After tossing the tin to the kraken, I turned to my stunned friends.
– Sardines in tomato sauce, – I explained with a smile. – His favorite. Often feed him after work.
My friends, petrified with terror, just blinked silently, probably trying to incinerate me with their gaze. Someday, they might succeed, being practicing magicians and all… but I’d rather not test that.
– Tuzik! – I called out to the pet again and, seeing that he recognized me, dispelled the dome of shadows. – Wrap!
Understanding the command, the giant mollusk swiftly began to entwine the yacht with the tips of his tentacles. My friends screamed in unison and bolted into the only cabin. Right thinking. Following them, I quickly sealed the airtight door and cast an air bubble spell. Yes, the magic could turn into something terrifying and deadly, but it still felt safer with it.
The yacht creaked and tilted. Tuzik was sinking our rented vessel. A pity, but hopefully, the insurance would cover everything – nobody is safe from a kraken attack in the Bermuda Triangle. A genuine force majeure.
Meanwhile, my companions fell silent again. Had they resigned themselves? Or calmed down?
– I. Will. Kill. You! – Asya articulated each word with furious precision.
At least she wasn’t panicking. Zheka had fainted altogether. I really did choose a strong-nerved fiancée. Joint trips are quite beneficial for relationships, helping to unwind, change the scenery, and understand each other better. Maybe I should explain this to her…
– Joint trips… – I began, only to receive a sharp slap and fall silent, chastened. Apparently, I was wrong somewhere.
– Trips?! – the girl screamed at me. – You nearly killed us! You said we just had to sail to your office and grab a book! Was it so hard to warn us that the office is at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, guarded by a bunch of protective spells and a giant squid?! – Asya’s anger escalated. – I don’t want to be part of your schemes! And I don’t want to marry you! You’re a reckless idiot, always risking other people’s lives! I can’t stand to see you anymore!
Having finished her tirade, the girl climbed onto the sole armchair in the cabin and hid her face in her hands. It seems I really overdid it with the surprises, and we hadn’t even reached the office yet.
I cautiously crouched in front of Asya. The dragon tactfully turned away, pretending not to hear us. At least Zheka was still in a deep faint.
– Listen, – I began carefully. – I’m really sorry for presenting myself in such a way. By dragging you into this adventure, I wanted us to get to know each other better. Besides, you and Zheka need real-world experience in using magic, and this adventure is perfect for that. I can teach you things you’ll never learn in seminars or lectures. And I can protect you, trust me. No matter how scared you are now, remember, you’re with a true Guardian, who once nearly destroyed the world trying to save your life.
– What? – the girl looked at me, puzzled, while wiping the tears rolling down her cheeks. – What do you mean ‘nearly destroyed the world’?
Oops. Looks like I let slip too much. When will I learn to watch my tongue? Even the dragon was glancing at me with interest. But I couldn’t confess that I was actually behind the whole ley-line shift fiasco! Well, it’s time to lie elegantly.
– The slightest flaw in the forced evolution ritual could have wiped out humanity as a species, – I blurted out. – But I’m a professional and always know what I’m doing. Please, trust me.
Asya nodded uncertainly. It seemed to work. Grandiose phrases always work with eighteen-year-old girls. Someday she’ll realize that although I’m a professional, I almost never know what I’m doing.
– Ahem… – the dragon interrupted our idyll with a polite cough. – Excuse me, professional! Do you happen to know how much longer we have to dive?
That overgrown lizard! He’s even sarcastic!
– About forty minutes, – I estimated. – Tuzik isn’t very fast, and the depth is over eight kilometers.
– How much?! – Asya and the spellcaster exclaimed in unison. Even Zheka seemed to twitch.
– Trust me, I’m a professional! – I smiled reassuringly at Asya and winked at the dragon unnoticed.
The main thing now was that we were finally approaching our goal. We’d deal with minor issues like immense pressure as they arose. That’s always been my approach. And it always works. After all, I’m a Guardian!
***
It turns out, sinking in a magic-protected yacht is quite dull. Even Zheka, who had come to his senses, was no longer panicking. In fact, no one else was expressing fear. Perhaps my grandiose speech had calmed everyone, or maybe they were just tired of being scared. After all, we’d been descending for forty minutes and nothing terrifying had happened yet.
The dragon proposed doubling our protection by adding his own air bubble spell, but I forbade it. Yes, double protection is good, but only until the shields start morphing into something unimaginable. The spellcaster, taught by bitter experience of reckless magic use, didn’t argue. A pity. It would have been nice to have someone to blame if things went awry.
Asya remained seated, legs on the armchair, thoughtfully staring at the opposite wall. Zheka was quietly conversing with the professor, while I, comfortably seated on the floor, pondered deeply. What awaited us ahead? Could we make it to the headquarters? Where had the other Guardians disappeared to? When would the invasion of the Nizmors begin? Where did the rifle in my closet come from? Too many questions whirled in my head, yet I had no answers to any of them.
Suddenly, the yacht jolted as if we had hit the bottom. And why ‘as if’? Most likely, we had indeed finally reached the bottom. A loud crack sounded, and the entire cabin shook.
– What’s happening?! – Asya exclaimed, a hint of fear in her voice.
Both the dragon and Zheka looked to me for an explanation.
– We’ve reached the bottom, – I explained calmly. – Now Tuzik will drag us to the main entrance, and the air bubble spell will vanish. From this moment on, any magic you use will function improperly, so be cautious.
No sooner had I reminded my companions of the dangers of using magic inside the dome of confusion than my air bubble burst with a soft pop. Dark orange, sticky sludge, smelling like the contents of a cesspool, poured in from all sides.
– Yuck! – it seemed we said it in unison.
My eyes teared up from the acrid stench, and I barely suppressed the urge to vomit. What was this filth? I recalled no spell with such an effect… But it didn’t matter! We had to get out of here fast!
I opened the airtight cabin door and stumbled onto the deck, hoping to escape the smell. Not much of the deck, or the yacht itself, remained. Basically, only our cabin, protected by the air bubble, a few deck planks, and part of the mast were left. A pity for the little vessel, but at least we were alive.
– What is this filth? – Asya shouted, following me out.
– This appears to be a vivid demonstration of the dome of confusion, – the spellcaster explained calmly. – Quite an intriguing weave. Will you teach me?
I nodded silently. Why not teach a good person? Even if he’s not exactly human.
– Where are we? – Zheka was the first to address our surroundings.
Tuzik had dragged the remains of our yacht into a large cave, dimly lit by magical torches. Its vaults disappeared into darkness, and far in the depths, a tiny bright red dot was visible.
– This is the entrance hall, – I said uncertainly. – I’ve never been here, but I roughly know what we need to do. My office building is in the center of this system of underwater caves. During construction, the Guardians walled off all other approaches to the headquarters, leaving only the central one.
– Why aren’t we being flooded? – Asya asked apprehensively.
– Magic, – the dragon smiled, and I nodded in agreement.
– Everything here is indeed protected by fundamental-artifact magic. That’s when the building itself is the artifact, – I explained, seeing the puzzled looks of the students. – The most unshakeable and reliable magic. That’s why the cave wasn’t flooded even when I cast the dome of confusion. The lighting and ventilation also operate on artifact spells, by the way.
– So we’ll always have air and light? – the dragon clarified.
I nodded, confirming his theory.
– At least that’s a relief.
– What do you mean ‘always’? – Asya suspiciously glanced at the professor. – How long, may I ask, did you plan this excursion for?
– A couple of days, – I shrugged. – I did mention it. – You said we’d spend a few days in Bermuda! – the girl yelled at me. – You didn’t specify that it would be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean! I don’t even have spare clothes with me! – she pointedly looked at her rather immodest swimsuit. – I didn’t even grab my sundress from the deck when I was hiding from your pet!
