The Blackwater Centipede, or Xezee as it was known to the locals, is a particularly noxious little nasty which lives beneath the volcanic rocks dotting the shoreline around the Circe Sea. It is well known to children and beachcombers along the strand of the boiling sea as well as to local healers who have long used its venom as an anesthetic.

The Xezee is a skilled hunter. Though less than an inch in length, it can catch and kill fish many times its own size. It walks on the surface of the water like a strider or mosquito, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to approach within striking distance, then lunging out with its pincer-shaped fangs and injecting its venom. Almost instantly the centipede's prey is paralyzed, then dragged back beneath the rocks and consumed at the predator's leisure.

At about the time that Herman and Winnie rode their carriage across the Great Bridge into Evyan on their way back to Seth-e-Raman, four-hundred and twenty beasts assembled outside the northern gate of Thoth. Frega was there with his hundred wolf warriors, standing next to the Thothian sheriff, Cremus Wormwart and his entire police force of two-hundred and fifty. The remainder of the centipede gatherers were comprised of volunteers from the castle staff and local government. Each carried a small sack and net. The force was divided into smaller groups and each of those assigned to a different stretch of rock strewn beach along the angry, roiling Circe Sea.

In Castle Thoth, Dema and Robbi were preparing the old toad's quarters for the extraction of the venom and the hopeful receipt of several thousand crawling insects.

A large, shallow, topless wooden case, measuring about five feet square had been constructed and stood in the center of the room. A finely woven cotton sheet stretched across the base of the box, several inches above its bottom. The sheet was coated in a shiny slime.

Chumley entered the room and immediately covered his nose.
"What in the name of Targas is that dreadful smell?" he asked as his eyes began to tear.

"You should be familiar with the smell," Dema said smiling, "it's a sauce of fish parts from the market, the same rancid stuff you feed your 'pet'."

"Ah'm almost afraid to ask, but why do you have a fish-slime soaked cloth in your centipede holder?" Chumley asked.

"If you simply must know, I'll tell you. The Xezee confuse the smell with the fish they hunt. It gets their dander up and they attack the cloth, biting it again and again.. When each sheet is soaking with venom, I will boil it and extract the poison."

"Seems a bit complicated, don't it luv? Can't ya just mash all those bugs up and get your poison that way?"

Dema shook her head.
"It wouldn't work. The antidote to the poison is the creature's flesh. It has something in it that counteracts the venom, that's why the Xezee doesn't succumb to its own poison. If I grind the whole insect, it would neutralize the effect and be useless for our purpose. Also, no matter how disgusting these little monsters are, I prefer not to be responsible for killing them. We will return them to their home after we 'milk' them."

Chumley smiled.
"Dema Primus, friend to the disgustin'."

Dema returned the smile and responded slyly.
"Guilty as charged...my friend."

Robbi let out a brief laugh and Chumley put on a hurt face.
"At least ah ain't venomous, unlike a toad acquaintance of mine."

Dema smiled and waved her paw dismissively.
"Off with you, Bilgespike, go and gather my Xezees."

Chumley made for the door. Before exiting, he turned.
"Is this going to work?" he asked.

"I believe it will, now go on, Robbi and I have some more preparation." Chumley exited Dema's quarters and the old toad turned to Robbi excitedly.

"I believe that master Bilgespike's questions about the Xezee may have answered another about Arisha."

Robbi became very alert.
"What do you mean, Dema? Have you found an antidote?"

"Possibly. Of all the poisons in the great tome I have been studying, that of the Xezee is the only one that shares properties with the potion which has immobilized Arisha. Since the book covers every known poison over the past five hundred years, it stands to reason that whatever the source of the poison was, it has been undiscovered or unavailable for all that time. It is a natural poison, not a potion, so the creature that produced it is rare indeed, or new to our modern world..."

Understanding flashed across Robbi's face.

"The Ürgod! The venom is from the Ürgod." She cried out.

Dema nodded.
"That is my feeling as well and if the poison is indeed similar to that of our noxious little centipede, then perhaps the antidote is similar as well."

"The Ürgod's flesh?" Robbi blurted incredulously.

"I believe that may be the case."

Robbi shook her head in disgust.
"How does that help. How in Targas' name do we get our paws on the flesh of the Ürgod?"

Dema draped her arm over Robbi's shoulder and kissed her on the forehead.
"Be of good spirit child, we know now what we seek, that is infinitely more than we knew this morning. The Asherouboros is being moved to battle the beast, perhaps we will be able to scavenge a bit of its blood or flesh after the battle. We will make sure to let our friends know to look for it."

"That's if we can get the Asherouboros to the sea and if it will battle the Ürgod and if it is not destroyed by the beast and if there is anyone left to retrieve the flesh. It seems hopeless," Robbi commented sadly.

"Faith, child, faith. Fate will decide and we will try, no one can ask more or expect less. Now enough of your frowning, help me finish this box. The Xezee will begin arriving soon."

Arrive they did. Within an hour of Chumley's departure, canvas bags containing the writhing poisonous invertebrates were being delivered to Dema's quarters and emptied into the completed box. It didn't take long for the entire slime-coated sheet to be completely covered in hundreds of the inch long predators. The fish slime seemed to drive the tiny creatures into a frenzy, just as Dema had predicted.

Robbi moved to a position directly over the box and stared down in fascination. Every centipede she saw was viciously striking the odorous fabric with its fearsome pincer-shaped fangs. She could see droplets of the pale green venom forming at the points of the fangs, only to be absorbed into the fabric. Dema noticed Robbi's interest and using a long set of tweezers, she removed a single centipede and placed it on a small dish at her work desk beneath a large magnifying glass.

"Come dear," she said cheerfully, "have a closer look at one of those little villains."

Robbi went to the desk and stared through the magnifier at the centipede. Its body was a dull black with a thin yellow stripe running down its center. The creature was divided into about a dozen egg-shaped segments, each sporting two sets of thread-like legs. The last segment sported two crescent appendages trailing behind it, similar to those on a silverfish. The centipede's head was the same size as the body segments, but lacked the central yellow stripe and was devoid of any legs. Instead, a pair of pincers extended outward below two coal-black eyes.

The pincers, which were in fact the fangs of the beast, moved in a constant, ominous opening and closing motion, ready to grasp and inject its poison into anything unfortunate enough to be within reach. Robbi shuddered, then felt silly at the feeling of discomfort that this miniscule monster caused in her. Dema came up and put her paw on the small rat's shoulder, causing her to flinch.

"Nasty little thing, isn't it?" The old toad asked.

"Repulsive, but still one of Arishamal's inhabitants." Robbi answered.

Dema picked up the stray centipede and returned it to the box where it immediately began attacking the cloth once more.
"In fairness to these things, healers have long used them to ease the pain of wounds and toothaches, they are even used occasionally to ease the pain of difficult births. I am often surprised where we find the things necessary to help us."

Dema looked into her box just as another few bags of the Xezee were being delivered. She instructed the weasel who brought them to wait . She turned to Robbi.
"Our first batch is done depositing their venom," she beckoned the weasel over and handed him an empty canvas bag, "hold this open, young man." He did as instructed and she began to gently shovel the initial batch of centipedes from the box into the empty bag.

When she was done she addressed the courier. "Take this and release them along the beach areas which have already been harvested, they will find their own way home."

"Yes, Dema Primus, as you wish." The weasel left without another word. Dema and Robbi emptied the second batch of centipedes into the box. This procedure was repeated several more times during the course of the day, until nearly three thousand of the Xezee had been 'milked'.

When Dema deemed that enough of the venom had been harvested, she sent word to cease the collection of the bugs and set about extracting the venom from the now saturated canvas sheet at the bottom of the box.

With Robbi's help, the old toad removed the cloth and transferred it into a kettle of boiling liquid.
"Now we wait until the liquid boils down," she told Robbi, "now you go and get some sleep by the fire and I'll do the cooking."

A light snow fell over Thoth that night, covering the dark stone walls and streets with a bright canvas of white which reflected the golden tones of dawn throughout the great city.

This day marked the beginning of the solstice festival and as the sun began its journey across the sky, countless bells peeled and sang, echoing a hopeful spirit from the largest manors to the humblest of dwellings.

The song of the bells reached Castle Thoth and gently nudged Robbi out of her restful sleep. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and immediately smiled as the aroma of mulled cider engulfed her. Dema approached and offered the wizard a mug of the aromatic brew which Robbi gratefully accepted. The bells continued their serenade as Robbi sipped her cider.

"I'd almost forgotten what day it was." The rat commented.

"In that case, let me be the first to offer my blessings to you child. As our world enters the season of sleep, let us pray it will awake in the spring, renewed." Dema said, softly kissing Robbi on the forehead.

"And blessings to you, Dema Primus," Robbi suddenly perked up from her groggy stupor and grasped Dema's arm, " the potion? Did you finish it?"

Dema walked to her workbench and retrieved a small flask, which she handed to the wizard. It was filled with a viscous lime-green liquid.
"There it is, child. More than enough I should think for our purpose. Our part for now is done. Let us hope that the males in our quest are at least have as efficient as we. We will deliver it to Chumley after we fill our bellies with a spot of breakfast."

Robbi smiled broadly.
"You old fraud! I know that your faith in our friends is as firm as mine. You work very hard at being contrary, don't you?"

Dema cackled.
"It's what everyone expects and I oblige. Don't tell anyone I said this, but we are blessed with the friendship of brave and noble friends and I love them all. They are as devoted to this world of ours as any holy-beast or lord. If Arishamal can be saved, these are the beasts to do it."