Dhaga wasn’t sure how he felt about fighting with Kraken's main forces which were very diverse. In addition to the sharks that served as the vanguards, there were races like nagas and merfolks. The Kraken was apparently nondiscriminatory when it came to who served it as long as they accepted its blood. Kraken blood was said to grant incredible powers to those who ingest it at the cost of them becoming permanent followers of the monster. Currently, those who had ingested the blood only had one goal in mind, to destroy the nagas and their capital.

  How do I find out who is picked by the orbs?

  The young naga wanted to know what he was looking for but Cridror wasn’t very helpful with its response claiming that Dhaga would know when the time came. Still, he couldn’t deny that having the orca around made him like their odds against the invaders a bit more. They needed all the help they could get when the Kraken followers had gathered for possibly the largest attack on the naga capital.

  If only we have more orcas like in my vision….Cridror, how do I summon more of you?

  More of me?

  In my vision, I saw a group of orcas. Maybe that isn’t normal?

  Oh, a pod of orcas? You’re not strong enough to do that yet. That’s why I suggested you find the owners of the orbs.

  I’m weak! I get it!

  With a sigh, Dhaga returned his attention to the foes that were closing in. Now that they were even closer, he could see the other creatures like stingrays, sea serpents and those he had never seen before. Large groups of water elementals also worried him because they were exceptionally dangerous underwater. Then, he saw light forming in the palms of the merfolks.

  “Incoming offensive spells! Use barriers at once!”

  The water before Dhaga suddenly became opaque before spiderweb patterns formed. The young naga knew that, without the barrier, he would be dead already.

  Good thing they are so good at their crafts. We’d be de-

  The barrier shattered moments later, proving that the enemy spellcasters didn’t plan on holding back. Faced with an enemy that excelled at long distance combat, the nagas had to engage the enemy in close range. With his father leading the way, Dhaga followed and Cridror swam close beside him. The large size of the orca forced the other nagas to give it a wide berth, though it had earned the trust and respect of the nagas through its earlier performance. They had to get through the enemy frontline if they hoped to reach the merfolk spellcasters.

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  Closing in on their spellcasters won’t be easy. We will suffer heavy losses doing it. Cridror…Cridror?

  Dhaga searched frantically until he saw the orca swim towards their back line. No naga dared to stand in its way so they all parted to let it through.

  Damn! What is it doing?

  The young naga quickly gave chase, apologizing whenever other nagas had to make way for him. The orca stopped around a group of sorceresses, distracting them with its big presence. Dhaga pondered on what his companion was doing when he felt a surge of power nearby. The red orb glowed brighter as he approached the group.

  The one with magical powers….I see!

  Dhaga swam up to the group and asked them politely to touch the orb. The sorceresses all obliged but only one of them made contact with it. Upon making contact, the orb was absorbed into the sorceresses who froze in place.

  Is she having a vision too? Maybe the visions aren't so unique for those picked by the orbs after all.

  The other sorceresses panicked over the scene but the one picked by the orb eventually reassured them that she was fine. She then swam over to Dhaga.

  “Who are you?” asked the sorceress. “And are you looking for a partner?”

  “I’m Dhaga and I already have someone,” said the young naga hastily before he swam away.

  With the orb delivered, he joined Cridror in the swim back to the frontline. The two sides had engaged one another in melee range as a brutal battle ensued.

  What’s wrong with taking up multiple partners?

  Dhaga was not ready for the question so he stared at the orca to see if it was serious. When he sensed no playful nature from his companion, the young naga explained that nagas mated for life. That had always been their tradition passed down over the centuries.

  If I dare to show any unfaithfulness, I’m certain Soce will personally kill me.

  Despite not hearing anything from the orca, Dhaga knew he was being judged. Yet, he didn’t have time to worry about such a matter. Casualties were rising for both sides, lowering the visibility in the water as more blood filled the space. The young naga stopped as he couldn’t see himself differentiating friends from foes in the thick of battle. This battle was entirely different from the engagements he had while he was out on patrol. He turned to ask Cridror what he could do.

  You are not suited for that type of combat anyways. Let’s head to one of the flanks. Grab on!

  Dhaga grabbed onto the orca’s dorsal fin only to find himself flying through the water. He never thought it was possible to move so quickly through the water but Cridror was able to achieve it with ease. He never imagined the orca to be holding back this whole time so he had a chance to keep up. Seconds later, they had reached the flanks where there was far more room for them to maneuver. As soon as Dhaga let go of Cridror’s dorsal fin, the orca charged headfirst into the enemy flank, decimating the unsuspected foes.

  Is that how I should be fighting?

  Cridror swam away before it performed another charge, crushing the enemy flank. Not only did the enemy suffer heavy losses but the remaining enemy forces couldn’t focus on the nagas before them while a giant orca waited in the wing.

  To fight like Cridror, I need more speed. I won’t be useful if I cannot get in and out quickly.