Chapter Nine

“It all began about a year ago,” said Wella in a shaky voice. “ I grew up in a small farming village on the drier side of Bertha. We lived a simple life, but it was a good one. The people of my village grew cotton, tobacco and our own food. We weren't rich, but we made do. In the spring the village elders decided to open a few of the outer fields, that hadn't been tended since my great-grandfather's time. It was hard work. The fields were over grown and the dirt was hard and tangled with roots and rocks. It took us weeks to clear it all.

“It was Fedward, Ryle's father, who found it. He was always good at finding beautiful and shiny things. He always claimed it came with being a ferret.”

Wella pulled a green orb the size of her palm out of her dress pocket.

“He gave this to me as an engagement present. It almost broke the plow when they hit it, he said. That was the night Ryle was conceived. We noticed afterwards that this strange stone began to glow. We took it as a sign that the universe had blessed our union. We were so stupid, and so in love.

They came a few days later, the Dance Lords. The were led by a gorilla and his dolphin lieutenant. They claimed they were just doing routine farm inspections. We all should have suspected something was wrong. High ranking Lords don't do inspections. And they were asking so many questions about if we'd found anything strange or seen anything out of the ordinary. Of course Fedward and I denied it. The stone was our secret. How could we have know what was to come?

Fedward and I were in the woods behind the village, picking berries when we started to smell smoke. As we looked toward the village we could see flames. Fedward told me to hide and stay puut while he went to see what was happening. I waited, I waited so long. It was night before I had the courage to go back to the village. The smoke was so thick it choked me. They had razed the entire village, every house, every store, even the inn. It was all burnt to the ground and still smoking.

At first I couldn't see anything but the destruction. Slowly though I started to make things out, I wish I hadn't. I could see shapes in the coals, they were bones. The charred remains of everyone I had ever known. Next to one of the fires; no funeral pyres, I saw the singed edges of a green bow, just like the one my little sister used to wear behind her ears. She was only nine years old, and she was dead, they were all dead.

After what seemed like hours I stumbled into the outer edges of the village square. They were standing there, the two Dance Lords, with Feward kneeling in front of them. I was lucky I suppose, they had their backs to me. Fedward saw me though. He looked so scared, so trapped.

The gorilla picked him up by the neck, “Tell us were it is,” he screamed, “the relic! We can feel it! Where is it?”

“I don't know,” Fedward managed to gasp.

The gorilla gutted him and threw him to the ground like so much trash. I was close enough that even through the smoke I could see him mouth his last words, “Wella, I love you...Wella.” I saw the light fade from his eyes.

The gorilla turned to his dolphin companion, “Do we have a Wella accounted for?”

I ran then, I don't know how I ran for, it seemed like days. I ran until I collapsed.

When I awoke it was early morning. I had no idea where I was, I just picked a direction and walked. Eventually my traveling brought me into the wharf district. There I was just another lost soul begging for a meal. I was there for several months. I didn't know what to do, everything I ever knew was gone, everyone dead. I still had the stone though. I know I should have gotten rid of it, but it was the only thing I had left of Fedward, of any of them. He had died to keep it a secret. Stupid boy, we didn't know it was so important.

I snuck onto your ship because I saw them, the gorilla and the dolphin. I panicked and knew I had to get off Bertha. I had to save my son and I had to keep this stone safe, they represent everything I love and I will die before I give either to the people who took everything from me.”

Wella collapsed in tears as the green stones pulsing glow became a blaze.

“How is she doing,” asked Wembly.

“Sleeping,” answered Bogart, “Wuffy is watching Ryle.”

“And the rest of the crew?”

“Getting well and properly drunk. I may have let it slip were a few of the kegs were hiding,” Bogart laughed, “they've earned it.”

They both fell silent and stared at the glowing orb. It had faded back to a glow once Wella had returned to her quarters. Wembly picked it up.

“What do you think it is?”

“ I have no idea, Captain.”

“I suppose we are going to have to find out.”

“I suppose we are.”

“We're in the right place for it. If any one knows anything about the ancients its the residence of Styx.”

“Unfortunately, you're right.”

“ The only problem is getting onto Styx.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

“By creating a very large ruckus,” Wembly smiled mischievously.

“Oh, your not going too...”

“Oh yes, I am,” he laughed, “It's been years since we've taken 'er out.”

Bogart shook his head, this game never ended well.

“Oh, don't look like that, this will be fun.”