Fishwhacked: Reign of the Walrus Witch

Chapter 24

Ebb's vision pulsed along with the pain in her head. The last thing she remembered was the oily, black dungeon. She was now in a brightly lit dining hall, adorned with opulent furniture and carpeting. A wide table was in front of her. Expensive foreign cutlery had been set up neatly along it, with a covered serving tray in the center.

The Walrus Witch was sitting across the table from her. When the grey blob condensed into the sight of the queen, Ebb tried to stand up. She tipped the chair over and fell with it, as she was bound to it by her hands and legs.

"Rude," the Walrus Witch said.

A cultist set Ebb's chair back up. The Head Milliner, also constrained, was at the table, along with Wharf, whose limbs were free. The walls were lined with cultists, all carrying crossbows and swords hanging from their belts. A single Chum Knight stood at the Witch's side.

"You!" Ebb spat at the knight, whose helmet was off, exposing his pale, blue, almost-translucent face. "What is wrong with you?"

"Permission to answer the peasant, my queen."

"Granted. But hurry it up," the Walrus Witch replied.

"I did not come to the castle with you, Fishlass. I was already here, in an attempt to reclaim the fish for King Whatsit. Your attempt to drown us in those filthy tunnels failed. My brothers made their way back to Whatsit Falls, but I found myself getting lost in those tunnels and ended up somewhere in the castle. Members of the Pod found me. I expected them to imprison or even execute me, but they showed me mercy.

"They showed me the path of Walros, and gladly accepted me into their Pod. I was in the Milliner's Tower when fools still loyal to Whatsit infiltrated it. It was rather easy to overpower a lone knight when he wasn't expecting a Pod member to know all of his tactics. I donned his armor and heard El-Bo speak of awaiting your signal. That the Chum Knights had turned to following the Fishlass only strengthened my devotion to Walros. Whatsit had gone mad after so many years. My ties to him were severed. So I broke away from the tower and came to find you, that I may deliver you and the fish to my queen." He gave a small bow and the cultists in the room gave light applause.

"Yes, very good. You will be given some land and titles for your service. As for you, Ebb, you and your conspiring Milliner friend will die very soon. But first, we are to dine," the Walrus Witch said.

"Where's-" Ebb began. As the Walrus Witch reached for the cover of the platter, Ebb realized. "Oh, no. Are you serious?"

"I am very serious." The Walrus Witch placed the cover aside and gazed upon the Omnifish. He had been adorned with garnish and a half of a lemon. He remained still and his glow was dim. The Walrus Witch brandished her knife and fork. There was a spoon nearby as well. "Whatsit was a fool. To have all that power and let it ruin him. I am going to consume the fish in its entirety and the power it will grant me will allow me to invite Walros himself into Drownvale. We will bring about Absolution Zero and the new age will begin."

"What's the spoon for?" Omno asked. Ebb felt a twinge of relief that he was still alive.

"For your eyeball. The utensils come in a set, their power doesn't work unless they're all together." The Walrus Witch scraped the knife and fork together. The sparks that flew off of them were an unsettling shade of pure black. She glanced at the Milliner. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to hold onto the fish. I didn't think two little girls would overpower you."

"They're stronger than you think," the Milliner replied through strained breathing. The rope was clearly too tight for his respiratory system to work correctly. "And they were also accompanied by the barbarian.

"And they're coming for you," Ebb said.

"Ha!" The Walrus Witch smiled. Her teeth had begun frosting over. "Let them come. The failure of my idiot assassin just means they get to watch the advent of our lord Walros. There is nothing they can do now."