Page 58 of Crowned A Traitor
Klara thought of her concealed wings. “Not even an Angel smells this good,” Kharon’s eyes went wide as if he wanted to take a bite out of her.
“We need to get moving,” Arthur interrupted getting between her and the Ferrier.
Lottie stood at Klara’s back,maybe it was Lottie’s purity as an unchanged Lycaon Kharon was smelling. The waters were still, but the souls within wouldn’t be welcoming. Klara swished the thick inked water through her fingers and the fog lifted.
“When you jump in, make sure you head in the right direction, if you cross the River back to Malum, you’re going to end up on the outskirts of some nasty Ogre’s hovel.” Kharon looked pleased with the thought.
It was only a short distance to swim, but Klara doubted the souls would make it an easy distance.
“Any other advice?” Wolfgang growled at Kharon, and Klara didn’t need the attitude.
“The occupants in there,” Kharon extended a skeletal finger to the still, groaning waters, “Can get a little handsy so I’d swim fast.”
Klara could see the souls floating in limbo.
“Do you want me to take Lottie on my back?” Klara asked Wolfgang as Lottie gripped his leg. “I’m not leaving him,” Lottie hid her face. They didn’t have time to convince her.
“Once I get to the bank, I’ll figure out a way to get you across.”
Wolfgang studied the water, chewing his lips. “No matter what you see in the waters, resist them. Those souls can appear as perfect as they are repulsive,” Kharon said and spat into the waters pretending that he wasn’t the reason they were there in the first place.
“I can manage,” Klara assured Wolfgang as he stared at her.
“You die, we can’t get through the portal undetected.”
“Glad to know you care,” Klara mocked and went feet first into the black waters. She wanted to put off submerging her nose and eyes for even a fraction of a second. Though the water had other ideas; the black ink came rushing up to meet her.
The marshes grew closer with every stroke. It was only seconds before she felt Them, and hands of the dead began to grip her body.
The souls pulled and tore at Klara as she tried to swim, stopping to push them off would only ensure her drowning. The piercing screams of the tormented, disorientated her while the grey arms grew heavier on her body. She pushed herself forward as distraught faces begged for her tostay with us.
This is not how I die, Klara cursed as the water filled her mouth. A hand gripped her ankle and with sharp tug snatched her from the surface. Under the water, swarms of souls surrounded her. It was as if there was no water, only souls. The more that swarmed, the deeper Klara plunged. She let the bag be pulled from her shoulders, freeing her from those gripping it. The now exposed axe on her back protected her. The souls couldn’t touch her axe without hurting themselves.
The taste of the thick, putrid waters made her gag.This is not how I die.Her eyes flashed white as she blasted through the souls. The souls recoiled from her body as her touch burnt through them. Others rushed at her, hungry to feed on her power.
“Enough,” her command forced the waters away from her. For a moment, Klara’s magic revealed the clear blue water the River had once contained when it was free from the Goddess curse.
Klara broke through the surface as the souls retreated.
At the edge of the marshes, Klara clutched at the moss. It threatened to rip and send her back to the souls as she wrapped her arms around a planted rock and freed herself from the heavy water. On her back, Klara coughed the water from her lungs.
Klara was slightly delirious from the force of magic she had used to escape.Some new lungs would be great about now. Klara could see the others white knuckling the edge of the longboat. Their faces riddled with worry, “Klara, you good?” Wolfgang shouted at her.
“Am I good?” Klara asked, staring up through the decaying branches hanging over her.I cleared cursed waters of shrieking souls trying to kill me.
“Yes, I’m fantastic.” Klara sat on her heels and slipped her arms back into the waters allowing the ink to travel up her arms. Klara’s eyes flashed white as she tapped into the depths of her power to clear a stretch of water, she was risking their discovery, but it was that or death. There was no way Lottie would survive the pull of the souls.
“So much for your potion,” she said as if Lilith were beside her.
“The path is clear,” Klara shouted, keeping her hands in the water. The Goddess Styx curse was powerful and ancient. The ink slipped into her pores as the curse fought to free itself from her. She felt the strain of every soul slamming against the walls she had created within the River. Kharon stood on the boat, clapping at her abilities. Klara looked toward Wolfgang with Lottie’s arms knotted around his neck.
“Keep straight towards me. I can only hold a narrow lane,” Klara shouted.
Klara watched the splash as Wolfgang and Lottie dove in. The curse fought against her trying to get to them. The ink snaked up her arms as the curse attempted to kill its jailer.
Wolfgang’s head rose above the waters, and she could see the strain on his face as Lottie’s grip tightened around his neck.
“Almost there,” Klara groaned as she felt a thousand ants were chewing at her skin.
