16 September 2026
We welcome our readers back to the final part of the first chapter, in the serialization of the third book of The Redemption series, The Morgle Unmasked. We will see three of our heroes as they pack up and remove the contents of Klare’s home, racing the rising waters from the now blocked Krystal River. . . . (25 January 2016) The full ebook version of this book is available for purchase from all ebook sellers. We remind all that the first book in this series, Chosen of the One, and the second book, Staff of Shigmar, are both free from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 3, Book 2, Book 1
Chapter 1, Part 5
The three chosen–Tevvy, Rokwolf, and Blakstar–spent the morning moving Klaybear and Klare’s personal items from their small home into their sanctuary beneath the city. Rokwolf reckoned that looters would probably arrive later in the day to ransack what remained of the city of the kailum. Rokwolf gathered and bundled their possessions, using every blanket, sheet, or tablecloth he could find, and Tevvy carried the bundles, using a wheelbarrow he found by the side of a neighbor’s house, to the sewer grate, where the kortexi waited to catch, or untie them as Tevvy lowered the more breakable bundles on a rope.
“Blakstar,” Tevvy said, “my pony is small enough to navigate the passages, you might bring her back with you, so you can haul more bundles each trip.”
The kortexi nodded but said nothing, picking up the bundles the awemi had lowered to him and moving out of sight.
Tevvy sighed and shook his head, grabbing the handles of the barrow, wheeling it back. Several trips later, a trickle of water came running down the street from the north. Rokwolf looked at the water for a moment, after dropping another bundle into Tevvy’s borrowed barrow, and shook his head.
“We don’t have much time,” Rokwolf noted, eyeing the water.
“It’s just a little water,” Tevvy replied.
“It won’t be for long,” Rokwolf said. “Soon, this whole area will be covered with water, and I suspect that we will no longer be able to enter the sewers.” Tevvy looked slightly puzzled, so Rokwolf went on. “You recall that there was no water flowing through the sewers?”
Tevvy nodded.
“I think that most of the city has collapsed, blocking the river,” Rokwolf added. “That water is still flowing down from the lake and must go somewhere. This is the lowest part of the city, so it will flow into this quarter, leak down into the sewers, and probably fill this whole section of the city, at least until the back wall is washed out.”
After a few more trips, Tevvy saw that Rokwolf was right, and that if they did not climb down into the sewers soon, they would not be able to, as the water had started to flow down the grate. Blakstar and Tevvy’s pony were ankle deep when Tevvy and Rokwolf returned with the last load, Rokwolf pushing the barrow with the awemi riding on top. Marilee and her squad returned at that point, and all were soaked by the time they were back in the sewers.
“Quickly now,” Marilee said, “we have to get back to the bridge and the shelf outside before either is washed out.”
Delgart looked a question at Marilee, who nodded once. “We’ll meet you back at our camp outside, after we’ve checked on Klaybear and Klare,” she told Rellik, her second.
“We’ll come down with Tevvy, Thal, and Blakstar when they are ready to leave,” Delgart noted. “It shouldn’t take too long.”
Rellik nodded and led the squad east through ankle-deep water; the others, leading the pony, moved down the passage then turned north and entered their sanctuary. Water was beginning to flow down this passage also. They entered the main room and removed the bundles from the pony; Tevvy led her back into the stable area.
“Did you get it all?” Thal asked, looking up from the scroll he read.
“Most of it,” Rokwolf said. “Whatever is left will soon be under water, since that section of the city is beginning to flood.”
“Which matches the state of the north, northwest, and west quarters of the city,” Delgart noted, pulling out and sitting in his chair at the head of the table.
“Any survivors?” Rokwolf asked.
Delgart nodded. “They have mostly hidden themselves in what remains of the school, but they are traumatized, none of them willing to speak to us, or even allow us to come near them.” He sighed and looked at Thal. “I thought you said that the staff only took life?”
Thal nodded. “That is what we were led to understand.”
“It did something to all the buildings it passed through,” Delgart said, “the first one we found still standing, we tried to enter, looking for survivors, but as soon as we touched the door to open it, the whole building crumbled, almost burying Reena, who touched the door. The parts of the city we explored were nearly all rubble. I’d guess that some of the survivors died while trying to enter those buildings, which is probably why we found so few.”
Thal tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. “I wonder,” he said, almost to himself.
“What?” Delgart asked.
“Well, breath-giver has this terrible power we used to take life,” Thal went on, “and we saw the essences of the people and creatures drawn from their bodies by the destructive wave and sucked into the staff. I wonder if that means that stone, and wood, have a life force. And that the taking of that life force, although perhaps minuscule compared to, say, one of us, would weaken both stone and wood to the point that the entire city crumbled.”
“That is what we saw,” Delgart noted. “The front of the school had fallen into rubble, as if some giant creature had cut through the front part, leaving the back part still whole, although much of it remains without support, and so is unsafe to enter.” He thought for a moment. “Not only that, but it also looks like the rubble will soon turn to dust. I was with the group who traveled all the way to the north side of the city. Most of it is flooded, or flooding, but the area beyond the walls has turned into a dust bowl, except for the top of the hill where you must have used the staff: there is a small green circle surrounded by sand and dust.”
Thal nodded. “That circle was about twenty yards across.”
They fell silent for a time, the thoughts of each turning inward. Delgart spoke first.
“How are Klaybear and Klare?” Delgart asked. “Any change?”
Thal shook his head. “They both still seem troubled, but neither one has awakened.”
Blakstar stood. “I will try to give them some of the Waters, and then we should be on our way.”
“Pay attention to your verghrenum at sunset each day,” Tevvy said to Thal and Rokwolf, “if I have anything to report, I’ll let you know at that time and you can then contact me using the sword or staff.”
“Contact us,” Delgart said, “the same way, so we know what you are doing, what you have found,” he looked toward the room where Klaybear and Klare lay, “and the state of my brother and sister-in-law.”
“Yes,” Marilee added, “I do not know where we will be sent next. The Feragwen rules now, and we need a new potikoro.” She glanced slyly toward Delgart. “There is some talk among the ranks that Delgart would make an excellent potikoro.”
Delgart laughed. “Not likely,” he said between laughs, “I don’t have enough training.”
“You’re a natural,” Marilee added, smiling widely at him. “You’ll be fine,” she added, patting him fondly on the arm.
Tevvy had looked around just in time to see a spasm of anger cross Rokwolf’s face, quickly controlled.
“I’ll signal you, and contact you afterward,” Rokwolf said, after mastering his anger, “if anything changes here, or if I haven’t heard from any of you in several days.”
Thal rolled up the scroll he was reading and returned it to one of the shelves. They quickly gathered their gear, two horses and a pony, and Blakstar handed his sword to Delgart, who opened a doorway to a place near the camp of the Third Legion. Marilee passed through, followed by Tevvy, Thal, and Blakstar leading their mounts.
“Be well, brother,” Delgart said as he stepped through the doorway.
“You, too,” Rokwolf replied, his face a careful mask.
On Friday we will move ahead several days and join Sir Blakstar and Master Thalamar as they enter the town of Komfleu, stopping for the night on their way to Karble. Their reception in this city is even worse than they had been told it would be. Until then, we remind all that the first two books of this series, Chosen of the One and Staff of Shigmar, are free from Smashwords. Get this book, The Morgle Unmasked, from the links provided. Good reading!
Clyde B. Northrup 
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