Isla Barrar Quicksand Date (Chapter 4: Deceiver Fields Danger)

[Black Clay Lord]

You didn't think I'd leave this on the backburner, did ya?

Foolish. Anyway, here's the 4th & final chapter.
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The quicksand was at her hips already. Palutena felt herself sinking non-stop, albeit slowly. Trapped in the swamps of the Hollows, her heart raced. She had no plans for this to happen at all. "I just wanted to see my daughter again!!" She cried. But alas, she just sank deeper & deeper, crying for someone to rescue her from the sticky trap. "Someone help!!!" But, no one came to save her. In no time after that, Palutena had succumbed... Or... Did she?

"Hey, hey wake up!" Called a voice. "H-huh?!" Palutena said, opening her eyes, seeing me. "Are you all right?" I ask her. "You looked as if you were having a nightmare." "Y...Yeah, I was..." Palutena answers. "There were these ruins, and swamps as far as the eye can see... I felt myself succumbing to one..." She says. "You must've dreamt of the Hollows." Said Amethyst. Palutena & I glance at Amethyst. "The Hollows?" I ask him. Amethyst nodded in response.

"A most swampy domain where the goddess Demeter calls home." He said. "A rather unpredictable place I should add." "Well, that's rather comforting..." I say, a bit sarcastic. Yet Amethyst just smirked at my response. I soon returning to manning the boat we were on. And sure enough, the Isla came into view. "There it is!" I exclaim. Palutena & Amethyst look up ahead, and see the Isla themselves. "We're here already?" Amethyst asks, intrigued.

"Yessir. Leave it to my husband to sail us to a destination in little to no time." Said Palutena. Amethyst nodded, before sighing. "I just hope Ajax is alive still..." He then says. "And I hope Morwenna's okay, too..." Palutena says. Meanwhile, on the Isla Barrar, Morwenna & Ajax had just left the Dire Beach after their close encounter with its deep clay. Morwenna did not want to take any chances finding a dock on that beach. She wanted to look elsewhere.

However, the path being taken now was leading Morwenna & Ajax into one of the more dangerous places on the island itself: The Deceiver Fields. They sure live up to their name as one never knows which parts are safe, and which parts are not. Yet, this was Morwenna's first time exploring the fields, so her nerves were tense. Ajax couldn't help but feel nervous himself. "Have you been across this area before?" Ajax asks. Morwenna shakes her head.

"It's my first time here, remember?" Morwenna asks. "Oh, right." Ajax sheepishly responds. "Mine, too actually..." He then says. As a result, Morwenna & Ajax stick close together. Morwenna kept her eyes on the ground, axe in hand, watching for the telltale signs of bottomless patches of clay. At first, Morwenna & Ajax had it easy. "So far so good." The former says. The two soon came upon a clearing close by, and head right for it quickly.

"Ah, this clearing will make it easy to find another shoreline." Morwenna says. Ajax followed Morwenna closely as they explored the area. Morwenna kept her eyes open the whole time, watching for dangers seen & unseen. But, suddenly, she stopped, her feet vanishing into the ground beneath her. "Figures..." Morwenna sighs. "I knew it was inevitable..." Ajax noticed that Morwenna was stuck in what was clearly clay, and so he reached out to her.

"Hang on a sec..." He says to her, as Morwenna returned the gesture... ...Only for Ajax to stumble, lose balance, and ultimately slip into the clay himself. "My hero..." Morwenna sarcastically quips. Ajax just chuckled nervously. And Morwenna had a gut feeling that if the path they're on is clay, then chances are good the rest of it is clay as well. But, Morwenna & Ajax trudged on through the clay, even though its grip progressively increased more & more.

Amazingly though, Morwenna & Ajax trekked a good distance into the fields, though neither were prepared for what happened next, as after a small while of trudging, Morwenna & Ajax, suddenly dropped down some. Before any of them realized what had happened, they were already up to their knees in the soft clay. Remaining motionless, Morwenna could feel the clay slowly solidify around her legs. Even Ajax felt this as he stood still himself. Both blushed.

"This doesn't look good..." Morwenna says, even though part of her was really liking how the clay felt on her skin. Ajax felt the same way, but he noted that trees were few & far between. Even if Morwenna's rope was long enough to anchor onto one, the best ones were too distanst. It certainly didn't bode well for both Morwenna & Ajax. Even as the two sank, Morwenna didn't stop looking for a way to get herself, and Ajax, out of the clay.
Morwenna & Ajax felt their thighs begin to be swallowed up. The process happened slowly, even as Morwenna kept refusing to admit that the Island will consume her & Ajax once & for all. Yet Ajax seemed to feel differently. "This stuff is just too sticky..." He said. "I don't think there's hope now..." "No, I'm not believing that." Said Morwenna. "We've come too far to give up. I've family waiting for me after all. So do you." She then goes onto say soon after.

Ajax did not argue with that, but he soon found that the clay has achieved a firm grip on both him, and Morwenna as well. Even so, Morwenna & Ajax were eventually butt deep, and the clay refused to give them an inch. Yet, Morwenna still refused to give up. She was holding onto hope that help was approaching. Though funnily enough, help was indeed on its way. She couldn't see it, but a ship was just now docking at the pier closest to the path to the fields.

Even so, she noted that Ajax looked a bit spent. Try as he might, he just couldn't churn the clay easily to soften its grip on him & Morwenna. "Ajax, take it easy." Morwenna says. "The more we move, the more likely the clay wins." She adds. "I know that," Said Ajax. "But... Will anyone come to our aid in time...?" He asks. Morwenna, without a word, suddenly grabs Ajax, then pulls him closer to her, and soon after traps him in a precise big oppai hug.

"You need to stop talking like that." Morwenna said. Ajax was taken aback by Morwenna's sudden hug; especially with his head in between her bosom. And yet, he said nothing. He just surrendered to Morwenna's embrace; even as she once more ran her fingers through his long silky hair. And yet, Morwenna noted that she had gotten Ajax a tad deeper in the clay. An honest mistake, but there was no way on Earth she was about to let go of him now.

But even so, Morwenna sank to her breasts eventually, and this meant Ajax was at his neck. Morwenna & Ajax both looked as if they were about to accept the island was going to claim them. When, the silence was broken. "Morwenna?! Are you here?!" Said a voice. Morwenna snapped up upon hearing this voice. She instantly recognized it. "Mother?!" Morwenna said, looking back. And sure enough... There she was, along with me; her father.

"Mother! Father!" Morwenna calls out. Amethyst soon came into sight as well. "D-Dad?!" Ajax asked in shock. The three of us came upon the sinking duo just in the knick of time, too. "You two have no idea how happy I am to see you..." Morwenna said, almost sobbing. "That can wait. Let's get you out of there." Palutena said. Morwenna nodded, as Palutena put her magic to work on the clay. Her magic froze the clay in place easily.

She then pulled Ajax up some; who had hit his chin, allowing Amethyst to pull him up & work him out of the deadly clay. Palutena & I did the same exact thing with Morwenna. It took some hard work from there, but Morwenna & Ajax were at last safe & sound. The parties shared a round of big hugs soon after. "Dad, I'm so terribly sorry about all this..." Ajax suddenly says. Amethyst shook his head. "While we will indeed talk about this..." Amethyst says to him.

"The most important thing is: You're alive & safe. That's all that matters to me." Morwenna smiled. "I've been keeping him safe the whole time." She said. "Oh, have you?" Amethyst asks. "Well, I should give you a gift then as thanks. But not here." He says. "Yeah, let's get off this island. Tempting as it may be, I don't wish to stay." I state. "Knowing you, honey," Palutena says. "You're going to have a desire to come here alone." She giggles.

Needless to say, the five of us made it back to the boat safely, and with calmer seas, sailing proved to be very smooth indeed. Morwenna looked at Ajax. "Hey, Ajax?" She says to him, grabbing his attention. "Despite all the dangers... I had a fun time at least." She admits. "I did, too. Except for the swamp though..." Ajax says. "Next time, let's do something less dangerous." Morwenna says. Ajax nodded as the boat went out to the open sea soon.

Isla Barrar was left behind soon after. Morwenna & Ajax look back at the island they were stranded on, reflecting on their journey on it, and their time together on it; short though it was. But one thing was for certain: Both were glad to have escaped with their lives, and neither could wait to be home.

Morwenna, Palutena Socrates, Myself: Me

Ajax, Amethyst: Sabbie