Fishwhacked: Reign of the Walrus Witch

Chapter 3

"What the hell is that thing?" Wharf demanded, huffing for breath as he reached the roof of the castle. A bunch of knights followed him up the stairs. Paistra, the Head Milliner, and the Walrus Witch were already up there.

The smell of mud and fish filled the air and the tumorous cloud above the lake opened up to pour rain down in sheets. The Walrus Witch stood at the edge of the roof with her arms out, letting the heavy winds from the waterspout bombard her. Her coat slapped in the wind, and her glasses fogged over.

"I've never seen anything like this," the Milliner said, holding onto his hats. "How did it just appear like this?"

"You are in the presence of something divine," the Walrus Witch yelled over the sound of the wind.

The waterspout leaned in towards them and the Walrus Witch looked into the swirling torrent. She smirked when she saw a bolt of electricity shoot out of it and strike her. There was an explosion of sparks but the Walrus Witch was still standing. The Milliner and Wharf ran over.

"Are you alright?" the Milliner asked. He looked her over for any signs of injury. He met her gaze and felt a chill run through his body. The waterspout instantly dissipated, collapsing down into the lake below and causing the loud crash of a waterfall.

The Walrus Witch waited for the noise to pass before replying. During those few seconds, she kept eye contact with the Milliner.

"I'm fine. I think Jumbo just chose me to be queen of Drownvale."

She turned around and addressed the gathering which now included various nobles that had made their way to the roof. "You all saw it. What else could that have been, but the fabled kiss of Jumbo? The oldest part of Drownvale's history, our first tradition, a higher being choosing who should lead this nation."

"Maybe it was some kind of sorcery," Paistra snapped. She stepped forward out of the crowd of knights and nobles.

"Sorcery is subtle and arcane. It's not like the storybooks, girl. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"

"No. I guess I wouldn't."

"I guess we have a coronation to plan, then," the Walrus Witch said.

"Well, technically, the kiss of Jumbo counts as the coronation," the Head Milliner replied. "As of this moment, you are queen of Drownvale. But we need to find the actual crown. I hope the mortician didn't take it with the king's body. Crap. I have to go stop him. My pardons."

"You don't look surprised," Paistra said as the Milliner scurried away, his hats wobbling. Paistra glared at the Walrus Witch. "Did you know it'd pick you?" The crowd quieted.

"My child... It was overwhelmingly obvious. The title of this saga is 'Reign of the Walrus Witch.'"

"What are you talking about?" Paistra demanded.

"I have peered into the infinite worlds contained in the raw, pure frost, and saw the future of Drownvale, where the historical accounts of this era are dubbed the 'Reign of the Walrus Witch.' I am Queen Tuskborn the First, but please don't stop calling me the Walrus Witch." There was light applause. "My first act as reigning monarch of the kingdom of Drownvale," she declared, "is to track down the killer of our beloved King Crust. Knights, spread throughout the city and tell the people that I am now queen, and that our king has been slain by some brute wielding a fish, and that there is a substantial reward for the capture of this villain."

The knights saluted and then proceeded downstairs. Wharf began following them but the Walrus Witch stopped him. "Wait."