Crawworth Expedition – Day 9
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Title: Crawworth Expedition - Day 9
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We couldn't get much farther away from the spiders with CrawWorth in the condition that he was in. We made our way as far as we could. We slept that night with no watch, as none of the three of us could stay awake for very long. We were exhausted.
CrawWorth slept the latest, and by the time he woke both Dresler and I were packed up and ready to begin moving.
This would have to wait though, as soon we were surrounded by the Ophidians. Their slithering voices appeared all around us, and moved past us as they headed towards the Spiders.
CrawWorth was amazed at their concentration on the enemy, as they paid us no mind whatsoever. Finally, his curiosity getting the better of him, CrawWorth followed them towards the clearing. Dresler and I tagged along reluctantly.
As we got nearer we could hear chanting. The voices of the spiders are indescribably beautiful. A mixture of pure symmetry and harmony. As we neared the clearing the chanting stopped.
And then, as suddenly as the sun appears in the morning sky, the Terrathan's and the Ophidian's began their war. For one perfect second their was nothing but clear skies and the noiseless beauty of nature. And then metal rang out against metal and the shrieks and hisses of the Ophidians mixed and mingled with the barks and harsh cries of the Terrathans.
The three of us were swept away in a tide of fighting snakes and spiders, and soon we found ourselves running towards a beach. The water seemed a safe place to be at the moment, and fortunately their appeared to be an abandoned ship sitting off to one side. CrawWorth pointed towards it and shouted smoething I didn't understand, but the three of us turned as one in the direction of the boat.
Dresler started falling behind, and at some point he shoved his maps into my hand. I turned to ask why and he fell to the ground, an arrow protruding from his back.
Both the Ophidians and the Terrathans were looking our way now, and CrawWorth and I barely made our way to the ship as both groups, still fighting incessantly among themselves, moved to attack us. CrawWorth got the ship into the water though I'll never know how. As we drifted away with the current they seemed to forget us again and reengaged in their war of wars. We sailed for many hours with no tillerman, no oars, and no wind to move us along. We drifted wherever the current carried us, and after a while it occurred to us that we could no longer see the land.
CrawWorth was apparently feeling better as he splashed some of the cold water into his face and glanced around at our predicament.
We were feeling desperate when we saw the shape in the distance. A huge black spire looming out of the ocean. And now there were two of them. Perfect twins they were. Black pillars with huge silver snakes curled around them in decoration. I was almost sure from a distance that the serpents were alive, but as we got closer we discovered that they were just metal carved around the black stone pillars.
We drifted towards them slowly and I turned to ask CrawWorth what they were. Poor, poor CrawWorth. He lay on his back, his eyes staring blankly at the sky. I crawled over next to him and he glanced at me, then tried vainly to turn his head. He grimaced as I touched him and mumbled something about his leg. It was then that I noticed the bolt.
Sticking straight out from the calf. I reached down and yanked on it with all my might, cutting myself in the process, and watching revolted as a sickly green fluid came gushing out of the wound.
I leaned in close to CrawWorth, knowing somehow that he would soon die. I hugged him, and straightened him up in the boat. I leaned closer to him, tears flowing down my face. He smiled and said, almost inaudibly, "a kiss". I kissed him then, and held him tight as he died in my arms. My face was surely a perfect study in agony, as I realized for the first time that I was the sole survivor of this mission. This journey of discovery had become a journey of death.
I watched as the boat sailed between the serpent pillars, and was amazed at the change that occurred all around me. The very sky changed colors, and suddenly I could see the sun again. I laughed through my tears as the familiar smells of Britannia wafted towards me. I passed out then, though from exhaustion, or ecstacy, or sorrow I could not say.
When I awoke I was in the Bay of Britain. As my ship sailed towards the docks a crowd gathered. When news of who I was made it's way to the center of the city, a group of Virtue guards arrived to escort me to see Lord British.
I could feel the poison from the bolt then. It was working it's way into my blood already. I don't know if the bolt was Ophidian or Terrathan. At some point I threw it out of the ship. When I meet with Lord British I shall give him this last journal entry. So that all may know of the braveness of CrawWorth, and all the others who traveled with us.
I loved him. And soon we shall be together. I write my final words.....