Fishwhacked: Reign of the Walrus Witch

Chapter 19

Ebb approached the pier in time to see Captain Cowlick's ship set sail. She sat down and dangled her legs over the edge. The dirty, experienced crew sung in unison as they navigated the ship into the Fondue Bay. They sailed up the artificial waterlift, the pathway carved on both sides of the waterfall to get ships onto the Jug River. Ebb watched the sail disappear into the distance.

"Looks like they're okay," Ebb said to Omno, whom she had set down on the pier beside her. "I don't know what to do."

"You have the Fish God at your disposal. We can figure something out," Omno replied.

Ebb stared out at the ocean. The abyss stretched out before her. The waves crashed against the shore, accompanied by the shouts of the crews of the ships coming in and out of the bay. The morning sky was dawning, washing away the beloved constellations that Ebb couldn't remember for her life.

"Maybe something is guiding us. What are the odds we'd get trapped by vegetablokes. We'd never have even found the lures."

"Maybe I was unconsciously using my divine powers to alter the world around us so that it put us on the path to finding the lures. That seems like the kind of ridiculous nonsense that gods normally do," Omno said. He suddenly went silent when he heard footsteps walking down the pier. He looked into Ebb's eyes and then looked behind her, and she turned around to see a figure approaching.

"Excuse me, miss."

Ebb stood up. "I can't help you with anything. I'm not from here."

"Actually, you can help me with something." When the man stepped closer to Omno's light, his distinctive armor sent a jolt through Ebb's memory.

"Oh, crap." Ebb held up Omno in time to not be cleaved in half by the Chum Knight's heavy blade. The force of it knocked her back and she stumbled at the edge of the pier. "What do you freaks want?"

The knight raised his sword, and when Ebb raised Omno to defend herself, he grabbed Omno by the tail with his free hand and attempted to tug the fish from her grip. Ebb dug both her hands into Omno's scales but the Chum Knight's subsequent kick to her stomach made her lose her grip and fall off the dock.

Ebb flailed for a moment before orienting herself, the salty water rushing into her mouth. She swam up to the surface below the dilapidated wooden planks. Omno's glow poked through the spaces between the wood. Ebb looked up to see the Chum Knight's armored foot right above. He was holding Omno up by the tail and shouting out to his fellow knights, who were stomping down the pier themselves.

"I got him!" the Chum Knight declared. "I got him! It's actually him!"

"Well, I'll be damned, it is," his comrade replied. The handful of additional knights gathered around him and all leaned over to see Omno. "Those bandits weren't kidding, they really were clobbered by a fish."

"What about the girl?"

"Kicked her in the gut and she fell in the water." "Is she dead?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"It doesn't matter. She's nothing without the fish. Let's get this back to the king as soon as possible."

"Hold on, let me pee first."

"Can it wait?"

"It really, really can't."

"We don't have time to sit around and wait for you to get undressed. Just catch up with us."

"Oh, come on, don't leave me!"

"We're taking the fish before anything convoluted happens and we lose it. Do what you will."