The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Fifty-Two: Ordered - Beasts of the Bog

The waters began to move again. Their strength was sudden and unexpected, and the crew of the small boat found themselves travelling with the odd current of the lake. The crew of the boat held onto whatever their hands could find, but not Voleria. Voleria stood hunched and firm. Voleria took off the cloak it had been wearing to reveal that its spider silk skin was bubbling. Soon enough a large protruding hump started to form on its back. And, before long, the tip of the hump was slit open from the inside to allow for insects of all kinds to race down onto the deck. They amassed themselves at certain points of the boat, making sure to space themselves out to be ready to attack towards any direction.

"Never have I been so happy to see so many bugs." said Ellondra.

"Please take care. I cannot hatch anymore for at least a day. These are all I have left."

"What if you lose all of them?" asked Seilan.

"I could die. Or it will take a long time to get to full strength again. Either one."

"Take care then." Spoke Celesta.

"Always."

"What you have done is unforgiveable! Prepare for your sentence!" a loud voice boomed from all directions. Unexpectedly, the water around them seemed to rise without them. It took them a moment to realize that, instead, they were sinking though the water never tried to swallow them. As they sunk deeper and deeper they looked up to see a boat shaped hole in the water. After a minute they seemed to have stopped sinking and started to fall, though not for long. The boat hit ground hard and it nearly destroyed the wooden structure.

"What the fuck!" Seilana had no other words for what had just happened. As the group regained their footing they found themselves in a place that seemed like a cross between a swamp and marsh. Hardly any light came through the water and the only light source was through the hole that the group had fell through. Before long the various rotting, growing, and stale scents that had laid dormant before the crash rose to everyone's noses. As they choked in the putrid new scents of their environment they heard what sounded like splashing coming from all directions. They couldn't see what it was they faced until was but a mere ten yards away.

"Get ready!" Screamed Celesta, though she was hardly ready for any conflict herself. Monsters of stale flesh and bog began to charge the boat. Seilana drew her short sword, Ellondra held her bow at the ready to fire, and Celesta began a spell to suck whatever energy gave the creatures life to replenish her own. This was of no consequence to Voleria though. The swarm, which had been concentrated, spread out in all directions, and soon enough the perimeter of the boat was guarded by a thin veil of insects of almost every variety. As soon as the monsters touched the veil they seemed to retreat in pain. It only took seconds for their mangled and disfigured bodies to be deconstructed. Voleria was not hungry, nor aggressive, only defensive. The sight before the other three gave them a new sense of respect towards Voleria. The kind that one gives a dangerous weapon.

Seilana and Ellondra still stood tensed and ready to fight should the opportunity present itself. Celesta on the other hand continued with her spell. She felt she would need her reserves of energy back before long.

"What disgusting self worth to be content with the protection of insects!" Roared a mighty voice. Out of the dark a giant open maw blitzed toward them.

"Īr!" Screamed Celesta. A number of pillars made from light shot from the marsh and jammed themselves into the jaws of the creature that tried to devour them, and just in time too. The pillars had almost no effect until the jaws were just a few feet from the boat. Without hesitation the insects that protected the boat swarmed to rip apart the jaws that threatened the group letting all the bog monsters board the boat without difficulty. The swarm had difficulty breaking through the skin of the beast, but once it did they had no problem tunneling their way deep in the flesh of the serpent.

"They're here!" Seilana began fighting off the creatures one by one as they boarded the boat with Ellondra firing as quickly as her strained muscles allowed her. Voleria's silk skin casing was all but empty now as every bug helped do their part. Celesta held not only the pillars that stopped the serpent from going forward but now also held down another spell that kept the struggling serpent head in place so it wouldn't escape.

"We could use some help!" Ellondra had run out of arrows at this point and started fighting off the beasts with just a knife.

"Help yourselves!" Shouted Celesta. Every muscle in the queens body strained in effort to keep the writhing beast in place while Voleria chewed through its flesh. After what seemed like nearly an eternity of struggle the strangest voice they had heard yet sounded out a spell.

"Mon." Voleria's bugs grew in size. They grew until they were half the size of Ellondra. The sight itself would have been frightening if they hadn't know that Voleria was an ally. Bugs burst out of pockets in the serpents flesh and crawled back out to help destroy the monsters that wanted to kill the crew.

"Celesta, was that you?" Asked Seilana.

"No, I think it was Voleria. It didn't know it could perform magic." Hissed Celesta through bared teeth. The massive bugs cleaved through the bodies of the monsters far easier than any seasoned chef carving into a cut of meat. And the serpent was fairing no better. The bugs had been making short work of it before, but they were now absolutely demolishing the head of the beast having already eaten to bone and beyond in some parts. After a minute the serpents head, or what was left of it, laid limp. As the serpent seemed to give out its final act of movement, so too did the monsters of the bog.

"Are we done yet?" Asked a tired Seilana.

"Not even close." Moaned Celesta

Ellondra sighed the only words she could think of. "Four more."