# Launching the Razor Shark

Author: Kodyax
Tags: Fantasy, Folf, M/F, Steam Punk, Transformation, lupursyn

I have a great interest in submarines among other things and this is meant to be a kind of steam punk submarine series that will, I hope become a serialized novel. I do have big plans for where this storyline is going. I hope to be entertaining as well as you come with me on this little journey.

Launching the Razor Shark

Gaslight lanterns whose panes are crimson colored glass illuminate  
in grim shades of blood a sub pen of gray concrete with the fearful silhouette  
of an octopus playing on the walls and floors to grant the area an aquatic  
nightmarish splendor in décor. Enchanted steel bridges and staircases connect  
the two sides of the massive room to each other and the complex itself with the  
rest of the complex above. Cranes for hauling cargo stand ready but idle for  
now.

In the pen itself is a vessel of enchanted iron black as  
midnight constructed in a manner as to give impression of an alien hammerhead  
shark with an angled head like an arrow; a massive dorsal fin that gleams in  
the near light as if it was put there more as a weapon than anything else. A  
trio of enchanted glass spheres, the largest of the three is at the apex of the  
shark's head, with two slightly smaller globes at either extreme; forming a  
triangle between them and looking for all the world like compound eyes if the  
submarine was indeed a living thing.  The  
tail fin is no less massive than the dorsal but contains a powerful screw to  
propel the ship through the murky depths with side fins completing the triangle  
where they would be on a natural shark but the mechanics of which are there to  
help steer the ship and not for aesthetics.

A ladder in a cage connects the bridgework to metal beast in  
the water and connects with a hatch where most whales have their blowhole amid  
the tentacles of a crimson kraken, much like those cast upon the walls and  
floors from the lanterns, a logo that is repeated on either side of the vessel.  
Inside the sub is rather Spartan with iron walls and floors illuminated from  
above with the same lanterns as those light the pen in which it sits. Pipes and  
vents are everywhere keeping the interior slightly chilly but not uncomfortably  
so, especially not if your body sports fur.

The bridge of the vessel is a spacious chamber just behind  
the mechanical monsters titanic central eye with alcoves to either side to  
observe the environment through the other eyes. The Captain's command chair is  
on a raised dais giving him a commanding view of the bridge and those manning  
the stations directly below him as was well as a clear view of the side windows  
if he should so wish it.  The whole thing  
looks like something Jules Verne might have given Captain Nemo if he were to  
write his classic model today amid the modern sensibilities about the tropes of  
steam punk.

Below the bridge is a fairly cramped area where pneumatic  
tubes dominate ones view of the chamber. These tubes are rather large and can  
be loaded with ordinance that is also present in the form of rune encrusted  
harpoons that glow in the near light of the area.  A control panel for launching the torpedoes  
is on another dais with a specking tube leading straight up to the bridge.

Cargo is stowed in the hold as a matter of course and there  
is plenty of room for provisions for a given voyage. Midway in the course of  
the cargo hold is a moon pool around which is a small arsenal of spears and  
suits of armor made from the hide of the dreaded dunkleosteous. Near the moon  
pool is clockwork scorpion the size of mastiff on near constant patrol.

At the other extreme of the ship is the engine room which is  
just as spacious as the bridge if not more so as the power source that turns  
the screw and regulates the atmosphere is housed here. It is a mass of tubes  
feeding a large box the size of an adult human in which energy from two  
diametrically opposed planes of existence are mixed and violent reaction is  
then harnessed for motive power as well to generate electricity for various  
purposes. The operation of the engine is potentially very hazardous and is  
never switched on or off idly and a team of clockwork spiders works here  
endlessly to monitor and regulate the engine while the crew is on shore leave.

Currently the sub pen is devoid of living souls as only  
automatons of the clockwork variety scurry about on various duties to maintain  
the pen, the sub and themselves. Stag beetles with key noses rewind their  
fellow constructs and each other as wasps flitter about with welding torch  
stingers to touch upon wherever they are needed. Vermin of any stripe are  
almost eerily absent as the mechanical insects and arachnids make sure their  
living kinfolk stay a stranger to this area of Warship Island.

Warship Island is a manufactured place constructed of  
enchanted concrete, glass and steel as a fortified floating laboratory within  
the archipelago that is home to the infamous Port Freak. Living quarters and  
the hydroponics to grow food are all part and parcel of Warship Island that  
keeps it mostly self-sufficient and independent of the city state that  
dominates the island chain in which it is situated. In addition to being a  
working laboratory and munitions factory Warship Island also has processing  
centers and makes a brisk trade with whalers taking their raw materials and  
refining them into the products that make them sought out by enterprising  
humans, humanimals (human/animal hybrids that were created on Warship Island),  
elves and dwarves.

Port Freak is some hundred miles due north from Warship  
Island on Skull Island named by the pirates that first established Port Freak,  
the city itself was named half in jest as the pirates in question were  
considered deviants on the mainland for various sundry reasons, as it looked to  
them like a human skull with other three major islands named Jawbone Isle, East  
Bone Isle and West Bone Isle, imagination the pirates had but not in great  
abundance. Eventually merchant princes from the mainland organized and executed  
a coup to take over the island from the pirates but they allowed them to remain  
as even the greedy merchant lords needed them to expand their businesses and  
carry out private agendas between themselves and even today the smarter pirate  
captains learn early how to set one merchant princess against another to get  
the best deal and to camouflage their own efforts as well as a means of  
financial enrichment. The Machiavellian politics of Port Freak disgust many who  
have to deal with them including the Kraken Oil Whaling Company who are based  
on Warship Island and are among the only ones that successfully operate anymore  
as they have been in business long enough to know what to pursue and what to  
flee from.

Whaling is a little misleading as it encompasses the  
harvesting of sea monsters as well as ordinary whales but the term originally  
translated into something akin to a whale hunter. Sea Monsters like kraken, sea  
serpents and weirder beasties have oils and other body parts that alchemists  
can turn into a number of useful products, like tough suits of armor made from  
the hide of the monster fish dunkleosteous. This is the main reason that the  
alchemists of Warship Island are very keen on maintaining a good relationship  
with the whalers, a lot of the raw materials they bring in fuels their own  
reactions and allows their experiments to continue on unabated.

Lounging in a café in a glass tower on Warship Island a  
humanimal warrior in a blue great coat with silver buttons in a double line on  
his front and silver circles on his along with the crimson kraken of the Kraken  
Oil Whaling Company at the shoulders sits at a table drinking coffee from a  
black mug. Like many humanimals Kodyax is a kind of chimera, in his case mixing  
near equal parts human, wolf and bear into a seamless whole, with russet brown  
fur, moss green eyes and hair to match. He is alone but he does look like he is  
waiting for someone.

"Been waiting long, Captain?" A scarlet trussed human in a  
shimmering emerald gown with an amethyst hooded cloak that lays about her  
shoulders accentuated with black gloves and heeled boots.

"About time you showed, Magus," Kodyax growls before taking  
a long draft of his mug.  "I take it you  
have news on when I take the helm of the Razor Shark, Sorcha?"

"Yeah, Kody, it will be soon, I promise," Sorcha says as she  
takes a seat opposite him. "I am worried though."

 

"Oh?" Kodyax prompts.

"Pasteur has something for me tonight and I'm worried,"  
Sorcha says with great trepidation.

"I thought you were through with that alchemist?" Kodyax  
inquires with a dark tone of voice.

"I am," Sorcha says in all seriousness and takes one of  
Kody's hand paws tenderly, "I am assigned to you and that's that. I have no  
regrets and I'm not going back to him."

"Speak of a Dark One," Kodyax growls as an older bald gentleman  
in a leather labcoat of purest white that looks like it could be used as armor  
as well as dark goggles over his eyes approaches them.

"Ah, there you are," Pasteur beams with pride as he walks as  
if he owned the establishment and places a potion before Sorcha. "Drink it,  
Sorcha, I made this especially for you. It will help you better relate to your  
commanding officer." Then he turns to Kodyax. "When she has recovered you can  
leave, vanguard." Then he turns and strides from their table as boldly and  
confident as he approached.

"I don't trust him," Kodyax says when Pasteur is out of  
earshot. "But crossing him is dangerous. He is too far up in the administration  
of Warship Island to oppose directly."

"Although I am curious as to what I'll turn into," Sorcha  
admits as she swirls the bottle and watches it sparkle obsessively.  "Heard anything from the mainland lately? My  
contacts dropped off after the meteor shower last month."

The meteor shower Sorcha refers to was an invasion from  
beyond that resulted in an influx of monsters that overran nations in short  
order. Those who live in the Skull and Crossbones Archipelago have no idea as  
to what is going on as survivors were driven underground a week ago.  This also means that the Kraken Oil Whaling  
Company will have some new specimens to hunt and learn about.

Cap'n!" A wolverine humanimal with the appropriate  
proportions of a dwarf in similar attire to Pasteur beams to Kodyax in  
particular but then notices Sorcha and gives her a respectful nod, "Madame  
Mahoney, I do hope I am not interrupting much."

"No, Brom," Sorcha says with a smirk. "Where's the entourage  
that were assigned to help you get last minute resources?"

"Right behind me, unfortunately," Brom Blackstar says with  
an exasperated sigh. "I swear, Cap'n, I know the Stooge brothers mean well, but  
those ferrets are insane!"

"Hey, Cap'n!" A sable ferret humanimal in shark leather  
armor and a bowl haircut beams to Kodyax as he gives the lupursyn a crisp  
salute of respect. "We rolling soon? Me and my brothers are gettin' anxy."

"No set time or date has been given yet, Moses," Sorcha says  
with a smirk she tries to hide as she finds all four brothers quite amusing.

"Miss Sorcha!" Moses Zechariah Stooge exclaims then turns to  
his brothers, who are attired like him but one has a wing tip hair style, one  
parts his hair right down the middle and the fourth one is devoid of head fur.  
"Behave yerselves, you mugs! There's a lady present!"

"OK, Moe," the wing tipped ferret says and then bows his  
head. "Evening, Miss Sorcha, Cap'n."

"Good day, Lawrence," Kodyax says and greets the other two  
by name, "As well as Shempatrick and Karl. I trust you have been following  
Brom's directives?"

"Soytenly, Cap'n!" Karl Edward Stooge, the bald ferret says  
and salutes Kodyax.

"Indubitably, Cap'n," Shempatrick Donovan Stooge says in all  
seriousness.

"We're doing our best, Cap'n," Lawrence Albert Stooge says  
proudly.

Brom shoots his Captain an exasperated look that would cause  
Sorcha to just lose it if Kodyax wasn't already glaring at her as this is no  
laughing matter. The Stooge brothers stand at attention to their captain,  
cutlasses by their sides ready to fight at a moment's notice but only at the  
Captain's say so.  Unfortunately the  
quartet are as inept as they can be belligerent and loyal, which is precisely  
why Pasteur assigned them to Kodyax since Brom volunteered to serve under  
Kodyax against Pasteur's wishes.

In another area of Warship Island Pasteur Lafayette is  
adjusting dials near a large mirror on the wall to observe Captain Maelstrom  
and his crew of misfits. Of all the persons he gazes at remotely, it is his  
former underling and lover Sorcha that garners much of his attention as well as  
his ire. She was assigned away from him after it was learned by his colleagues  
in the upper management of the company that he was taking advantage of her as  
well as poisoning her mind into being an obedient, submissive servant.

Much of the damage was done to Sorcha's mind but she had not  
fully latched on her loyalty to Lafayette and quickly made the connection with  
Kodyax. In fact the bond grew far more quickly than anyone, even Lafayette  
himself could have predicted. Out of jealousy and spite, Pasteur made his  
potion, and especially potent version of what had been used to create the  
initial humanimals before they started breeding true.

Night is falling fast and soon Captain and his first mate  
retire to their shared quarters. Other members of the upper management are  
still worried about abuses but Kodyax has shown restraint, which allays their  
fears. What they don't know Is that it is Sorcha who is the aggressor when it  
comes to what happens in bed as her mind has latched onto the notion that the  
best way to sow loyalty and ensure his loyalty in return is to have sex with  
him and thus turn him into her lover.

Sorcha strips herself in a teasing fashion in front of  
Kodyax which gets him excited to say the least and hamper his ability to get  
undressed. Underneath the blue greatcoat is a blue vest to match his blue  
trousers and a scarlet ruffled shirt. But underneath all that is nothing as  
Kodyax has a special catheter in his cock to catch urine and keep his pants  
clear of mess at all times.

Kodyax approaches Sorcha from behind once he is entirely  
undressed and wraps his arms around her body to grope at her breasts as she  
drinks the elixir that Lafayette ordered her to imbibe. The potion has a  
chocolaty strawberry flavor to it which makes it all too easy to drink as  
Kodyax kneads her nipples in as sensuous a manner as he is able to accomplish  
with his oversized hand paws. Sorcha moans and falls against his front, making  
sure his blood engorged phallus impales her crevasse and slides against her  
clit moaning in ecstasy all the while.

The fact that this isn't the first time the two of them have  
been intimate makes it easier for the potion to do what it needs to do to her  
magically. She can feel a warming sensation spread all over her body from the  
elixir but concentrates more on her own inner walls which clench and unclench  
at his invading member as she enjoys herself in the process. It does do a  
curious thing though, the potion that is, in that all the conditioning and semi  
enchanted conditioning her mentor put into her to make her so submissive breaks  
in her mind and she almost forgets the relationship she had been building with  
this male she is mating with as she momentarily is in a daze on the bed.

"Sorcha?" Kodyax asks as he slows down his fucking of his  
lover to inquire about her in a somewhat worried tone. "Are you alright?"

"I," Sorcha starts to make a quick rejoinder but almost  
immediately thinks better of it. "I don't know, Kody, but please don't stop on  
my account. The sex is actually kind of helping me clear my head a little."

"You're sure?" Kodyax asks with concern ringing in his tone  
of voice.

"Yeah!" Sorcha shouts back cheerfully.

Kodyax does indeed continue to ramrod his shaft in her box  
which physically feels as good as it ever did for the human female. Mentally  
however, is a far different story. Conflict rages as her newly freed  
consciousness wars with many of the habits her mind has developed since she  
started this relationship with him.

The independent streak Sorcha possessed before beginning her  
training with the Kraken Oil Whaling Company is not really as accepting of the  
woman she has become and wants her to assert herself more as she is effectively  
sleeping with her superior, which the Amazon portion of her mind scoffs at as  
even having a chance of being accurate. That portion of her brain has been  
dormant for far too long as far as it is concerned although the current mindset  
is far from weak and submissive, even to Kodyax, but this is because he allows  
and even encourages her to be her own person, a fact the strong female portion  
of her psyche has trouble reconciling or even acknowledging. Tonight she is  
being very submissive to Kodyax, a fact that has him concerned as he wonders  
just what Pasteur put into that potion.

Amazon Sorcha reels when Kodyax elicits a roaring howl as he  
climax as First Mate Sorcha moans loudly and proudly as she orgasm as his cock  
bounces around inside of her pussy. Practical Sorcha then asserts herself in  
her mind as this normal for when they make love as Kodyax pulls out when he can  
and flips her body onto her back so his muzzle can access her tits. The sheer  
unselfish pleasure that Kodyax gives Sorcha once he is momentarily spent  
catches the feministic amazon side of her by complete surprise as she did not  
think any male was capable of such tenderness.

In her own mind the three aspects of her own psyche reach a  
compromise which really doesn't change a thing as Kodyax lets her be herself as  
much as possible. He wants her as his lover honestly; without magical  
compulsion of any sort. Although his reasoning is sound if a little selfish: if  
she is given free reign to make her own choices within the confines of what  
they know they should be doing then even when the brainwashing wears off she  
will still be with him as he has been a lover to her and not a superior officer  
using his position to make a sex slave out of her.

They fall asleep together, her held closely to him and it is  
in that time when sleep masks all pain a body goes through that the change  
occurs. Coral colored fur covers her body as she takes on the characteristics  
of both a wolf and a fox which both compliments and contrasts with Kodyax as  
her hair becomes magenta in hue.  Her  
eyes have always been green but now they are laurel green specifically as white  
lines form the silhouette of a burning heart on her thighs and a pentagram on  
her arms just below the shoulder and tribal feathered wings on her back.

Kodyax awakens first and beholds Sorcha with a smirk on his  
muzzle as the form her new body has taken is not entirely surprising to him. He  
lays out her clothes before donning his own uniform as Sorcha lazily reaches  
for him in vain. Annoyed at his absence, Sorcha rises and goes to wash up  
before donning her daily attire.

Sorcha almost screams when she sees the folf in the mirror  
staring back at her and has to take a minute to realize that the humanimal  
returning her gaze from the looking glass is her new form. After a good five minutes of admiring her new  
body, Kodyax walks into their bathroom to yell at her. He is tolerant to a  
degree but tying up the lavatory is not an area where he has a great deal of  
patience and in this it's not so much a matter of gender as he needs to use the  
toilet and the shower in that order.

The belligerent bluntness in which he states his needs gets  
Sorcha out of his way in rather a hurry although she waits till she hears the  
shower go on before she acts to have a little bit of payback as she steps in  
behind her mate to surprise him. Or at least that was the plan, but she forgot  
that she has tried this before on him and he's ready for her. Exactly how clean  
they get is a matter of debate as Sorcha tests out how different sex with  
Kodyax is now that she is a humanimal as opposed to when she was a human.

Pasteur himself knocks on their door to yell at them for  
over usage of water which taxes the purification plant for the whole island  
when the sounds of sexual congress embarrasses him enough to slink away  
dejected and in his own room does his best to spy on them using the mirror as a  
scrying surface. The amount of steam makes it difficult but he can see the  
silhouette of two humanimals in the shower which means that Sorcha survived the  
night and didn't miss a stride in the interim of her transformation. His  
screams of consternation can be heard pretty much throughout Warship Island and  
those that recognize it give a smirk as the bastard is apparently upset that  
one of his pranks didn't go exactly as he planned.

A flying saucer, much like those attributed to the Nazi  
German prototype and George Adamski's visions lands in a clearing on Warship  
Island near the defensive turret in the back of what would be the main deck of  
an actual ship on a special dais constructed to receive it. The craft itself is  
only slightly larger than a scout zeppelin's gondola and it slowly descends  
into its own hangar where an honor guard of men and women with red skin,  
flaming hair and horns on their heads in black leather armor stand at attention  
each with a rifle not unlike the Winchester models used in America from the  
close of the civil war through the era of the wild west but featuring a ring of  
blades near the end of the muzzle like an elaborate bayonet. A door opens up and a large male human in a  
gladiator harness with golden pauldrons, platinum blonde hair, golden eyes and  
golden feathered wings carrying a golden ankh staff steps out of the airship  
with great authority in his stride and aura. The honor guard salutes him and  
shouts "Hail, Phoebus Helios!" as one to greet him as he arrives.

"Where is Lafayette?!?" President Helios demands to know. "I  
want a status report on the progress on the Razor Shark now!"

"We did magic message ahead for him to meet us here,  
President Helios," a man whose skin looks like it could the consistency of mud  
says.

"Pasteur's busy, Lord President," Brom says with all  
reverence. "I can fill you in if you like."

 

"Brom Blackstar isn't it?" Phoebus asks to which Brom just  
nods. "You were still a dwarf last time we talked. How are you adjusting to  
your new form?"

"Well enough," Brom admits. "But I know you are more  
concerned with the Shark than how the formula has effected me."

"More than likely," A woman with platinum blonde hair and  
skin the color of a storm cloud says in a giggle.  "How soon can the sub depart on its trial  
run?"

"She's ready now," Brom states, "Professor Lafayette gave  
Miss Mahoney an elixir yesterday. Haven't seen her yet to see if she's drunk it  
or not."

"And Captain Maelstrom?" President Helios asks pointedly.

"Chomping at the bit to take command, sir," Brom says in al  
confidence.

"Excellent!" Phoebus says with a broad grin.  "Now I want to find the good professor and  
have a few words with him.

In the general mess hall Kodyax and Sorcha are eating a meal  
when President Helios walks in. Everyone rises to their feet as one to salute  
the President and he motions for them to sit down. Phoebus then makes a beeline  
for Kodyax.

"Captain Maelstrom!" President Helios beams. "And who is the  
lovely humanimal lady you have with you? I might think Sorcha would be  
jealous."

"And might that be, Lord President?" Sorcha asks with a  
giggle.

"First Mate Mahoney?" Phoebus asks incredulously to which  
Sorcha just nods with a grin. "Well, that's quite interesting, since when did  
you make the switch?"

"Professor Lafayette had me drink a potion last night and I  
woke up this morning looking like this." Sorcha reports honestly.

"PROFESSOR LAFAYETTE!!!" President Helios bellows as the man  
he has been wanting to talk to tries to sneak in for breakfast. "Front and  
center!"

"You wish to see me, Lord President?" Pasteur asks with as  
innocent a tone as he can muster.

"On what authority did you demand that Miss Mahoney become a  
humanimal?" Phoebus growls in inquiry with a tone that indicates that Pasteur  
better give him a straight answer if he knows what's good for him.

"I was under the impression that we were making the crew of  
the Razor Shark exclusively humanimal, my Lord President," Professor Lafayette  
says calmly and coolly with a collected exterior but inside, Kodyax knows the  
human is sweating bullets.

"I do not know how you made that assumption," President Helios  
as he takes a potion out of his pouch and hands it to Pasteur. "Drink it now,  
Pasteur."

Pasteur Lafayette gulps hard as he knows what the potion is:  
the same one he had Sorcha drink. He takes and quaffs it in one huge gulp and  
it affects him immediately. His pants rip as Pasteur Lafayette goes from human  
to skunk humanimal in about five seconds.

Lafayette glares at Maelstrom as covert but definitively as  
he can but the lupursyn just smirks  and  
remarks: "You know, I do think it's an improvement."

"I rather agree, Captain Maelstrom," President Helios says  
in agreement.

"Are we done?" Lafayette demands to know.

"For now," Phoebus states with a dark smirk, "But watch your  
tone with me at least."

"Yes, sir," Pasteur growls in a tone of voice that is barely  
civil and moves on.

"We need to be careful, Kody," Sorcha warns her superior in  
a semi worried tone. "We don't want to antagonize him too much." She looks over  
at President Helios. "We who will crew the Razor Coast at least. As President,  
you can do what you wish." She glances over at where Lafayette went with more  
than a little bit of trepidation. "But mark my words, he will try some sort of  
retaliation."

"I want the Razor Shark launched as soon as possible,"  
Phoebus states in a matter of fact manner, "I will be watching him; I know how  
he operates to a greater degree, I know he wants to supplant me." He gives  
Kodyax and Sorcha a sly smile. "I have my eye on him." Then he sees Brom come  
in and hails him.

 "BROM! You said the Razor Shark is ready to go if I am not mistaken?"  
  
  
  
"Aye," Brom says in agreement. 

"Launch," President Helios orders, "I have a crystal feed in  
my office, I am going to get some rather quick and I will oversee the initial  
trials."

All three humanimals nod as Kodyax and Sorcha rise as one as  
they exit the cafeteria and activate a magic circle that makes runes appear  
around them and dance in a manner that displays power at work. The visages of  
the three fade from view in the cafeteria as a similar teleportation portal  
opens in the sub pen. Professor Lafayette watches the proceedings with naked  
rancor on his newly altered visage.

Mechanical wasps fly in formation to challenge the  
interlopers until their sense recognizes Brom and a look from him gets them to  
stand down.  A trio of them buzz around  
the triad of the newly arrived as they move from the transport dais to the  
bridge entrance to the Razor Shark itself wherein they part company with Brom  
heading to the engine room and the other two headed for the bridge of the ship  
where Kodyax is to be situated as ship's Captain. First Mate Mahoney establishes contact with  
President Helios's office as Captain Maelstrom gets himself acclimated to the  
Captain's chair while Chief Engineer Brom slides into the engine room to go  
over last minute preparations with his drones.

"Summon the Stooge brothers, Sorcha," Kodyax orders, "and  
the rest of our crew. Also; make sure we are properly connected to the office  
of Lord Helios. If he wants a show, I say we give it to him."

   
  
"Aye, aye, Captain!" Sorcha says with glee. "Sending out summoning signal; now!  
The Lord President is already very anxious to speak with you."

"Can we get a crystal screen established with the engine  
room as well?" Maelstrom asks. "I want Blackstar in the loop on this."

Elsewhere on Warship Island the Stooge brothers are drinking  
with other humanimal in a slum bar set aside for the workers of the island  
proper and a good number of them at once see a trinket they wear somewhere on  
their person light up. All those that get the signal look at each other and nod  
as one as they rise and move towards the sub pen. The same trinkets that summon  
the weasels, cats, dogs, rabbits, rats and mice were designed by Doctor  
Blackstar to interact with his own clockwork creations and sends a signal to  
them that the crew are friendly and should not be attacked.

Moe Z. Stooge leads the way down to the Razor Shark through  
elevators and spiral staircases and into the submarine itself. Their movements  
do not go unnoticed as clockwork automaton folk as well as humans, yfreet,  
undyn, sylphs, terrox and harpies alike working and supervisors to the workers  
take notice of the humanimals and their march to the sub pen. Those not in the  
know idly wonder what is going on while those in the know nod their heads in  
approval as they surmise that the Razor Shark project is finally moving to the  
next phase of development.

A total of twenty-five humanimals enter the Razor Shark and  
take up positions within in preparation for trouble as well as to get the  
submarine going where it needs to go. The torpedo room is being manned by the  
cats as the dogs suit up in the armor while the rodents aid Blackstar at the  
rear of the ship and joining the Stooge brothers up front to guide it forward.  
The crew attend their stations without a word but a look to the Captain who  
nods his appreciation.

"Conflict engine up and running at full power, Cap'n," Brom  
reports to Kodyax on a crystal screen levitating in front of him.

"I have your position noted on my office astrolabe, Captain  
Maelstrom," President Helios states as he looks in on another crystal screen.

"All systems are go, Captain," Moe says with confidence.

"Flood tanks ready and on stand by, Captain," Larry says  
with confidence.

"Warp Portal Tunnel powering up, Captain" Shemp says with  
confidence.

"Captain, the drones are starting to act funny," Karl warns.

"Someone is trying to usurp control of my clockwork drones,"  
Brom explains. "The problem is that I'm rather distracted at the moment."

"Open the flood tanks!" Kodyax orders. "Dive! Dive! Dive!"

The Razor Shark sinks slowly but surely beneath the waves as  
lights underwater within the sub pen itself start to alight as the walls of a  
tunnel leading to the outside waters display glowing runes. Emerald energy  
alights in front of the submarine as it traverses the tunnel and travels  
through the tunnel to depths just outside of Warship Island. Inside, Captain  
Maelstrom can see outside his ship and gaze upon the concrete foundations of  
his home through one of the side windows of the submarine.

Gazing through the front most aperture of the submarine  
Kodyax can see an inky black skinned octopus of titanic proportions with three  
crimson eyes each one the size of an average human male. Kodyax glares at the  
alien kraken before him and orders the torpedo room to open fire. The explosion  
of the torpedoes causes the kraken to recoil as he orders the next course of  
action to utilize the steel fins as they were intended and cut the monster to  
ribbons.

President Helios in his office is actually sweating bullets  
as he recognizes the sea monster as something that could very well rip the sub  
apart. He is just about ready to call them off when the kraken itself retreats  
with an ink cloud released to confuse the crew of the Razor Shark. The kraken  
loses a few arms as the ship makes a few hits as the monster beats a hasty  
retreat.

Dogs disembark the ship via the moon pool and retrieve the  
pieces of the kraken they were able to shear off. President Helios orders the  
Razor Shark to return to base as he also congratulates Captain Maelstrom on a  
job well done. A portal opens up to facilitate this return and obediently  
Kodyax does as he is bidden with the full knowledge that he did something to  
spook the Lord President.

Exactly what alarmed his superior, Phoebus, is kept from  
them as Helios secretly is glad it was the kraken that blinked in that game of  
chicken.  Doctor Blackstar takes the  
kraken parts to the alchemists as Kodyax explores the quarters that he is accorded  
on the ship itself. The fact that Sorcha "helps" him get settled is rather  
obvious.

 

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/0mvzQ7Xm