Chapter 31
Aftermath
"She said she was coming," Urganox said, pacing back and forth, pulling at his horns. "Where is she?"
It had been ten minutes since they escaped Dead Marsh through the secret tunnel. Jeszekia told Urganox that she would be right behind him, but she had yet to emerge, neither had Calial nor the Draith Lord.
Jeszekia, where are you? Please be all right. "She should have surfaced by now," Urganox said. "I cannot take it any longer. I am going after her."
"It is not safe," Oggy said. "I am sure she will be fine."
"That is easy for you to say," Urganox snapped. "Who have you ever lost?"
The look on Oggy's face told Urganox everything he needed to know.
"Oggy, I. . . I am sorry. I did not mean-"
"I understand. This has been a trying time for us all," Oggy said, patting Urganox on the leg.
"Look!" Caleb exclaimed, pointing to the passage. "Bubbles."
Ryker barked, jumping up and down, wagging his tail.
A few tiny bubbles rose to the surface of the water, followed by bigger ones. Jeszekia's head and shoulders burst through the water's surface.
"Jeszekia!" Urganox cried. He rushed over and gave her his hand. In one swift motion, he pulled her from the water. "I thought we had lost you."
Smiling, she said, "I told you zat I would be right behind you."
"What happened?" Azonis asked. "Are they following you?"
"It iz over. Ze marzh haz been defended," she said, sighing. "But at great cozt."
"What do you mean?" Locmire inquired.
"All life in ze marzh iz gone." Her head dropped. "Ze few remaining Raptilianz, ze Dark Priezt, and ze Draith Lord."
"Jeszekia," Locmire said, placing his arm on her shoulder. "What happened?"
She burst into tears and fell into Urganox's embrace. "I zet off a Deathzhroom bomb. It killed everything."
Urganox wrapped her tight in his large green arms as she sobbed.
Locmire sat down on a flat rock and took in a deep breath. I love the smell of the salt water. He looked to the sky. It is over, at least for the time being. Locmire glanced over at Jeszekia. His heart, if he had an actual heart, broke for her. The splashing of the waves against the rocks drowned out Jeszekia's sobs. Locmire tried to decide how he would tell her that they must return to the marsh at once.
The Saviors stood in silence, grieving Jeszekia's loss. Her pain pulsed through their bodies. From the time Thaddeus arrived in Dead Marsh and united The Saviors, they each felt a strong connection with one another, a connection they had not shared until that moment.
Jeszekia sucked back her tears and pushed herself free of Urganox's embrace.
"We'z need to leave from zis plaze. I cannot bear it," she said.
"I am sorry, Jeszekia, but we cannot leave, not just yet," Locmire said. "The Dark Priest carried a very important object on his person that I must retrieve. You do not have to go back. You can wait here with Urganox and the others."
"Thank you, Wizard. I cannot go back to ze village," Jeszekia replied.
"Wait with Urganox and the others?" Urganox asked with a slack expression.
"Yes. I do not need everyone to come along," Locmire replied.
"I am going with you," Thaddeus said.
"Me too," Lot added.
"I would go as well," Azonis said.
"Very well," Locmire said. "The rest of you stay here. We will be back momentarily."
"Wizard," Jeszekia said. "Ze deathzhroom rezidue iz active. Ze only way it will be zafe iz if ze powder becomez wet."
"Noted," Locmire said.
"And Wizard. . ." she said.
"Zee if any of my people livez. Pleaze."
"Certainly," Locmire said.
He walked over to the passage and jumped in feet first. Thaddeus, Lot, and Azonis followed.
When they emerged on the other side, all signs of life in the village had vanished. The Draith Lord, Calial, and the Raptilians lay lifeless on the ground covered in a white, acidic, residue.
"Do not move," Locmire said. "This powder is deadly."
"What are we going to do?" Lot asked.
"Add water," Locmire said, smiling.
He held up his staff and a light rain fell from the sky, so as not to disturb the poisonous powder on the ground. Once the top layer of the residue became damp the rain came down harder, soaking the powder into the ground.
The Wizard lowered his staff and said, "It should be safe now. Let us be quick about this."
He approached the Draith Lord and prodded it with his staff. He stooped and rolled the body over onto its back. Its eyes, once bright red, glowed no more. The flesh had melted away from its body, leaving behind a partially decomposed skeleton and rusted armor.
"This deathshroom is a nasty bit of alchemy," Thaddeus said.
"It is indeed," Azonis replied.
Locmire walked over to Calial. All that remained of the Dark Priest was his articles of clothing and a lumpy object hidden underneath his robe.
Locmire lifted the robe and a small, jagged, object splashed into the mud. He picked it up and cleaned it with his robe. When it was clean, he held the object up to the sun, looking over every inch of it. It sparkled and glittered as the sun touched it. He turned the object over and over, awestruck that he had it in his possession.
"What is it?" Thaddeus asked.
"It is part of a crystal, and not just any crystal," Locmire smiled. "Hasbarie's crystal."
"His crystal?" Lot asked. "The crystal?"
"The crystal. It is one fourth of the crystal that sat in Hasbarie's chest. The crystal that Ryker Graystone destroyed, banishing Hasbarie and the Onock from Calencia," Locmire said. "He will not be pleased when he comes to learn that we have this in our possession." Or maybe he will be.
"What significance does it hold now?" asked Thaddeus.
"If we can gather all four shards of the crystal, we can enter his domain. As of right now, Fodder Valley is impenetrable. We must obtain the other three shards if we stand any chance of ending this before Calencia is plunged into darkness," Locmire said. "We have what we need. Time to go."
As they were about to leave, Lot saw a trident sticking out of the ground next to a shattered ceramic container. He wiggled it free from the earth and followed the others back into the passage.
Back on the coast, everyone awaited Locmire, Thaddeus, Azonis, and Lot's return, but none more so than Jeszekia.
The Raptilian Queen's heart ached for the loss of Frayzur and her other guards.
Many died by my decizions. I zhould have never let them ztay.
The entire Raptilian guard fell in the battle for Dead Marsh. She could hope that the villagers had made it to safety. Jeszekia found the slightest comfort in Urganox's arms. She did not know how she could pull through this without her green-skinned, horned King.
Ryker lay by the passage, head on his paws, whimpering. Suddenly, the Hormut's ears stood erect, and he raised his head. His doc tail wiggled back and forth. He shot up to all fours and let out a loud bark.
"They are coming back!" Caleb exclaimed.
A few bubbles later, Locmire, Thaddeus, Azonis, and Lot reappeared. Rasmere and Caleb helped them from the tunnel and onto the rocky coast.
Impatience getting the better of her, River asked, "Well?"
"Well what?" Locmire replied.
"Did you find what you were looking for? Was the Draith Lord dead?" she asked.
"Yes and yes," Locmire answered.
"And my people?" Jeszekia asked. "Did any of them zurvive?"
The corners of Locmire's mouth dipped. "No. I am sorry. None survived."
Jeszekia did not respond verbally. She nodded her head in acceptance as it was the answer she had prepared herself to hear.
"So what now?" Oggy asked. "What do we do next?"
"We find shelter and food. There is much to discuss," Locmire answered.
"Are we finally set to learn
the prophecy in its entirety?" Urganox asked.
"Yes. . . in its entirety," Locmire said.
"Zere iz a zmall fizhing village not too far up ze coazt. Zey will welcome our company," Jeszekia said.
"Very well, but we need to act quickly. I must return to Fogarth as soon as possible," Locmire said.
"We should go to Fogarth now," Thaddeus said, stepping forward. "They need our help."
"No," Locmire said. "If something should happen to me, it is important that The Saviors are aware of the prophecy. Your intentions are good, but we have other matters to tend to."
"All right," Thaddeus said. "Jeszekia, can you lead us to this village?"
"Yez, follow me," she said.
Lot approached the Raptilian Queen and presented her with the trident. "Here, I think this belongs to you."
She took the trident and stared at it. Her eyes doubled in size and filled with tears. A zingle throw of ziz trident brought about ze end of a great number of my people. I left ziz behind, but yet it returnz to me. Why cannot life be az eazy to return? "Thank you. . . ." she paused. "I am zorry, what iz your name again?"
Smiling, the Thief said, "Lot, Lot Caskill."
"Thank you, Lot Cazkill," she said, taking him by the hand.
"You are welcome, Queen Venumroot," he replied, falling to one knee and bowing his head.
"I am not your queen. You do not need to bow before me," Jeszekia said, placing her hand under Lot's chin and bringing him to standing.
Lot smiled. "You are the only queen in present company, so technically, you are my queen."
"You are a zmooth talker, Lot Cazkill."
"He is about to lose an arm," Urganox said with a grin.
"We'z needz to get moving if we'z are planning on making it to ze village before dark," Jeszekia said as she gathered her things.
They set off westward along the coast for the shelter of a tiny fishing village and to find the answers to their lingering questions.