Fishwhacked: Reign of the Walrus Witch

Chapter 23

The bookshelf rattled and "Preventing A Succession Crisis" came loose. The shelf slid aside and Ebb squeezed through. She reached for a candle and Omno noticed this, so he cranked his mystical glow up to light the room of the Milliner's Tower. The sounds of drunken cultists singing some song about walruses came from upstairs. Ebb quietly walked to the door and turned back to the bookshelf passage. "Come on," she whispered.

El-Bo emerged. He bumped into the bookshelf and some books fell off. He knelt down to tidy them up.

"Can you please not right now?" Ebb said.

"Alright, alright." El-Bo hobbled over. A Chum Knight emerged from the passage, followed by another. They kept pouring through and the room began getting crowded. "Where to now?" El-Bo asked.

"The dungeon is straight down the hall. That's where I met Paistra and Yawp. Any enemy of the Walrus Witch seems to end up there so that's our best bet. Be careful, and quiet." Ebb pushed the door open and saw the long, dark hallway. "Omno, turn it down."

Omno dimmed his glow. "Tread carefully. Walros's cold is spreading through the walls of this castle. Looking upon the lake brought me much sorrow and-"

"Later, please." Ebb held her finger over his mouth. He went on a little longer with his muffled observations before stopping.

"The men above us seem to be walrus cultists, as well as grossly inebriated," El-Bo said. "I think it's worth sending a squad of knights to take this tower."

"Fine. Just... don't make a mess. And don't kill any Milliners. I'd prefer it if you didn't kill any cultists, either, but whatever you have to do to secure the tower. Actually, it'll be a lot easier to get to the dungeon without being caught if I went alone. All these guys in loud, heavy armor wouldn't be the ideal stealth approach. Take the Milliner's Tower and wait in it until I send you some kind of signal." Ebb explained. Omno's glow shined through the newspaper sheathe and through her hands that were holding his tail, illuminating her veins. "Probably Omnifish-shaped."

"Yes, my lady." El-Bo bowed, and then pointed at the stairs for the growing number of Chum Knights. They proceeded up in a single file with their weapons drawn.

"Are you sure I can trust them?" Ebb asked.

"I feared the same, for when we eventually found the Fishlass. But I am confident their devotion to King Whatsit outweighs their hatred of the Fishlass, which they base entirely on the story of Ich the Fishmonger. After this, the order of Chum Knights might dissolve. But for tonight, they will cooperate," El-Bo replied. He continued motioning for the emerging Chum Knights to head upstairs as he spoke.

"Thank you, El-Bo. I'll make the signal as big and obvious as possible." Ebb nodded at him, and he nodded back. She proceeded out the door and down the hallway.

"Ebb, your initiative pleases me. You are embracing leadership in a way that makes me proud to have chosen you. Believe me, after I chose the last Fishlass and he turned out to be an egomaniacal conspirator, I was having some doubts about my own ability to select a messiah, but-" Omno rambled.

"What the hell is that? Who's there?" A walrus cultist, accompanied by two cultist knights, emerged from a nearby room and spotted them.

"Omno, please, I know you have a lot to say with your godhood restored, but it's really not doing us any favors right now." Ebb backed up and drew Omno from the newspaper.

"Fishlass!" the cultist shouted. He began drawing his blade but was interrupted by a stream of water smashing into his face at a dangerous velocity. He crumbled to the floor.

The two knights were not deterred. They quickly closed the distance and swung their hefty swords at Ebb. She held the Omnifish up sideways and he absorbed both blows. She pushed back, and then brought Omno low, hitting one of the men in the legs.