"Fuckin' mosquitoes here are the size of donkey balls!"

Sebastian clapped in front of his face and caught one of the buzzing insects that were responsible for the red marks on his exposed forearms. They were crossing a marshy swampland that stretched out endlessly beyond their sights.

All of them were in a foul mood save for the avian who had flown ahead and was perched upon a tree, free from the stinky filthy mud and the noisy bloodsuckers that were engorged with blood.

"Magnus, can you turn it down?" Alka asked the fire mage whose skin flickered with flames. The air was already hot and sticky enough without Magnus adding to it with his fire.

"Can't do," he returned. "It's the only way to keep the mosquitoes off me."

"You'll blow us all up," Lucien dryly told him. "When a bubble of concentrated flammable gas escapes and we're unlucky enough to encounter it, say goodbye to your skin."

The redhead was carrying a long stick and using it to wade through the thigh-high swamp water. Green strings of slimy algae and rotting biomass clung to their clothing and skin.

"You make a good point," Magnus conceded as he turned off his flames. "Alka, are we sure we're heading the right way?"

"Positive," the plant mage replied. The ring was back on his finger and he was comforted that not even a crack existed on its surface. At least his brother wasn't dead. Yet.

"I've had it," Sebastian angrily declared as he came to a stop. Then without so much as a warning, the mage blasted his power through the swamp, throwing water up in the air and freezing everything so that two walls of frozen green water lay separated in front of them.

"And you couldn't do that earlier?" Alka complained.

"At least I did somethin' useful while you've been bitchin'n doin' fuck all."

"I'm telling my brother that I don't like you!"

"There's a long list of things ya hate, Alka. Do you expect Artemus t'change his habits because ya decided to pout'n complain about it?"

Lucien whacked a huge frog that was clambering up his pant like it was rock climbing season. Sebastian and Alka were always exchanging barbs so this wasn't an unexpected or worrisome development, though he wished they'd shut up and let him have some quiet already.

"When did those two get married?" Magnus asked the redhead.

"I heard that," Alka warned the fire mage. "That's gross!"

"Excuse me?" Sebastian replied. "Ya stole my line. A-mu is so damn pretty I can't understand how yer mother gave birth to him and then someone who looks like a tadpole."

"Well, your mom would have been happier getting her periods but she got you instead," Alka immediately shot back.

Sebastian began laughing. "Yer nasty, Alka!"

"Time out," Magnus told his companions. "Check the orientation of the ring, again."

"I just checked not even five minutes ago," the plant mage grumbled.

Lucien whistled loudly and got Akida's attention. The avian came flying back and hovered in the air just out of the reach of their muddy hands.

"Can you scout ahead and see how much further the swamp goes?" Lucien asked the avian.

"I already did. I'd say you unlucky bastards have another two kilometres at the very least."

Lucien sighed. They were quickly losing daylight and the mosquitoes were bound to get worse at night.

______

Artemus and his tiny companion were quietly listening to the scuffling sounds that came from beyond their little hole in the ground.

The anti mage had set fire to most of the cabins, killing the monsters that were hiding inside. Now just three cabins were left and they were hiding under one.

He leaned his head against the dirt wall and wondered if rescue was coming for them. The ring's magic wasn't going to work inside the path so he wasn't expecting a quick rescue. He hoped though that his rescuers would at least find this place before the monsters in the forest found him and little Abigail.

"What's this?" He heard a male voice coming from the edge of the forest. "Some naughty rats have burned down the cabins. I think those rats are still somewhere here."

"Annoying," another voice chimed in, sounding more feminine. "My babies will find them soon enough. How long can they hide?"

"Your useless babies got charred to death, bitch. I thought you said they were smarter than the regular ones."

The footsteps of the newcomers were getting closer to the cabin under which Artemus was hiding.

"It's not their fault!"

The door of the cabin swung open violently and the female speaker continued to talk. "When I find the person who killed my babies, I will split apart his chest and feed him his own heart while it's still warm and beating!"

"There's no one in there."

Artemus heard the sound of a bed being upturned, a lamp getting smashed and more destructive noises that alluded to the temper of the baby maker.

"Check the other cabins that are still standing."

_____

"We're finally outta that shit hole," Alka said with relief. The marshes had ended and they were now walking towards a lush forest.

"What the hell is Artemus doing so far away from home anyway?" Magnus asked the others. "I know he was chasing a murder case but this is a bit too much, isn't it?"

"It's not if ya know the details of it," Sebastian replied. "Serial killers and rottin' bodies. Too many senseless deaths. Artemus couldn't get a single peaceful night of sleep."

The insects in the forest loudly made their presence known to the group of travellers. The unbearable humidity and heat were making way for drier cooler air.

"He'll be alright, Alka. We'll find A-mu and bring em home safe'n sound."

"What if we get to him too late?" The plant mage asked. He sounded grim, pensive.

Sebastian thought the same thing. What if they were too late? Artemus was fine now but he could be dead before they reached him.

"It's Artemus we're talking about," Lucien reminded them. "He's too stubborn to die without solving this case and punishing the criminals. You know that don't you? His work ethics and sense of responsibility will ensure that he clings to life no matter his circumstances."

And that was a comforting thought for all of them.