Turning his eyes east, Will could see the great city rise before him. The seven-tiered city of Dwerhold, built in seven levels ascending up the steep, rocky slopes of the Rokyal Range, was a wondrous metropolis that recalled his old memories of the glorious, graceful architecture of Swampheart. The city's walls, encased in bronze, shone dully in the afternoon sun and gleamed like a beacon for travelers near and far. As they grew closer he could make out the major buildings in the city, as well as the great bronze monuments to the Twelve Listeners erected in the center of the top level. The mountain rose mightily above the city; even with its seven levels, Dwerhold barely crept up the side of the great peak, which scraped the clouds with its snowcapped summit. Dozens of other mountains stretched to the north and the south, growing larger and taller the farther north they were.
Aeric's mouth hung half agape as he looked up at the great bronze walls and their battlements. "Thellden is so plain compared to this."
"And your walls were only stone," Will scoffed, managing a smile as they approached the open gate. The two figures overlooking it were hardly statues; they were golems, standing sentry as motionless as a mountain until they were bid to move by their masters. They betrayed no hint of sentience or life as the caravan passed beneath them and into the gatehouse.
"Thellden is hardly an ancient city," said Will as they passed into the lowest level. "Dwerhold is among the oldest. The library back home had a lot of writings about this place."
"I've only heard about it in passing," Aeric mused sadly. "Down in Thellden, the only thing people care about is...well, Thellden."
"Such narcissism," Will commented. "Unhealthy, I'd say."
The buildings of Dwerhold were made of cut stone and mortar, constructed very similarly to brickwork. There was almost no thatch or timber-frame to be seen, unlike in Thellden; houses and buildings were all built out of stone or, in rarer cases, marble, and had a very simple design to them. Each house was a square, complete with a tiled roof, and most buildings were cubic or rectangular, with similar roofing. Only the city bank and council chambers, two very visible structures, were made out of marble and decorated in a more artistic style, fountains and great colonnades decorating their entrances. The caravan of brusque, heavily-armed men was ignored by most of the citizenry, who were used to seeing treasure hunters and adventurers pour into their city.
Will had told Aeric about Dwer on the way up to the city. The venerated ruins had once been a city themselves, dug out of the mountains during a time of great empires millennia ago. The architects, funded by great mining operations and continent-wide trade, had dug deeper and deeper and constantly expanded the city into levels plunging into the earth. It was estimated hundreds of thousands lived within the mountains, ensconced from the dangerous world without, and the architects delved ever deeper in their quest to expand the city to its greatest potential. And then, apparently, the records had no idea what happened; communication with the city ceased, and traders who went there a few years later found that all of Dwer had been abandoned, its inhabitants vanished into the darkness. Few signs of struggle, no conquering force inhabiting the city, just nothing but darkness and silence.
Nobody came to Dwer after that. Empires rose and fell, trade expanded, the industrial revolution occurred, the Disaster wrought its havoc, the server opened up, people returned to these lands, and Dwerhold was built. But very few dared to touch Dwer itself; the name was spoken in hushed tones, out of fear. It had acquired an almost mythical personality over the centuries, and many spoke of great treasures buried in the city by the architects, who hid their riches and secrets to prevent prying eyes from stealing them. That was why so many adventurers came to Dwerhold; they were seeking what the architects had potentially given their lives to protect.
"It seems like such an expensive city to build," muttered Aeric, looking up at the other six levels, each smaller than the last and hugging the mountain tighter.
"They managed, somehow," Will replied. "People say Dwerhold is a thousand years old. I'm not certain of that, but it might be possible."
"Thellden is not even two hundred. How does a city last that long?"
"I can't say. I'm not an architect," Will said, shrugging. If he was an architect, his life would be radically different right now. He would be back in Swampheart, enjoying life at home instead of being stuck on the other side of a giant mountain range.
They ascended one of the great stone ramps to the second level - the Business Level - where traders flocked the three great markets. This was where their inn would be located; most of the inns and taverns were built here, where there was enough space to accommodate masses of travelers and incoming adventurers. Five-story tall hostels dominated the scene, all of them carved out of stone as well, and the streets were crammed with horses, smelly men dressed in furs and leather, and shrewd-looking men hawking their wares and making bargains with gruff foreigners and stoic locals.
The inn they had paid for was rather crowded but much nicer-looking than some of the other seedy locales. The bouncers here were armed, bearing long daggers at their hips, and most of the men looked like respectable, professional treasure hunters. As with every inn, there were a few layabouts and louts submerged in their ale, waiting for a fight to start, but they were outnumbered by the professionals. These men were like Rikken and Anoth, dedicated treasure hunters who were well-trained, well-armed, and hardly the scum of the streets. They had a purpose for being in Dwerhold, and they were respectful towards the barkeep and his assistants.
"We will be taking to the ruins on Monday, after the weekend," Anoth spoke to them as they gathered around him in the common room of the inn. "Everyone will have plenty of time to rest before we descend."
"We have everything already paid for?" someone asked.
"Rooms and board, yes," replied Anoth. "If you want to enjoy the local flavor or go drink yourself half to death, that's on you. But you have the weekend until we head into Dwer." A few of the men laughed, but they all dispersed rather quickly when he finished, eager to sleep in a good bed after weeks of being on the road almost uninterrupted. Nobody wanted to drink themselves stupid, not tonight.
Will wanted to sleep, too, but Aeric wished to see the city before night fell completely. Will was tired, having been mounted on a horse for twelve hours a day for the past week, but Aeric seemed really desperate to get some fresh air before bed and Will, his legs protesting against his actions, decided to go with him just to humor him. Aeric seemed particularly excited to be entering one of the market fora, his face lit up like a kid in a candy shop, and it was kind of amusing in a cute way.
"We won't be out for long, don't worry," Aeric promised as they left the heated confines of the inn, exiting into the chilly embrace of the northern night. "I just want to take a look around!"
"As long as we stay on this level, okay?"
"Promise,"said Aeric , already running off. Despite the late hour, the market was crowded and well-lit by hundreds of shining oil lamps, all of them cast out of bronze. It seemed like the entire city was built around the cheap metal, even the guardian homunculi.
Aeric ran ahead and bounced from stall to stall, eager to check out their wares. People called prices at him, but he ignored them, more interested in gazing at the items than purchasing them. Will tried to keep up, glad to see he was enjoying himself, and even he was enthralled by some of the wares in the displays.
In one shop there was displayed a whole assortment of cured furs, the likes of which neither man had ever seen. There were smaller ones, of beavers, minks, opossums and weasels, but also one of a great bear that was splayed out upon the back wall, its skull on a pedestal nearby.
"I've never even seen a bear before," Aeric said, looking at the description of the fur. "Hell, rarely even heard of it…"
"There's a lot of things up here that you've never heard of. The north can be a wild land," Will said, appreciating the size of the bear's fur. He had heard the legends about the great beasts - the farther north you traveled, the larger they grew. That seemed to be the law of nature for most animals in this world. Even unassuming things like birds were rumored to be great beasts in the northern icecaps; not that anyone really knew that, because travelers never returned if they went that far.
Will eventually found himself drinking in Aeric's energy, more and more excited to be exploring the market the more he saw. There was finely crafted pottery from Larklund, powerful iron and moonstone weapons crafted in Hardshore, simple crafts and wood sculptures from Redwoods, fabrics and weavings from North Driftmist, hunting trophies and finely crafted yew bows from out of Pinesrush, and so much more. Copper jewelry from the Bight could be found here, and there could be found even some metalwork from the Ditch. No items from Thellden, though; Aeric was a little disappointed to see that his city was not represented in the menagerie of items presented before him.
"It's so impressive, though," he regaled Will as they strolled out of the market and towards the level's ramparts. Each segment of Dwerhold had its own wall separating it from the bottom level, and from there one could look out onto the level below. The sun was setting and Aeric wanted to watch it, just for a bit.
"I'm...I'm impressed too, to be honest," he admitted, glad he had come out to see.
"On first impression, I think I'm going to like it here." Aeric gazed eagerly at the bustling cityscape encircling him. "We're...settling down for a while, right?"
Will responded with a supportive nod of his head, but that head was swimming with questions. How would they be able to pay for themselves? Where would they stay? Was there a place they could stay indefinitely? And would they fit in with the locals? It wasn't a simple matter of physical translocation; they had to adapt and adopt the customs, and try to fit in while they stayed. Aeric seemed to be refusing to tackle the difficult questions, instead opting for an optimistic fantasy.
"Yes, love. We'll be here for a while...I think we'll do alright," Will said, grasping his partner's hand.
Aeric squeezed Will's hand in return. "I'm glad you finally came through about that. I...was worried."
"I think we can make it. If we get rich, we won't have to worry about money, too!" Will thought aloud.
It was highly unlikely they would get rich. They would receive their cut of the loot from Anoth, provided they found anything, and then his party would depart, leaving them in this cold city. They could be worse places, to be fair.
"That would be nice, to not have to worry about...stuff like that."
"Let's sit for a minute. You want to watch the sunset?" Will asked. Aeric agreed, and they took a seat on a stone balustrade on the ramparts and looked west as the sun dipped below the horizon, disappearing into distant lands.
"Are you certain you still want to settle down here?" Aeric asked, putting his head on Will's shoulder. That movement was oddly comforting and Will felt at ease as the stars glimmered overhead and the last light of the sun was extinguished by nightfall.
"...temporarily, yes. Why do you ask again?" Will asked, after a pause. Deep conversation was something he wanted to avoid currently, just to avoid ruining this little peaceful moment.
"I just want to make sure. I want to make sure that we're doing the right thing. I want to get you home, Will, don't be mistaken, but...I just don't know how. Y'know?"
"Yeah, I know." Will sighed despite himself. "I don't either. But we'll figure it out."
"Together?"
"Of course." Will replied, as if it were obvious. "But let's talk about it later. Now is not the time."
He turned and kissed Aeric on the forehead, parting his mousy hair as he did so. He was a naive little boy, but he was cute, and deep down Will loved him for everything he was. He just wanted to return home, and then he'd be happy - even if it meant punishment and scorn for his failure. Whatever happened, it would always be home.
VVVVV
The farmers were the first to see the strange man stumbling through the fields beyond Stallhart. Harvesting their potato crops and moving their tools into storage for the imminent winter, the peasants were initially confused when they came upon the injured man, who looked to be in poor shape. One of them, a sharper tool than most, thought to return to the keep and alert some authority to his presence, while the rest did what they could to attend to him. The potatoes forgotten, they took him into the tiny quartermaster's hall in the hamlet of Skagway, home to seventy-five weary farmers and woodsmen, and kept him there until someone important arrived.
The aforementioned lowly peasant by the name of Donald, mulling his mediocre existence, told a bored gate guard about the situation and then returned to his farm, hoping to dig up a few more baskets of life-giving potatoes before sundown. While Donald was entirely forgotten by everybody except himself, the gate guard referred the story to his sergeant, the sergeant told the guard captain, the guard captain informed Sergeant Stellmeier, and the dutiful sergeant relayed the action to Lord Matthew Cook. And that was how Ablyn Cullen found his way into Stallhart.
He had received some sort of injury from a crossbow bolt, although the bolt had been extracted some time ago. The wound was now clearly infected - even Matt, hardly practiced in the medicinal arts, could tell. The guards had to manhandle him into submission as he writhed in pain, asking loudly where he was. Nobody would answer him, not yet; he had to be taken to Brudina Tolthor, the only person in Stallhart capable of healing him.
The plump, round little woman was quite surprised to see the stranger being hauled into her dim, smoky shop, but she accepted him without protest. Taking him behind the counter and into a back room, she laid his inert body on a bed and began looking over the wound, silent the entire time.
"It is badly infected. The flesh is rotting and I'm not sure if I can do anything about it," Brudina admitted after thorough inspection.
"He will die otherwise. Is there anything you can do?" asked Matt.
"Oh, m'lord, I will try, I promise that," she mumbled, fumbling around a nearby cabinet for supplies. "I just need poultices and time! And some space, if you please, m'lord!"
Matt backed out of the room as she maneuvered past him, heading for her stores.
"Arthur! Attend the counter!" she shouted, calling at her assistant. "I am engaged, yes, very engaged. Apologies, m'lord, for the hustle, but I must work quick."
"You are excused," Matt said, rather concerned about the situation. Whoever this man was, he could tell he was Thell by the insignia he wore and the damp, moldy papers stuffed into his shirt. Whether or not he was from Castiron, they did not know; they would learn that soon enough, he hoped.
There was nothing more he could do here, and following the lead of Sergeant Stellmeier he left the tiny herbalist's shop, leaving the rather bemused and silent Arthur behind as Brudina toiled in the back room. The chilly autumn air outside cut into his light clothing as he made his way back to the keep with the rest of the convoy.
"What do you think I should do, Sergeant?" Matt asked, probing for advice.
"Wait and see. If he lives, well, that's something. If he dies, that's an altogether different matter," Stellmeier said, mulling aloud.
"Clearly," Matt agreed. "But what if he lives?"
"He's a Thell man - spy, scout, or deserter we do not know," said the sergeant. "But it is wise to question him and, if need be, keep him under watch."
"You want me to keep him in the jail?"
"The security there is rated for drunks and pickpockets, but it'll have to do. I'd say extra guards on him, once he's interrogated," Stellmeier advised.
"Do you want me to be rough with the interrogation, or do - ah, goddamnit."
Matt stopped his sentence when he noticed Avery Steadwin standing at the gate of the keep, looking rather upset that he hadn't been invited to the welcoming party. He remained calm as Matt approached, but it was clear he was right pissed about being left behind.
"I wasn't told we had an emergency," he said when they approached. Matt could see the fire cooking in his eyes and knew he had to step daintily around this. Avery already disliked him; making a complete enemy was exactly what he didn't want to do.
"It's not an emergency. Everything's fine," Matt reassured him, strolling past him into the keepyard. Naturally, the nagging little bastard followed, to his annoyance.
"Who is he? A Thell, is what I hear?"
"We're not sure who he is exactly, but he needs medical aid. He's badly injured," Matt replied.
"Why wasn't I told about this when you were? This is important-"
"You do not rate as high as the liege lord." Stellmeier shut Avery down when Matt could not. "I would advise that you do not carry this matter further." Avery meekly obeyed, for the time being.
"What do you plan on doing with him?" he asked once they reentered the keep. Matt kept marching up towards the planning room, where they always convened for discussion.
"I'm not sure yet. We tend to him first, and then interrogate him," Matt replied as they entered the room.
"Why not just kill him?" suggested Avery.
"That would be unwise," Stellmeier warned, growing uneasy with Avery's presence. The boy was too obtuse and unaware of the sergeant's disdain.
"I agree with Sergeant Stellmeier. That could cost us vital info. We need to find out where he came from, what he was doing, and who he is," Matt explained, himself quite impatient with Avery but unwilling to commit to shutting him down. He wanted to walk a thin line here, not fall into any pitfall.
"He's Thell, he's the enemy. Why not just execute him? Or, execute him after that?"
"Again, unwise," said Matt. "Killing him gains us nothing."
"My lord, I appeal to you...trust me! Keeping him alive will be bad for everyone involved!" Avery claimed. He was met with cold stares, and instantly realized nobody would be listening to him. He set his jaw and grimaced at the two men.
"I will not be insulted if you're just going to shoot me down or stare at me," Avery claimed, throwing his hands up in the air to mime surrender.
"Avery-"
"You've let the enemy into our town, and now you're going to keep him? You will bring death on someone, I promise," Avery growled at Matt, and then stalked out, slamming the door behind him. Neither man spoke for a short bit, both bemused.
"Brat," Stellmeier spat after he was long gone. "He'll get over it."
"I, well, I hope so," Matt stammered, feeling a wretched knot in his stomach. He was hoping that it was just a moment of weakness for Avery.
"Don't let him get to you. His hatred of Thellden will often cloud his logic," Stellmeier reassured him.
"I don't want him to be an enemy-"
"He won't be. I believe we already discussed this?"
"Yeah...sort of," Matt recalled, feeling awkward now. "Sorry."
"The matter at hand is this...stranger. I believe you were right to agree with me. We ought to keep him under lock and key but keep him alive. Depending on who he is, he could be valuable to us," Stellmeier said.
"What if he's dangerous? Or refuses to cooperate?"
"Well, then, Avery gets his wish. Or, if you think that's what we should do," Stellmeier said. "He could be thrown back out, too."
"I want to see how cooperative he is. And I want to be the one interrogating him," Matt decided.
"Are you sure, my Lord?" asked Stellmeier, a hint of doubt in his voice. There could be none of that, no.
"Positive," he replied sternly. "Will you have everything set up, provided he is healthy enough?"
"I will do that," Stellmeier promised, bowing sharply. "Are you all finished here?"
"I will go take a look at him later, but for now we are done," Matt replied. He felt exhausted all of a sudden, and just wanted to go to bed, even though it was hours from sundown.
Most of the rest of his day was spent looking over the maps in that same goddamn room, studying them for no clear-cut reasons. They existed for information, but he was just re-reading the names over the diamonds again and again, familiarizing himself with the world around him. Castiron Hill and Stallhart were almost perfectly aligned on a north-south axis, with the former being nearly directly south of Stallhart. He wondered if this was purely accidental, or whether it had been initially designed that way.
Night had fallen by the time Matt was called by Stellmeier out into the town. Matt was forced to throw on some extra leather to keep the biting chill out, and a steady rain was falling on Stallhart as he strode out, his path lit by a lone lantern, into the empty, silent village.
"He's doing much better than he was before," Brudina informed them when questioned, lighting a few candles around her shop as the two entered. "Conscious, actually...but not very."
"You think he'll make it?" asked Matt, making his way past the counter.
"Oh, of course he'll make it, m'lord! If I may say so myself, I've done a fair job on him!"
"How long do you think it will take before we can...examine him?" Matt inquired, looking into his room. The newcomer was splayed out on the bed, his sheets dirtied and a little bloody, but he looked alive and appeared far more vibrant than he did when he arrived. Brudina had likely saved his life.
"Oh, a few days at most," she replied heartily. "The wound was not as severe as I had thought, once I cleaned out some of the rotted flesh and a few maggots," Brudina said, rather delightedly.
"Good, good, that is excellent then," Matt interjected, rather disgusted and hardly in the mood for visceral details. "We just need to know all we can about him. Can you keep him here, then?"
"Oh, I suppose so...I mean, a little old woman like me can fend for herself, m'lord! I'll let you know if he causes trouble, though," Brudina promised them.
"I doubt he will. Just make sure he stays alive," Stellmeier told her.
"Of course, m'lords, that I can promise."
They took one last look at the sleeping Thell, and then bid Brudina Tolthor goodnight. She cheerily bid them the same, and went about extinguishing her candles. Matt sincerely hoped she was planning on locking the man's door when she went to bed. Hell, he was going to lock his own door - he had no idea who this man was, but he was not going to take chances.
VVVVV
Saturday dawned cold on the tiered city of Dwerhold. The sky reigned pale and serene above, and luscious sunbeams beat down on the tiled rooftops of the city's houses as it came to life.
Will was awake long before Aeric; he was used to being up early in the morning, and washing with cold water before beginning the day's chores. However, there were no chores to do. The staff at the inn took care of cleaning, washing, firewood and anything inbetween, and the cooks were already preparing breakfast food when he got down to the nearly empty common room. A few of Anoth's men were sitting in a booth, conversing quietly with one another, but other than them the common room was nearly deserted. Will hesitantly walked over to them and took a seat with them, seeing no other alternative since Aeric was still asleep.
"Breakfast will be out soon. Have a seat," one of them offered him, moving aside to give him room. He gratefully took the seat and bid them good morning.
"Where you from, kid?" one of the younger men asked. "Ibin never told us much, just said you were novice adventurers.
"I come from...ah, I was from Dunnefold. But I fled to the Ditch...for obvious reasons," Will lied, preferring a false backstory to the risk of honesty. If questioned about Dunnefold at all, he knew his story would collapse completely, so he hoped they would take it for face value.
"War refugee, eh? I'm sorry for your loss, kid," the man apologized, sounding genuine.
"Where was your family?" asked someone else.
"I don't know. We were separated," Will lied again. At least it was eliciting some pity, which made them less likely to question him.
"That entire province is trashed. What a mess," the second man muttered.
"Sorry about everything that's going on down there. You'll find success up here though, I promise ya that," the younger man apologized again.
"Anoth knows what he's doing. Rikken might be a bit green, but Anoth's a true veteran," someone else agreed.
"What should I be expecting when we go into Dwer?" Will asked out of the blue. He was curious.
They were unable to answer his question momentarily; there was a stifling silence, and someone coughed awkwardly while one of the adventurers tried to come up with an answer.
"Well, I can try to explain," an older man volunteered. "You ever read about it, boy?"
"Very little," Will answered sheepishly, now realizing all eyes were on him. He just wanted a straight answer, that was all.
"It's a ruin, but...not in the sense of most ruins. It's abandoned and some parts have collapsed or received damage, but for the most part it's, ah, in good shape," the older man began explaining.
"One could live in it if they wanted," added another.
"If. It's habitable, and beautiful in some areas. It's truly a city, carved out of the mountain and built within great caverns. No one really knows how deep those caverns go; no one has reached the bottom."
"Nobody?" asked Will incredulously.
"Not a soul. Parties keep trying, but they never get far enough. They've gone deeper than the city, but the caverns and great underground rivers keep running deeper," the older man said. "There's no treasure down there, but some explorers, well, they keep on trying, just for the sake of finding the end."
"They generally meet their own end before they find the cave's," someone said, chuckling darkly. His joke was met with some laughter, but the older man who was talking to Will shot a dark glance at him. Most of the men paid little heed to the two as they continued.
"Dwer is essentially built into several levels, like the city, but its levels are vertical. They are all built concentrically around a giant sinkhole-esque cavern in the mountain, which leads down into more caverns and tunnels below," he explained.
"I follow," Will promised, trying to visualize such a monstrous creation in his head. It was like imagining a drill, wider at the top and quite narrow at the bottom, surrounded by a multi-tiered city cut out of the ancient stone.
"The city's old business district is at the top, along with the palace," the older man continued. "The next two levels were residential, we presume, and then below that is industry and the treasury. That's where we'd be going; there's a lot down there that's unexplored, and there's treasure to be found."
"The great empires used to bury their coin in mountain vaults. There's been two found, but we believe there are more," someone added.
"That's where the treasure lies. Below that there's a series of tombs that we won't go to, and that's where the city ends, at that bottom. Below that...well, there's nothing worthwhile."
"There's the promise, too," the person beside Will said.
"That there is a load of bullshit," the older man swore, growling. "You believe that?"
"I want to hear it," said Will, objecting when the older man tried to silence him.
"It's nonsense," the older man promised, but his opponent carried on.
"There's scrawl at the doorway to Dwer, that's been highlighted so travelers can see it easier. It says something along the lines of... 'Whoever enters this lonely place must yield one of theirs to leave freely', or something like that. Point is, never go into Dwer alone," he explained.
"It's just a myth. Accidents happen, why should they be attributed to a curse?"
"I never said I believed it," the other man retorted, defending his position. "I'm just explaining it to him. He deserves to know."
"So...it means someone will always die if they enter?" asked Will for clarification.
"That's the gist of it, yes. Whether by accident or some other mishap, one life from each party is claimed. That's why some are wary of Dwer, because they don't roll dice like that."
"But again, accidents happen. I, for one, don't believe in the myth."
"It sounds like a relatively safe place," said Will.
"And it is. There's really nothing to worry about, unless you go below the city," the older man promised. "Then, you might run into trouble. But we won't be doing that."
"There's not much to it. Follow Anoth's directions, and you'll be good," the man next to him said.
Will was now quite unsettled by all of this. If it came to blades he would be able to hold his own, for sure; the journey from North Driftmist had been no trouble, even though they had been concerned about bandit raids. He was able to fight if he needed to, but there was no way he could prevent a cave-in or collapse that might cost him his life. That was what he was afraid of, something he couldn't prevent.
He ate with them, a breakfast of warm bread and cold venison, but afterwards went out into the city, heading for wherever the archives were to do some research of his own. The men had bickered between one another over Dwer, and none of them could reach a consensus about how dangerous it was or what precautions to take or why certain things happened there. Will needed another source, and he left a note for Aeric informing him of his departure. He was still fast asleep in bed, and Will decided not to wake him.
The cold wind nipped at Will's flesh and forced him to pull his furs tighter across his shoulders as he walked down to the first tier. The archives were squat, hardly taller than the average house, but they were wide and extended across a few city blocks at least. Nestled up against the walls of the second tier, and built into the edge of the mountain, they were easily dismissed upon first glance, but Will noticed them quickly. The signs on the main avenues helped guide him to his destination, and within fifteen minutes he was down on the first tier, at the great ebony doors to the archives.
The front deskman eyed him curiously as he entered, marking him as a foreigner by his attitude and speech patterns. Will, while hardly different from your average Dwerhold citizen, stood out a bit when compared to them, if you looked closely enough. He inquired about research and books on Dwer, and while he was met with a pause and a grumbled reply he was led down the aisles stocked full of books and directed to a certain, small section of old tomes and scholarly literature.
"I take it you're one of those treasure hunters?" the librarian asked as he directed Will to a few shelves of information.
"I am," replied Will.
"You've been warned. That place is strange and has been even stranger lately. People keep disappearing in large numbers and going into that mountain would be unwise."
"I'm just trying to learn more, thanks," Will said, dismissing him. The librarian strode away, perhaps a little miffed, but Will sat down on a nearby bench with one of the books in hand, flipping through the pages for pertinent content.
The book he was reading, by a certain T.A. Silverius, was full of illustrations of the ancient city and its contingent parts. Here Will could see a sketch of what the men had described to him earlier, the "drill" structure of the city that was about a mile wide at the top and less than a hundred feet wide at the bottom. There were illustrations of houses and apartment buildings, expertly chiseled out of the mountain's stone, and a sketch of the ruins of what looked like a once grand palace, missing a wall and apparently damaged by debris. There was very little on what lay below Dwer, just a few notes and mentions of a "cavern, with long corridors and smaller chambers adjacent to it".
Will hadn't learned much from the book that he hadn't already been told, unfortunately, but the pictures gave him some visual, enough for him to imagine what it would be like when they descended. Aeric's wild dreams of getting rich and living life easy were more and more distant now that Will realized what they were getting into. Even if the "curse" was false, the place seemed inherently dangerous, especially since the illustrations showed parts of the ruins had collapsed. And that book was, what, one hundred and fifty years old? How much could have changed in that massive interval of time? That was what worried him; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if, by some awful accident, Aeric died or was injured down there seeking a phantom fortune.
It was late by the time he decided to head home. He searched through the rest of the content that the librarian had recommended to him, but much of it was useless. There was commentary from famous treasure hunters, long chunks of boring history Will had no interest in, a few illustrations of the Mountain Door and parts of the ruins, but nothing new. Very little mentioned about the words above the door, too, except for a dry footnote in one of the books:
"Often dismissed as a myth, these words come true more often than not. Attributed to accidents, however, as deaths often occur from falling, structural collapses or unfortunate souls becoming lost."
Will wondered how many people had died down there over the years, and how many had actually managed to strike it rich in comparison. The dichotomy between the statistics was likely jaw-dropping. Maybe Will was just being pessimistic, and should listen to Aeric more.
He returned back to the second level after checking the books back in, and shook the negative thoughts out of his head. Aeric should be right; everything was going to be alright. They would settle down for a while, wait until peace had returned to the world and things had become quiet again, and then Will could head home. And Aeric could join him!
The inn was raucous and rife with celebration, as ale was cheap and the kitchen continued to churn out hot food on an industrial scale. Each table was packed with adventurers and spelunkers, dressed in matted furs and dirty leather, and their rough, bellowing voices beset Will's ears as he jostled through the crowd on his way back to his quarters. He was in no mood for a party, even though he was certain someone called his name through the din and invited him to a drink. He just needed some sleep.
"Where were you all day? At the library?" asked Aeric curiously when Will returned, locking the door behind him.
"Yeah, I was just...doing some reading," Will informed him.
"Yeah, I know. Are you nervous?"
"I...no, I just wanted to be better informed. That's all," Will lied. Of course he was nervous, and he was surprised that Aeric wasn't. Was he just that optimistic about the descent?
"We'll be alright Will, I promise. I talked to Ibin today, actually, and he told me that the place is much safer now than it was before. There's safety equipment and structural supports and bridges and stuff like that now, so you don't have to worry."
"I appreciate it," said Will.
"I know you're worried about me, too. If we stick together, I think we'll be just fine," Aeric promised.
"I wasn't gonna leave you," Will said, smiling. "Wasn't planning on it."
"I didn't think so!"
"Where have you been today?" Will asked, noticing the dirt on Aeric's boots.
"Just about everywhere! Kind of," Aeric replied. "I've been exploring. Just...all over the city. I couldn't help myself."
Will had to smile at that notion. Aeric seemed to be loving Dwerhold; a fresh location, fresh places to see, and a beautiful environment to explore. As naturally curious as he was, the city was like one giant exhibition to him, full of interesting sounds and sights.
"I'm glad you're having fun. I suppose you haven't gone house hunting yet?"
"Ohhhh, don't be so pushy," Aeric joked. "I'll look for a cute little bungalow eventually."
"Well, you've got a myriad of options. They're all made out of stone, for one."
"As long as we get nice feather pillows, I can live with stone," said Aeric. He was already undressing for bed, throwing his clothes to the side. Will, too, was in no mood to stay up late. He was exhausted, even though he had only visited one location today.
"Ready for bed, I take it?"
"I've been pretty busy today," Will said. "I'm really tired."
"That's alright, I'm sleepy too. We have to get up early tomorrow morning, anyway."
"Do we?" asked Will.
"Rikken said he wants to brief everybody the day before. Just for safety, I think."
"Whatever he wants," Will muttered. He stripped his shirt off and lay down in bed beside Aeric, extinguishing the candle before he pulled the covers up over himself. The blankets were soft wool and the top cover made of fur, which negated the cold completely.
At first, he simply couldn't get to sleep. He tossed and turned a few times, and found himself rubbing up against Aeric's warm body. His eyes adjusted to the dark quickly, and he could see that Aeric, too, was having difficulty falling asleep and lay wide awake, staring up at the rafters.
After about half an hour passed, he couldn't help himself. He turned over and hugged Aeric tightly, placing his head on his partner's shoulder.
"Something wrong?" Aeric asked drowsily, turning over to face him.
"I just...really can't sleep. Sorry."
"Nah, it's okay. I'm awake over here, too," Aeric said, and returned the hug. They remained there only briefly, wrapped together.
Will knew he needed to go to sleep, especially after doing so much research earlier. But the appeal of Aeric was too much; he found his hands running all over his boyfriend's body, stroking his back and neck lovingly. He couldn't help himself.
"I thought you said you wanted to sleep?" said Aeric.
"I can't," Will grumbled, turning over to face his partner.
"Aww, well, poor you," Aeric cooed, wrapping his arms around his hips. "Do you need a goodnight kiss?"
"Maybe a little more than that…"
Aeric pressed his body into Will's and let their lips connect, fondling his muscular neck and shoulders as they made out. Naked besides underwear, they were exposed to each other and were able to explore each other's bodies without issue.
Will pressed his head into Aeric's shoulder and kissed the soft flesh of his neck, nipping just a little bit at it to make Aeric tense. He felt his partner's hands reach around his head and pull him back up for another kiss, satisfying his thirst and sating his desire for intimacy.
"You're active tonight. What's up?" asked Aeric, breaking away from the kiss.
Will messed with Aeric's hair. "I just...felt like it," he explained. "It's fun."
"Hmm. It is," Aeric agreed. "Only with you, though."
"Goodnight Aeric. Sweet dreams," Will whispered into his ear. He wasn't sure if he was ready to commit to love, but this was close.
"You too," Aeric whispered back.
They kissed one last time before finally coming to a stop, locked in each other's arms. And that is where they fell asleep, collapsing into unconsciousness until early the next morning.
VVVVV
"Vive, servire, morere!"
The shouting of the recruits training a level above him echoed in his ears as his fist slammed against the bulkhead of the portal, an empty and lifeless square. There was nothing here; the portal was dead, the pendant was destroyed, and any sign of its destroyers had vanished. Konstantin Raam was at a dead end, despite his recent successes.
"Why didn't you tell me it was broken?" he asked, his echo reverberating harshly off of the chamber's concrete walls.
"That was not pertinent, I felt."
The man's skin was extraordinarily pale and his eyes unnaturally purple, with hair black as a void. He looked rather serene and comfortable within the darkness of the silent portal chamber, appearing almost bored. The Enderborn, they called him, a monster within a man. His mere presence made Raam uncomfortable, but he had to grin and bear it for as long as his boss ordered him to. If he disobeyed an order, the paychecks would stop, and that would be an unfortunate event.
"My employer wanted that pendant. And this portal is damn useless," Raam cursed.
"I am sorry. But why do you need the portal, when you have me?" the Enderborn asked. That was a good question, and Raam was temporarily stifled, unable to reply.
"I can give you all you want, and more," the Enderborn promised, speaking when Raam failed to deliver. "The portal is a mere physical manifestation of the power that I am born from, and the power that my master wields. It is useless now."
"I was simply following orders. I was not aware-"
"Your employer has been quite kind to me, and his unification of my forces and yours will be beneficial to us both. I am here to help you, Konstantin Raam, you must realize that."
"I do," Raam said, his mouth suddenly becoming dry. Rarely was he ever moved to fear by an opponent, much less an ally; this Enderborn, however, was far too unnatural for him to be comfortable with. How his boss had established relations with this monster, he might never know. He didn't want to know.
"Well, Delphos provides you nothing now. The flow of the war has shifted, but our fight here remains crucial. Let us return to the surface," the Enderborn said, already moving to leave the dim chamber behind.
Konstantin Raam had no choice but to follow him. His employer's orders were clear, and he had to work with the Enderborn.
"My forces have been moving south, but I need the city of Milltown out of the way," the Enderborn explained as they returned to the surface, reentering the ashy ruins of old Delphos.
"Why can't you just roll them over?" asked Raam. "They're just a bunch of barbarians, right?"
"They have lightmen," said the Enderborn, visibly frowning. "The one thing they possess that my armies cannot stop."
"So...you want me to lead an offensive, is that right?" Raam asked. Clearly he was wrong, because the Enderborn smiled again.
"No, not at all...you misunderstand me."
"Do enlighten me-"
"There are groups on the other side of the river that sympathize with our mutual cause...cleansing," the Enderborn explained. "Elimination of the barbarians, and a return of this province to civilization. I have already been in contact with some, but there are many more who are eagerly waiting for an ally."
"I see."
"Your job is right simple," he continued. "Do what your employers ask, of course, but stirring up unrest on the eastern side of the river is within our interest. You won't even need to ally with the locals, but simply find the allies that are already there. It will be simple."
"Who do you refer to, though?"
"You'll know them when you hear about them. I assure you, they will come to you sooner rather than later," the Enderborn told him, ever so cryptic. "I will be back to check in with you soon. I expect good news."
And then he vanished, disappearing into thin air as he turned on the spot. Konstantin Raam cursed him and spat into the ash. He knew who the bastard was talking about; he knew all too well the heartless men he was referring to.
Snatchers...the flesh trade. This would not be clean work, not at all, and Konstantin Raam felt a little uneasy as he made for his camp, knowing what he now had to do.