CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN, THE FINAL BATTLE AT SALAMANDASTRON
() I know that I said that this chapter would be "The Final Battle, Part One", but I changed the name. Okay? Okay. Let's go. ()
)( I just wanted to say a quick thing: Tyrossa and Waterfish are about fifteen. Varsha is seventeen. Odell is eleven. His Dibbun mates are six to eight. Joranzo is twenty-four. Ikkala and Moonflash are twenty-two. Fryungle is sixteen. Abbess Leafswirl was about forty-nine. (I'm doing it in years because I don't know how Mr. Jacques does seasons.) Okay, I just needed to write this all down to keep it in my mind, so because I plan to carry out something special...$evil grin$ )(
Tyrossa looked up from his bowl of dinner soup to see a pretty ottermaid sitting across from him, eating enthusiastically.
"Hi," greeted the ottermaid as she downed a piece of pie. "You need lots of food to keep up your strength. I learned that a while ago. By the way, my name is Waterfish Ottermaid. What's your name?"
"T-tyrossa," the otter managed to get out.
"Nice t'meet you." Waterfish grinned. Next to her was a young otter who had barely touched his food.
"What's wrong, young 'un?" asked Tyrossa.
"Battle," replied the otter gloomily.
"Cheer up, Odell," Waterfish urged the young otter. "You won't be kilt if you stick by me."
Odell looked up at Waterfish. "I'm not afraid of being kilt. We all gotta die sooner or later. I'm afraid of the killin'. I don't want to take a life."
The three otters were very quiet for a moment.
"No one wants to take a life, young 'un, but in a battle between you or them, it's better to be them, because they are on the side of evil. I'm fighting to keep myself free, but also to keep this land free of anybeast who will live here in future seasons. Don't worry, young 'un. You can do it."
Waterfish put a comforting paw around Odell's shoulders. "Odell Kiggum, ever since I met you, you have been my mate. You would talk with me, you would stick up for me, and you didn't care who I was or how I had gotten here, as long as I was kind to you and your friend. You followed me with your Dibbun friends from Redwall to deep into Mossflower Woods. You traveled through Mossflower Country with me. I wouldn't call you a Warrior, Kiggum, but I would call you a friend."
Odell looked into Waterfish's face and nodded. "I'll try to be both, to you and to everygoodbeast in Mossflower Country."
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Quidjill stood next to an arrow slit. She looked outside quickly.
"They're all quiet," she reported to her brother, "but I'll keep an eye on 'em, wot wot. It's almost dark."
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Deyinvo assembled his crew.
"Lissen to me, you lot. If anything goes wrong – which it shouldn't – I will kill and torture everyone one of ye!"
The vermin shuddered.
"Now, follow me and Kabble. We'll lead you to victory!"
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Quidjill leaned against the wall, bored. There was no sign of life outside. Varsha sauntered over.
"Anything going on?"
"Nothing, marm," replied Quidjill. "It's all quiet out there. Wouldn't be surprised if they was dead or gone, wot! It's jolly silent!"
Varsha looked outside. It was completely dark.
"Hmm. Something's not right." Varsha shook her head. "I must go eat. I'll bring you some dinner, Jill. Good luck. If there's any sign of vermin, give a shout."
"Give a shout if there's a sign of the blighters. Right! Will do."
Varsha sat in the Dining Hall, eating, when there was a yell.
"Milady, quick, vermin!"
Everybeast, including those that were too old to fight, leapt up and followed Varsha to Quidjill, who was pointing out the arrow slit.
"Vermin, milady, vermin!" she rasped. Varsha looked out the arrow slit.
"To arms, to arms!" roared Varsha. Everybeast raced around, getting their weapons. Varsha could only see one thing through her reddening mist: Kabble Ionaeyes the Magician!
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Varsha raced out of Salamandastron with the rest of the inhabitants following behind, roaring their war cries: "Eeeeeulaaaaliiiaaa! Redddwaaaaaaall!!"
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All of the vermin drew their weapons and shouted as one: "Deeeeyiiiiinvoooo Eeejuuunn!"
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The two armies clashed. Some in the front row of fighters were instantly slain by the weapons of their foes, but others slashed with swords and javelins, fighting for their lives and for victory. One group under a female Badgerlady fighting for justice and benevolence, one group under a male Warlord fighting to evil and malevolence.
Varsha saw Kabble through the crowd, hiding at the back, like the true "warrior" he was. Varsha extracted Flamebird from the chest of a stoat and roared, "Kaaaaaaaabble Iiiooonaaaaeeeyyeees!"
Kabble turned and, with a look of fright on his face, gaped at Varsha's large form.
"I have come destroy yoooooooooooou!" she boomed. "Come and fiiiiiiight, Kaaaaaaaabble!"
The rat began backing away, fumbling for his sword. He held it out, shaking with fear.
"Stay back, Varsha. I can perform magic, y'know!" he cried.
"I've known you long enough to know that you can only perform magic when you're calm and you need lots of time. By the time you perform magic, your spirit will be soaring for Hellgates!" roared Varsha. She leapt in the air, her sword descending upon the malicious rat. Kabble rolled to the side, avoiding the powerful battleblade.
Kabble Ionaeyes the Magician leapt up and began running away from Varsha.
"Crazy badger," he muttered, scared witless. He tripped over a stone, going down with a yell. Varsha was upon him like a starved wolf upon a freshly killed elk; she began pummeling him, slashing with her sword and biting with her savage teeth. She wore no armor, needed no other weapon beside from the sword that she had clenched in her tight, fisted paw as she slammed Kabble repeatedly. Kabble yelled and screamed at each punch, kick, bite, or lash of the sword.
"You can perform no magic now, Kabby! You can perform none now!" Varsha screamed. Kabble's eyes grew wide with fear as Varsha's fist holding the hilt of her sword flew down to Kabble's face. He screamed in pain as Varsha roared in his face, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuuulaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaliiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa!"
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Waterfish slashed at a ferret. The ferret stumbled back, blood flowing from her chest. Waterfish advanced on her, the dirk that used to be Kabble's raised.
"Die, vermin!" she hissed, and chopped off the ferret's head.
Waterfish looked around for a new victim and saw Lord Deyinvo Ejunn, battling with Martin's sword. Waterfish held her sword in two paws above her head and yelled, "Reddddddwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll!"
Deyinvo saw her just in time. He raised Martin's sword, clashing it against Waterfish's dirk. The two thrust, parried, slashed, jumped, hacked, and whacked at each other. Waterfish advanced, her dirk flicking from side to side, hissing through the air as it tried to reach Deyinvo.
Deyinvo parried an attack and lunged. Waterfish ducked, but the sword nicked her shoulder, giving her a harsh wound. Waterfish gave a snarl of rage and began slashing at Deyinvo so fiercely that all the ermine could do was defend him; he couldn't get an attack in.
"You stole Martin the Warrior's sword. I did not know Martin nor have any special relationship with anyone at Redwall, but they let me stay there. They were kind. And I vowed not to talk to any Redwaller. Well, I'm repaying them," Waterfish gritted out from between her teeth. With a roar, she jumped up and brought the sword down, down between Deyinvo's ears, screaming, "Reddwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!"
That was the end of Deyinvo Ejunn, Ermine Warlord and Conqueror.
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Waterfish staggered away from the ermine. She fell on the ground on her knees, terribly wounded. Through her last battle with Deyinvo she had gotten many injuries. She fell onto her stomach and blacked out.
() Can't wait till the next chapter! Will start it NOW! ()
() I know that I said that this chapter would be "The Final Battle, Part One", but I changed the name. Okay? Okay. Let's go. ()
)( I just wanted to say a quick thing: Tyrossa and Waterfish are about fifteen. Varsha is seventeen. Odell is eleven. His Dibbun mates are six to eight. Joranzo is twenty-four. Ikkala and Moonflash are twenty-two. Fryungle is sixteen. Abbess Leafswirl was about forty-nine. (I'm doing it in years because I don't know how Mr. Jacques does seasons.) Okay, I just needed to write this all down to keep it in my mind, so because I plan to carry out something special...$evil grin$ )(
Tyrossa looked up from his bowl of dinner soup to see a pretty ottermaid sitting across from him, eating enthusiastically.
"Hi," greeted the ottermaid as she downed a piece of pie. "You need lots of food to keep up your strength. I learned that a while ago. By the way, my name is Waterfish Ottermaid. What's your name?"
"T-tyrossa," the otter managed to get out.
"Nice t'meet you." Waterfish grinned. Next to her was a young otter who had barely touched his food.
"What's wrong, young 'un?" asked Tyrossa.
"Battle," replied the otter gloomily.
"Cheer up, Odell," Waterfish urged the young otter. "You won't be kilt if you stick by me."
Odell looked up at Waterfish. "I'm not afraid of being kilt. We all gotta die sooner or later. I'm afraid of the killin'. I don't want to take a life."
The three otters were very quiet for a moment.
"No one wants to take a life, young 'un, but in a battle between you or them, it's better to be them, because they are on the side of evil. I'm fighting to keep myself free, but also to keep this land free of anybeast who will live here in future seasons. Don't worry, young 'un. You can do it."
Waterfish put a comforting paw around Odell's shoulders. "Odell Kiggum, ever since I met you, you have been my mate. You would talk with me, you would stick up for me, and you didn't care who I was or how I had gotten here, as long as I was kind to you and your friend. You followed me with your Dibbun friends from Redwall to deep into Mossflower Woods. You traveled through Mossflower Country with me. I wouldn't call you a Warrior, Kiggum, but I would call you a friend."
Odell looked into Waterfish's face and nodded. "I'll try to be both, to you and to everygoodbeast in Mossflower Country."
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Quidjill stood next to an arrow slit. She looked outside quickly.
"They're all quiet," she reported to her brother, "but I'll keep an eye on 'em, wot wot. It's almost dark."
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Deyinvo assembled his crew.
"Lissen to me, you lot. If anything goes wrong – which it shouldn't – I will kill and torture everyone one of ye!"
The vermin shuddered.
"Now, follow me and Kabble. We'll lead you to victory!"
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Quidjill leaned against the wall, bored. There was no sign of life outside. Varsha sauntered over.
"Anything going on?"
"Nothing, marm," replied Quidjill. "It's all quiet out there. Wouldn't be surprised if they was dead or gone, wot! It's jolly silent!"
Varsha looked outside. It was completely dark.
"Hmm. Something's not right." Varsha shook her head. "I must go eat. I'll bring you some dinner, Jill. Good luck. If there's any sign of vermin, give a shout."
"Give a shout if there's a sign of the blighters. Right! Will do."
Varsha sat in the Dining Hall, eating, when there was a yell.
"Milady, quick, vermin!"
Everybeast, including those that were too old to fight, leapt up and followed Varsha to Quidjill, who was pointing out the arrow slit.
"Vermin, milady, vermin!" she rasped. Varsha looked out the arrow slit.
"To arms, to arms!" roared Varsha. Everybeast raced around, getting their weapons. Varsha could only see one thing through her reddening mist: Kabble Ionaeyes the Magician!
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha raced out of Salamandastron with the rest of the inhabitants following behind, roaring their war cries: "Eeeeeulaaaaliiiaaa! Redddwaaaaaaall!!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
All of the vermin drew their weapons and shouted as one: "Deeeeyiiiiinvoooo Eeejuuunn!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The two armies clashed. Some in the front row of fighters were instantly slain by the weapons of their foes, but others slashed with swords and javelins, fighting for their lives and for victory. One group under a female Badgerlady fighting for justice and benevolence, one group under a male Warlord fighting to evil and malevolence.
Varsha saw Kabble through the crowd, hiding at the back, like the true "warrior" he was. Varsha extracted Flamebird from the chest of a stoat and roared, "Kaaaaaaaabble Iiiooonaaaaeeeyyeees!"
Kabble turned and, with a look of fright on his face, gaped at Varsha's large form.
"I have come destroy yoooooooooooou!" she boomed. "Come and fiiiiiiight, Kaaaaaaaabble!"
The rat began backing away, fumbling for his sword. He held it out, shaking with fear.
"Stay back, Varsha. I can perform magic, y'know!" he cried.
"I've known you long enough to know that you can only perform magic when you're calm and you need lots of time. By the time you perform magic, your spirit will be soaring for Hellgates!" roared Varsha. She leapt in the air, her sword descending upon the malicious rat. Kabble rolled to the side, avoiding the powerful battleblade.
Kabble Ionaeyes the Magician leapt up and began running away from Varsha.
"Crazy badger," he muttered, scared witless. He tripped over a stone, going down with a yell. Varsha was upon him like a starved wolf upon a freshly killed elk; she began pummeling him, slashing with her sword and biting with her savage teeth. She wore no armor, needed no other weapon beside from the sword that she had clenched in her tight, fisted paw as she slammed Kabble repeatedly. Kabble yelled and screamed at each punch, kick, bite, or lash of the sword.
"You can perform no magic now, Kabby! You can perform none now!" Varsha screamed. Kabble's eyes grew wide with fear as Varsha's fist holding the hilt of her sword flew down to Kabble's face. He screamed in pain as Varsha roared in his face, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuuulaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaliiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa!"
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Waterfish slashed at a ferret. The ferret stumbled back, blood flowing from her chest. Waterfish advanced on her, the dirk that used to be Kabble's raised.
"Die, vermin!" she hissed, and chopped off the ferret's head.
Waterfish looked around for a new victim and saw Lord Deyinvo Ejunn, battling with Martin's sword. Waterfish held her sword in two paws above her head and yelled, "Reddddddwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll!"
Deyinvo saw her just in time. He raised Martin's sword, clashing it against Waterfish's dirk. The two thrust, parried, slashed, jumped, hacked, and whacked at each other. Waterfish advanced, her dirk flicking from side to side, hissing through the air as it tried to reach Deyinvo.
Deyinvo parried an attack and lunged. Waterfish ducked, but the sword nicked her shoulder, giving her a harsh wound. Waterfish gave a snarl of rage and began slashing at Deyinvo so fiercely that all the ermine could do was defend him; he couldn't get an attack in.
"You stole Martin the Warrior's sword. I did not know Martin nor have any special relationship with anyone at Redwall, but they let me stay there. They were kind. And I vowed not to talk to any Redwaller. Well, I'm repaying them," Waterfish gritted out from between her teeth. With a roar, she jumped up and brought the sword down, down between Deyinvo's ears, screaming, "Reddwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!"
That was the end of Deyinvo Ejunn, Ermine Warlord and Conqueror.
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Waterfish staggered away from the ermine. She fell on the ground on her knees, terribly wounded. Through her last battle with Deyinvo she had gotten many injuries. She fell onto her stomach and blacked out.
() Can't wait till the next chapter! Will start it NOW! ()