Among mounds of silver overhead, some flaminGown laces bloomed volTop vision while gunky green rivulets flayed tunnel-zoom either side. I peeked down and was startled by a mesh of mahoGrainy pools with violet rings entrenching our ankles like a chain gang: yet in the fuzz, there was no viaBoil discerning each other or myselFoam the waist down - ricocheThrees of turbulence beneath, lurched like bounds on a jet ski + with a few excessive shudders. A 4th dip (shorter of sync) planted the Fanboat sharply against sandy scrub, almost capsizing it bow over Rudder; our crew rammed & jammed together in a Contor’Tumble that slung us conflicting directions amidst bellows of surprise = the nape of my neck contesting on par with the loudest vocals. I witnessed all brain’ds of dangling hair tersely SNAP!

Wooshes like disturbed birds accompanied noise nearby, while I first clipped a bony shot sandWedging along my side, then plunged up from the rear againsTrent (meating with spongy cushion there) & squirted into a rolling twirl.

Good thing there wasn’t a roof overhead, & the earth was soft, or we might have accrued some concussions - internal wounds not even the Scar Scepter would be able to reverse... I realized after skidding & tucking into a ball. Did the Druids have no respect for the idea of fragility...? But neither contemplation lingered long, for when I shifted to appraise the resulting situation I was overcome by greater Consummation: no sand had stuck anywhere to my skin; no matter my clothes being soiled, they clung not to my form in wrinkles either. I almost felt encased in slippeRobe, (aside the grime that flushed down underfoot my socks). Suddenly it sank in... whether the rough Dismount was intended as some kind of stiMutilating catalysTest.

Everyone was prostrate over the soil - except for Becca & Saul who magically maintaineDefiance on deck (albeit with a limp: ~ Ruby was sporting an awkward flamingo%Pose with Saul hanging ardently under her pits while her leg dangled the color of her nickname). Siggy was upright also, but on the shore, towering smugly, especially at my downfall - Ah, the Fortitude patch must be in action - lucky vindictive cat, taking no notice while Trent & Gutt were sprawled behind him next to the Slipper canoe. Gutt didn’t stir, with a visible lump between where his cranium began balding. This was hair-raising: we kept racking up injuries without facing direct foes.

I didn’t locate Amy, Rovo, or Fin on initial scan = *What I did notice was a curtain of reeds & stout vegetation stretching hundreds of yards with vines in either direction. I pondered whether anybody could have been launched the complete 15 yards deep within {since Pheo had raked a path within a body length of entering herself} = and how dangerous that might be if there was large wildlife folded inside _ when neck of egret fled abreast sailing colors of Passerine beak, heralded Rovo lumbering out like a bear - then on my other side, Fin emerged like a porpoise drifting on the water’s surface, grinning like a dumbass duck, honking a frog trapped between slim fingers. “I was breathinGood til i come to see you guys down for the count!”

So they'd pin-balled backwards... Before I could totally gauge AtmosFear, gills were startled from beneath, as Buck vaunted up like a seaweed monster, pushing the spindly dude up onto his shoulders with a joviYowl.

That’d be atrocious if Amy had gotten waterlogged as well... but I refrained from calling her name, to avoid signifying a possibility that I was playing favorites.

“Having a bout of vertigo here,” Gutterson cast, neck hanging down, appearing incapable to attempt taking Stock. “Rest of ya... holding up alright?”

“Better than blind men,” Rovo said, hoisting him up like an oversize infant, with Pheo trailing nearby in search of her scimitar.

“Moist,” complained mud-smeared Capone near Gutt, where several firearms were scattered.

Supported only by Saul, Ruby smeared crimson fingers down her chin & drew a swirly symbol @cross her throat, but leaning on railing around pain clearly dripping under her knee: “Metal musta added another crack to my chin; Godda make the moist of its flavor.” It would seam she mocked the guilty party or the universe (I was guessing) while adjoining aNother letter underneath chin +Hanging upside down so altogether it seemed to show N@4.

“I’ll fix your leg, honey!” Falco flapped around the protruding skewer of shin, wasting no time sitting her in the driver’s seat & fishing a blade out of his knapsack so he could whittle away a slice off the Scar Spouter.

“One of you numbskulls forgot to keep your fingers away from the trigger...” Ruby seethed. “Gutterson, does this Staff set bones properly?”

“Methinks that...” he huffed. “Would be complex to ask of any technology - much less a blend of fabric.”

“I’ll be having a sisterhood surgery in that case,” she diagnosed.

A mystified look clouded Sig’s face like the weather was beginning to do, realizing his brother could have been the one twisted up by stray ammo - nevertheless peered past them towards the Fan-blades asking, “Where’s da Canoe?”

“Sandslipper went totally off its hook, back here,” rippled Trent. “Slap-dash vacuum landed us bout smooth as a torpedo didn't it?”

Sig about-faced to preoccupy himself with the Sandslipper. There was relief in the gait of his eight steps, until he was basically right on top of it. “Great, I can see light between the planks: it’s cracked,” he said walking past Pheo.

She reviled: “Over someone’s hard-boiled thinking cap - Slats & glue are more mendable than bones.”

“Wish we could stash the replay...” Trent sufficed as Pheo managed to wRectify him from the crash. “I saw everything about half-speed; noticed a shadow forming overhead - canoe was flippin down as I was still going up... I just reached for the underside because of the top-spin, and I intercepted it right in swing, gracefully slowing both our descents. I felt like Tarzan!”

That sounded way too cognitively gymnastic for him. I grew suspicious that part of us had been enervated somehow by FunDrift'mental rudiments.

A weak tingling of bells interrupStirred behind me, accompanied by pouting. I didn’t need to Owlneck to identify the source as lavish clothes and trinkets, wearing a bronze girl. There was no hesitation in my heart as I scooted to greet Shimmjord. The trove of beads & bracelets shim’Mooring around her limps could have put up a fight with Starlight on an isolated night; at least she was wise enough not to outfit headwear and ruin it on such messy venture along with the cool green skirt & jewelry she was hiking. Amy whimpered: “The boating, the baiting, that’s what I signed up for; but not to plunge head deep thanks to a legion of Horrid, pushy monsters: my nose, my hair, my ears..." she glanced around. "And my purse will never forget!” Bundles of Benjamins had burst out of it along with cosmetics.

“Coherence... is a positive,” Gutt encouraged.

Ruby flattened her eyes at the voiced aversion. “Tears won’t keep your eyes peeled, princess, and the swamp’s got less merciful warnings than those Dryad. Embrace the Tradewinds.”

She sank into my arms, sniveling. I hopped about like a canary, combing debris off Amy's shoulders, & then out her scalp. It dried within 2 seconds wherever I stroked, crumbling away satisfactorily on the second pass around. Becca & Rovo were the only ones to notice the raw, hidden effect of this development, & both considerate enough not to comment on it for the meantime. But it was evident several observed the Affections.

Capone scuttled over to us like a weasel, as Amelia went about regathering dislodged material into the rumpled fox purse, despite its gleam being soiled... "That's perfect drama!" he celebrated. "Keep up the clueless damsel bit & we'll certainly sucker those bloodthirsty parasites just over that hedge of Vines." ~ Only the fertile curtain willowed in the wind to acknowledge his breath, & sudDently Anika crunched her way between the overgrowth, quivering with irritation. "That is the second mother fucking time I've been hurled today! I look like a crumpled receipt!"

"We'll tend you," I offered. She did, & I plucked brambles out, while Pheo arrived also, dusTending leavings away from her scalp. Finally, I flicked a tick waddling from her shoulder without mentioning its presence.

When Siggy saw all the assistance I was handing out, he flopped a girly wrist & fired, "You'REal beach-bumming suck up, Cauldron."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"And you know... but a fraction of sacrifice," I retorted, preoccupied. "Or trust."

Thankfully, he didn't appeal to kick our dissonance any further at the moment. I hunted the soil for twin Solar~pumps, beginning to notice Fate showering excuses to make small, flourishing contacts with Amy - but only found one. She probably fumbled hers to the water on impact. Somebody with a metal detector would have a marvel unearthing that device one day, I figured. Patting her hand after I squished that Raygun in her palm, saying, "Keep this Lantern steady."

I was contemplating mentioning how my clothes only looked wet from the outside, but considered I didn't need any further jealously being cast my way, when Amy decided to raise the temperature.

"You shake off the tension soOoOo cool," StawrBerries approve me with a milky lingering, "I'd prefer to be taking you to a beach more manicured for fun."

"Bring an umbrella," I deputized a grin. "And I'll grace our toes with a magic carpet - Surf's up, then a pedicure."

She unhitched her jaw pensively, tantalizingly, then peered down at her feet where she caused her toes to bulge at the lace-up moccasin material. “Wooahh, I can feel the lightning ready to conjure between my toes already.” But her attention next caught along the hem of her mini-skirt. “Eee-Yoo!” she protested, brushing at a clumpy hitchhiker & stringy plant like it might bite her fingers. “I didn’t realize there were leeches out here.” {It was only a gray mussel} Once the pestilence’s slobber had been thoroughly smeared, she sniffed and said, “I suppose I have several more like these... Now then, in response to your damsel decoy, Teeth: Look out cause you dont wear a dragon patch and my Daddy taught me the quickest way to fend off creeps.” She giggled. “Anyone that can swing a leg may employ the TaxAvian jewel-skipper.”

I tippeDown to recover an UZI. “Let’s cross our fingers easy on the triggers, and hope we don’t have to cross Buccaneer gonads.”

That shook the Tyrant back to business anxiety. “Goddamned chickenshit demons holding us up longer than a whore carving Wood...” Dallas mumbled (glancing at a soggy blue watch) Then he flung fingers at Ruby - and again for Falco. “You two sons of sharks didn’t even get kicked from the boat: I bet a whole pirate Chest you planted the vermin just to make everyone take spellcasting seriously.”

Ruby snarled from behind the boat wheel. “Watch your overindulging little mouth!” She uprooted his allegations. “That’s a scam you would attempt; & it still wouldn’t eliminate the strength of knowledge involved. Quit bitching before I assign Cards to drum up behind your shadowed-side.”

Dallas stumbled mid-step. “Don’t dare pit a monkey on my back.” He flung into a cantankerouSpin. “We’re on the verge of being tardy, so we’ve got all the time in the world, right! You may have all that time if you border on immortal, witch, but I only have so much.”

Becca smirked. “I’ve been stalling the planet’s Time~spiral since I sat down; see the three-chambered hourglass of blood covering my throat?” Howdy stir the dapple in her eyes and spark in her hair! How was she getting shades of midnight to twinkle without direct sunlight (as if neon within their folds) Oh, right - probably enchanted. If her sister was half the socioeconomic artist she was...

“Sweaty hogs,” his teeth beamed. “You’re a demented kind of artist: Archie saw you packing ingredients & mixing it into carcasses 2 years back - But then you knocked him out so he couldn’t ever trust what he thought to Tell!”

“I recall his full name well: sweet potato -- or was that his pit bull? Anyway, casting diversions are such training wheels; I’ve grown tracking methods far improved, since.” She spread her wingspan. “Emissaries apart from my own body.” She shrugged. “Comfortable profession, being a Mage in this century: when soo few, lend - us - Credence. Probably cause we're living off the land, not even bothering play tag between federaLicense funDork boots.”

Instantly his ghostly-pale face contended he really didn’t know anything but the surface of affairSurrounding her subsistence. “Do you guys hear that crap?” he squealed, bedraggled as his dangling shirt. "Confession... careless crimes!"

Finally, the opportunity struck to breathe real insecurity into his life. “Most of us aren't even your employees, Capone. Archie’s hounds ain’t aware; Gwain dipped out on ya. Most of us see our Savior in her, where you didn’t provide any individual excellence. Have you been watching how tough she is? You’re only giving a WitCHemist & potential apprentices reasons to despise the sour flavors you flaunt.”

Smugly he veiled his qualms, tapping the barrel of his shotgun. “Did she stop those pellet cartridges?” But cracks chopped his tongue between every tooth. Well if grin like a shark, betteRealize skin likely folloWeak as cartilage tender too.

“Back up Deadbeat,” Saul warned, stepping in front of her. “You wanna figggure more on those Druids? Let’s clarify some thingggs and all get awna sssame page.”

Everyone’s thoughts were re-piqued by our assailants; although Siggy stared into foliage, shutting it out. Like Falco, I was going to standby whatever Ruby proclaimed. “Maybe would help,” Becca shot. “So the Dryads were prolly fakers, not fae - They’re scents bore too sweet for this salty region.”

“I didn’t realize they had any other smell than dirty laundry,” The Dictator turned to Sig. “I expect if you want to maintain your ca$hflow, you'll rat on your brother if seeing the slightest inkling he might be conspiring with piss breath, BecCurse."

*Siggy's puffy eyelids slanted briefly at Falco*.

“Grow up,” Nika dismissed the Tyrant. “Heavier things are flooding into motion than our Celebration; the Scallywags almost look friendly in the shadow of today. We downed that Freak out of the sky together and it was perfectly healthy in like, 5 minutes."

Rovo squinted. “It certainly reacted calmly to being psyched out...”

Phoenix responded, “Well it knew the odds. To one who has counter-measures up their sleeve, challenge becomes a game.”

“Some of the mockery might suggest spite...” Trent declared.

Capone flicked out one sheathed wrist, & the reDigits of his cellular watch mirrored the perpetual glare in his soul. “We don’t have 5 minutes to burn playing detective - It’s 10:42.” There were all sorts of crooked runnels slicing through the marsh quite deep right here, as if placed by a tremendously un-gifted seamstress; Malibu knew their ends better than he could remember what he ate for last night’s supper ~ (& we’d have to seek refuge with him after manner of a Witness protection program) should we fail to be on time.

But I spreaDecidedly enthusiastiCorked pupils. “Ruby’s diverting time,” I reminded. “So those shape-SILPH3RS mentioned being in a compromised position.” I scanned faces. “That doesn’t necessitate more deception than a level of desperate wheedling,” I mentioned.

“Sure,” Amy acquiesced, finally satisfied with fixing her bag. “Nonetheless they were praising our value...”

“The size of the Hope in the heart,” Fin realized aloud. His skeletal face paled as much as a Jack-o-lantern illumines its own abominable leer above the darkness. “They liked our moxie.”

Fin’losophy: @im's cousin was growing on me like spicy herbs.

Sig rebuked _: “Their scrutiny made me feel inferior, unpromising. Veneer or sincere, I can’t ignore dat amount of Leverage,” Siggy concurred. “They didn’ swing by just to shoot day breeze.”

“ActSS’aullly hermano,” Falco recounted, “They blew in that crazy~ssspin wind that had my my hairs on end.”

Fin’s jaw quivered. “At first I thought the trees were waking up to corral us for breakfast.”

Amelia’s mouth became a motor: “It was so immersive, delicious like a buzzing jacuzzi. And my bracelets were like, levitating, constantly stretching and morphing. Others were rotating mini hula-hoops on my arm. One, strangest of all, totally unhinged & got linked within another.”

“Not far off,” Rovo conjoined. “I saw tons of plants floating, like out of the ground but roots still attached, rotating back and forth. Gave me the willies.”

The spice of their revelations entered my ears like sun after storm, causing me feeLike I was soMysteRetainment on a screen; remnants of the wind whistled its way around my spinal chordes, as I remarked: ~“Everyone had a select experience when the trees were going bonkers?”

Anika sneered. “What do ya expect from glorious fairies that doppelgang wild critters?”

Falco finally wrapped up whatever mumbo jumbo needed to mend her leg, and helped her down to the mud, tenderly. "Swirlinggg is one wayyy to taste inside your fibers. An individual sorcerer wouldn't cause but a sssizzle or hum. YeThey were readinggg us as a horde against horde, and also telePassinggg it onto their brood - that's thumpinggg quite the pressure."

“You telLean me,” his brother said, “Dad extreme breath-taking crap occurs, an I somehow missed it?... Ashually I picked up someDang seeParrot in the wormhole.”

“So I wasn’t the only one to hear those final words echhoing?” Anika clammed so eerily still that if I hadn’t just watched her lips moving, I would have asked who planted the scarecrow on this sandbank.

“No joke,” Amy seemed to tremble, eyes glazing over as if locked inside a glacier. “They were chilling in concorDance, & could long-wind eardrums out. Wouldn't ask to hear them again, but had the misfortune...”

“Din’t it go summin’ like dis?” Buck spread his limbs like a spider, spun his shoulders around rapidly at both Fin & Anika, making a throaty voice full of saliva-gurgled edges. “′You withstand well, Earthlings. Your kind is worthy to contend with Our Breed.’”

“It wasN’early that flattering,” Becca enunciateDrawing toward Buck, and inexplicably clicking him hip to hip. “Okay who else heard the Dryads Bellow during our Speed-warp: ′Before err torment your Appetite, Classify & qualify your Charges′, ” she repeated the inconclusive parting words.

Fin & The Prowleys also acknowledged hearing such. “Somebody should write it down,” Pheo considered. Falco unflipped a pad from his pocket & started jotting.

“Shakespeare has no business rattling spears in our ears,” Dalla$hafted. “That’s torment of itself.” His eyes raked at our bodies as they scraped past, like sewage. “Be more comfortable with classiCrimelords instead of listening to creepers dance around riddle-pits.”

Fin turned & leveled a TAR-splatterer up @ The Tyrant’s chest: “What charge does this action classify on your end?” After two tense heartbeats, he lowered it. “The Black market was the poison your posse picked = and you needed hands on deck.”

“I haven’t extorted anyone for this errand,” he hissed. “Each of you came wanting something top-shelf for yourselves.”

Pheo gasHuffed. "NoT'Rue."

Buck cackled. "JeeParz, no kidd'n; I juice wanDid see how everWon gone SpellHect treasuREal haul. No sense sortin' measuREport after."

I planted my brooDetermined landmine at Capone:/ “But you set the Stakes which have overlapped Inter-dimensional ambition. The Bellowmentals revealed our Coastal Sturgeons manage to contain an incogniToPenetration of prestige aboard their wares. They're piggybacking off your scandaLoft alley-hoop, Boaster boy."