Fishwhacked: Reign of the Walrus Witch

Chapter 8

After hours of waiting, other vegetablokes began to arrive at the secret resistance conference room. It was an oblong room, containing a stone table in the center and a few chests full of maps and plans. Omno was lying atop the table.

"Arbort, this is unacceptable. Abusing the call for an emergency meeting can mean the death of us all," Sycamaura, the last vegetabloke to enter, said. She was an aged, gnarled vegetabloke whose leaves were decaying, with satchels and tools strapped to her with some kind of tanned animal tendon. She noticed the Omnifish. "For stump's sake. Is that...?"

"Yes," Arbort replied. The other vegetablokes, their eyes clear and green like Arbort's, gathered around to see. "We had a few hours to talk, and from what the Omnifish here told me... This is the fish from the Annosus Scroll."

The vegetablokes murmured. Arbort held up the scroll and rolled it flat onto the table. The paper was yellowed and cracking, but the images were in bold ink and could still be seen clearly: a box, a semi-circle with a sharp point, a crude icon of a fish, a triangle with legs and a circle for a head, the same fish but with lines radiating from it. Bits of text had been scribbled around the pictures.

"Bring forth the box," Arbort said.

Another vegetabloke nodded and disappeared. He returned shortly with a cube of rust and set it beside Omno. The vegetablokes leaned in to see.

"Do you feel anything?" Sycamaura asked.

Omno glanced around. "Um. Not really. Annoyed, I guess."

The vegetablokes murmured. Arbort took the box and opened it. He reached in and pulled out a simple fishing lure. Omno stared at it, and the vegetablokes stared at him expectantly. Arbort held it close to him, and rubbed it against him. Nothing happened.

"Nothing's happening!" Arbort yelled.

"Quiet," Sycamaura snapped. "The last thing we need is to be found. They're suspicious enough as it is."

"Why does it do nothing?" Arbort asked. He went back to the scroll.

Omno wiggled a bit to roll over and see the scroll. "What about that one? The triangle guy?"

Arbort shrugged. "I figure it's a vegetabloke, using the sacred lure on you. We're kind of triangular like that. Somewhat."

"Maybe it's not a vegetabloke," Omno said. "Then who could it be?" Sycamaura asked.

* * *

Sycamaura and Arbort stepped into the dungeon with Omno and the box in tow. The spores were still heavy and the prisoners were all still asleep. Sycamaura waved her branches in front of her face. "Disgusting stink," she muttered.

"I don't see it," Arbort said, looking into Ebb's cell.

"I swear, the poncho thing she's wearing, it looks like a triangle. Kind of. More than any of you do," Omno explained. "Wake her up."

Sycamaura sighed and pulled an acorn from her satchel. "This is the last antidote acorn we'll have for a while. You know I'd much rather free one of the elder vegetablokes Milliners."

"I know. Which is why I am desperately hoping this will work." Arbort took the acorn between his twig-like fingers and positioned himself in front of Ebb's cell. Ebb was sprawled out on the floor, laying on her side. A pool of drool had formed in front of her open mouth. Arbort took a breath and then flung the acorn through the bars. It hit her in the nose and then rolled along the floor. "Accursed..." Arbort reached into the cell but the acorn was too far for him to retrieve.

"We need a stick or something," Omno said. The vegetablokes glared at him. "Oh. That's like a human using a dismembered arm as a tool, I guess. Sorry."

"Wait." Arbort walked over to the fallen vegetabloke guard from earlier. He drew a hatchet and sighed before he began hacking the corpse's arm off. He returned with a sturdy branch and stuck it through the tough vines into Ebb's cell. He was able to knock the acorn closer, pick it up, and toss it again. After three more tries, the acorn flew into Ebb's mouth. "Awaken. Please."