The Kraken was the last known descendant of the monstrous offspring of Oceanus: Cthulhu. Since the dawn of draconic kind, they have been the eternal foes of Linemall's Seas. There was much he learnt about what kind of foe he was up against and from what he did gather, he really hoped Katrina wasn't fucking with him when she'd told him about the Skills of a Dragon Lord.
If he held the Crown of a Lord like Katrina said he did, then he would not have to worry about the main threat the Kraken posed. That ability, Lukas assumed, was the reason why he could have gathered so much power while still in chains. It was an ability that should not have any effect on him which was why he suggested he go alone. But his niece would not allow that.
They travelled deeper into the Seas he had ever gone before, down into the depths of the ocean. They were heading to Kuria Prison, the stronghold which kept some of Hireath's most dangerous sinners. Katrina described it as a symbol of strength maintained by the Drakos Household for thousands of years. Lukas had a feeling that symbol no longer held the weight it once did.
Finally, they arrived.
Deep beneath the churning waves of the Seas of Linemall, hidden within a trench where sunlight doesn't reach, lay Kuria Prison—a fortress of iron and sorcery, once feared as an inescapable tomb for the most dangerous criminals of dragonkind. Carved into the jagged underbelly of the ocean itself, its black stone walls pulse faintly with the remnants of ancient runes, etched by the first Dragon Lords to ward against escape.
The prison was more like an open air facility, with cells suspended like cages in the open water, reinforced by draconic sigils that leech the strength of those held within. The deeper one goes, the more the pressure of the ocean bears down, if not for Lukas' now draconic vessel; he would have been crushed under the pressure long ago. It was a reminder that Kuria was built not just to hold, but to break its prisoners.
The corridors were vast and eerily silent, save for the occasional groan of chains or the distant murmur of seawater slipping through the cracks of forgotten chambers. Hulking, enormous dragons in obsidian-forged armor patrolled its halls, but none of them truly felt imposing despite their intimidating appearances.
They were greeted by the Warden of the Prison accompanied by two prison guards and Lukas recognized the familiarity of his features. The sharp nose, the beady-like eyes. He looked like a crow. He looked like a fucking Sterling.
"Greetings, Lord Drakos. I'm sorry I was never able to greet you after your awakening. We are short on hand as it is and you slip up for a second, and these prisoners won't hesitate to slaughter you for the sake of their own freedom. You look well, my Lord. I remember when you were quite young, always an intelligent one. But I hear you may not remember much from the past, my name is Samuel Sterling. I'm sure you've met my sons?" His tone was polite, nothing like Marshall. But it wasn't like Jesse either. He was their father, yet seemed so different from his children. How peculiar.
This wasn't an act, at least it was not one that Lukas could pick out. His eyes were…calm, peaceful even. He wouldn't have expected it from someone in charge of a prison filled with so many dangerous individuals. Katrina remained silent, her grip on her hammer tightening. She wasn't usually this quiet but he guessed that her cheery mood would not fit well in such a suffocating environment. She looked nervous. Katrina Drakos looked scared.
Anyone would be creeped out of their fucking minds. But he wasn't, he suddenly realized. Could this be the Crown of the Lord? Was that the reason why he felt so at ease? Of course, he was still primed for action but that meant
"It's a pleasure to meet you Samuel. I'm afraid my memory is fuzzy. I'm sorry for coming on such short notice but this is quite urgent. Let us get down to business immediately, shall we?" Lukas gestured for Samuel to lead the way to the holding cell.
Samuel gave him a smile and nodded. But he did not move. Instead, he moved to the side and indicated with an open palm to the hallway behind him. "It is right this way. The Kraken will see you now, Lord Drakos. He has been waiting eagerly for your arrival."
"Oh fuck." Katrina whispered. Understanding dawned on her like it did on Lukas. The Sterling was in a trance. He was in a trance, eyes glazed over and unresponsive. The guards didn't seem intimidating because they were barely even conscious. All of them had long surrendered control of their mind to another. All nothing more than puppets on a fucking string.
Lukas looked past the warden, deep into the prison. He;'d thought it was another building in the center of Kuria. He'd thought wrong. At the heart of this abyss, within the lowest and most fortified chamber, sat The Kraken. Bound but never truly imprisoned. In Kuria, power does not belong to the jailers.
It belonged to him.
His eyes, ancient, glowed in the darkness with an eerie, bioluminescent gold, their piercing gaze cutting through the dark like a predator watching its prey struggle against an inevitable death. There is intelligence in those eyes that Lukas stares into, a mind far sharper than any blade, one that does not simply seek destruction. The Kraken seeks control.
Katrina once told him Lord Jaren, Lukas Drakos' late father, was the one who defeated the Kraken; leaving him imprisoned in Kuria for centuries. He could see the wound that Lord Jaren had dealt the beast during their battle, a giant gruesome scar across its bulbous head.
He was a behemoth of twisting, coiling flesh, looming over the pair with his massive, slick body dark as the ocean at midnight, speckled with other scars showing a past life filled with endless battle. They were both similar in that aspect, except Lukas still wasn't sure where he got his scars. His tentacles, thick as ship masts and covered in barbed suckers, writhe with a slow, deliberate menace. Each one moved as if it had a mind of its own, curling and moving with a grace unnatural for a creature of such monstrous magnitude. When he stirred, the very walls of Kuria Prison groaned under the weight of his presence.
This guy was strong.
"Greetings, Lukas Drakos. It's good to finally put a face to the name. How about we have a little talk? It's about time, don't you think?" The thought was louder than any voice could have been and Katrina winced, flinching the sudden intrusion.
This…was going to be fun.