For over an hour, Beatrice, Wirt, and the security frogs fought hard on the main deck of the ship, keeping the undead at bay from getting the tome, or into the ferry where the defenseless passengers were. Several of the frog guards had been ripped apart and thrown overboard, but overall, they were making great speed and getting away from the rafts and swimmers that were in the water, thanks to Beatrice.

"That should be the last of them on board!" Wirt called out.

"And the rest?!" Beatrice called out, out of breath as she continued to cast the spell to get the ferry to move faster.

"They're overboard, they can't catch us." He panted. Just then, the entire boat stopped abruptly, causing everyone to lose their balance. "Why'd we stop?!" Wirt began to worry again, most of his energy was already spent and there had been less frog bodyguards than when they started.

"I don't know! Something at the front of the boat must have stopped it!" She reasoned, trying to gain her balance. Suddenly, a large shadow cast over the entire boat. Both teens and everyone else on board looked up to see that two trees from both sides of the river have reached out from where they were planted and slammed down at the front of the ship. The large branches at the top serving as fingers to keep them in place.

"What the..." Wirt was unable to finish as a heavy feeling of dread washed over them all like a tidal wave.

Come wayward souls~

"No...Here?" Beatrice gasped, both her and Wirt ran to the edge of the boat where along the riverbank, the Beast, followed by even more undead creatures, walked. Staring at them both.

Who wander through the darkness~

"There it is." Wirt's voice got caught in his throat as his grip around his axe tightened.

There is a light for the lost and the meek~

"Wirt!" Beatrice took hold of his wrist. "You're not ready for this, we have to get out of here!" She tried to pull him away, but Wirt remained in place.

Sorrow and fear~

"I'll kill it." Wirt said darkly. The Beast raised Greg's teapot, taunting Wirt. Suddenly, Beatrice smacked Wirt in the face, snapping him out of his hateful stupor.

Are easily forgotten~

"Wirt, we can't! We have to get everyone else out of here! Come on!" She took ahold of the sides of his face. "Think about them!" She pointed to everyone of the passengers who were looking out of the windows from the windows. And Wirt thought back to Greg and their frog, Jason Funderburker.

"You're right..." He took her by the hand towards the center of the ship where the doors were to the passengers. "Maybe if we get them to jump overboard they might have a chance to escap-!" The Beast had landed in front of them, its imposing hide alone threatening to devour them whole.

When you submit to the soil of the earth~

"Raaagh!" Wirt swung his axe as hard as he could, only for the Beast to slam its large hand down upon him like one would a fly. The force behind it enough to break the center of the boat. Wirt could feel several pieces of wood protruding through his body. Beatrice could feel the pain and promptly lost several feathers from such critical damage.

"You..." The Beast looked down at her, if its smile were visible, she'd be able to see it. "You're the red haired beauty that's cursed my thoughts." It spoke as it approached her menacingly.

"What...what're you talking about?" She asked, backing away from it. It suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder.

"When you took my pawn away from me and severed his connection to mine." It said, and then sniffed her. "You smell like Adelaide..." He noted. "And!" It looked at her hip, where attached to wrapped twine was the Tome. "You have the Tome!" It grinned. "Oh I will make great use of you." It pinned her to the edge of the boat. A black appendage appeared from its form and licked her cheek, causing her to cry.

"No..." She turned away, trying to keep her tears from spilling. Suddenly, the Beast screeched, she looked up to see Wirt had stabbed the Beast's back with the axe. She thought quickly and reached for the bird scissors and pushed it into the Beast's chest, causing it to shriek loudly again, she then joined Wirt's side. He was bleeding oil from where the broken pieces of wood impaled him. He was also bleeding from the side of his forehead and edge of his lips. Wirt ripped the axe off and took it back. The Beast got on all fours in an awkward manner that made it appear even scarier than any quadruped they knew about.

"You fool!" It called out to Wirt, who swung again, but the Beast dodged it and with its slender hand picked Wirt up effortlessly. "I gave you power, a new life, and the opportunity to be something greater than the pathetic mass of writhing warts you are!" The Beast boomed, squeezing Wirt.

"Liar!" Wirt called out and brought down the axe on the Beasts' forearm, causing it to drop him. As soon as he fell, Wirt turned desperately to Beatrice. "Get them out of here now!" He motioned towards the passengers.

"I'm not leaving you!" She said, but Wirt motioned her away.

"Go!" He said as the Beast picked him up again, making sure he no longer held the axe.

"No matter." The Beast said, as it raised its hand and more of the undead began to board the ship by the trees that held the ferry in place.

"No!" Beatrice yelled as she began to run towards where the passengers where, only for the Beast to pick her up effortlessly as well.

"Let her go!" Wirt yelled out, the Beast laughing mockingly in his face.

"Now isn't this beautiful?" It said snidely as both Wirt and Beatrice tried to reach for one another, their fingertips almost touching. "The desperate pilgrim and the sympathizing witch." It proceeded to slam Wirt down again, holding him in place, forcing him to watch as the undead killed the remaining frogs.

"No..!" Wirt yelled as the Beast slammed him down one final time, enough to incapacitate him temporarily.

"No! Stop!" Beatrice yelled, struggling in the Beast's hand, stabbing onto its hand repeatedly with the scissors. The Beast saw the axe, picked it up and brought it down on Wirt's back. "No!" Beatrice shrieked at the sight, seeing it hurting more than feeling Wirt's pain, which was enough to knock him unconscious. Nearly all the feathers fell from her back.

"And like that, his pilgrimage is over." The Beast said, turning over to the rest of the undead. "Leave the corpses." It said, getting off the ship, its followers in close pursuit. The Beast raised its hand and the trees that held the boat raised as well, letting the boat pass slowly.

"Wirt..." Beatrice cried out one last time. "Please, stop..." She let out softly.

"It will all be over soon, little one." The Beast told her gently, yet his tone sounded differently. The trees raised their tops back and then brought themselves down with their full weight upon the ship, cracking it entirely in half. Beatrice could no longer vocally express her sorrow, and could only watch as the boat sunk into the dark waters. "Let us go, my young bride, we've much to discuss." It said, carrying an emotionally dead Beatrice.