Isla Barrar Quicksand Date (Chapter 2: Dread Swamp Terror)

[Black Clay Lord]

Chapter 2 to my Multipart Project Isla Barrar Quicksand Date.

And yeah, I know it's shorter than the 1st Chapter. But, wouldn't be the first time.
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Now that Morwenna & Ajax had a fresh store of water, the two traveled northward of the Isla itself, checking out what surrounded them. The Isla had plenty of nice sights sure, but as there was one thing that remained constant: How squishy the earth of the Isla was. One wrong step would see Morwenna & Ajax sinking down into it without warning. Ajax noted that Morwenna was watching her step, so he followed her very closely, trusting her judgement.

Before long, the duo came upon a stretch of swamp. Morwenna felt a sense of dread about the swamp in front of her & Ajax, and no wonder. Looking at the sign, Morwenna saw that it read "Dread Swamp." Morwenna blinked. "Dread Swamp...?" She asked, chilled to the bone. "You've heard of this place?" Ajax asked. "Well, where I'm from, there's a similar swamp with this name." Morwenna says. "But, in a way, the Dread Swamp at my homeland...?"

Ajax blinked and listed to Morwenna. "It's packed with monsters." She goes onto say. "Uh... Monsters?" Ajax asked, unnerved. "Yeah. Weregators are a common one." Said Morwenna. "Not to mention that it's connected to the Forsaken Valley, which is Olympus's land of the dead." She went on. Though before she can go on any further... "Okay, um, how about I stop you right there?" Ajax interjected suddenly. Morwenna looked to him with a brow raised.

"Oh, am I scaring you?" Morwenna asked. "A bit," Ajax answered. "But... I've... kind o' heard enough is all." "Sorry about that." Morwenna says. "Nah, you're good." Said Ajax, smiling some. Morwenna smiled back at Ajax, and the two ventured into the swamp soon after. Nevertheless, Morwenna had her axe in hand, ready to strike at anything that could indeed be hiding somewhere in the swamp. However, Morwenna was greeted by a sudden plunge.

Within moments of stepping through the swamp, her feet plunged down into a deep viscous mud pit. "You really can't seem to avoid these mud pits, can you?" Asked Ajax. "No, and it's like the Earth always wants me..." Morwenna quips. Ajax stepped closer to Morwenna, and it wasn't long before he got stuck, too. Noticing this, Morwenna quickly ensnared the hunky man in her arms and started to get very flirtatious with him. Something he caught onto quick.

But, he just allowed Morwenna to do as she pleased as they sank in the mud. "You're such a handsome man..." Morwenna says, seductively at that. "Heh... I think you should see my dad then..." Ajax says, a bit wistful. "I bet he's really cute." Morwenna says. "Well, folks say he is Palus's most beautiful man..." Ajax says. Morwenna smirks upon hearing this, liking the notion indeed. But, before she could get further with her flirting towards Ajax, both stop sinking.

Morwenna's feet, and Ajax's feet, had touched bottom. "What? Bottom already?!" Morwenna asked, obviously annoyed. "Damn it! I thought it'd be deeper!" She then exclaims. Nonetheless, Morwenna sighed, let it go, and climbed out of the mud, and helped Ajax out of it as well. "We should keep going, yeah?" Morwenna asks. "Absolutely." Ajax says. "I clearly do not like the feel of this swamp one bit..." He said. "Neither do I..." Said Morwenna.

The two venture deeper into the swamp soon afterward. Meanwhile, on the Sea Slime Beach of Olympus, a worried figure walked across its sandy shores. That figure was Palutena, Morwenna's full-blood Mermaid mother. She came to the beach to watch for signs that her daughter might still be alive. But as it stands right now: She saw nothing. "Morwenna!!" She cried out into the horizon. "MORWENNA!!!" She cried out again, this time at a louder pitch.

Her only answer was the waves themselves, and the calling of seagulls. Yet Palutena refused to give up. She knew Morwenna was still out there. Somewhere. "Any luck?" Asked a voice. Palutena looked back, and saw me; her dear husband. "Juni, I... ...No..." She said, starting to choke up, holding back tears. I place a hand on her shoulder. "She's alive... I know she is..." I tell her, just before a new voice breaks the moment between us both.

"Um... Excuse me..." It said, clearly being a man. Palutena & I glance over, and spot a man most beautiful indeed. He clearly looked as troubled as my wife did. "Amethyst?" I ask. "Ah, you recognize me. That's good to know..." He says, before moving onto anthoer matter.. "Have... Any of you seen my son Ajax...?" He then asks. "Well, what does he look like?" I ask, before Palutena answers that for me. "He just about looks like his mother Garnet." She answers.

To emphasize this, she showed me that Ajax had hair about as long as his back, and she pointed out that it looked as smooth as Amethyst's did. I looked perplexed, but unsurprised. Palutena looked to Amethyst. "I'm sorry to say that my husband & I have not seen him..." She says. Amethyst sighed. "I hope he's okay..." He said. I remember something. "Hold on... Morwenna said she was sailing around the seas that surround Isla Barrar." I then say.

"Maybe she & Ajax are there." Palutena nodded. "I bet they are..." She says, almost ready to panic. But I kept her from doing so, before taking her & Amethyst to a boat dock nearby, where I had a personal one all set up to use. "All right, let's set sail." I say, piloting the boat out of the dock and making the way out to sea. The seas were calm now, so we were in luck. It would be smooth sailing for the three of us as the search & rescue mission begins.

Meanwhile, back in the swamp, Morwenna & Ajax came upon a field of what appeared to be deep muddy peat bogs. Yet Morwenna's delicate inner sense of danger told her that something was not right. She saw what looked like plants digging into the bog in which she & Ajax stood. "Plants digging in the peat?" Morwenna pondered. She counted at least 2 of them. But Morwenna didn't see the plants as a threat. That is until vines rose around Ajax.

Ajax blinked at them. "Uh, Morwenna?" He suddenly says. "Not now, Ajax. I'm trying to solve a mystery here." Said Morwenna. But, that mystery solving was cut short when Ajax was ensnared, causing him to yelp out. "Let go of me!!" He shouted. Morwenna was shocked by the vines. "What the hell?!" Morwenna asked in shocked. The vines slowly pulled Ajax down into the bog as he struggled to break free of the vines, but Morwenna came to his aid.

Refusing to let her friend be plant food, she snatched up a handful of vines on Ajax, and with her axe, slashed them apart while avoiding hurting Ajax all the while. Morwenna got a nicer look at the plant stem of the plant digging into the peat bog she & Ajax slowly sank in. She recognized its shape instantly. "Mother of mercy, that's a pitcher plant!" She exclaimed. "A pitcher plant?" Ajax asked. Morwenna nods in response, keeping her axe in her hands.

"Predatory plants that lure insects into their waiting mouths so they can trap them inside & digest them for food." Morwenna says. "But, such plants don't use vines, or hide in bogs to wait for prey..." She adds. Though clearly, these plants did do everything that Morwenna said wasn't typical pitcher plant behavior. It's obvious that Morwenna was no longer keen on staying in the swamp any longer; and Ajax felt the exact same way, as they shared one big goal now.

And that was to get out of the Dread Swamp ASAP. Morwenna & Ajax trudge slowly through the muddy peat, but the other pitcher plant was not about to let Morwenna & Ajax escape that easily. As evident when vines grabbed & coiled Morwenna. "Ah! Let go!" She exclaimed. But, panic started to set in when one of those vines got up to her cootch. "NO!!! DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!!!!" She screamed, trying to defend her most feminine area.

Ajax certainly wasn't about to let Morwenna be molested against her will. Especially on somewhere she does not want to be touched at all. Ajax took his bow and, as Morwenna did with him, cut the vines holding her tight, and effectively saving her from vine molesting. "Thanks..." Morwenna sighed. "Anytime." Ajax replies. "Now let's get out of here!" He then exclaims. "Don't need to tell me twice." Morwenna says as she & Ajax move forward more.

But they weren't out of the woods yet. They were still close to the pitcher plant, and it still decided on Morwenna & Ajax as its prey. More vines arose from the bog and grabbed Morwenna & Ajax, just as they were nearing the edge of the pit. The vines dragged both victims down, and away from the edge, too. It was intent on getting Morwenna & Ajax into its waiting maw, but Morwenna was clearly incensed with anger about its persistent nature.

And it was clear that Morwenna has had enough. She once more whipped her axe out as she & a terrified Ajax were dragged below the peat bog, where the maw of the hunting pitcher was waiting. However, Morwenna broke the surface and, with a swing of her axe, chopped the main stem of the hunting plant, which effectively killed it. She then pulled Ajax up to the surface, and the two managed to escape the peat bog with ease, and start running.

Morwenna & Ajax fled the swamp, finding refuge on a marshy area that was relatively safe. "That was close..." Ajax sighed. "Yeah..." Said Morwenna, putting her axe away and starting to cuddle Ajax all of a sudden. "I think what we need now is a relaxing moment on a beach..." She says. "I think that sounds like a good idea." Ajax said with a smirk, just before he & Morwenna kiss each other. Morwenna & Ajax had survived the Dread Swamp's perils, sure.

However, their trials of surviving Isla Barrar are not yet over, as there's still a couple places they'll need to traverse to find a way off the Isla, but little did they suspect that help was already on its way. But, will Morwenna & Ajax keep their survival luck going to see it? And what awaited these two next?

TO BE CONTINUED

Morwenna, Palutena Socrates, Myself: Me

Ajax, Amethyst: Sabbie