The Count of Castle Rock

Chapter XLII- A Dead Place

The Black Roost expedition sets out shortly after Luis and Hukk depart from the group. Leesa guides them back to the bog and the path of muck splashed stones cutting through the center. Carved into the first stone is the scout marker. This roughly five foot-wide trail is the way to go. Looking out on the filthy expanse of foul water in the cloud-covered light of day shows just how far the natural barrier extends.

"Can we wade through it?" Eric asks, grabbing a long tree branch. "How deep is this stuff?"

He lowers the stick down, poking for a bottom until it sinks out of sight.

"That's more than five feet," Alice comments as Juanita tests the stones. "If it gets a bit deeper some of us will be stuck."

The muck ripples around the lost stick. Eric and Alice take a few steps back just before a huge lizard breaks the surface. The yellow-eyed beast is a cousin to the bog monitors common in the north of the kingdom. Snapping a mouth full of long teeth, it waddles after the two guards on stubby legs. They draw their swords, but the weapons seem woefully inadequate beside the long monster. Closing the distance on Eric, the beast lunges forward and is struck down by a stunning blow from the giant. Grabbing the creature by the tail, the blue man spins and chucks it back into the swamp.

"I'm not going in there." Eyes wide and breathing heavy, Alice searches the muck for any more ripples.

"It was just an idea." Eric swallows a lump in his throat and nods a thanks to the blue giant.

"The mark is directing us to cross the stones. Finding another way could take hours," Leesa says.

"You heard Ms. Talbert. We go this way."

Following her lead, they take the winding road. East, west, south and then finally north again. As the sun reaches its noon zenith, it feels like they've made little progress. The bleak trees in the distance appear no closer, but the safe shore behind them now seems equally out of reach. Leesa breathes through her mouth as much as possible as they follow the stone path, the stink of the stagnant waters burns her nostrils. Ignoring the things floating in the water she focuses on gaining the other side.

Nightfall stretches out from the trees and across the fetid water to meet the expedition still walking along the snaking path. Unable to make camp, they forge ahead, the dark trees now huge gnarled spears pointing towards the heavens. The clouds choke out the light of the moon and stars, leaving them no choice but to rely on the light of their torches to cross. A strange unnatural glow creates an aura around the trees, making them stand out even in the ever thickening darkness. The dead silence of the day is broken by unfamiliar sounds. Things gurgle just below the surface of the swamp, and water sloshes just beyond the torchlight.

A deep and rumbling voice whispers in the dark and a silhouette steps across the path, long stilt-like appendages trailing a curtain of slime and flies. Leesa freezes in her tracks, bringing the column up short. The air fills with the buzzing of flies, drowning out all other sounds.

"What's going on up there?" Eric shouts from the back.

"There's something out there," Leesa whispers. She cringes as the rumbling voice grumbles. The words are unintelligible, but they make Leesa's hair stand on end.

Easing Leesa behind her, Juanita raises her torch high. "Are those flies?" she shouts to be heard over the incessant drone.

Leesa can't answer. Her mind reels from sight of the oblong rectangular head she glimpses retreating from the very edge of the light.

"Look out!"

Juanita's shout is swallowed by the wall of biting and stinging flies. Leesa wants to scream as they burn across her skin, but she doesn't dare, fearing letting the pests get in her mouth. She feels them crawling in her ear canal and attacking her nose. Panic sets in as they begin to find other places less exposed.