A cheer went up from the swamp wagon. It would have been nearly deafening with all of the different fishermen aboard had anyone been able to hear. The shout was mixed with laughter, whoops of glee, and even tears, as men who thought they’d never see their families again caught sight of home once more.

  The rest of their trip to Myreluck passed quickly. Ozzy wasn’t sure why everyone didn’t just raise their wagons up out of the water like this, and they passed plenty of other swamp expeditions that were making their way slowly back home. He’d have loved to have asked Emil about it but so far was the only one to have regained their hearing on the trip back thanks to Furry Fortitude. Without the ability chances were he’d be just as dumb as everyone else onboard.

  One of the few saving graces of having such an experienced crew was there wasn’t much need to communicate. Each fisherman seemed to know exactly what they needed to do with as little as a wave from Colber. Ozzy couldn’t imagine the issues they’d have run into without such capable men and was just grateful for the time to relax.

  Despite his Furry Fortitude ability having healed his ears it hadn’t done anything for his eye. He was still missing everything past the socket, and despite everything inside of the socket sealing up nicely he still felt the dull ache of loss where his eye should have been.

  ***

  After close to four hours of riding Colber left the controls for the first time since raising the wagon. With him gone from the controls the wagon gradually slowed until with a heavy splash the wagon touched back down, its hull coming to rest flat against the surface of the water once more.

  After riding hard for so long it almost felt wrong being able to leisurely stroll across the various decks without so much as a wobble. It was like getting off of a rollercoaster and feeling unsteady, except the roller coaster ride was about 50 times longer than normal. Needless to say his freshly acquired sea legs were less than accustomed to their now smoothly sailing vessel and he was constantly walking into things whenever he stopped focusing on walking straight.

  The real reason they’d slowed down became quickly apparent when the tree cover rapidly began to grow denser. Getting to the point where the swamp wagon would likely have been torn to shreds had they still been going at speed. They were nearly at risk of rubbing the wagons sides against the cypress knees as it got thicker still.

  Trees grew ever closer around them, pushing over their heads and at points drooping their boughs low enough that Emil had to drop down from the upper deck or risk getting a face full of tree branches.

  It wasn’t until the trees began to thin out once more that their destination became apparent. A hush went over the group as thick foliage gave way to an expanse of flat water so vast it could have been an ocean. It was like looking out across a mirror, and it extended a great distance to either side of them as they slipped out from under the trees in what Ozzy assumed to be a huge circle.

  At the center of the great expanse was something that could only have existed in a world defiant of the very laws and principles he’d grown so accustomed and reliant to on earth. It was a testament to the sheer distance he’d made it from earth. A manifesto to magic.

  From the epicenter of the flat grew a thicket of trees so massive it was almost mind breaking. A thicket of cypress trees grew so tall he couldn’t see the peaks of them, he could only imagine the heights they reached.

  At their thickest the individual trees were wider than skyscrapers, and throughout the flat Ozzy watched as hundreds of vessels approached the trees.

  Beneath the trunks the trees had roots like those of a mangrove, and he could spot platforms and barges among them. Great hoists and docks, everything set up to receive the encroaching vessels, unload them, and send them back out. He watched as people working like ants made quick work of their tasks in an undercity port that spanned the whole distance of the thicket in an array of bridges and platforms so winding and convoluted he doubted anyone could navigate them efficiently.

  That wasn’t all however, far from it. Along the trunks there were great platforms, they were so massive they stretched across the spanning gaps between the trunks, supported by massive arches that were formed into the very wood of the great trees. On these platforms were villas, massive houses, and of course people. The platforms started several hundred feet off of the ground just above the roots and continued with increasing spacing until he lost sight of the trees themselves.

  When he’d been told about Myreluck he’d envisioned something akin to an earthly port city. Houston, or maybe something more eclectic like New Orleans. This though? This was a treehouse city sitting inside of a world wonder. It was no wonder the gods were involved with this place, he’d never seen anything like it.

  As they closed in on the city they quickly slipped between an ever increasing number of ships. From swamp wagons, and other commercial vessels to pleasure yachts and sailboats.

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  He was pulled out of his reverie as Emil prodded him in the side and pointed up at the city, waggling his eye brows at Ozzy. It seemed Emil had been more than a little excited to show him the city.

  “Pretty great isn’t it!” Emil shouted at him, Ozzy had to rapidly make lowering gestures at the hunter to get him to talk normally.

  “Sorry! Can’t wait to get some healing done, this’s driving me crazy.” He continued and Ozzy nodded in agreement. “Hey at least you get to see it,” Emil paused as he considered his next words, a smile stretching across his face, “Leviathan slayer.”

  Ozzy just rolled his eyes at the title. If slaying a leviathan was as easy as shooting its eye out he doubted they’d be as much trouble to the fishermen. Even still, Emil wasn’t wrong, and he could see the difference in the eyes of the fishermen aboard the wagon. When he’d gotten on board they hadn’t seen him as much more than bumbling hunter dumb enough to get lost out in the swamp. Now they looked at him in a way he wasn’t entirely comfortable with, like he was some fairytale hero made real, a local dragon slayer.

  Despite it however it didn’t change much though, they’d avoided him before, and they avoided him now. Just with a little more respect, a nod here, a passing pat on the shoulder there. Really a great start to finding new friends in Myreluck. He just hoped the story didn’t spread all that much, or that if it did no one was dumb enough to believe the fishermen.

  ***

  Finally making it under the city in the trees they were confined to a queue several swamp wagons long. Upon pulling practically right on top of the vessel in front of them men from the forward vessel began to try and mingle with their now deaf crew. Which led to some very awkward conversations as to why the entire crew save Ozzy were unable to communicate.

  Thankfully there was a hunter aboard the other vessel who upon seeing Emil and the hunters mostly healthy state gave Ozzy the benefit of the doubt.

  The other boats hunter was, like Emil, a pretty big dude. Though this hunter had both of them dwarfed by over a foot. It was like looking at a tank someone had decided to turn human, and the personality matched.

  “So you’re not a hunter, but you found the wagon six days out in the middle of the swamp while they just so happened to be losing a fight with some murk rats and a matriarch. Then you killed the murk rats they weren’t able to take care of and went aboard?” The hunter spoke slowly with a voice deeper than the swamp, jotting everything down in a small notepad with something that looked suspiciously familiar to an earthen ballpoint pen.

  “Right, then we ran into a monster that roared loud enough to deafen everyone aboard and the only reason I’m still able to hear is because I have a healing ability.” Ozzy explained.

  “Sure, that makes sense.” The hunter dropped his notepad into a large pocket and fixed Ozzy with what was probably his version of a friendly smile as he stuck a hand out for Ozzy to shake.

  “Name’s Ryan, pleasure to meet you then Ozzy, I look forward to seeing you in the guild if you decide to run with us.” The mountain of a man said.

  “I appreciate it Ryan, and things are definitely looking that way.” Ozzy said.

  “Good, well you just sit tight, I’m sure you’ll want a good nights rest once this is all settled. I sent for some healers and they’ll have everyone back up and hearing in a few minutes.” Ryan said, waving to Ozzy in goodbye as he went back to his ship to speak with his captain.

  Several minutes later a group of men and women in aprons and work attire showed up. They quickly introduced themselves as the healers and asked for payment before treating anyone. Problem was Ozzy wasn’t quite sure how money worked around here aside from being not rocks.

  “What do you mean you don’t have any roqs, aren’t you a hunter?” A woman name Laina from the healer team asked him.

  After realizing Ozzy was about as helpful as talking to the deaf people on board the healers had quickly switched to communicating via pen and paper with Colber, rather than talk to Ozzy, all save Laina. She was a pretty little thing, though not really little at all. One of the other strange things about this area he was coming to find seemed to be the people, it was rather disconcerting but just about everyone seemed to be bigger than he was.

  Laina was otherwise nice though, if a little pushy. Though Ozzy was convinced she was only there talking to him to tell whether or not he was suffering from severe head trauma. Which she definitely thought he had.

  “I’m a prospective hunter, and I told you. I woke up in the swamp a couple of days ago, got on this wagon and that’s everything I know, which is why I don’t have any roqs and don’t really know how they work.” Ozzy explained for probably the fourth time.

  “And you lost your eye fighting a giant fish monster?” She continued.

  “Yes!” Ozzy exclaimed in frustration.

  “But you didn’t sustain ay head trauma during the fight?” She asked.

  Ozzy had to lean forward and put his face into his palms. It was all he could do to take a deep breath and think happy thoughts as the healer continued to interrogate him.

  “Listen, I definitely sustained some head trauma, but you can ask anyone else on board. I woke up in the swamp and wandered over to the wagon mostly by chance while they were fighting some murk rats. They let me aboard because Emil pushed for it, and the rest is history.” Ozzy said, watching as they moved to the front of the line and people came aboard to start unloading fish.

  “Hmmmmmm, well most of them have kept to a similar story. A couple did mentioned you shooting a leviathans eye out however? So it could be a case of mass hysteria.” Laina added thoughtfully.

  “It’s not a case of mass hysteria, it’s just what happened. Even if it is mass hysteria and I suddenly don’t know who I am or how I got here, it’s my reality now.” Ozzy added in frustration.

  “Well you didn’t mention the leviathan before now, it makes a girl wonder.” She said.

  “Because I thought it’d make what already sounds like a wholly improbable story that much worse.” Ozzy said.

  “Oh no it’s actually the most believable part of the story. They get spotted and sink ships all the time.” She added helpfully.

  “Wait really?” Ozzy asked, surprise coloring his voice.

  “No. I haven’t even heard of one in years and especially not about anyone hurting one in anything outside of old Fisherman’s tales. Not to mention they all described your weapons as some kind of weirdly shaped explosion casting wands.” Laina said putting the final nail in the coffin of their conversation.

  “Right,” Ozzy sighed, “I’m not sure we’re getting anywhere with this. Is there anything I can do to convince you I’m not crazy?” Ozzy stood up, more than ready for the conversation to end.

  “You could grab lunch with me?”