Epilogue

Marith

Marith stood on the bow of the ship as they made their way across the ocean to the Dead Lands. She starred over the blue waters and kept an eye on the water for migrating merrow swarms. They had been on the sea for weeks now, and she had grown used to the rocking of the ship. Carl wretched over the side, he was a dwarf used to the mountains and would never be at home out on the water.

“How are you still able to throw up? You haven’t eaten in days,” Marith said in wonder.

“I have years of ale stored up inside,” Carl explained stone-faced and threw up again.

Herbalt the Sage stepped up to them leaning on his staff and looked over the morning ocean. He stretched and looked at the rising sun. “Beautiful morning isn’t it Carl?” he asked cheerfully.

“Go fuck yourself,” Carl growled and dry-wretched over the side. “I think I’m sicker than I thought,” Carl said lying on the deck.

What do you mean?” Herbalt asked.

“I see thousands of fish circle our ship,” Carl said, “I should probably go sit down I’m getting dizzy.”

Herbalt looked over the side and paled. “Those are vulture fish; they accompany merrow. Grab you ax Carl we’re about the be attacked.”

Marith ran up to the top deck and began ringing the bell. Shouting to the sailors on deck and sounding the alarm. “We’re under attack! Merrow!”

Sailors ran out from below deck yanking up their pants and pulling on shirts. The captain burst out of his cabin rolling out a table covered with cutlasses and harpoons arming the members of his crew. They lined the deck and looked over the side ready to defend the vessel. Merrow burst out of the water hurling harpoons made of whalebone and connected with kelp rope yanking sailors over the sides of the ship into the water where the merrow began disemboweling them, ripping them apart like sharks.

Marith spread out her hands and used Fesla’s power to part the water exposing the merrow to the attacks of the sailors and the ranged members of her party. The merrow began pulling themselves up onto the deck and fighting the sailors on deck balancing on their coiled fishtail like a snake. The sailors rushed the merrow on deck using the advantage of being on the solid ground to their advantage. Marith felt the deck shudder.

“They're attacking our hull!” The captain shouted.

Marith muttered a spell pulled out her war hammer and leaped overboard into the water. She breathed out the spell that allowed her to breathe like a fish. A merrow swam towards her and Marith swung her Warhammer into the merrow’s face knocking it back. She stretched out her hand and fired bolts of hardened water piercing the merrow’s hide and sending it floating belly up. Marith swam forward and began pushing merrow back and defending the wide birth of the hull.

Suddenly there was a flash of brilliant light. The merrow began swimming away as figures made of energy started arcing through their midst. Marith swam to the surface and saw a black circle in the sky that hummed with energy around the edges. A rope dropped down next to Marith, and she grabbed it and was pulled up onto the ship.

“What is that?” Marith asked in awe.

“That is what we are fighting against. A portal into the Astral Sea, the Plane of Energy. Until it closes naturally, it will release lightning elementals into our world,” Herbalt the Sage explained.

“Can’t we do anything?” Marith asked.

Herbalt shook his head sadly. “Until the Asternosis Tome is brought back to the mortal plane we are all in constant danger from the other planes.”