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Ghul Lykos had Esmerelda on his shoulders and said, “Don’t argue about this in front of the child.”
“I’m not a child. I’m eleven,” protested Esmerelda.
Harlin continued, “Well, he knows we are here and my plan had been to be sneaky. I wanted to avoid the mistakes that Princess Sykaryn made when she came in with a whole company of fighters. The evidence of what happened to them is all around us.”
Daemona shook her head. “What do you mean it’s all around us? What are you talking about?”
Harlin stopped and pointed at the swamp.
“Guys, I was hoping she wouldn’t notice,” said Ghul Lykos. “Great job.”
“I knew they were there,” said Esmerelda somberly.
“Who? What are you talking about?” asked Daemona, but quickly she saw where Harlin was pointing. Half-covered by dirty green swamp water and small slithering serpents was a mass of broken, armored torsos and limbs half-stuck out of the murk. A few skeletal faces still in their shattered helmets leered from the briny surface. Broken lances and banners wilted in the water as toads and other creatures sat atop the remains of what were once the kingdoms finest.
“They came with Sykaryn to get revenge. They were strong, and they were many, and yet they fell to Ghul Tark. Only Ghul Lykos escaped the carnage because he was scouting ahead, and as far as he knows they took Sykaryn alive, which is why we are here now trying another method, but I’m afraid it hasn’t worked either,” said Harlin, gloomily
“I didn’t think it would look like this,” mumbled Daemona.
“It’s all right,” said Esmerelda, “that’s life here in Acheron Swamp. Everything goes back to the mud eventually.”
Ghul Lykos gave an uncomfortable smile to Daemona, turned, and hurried along the path.
“Considering everything else about this place, why didn’t they rise up and try to get us like every other vile creature in the Swamp?” Daemona asked.
“They did once,” said Ghul Lykos. “It took a powerful spell to put them to back to rest.”
***
By midafternoon, a muddy, well-traveled path took them off the wet ground and right into the deeper brackish water. It was up to their knees even in the shallowest places. Posts were erected every few yards on each side to show where the true path was. If not for the moss-covered signposts, Daemona would have had no idea where they were going as the overcast afternoon drifted into purple-bruised twilight. If it didn’t drain her energy so terribly, she would have ported to every single post to save herself the drudgery of walking in the foul murk. More than once they had to pull leeches from themselves. A swimming python even threatened them once.
“This can’t be right,” said Daemona. “This can’t be the best road to get to a village.”
“It is,” answered Ghul Lykos. “I know right where we are.”
“Really, because it seems like you say that a lot right before we tramp into some terrible place,” said Daemona.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t terrible, I just said I know where we are. No offense, Esmerelda,” said Ghul Lykos.
“None taken,” answered the little girl, still riding his shoulders.
“And, where are we now?” asked Daemona with dripping venom as she pulled another struggling leech from her arm.
“Tall Town!” Ghul Lykos said, rather pleased with himself as he pointed ahead.
“Home!” cried Esmerelda.
It was one of the most curious towns Daemona had ever seen. All the homes and buildings were sitting on long poles a good three to four feet above the waterline, many even higher than that. Some were built into the large trees nearby, and many seemed stacked upon one another, rising high in the gloomy sky. Rope bridges and planks connected all of them so that a person might never have to set foot down into the water. But there were no sounds or lights apparent in the windows and Daemona wondered for a moment if they had come to a dead city.
“Be careful,” cautioned Esmerelda. “The water is deeper near the buildings. We’ll need someone with a boat to come and get us from here.”
“She’s right,” said Ghul Lykos. “They are built into a particularly deep spot to help keep the zombies and witches from walking right up to them.”
“Like a moat?” asked Daemona.
“Exactly. It’s as safe a system as people here can manage,” said Ghul Lykos.
“Ho! There! We need a ride!” called Harlin.
