Fishing Cauldron Shards

Chapter 170: Fishing Cauldron Shards

The next day, it was still raining.

Even long after everyone woke up and left the wooden cabin, it was still raining. Junk, September, April, and Gill were traveling together in the more dangerous and remote regions of The Morgan Marsh. Where Gill never went on his own. 

If the regions surrounding the abandoned, wooden cabin of her master were bright, colorful, and relatively peaceful, (minus a few enemies such as a less friendly swamp creature and a green tea elemental) this part of the marsh was much scarier. The clouds were darker here. The waters were darker as well. Crows didn't dare to come here. No frogs or other animals did either. It was the dead zone of the entire marsh. In some places, September never set foot, and she never hoped to set foot. 

But here she was. Forced to come here for the sake of finding the missing cauldron fragments that had been scattered a little all over the marsh, without her knowing about it in the first place. 

The witch and everyone else thought that all the shattered shards had been magically transported away from this marsh. It now felt like there was so much that September Autumn and the others didn't know about the shards and about where they went. So, September was pulled into coming to this remote and almost forbidden location in the marsh, and she brought everyone with her. 

This specific region in The Morgan Marsh had many, many huge and elongated carcasses and bones of dead animals, lying around a bit everywhere. Some bones were nearly completely sinking into the murky water and others were still fully visible, up at the surface, resting in peace on isolated, moist, and thriving, little pieces of land, despite the horrendous amount of water here, therefore, limiting the growth of grass and trees. 

"There is something weird about this place…" April mentioned as she was hugging herself with her arms, attempting to warm herself as she followed everyone, jumping from one piece of wetland to another. Following their guide, following Gill through all of this. The creature was the only one who knew the place. 

"It's because this is the lost and forbidden area of the marsh," Gill informed her as he continued swimming from one pool of murky water to another as he guided the group. The party formed a line which consisted of: Gill at the head, September behind him, April behind her, and finally, Junk at the very end of the group. He was closing the line. Guarding the party from behind, as he often did. 

"Are you certain the other two shards in this region are here? It doesn't look like this is even the same place as the actual Morgan Marsh where I lived for so long…" September questioned him, raising an eyebrow as she looked around, worried this wasn't the place. September was able to detect that there were two more shards in the marsh, completing a trio with the one Gill found before when he was still alone. Two more pieces to find, and they could leave this place. Something that both Junk and April were looking forward to. 

"Yes. I am sure. This is the place. I promise," Gill said to her.

"If you are so sure, why didn't you come here on your own to take them by yourself? You seem to have worked a lot to obtain the other piece. Why not come and get these two others if you knew where they were?" Junk brought up a great point. If Gill was so interested in the first shiny object that he was able to find, why not do a little more work and obtain two more? This didn't make any sense.

"Did I wish I could get more? Yes. Yes. Yes. For sure. But I had no intention of risking my life for them," he replied to the demon. He was quite adamant about this. He didn't want to die for no shiny objects, no matter how much he adored the one he originally obtained. Gill snorted before and after replying to the horned demon. 

"Risk your life for it? What do you mean?" April asked him.

"This place is much more dangerous than most of the marsh. This is not for nothing that this region is forbidden, and nearly no other creatures nor beasts come here. There is something here. Another species. An underwater monster that is attracted to life. This is why, when you come here, you have to play dead if you see anything or hear anything. But I've told you all of this already. Be careful. There we are. There we are," he repeated, getting excited as he brought the group to a secret cradle in the middle of the forbidden swamp. It was a hidden spot with many, many trees surrounding some kind of murky lake in the middle of the wilderness. Gill showed them the hidden path to enter this cradle. September, April, and Junk, all observed in awe. Flowers of all the colors of the rainbow could be seen in this secret spot. The group stood on the shore of the lake, observing the place for a couple of minutes before getting reminded that they were there for a specific reason and not only to visit. 

"This is the place. This is the place where the vibrations in the water of the marsh indicated to me where they were," Gill said. 

"This is so gorgeous…" April couldn't believe it.

"It… Is…" As difficult as it was for Junk to admit it, he honestly thought that this hidden area of the marsh was beautiful.

"Alright, guys, let's search for the pair of shards," September cut right to the chase and was the first one to step forward, closer to the lake. She summoned her flying broomstick. Hopped on it and took flight. She now hovered above the lake in the swamp and tried to search for the magical fragments with her aerial view. 

The water, unfortunately, wasn't clean. It was as dark and as murky as it was for the rest of the marsh. Gill dove into the water. Meanwhile, Junk and April prepared themselves to go into it as well, so the search could truly begin. However, before it was too late, April began undressing herself on the shore. 

"What are you doing? Not that I mind…" Junk asked her.

"Getting into a bikini! Why?" she replied to him. 

Then, as the demon had already set foot into the water and that April was busy changing, something moved into the lake. 

Moving in Junk's direction.