“So, we’re back in Sa Pass.” Trouse says quietly as the group hops over the flowers that can only be seen by closing your eyes, riding on Gole’s back, who can jump much farther than she could ten years ago.
They gaze around at the large, green pine trees, thickly growing together with a sort of wild and untamed feel to them.
“It’s as though the poison never reached here.” Thee says quietly and Trouse murmurs in agreement.
Suddenly, an enormous tree branch comes into view, its thick branches extending out over the forest, providing a vast, leafy canopy to shade the forest and Gole stares at it in awe.
“That is the biggest tree I have ever seen.” She says in astonishment and Poole scoffs,
“Yes, you’ve seen it before. Only last time you couldn’t have cared less about it.”
“Wait, what about the alterna guard? I remember them from last time. We need to find shelter before they come after us. I’m sure they’ve already smelt us or heard us by now.” Teemu says worriedly.
“That I have, actually.” A voice says from above the group and they all look up as a shadow falls over them.
“Nobody do anything.” Thee cautions as he stops moving and the rest stop moving as well.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Gole and her companions. I see the girl doub is no longer a prisoner, although you’ve lost a few members.” Ahe remarks, casually glancing down at the group.
Gole glares up at the giant alterna suspiciously and demands,
“Who are you, and how do you know my name?”
Ahe looks mildly surprised,
“You don’t remember your Uncle Ahe? It has only been ten years since I banished you last. I’m afraid since you’ve all returned, I’m going to have to step on you.”
“I have a terrible uncle.” Gole remarks and Ahe sighs loudly before he lifts a foot to step on the group.
“Run!” Teemu whispers and the group races for the giant branch of the enormous tree and zips into a hole in a branch touching the ground.
They run through the hollow branch as it slopes upwards until they suddenly reach the end of the branch and fall into a stream of clear water, tumbling along the inside of the tree between the smooth, solid wood of the tree’s core and the circular-patterned bark. The stream winds through the tree and carries the struggling group for several minutes.
Finally, the stream bursts out into a large pool of perfectly clear water. A large piece of bark floats in the center of the pool and the group swims over to it. They exhaustedly climb onto it and it’s only a moment before Trouse looks at the water and exclaims,
“Wait! This is pure, fresh, water!”
The others quickly sit up and look around at each other.
“It is! It really is!” Poole exclaims and Thee frowns,
“What is purifying the water?”
“It must be the bark! Oh, if we could just get back to the Strange Lands with this bark and put it in the Bronze Spire!” Poole exclaims longingly and Teemu looks to Trouse.
“Trouse and I could, actually. I could teleport us there and we could put the bark in the bowl of the Bronze Spire and Trouse could teleport us back. It will require much energy, however.”
“Do it. We have to cure Nearth before things get even worse.” Poole says and Trouse and Teemu glance at each other.
Teemu breaks off a piece of bark and takes Trouse’s hand. Then she closes her eyes and extends her elbow. Immediately, the two are standing on top of the Bronze Spire.
Before them sits a black bowl of sludge and Trouse looks to the exhausted Teemu. She nods and he gently sets the bark in the bowl. The poison instantly begins to clear and the bowl bursts forth with an unlimited amount of clear water, clearing up the sludge as it touches it. Teemu falls to her knees and Trouse pulls the exhausted doub back to her feet.
“Come on, Teemu, let’s go home.” He says, wrapping his arms around her.
“Why don’t you stay awhile?” A voice caught between the voice of a human and the bark of a dog sneers.
Trouse turns to see a creature that looks like a human and a dog combined. It has human hair, with a dog face, and a human neck. It has dog legs and walks on all fours. It has a human body with a dog tail and it bares its sharp canines at the two doubs,
“Oh, she looks so tired.” Another voice, like the meow of a cat combined with the giggle of an elf chimes in and a cat-elf creature leaps up beside the dog-human.
It has the ears of a cat with the youthful face of an elf and the furry neck of a cat. Its body is that of a cat and it has human arms. Where there should be hands, there are paws and it is clothed in fur pelts.
“Leave us alone.” Trouse orders as he draws Teemu away from them, closer to him.
The dog-human races at him. With a flick of his finger, Trouse shoots the creature off the spire and the cat-elf watches idly as it falls.
“Verdues.” It chuckles hollowly and Trouse points his finger at it as well.
“Don’t worry, I’m going, I’m going. Terror won’t get near this pretty spire while we’re guarding it, however. You, on the other hand, are not from Terror, so you may be near it.” The creature assures Trouse and he furrows his eyebrows,
“What?” He asks and the creature shrugs,
“Verdues and uticales, that’s what we are. We were created by Terror, who tortured and merged two different creatures together. Now we guard the Spire so he cannot touch this water ever again.”
It replies before it slides down the Spire’s sheer walls and Trouse helps Teemu walk to the edge to look.
All around the Spire are stone houses and the strange creatures swarming about. A massive stone wall encircles the entire community.
“It seems Terror made too many enemies, finally.” Trouse remarks and Teemu nods tiredly.
For a moment, the two watch as the clean water flows in the distance and the sludge dissolves into nothingness. Then Teemu leans her head on Trouse’s shoulder and kisses his cheek.
“Ten years after being held captive by you and your friends, you’ve taken my heart captive too.” She says, smiling weakly and Trouse smiles at her, blushing slightly.
“That took a long time.”
They kiss and then lock hands.
“Ready for the return trip?” He asks and Teemu nods.