“Looks like they figured out how to make the fog work in water,” I say to Etch.
“Agreed. Let us hope that Fromer’s weapons can pierce that material. I have never seen anything like it in all my days.”
Ricard and Theo order the troops to move the catapults into position. The first metal ball streaks through the air, only to bounce off the fleshy barrier with no effect. Ricard shouts more orders and a column of soldiers moves forward into the trough, looking nervously at the walls of water. They hack at the bubble with their swords and axes, with little impact. Theo stares at me in the Raven and shrugs.
I close my eyes and relax, trying to penetrate the barrier. I feel Fromer and he’s grinning. I tunnel forward and am sitting in the head of an enormous creature with fleshy, muscular tentacles and surprisingly good vision. This is not a creature of earth, but strangely it is in the lake. It’s as curious about its plight as I am. “Where am I?” it asks in a language that I have no business understanding.
I answer. “A place called earth and I suspect a mutual friend has brought us together. I need your help if you don’t mind. We can then find your way back home.”
I travel with it to the bubble and its tentacles grab onto the fleshy wall. The soldiers run back toward shore. With great effort, the tentacles tear a seam in the fabric of the barrier. Air escapes with a terrific hiss and the rip expands to a huge rift. “Thank you,” I say to the creature. “I’ll return soon.”
An eerie green glow emanates from the hole. Ricard yells and our troops advance into the trough, weapons gleaming silver-yellow. A grub-like creature with enormous hands that look oddly human skitters out of the seam. A catapult ball arcs overhead and hits the thing on the head. It falls forward and a tentacle pulls it into the surrounding water. It dissolves instantly.
Our troops yell and whoop as they disappear within the vast space under the lake, with Theo and Bets in the lead. “Etch, what are we to do now?”
“Patience, my dear girl. Have some faith that they will be victorious.”
I cannot be patient however. I search the landscape for a bird or insect to inhabit. I find a hummingbird that has just returned from its winter home, happily feeding on wildflower nectar. “Sorry buddy,” I whisper as I direct it into the rift.
The interior of the bubble is filled with shouts and the metallic smell of blood. Thresh’s goons are struggling against our forces, but holding their own. The few grubs that have survived are taking their toll on our fighters. Several torn bodies, some who I recognize, litter the sand.
At the far side in the greenish light, Thresh and Jonah are perched on Silius and Phineus. Eliza holds on tight to Thresh’s waist. They’re surrounded by dead men with swords. In the center of the line stands Wenn, his eyes vacant and a portion of his skull missing. Jonah is terrified and Thresh looks anguished.
The bird flies closer and Thresh swivels, looking straight at it. I swear she knows it’s me. I fly the bird behind a large shuffling body. Thresh throws a dagger at it and the cadaver falls. I fly the hummer up and out of the rift.
I return fully to the Raven, letting the little bird return to its foraging. “Send in more troops,” I announce through the ship’s speaker. Ricard nods and a group of heavily armored men enter the rift carrying maces.
After a long hour, Thresh, Jonah, and about twenty men emerge from the seam, our troops prodding them forward. Eliza’s in Theo’s arms. Once the fighters have left the trough, Etch and I release the water and the hellish, swarming bubble and a few living corpses are swallowed by the lake.
I’m relieved to see Phineus and Silius in Theo’s care. I extend my mind to them and feel joy at the reunion.
“Ready to land?” Etch brings the Fuerst down.
“In a moment. I have one thing to do.” I leave my body. “Fromer, where are you? You can’t just leave that tentacled beast alone, away from its home.”
“Of course not.” His voice is so close that he could be sitting in the Raven with me. “Bring the Raven above the lake.”
I hover at about 200 meters and Fromer asks, “Can you see it yet?”
I look down, and between the yellow waves I see a blue planet with what looks like a tiny pinprick on its surface. “Lead your friend here.”
I reach out and experience the creature in its entirety. It has two grey, wise eyes, pink tentacles, and a giant beak. It whispers, “I’m the Kraken of old. Count on me, if you need me again.” It slips into the portal in the bottom of the lake and returns home.
The Raven lands softly on the coast. The prisoners are shackled, lying face down in the prickly grass. I rush through the hatch and there she is, still in Theo’s arms. Thresh yells, “Don’t trust her Eliza. I’m your mommy.” Bets hits Thresh in the head with her staff and the ragged woman in a tattered red dress falls silent.
My hands shake as I approach the impossibly beautiful but terribly filthy little girl. “Do you know who I am?”
Eliza tilts her head. “Where’s Magarat?”
“I don’t know. I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“Mommy says that you’re all bad people. I want to go home with her, now.”
Theo pats her. “We can’t do that, Liza. I’m your Uncle Theo and this is your real mommy.” Theo begins walking with her to a small cart with a donkey.
Eliza struggles in his arms, bawling. “Momma, daddy. Don’t let them take me.” Theo sets her down in the cart and I join her. I feel wretched.
“Amy, you know this ain’t gonna be easy. I’m here to help you. Always.” Theo grabs my arm firmly.
As we clop into Yellow Stone, children and old folks gather to greet us. I stare at them, smiling tepidly. Eliza’s quiet again, scrunched in the back of the cart. A woman in a dirty dress stands at the side of the road amongst the villagers. Her skin’s darker than that of the others — obviously a foreigner. It takes me a second, but I recognize her as Magarat. “Theo, stop the cart.”
Magarat obviously does not see Eliza in the bottom of the cart but does see me. I must be a frightening sight, with my frazzled hair, wild eyes, shaking arms, and pale skin. She recedes into the crowd and is about to bolt away. “Wait, Magarat. Stop, please. I have Eliza with me. You’ve nothing to fear.”
She pauses, confused and terrified. Then she squints, tilting her head. “You’re the real mother, aren’t you?”
I nod anxiously. “She’s over here, in the cart. We need you.”
Magarat climbs up and Eliza clamps onto her, elated. “Shh, there, there girl. We’ve got a lot of explaining to do. Healing too.” Magarat looks up to me. “What happened to that woman? Is she dead?”
“No.”
Magarat panics. “We’ve got to hide, now.”
“It’s okay. We have her as prisoner.”
“She’ll escape, conjuring those demons to do her bidding.”
“Not if I have a choice in the matter.”
“We met, didn’t we?”
“Yes, Magarat. I was able to — occupy — Thresh for a moment. That’s when I asked you to kill her. It was a terrible thing to ask you to do. I’m so sorry I put you in that position.”
“I’d have gladly done it if I knew I could.”
We head to the city center and get some food into Eliza. Magarat cleans herself up and puts on a fresh dress. She’s a beautiful woman, even if she’s a little worn.
“Thanks so much for caring for Eliza,” I say, combing my hair.
“Didn’t have much say in the matter. That woman, she killed my husband and my little boy.” Her voice trails off.
“I’m so very sorry for you.”
“You’re like her, aren’t you?”