12 THE MONSTER OF KAO REN LAKE 11

"Oh, great herald of the gods of yore. I hereby presented this offering to you as an amendment for the sin that the Emperor had committed. Please accept this humble offering and ease you anger." The cultist leader shouted

The monster kept circling the ships for five minutes investigating the situation and do not have the intention to attack. Then it suddenly dives further down until it shadow barely visible from the surface. When everyone on the ritual ship were wondering what the monster is doing, it resurfaces next to the offering ship, haft its head is above water trying to bite through the ship hull, making the offering ship rocking intensively. But the strange thing is… although the ship is being attack and rocking intensively, the people on the offering ship still stay motionless on their seat when normally they should be throw around in it. Then a loud crack resounded, the offering ship's hull subdued to the monster jaw, from the crack on the ship, black oil oozing out into it mouth. Before it can react Emperor Lam leap to the ritual ship bow, he shoved the cultist leader aside, took a deep breath and breathing fire on the offering ship. The oil vapour in the offering ship caught fire and exploded, engulfed the offering ship and the monster head in a fire ball. Debris from the offering ship flying everywhere, some pieces of them landed on the deck of the ritual ship, partially burned human figure made of cloth and stuffed with straw.

"Wha…what is this?" The cultist leader staring at Emperor Lam, one he saw those straw figures.

"What is the meaning of this? Suk Lam?" The cultist leader yelled

"Seize him!" Emperor Lam point at the cultist leader

But when the sailors about to grab him, the cultist leader jump overboard from the ship bow. However, everyone ignores him, for right now, in front of the ritual ship, the monster is floating leadenly on the surface. Look like the explosion had stunned it. Emperor Lam quickly order the sailor to throw hook ropes at it mouth to keep it from dive back to the water. After all the ropes had secured Emperor standing at the ship bow charging his lightning spell, ready to deliver a killing blow. But the monster suddenly regained consciousness, it jolted intensively trying to free itself from the hook ropes causing the ship to rock violently, the ship hull let out terrify cracking sounds every time the monster lugging on the ropes. Then the hook ropes starting to snap one by one. The situation is worsening. They have come this far and let the monster escapes again? Then without thinking Emperor Lam leaping to the port side and jump overboard.

A minute later, right at the spot where Emperor Lam jumped overboard, a large head rose up from the water, a dragon head. A blue dragon emerged from the water, it snout it long like an alligator and full of sharp teeth with a long black goatee under its chin. On top of its head is a pair of deer like antler and a black mane, it scales shine like polished blue marble, the dragon turn it swan like neck toward the ship bow and snap off all the ropes with it sharp teeth, freed the ship. With all the rope snapped off the monster try to dive back to the depth but the blue dragon quickly intercept, its powerful jaw grabbed on one of the monster fin and tear it off, blood from the wound turned entire area red. The monster convulsing in pain and turn its body around try to bite at the dragon long neck, but the pain from it burned throat, blood lost from the wound and the shock from the explosion had made it slow and the dragon easily avoided. In return the dragon sank it teeth in the monster belly right at the area below the monster gill, and then plugged it front claws under the monster gill cover, the dragon's rear legs gutting the monster belly. Finally, with it mighty strength, the dragon twist it neck and torn the monster head off, with the monster head still in its mouth, the dragon proceeds to resurface. After emerged, the dragon threw the monster head on the ship deck while everyone cheering on upon seeing the dragon emerged victorious.

"THE SON OF DRAGON! THE SON OF DRAGON!" they cheering.

As they cheering and chanting, the dragon eyes turn white, it body starting to convulsing and shrinking down until it turn into a figure of a man, Emperor Suk Lam of Varlann empire. Exhausted after transform to his dragon form Emperor Lam cannot lip a limb, so the crew have to pull him back to the ship and clothed him, after that they head back to Qualoh with the news of the monster dead.