Levisia turned to the sea to watch the Kraidens save the people who had fallen overboard. As Elizabeth went to finish the Kraken off with the final bolt of electricity, Merril moved her strands of water to scoop up the people who were in the ocean and bring them back onto land. Levisia was in awe at the sight of them working together. So often were the Kraidens at each other’s throats that it was nothing short of a miracle when they actually cooperated. Even more so when it was to help people other than themselves.

She looked down at the girl, who was still crying her eyes out. She crouched down in front of her and used her thumbs to wipe the tears away.

“Your father will be okay,” Levisia said with a smile, and moved to one side to point the Kraidens out, “See those people over there? They are incredibly powerful. They have killed the monster and are currently saving people, like your father.”

The little girl blinked once or twice and then shook her head as if she didn’t understand. Levisia was unsure of what to say, as though she could show that the Kraidens were using their powers, how could she explain it to the little girl. The way the girl was looking at her was like she expected an answer. Levisia chewed her lip, hoping for a divine intervention that she wouldn’t have to talk.

To her delight, for lack of a better term, she was interrupted by someone calling out in a desperate panic.

“Emily! Where are you, Emily?”

The little girl, Emily, lifted her head and scanned the area for her mother. As soon as she spotted her in the distance, she let go of Levisia and set off sprinting towards her. The mother dropped to her knees and tightly wrapped Emily up in a hug, stroking her hair.

“Thank goodness. I thought I lost you, too…” The mother glanced up at Levisia. “Thank you for saving my daughter.”

“Oh, it’s alright.” Levisia said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck, “I’m just glad you’re both alright. Take Emily and evacuate, and I will tell your husband where you are. Don’t worry, he’s safe.”

She watched as the mother and daughter left the area, following the knights to high ground, and pressed her hands together. She did not have the time to deal with personal matters.

Not seeing what else she could do, Levisia set out to investigate the pier and surrounding area, seeing if there was anyone who was trapped and in need of assistance. To her relief, all of the civilians had been evacuated and the Kraidens were nowhere to be found. She presumed that they had gone to report their success to the Marchioness, or help those still stuck in the ocean. Wanting to stay away for as long as possible, she walked around the pier once more to check for anyone who may have been left behind or was trapped in the rubble. She poked her head into an empty building and called out to see if anyone needed help, but she received no responses.

Hoping that it was from people having fled to safety rather than them being deceased, she scoured the entire port more thoroughly than her initial walkthrough.

She was so caught up in her search that she didn’t realise that she had walked into the middle of the pier, where she found herself surrounded by the Kraidens all scouring the ocean.

“What’s going…” She started to say before she was shushed by Merril.

“Silence. The Kraken has escaped and is now lurking beneath the ocean. We need silence in order to hear it.” She said, moving the waves with a gesture of her hands. Levisia came to the conclusion that she was trying to move the ocean out the way to find the Kraken, but it was proving challenging.

Levisia did notice, but kept it to herself, that everyone was completely drenched. She bit back her laughter at the sight of Elizabeth, her wet hair plastered to her face and back, a look of seething hatred in her eyes.

In order to hide her face, Levisia looked up at the grey clouds that had formed since they had arrived. Soon, it would start raining, and the conditions in which to search for the Kraken would be unfavourable.

She looked down again and caught sight of a lighthouse in the distance on top of a tall cliff. Her heart sank as she realised that, if it was currently in operation, the people inside likely had not received a warning of the Kraken attack. Or, if they had seen it, we’re unable to escape. As the Kraken was in hiding, for the time being, Levisia took the opportunity to run from the Kraidens and head towards the lighthouse.