Dear Diary,

I gotta get better about remembering that I actually have allies now. Not just family members with awe inspiring Skills and shit like that. Actual allies who aren't beholden to me as their Patron.

Wait. Shit. Some of them are beholden to me as Matriarch. Which is a whole other level of beholden, I think.

All that said, there are folks who are reliably on my side, and others who might not be quite as reliable, but they're, and this is Very Important, Not Mortal or bound by the normal limitations thereof. Who knew that not eating every fuckin' Deity I came across could have side benefits like that.

I don't really want to spend too much time pondering how they're also not part of my nuclear family, and while I'd be hurt if one of them died, it would not be anywhere near the same level of devastating as if one of my kids did. Or my Wives. Who are, just to be clear, both apparently in the upper tier of the Demigod rankings, even if Saffron is not yet technically a Demigod. I mean, yeah, she's still Mortal, but between her Mana Shaping and her Reason and Personality, not to mention that whole Legendary Archmage thing, I would not be surprised if she can manhandle most Maenads at this point.

Shit, while they're still toddler sized, I gotta remember that more than half of my children are in fact Primordial Deities. Some of them are even adults like Conrad and Vulcan.

Yeah, my brain's a little scattered at the moment. Yesterday at the end of the day I found myself looking at two of my Great Kraken off the port bow of the Black Dragon. Before I did anything else, I hopped down to the entrance of the bridge, called in, "stay on station, I'll be back soon," then thought, going to check on the Kraken now, Kitten.

Did you want me with you, love?

Up to you, but honestly, if you're here I'm gonna be at least a little bit distracted. That's assuming I don't just out and out start exploring your Kraken orifices.

I need not be a Kraken to be there, do I?

I sent her a giggle, thought, yeah, then you'd be going in mine, wouldn't you? and leapt into the water.

The moment after I hit the water, I Shapeshifted into a Great Kraken, motion-imaging, hey, guys, what's up?

Both of them replied, Chosen, you honor us with your presence.

I swam over to them, trusting in my Blend to keep things at appropriate cordial ranges. The advanced warning you guys have gave us saved a lot of lives. Least I can do is show up to chat when you need me.

They seemed really weirded out like that. One of the two drifted forward, deferentially positioning and motion-imaging, we do what we can to assist the Chosen's people.

I wasn't sure quite what to do, so I just did my best to motion-image warmth, friendliness, and acceptance. Eventually, when they didn't really say anything, I sent, please, don't be shy, what can I do for you?

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We have a message, brought by Hunters, from our sisters who live near the Great Depths.

I did my best to hide my increasing worry about that message, and just motion-imaged, what's the message?

The other Great Kraken drifted forward, opening her siphon and holding one tentacle out deferentially. I slipped forward, sliding one tentacle into his siphon, letting him slide one into...

I watched as the Watcher of the Great Cliffs leaned forward, towering over me. These are slower. Smaller. More. Go. Find the Chosen's floating metal island. Find the nearest Great Kraken, summon them there. Show them this...

Barely visible against the distant surface, four figures moved through the water. Three looked like surface dwellers, one had the form of the ancient enemy, only far, far larger. Each left broad wakes through several layers of ocean, from the searing heat of the surface to the cool darkness of the depths. As they moved forward, they split apart, each moving away from the others...

That is what has been seen, Chosen.

It took me a second to recover from the visions, first of the Great Kraken speaking with the Hunters, then the vision they'd given of the incoming Titans. Once I got myself sorted out, I slid forward and wrapped my tentacles around both of them. Thank you.

You honor us.

I wasn't quite sure how to ask them, so after a bit I drifted away, just to where our tentacles touched. Can you, your people, my people, our people help?

They looked at one another. One of them gave the other a long, slow look, the Ancient?

It is not... She paused, turned to me, we shall summon those we can.

I reached out and touched them both. Do what you can without putting yourself at too much risk.

Felt some kinda way when they looked at one another, then motion-imaged back, how much is too much?

I pulled them in again, doing everything I could to help them understand that I while I wanted their help, needed their people to keep watching out for us, that I cared about them as much as I cared about everyone else in the Alliance.

Eventually, the two of them motion-imaged, we must go now.

Come back to the Black Dragon when you need me. With that, they jetted off. I Shapeshifted back to myself, then stepped back to the bridge. "Admiral?"

"Yes, Champion?"

I waved a hand, "be ready, there are four more of those big things headed in our general direction. If the Kraken come back, send for me, but... Might want to go to battle stations at that point."

"Understood, Champion."

With that I stepped back home. Strange, some things seemed to go by so quickly speaking with the Kraken, others dragged on; I'd started speaking with them near sunset, but lost track of time while we drifted under the Black Dragon. I got home well after dark, with everyone still in bed. I slipped in, pulled my family in around me, and drifted off.

Dreamt of my ladies watching that same vision the Great Kraken had shown me as they floated around a big conference table. As the sun rose, Saffron thought, well, ladies, time to get to your ships, before they winked out one by one.

No idea how they each got to their Tentacles, but by noon Saffron thought, all of us are aboard and travelling to our stations. With this many coming, we need all be alert.

The Kraken might be helping us too, if they can.

After a pause, Saffron thought quietly to me, speaking of help, perhaps you can visit our neighbors?

So I spent the rest of the day with one of me up on the mast, one of me waiting in Muscogee's M-Space for Rabbit or Lily, one of me in Compton chatting with the Yakky about the giant attackers. She explained that her husband had gone touring our new watch towers, and that she'd send a runner to let him know, not to mention sending a few of their faster ships out to keep an eye on the coast.

After leaving another of me there in Compton waiting in case they needed help, and another of me stopped by Jack's little shack, where the gumbo pot sat unattended, the last one of me hit Boltophsberg, where Lemonkyenin met me on the docks as the sun went down.

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