Calm and Calamity

Chapter 46

Day: 637

Days Left: 4843

Lives Saved: 3

The puppet was limp in Rin and Sumit's arms and silent for the entire journey; only occasionally would its fingers click and jolt and its head jerk. Once they arrived back at the village, they received odd lingering stares.

"Who is that?" asked Klei as he rushed over. "Looks like they're in bad shape."

"We found her outside of the sandwyrm tunnel," answered Sumit. "You think we'll be able to help her?"

Klei nodded. "We'll see what we can do. At the very least, she will be safe here." He motioned over to the building holding the rescued water nymphs. "Let's keep her in there, for now; we'll be able to tend to her at the same time as the nymphs."

Rin and Sumit followed behind Klei, who kept the door open for them as they carried the life-sized marionette into the building and settled her down on a mattress.

Without support, the puppet collapsed limply on the mattress, its body occasionally trembling and creaking.

Clarence and Calanthe, who had been on water nymph duty, walked over in curiosity and concern, both horrified at the broken and the legless marionette doll.

"Is she alright?" Calanthe asked, her voice whimpering. "What happened to her?"

"Sandwyrm," replied Sumit.

"But she'll be okay, right?" said Clarence. "If she just takes off her mask, her human body is probably fine."

Klei shook his head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work quite like that. When I was hacked into multiple pieces, as a clay golem, the damage transferred to me as a human too." He crouched down and inspected the exposed wire sticking out of the stub end of the puppet's missing left arm. "A few scrapes and bruises are fine, but losing multiple limbs..."

"What about the healing salve?" asked Clarence with hope in his voice.

"It's different for every mask. It might be possible that the healing salve could work, but her form is not organic tissue; she's made of wood. It wouldn't work for me either since I'm a clay golem. But I was fortunate." Klei hesitated. "With Bryce's help, I was able to recollect the other pieces, though obviously, I didn't heal back perfectly." He motioned to his arm in a sling, his deformed and sagging skin, and his hobbling short leg.

"So, we just have to find lost pieces of her body?" said Clarence.

"I think the sandwyrm has swallowed them," said Sumit.

"And likely dissolved in its stomach acid," added Rin.

"If there are any parts of her still mostly intact, she will be drawn to it during blood moons," Klei said. "Just as I was. But if not, the only other hope is for her to change back into a human and endure living with only one arm and no legs."

There was a quick knock on the door. "Hey," said Corinna's voice. "I heard Rin and Sumit are back. Just needed to make sure for the post-blood moon roll-call..."

"All accounted for," answered Sumit. "Though you might want to add a new addition to that list." He turned to face Corinna and saw the young woman frozen still, her skin pale, her lip quivering. Sumit stood up and ushered Corinna outside of the building.

"Is that...'' Corinna swallowed, her arms wrapped around her waist as she shivered. "Was that..."

"The marionette doll that attacked you in the sandwyrm tunnel?" said Sumit softly. He bowed his head low. "Yeah, it is."