bbed her hand and pulled her closer, presenting her to his family.
"Mom, Aud, Christian, this is Mai, my fiancée. She doesn't know any Norwegian, so I hope you'll make her feel comfortable in English. It's not her first language either, so don't be shy about having an accent when you speak."
Mai smiled as much as her face would allow, but knew that it fell way short of being the warm and happy smile they were probably expecting. She couldn't help it though. She felt like a rabbit under the eye of a den of foxes, unsure if they would lick her or devour her.
Jake's mother came forward, holding out her hand out Mai to shake. Mai took it gingerly, clearing her throat before speaking.
"It's nice to meet you. Jake speaks of you often."
Jake's mother smiled at Mai guardedly, the smile not quite reaching her eyes.
"And you, as well. You may call me Astrid. We are eager to get to know the girl who has stolen our Jake. You must tell us everything about yourself."
Mai looked at Jake with a stricken expression. What was she supposed to say? How did one explain her background? She didn't want to lie, but her life story was really unbelievable. It wasn't exactly suitable for discussing at an outdoor first meeting.
Jake noticed her panicked expression and quickly jumped in.
"That would be great, but we've been walking a long way today, and swam a fair distance before that. I don't suppose you made any food? I could eat a hundred smørbrød."
His mom's smile was much warmer than the one she'd given Mai, who couldn't help but feel judged. She sighed inwardly. His mother was probably going to be a typical dragon mama and test her.
She didn't know how tough a real dragon mother-in-law would be, but she'd heard enough people complain about the regular kind to be on her guard. Luckily, the idea of her son being hungry spurred Astrid to shoo them all into the house.
