They'd slept in shifts just in case but there had been nothing to worry about. No midnight violent visits disturbed them. The only unusual thing was when Wormwood spotted a group of scyllites wandering the woods near the swamp in the middle of the night. They carried no light and he'd barely noticed their forms in the night blue, walking from one arbitrary point to the next but this seemed like a simple guard patrol.
Breakfast was light after the seafood feast of the previous night and topped off with the gross concoction that kept them from being consumed by power or vomiting their guts out depending on race.
Clarke had spent the morning trying to clean out his destroyed lab but the damage had been extensive and he was left only with what he'd had on his person, potion-wise. The only thing he'd managed to fish out, despite the constant bite attempts from the shark was his cold stone. The single shard of ice elemental on the underside of the marble slab had been extraordinarily expensive but had more than paid for itself over the years.
“Stop teasing that thing.”
“Wade looked over his shoulder, watching the shark thrash around. He frowned at the thing, Bartholomew watching over his shoulder in turn. Clarke grumped.
“I'm not teasing. It's lucky I haven't killed it.”
“It's an animal, it doesn't know what it did. And it's swimming around in your nasty poison soup now, the poor thing.”
He grabbed a shovel from the cart and pointed it down into the hole.
“If you're not gonna let it go since it's goddamn dangerous at least make it comfortable.”
Clarke gestured for Wade to have at it and he began to fill the hole with dirt and Clarke had a seat back at the breakfast fire, prying the elemental stone from the marble so he could at least carry it around.
Plans had to be made and Alouella spoke up.
“If we're going to scavenge today let's let the scyllites know. We'll build up a reputation of being responsible with them and I can ask the Priestess what she wanted. Maybe there's some way we can convince them we mean their church no harm.”
“Are you going to be okay? I could go with you for...y'know.”
Wade said. Alouella looked conflicted for a moment but nodded.
“S-sure. It's probably completely unnecessary. She's a very nice lady.”
The way she said it sounded like she was trying to convince herself to believe it.
“You want me along too?”
Gwen asked. Wade gave her a dirty look which she seemed confused about and which Alouella missed, instead laughing nervously.
“Well, you can do it the next time. You can take my share of any treasure you find.”
“Can do.”
Clarke nodded at Wormwood.
“Can you sneak into the castle and look around?”
“Clarke!”
Alouella yelled.
“That's the opposite of what we're trying to do!”
“It's only to look. You won't steal anything, will you?”
Wormwood clicked his tongue, looking sour.
“So I not only miss out on the treasure, I can't take anything from inside? How could I possibly say no?”
“I'll grab something for you, just do it.”
He perked at the idea and shrugged.
“Fine. I'll do a little spying. And don't worry your head, Alouella. They won't ever see me. No one ever does.”
To prove his point he was gone within minutes like a puff of smoke to his assignment and the remainder walked to the scyllite village below the castle. Alouella jumped at every wave, her nerves a little on edge remembering what had happened yesterday and twenty some odd years ago. It made her scar itch.
The scyllite village was quiet as they entered, not a sight or sound of any scyllite.
“You guys go. Wade and I will wait here.”
Alouella took a seat beside a pile of warm embers that had been a fire not too long ago. Clarke and Gwen shared a look. Wade did the same and stoked the fire a bit with a new log.
“Maybe stay within shouting distance.”
He said.
“If you insist but we won't be far if you need us.”
“I'm gonna look for a new set of alchemy tools. We're actually in a lot of trouble otherwise.”
They wandered into the surrounding city and the empty buildings no more distance than could be heard from a yell. Gwen waved as they disappeared.
“She's a good girl.”
“She's fun. I'd go drinking with her.”
“Keep her out of trouble if you do.”
“I think her version of staying out of trouble is only one fistfight.”
Wade watched her, the little worry lines on her face and the way she kept wringing her staff around and around on her lap and realized he hadn't been alone with her in...years? Maybe?
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“So...it's a brave thing you're doing. Talking to the shark lady when you're afraid of 'em.”
She laughed nervously.
“We don't really have a choice. I don't know what Clarke would do if we got stuck here. I don't know what Wormwood would do once he got Clarke back to Deraforda. It just feels like we need to get things done before something stops us.”
Wade was not the deepest thinker and not always observant in things that didn't look like a crime. But a flash of intuition hit him then.
This is it. This is the moment to say something. I'm not rich or famous yet but...
He cleared his throat.
Come on, 'Maybe we should do something when we get back to Deraforda.'. Casual. Do it Wade!
“You know, I've...uh...always been a great admirer of...uh...”
No, NO, ask her, don't go allllll around it you god damned moron!
She looked at him, her big golden eyes bright as always even when things were scary.
“Maybe when we get back to Deraforda we could-”
A bell tolled. So loud they could feel the vibrations under them. Wade startled, jumping to his feet and mace coming around as though it were some sort of attack. The door slid groaned open and a procession of scyllites led by the priestess came forth, heads bowed and clutching something at their necks or near their heads.
Alouella felt a wave come off of them, a palpable feeling of power that almost physically pushed her. The bell tolled several more times and finally silenced, the last toll ringing in their ears.
The priestess stood up tall, speaking in her natural tongue which sounded far more eloquent than her common tongue but she stopped abruptly when she saw the two, rushing through the rest and each member of the congregation held something to their head again and put away whatever they'd been carrying, necklaces sliding under their rags.
The priestess rushed at her, face close and taking her hands in her own.
“Miss Wizard, you come! We talk! Important thing ask.”
“S-sure.”
Alouella stammered but when she was almost pulled off her feet she dug her heels in.
“Hey!”
Wade shouted and pulled her away from the priestess. She whirled and snapped at Wade, her teeth inches from his face. His arm came up but he stopped it moments before busting her in the maw.
“You can talk here.”
She stared deeply into his eyes, the glowing pinpoints of blue trying to make him back down but Wade didn't budge. Alouella quickly stepped in front of him and put on a big smile for the priestess.
“Sorry, sorry, he knows that...I just don't like being pulled around too much. That's all.”
The priestess nodded at her, all of her attention transferring to the elf.
“Oh, is sorry, not know.”
She waved her arms towards the still open castle door.
“Would enter church? Discuss important?”
Her eyes flicked to Wade for a moment and back to Alouella.
“Alone?”
Wade went to put his finger in her face, which might have gotten it bit off if Alouella hadn't stopped him. She looked up at the smiling shark, her heart racing so hard she felt faint.
“Is it safe in there?”
She looked surprised to even be asked the question, her eyes big and a rasping, phlegmy chuckle issuing from her jaws.
“Is most safe! Safest! No harm ever come to you. Friends no worry. But only miss wizard enter. Only miss wizard know.”
Alouella gulped and patted Wade on the arm.
“It'll be fine Wade. Just wait here.”
He scowled at the shark and patted Alouella's hand.
“Yeah...alright. I'll be right here until you come out.”
“Thank you.”
She followed the shark priestess into the castle and felt her heart sink when the door closed behind her and the entire place became pitch black.
“Miss Wizard need light?”
A voice asked from the dark but she simply summoned up a lightning orb in response, jumping when she saw the face so close to hers. The shark looked at the ball and clapped her hands together excitedly.
“Such spell! Amazing! Miss wizard be like angler fish. Scary.”
She said this like a joke, some sense of trying to be playful but it gave Alouella some bravery to hold on to.
I'm the predator, I'm the predator, I'm a big, scary fish.
And she followed the priestess began walking.
The inside was damp and cold, tapestries shredded upon the walls, eaten away by time and rot, paintings defaced by humidity. Wax candles occasionally jutted from walls, melted and replaced time and again until the wax was just a lump.
“Excuse. Know design not for other races but no guests. Scyllites like damp.”
The shark led her by herself, possibly considerate of the fact that Alouella was alone and wanting to alleviate her fear.Alouella cleared her throat. She needed to try to be more talkative, be more...well, herself.
“It's no trouble. I can understand you don't get many guests. While I'm honored you would want an outsider to come see your religion I have to ask why?”
“Is...is because Priestess no come. Her gone less worship. Less...can't see god. Can't be...strong? Is understand?
She gripped her staff tightly but smiled. Crazy talk like that was often a warning sign but it was probably just the language barrier making it seem that way.
“We'll see. You can show me when we arrive, for context.”
Alouella looked at everything as she was led and tried to note anything important but other than directions it all seemed broken down. She needed to gather something of use.
“Do you know what caused the destruction of the city?”
The shark shook her head.
“No, no. Came many later after. Came by accident, when people gone. Meet Priestess. Was Shaman, needed...needed learn power was feeling. Stayed. Others came. Learned.”
She was led through a large door into a huge hall and saw a bright glow at the far end. Bisected stair cases led up to a throne, copper in places but crusted over in a cracked green in others. A number of paintings in random sizes were set into the wall above it, each one lit by several candles placed on the floor or melted into the wall. Each one seemed carefully attended, the paintings without a bit of decay unlike the others she'd passed on the way.
“Here.”
The shark pointed down to a staircase between the two that led to the throne. This one led down to two heavy doors made from pristine metal that shone where torchlight hit them with no hint of rust or degeneration. The shark touched the doors, pressed her cheek against it and slid her face side to side.
“Priestess, she was open doors, bring back god. Bring power. But gone, no power. Fading. But feel it there, beyond. Locked. Can't open!”
She slammed her hand on the door and the thick metal barely made a sound. She hit it over and over again but each strike showed how powerless she was against it.
Alouella looked at the door, the mechanism composed of both magic and mechanics in the center. Magical formula was written directly on it, scrawled in like a diagram surely made years later by the Priestess who had studied it.
“And you want me to-”
She turned on Alouella and clasped her hands together.
“Miss Wizard...open? Help us, reward for save.”
The unique combination of words, despite their unusual delivery, turned the lock in her head, opened up a desire to help in her. She felt more like herself in spite of her fear.
She leaned in close to the lock, looking it over. There were bits here and there that she understood at a glance but it would take a few days to decipher it fully.
“Of course I'll help you.”
The shark bowed to her, pulling at her robes and rubbing her head into Alouella's knees like some overgrown cat, practically sobbing.
“Thank you, thank you! Miss Wi-...no, Miss Priestess. Save us.”
Alouella urged the huge woman up and saw true gratefulness in the dead blue of her eyes. It was hard to make out but the context made it a little clearer that she was deeply moved even if her face could not express and Alouella felt calmer being with the shark woman.
“I'll have to gather some tools from my companions and I can start tomorrow. Will that be alright?”
“Yes! You do. Will bring Miss Priestess prayers done. Middle day.”
She began to lead Alouella back, a dancing spring in her step and Alouella turned to take a last look at the formula when the rest of the room caught her eye. Calmer now she could take it in.
The throne enshrined a large stone the same color as the rusted copper it was made of and was hard to make out before.
The paintings were of a regal style, full body portraits in ridiculously fancy dress but no names. One in particular stopped her walk and she stared, something familiar in the features of the face, captured by an artist so faithful to reality that there could be no mistaking it.
“Come Miss Priestess. You rest, be strong for work. And...night ceremonies soon. Must leave. Must tell of how you save then maybe you stay.”
She hurried along after with the image held firmly in mind.
“Yes, of course, sorry.”