Fishwhacked: Reign of the Walrus Witch

Chapter 6

Ebb woke up the sound of whispered chanting. She tried to move, and pain shot through her body from the hard, awful chair on which she had been propped up. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw her surroundings: some kind of underground room, the floor and walls made of brick. Over a dozen people in robes were on their knees and muttering in unison, facing a tank of water in which Omno was swimming in circles. The lanterns on the walls were pitchers of water containing glowing fish.

Omno stopped and stared at Ebb, and mouthed something, but since he had the lips of a fish, she had no idea what he was trying to say. The robed folk noticed him staring, and they all turned to Ebb.

"She wakes, at last." "We must prepare her."

"What to do first? There's so much to be done."

The one closest to Ebb pulled his hood off. He had uncombed black hair and a bony face. "I'll deal with it, we don't want to freak her out."

"We're way past that point," Ebb replied. She got to her feet, a bit wobbly.

The guy sat across the table from her, and motioned for her to sit. "Please, sit. The knockoutfish gas is still in your system."

Another robed man brought him two mugs of hot water, and a pot with a few small, brown fish swimming around in it. He plucked one of the fish out and placed it in his mug. The water browned and an earthy smell filled the air, as the fish lost its coloring and grew translucent. Then, he took offered the jar of other fish to Ebb.

"Tea?"

"Um. No," Ebb replied. She held back a gag. "It's... fine. Thanks."

The guy put the clear fish back into its pot and set it aside.

"You're probably wondering why I brought you here."

"What do you think?" Ebb replied. "I don't know where to start."

"My name is Baitman, and we are the Fishwives. You catching that fish was no coincidence. You were chosen," the man said.

"Oh. You're a cult," Ebb responded.

"We've been called as such. So be it. But the fact of the matter is that the Fish God has sent his instrument to Drownvale once more, to be wielded by an individual of his choosing, and that person is you. Ebb, you are the next Fishlass," Baitman went on.

Ebb put her face in her hands.

"I know accepting your destiny can be difficult."

Ebb groaned from behind her hands.

"Take all the time you need. But do hurry up, we must begin your training."

"Why did you drug me?" Ebb replied.

"Uh. We weren't sure you'd come with us willingly. With the fragile threads of destiny at hand, we couldn't take the risk."

"So what do you want me to do? I was in the process of fleeing Peopleopolis." Ebb began telling him that Paistra and Yawp were probably freaking out, but then decided he didn't need to know about them.

"I will not impede you much longer. The Fish God will guide the Fishlass and her sacred fish weapon to the correct course. Once you have been trained in the ways of the ancient fishslappers, you may proceed on your quest." Baitman's eyes were lit up with life as he spoke. He spittled a little every time he said "fish."

"How come Om- the fish doesn't know any of this? That sounds like the sort of thing he should know."

"Yes. Something is wrong this time. He remembers nothing and his power is a shadow of what it should be."