NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Kuria Prison
The Kraken was the last known descendant of the monstrous offspring of Oceanus: Cthulhu.
Since the dawn of draconic kind, they had been the eternal foes of Linemall's Seas.
There was much Lukas had learnt about what kind of foe he was up against and from what he did gather, he really hoped Katrina meant what she had said about the Legacies of the Lord; especially the ones he had inherited. If Lukas truly 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.
The Kraken was not some creature who was free to terrorize the Seas of Linemall, he had been locked away for centuries now. Yet somehow his magic had allowed him to gather power despite of his imprisonment, magic that would not work on Lukas which was why he meant to go alone. But his niece would not allow that.
That was why Lukas found himself being accompanied by Katrina Drakos and her trusty warhammer.
The two travelled deeper into the Seas, down into the depths of the ocean. They were heading to Kuria Prison, the stronghold which kept some of Linemall's most dangerous sinners. Katrina described it as a symbol of strength maintained by House Drakos for more than a thousand years. But Lukas had a feeling that symbol no longer held the weight it once did.
And then, Lukas saw it.
Deep beneath the churning waves of the Seas of Linemall, hidden within a trench where sunlight did not reach, was Kuria Prison—a fortress of iron and sorcery, once feared as an inescapable tomb for the most dangerous criminals of Linemall. 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.
Kuria had was more like an open-air facility, with cells suspended like cages in the open water, reinforced by the ancient runes that leeched the strength of those held within it.
The deeper one went, the more the pressure of the ocean bore down on them and if not for Lukas' 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 of the prison 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.
Lukas and Katrina were greeted by the Warden of the Prison accompanied by two prison guards and Lukas recognized the familiarity of his features, his eyes narrowing. The sharp nose, the beady-like eyes. He looked like a crow. He looked like a Sterling.
"Greetings. I'm sorry I was never able to greet you after your awakening, Lukas. We are short on hand as it is and if you slip up for a second, these prisoners won't hesitate to slaughter you for the sake of their own freedom. You look well. 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.
So this was their father. Yet Samuel seemed so different from his children. How peculiar.
This was no act, at least it was not one that Lukas could detect.
His eyes were calm, peaceful even. Lukas would not have expected such serenity from someone in charge of a prison filled with so many dangerous individuals.
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Katrina remained silent, her grip on her hammer tightening. She wasn't usually this quiet but Lukas guessed that her cheery mood would not fit well in such a suffocating environment. In fact, she looked nervous. Katrina Drakos looked scared.
Lukas didn't blame her. Anyone in their right mind would feel uncomfortable here. But Lukas wasn't, he suddenly realized. In fact, Lukas felt as calm as Samuel Sterling looked.
Could this be the Crown of the Lord? Was that the reason why he felt so at ease?
"It's a pleasure to meet you Samuel. I'm afraid my memory is not what it was, as you pointed out. I'm sorry for coming on such short notice but this is quite urgent. I need to see one of your prisoners." 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, the Warden of Kuria Prison moved to the side and indicated with an open palm to the hallway behind him. "Right this way. The Kraken will see you now, Lukas Drakos. He has been waiting eagerly for your arrival."
"Bloody damn." Katrina whispered.
Understanding dawned on her like it did on Lukas.
Samuel Sterling was in a trance, his eyes glazed over and unresponsive. The guards all around the prison did not seem intimidating because they were barely even conscious.
All of them had long surrendered control of their mind to another.
All of them, nothing more than puppets on a string.
Lukas looked past the Warden, deep into the prison.
At first, he thought it was just another building in the center of the prison. He had 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 did not belong to the jailers. It did not belong to Samuel Sterling, the Warden of Kuria Prison.
It belonged to him. It belonged to the Kraken.
His eyes, ancient, glowed in the darkness with an eerie, bioluminescent gold; his piercing gaze cutting through the dark like a predator watching its prey struggle against an inevitable death. There was intelligence in those eyes that Lukas stared into, a mind far sharper than any blade, one that did not simply seek destruction.
The Kraken sought control.
The Kraken 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 did not know where his scars came from. But he did know who had marked the Kraken.
Katrina had told Lukas that Lord Jaren, Lukas Drakos' late father, was the one who defeated the Kraken; leaving him imprisoned in Kuria for centuries. Lukas could now see the wound that Lord Jaren had dealt the beast during their battle, a giant gruesome scar across its bulbous head.
His tentacles, thick as ship masts and covered in barbed suckers, writhed 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 the Kraken stirred, the very walls of Kuria Prison groaned under the weight of his presence.
This one...this one was strong. Stronger than any other Lukas had encountered thus far and that was without considering the magic he wielded.
The Kraken was dangerous.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lukas. 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 at the sudden intrusion of the Kraken's voice into her mind.
But Lukas could not help but grin. This was going to be fun.