He leaped towards the side with all of the strength he could muster. His Qi flared to life as it moved to his will faster than ever before.

Mud pushed against mud to open up enough space for them to safely land inside.

Cinera cut her bright magic off, eclipsing the tunnel in complete darkness.

Moments ticked by as Egosum slammed his eyes shut, fearful of the beast behind them catching them in their ruse.

Suddenly a massive tremor rocked the earth and the vibrations of the scrambling beast halted before picking up again.

He filled their small side tunnel in and waited with bated breaths as the sky skipper pulled itself backward.

The enclosed space was claustrophobic and tense as they waited.

Natan was the first to speak up.

“Can’t…. Breath…” Egosum looked down to his arm where he cradled the creature.

She was held tightly in his grasp, his hand wrapped around her like she was the most precious gem in the world.

“Same…” Cinera choked out the word with apparent difficulty.

He willed the space to expand and let them drop to the ground. The salamander channeled her light spell, blinding them slightly.

His eyes quickly adjusted and took in the sights.

The caecilian was taking deep breaths to calm her nerves but was unscathed from what he could tell.

Cinera had not been so lucky. He paled and his stomach dropped as he looked at the missing chunk of flesh from his friend's body.

The red and black tall that normally swished side to side was half the length it once was.

A few drops of blood fell from her before slowing to a stop before their eyes.

“By the goddesses! It got you. I-I-I don’t know what to say. It’s my fault. I am so sorry!” He felt immense guilt rise up in his chest.

She was now crippled because he was just a little too slow, a little too weak, and a little too indecisive.

She looked at his with a weird glint in her eye.

“Oh, woah is me. Whatever will I do? Without my tail, I can't swim, I will be off balance, and I won’t be able to find a husband.”

“Oh no. A husband!” Natan gasped at her cry.

“Egosum. You must take responsibility for this. It’s your fault. You need to marry me.” Her tone had slowly filled with merriment.

‘Marry? Husband? Her?... Wait, swim? This bitch.’

The horror plastered on his expression dropped.

“You aren’t worried about it at all.” She began to cackle with joy as the realization hit him like a charging bull.

“I’m a salamander. It will be fully healed and back to how it was in a matter of weeks. You should know that if you are from the great holdings Quetulopus.”

Natan joined in on the laugh only to be silenced by an intense glare from the toad.

“I was scared. How do you expect me to react?”

He turned his back to the giggling salamander and forced a tunnel to the surface to open up.

His thick head peaked out of the ground to check for any danger.

The trees were spare and devoid of the nests the females had darted between. The male was nowhere in sight and the coast was clear.

“Get up here. We are gonna keep going.” The pair followed after his sulking figure.

The reeds and random plants that obscured them to the creatures on ground level had been replaced with a thick carpet of moss.

The spongy plants held onto water like a greedy well and were the best cushion be had ever felt. The fog was completely gone now. The sun had beat the moisture into submission and opened the sight lines for every hunter around.

Egosum looked back to the wall but could only see the very top as the trees in the distance obscured the sight instead of the vapor.

“We’ve made good progress. I’m not sure how much longer but I have a good feeling about these moss meadows.” They smelt of rich peat and had an ancient quality that much of the landscape didn’t have.

The rest of the swamp appeared to be in a state of constant flux. Something about the energy didn’t contain the same connection to his understanding of wetlands.

It was almost artificial compared to the sphagnum under his feet. It just wasn’t readily obvious until he came into contact with the land that embraced him.

‘I’ll need to figure that out later.’

He turned his back to the wall and looked in the distance. His eyesight failed to show him the edges even after channeling his power into them.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

He felt a new sense of excitement in his gut.

Natan flinched suddenly.

The salamander went to her side.

“What’s wrong?”

The caecilian held her skull between her claws.

“Another memory blip. These meadows have a lot of memories. Old ones too. Not my mom's. Maybe my mom’s mom's mom’s mom. Can't tell. They are fragmented and rough. I can’t make much sense of them. These things usually take a few days of sleep to fully sort out.”

She shook her head to clear her mind.

“Okay. Let us know when you figure it out. It looks like we will be traveling for a while so we have plenty of time.”

They collected themselves and began to move through the moss with ease. The pillowy nature gave the travel an entirely different feel.

The monumental trek they were on no longer felt so mysterious and horror-filled. It was now a hike through beautiful scenery.

His annoyance slipped from him, the anxiety that wracked the caecilian crumpled, and the tension in Cinera’s body fell away.

It was different and it was for the better.

The trio slowly ascended a mound of the fluffy moss and looked out over the fields. Vibrant green and deep burgundy filled the landscape.

Egosum’s eyes glowed as he caught sight of something in the distance.

-

“Your Majesty.” A metal gauntlet slammed into the broad chest of a heavily armored soldier.

His helmet hung in his other hand and his eyes stared at the ground.

Silence rained for was felt like hours to the man with a tremor barely hidden in his hands. The luscious carpet at his feet had just been replaced as blood had so thoroughly stained it from the last messenger.

A light giggle filled the ornate hall. The noise sounded louder than the explosive barrels the dwarves had used during the assault.

It was a trick played by his mind. It wasn’t a real volume that the noise carried. It was just the weight behind it that put every fiber of his being on edge.

The others in the court were just as tensed as the man kneeling before the royalty.

He fought against his throat as it tried to gulp down the saliva in his mouth. He was terrified to do anything that would rile Her Majesty up.

There was no telling what she would find offensive or what mood she was in. The giggle was little more than a momentary sign of amusement. It certainly didn't mean she was happy with the news he brought along.

“Speak.” He could hear the concealed venom dripping from her tone.

The earlier joy was gone, replaced with cold calculation.

“The loyalists have been culled in all but two of the cities. The armies have yet to break through the outerwalls, but it shouldn’t be much longer before the fighting will end.”

A low sigh exited the royal’s lips, freezing his heart in place.

“And the founders body?”

He failed to suppress the gulp of spit as the question fell over the room.

“We haven’t been able to locate it, but we got word of some scavengers disappearing in the swamp. I have ordered new scouts to search the area for further signs of him.”

“Tch. Is there any good news?” He could hear the annoyance in her voice. His life was hanging on a thread, but he had one last message for his Queen.

“The dwarves have brought a new variation of the explosives to the camp. Another shipment is arriving tomorrow which i will sign for. With it, we shall be able to march on the southern elves as well.”

The clicking of her fingernails on the pure gold throne before him coincided with the pounding of his heart. It spead up with each second that passed and so did the beating in his chest.

Suddenly, she stopped. He fought against the seizing of his muscles, hoping to regain control of his body once more when the click started up again.

“You will sign for it? You had best get to it then. The new toys have been very fun with how incompetent people have been recently. I mean how weak can a king let their people get before he starts punishing them for their lacking drive?”

Silence rained on for a few moments before a noble to the side spoke up.

“Very true, Your Majesty.” He heard the wind crack as her head whipped to the side the poor person spoke from.

“I don’t believe that answered my question. I said pandering is the last thing I want in my court and what do you offer me?” The air was awkward as the man was undoubtably shaking in his shiny leather boots.

“Answer… me.” She hissed the words with rage barely concealed.

“I-I just thought-” He stuttered before he paused to collect himself. “I apologize Your Majesty. I was pandering.”

The knight knew what was coming along with everyone else in the room.

He fully expected the distinct drop of a body only for the the Queen to address him once more.

“Wonderful. A truthful answer. Now, I want you to go back to the camp and gather the dwarven gifts. My blood sister has undoutably been toiling away in her lab to make these weapons and I feel like it would be a waste not to understand their capabilities fully. Any suggestion Sir Kestrel?”

The Queen knew his name. He felt the hairs on his neck stand to attention.

“A demolition would be a useful demonstration, You majesty.”

She clapped her hands together, signalling the ending of the audience.

“I believe that is a fabulous idea. Everyone is dismissed. I shall announce the target of the test momentarily.” He could here hear the nobles above him shuffling out of the room and cringed at each step that took.

The room might have been dismissed but he hadn’t been allowed to stand. The nobles had the privilege of freedom he could only envy. He would need wait for her signal or wait for death. Whichever came first.

“And that moment is now. All of you. Stop.” All of the feet halted at once.

“You.” She pointed towards the noble who had spoken up earlier. “What is your name?”

He could feel the tension frmo the young man.

“Your Majesty. Please. I just-” The Queen lifted her finger, silencing him at once.

“Name.”

“Deetrict Curzon.” She purred with his response.

“Good. Everyone near him will slap him to death. Best make them hard or It will take a long time. If you would have given me your name right away, I would have let you live. Let this be a lesson to all in attendance. I am merciful if you are a fast learner.”

She adjusted her blouse before turning her attention to the man before her.

“Now, Sir Kestrel, I think the Curzon estate would be a perfect building test the devices on. Clear the grounds of rubble afterwards and gather craftsmen for a public bath. I believe the people have been in dire need of more facilities. Can’t have our citizens shitting in the streets like savages. They are the lifeblood of this country after all. You may leave.”

He stood up, clacked his feet together and slammed his fist to his chest once more.

The clanging of metal did little to dampen the loud smacks of dozens of sets of hands onto the sycophant's body.

The Queens full visage enter his sight as he stared ahead.

Upon the large glimmering throne sat a small woman shorter than the averagefemale by a whole head’s height.

Her feet ddangledover a set of small ornate steps she had used to climb into the chair.

Her hair was a deep brownish black and frizzier than the worst hair day his wife had ever had.

Her eyes were a muddy brown and her nose was ever so slightly crooked. Freckles blemished her face along ever inch he could see.

She was a peasant in every way he could immagine. A terrifying, murderous, monster of a peasant that now ruled the humans.

She was the new Queen.