A foggy morning dawned above the rocks, protruding out of water,
all shimmering in the sun' dimmed light. This year the warm winds
blowing from the Australian deserts turned Delta Bay into a hazy
phantomic place, a humid vapors of which were shapin a raiinbows
out of the sunrays, that struggled to penetrate a ghosty cloak, that
concealed the group of islands from by-passers.

The only ones permitted to behold the magnificense of a local
rocky landscape, a scarce yet beautiful vegetation on top of it,
and a glittering waters. Early summer storms had ceased their
assault on the cliffs, and only a sole wandering wave would
occasionally break against the slippery surface of a platform,
managing at most waking up of couple of gulls, who would lift off
and herald the surroundings with their lonesome cries.
The seal people still inhabited this subtropic ocean-stranded
paradise because the breeding season was still in progress. As
usual, the large colony of seal elephants was situated on the main
island of a group along with a relatively small settlement of a
sea-lions. And there was somehow more talk and chat heard inland
on a platforms that served pinipeds as a temporary accomodation.
It is common to hear a plenty of bellows, roars and barks from
the islands or beaches, populated by a plump sea travellers,
but this year, there was a reason for it.

A month had passed since the infamous incident on the Delta Island.
However, a gossip and rumors about it seemed to last longer then
those of any other event. It was something to discuss and wonder
about. The whole colony of sea-lions was shaken by the one night's
events: Khan, the huge sea-lion bull managed taking the whole
sea-lion colony by deciet and cunning. However, his reign didn't last
long, for he dissapeared the following morning. Strangely enough,
another sea-lion bull came out of the blue that day, the sea-lion who
was considered dead. Given the known hostility between him and
the vanished tyrant, and the fact that he rounded up all the scattered
nursery masters and led them back to their home sites, driving the
rest of Khan's gang to the sea, this young liberator was accepted as
the one who vanquised the evil master, and was taken honorably back
after his exile the evening before - a slight exception of the Law,
but still tolerable. Jojo, for that was his name, had already proven
himself as an honest and just nursery master, and now, after he'd
helped so many of those suffering from Khan's vile actions, he
assumed a position of sea-lion colony's champion, though not a leader
for the Law forbids seal people to be governed by anyone. The breeding
season this year was passing much more peacefully than the rest as
many of bulls were too exhausted or suffered serious wounds, and
no one wanted to start the fight all over again.

And there was one particular thing about Jojo - his friend to be
precise, that made him so special. Nobody knew about that, only that
he tended to vanish for a day or so not to be seen anywhere. And should
anyone be as curious as to follow him on his way to the distant
harbours of southern island group's part, there would be an astonishing
sight for hin or her to withness: a sea-lion playing with no one
else but a killer-whale. They would swim together, leap lear of the
water, landing with a splash, laugh a lot and chat.

It would seem terrifyingly weird to others, but not to Jojo himself.
His bound to that huge playful orca has developed since he first met
her about a month ago. Either of them found themselves to have been
lacking a true friend, and after getting past some misunderstanding,
related to their species' food-predator connection, they got to
know and understand each other very thoroughfly. In fact, it was
she, Rita the orca, who helped Jojo to dispose of Khan (who's already
been digested and added as a fat to Rita's bulk) and to restore the
tranquility ashore.

One such a day, Jojo and Rita were chasing one another in their
secret harbour, sun playing in the sea spray they caused by leaps and
flaps of their flippers. Finaly exhausted, Jojo crawled out of the
water onto nearby rock ledge, laughing and breathing heavily.
He shook himself over dry, his blubber jiggling. He's become rather
fat as, with Rita's assistance, the schools of fish were a common
guests around Delta Islands, and Rita often shared a caught fish wih
him on their dates. All this time the magnificent orca lived off
the remains of the fat sea-lion Khan, so she didn't need any fish,
but was always eager to catch some for her friend and to bring it
in her forestomach. As her last meal passed off, her body was getting
slimmer, Jojo's, on the countrary, got himself a dangling pudgy belly.

Jojo gave Rita an admiring look as she surfaced nearby.
"It's such a fun being with you",- Jojo sighed;
"I'm glad I don't seem to be a burden",- she smiled;
"How can you even say that ? You have done a lot of good to our
people and me, and the last think I'd think of you as, is a burden"
Two of them exchanged affectionate glances.

...Suddenly, a water exploded in just a meter from them. Jojo and Rita,
shocked, stared at the cause of the seawater explosion - a rather small
sea-lion, who darted himself out of water. First thing about the newcomer
that drew their attention was a deep wound in sea-lion's shoulder,
which couldn't have possibly been delivered by neither shark nor orca -
it was round, as though someone tried to impale the hapless one with a horn.
Sea-lion panted heavily, his shoulders shrugged, his head hanging low,
not even noticing his inconventional company. Jojo, who always cared for his
kind, applied to the newcomer:
"What's wrong with you ? This cut - it's nothing I've seen in my life. And
you look unfamiliar too - are you from a distant nurseries ? Can you
speak ?"
Jojo rushed to the wounded one just in time to support him from falling
to his side. Grunting and coughing, the sea-lion replied in quiet voice:
"I..I am from the remote island of Glanar, a hundred..miles away..
the last..of the Glanar nursery..ah"
The sea-lion seemed to be bearing a grief news. He shiveed in pain
as his wound stung again.
"What happened to your people ?",- Jojo asked, preparing to hear
what he feared the most.
"Sealers..came on large boats..killed of everyone of us..I survived..
'cause was mistaken for dead..after hit with a harpoon"
"And you swam all the way there ?!",- Jojo exclaimed in disbelief;
"We knew about Delta Island colony, and the only thought on my mind
after witnessing the slaughter in my homeland - to warn it's residents..
I'm I..there ?"
"Yes, this is the Delta Islands, and you are a true Son of the Sea!
Your bravery and courage is the example for many of our kind to follow.
But let my escort you to the main island so that our people can care
for you. Since you've swam such a long distance I suppose you are fit
for undertaking a little swim-walk"
Jojo was about to ask Rita for help, but she already turned in water
to extend her back to the sea-lions. Jojo helped a messenger to climb
aboard his friend and slided into the water himself. Three of them
made a voyage to the nearest edge of Delta island, far away for
those who could see an orca, who leaped out of the water onto the
slippery rock, letting the injured sea-lion off, then backing to
the sea.
"Can you remember when exactly you left ?",- Jojo asked;
"About half a day - I've swam without a rest", sea-lion looked better
now.
"I thank you again, but our time is short. Can you make your way
to our colony ? - it's just around this cliff"
"Yeah, I guess I can"
Jojo paused for a second, then started, a little embarassed:
"Hm..you didn't really seem afraid of Rita - I am referring to orca
who carried you here"
"After all I've been through even weirder things wouldn't surprise
me. Well, thank you both a lot, I'll be on my way then"
"One more thing",- Jojo stopped him,- don't tell anyone that humans
didi that to you, and may be on their way here. No panic is acceptable
within the colony"
"Sure thing..see ya"
And a messenger began crawling towards the colony.

"Now, we've ot to get things figured,- Jojo turned to Rita, who
was floating in the waves,- I've been dealing with humans only briefly,
but I know what cruelty they're capable of. We've got to find some
way to stop them on their way here - their apparent destinition, as
ours is the only nursery around five hundred miles in any direction.
Of course, humans might not know about us, but I won't be taking any
chances"
"But why don't your people just evacuate ?"
"Like I said, our Island is plainly in the middle of the ocean,
and our cubs, some of which are mine and Elen's, have just been
born and can't swim properly just yet. In addition, the panic among
the nurseries may be as dangerous for them as the long voyage.
And I know the seal-elephants would never leave their home. Not
that I like them much, but their of the seal-people also."
"Then we've got to decide on how to stop humans from getting in
the Delta harbour"
"Precisely ! But what can a single sea-lion bull do agains them ?
Las time I met up with their boats on Reege islands I was barely in
better condition then the one who warned us"
"What if we cooperate ?"
"Hardly poss..no, wait, it might work ! It occured to me their boats
are made the way it's hard for them to be holding on board, so some
major blow underneath can shake them overboard, where they're as helpless
as can be"
"And that blow would the one of mine",- orca smirked;
"Yes, that really may work out ! We've got to swim to the Borderrocks."

So they swam there. The Borderrocks were a group of cliffs in
the water, whose protruding tops shaped ot the Delta harbour, along
with providing an additional protection from the oceanic waves in
stormy weather. Jojo knew that poviding sealers' ships would be
as bulky as the one he'd a pain of witnessing three years ago,
the only way for them to get into the harbour was through that
thin passage between the Borderrocks' edges, and it would be there
where the place for ambush is perfect.

It was very foggy, and noisy around the bay entrance, as sea ahd
never left it's attempts to crush the breakers and these rocks on
it's way inland. Jojo found a cove in the base of the edge rock,
from where the entry point could bee seen prefectly, and ducked into
the shadows to wait for any signs of boats approaching his homelond.
Rita was swimming nearby, waiting for Jojo's signal to act, although
none of defenders-to-be knew what exactly were they to do.

It might take some time, Jojo thought. He layed down, reflecting
on the plan he and his orca friend worked out. It seemed risky, but
there wasn't much choise for them after all. After two hours in the row
of gazing through the thick haze, he started growing sleepy, though
he would never let off his watch at times like these.

...After four or more hours the worst fears of the Delta nursey
came true. They were coming out of the thick haze under the appearence
of a floating isles with cliffs that produced black smoke - the boats!
Now there was no doubt left - the sealers came here, and they won't be
going away untill anyone on the islands was dead. For a few seconds Jojo
just watched the ominous vessels getting closer to the rocky entrance.
Second after that, he was already in the water, doing his best to swim
fast. He let a couple of barks, sort of which can be heard underwater,
and his voice was well known to the summons' recipient. As he approached
the leading boat, the first of five that were drawing near his home, he
was joined by Rita. Now the two of them could estimate their opponents:
the boats seemed invulnerable, but were only three times as large as orca,
so the initial plan appeared to be worth a try.
"Okay, we've got no time to waste, so there is the plan,- Jojo pronounced
rapidly,- I'm going to stick out of water and decide on where the
humans on boat are - I've seen couple of them fall overboard in a minor
storm in my days - so I'll give you a signal, and you should ram it from
beneath as hard as you can so they fly like gulls..and one thing..
it may be deadly dangerous - are you still up to it ?"
"Nothing I'd back off from",- Rita seemed very determined.
"Fine, then let's get it done"

Jojo lifted himself in the water, examining the right side of a boat:
none seemed to be there, although he noticed one figure on the nose
of it. So he dove in and went out in front of a small ship to see
a single human standing on the forward part of a ship, which appeared
to be made of wood. In instance he submerged and let out a loud bark -
Rita could be seen in the distance, looking at him. Sea-lion waved a flipper
in the direction of boat's bottom, and noticed a huge orca to swim
deeper, only to be seen next moment charging up from the depths.
Bang ! Jojo heard a loud crashing sound, and a scream from the surface,
and then a splash right behind him. He turned around and saw a human,
splashing helplessly in the dark embrace of the sea. All of a sudden,
he saw his friend orca swimming into his sight. Knowing her, he
knew exactly what was about to happen. The man never reached the
surface, as Rita's jaws catched him.
Slowly and gracefully, Rita turned the human over and closed her
mouth over his upper part. He was clothed, but that didn't prevent
his taste to be received by a hungry killer-whale. She ran her tongue
aroung her prey, then swallowed the human up to his knees, taking
his torso in one gulp. Getting used to a new delicious flavor of a
human, she sent the wriggling man to her gullet, her cheeks bulging.
Human wasn't a plump one, but possesed a wide shoulders, so he left
a remarkable bulge in Rita's throat on his way to her stomach. Jojo
watched, amaized by a scene. Like the time he observed his girl
devouring massive and fat sea-lion Khan, he felt a strange exitement,
although a human didn't leave any bulge in Rita's gorgeous belly.
What seemed an hour for him was in fact a matter of seconds. Shaking
his head, Jojo returned his sight to the boat, hesitating to surface
this time. But even through the layers of murky waters, he's seen
four or five humans bending over the rail of boat's nose. Quickly
turning around, he barked as loud as he was able to. Rita turned
to him, shaking off the joy of swallowing a human, saw what her
friend was pointing at, and rushed downwards.
This time, Jojo didn't see her coming - only a dreadful rackus
told him about her actions. The second before humans were thrown
into the air and overboard, he remarked to himself that the ship
ceased to move, what was exactly the thing he wanted. With a short
delay, five splashes have sounded, indicating an arrival of humans.
Peering out of the water, Jojo became overjoyed, noticing that
another boats stopped as well, apparently lacking leadership of
the first boat.
Meanwhile, Rita approached the first human, deciding not to waste
any time now. She simply grabbed him by the head and swallowed.
His legs could be seen protruding from between orca's lips, a
second before she swallowed him down, sending another bulge down her
gullet. Quickly she swam to the nearest human and gobbled him up
as quick as she could. For any conventional orca it would be a great
challenge to get a human past the throat, but hers was a sophistiated
one. One time she even managed to swallow up the whole alive orca, for
what she regreted and paid a dear price of exile. Never the less,
her hnger for alive meals remained.
She had a little trouble with the next human, as he was rather
plump and large, probably the leader of some sort, now becoming
just a meal, passing through the fleshy ring of orca's throat,
his movement towards the stomach slowed by his bulk. The fourh
one managed to reach surface, before being drawn back and treated
the way his comrades were (Rita determined their gender by taste,
which was alike of almost any species' males - musky and appetizing).
Orca spent some time getting to the last one, who attempted to
swim for shore, but hadn't been swimming fast enough. Rita teased
him within the folds of her warm mouth with her tongue a second, and then
swallowed him up in a single strong gulp. She closed her eyes for
a moment, before flashing them open in realization she must
have been helping Jojo out. Turning back to the boats, she spotted
her favorite sea-lion floating right in front of her, smiling.
"Nicely done, my dear ! I've almost forgotten how it feels..."
"Quick, we've got to hold them off from.."
"It's alright,- Jojo interrupted,- we've taken out the leader, so the rest
won't budge - look for yourself"
Both of them surfaced to see through the fog that the rest of boats
stood still in the water, no smoke coming out of their pipes.
"As you see, Rita now we've got time, but I won't feel any safer
then if they are al disabled they way their leader is."
"Let's get to work !",- Rita smiled, licking her chops, and set off
towards the ships, followed by Jojo. Sea-lion was quite facinated by
the bulge in orca's midsection, so he examined it thoroughly.
Orca and sea-lion choose the next boat, whose passengers gathered
at the one side of it, speaking louldy. With a deafening crush, all
of them found themselves in the warm water of the subtropical sea.
Moving increadibly fast, Rita swam up from beneath the boat and caught
one human in her open maw while airborne ! Human landed directly in her
stomach, barely touching the tissues of a gullet. Rita wasn't afraid
of being seen by the others thanks to the foggy background of the
scenery developing at the gates of a seal land.
Swimming closer to the another human, she licked him, drawing a
giggle from him, a giggle which abruptly turned into a muffled cry,
as he slid past the whale's lips and into her mouth. Rita savored human's
taste, rolling him over and covering him with saliva. After toying
that way for a couple of minutes, she slowly sucked the human towards
his inevitable destination - her throat clenched around a man, then
tensed, causing him to exhale the air he had in his lungs, and pulled
his into the depths of the orca. Another lump made it's way down
to Rita's everhungry belly. She rushed then to the next one in the
queue to her digestive system, and got him into her maw. Somehow,
he didn't seem large enough to swallow, so she swam up to the next
one and crammed him in her mouth as well. The two of them were
squirming all the time, even as Rita swallowed them both, a great
bulge in her neck slowly decending into her already dangling belly,
adding another squirming morsels to the ones who already made their
journey there. Jojo, who followed Rita's every movement with his
eyes, got very exited at the sight of his friend taking in humans
one after another, swam by her side.

...And then, it was chaos, the true feeding frienzy. Rita rammed
another boat, then crushed into another with such an a force it's
bottom cracked on the impact, and it bean to sink slowly. After
Rita was swimming back and forth, swallowing the helpless humans,
sometimes in pairs, one time three wriggling humans at once have been
taken to a trip through her gullet, bulging her stomach more
and more with every gulp, with every lump sent downstairs. Some struggled,
but none avoided the common fate fate. Rita got pretty reckless about what
it is she is swallowing, and occasionally gulped some wooden
sticks from the sunk ship along with it's owners.

When she was about to deliver another devastating blow to the
last boat, it's pipe suddenly exhaled fire and smoke, then the vessel
turned slowly, and swam away from the Borderrocks.
The battle was won.
"Shall I finish it ?",- Rita asked Jojo, breathing deeply, her
belly now stretched thin with around of twenty four humans in it. The
bulge was constantly shaking and shivering from the squirms
within.
"No, there's no need. They appear to be terryfied, not furious.
Should we take this one out, more humans will come here to search
for vanished, and now they will think twice before venturing back
here any time soon. I, and all of the seal people who inhabit
these islands, are indebted to your assistance. You have our gratitude !"
"Thank you too, it was a pleasure 'bu-u-urp', oh, sorry! it was
a pleasure helping you out. Your kind words are the best reward
I'd come to expect"
Rita the orca nad Jojo the sea-lion looked deep into each other's
eyes for more than ten minutes, then sharing a quick kiss before
heading back to the island together.

Suddenly, Rita stopped and twitched in apparent pain, letting out
a highly pitched chitter of ultrasound, which made Jojo to shiver
in turn. Orca closed her eyes and bent her back.
"What's happening ? What's wrong ?",- Jojo rushed to his friend,
puzzled by her strange condition.
"My stomach ! It..hurts so much..as though something stings inside.."
"Hold on a second, let me see. Where it hurts ?"
"My left side -Ouch !"
Jojo swam to the left side of a round bulge in Rita's belly, and
discovered a strange thin item stretching the already over-tensed
surface of her stomach from within. Quickly he swam back to orca's
muzzle and said in nervous tone:
"Listen now - do you remember any of humans you ate
holding a pole-looking thing, kind of a stick ? Think !"
"Maybe, I don't - ow !- don't really remember, I got carried away
into it, although.."
"Well ?"
"Yes, I guess I might have taken something similiar to that thing
in - what is it ?"
"It's a harpoon, the sharp-ended stick with which they kill ! If
it's stuck somewhere inside it is deadly.."
"Ouch !",- Rita twitched again.
Jojo tried to think as hard as he could, gathering himself up for
it. Only one thing crossed his mind. A dangerous thing.
But the sight of his best friend being tortured by a stings from humans'
weapon, he made up his mind in seconds.
"Look Rita, I can help you, but you've got to trust me..as I trust
in you. You'll have to swallow me !"
"But I don't want..."
"Listen ! It's the only way for you to survive. If harpoon penetrates
your hide, you will be as good as dead. If I got into your
stomach I would remove it, and then you would regurgitate me - you'll
feel me coming"
"Are you - ahh ! - sure of what you're doing ?"
"It's the least what I can repay your services to my people with.
Trust me"
"I do. Okay, go for it, Jojo"

Rita slowly opened her mouth very wide, pressing her tongue against
the bottom of her mouth to give Jojo as much space as she could.
Jojo propelled himself through the water right into Rita's waiting mouth,
stretching her throat's entrance. Quickly, he began pushing himself
deeper, stuffing his fat body into that of his friend's. Although in
pain, Rita couldn't help herself but lick Jojo's belly, recalling
his delicate taste. In instance, the feeling of his blubbery hide
on her tongue overthrew her mind completely, helping her to do what
she was supposed to. She swallowed with all her strength, her throat
rippling around Jojo's body, taking him in her gullet. The utter
bliss of such a succulent morsel sliding down her throat balanced the
pain out and she endured her sufferings.
Jojo was also filled with joy while travelling through Rita's warm,
tight, slippery gullet. However, once emptied out in her stomach,
he concentrated on the mission ahead. He was instantly squeezed between
the wall of orca stomach and the mass of humans. It appeared weird,
but he could see them. Stretched so thin now, Rita's skin actually
let the dimmed light in, illuminating her interior. First second
Jojo just stared at the sight of a mass of humans, all tumbled together,
compressed by the stomach's walls, some asleep, some slowly joining
them, lulled by Rita's rhythmic heartbeat, the lack of air and the
plenty of digestive juices washing over the humans.
Knowing he mustn't stay for long, Jojo began squeezing himself
along the wall of the esophagus on the left of the belly. It was
rather difficult for his waddling mass, but he was quite strong
and endurant one, so he withstood his part. Occasionaly, he stumbled
upon a human who was sleeping, waking him up and hearing a moan
coming from him. Sometimes, however, it sounded more like satisfied
sigh. Finally, Jojo noticed the pole-shaped thing pushing against
the thin wall of flesh, harpoon's sharp edge stuck in it. Jojo
rushed forward, frightened for his frind's life, and almost got
hold on it when he saw the harpoon wasn't idly attempting to pierce
orca's gut, but was forced by a human, who was slowly jabbing it.
Jojo remembered now - it was the leader of the sealers, with whose
engulfment Rita's had a problem due to his bulk. Coming near him,
Jojo pressed one fore-flipper against the wall of the stomach,
and knocked his friend's tormentor with his head as hard as he could.
Humand apparently fell uncountiouss, letting go of the pole, that
backed off, forced by a flattening tissue. Jojo carefully grabbed it
with in his maw, and, carefully as well, got it out of the fleshy
wall, baring a remarkable wound in it. Thankfully, it only was an
internal one. Jojo felt the chamber that held him shuddered and trembled,
then slowly relaxing, relieved by his efforts.
Jojo was already feeling sleepy, and knew that unless he got out
of her soon, he would be digested along with another stomach's
temporary accomodants. So he pushed his way back, praising the
light for revealing the way back to him. Holding the harpoon
in his flipper, he approached the entrance to his gorgeous friend's
tummy, then pushed his head into the sphincter. With a bit of effort,
Jojo got his fore part through it. As he pushed himself further
into the fleshy tunnel, he felt the gullet tensing around him.
Preparing for a ride back to the ocean, clenching his fore-flipper
around the deadly human stick, he caught himself on thought that he
would like to stay here longer, as he felt even more sleepy and
feeble-minded.
In the next moment, the strong wave of throat contractions gripped
him and pulled him through the Rita's gullet, throat and finally,
mouth to the outside.

Regaining his senses after taking a breath of air from the surface,
Jojo felt his head brighten. Sea-lions are known for an ability of
keeping their breath for a long durations of time, but a minute
ago his lungs were full of stale, acidic air from inside of orca's
belly.
Returning back to water, he was welcomed by a shining smile on Rita's
face.
"You did it, you did it !",- she shouted exitedly and happily, swiming
in rounds around him. Jojo found himself to be still hugging the
dreadful tool of murder, which he held close to his body all the
way out not ot hurt a sensative throat of orca's. He let it go and
watched it slowly decending into the depths, before turning his
muzzle towards Rita, who swam from underneath him and gave him a playful
lick on his whishery face. Jojo returned a kiss.
"Well, it feels that now we're even !",- Rita smiled.
"Perhaps, but your deeds are still beyond any gratitude ! Now
my people, and we along with them, can sleep calm and sound today."
"That's what friends are for, right ?"
"Right, alright"

Jojo nuzzled Rita's neck, and then both of them swam through the
Borderrocks, heading for their special harbour, which now was as
safe as ever. Jojo on their way rubbed the bulge in orca's belly,
feeling the warmth of it spreading out as the digestion proceeded
within. Rita was more than satisfied now, with the pain gone, only
a bit of an itch in the area harpoon scraped her flesh. Maybe it
wasn't her usual large meal, but she felt content and stuffed, and
it felt so good she even considered switching her diet to humans,
quickly expelling this thought, though: humans wouldn't be returning
there untill the next generation of theirs. And if they do, she would only
be glad to repeat their first encounter.

The sea-lion and the orca slowly swam away as the darkness of the
evening had overtaken the Delta islands. Gulls were asleep, and the
waves weakend their blows. Everything settled to a safe, quiet slumber,
that followed the hard long day.
Human boat's crew reached the main group by now and told the rest
the terrible tales of sea monsters, that sank their ships, and
prevented their vessel from entering the hunting grounds. Assuming
these lands to be haunted, an expedition moved back to mainland not
to ever return again.

To be continued...