Knights Are Brave and Strong

Chapter 14: The Acid Swamps

"Look," Shelby murmured.

They stood at the edge of a huge lake filled with boiling green liquid. Small stones were dotted around it. On the other side lay an ocean. The shape of a three towers rose out from the water in the distance.

"So that's the Acid Swamps," Katherine said. "Uh... How do we get the kelpie across?"

"Oh, she can walk," Shelby said. "Look, she can even carry someone."

"Sausage should ride," Katherine said. "He didn't ask for this quest."

Scott looked like he was about to argue, but shut up when his sister shot him a glare.

Sausage clambered up onto the kelpie's back and nudged it with his boot.

The kelpie sprinted across the acid.

"Yeah," Scott said. "Maybe if we..." He laid his hand on the land near the swamp. Ice spread out from under his fingers and uncased the lake for a second before dissolving.

"So, that won't work," Katherine said. "I think we have to jump on these." She pointed to the steppingstones around the swamp.

"I'll go first," Shelby volunteered. Before anyone could stop her, she leapt onto the first stone.

"Easy!" she called back. "Come on!"

Katherine followed her, leaping onto the same stone and landing easily. She began to move steadily forward. The jumps got harder as she progressed. 

She leapt to a particularly narrow stone and paused to contemplate her next move, balanced catlike on the stone's pinnacle. Springing out, she landed on a large, flat rock, and landed beside Shelby.

And stopped.

In front of them was a large stone blocking their way. Only a yard from the edge, they were stuck.

Scott landed beside them, looking confused.

Without even thinking about it, they all turned to Shelby for a clever plan. But she didn't have one. She didn't have a clever plan or a way out. 

They were stuck.