“So how were you captured? You seem pretty strong.” I ask as he leads us to the campfire at the edge of the lake. A couple of hunks of meat roast over the fire on a short sword he was using as a makeshift spit.

“Well...there’s not much a man wouldn’t give up to protect his wife and kids.” He answered. “Hey, do you have any cigarettes? Been craving one like crazy.”

I shake my head and he clicks his tongue. He steps forward. His footsteps echo and roll all the way to the top of the ceiling; about a hundred feet above us.

“What happened, exactly?”

“Those, ‘order of the White One,’ bastards came to my door, demanding that I break off my connection to Ullr and form one with Roki or they’d kill my family.”

“As far as I know, you weren’t associated with the Icarian corps, so how did they figure out you were a Chosen?”

“I didn’t exactly hide it. Told my brother. My mom and dad. Really anyone, but I didn’t trust the government so I didn’t volunteer that information to the government when the president went on television.”

Ah. I wish I had that bit of sensible skepticism at the beginning. How much better would my life be if I didn’t call that number? The Icarian corps wouldn’t be in Arville. My parents wouldn’t have been taken, and my brother would have had a child on the way. It was my fault things were the way they were, wasn’t it? Everything from the cult’s involvement in this area to the missing people. It was all my fault, wasn’t it?

A strange shaking took hold of me, as a thin layer of cold sweat began to pour from my forehead as the wont of drink began to form within my mind. While I try to fight it he leads us through the dark toward the campfire pressed against the banks of the lake; the orange flames danced off of its placid surface. My head feels light, and my stomach spins and spins, and I nearly collapse by the time we get to the fire.

“You alright?” Seth asks.

“Y-yeah,” I answer. “Just need a little rest.”

I sit down out of the circle of light as Nyt and Seth conversate. They seem to hit it off, despite the initial hostilities. I cross my legs, try to steady my heartbeat and expel the desire for drunkenness to dull the internal pain. I slam my fist into my leg to stop the shaking. Once more. And again, until the cave begins to shake and the water begins to ripple. Until I could push the odd feelings of guilt from my body. Once those feelings are expelled, I take a deep breath.

“So. This godbeast, do you know where we can find it?” I speak up as I’m finally able to stand without wobbling.

“Down at the port.” Seth answered, “Ah, I’ll let her explain it.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Seth leans over picks up a stone near the banks of the lake, and bangs it against the ground three times. After a while the placid lake began to ripple and stir, and a great shadow began to form just below the surface. I reach over and grope on the ground for my staff.

A bulge forms about twenty feet from the edge of the lake as a great shadow rises out of the inky black liquid. Curtains of water fall away as the shadow approaches the edge of the lake. The flickering flames catch the sight of glistening, prismatic scales as a serpent raises its head out of the water. The top of its flat head nearly brushes against the stalactites hanging off the ceiling, and its white, crystalline eyes shine, even in the shadows. Its serpentine jaws part; revealing quartz-like teeth, pointed and rowed like a shark's.

“These are...an Ir and another human?”

It’s voice; deep and melodic like the pulling of strings on a standing bass.

“Are you here to help the one called Seth?”

Nyt’s ears press against the top of her head as she backs away from the edge of the lake, and I do the same. Retreating toward the mouth of the cave.

“They are,” Seth answers.

The great rainbow serpent changes its glance from us to Seth.

“Good. Good. Will you finally be putting Him out of his misery?”

“W-who?” I ask.

“My mate…” the great serpent said; its melodic tone empty and still as its gaze shifted away from us toward the center of the cave. I follow its gaze to see a spot in the middle of the chamber; fish bones, and broken egg shells litter that area.

“The Hoofed ones took our clutch, and when he went after them to…” The great serpent’s body shutters and shakes as a sad sigh makes its way through its throat. “And they captured him as well...and corrupted his mind. Now he acts…” The great serpent dipped into the water once more, and emerged a little closer, “according to the will of their War.”

The great serpent turned her head to swim back toward the water. The dim light of the campfire caught the other side of her face for the first time; one of her eyes was missing. At the crest of her brow, down past her chin, and halfway down her throat her prismatic scales were missing, replaced by a long, pale, and wrinkled scar.

“I tried to stop him on my own,” she cooed and hissed, “But he was always stronger than me.”

“And you want us to kill him?” I say.

The large creature nods slowly before turning its gaze back over to us.

“Please. He is in pain. I am in pain.” Her voice coos as her shining scales quiver.

“We will.” I answer, “I’m sure the three of us can manage.”

The creature nods her massive head. Its every movement causes the very wind inside of the cave to howl as if echoing the sorrow radiating from this majestic, yet terrifying creature.

“Thank you, children of Earth, and child of Athet.” The creature dips its head down in a bow. “Please, accept my Breath as a blessing to you.”

“What?” I ask as the Rainbow Serpent dips itself into the water before rising up just as quickly.

Before I could repeat my question she reared her head back, and spit forth a stream of water over the three of us; smothering the life out of the fire as the tidal wave washed over us. It was sickly warm and quite viscous. Nyt hacks and cough, as Seth audibly, ‘icks.’ As the water dripped off of us, however, it didn’t lose its warmth. Instead, the warmth of it sank past my clothes and into my body. The weariness and fatigue I had been feeling throughout the day, and even the involuntary trembling of my muscles from the want of alcohol faded. As the water dripped into my eye from my bangs, the world became a little clearer, and as it slipped past my lips and down my throat, my core burned as if I had just swallowed a bead of pure mana, and the cravings for alcohol subsided; focusing my mind on the present.

Judging by the reactions of the other two they were feeling something similar going on in their bodies. The great serpent gave us one last bow before vanishing beneath the lake.

“Let’s go.” Seth said hurriedly, “I want to finally get out of here. See my wife and kids.”

He picks up a bag off the ground and slides his sword onto his belt. Nyt and I nod as the three of us sprint toward the exit of the cave. One question beats through my mind as we squeeze past the body of the frozen minotaur; what good was Billow going to do against a giant sea serpent?