//------------------------------//
// Part Ten 
// Story: Neil 
// by Ferrum Requiem 
//------------------------------//


Day Five: Eye of the Storm


In the northern wing of the derelict castle, an hour before dawn, Neil and Artemis conferred by campfire on a strategy to defeat the enemy.

Since they didn't know when Scar or Patches would discover their position, the plan consisted of three phases: the first was fortifying key defense points in the northern wing of the castle heap, starting with the gate. This was the strongest position they knew of so far. 

The second phase involved scouting the remaining wings and sectioning them off. This would ensure the only way into the ruin was through the northern wing, right through the defenses.

Finally, the third phase assumed the survivor's position remained undiscovered after the last two were finished. If this was true, Neil and Artemis would light a fire in one of the ruined towers to lure Scar and Patches in, initiating the battle.

If all went well, the enemy would grind themselves to death on the defenses. If not, well, Neil had a plan b; but, he'd rather not use it if possible.

Their plan finished at sunrise, Neil and Artemis spent the better part of the day preparing their position.

Artemis placed a pole down on the pile of felled timber next to Neil. "Is this enough, Dad?"

"Yes, thanks." Neil stood hammering nails into a support for the almost finished barricade. This was the last of the fortifications. 

Neil was so thankful he found most of the building materials needed in the armory: nails, tar, rope, etc. The timber had to be harvested from the ruins and the forest. The auto smithy made the nails after Neil had it scan one he found in the ruins. The machine used its entire stock of metal rings to fill the hunter's needs; but, it made enough for the work.

Neil wiped off the sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his wrist, then secured the last support with four nails. "That should do it."

The two survivors took a step back and appraised their fortifications.

Neil checked off his mental list: facing the doors, the collapsed eastern wall stood blocked off with a parapet of spiked rubble; it was too steep for even a timberwolf to scale without leaving itself vulnerable. He added a walled timber platform high enough to see over the parapet. In case the fortification couldn't be held, Neil would kick over a rusted iron pot filled with lamp oil, spilling it down the parapet, then light it on fire. The eastern side would be unassailable for at least an hour after that.

The wide crack in the crumbling western wall was checked with a spiked timber barricade nailed in place on both sides. It was impossible to remove without smashing through it. In case that happened, a heavy clay pot of oil dangled above it.

That left the front gate. Its sturdy hardwood structure stood strong and ready to handle a few timberwolves, maybe even Patches for a time. Neil reinforced it with spikes and timber braces.

In case they had to retreat, booby traps were set in the interior hallway leading to the lower levels: swinging spiked logs, hanging bottles filled with lamp oil to shoot with fire arrows, and some contraptions of Neil's devising, bow turrets. Set in several kill zones down the hallways, the turrets were multiple bows from the armory nailed to rows of small poles on a central plank. There were six shots per turret. That should put the fear of god in 'em.

With the midday sun burning in the clear sky above, Neil paused for a moment to rest and appreciate it. It was so nice to be in the light again. After eight hours of hard work, phase one was complete. Scar would need siege equipment to break in the northern wing now.

As for Patches, he was siege equipment. Neil felt that rubble parapets, timber barricades, spikes, and flaming oil spills might stall the abomination, but he would break through given enough time, then Scar would follow. 

However, he did devise a weapon that stood a chance of defeating the Terror of the Everfree once and for all. One would be surprised what a fistful of rotted wood dust, lamp oil, and an empty wine bottle can do. The Finnish would agree.

All in all, these defenses were everything the two survivors could muster in what little time they had. Neil nodded in satisfaction. "This will have to do."

"Phase two, now?" Artemis asked.

"Yep. Let's go." Neil donned his mail, buckled on his utility belt, then held his spear close. You never know what could be living deeper in the ruins.

Yesterday, Neil saw a stone bridge over the ravine connecting the ruin to an eastern road. That road lead into another portion of the forest, leaving that bridge in the eastern wing a risk. That needed scouting first.

What Artemis argued earlier today began to bother Neil. She said they should skip the scouting portion of the plan, because what if Scar or Patches wandered in without them noticing? If there were more kinks in the castle heap's armor, which was very likely, it would be impossible to find and plug them all.

On the other hand, Neil knew the importance of knowing one's environment. He asked, what if there's another stock pile of goods, or something else to give them a better advantage? What if there's a better position to fall back to? What about good ambush points? If they found some, should they lead the beasts into the castle and pick them off? These, and many other questions like them, Neil had to answer.

Still, his point assumed their presence would be a secret long enough to answer those questions. Before, Neil felt the risk was worth it. But, with the north wing fortified, he worried leaving the battlements unguarded might not be worth it after all. As they moved down the ancient hallway to scout the inner castle heap, Neil's mind kept wandering back to their hard work just sitting there, ripe for the taking.

Conflicted, Neil sighed.

"What's up?" Artemis asked.

"I'm just thinking." Neil rubbed the back of his head, imagining just how much of the ruin was still open, available, and unexplored. "Maybe you're right and it's better we turn back and section off the north wing after all. Better to be trapped in a smaller well fortified position, then risk being exposed in a wider unfortified one before we scout everything."

"Actually, I thought about it too, and I agree with us both." Artemis said matter of fact. 

"You mean, let's not count our chickens just yet and stick to the plan?" 

"Well... wait-" Artemis cocked her head. "Why would you count chickens?"

"It is an expression for, let's not make any hasty decisions."

"That's weird." She scrunched her snout as they found themselves at a junction in the hallway. The left hall had collapsed long ago, so they turned right. "Why not just say that?"

"Well, it's a saying from one of Aesop's fables; so, I suppose because Aesop became so dear to people they adopted that phrase and it's stuck ever since."

"Oooh, this Aesop sounds important. Who is that?"

"He was a great story teller on my world." Neil smiled while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I should tell you one of his stories sometime."

"That sounds fun!" Artemis perked up. "Anywaayy, I was saying we should do both. Scout a little, the parts we think are important, then close it all off." She nodded back to the nearly collapsed junction they passed. "That was a good spot to close. They would never dig through the rubble."

Artemis continued to amaze Neil by her blossoming thinking skills. He remembered the little pup that batted around the toy ball he made for her. She still has that toy back home. Artemis was about ankle height then. Now, she stood almost to his hips and gained significant weight, leaving her almost as big as Scar. Artemis wasn't a little girl anymore, but a young woman, or whatever constitutes a mature female timberwolf. She's grown so much, so fast. It's true what they say: their childhood will pass by in a blink. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Neil wished it wasn't so literal for him. Those precious weeks had come and gone, weeks not years. Yet, deep down, he knew his little girl was still in there, behind all those wonderful new mature things he's so proud of.

"What?" Artemis giggled. "Is something on my face?" She went crossed eyed to see it.

There's the little girl. Neil realized he'd been staring at her the whole time. "Nothing, sweetness. Just wondering how you grew to be so awesome so fast."

"Awww." If she were a mammal, Artemis would be blushing. "Well, I learned from the best!"

Neil blushed, for that was the best complement he'd ever been given.

Finally, after traversing the winding overgrown stone hallway, they left the north wing passage and found themselves in a grand inner sanctum with multiple entrances leading to the south, west, and east wings. With the roof overhead having collapsed long ago, the elements transformed the sanctum into more of a courtyard. 

Two tattered banners hung side by side in the middle of the courtyard, one had a pony and the moon on it, the other a pony and a sun. Neil saw the lunar banner to the left and it bared an uncanny resemblance of Luna. But, that can't be her. Luna would have to be as old as this castle if that was her. That must be a relative, maybe a grandmother.

The other princess, he assumed, must also be a relative of Luna's sister, the one that raises the sun. Neil laughed lightly to himself. Raises the sun, lowers the moon, how absurd. Luna must've spoken figuratively.

At the center of the ruin, a mossy cobblestone two way stairwell lead up to a huge building still in solid condition. 

Neil turned to go down the east passage and check the bridge over the ravine, but the hall was caved in.

"Well, at least we know it's secure." Artemis shrugged.

"That was easy." Neil looked to the building in the center of the courtyard. "Let's go there next."

They ascended the steps, then entered the building through two rotten timber doors barely hanging on the large rusted gateway. It was a massive throne room with two thrones and the same banners hanging above each, one throne for the sun, the other for the moon. The room was beautiful with an eerie melancholic vibe.  

"Whoa." Artemis' voice echoed in the empty room. "Echo!" She giggled.

Neil wondered if this ruin was the national capital once upon a time. What caused the natives to move their kingdom's seat of power to wherever Luna resided now? Maybe he could ask her sometime, if he ever dreamt again. His sad eyes gravitated to the weathered Lunar banner hanging above the left throne.

The Everfree wasn't a place for dreams. Survival occupied Neil's total focus and will, even in sleep. When the hunter slept, it was with one eye open to the wild and the other closed to distraction. A good nights sleep is when you wake up alive. To the hunter, sleep had evolved into merely a treatment for exhaustion. You sleep because you must. You get up because you must. You move because you must. To be still is neglect. Neglect kills.

Still, Neil would enjoy meeting Luna again, someday. He wondered if she was still thinking of a way to prove her existence. What method would a princess of the night employ?

After a moment of silence, Neil breathed, running a hand through his dark messy hair. It's grown somewhat long in the last weeks, covering the tops of his ears. He felt his chin and the slight stubble growing there as well. He hasn't shaved since the Fall. He used to get teased in school for growing some facial hair at fifteen. 

Goatees are gross! he'd hear from Olivia as her clones would giggle amongst themselves.

Like your milkshakes, Randy, I mean, Olivia? Neil frowned at the memory of the milkshake incident in school. Screw 'em. I'm never shaving again.

"Dad?" Artemis asked, sitting by him, looking up with concern. "Are you alright?"

He nodded to his daughter. "Yeah. I've never been better, actually." 

"Ah, what's that face for though?"

"First things first." Neil huffed, seeing there was nothing of value in the throne room. "See anything?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Everything seems solid. Let's move and talk."

They did just that, and moved back to the courtyard. Neil answered Artemis, "I was reminiscing of a moment back on Earth."

"Your home planet? What happened?" She perked up in her stride, eagerly awaiting to hear his story of his home, something Dad seldom talked about.

"Well, there are these places called schools. In my school, young people go to learn about the world and how to survive in it." If they're lucky. He rolled his eyes.

"Uh, huh."

"Right, this was in the cafeteria, a place where you eat, where this, erm, person, Olivia, was involved with spiking the milkshake stand with laxatives."

"What's a milkshake, or laxatives?"

"A milkshake is a dessert drink made from sugar, iced milk, and flavorings. It's really good- aaaand now I want one." He sighed with a slump.

"Well, maybe those things grow here." Artemis puffed her chest out. "I can track down anything."

"I bet you could." He smiled weakly. "But, I doubt those ingredients grow in the forest." Neil waved the idea off. "Anyway, a laxative is medicine you take to, well, go to the bathroom."

"I see." She scowled. "Ew."

"Better out, than in." He continued, "As I was saying, Olivia had a crush on this guy named Clay. You see, he wasn't into... her? So, she spiked the stand to get back at him for, as she put it, leading her on."

Artemis's eyes were wide with concern. "Eh, how many people drank from this stand?"

"All but two had a milkshake that day: Olivia and Blake." Neil shivered, remembering the line of groaning, sweating students waiting to go to the bathroom, and the smell in the halls of everybody going in waves. Yikes. "It was ugly. Yeah, Olivia's psychotic."

Artemis deadpanned. "Did she poison you, father?"

"I was one of the casualties."

Artemis's evergreen ears stood straight like knives as her features twisted with anger. "Did she get punished for it?" 

Neil raised an eye brow at her reaction. She can be scary sometimes. "Well, at the time, no one really knew who did it. We had suspicions that didn't yield fruit. But, now we know she had a hand in it, and by we I mean Trisha and myself; but, I think she conspired with Blake on it." Neil never forgot Blake avoiding the stand. "It didn't make sense that Olivia would poison the whole school just to get at Clay. Her friends were among those affected, by the by." He shook his head. "She was manning the stand. Why not poison just Clay? No, I think Blake had a hand in the part where the entire school got hit." 

They arrived at the courtyard, and Artemis's scowl cooled to a frown. "Blake, you've told me about that one. Why did he help her?"

"Why, you ask?" Neil explained as best he could the motivations of Blake Thomson, A.K.A. douche baggery incarnate. "There are people in this life, my daughter, that set fires simply to watch the world burn, and Blake loves a good show."

Artemis didn't say anything for the disturbing image her father gave.

Neil grit his teeth. "It was very frustrating when Blake didn't get questioned. There's no reason he would be near the stand, the staff argued; he was on a diet for the wrestling team. Besides, who else could've done it but the one at the stand?" Neil rolled his eyes at the school staff's logic. "Suffice it to say, the school itself ultimately couldn't do anything. They couldn't prove Olivia was the culprit, and not for lack of trying." He giggled a little. " I remember the whole affair drove Trisha up a wall." 

Artemis huffed; this news upset her even more.

Neil smirked. "Don't worry. Olivia didn't get away with it. Trisha saw to that."

Artemis smiled. "Ah, your girlfriend got her?"

"Hey, now!" Neil pointed at his giggling daughter. "I helped! You see, Olivia's real name is Randy!"

Artemis just blinked, then stared vacantly ahead. "Okay."

"Right?! Trisha bargained for Olivia to behave herself from then on, in exchange for her real name not being leaked. I despise blackmail; but, this was a rare case." Neil sighed with sweet sorrow for losing his ties to Earth and his life there. "Ahh, good times. Anyway, let's go this way next."

Neil and Artemis took to the western passage from the courtyard. It widened into a wide and tall cathedral like hallway. A red dusty rug with gold borders, brittle and torn with age, ran its entire length. 

Neil's whistle echoed as they walked onward. "Man, impressive."

"Imagine what it was like new!" Artemis gawked in awe, before her front leg sank as a square in the floor fell in. Huh?

Without warning, the floor slid out from under Neil, revealing a dark pit! He fell in just as his spear caught the borders of the trap and held on for dear life while dangling over the gaping abyss below.

Artemis screamed hard enough her voice cracked. "Dad!" She ran to help him before he could tell her not to move.

The trap floor closed. In a split second, Neil saw it and let go of the spear before his hands were sheared off. 

"No, no, no!" Artemis frantically searched for the part of the floor that opened the trap. She hopped around until she found the button and reopened the floor. She would never forgive herself if he wasn't alright.

Neil fell for a moment before landing on his back on a stone floor. Ouch. He rubbed his head and back as he stood in the pitch black. Well, he's still alive. The floor above opened again, letting in precious light, then the iron banded handle of his spear bonked him on the head. Double ouch.

"Dad, you okay!?"

"Yeah!" Rubbing the bump on his head, Neil looked around the small cube of cobble stone holding him hostage. "Don't move, alright?"

"You got it!" On shaking legs, Artemis sniffled and stayed put. The massive pang of fear from thinking she killed father by accident shook her to the core. She couldn't stop shaking, but wouldn't move an inch until told to.

Neil picked up the spear and looked around, spying no obvious exits. It was still rather dark, even with the light. He tried to jump and catch the ledge. No good, he was just a foot too low at maximum leap. Damn it. There was a dark spot on the wall to the left. Hmmmm.

Neil leaned in and saw a hole in the wall! It was large enough his arm could fit. He sucked air through his clinched teeth as he winced at the idea of sticking his hand in there. What if the pit wasn't spiked because of this? They wanted you to stick and arm inside a trapped hole, thinking it a means of escape, only to bleed out slowly after losing it.

Well, there really wasn't any other way out. He groaned and hoped his chainmail sleeve would be enough to protect him. He grimaced and put his arm into the blind hole. First, he felt nothing, then his fingers groped something warm, soft, and fuzzy. Huh? He gripped it and heard a squeal on the other side.

What the hell?

Neil tore his arm out of the hole and held it close, panting, eyes wide in terror. He didn't expect anything alive behind the wall. Suddenly, the wall and a portion of the floor shifted and spun. He grabbed for the wall to maintain his balance as it took him to the other side of the pit. 

The hunter regained his posture, then turned around to see a dark hallway with sconces and a pink pony sitting on her haunches with big cyan eyes gawking up at him. Its mane and tail were messy poofs of cotton candy colored chaos. The mud crusted, battle worn, tired, haggard human held a dirty calloused hand up. "Hi."

The pony screamed, jumped into the air, ran in place in a physically impossible manner, then shot like a bullet down the hall and around a corner. The frenzied hoof steps soon died after.

Well, this castle is just a heap of surprises. Neil had a good look at the wall. It was an honestly innocuous exit from an equally benign floor trap. What is this place, a fun house?

Neil yelled to Artemis from the hole. "I found a way out! Meet me in the courtyard! I won't be long!" Holding an ear on the hole, he heard Artemis confirm the order.

She yelled down, "Be safe!"

"You too!" Neil took a breath to steel himself as the trap floor closed above. It was just him in the shadow of the deepening ancient hallway. Neil pressed on to find a way to the surface. The sconces were supported by creepy fake pony hooves. He tested each to see if they were levers to a secret passage. No dice. Only the one that pink pony used opened anything.

He turned the corner were the pony ran, and spied yet more dusted hallway. It was quiet so far. Soon, he arrived at a huge spiral stone stairwell. Looking up, he saw a light beam into the darkness from an exit. Neil looked down the sheer dead drop below and winced at the lack of rails. O.S.H.A. would have a cow.

Staying close to the wall, the hunter climbed the dusty stairs. He heard a feint muffled noise coming from the darkness below, like something yelling through a gag. He turned to find the source of the noise, but saw instead the terrible outline of a massive spider stalking him from the stairwell's pit! It noticed him see it and lunged to bite him. Neil fell back and rooted his spear in the stone steps.

The monstrosity ran head first into the spear, skewering itself. The iron tip jutted out the back of the arachnid's head. It struggled for a moment, then went limp, and slowly slid off and into the abyss below.

Neil let his breath go, and looked down. It was hard to see anything, but he still heard the muffled yelling below. He looked up, again seeing the exit cast light above. Investigating the noise meant descending into the darkness. However, it would bother him if he didn't scout it. If there were more spiders, then he needed to know.

Thankfully, the armory had a stock of lanterns. He took one from his belt and lit it. Ah, it was much easier to see now. He held the lantern over the edge and peered down again. He saw the dead corpse of the spider splayed out on its own web, then his eyes beheld the struggling form of that pink pony! The mane was visible, but it was otherwise mummified in spider silk.

He rushed down to the giant web, reaching first to yank his spear free of the spider. With the tool in hand, Neil carefully cut the edges of the silk surrounding the pony. The web gave and the pony swung down towards the stairs. Neil caught it.

The poor thing squealed in terror, not knowing what was happening.

Neil drew his knife. "Shuuush. I've got you." He cut the head free. Its bright eyes beheld him with fear at first, but relaxed after seeing that he was helping.

After the last of the silk was cut, the pink alien lept like a frog and hugged him deeply. He laid a hand on it. The pony was shivering and holding onto him for dear life. "Whoa, hey now." Neil stood, petting the creature gripped to his abdomen like a scared cat. "You're fine. It's okay." He climbed the stone stairs with the pony stuck to him.

At the top, it let go to stand. On wobbly legs it stared up to him, confused, and awestruck. Neil recognized the path back to the courtyard from here. He gestured for the pony to follow. It did, closely.

At the courtyard, Artemis saw Dad and hopped in relieved excitement. "Dad!-" Then, she saw the strange pony by him. Where did that come from? It smelled good at least, like something sweet.

The pony saw Artemis and hid behind Neil, peeking over to watch the wolf suspiciously.

"She's afraid of me." Artemis sat back, tilting her head confused. "Why?"

"You're poisonous to ponies." Neil held his hand out. "Keep your distance for now." 

Artemis slumped. "Oh, right, Zecora said I could hurt them. That makes me sad."

"It's okay, kiddo. It's not your fault." 

Artemis looked deep into the pony's frankly beautiful cyan eyes, and they stared back. Artemis huffed, then approached anyway.

Neil was about to reproach her for disobeying, but she stopped just a few steps away and held a paw out to the pink pony.

"Hi'ya! I'm Artemis! Who are you?" The wolf grinned a wooden toothy grin.

At first, the pony cocked its head. Then, it gasped and quickly moved to shake Artemis's wooden paw with surprising enthusiasm.

Well, holy cow. Look at that. Neil crossed his arms and watched on.

Artemis giggled.

Then, like someone flipped a switch, the pony started to bounce everywhere and jabber on in its animal like pony language. Clearly, something about the exchange had inspired excitement in the alien, excitement like a kid hyped on pixie sticks and soda.

Artemis stood by Neil as they observed the xeno's antics. 

"Wow, look at it go." Neil wondered how the creature could move its body like it weighed nothing. He wondered if it was a she, or a he. Neil leaned down to check, but stopped himself. He can't just check like that, can he? This wasn't an animal, there were certain ethics to these things regarding a person. Maybe Artemis would know?

"She's got the energy of a squirrel!" Artemis gawked. "And talks as fast."

Neil asked, "How do you know it's a she, smell?"

Artemis glanced up to Dad. "No, I'm just closer to the ground."

"Oh." So much for posterity.

"She isn't slowing down, Dad."

Neil nodded while rubbing his stubbled chin, watching the pony pace and hop and jabber on over whatever had it so enthralled. "I know; I'm waiting for it to end, but it doesn't look like it will."

The pink hurricane finally stopped in front of Neil and held her hoof up to him. She said something Neil couldn't understand; but, if he were to guess, it was a greeting. He grabbed her hoof, and she shook it like a sports fan would a foam finger after their team scored.

His voice shook with the beat of her shakes. "Okay, that's my arm!" She let it go and sat down, a deep wide toothy grin on its beaming pink fluffy features.

Neil moved his arm in a few slow circles to relieve his shoulder joint. Phew. That pony is stronger than she looks!

"I like her!" Artemis stood up. "She's got spunk. Isn't that what you'd call it, Dad?"

"Well, that's certainly a word for it." Neil looked back to the north wing passage. There wasn't any time to babysit an alien, especially one that can't communicate. He took the pink creature down the north wing passage, Artemis side by side with him and the pony.

Artemis tried to talk to the alien, but it didn't understand her, and neither could Artemis parse the pony's word. This confused the wolf. "Hey, Dad. I think this pony is broken."

Neil laughed. "Just because she can't understand you doesn't mean she's broken, Artemis."

She insisted, "But, Zecora understood! She didn't use that cloud in a jar on me."

Neil hadn't thought about it until Artemis said something. She was absolutely right. That is strange. "Huh. I guess when we get back home, we can ask her about that."

"Okay. I guess she's just special." Artemis looked to the pink pony. "Sorry you're not special, friend."

Artemis is such a savage when it came to speaking her mind honestly. Neil face palmed.

At the front gate in the northern wing, Neil opened it and let the pink pony walk out. Artemis peeked out to watch. 

The pony smiled and waved bye. 

Neil and Artemis waved back before closing the gate.

Neil shrugged. "That was random."

"Yeah." Artemis walked away from the door with Dad back to the courtyard. "She was sweet, though. How'd you find her anyway?"

"One of those giant spiders I told you about almost had her for lunch."

That made the wolf's bark crawl. "Ugh, I hope you squashed it."

Neil shrugged. "I dunno about squashed, but it's certainly dead. I think it was the only one too."

They walked back to the courtyard, where the two stood deciding if they should explore anymore, when the corner of Neil's vision spied the outline of a timberwolf on the ruin's crumbling walls, glowing eyes looking down on them both.

"Up high!" Neil pointed at it.

It was too high for Artemis to smell in this low draft. Damn. It caught her off guard.

The beast ran to the north wing, jumping from walls and rubble heaps.

"Let's get 'em!" Artemis bolted after it.

Neil went after her. He tried to shoot the thing with his bow, but it was too fast. It jumped down from the ruin and towards the Everfree.

Artemis growled. "No!" 

Neil opened the gate and they both watched the scout report to Scar in the far distance. The rest of her warband surrounded her.

So much for phase three. The hunter gripped his bow tightly, teeth gritting and jaw taught. He couldn't see in detail at such a ways off, but he knew Scar was staring right back. Their fears of being discovered before they were ready came true. Neil had no one to blame but himself. "I'm a fool. You were right, girl. Scouting was a mistake."

"I recall we both agreed to it." Artemis bared her teeth at her distant enemy. "This means we don't have to wait anymore. That's fine with me."

Just as Neil thought they would attack, Scar left, taking her warband into the forest.

"She's leaving." Artemis asked, "Why is Scar not attacking?" 

"She?" Dad looked to her, this whole time he's called Scar a he.

"Yeah, Scar's a she." Artemis tilted her head at him. He didn't know?

"No, I thought... well, it doesn't matter." Neil had no clue why Scar left. He didn't like it. "Let's close the passage and prepare."

"Right!"

Neil set fire the large wooden beams holding the rest of the passage up at the point were the left turn had collapsed. The right passage soon caved in, sealing off the north wing from the rest of the castle.

Neil and Artemis prepped every part of their defenses for the coming assault. They took turns resting and keeping watch as the night passed on quietly, too quietly.






Day Six: Battle of the Three Monsters


Rain, of course it had to rain; not a drizzle, or an even shower, but a drenching down pour. The darkness came early on the evening of the sixth day. The gloom of the overburdened sky suffocated what remained of the daylight. Sheets of fat rain soaked Neil and Artemis as they peered over the parapet into the clearing. The distant rope bridge swayed in the whistling winds, and thunder cracked above, illuminating the shadows over the cold battlefield. 

Neil shivered in the cold, but he dared not take his eyes away from the far treeline. Each thunder clap revealed an empty land scape for a second before being veiled again by night, each heartbeat of brilliant light betrayed only nothing. That is, until nothing became something, something thirsting for blood, a moment revealed by lightning in the darkness of the storm. Neil just waited. Soon, they would come. They had to. The moment was too perfect.

Artemis could always rely on her sense of smell, her natural gift of sight in the dark, and her sharp hearing. But, tonight pushed her talents to their limit. The scent of the sky was everywhere. The musk of wet earth was intoxicating in the worst possible way and conceivable time. The rain was so thick her night vision was useless at a distance. She struggled to see anything without the lightning, and couldn't ignore the bias clogging her nose. The rain's constant patter on the ground filled her ears, further dulling the world around her. She was effectively as limited as Dad in this hellish storm. Now she understood what it was like to have a human's senses, and it genuinely terrified her. How was father able to live like this? But, he had, all this time, through everything. Her respect for him grew even stronger.

A lightning flash illuminated the field. Neil saw them: timberwolves lumbering out the treeline. Scar's finally making her move. Neil gripped his spear tight. "See them?"

Artemis nodded. "Yeah. Wait, something's not right."

Neil saw what she meant. There were supposed to be only 13 wolves, right? Yet, more and more marched from the treeline. Neil's breathing quickened and his eyes widened on instinct. Was this some trick of the storm? It couldn't be real. "Do you see more than thirteen too?"

Artemis whimpered. "I was hoping it was my imagination."

"Damn it." Neil scowled. Dozens were pouring out in waves. Mother of god. There has to be fifty of them at least! Scar must've called in all forces. Just what is she to all those wolves? How can one wolf command so many? They can't all be from the same pack, could they? Regardless, once again Scar pulled another surprise the human didn't see coming.

Artemis didn't scare easy, but seeing each lightning clap reveal wave after wave of hostiles emerging from the forest put knots in her wooden belly. The number likely stood now beyond seventy. "Dad, we built our plan, the defenses, everything, around what we've been fighting so far."

"I know."

She considered her father. His undisturbed mettle renewed her confidence, but she asked anyway. "Plan b?"

"Maybe. But, not yet. That's the last resort."

She understood.

Neil came up with a way to slow them down, but he had to act quickly. He rose and told Artemis to follow him, then ran with her out into the field before stopping at their side of the bridge.

When Scar and her army approached on the other side. Neil saw the lone wolf standing at the head of the horde. She stared right at him. Lightning revealed her scarred eye in the distance. The human felt the heat of her disdain within it. Actually, the entire horde shared the hate with their savage eyes. Apparently, piss off one symbiont and the rest want you dead forever.

Well, they're about to hate him even more and Neil couldn't care less. Drawing his sword, the warrior cut the ropes with two wide swipes. The bridge held to its last ropes for a moment; but, they were too weakened by time and the bridge broke. It fell to the other side, cutting off all access to the castle heap from the northern approach. 

Artemis snorted.  She held a paw up to her mouth. "Ha ha! You can't fly!"

Neil smirked and crossed his arms. He was about to leave Scar, for she would have to go around to the east and attack from there now, which would take a day at least, but he stopped. The horrible things he saw on their end of the ravine would've put him in a cold sweat if not for the rain.

His daughter saw it too, and she ceased mocking the flightless timberwolves. Her jaw slacked open in disbelief and terror.

Certainly, they can't fly; but, somehow, in some unholy fashion, they can grow. Neil and Artemis watched the seventy plus wolves combine into a monstrous timberwolf giant! The gigantic timberwolf roared, the gust from it pelting both the human and his wolf.

Scrambling to run, the two survivors broke for the castle as the timberwolf combine hopped to the other side of the ravine. It almost fell off, but clawed its way over the soggy edge and lumbered toward the defenses, each step shaking the muddy ground.

"Did you know you can do that?" Neil asked Artemis.

While running for life and limb, Artemis turned her head and looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you kidding me?! No! That's some scary shit!"

"You got that right! Run faster!"

Once they made it to the parapet, Neil and Artemis prepared the battlements by lighting all the fuel sources for the fire arrows and torches. The lightning now illuminated a hulking monstrosity in the closing distance. Neil recalled thinking that Scar would need a siege engine to break into the castle. Well, now she is the fucking siege engine!

Thankfully, the soaked soil was too slippery for the massive beast to sprint to the castle. It had to move at a steady pace. However, some wolves broke off from the combine and it shrunk just a little. A forward contingent of thirteen wolves ran ahead to assail the parapet, no doubt to distract and draw fire so the combine could smash through the gate unmolested.

Neil marveled at the timberwolf's grasp of tactics. Truly it was Equestria's apex predator. However, Equestria doesn't have humans, save for one. So far, the war had been a stalemate. Tonight, the true apex predator of the continent would be decided. Neil was about to show them just how much of a monster he can be. Maybe then the other monsters here will finally know to leave him alone.

"Artemis, just keep the oil and arrows flowing." Neil placed an arrow on his bow string.

"Got it!" She ran down the platform to the stock pile.

The towering combine lumbered on in the down pour as the forward force reached the two leg's defenses. 

The human took aim and let fly his first of many arrows. This war bow made a mockery of his handmade bow, and the force of the missile sent a timberwolf rolling down the slippery parapet. The rest redoubled their efforts and climbed faster. With practiced accuracy, Neil sent each of the closest wolves tumbling down to meet their recovering brethren at the bottom.

One wolf at the bottom stood behind to pull the arrows out of each before they tried climbing again. What? Did... did his battle with Scar at the strangle hedges teach them the concept of having a medic? Christ. Neil shook his head and kept firing.

Then, the wolves changed tactics and moved up in one close packed box, three rows of four wolves. Neil hit the left one in the front, and the wolf in the second row helped it take the blow and resume climbing! Uh oh. This could be trouble. So, he tried shooting two quick shots. Holding two arrows in one hand, he shot the same wolf again with both rapidly. But, again, the box formation prevented it from falling down. 

The timberwolves were gaining ground and they knew it. Glaring up at the human, they snarled and bared their teeth, savoring the minutes left in the climb before tearing the two legs apart.

Neil saw the gigantic combine was almost at the gate. Time's almost up. Alright, time to change ammo. Neil yelled at Artemis to bring up more fire arrows as he took an arrow wrapped in cloth from an oil pot. Lighting it in the blazing brazier next to him, soaked to the bone in the unforgiving rain, dark long soiled hair stuck to his dirty angry face, Neil took aim with the flaming arrow. The snarls ceased. He saw fear swallow their confidence. Baring his teeth at them in turn, he snarled loud enough so they could hear. "Suck on this."

The fire arrow stuck in the middle timberwolf. Howling in horror of the fire stick in its body, it reared up then bounced down the parapet to dive in a puddle. The other wolves were disorganized by this and Neil let a hail storm of fire arrows down range. Chaos erupted in their advance. Some jumped down, others ran, most stumbled and fell down in comical fashion, but they all retreated from the crazy thing shooting fire at them.

The timberwolves below put out the fire sticks and realized for themselves the two legs wasn't merely some freakish creature, but a fire wielding monster. Alpha was right: everyone was needed to slay this horrible thing. Maybe, they should've brought in some of the other clans as well? Too late now.

Neil saw them hesitate to try again. Good.

Artemis arrived with more fire arrows and placed the bag next to him, then she saw the lightning illuminate the combine. "Dad, up high!"

Neil looked up and saw the combine was at the gate. The towering monstrosity announced itself by slamming into the gate with such force it nearly knocked the survivors off their platform. Regaining his stance, and seeing the wolves below were climbing up the parapet again, Neil kicked the oil pot and shot a fire arrow into the slick. It set the parapet ablaze. He planned on the slick cutting the hill off for a while, but he didn't plan for the rain. It turned the parapet to a water slide which took the burning oil down with it.

Damn it! That'll buy him minutes only. They're going to try again once the oil washes down to burn harmlessly.

Neil lead Artemis to the courtyard before the shaking gate. They poured pots full of thick black lamp oil all over the entrance. The rain actually helped distribute it. The timberwolf combine smashed into the gate savagely. As strong and masterfully crafted as the portal was, its age finally caught up to it. It splintered and buckled more with every brutal blow. The timber supports split and shattered.

"The gate's done for!" Artemis prepared herself.

Neil merely knocked his flaming arrow and aimed. 

The gate shattered open, both doors swinging ajar with such force splinters showered over the courtyard.

Neil waited for the wolves from the parapet to pour in. He shot the fire arrow into the oil slick. And those snarling beasts were running right through it. The fire caught the fuming oil alight in seconds, bathing the entrance in a black smoking firestorm. 

The timberwolves caught in the blaze didn't suffer it for long; those outside of it watched on, confused and terrified. They've never seen fire behave like that before.

Some part of Artemis felt sorry for them. But, the rest of her felt it was their fault for hunting Dad in the first place. Still, it wasn't pleasant to watch.  

Neil didn't count how many were caught in the trap, and he hardly cared to. Neil thought the fire would keep the enemy at bay. He turned to leave the courtyard and move into the halls, when the hairs on his neck raised. He turned to see the combine walk fearlessly through the fire! It stepped into and over the burning oil. Setting down a blazing hulking paw, it held the paw up to see it burning.

Neil watched on, disturbed and terrified, as the flaming oil began to slide off the wolf's bark, leaving it undamaged! Huh?! Neil's eyes bulged. How is it rejecting the oil like that?

Artemis knew how. "The wolves are secreting all the water they drank from the rain to wash the oil off!"

Neil looked to her in awe. "What?! You can do that?"

"If we drink too much, yeah." She showed him by pushing some water out her paw. 

Why didn't the ones on the parapet do it, or at the gate? Neil wondered as the combine extinguished itself.

Artemis felt bad for not telling him before the battle. "Sorry, Dad. I just learned this like two days ago. I didn't think-"

He waved her off. "Never mind it! Just run!" They sprinted toward the ancient halls. That thing may have broken in, but it can't follow them into the narrow corridor. Scar's numbers will mean little there as well. They must get to the turrets! "Remember where the traps are?"

"Yeah!" Artemis ran with Neil to the halls, when they heard something massive scrape its claws on the crumbling walls above the entrance to the hallway.

Neil glanced up and saw two large murder orbs staring swords into his eyes, and lightning revealed the horrible patch work beast. Patches! It looked like the manticore took a page from Scar's book and used her to soften things up first.

Patches lept down and stood in the way, but a group of timberwolves jumped from the combine, ran around the two survivors, and immediately attacked Patches. The boy would've laughed if he wasn't too busy trying to stay alive. Clearly, Scar and Patches were still in fierce competition over who gets to kill him.

Patches howled and swatted the wolves away like flies, but there was always another in his way. This is getting ridiculous. The two legs would be a stain on the ground by now if these insects weren't always in the way. Fine, the beast didn't mind dessert before dinner. With one wide sweep of his paw, Patches cleared four wolves from his path, sending them flying and shattering on the stone walls. Pathetic. Then, he saw the combine try to squash his kill trying to escape by him. Nope. The manticore lept to stop it while carrying seven featherweight wolves on his back, all biting him harmlessly.

Neil and Artemis dived away, dodging the massive wooden paw that slammed into the stone floor where they once stood. Phew. That was too close. He saw Patches fly right into the combine's face and bury his stinger in its eye. Ouch. Neil escaped with Artemis into the hall while the two titans fought.

Standing at their positions in the hall, Neil primed the bow turrets, and waited for the assault; but, nothing came. Instead, he watched Patches in the distance fight the timberwolves with scary efficiency. Several times he was knocked down and slammed into the castle heap's structure, and took each blow like a sponge. Can anything hurt that nightmare on legs? 

Patches did the unthinkable and began beating the combine, despite it being twice his size! He wound up his paw, and hit the timberwolf construct so hard in the face it fell over to the side, shaking the ground on impact. With his mouth, Patches started tearing parts off the wooden titan's head and tossing them away. Scores of timberwolves by the dozens materialized out of the battered combine's heap and swarmed the Terror of the Everfree like ants on a lion.

One by one, Patches merely grabbed a wolf and swashed its head like an ant. Neil and Artemis watched on with mouths agape at this brutal display. The two also noticed the wolves Patches dispatched didn't get back up.

Neil learned that fire wasn't the sole weakness of the timberwolves. Having their head destroyed was another way to kill them. 

Sickened by this, Artemis conscientiously touched her head with a paw. Yikes.

Neil's body tensed as Patches started his way down the hall to them. Still fighting some twenty plus wolves with each step, the beast practically dragged them down the darkening corridor. 

Having survived in this hell hole for six weeks, few things truly scared the human anymore; but, that manticore inspired genuine fear in Neil, the kind of fear a child feels after waking up in the night to a strange noise, only to notice his closet door slightly open and the black nothing inside staring back. But, what's staring at Neil wasn't nothing; it was far worse. The abyss was a friend by comparison.

His heart pounding in his ears, Neil aimed the turret and fired. The arrow sung in the air and struck Patches. He grunted at the stinging pain as the steel head buried itself in his tough hide. Neil fired the next shot, but the undulating mob of timberwolves still trying to fight Patches got in the way, and a wolf took the arrow instead. 

Patches noticed this and grabbed a wolf as he advanced. He held the poor thing up in the path of Neil's third shot, then tossed the symbiont away like a soiled rag.

Mother of god! He's using the wolves like armor!

Artemis couldn't believe it.

Neil cursed when the next victim of Patches was tossed aside, having taken the last arrow of this turret. Aiming his bow, Neil shot the hanging pots of lamp oil with a flaming arrow. The pot burst into flames, and probably would've lit Patches on fire, if it weren't for the timberwolves in the way. They secreted water and the oil slicked off, left to burn harmlessly in the corners of the hall. 

Fuck.

The survivors abandoned their position and moved to the next one further down the hall, as the chasing manticore activated and shrugged off every trap. He even squashed a few more wolves in tow just to keep things flowing.

Neil shot at Patches some more, to much the same effect as before. And for the next set of turrets and traps this continued. Patches barely lost a step. Were it not for the dozens of symbionts dragging on him, slowing him down, his speed would've been much greater.

The wolves bit, and raked their claws all over Patches. Save for his nose and ears, he barely felt their attacks. They were more of an annoyance than anything.

Neil emptied the last turret and broke for the trap door to the lower levels with Artemis. Closing the rotten doors, they ran down the sconce lit corridor to the final set of defenses.

The last two bow turrets stood side by side at the end of the hall. There were only two paths left to take: the right hall went to the armory, a dead end. The other path lead to the cellar. More than likely plan b was unavoidable. Both Artemis and Neil knew this.

Still, Neil took one turret and gestured to the other. "Get that one. Remember how to work it?"

"I do." She stood on her hind legs and made sure it was pointed right. It was. All she had to do was press the latches holding the strings back to fire. Easy.

Neil hasn't seen Scar for a while now. Where is she?

Artemis shared his observation. "Dad, I haven't seen Scar. Think Patches got her?"

"It's hard to say, kiddo. I doubt it, though." The warrior lit the arrows on each turret and then Patches finally squeezed down the stairs. Few wolves were on him now, most remained behind. They knew they couldn't stop him. His speed down the hall was frightening now.

"Fire!" Neil commanded and let the manticore have it along with Artemis.

The twelve fire arrows stuck to Patches actually had some effect: he stopped to pull them off.

Just as planned. Neil shot the oil bottles above Patches with his bow, setting that part of the hall alight.

"Ha!" Artemis growled in satisfaction. Burn monster.

Neil saw the flames stick to the manticore and heard him howl.

But, the beast didn't die. He set his eyes on the human, then charged forward as fast as his size allowed him in the cramped corridor.

The murder train has no breaks, and now it's on fire like the devil had blessed its bloody voyage. It wouldn't die before taking the two legs with it.

Artemis screamed and the color drained from Neil's face. They ran for their lives as Patches' blazing form slammed against the corridor wall after making a hard left turn. The smell of searing flesh and burnt hair filled their noses as the beast chased them with terrible bloodthirst and abandon. Can anything stop Patches? Is he even mortal?

And, to add fuel to the literal hellstorm behind them, Neil saw water pouring down from a crack in the ceiling, a thick sheet of water. Oh no. He knew that would wash the fire off Patches. 

"You've got to be kidding!" Artemis cursed their luck.

They ran through the water and heard the hiss behind as Patches put himself out before resuming the chase.

The cellar was separated from the hall by a set of large wooden doors. The survivors slammed the doors shut together and Neil barred it with an old but intact wooden beam. The door shuttered as Patches slammed into it from the other side.

Artemis looked around, and she was afraid. They were trapped, cut off from escape, all except the nigh suicidal alternative that both warriors dreaded to use.  If there was ever a time to say it, now that Dad had the ears to listen, it was now. Artemis looked to her battle worn father at her side. "Dad?" 

He glanced down to her. "Yeah?"

She took in his disheveled and filthy appearance, but those kind, strong eyes remained the same. She will never forget those eyes. "In case this is our last moment together, I have to say something."

Neil's eyes darted to the breaking barricade. The timberwolves must've caught up to Patches somehow, despite the fire. He heard the beast fighting them and trying to break in at the same time, which slowed Patches down. Gripping his spear tighter, Neil considered his alien daughter again.

"You might know this already, but I haven't told you. You are my family, my pack, my center, and the best thing that's ever happened to me." Artemis gazed at him with the most sincere look she could muster. "You helped me become what I am. No matter what, if we live or die," she blinked slow and long as trails of luminescent sap flowed from her closed glowing soft green eyes, "I love you forever, Dad."

Now he knew what that slow blink meant. That moved Neil in places deeper than he knew he possessed. The human fought the urge to cry, as such beauty would demand. There would be time to cry later. He blinked back, letting go the sole two streaks of water that cut clean streaks down his dirty face. "I love you forever, my daughter." He smiled to her as the wooden beam holding the door cracked. "We won't die. We will live. It's us versus the world."

Artemis growled as she readied herself after Patches pounded the wooden door again. "It doesn't stand a chance!"

Artemis heard a growl from behind.

She looked back and saw an all too familiar glowing scarred eye upon her.

Neil turned and cursed, seeing Scar and two other wolves at her sides standing behind them. So, knowing this spot would be their last stand, she's been waiting down here for the entire siege? The boy didn't question it, considering how cunning this foe was. "Artemis, can you translate for me?"

"Oh yeah."

"Good." He pointed his steel spear at the wolf, grinning at her deathly glare. "I'm actually disappointed, Scar. No killer hedges, not one trap, not even a banana peel to trip on? Just you and two casualties? You've lost your touch."

Artemis happily told Scar this.

Scar's gaze didn't avert from Neil. "Cute." She lunged with her groupies. 

Artemis and Neil engaged in kind as the door behind was nearly smashed in. 

Artemis dealt with the two other wolves. She was bigger than at the strangle hedges, stronger too. Yet, these wolves were better than the ones she fought before. Clearly Scar brought her two best for this mission. They got more than a few hits in and kept Artemis fully occupied.

Neil traded blows with Scar, who kept up with him with every step. She's learning his moves and was harder to hit. Scar drew close enough to bite the spear handle near his supporting hand. The wolf ripped the spear from his grasp and tossed it away, where it clanked by the drain across the cellar.

Back handing Scar's biting face away, Neil drew his sword. Now the tables turned. Scar's never seen a sword before, and each swing sent her reeling back to avoid its edge. Neil was no swordsman, but he knew to slash with the momentum to keep the blade flowing into the next attack. Scar kept dodging and snapping at him. Annoyed, Neil yelled, "Stay still, mongrel!" Finally, his weapon made contact and off went Scar's head. 

Artemis also won on her end after knocking off the heads of her two foes. 

In three heaps the enemy lied defeated, three now regenerating heaps.

Exacerbated by this, Neil and Artemis sighed, then prepared for round two. However, to their surprise, the heap joined together in front of Neil. 

His eyes widened at Scar reformed, renewed with the added power of the other two. Combine Scar stood a head taller than him and three times as built.

"Give me a break." Not the best choice of words, because Scar swatted Neil so hard he flew and crashed into the rotting wine shelves. It crumbled on impact, sending up a foul dust plume.

Artemis rushed in to cover Dad, but Scar plucked her from the floor like a fruit and threw her against the wall so hard she flew apart.

In a daze and vision blurred, Neil scrambled to stand in the splintered filthy heap he crashed into. A horrible pain raced up his leg as the world turned upside down. Scar had his leg in her mouth and she threw him across the room. Spinning in midair like a tossed frisbee, Neil crashed into the cobble wall like a racket ball. Black and blue dots filled his blurred vision and he felt faint. His mouth tasted like pennies after coughing up blood. It was suddenly harder to breathe.

Combine Scar regarded her crumbing foe coldly. She pressed her paw harder into his chest, intent on smothering his breath in such a way it would take a little longer than necessary. This is for everything you've put us through, monster. Scar bared her teeth, savoring sweet assured victory.

Suddenly, Scar's eyes widened in terror as a fiery pain bit her in the rear. Looking back, she beheld a fire arrow stuck in her hindquarters! Yelping, the large killer beast left her kill and frantically tried to put her butt out!

"Dad!" Artemis didn't know how long that would distract Scar, and quickly helped Dad up by pulling his collar. "Get up!"

Neil stood, weakened, shaky, and heaving for breath now that he could breathe. With clearing vision, the boy beheld a most unusual and frankly hilarious sight. Scar was scooting her butt on the cobble floor like a dog with worms, only it was a different fiery sensation she was trying to extinguish.

He regarded his daughter standing to the right with a raised eye brow. She looked up to him.

She giggled.

He giggled.

They both burst out laughing after Scar's second pass across the room. It was too absurd.

Scar's anger was palatable after dealing with her burning tail. Her eyes would've shot lasers if that were possible. How dare they? She seethed, embarrassed, and shaking with rage. How dare they laugh? Fully intent on chewing Neil's face off this time, she'd give them no more chances and attacked.

The two survivors took on Combine Scar together. Neil with his sword and Artemis with her paws of stone. Alone, face to face, neither stood much of a match for Scar in this form. But, as a team, they pushed Scar back. For every blow Scar reared to make, one or the other would attack and defend. She couldn't hit one without the other punishing her for it.

Scar tried to rip the sword from the human's grasp, but Artemis was quick with a nasty jab that sent the combine off balance. Scar couldn't believe how hard that wolf hit. Neil cut Scar's leg at the joint, sending her crumbling to her knees. Together, the team kicked Scar, sending her tumbling into the barred door.

When she recovered, Scar saw both Neil and Artemis retreating to the oil stockpile. Her instincts were screaming to look back. She did, just in time for the shattered doors to finally burst open. Patches came rushing in. Now she was the one tossed aside like a frisbee. The wolves on the other side of the door poured in by the dozens and continued to harass Patches. 

First, their efforts were cute, then boring, then annoying, now they're really starting to piss the beast off.

Now the clusterfuck had smashed its way into the cellar, and Neil found himself just yards away from being sucked into it. Either he got his throat ripped out by Scar, or turned into a stain by Patches. Getting stuck in wasn't an option. Running through meant the same, so going back the way they came to escape wasn't an option. Only one choice remained, plan b, and he cursed.

Plan b was the bat shit insane idea to set the oil stock on fire and escape down the drain pipe. First, it's a horrible idea because the stockpile could simply explode right there, killing anything in the cellar. Second, Neil didn't know where the drain pipe went to daylight. It might spit them into the ravine for all he knew. Artemis would survive, but he would be a nice pulverized stain on some rocks. But, it could also lead them to safety. 

Honestly, a 1% chance of living is better than a 100% chance of dying. "Shit. Kiddo, we have to ride the pipe."

"Already on it!" She held up a flaming arrow to him, then ran over to the drain cover.

Neil watched the two monsters savagely maul each other for the right to maul him. Cold sweat beading on Neil's head, he held the flaming arrow over the massive stock of ancient oil barrels. God, we don't talk very much; but, uh, I mention your mom a lot. Sorry about that. I swear I'll stop if we survive this. Deal? 

Best. Prayer. Ever.

"Do it, Dad!!"

Neil let the arrow go and ran for his life as the barrels were engulfed in a firestorm. The oil slicks leaking from the pile spread the flames everywhere, turning the cellar into something like the pit of Gehenna. Timberwolves shrieked and scrambled to escape out the shattered door, but the fires were too voracious. It devoured the lower castle's foundations like a thirsting demon.

Neil and Artemis pulled the gate ajar and dove into the pipe. They rode down the slick darkness for a while. The survivors saw daylight and the tube spat them out into a deep pool. Neil rose to the surface and yelled to swim for it. It's a miracle it took this long already. Perhaps, maybe even divine intervention? Sure enough, halfway to dry land, the stone drain exploded like a rifle barrel. The castle heap way off in the distance bellowed with thick black smoke.

Fresh water filled with fish began pouring out the damaged drain pipe. Looks like the water source under the castle was let loose.

Neil crawled to shore with Artemis and they collapsed to rest for a spell. They were still alive. Thank god. Neil would keep his end of the deal.

"Phew!" Artemis smiled a big tired grin. "We did it!"

Neil held his bruised fist up to her.

She bumped it and they made an explosion noise while splaying out their fingers. 

"Great job, kiddo. Proud of ya."

"I'm proud of us both! That was amazing."

"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." He recalled the only passage from that book he cared to remember. It seemed appropriate.

Artemis was the first to look around the new place the pipe ejected them into. "Where are we? Everything's all soggy." A foul smell hit her nose, like perpetual rot and mildew. "Yuck, smells here too!" She held her paw up, pointing to the clearing sky. "At least the storm's over."

Neil inspected the environment and knew immediately where they were. "We're clearly in a swamp. That's better than a ravine, if only because you don't immediately fall and die."

"How do we get home now?" She sniffed the air, trying to detect anything beyond the bog, but it was pointless. "I can't smell anything but stink. Great."

Neil figured they could be stuck in this bog for a while, so they will camp here and rest for tonight. He was something beyond exhausted, and everything hurt, breathing, moving. "We'll figure it out tomorrow. Let's rest."

"Sure." Man, Dad looks rough, but he was still alive. They survived the battle, and they will survive this foul swamp. Artemis looked around. "I'll find someplace dry."

The two battered warriors found refuge in the bog. A drier place by a weeping willow gave them a spot to bed down for the night. Neil rested his head on a moss patch and relaxed with Artemis next to him.

"Night, Dad," she whispered.

"Night, girl." But, before he closed his eyes, Neil looked up to the brilliant moon above, and saw a breath taking Lunar anomaly: his name was written on its surface. It seemed Luna had provided the evidence she promised. But, that has to be wrong. She can't do that, right? This further complicated Neil's take on how things worked on this planet. How is that possible?

Tiredness prevailed over shock, as his eyes grew too heavy. He finally went to sleep. For the first time in weeks, Neil broke his rule. He slept deep, deep enough to dream. Maybe he'll get to ask Luna himself?