The day Matiya, Malachai and Achilles set off for The Depths began no different than any other. Pale sunrise amid the residual haze that drifted in from The Grayfields. There were no strange happenings, weird signs or even a suspicious cloud formation. The only unusual sound were the chirping of the Weedlings and jingles of their tiny goats as they worked, completely unseen and blended into the plant life around them, in Achilles fields and barn. Matiya rode her horse, and Achilles and Malachai followed in the chariot into Schilliner's delicate morning silence to the stables to leave them until their return. Then, they put on their packs and armor, secured their swords, and took the first steps towards their destinies.
In Achilles estimation, they had several days of walking ahead of them until they reached the point where the going would be exceedingly harder. The shortest point in their journey was, unfortunately, the road itself. Most of the way would be through forest, over hills and eventually down into the rocky area of The Depths itself. After perhaps Killingham, neither Matiya or Achilles were sure of what type of settlements they'd come across. Settlements had a hard time starting out and an even harder time sustaining themselves. Schilliner was one of the larger and older settlements in the realm, and was so far lucky enough to escape both the food shortage and the attacks by raiders and Warlord's armies. The very large city in the northwestern part of the realm was the only one of its kind. It was built around a titanic temple that was said to house the Gods themselves when they came to visit the realm. No mortal, or even non-human, had ever been inside the upper reaches of the mammoth structure, and no one was sure exactly who's hands had built it.
The people that lived in the large city were mainly craftspeople, artists and scholars. Toddhelm had studied in this city with a guild of engineers and mathematicians. Many of his creations and ideas were born from the time he spent there. Also residing in the big city were those that used magic and those that dedicated their lives to communing with the Gods and trying to understand the importance of their journeys through this realm.
Surprisingly, for as long as Achilles had been a part of this realm, he'd never traversed one of the spiral falls himself to see what lies below. He'd seen them, was close enough to hear the deafening roar of the swirling water, and see the misty spray that rose from the center of them, but had never tried to get down one. He wasn't even sure how to get down one. He remembered the first time he'd been close to one of the falls. It had been long ago in the southwestern corner of the realm.
He'd been traveling in the midst of what he referred to as his 'Lost Days' when all he would do was wander from town to town, looking for something that wasn't there, a missing piece of himself that was long beyond finding again. He'd been traveling along, lost in thought when he heard a strange thundering noise in the distance. Curious about the source of the sound, he followed it and eventually saw, over the tree tops, a white mist rising. He thought it was probably a cliff with a waterfall at it's edge. He knew the the Staines river ran parallel to his current path, and he was near the ocean on the western side of the continent. Upon breaking through the foliage to the source of the sound, an amazing sight met his eyes! Before him lie a vast cavern that looked like a giant corkscrew had carved it into the ground. The entire flow of the Staines emptied into it, swirled along the ridged rock sides in furious fashion and disappeared into the ground.
At the time, Achilles did not know where the river went as it washed into the darkness below, but later learned it went into the realm beneath, The Depths, and continued its unknown journey there to the sea. There were several of these entry points from the upper realm into the lower. At first glance, it seemed an impossible undertaking to enter The Depths at these points, but Achilles learned that it could be done.
He glanced at Matiya. She was one that had entered The Depths in such a manner, not through death, but through sheer force of will. He hoped she had a plan of action for going below. As fixated as she'd become on this prophecy, he had little doubt she was prepared to get them down. Besides, her prior knowledge of the place would undoubtedly give them a big advantage.
They walked the entire day, stopping now and again for a rest and a smoke, or a small bite to eat. They met very few people on the road, some on horseback, some not. Most of them wore armor of some type, or were armed with swords or daggers. While everyone they encountered was friendly none of them were 'new' to the realm. They were all either trying to escape some type of growing threat, looking for an area that had a better food supply or simply between places. Whatever the story, it looked like no one was taking chances.
While they sat with a small group of travelers while taking a rest, Matiya inquired about Killingham. An older man in the group said they had decided to bypass Killingham because the last time they'd gone through, the residents were not open to new visitors and turned them away at the entrance to the town. The man also mentioned the road leading up to Killingham was extremely quiet now, and they heard no sounds coming from the little town.
"They seemed at peace." He said with a shrug. "Thought about turning back and checking it out, but figured we'd be best off just moving on to get to Schilliner. I guess we're pretty close, eh? Road's getting wider and there's more traffic."
Achilles told him they were indeed quite close, perhaps another half day's walk depending on their fortitude. At that, the small group opted to push on, bid Matiya, Achilles and Malachai farewell, and moved on.
The sky still looked much as it did in Schilliner, either covered with clouds, or a whitish-gray haze. The whitish haze was more pronounced now though. Sol's light was filtered and weak. It lent an eeriness to the day.
"What is that haze gathering in the sky?" Malachai stood on a large rock, squinting up into the sky.
"We're moving towards an area they call The Grayfields. The wind is constant there, and it blows up a big dust cloud. It can block Sol entirely during the waning time. That's when the windstorms are worst." Achilles said, stopping for a moment and then passing him by.
"The Grayfields. I ain't been that way in a while! Hodge and I got into some crazy shit there." Matiya remarked as she went by.
Malachai hopped off the rock and followed after them, "What's there?"
"Not much unless you know where to look, or luck into finding old caves. The entire plain is made out of white-gray ashy dust and it's flat as a table top. There's some rocks here and there, some shitty-looking dead trees, and then the whole thing slants off to the ugliest beach you ever saw. The ocean on that side looks like dirty milk as far as the eye can see because of the dust."
"Why is it that color?" He tried to picture the place in his mind and came up with something like the surface of the moon.
"Environment I guess." Matiya shrugged. "Some say it's that color because the entire place is made up of cremation remains, like a big cemetery. Other folks say there were several large-scale battles there and the gray dust is the bones of the dead. All seems to come to the same thing. I think its just the way that part of the realm is made though. It's weird and hard to travel, I'll tell ya that much."
"We are walking a few miles to the southeast of it now." Achilles said. "This road goes directly through it, but we'll turn off towards the east before that happens. Not until day after next, at least if not more."
They walked quite awhile more before deciding to make camp for the night as the light was getting low. They came upon a large band of travelers that had wagons and carts. They invited Matiya's group to camp with them for the night. Matiya also asked this new group about Killingham, but the travelers could not provide any insight as they'd come across country from the east, trying to cut straight through to this road.
Much to, especially Matiya's, delight their camping companions had plenty of ale on their carts and were happy to share. Matiya and Achilles offered up some of their leaf in return. Malachai helped cook up some fine stew, he really was quite the good cook, and they passed the evening eating, drinking, smoking and sharing tales of what they'd seen so far. The large group was headed towards the southwestern part of the realm to the ocean, hoping to create a new settlement and live off the ocean's harvest. They were fortunate to not have encountered any of the conflicts that marked the north and east, but had heard enough stories that they decided it was time to get as far away from it as possible.
The first day and night of the journey had passed unremarkable enough, however the next morning as they parted with their companions of the night before, they felt a creeping sense of unease that stayed with them most of the day. Achilles burned extra offerings to Chimus and several other Gods before they set off again, keeping an eye to the growing dusty haze of the Grayfields.
They continued in relative silence for most of the morning. The terrain was low and scrubby, as it was around Schilliner, but taller trees began to appear. Their trunks were twisty and the deep green leaves long, sharp and pointy. They lined the road sparsely at first, then closer together as Matiya and company moved north.
"Bladeleaf trees. We are getting close to Killingham. If the inhabitants are currently friendly, we'll be afforded a pillow for our heads tonight." Achilles said. "Or, if the town is still in existence. The description of the silence there makes me wonder if something is amiss. Perhaps it has been abandoned."
"Was still here last I came through, but that was quite a while ago. I've been mainly south of Schilliner for, shit, a few seasons now." Matiya replied. "People are weird there though. They've always been standoffish." She turned to Malachai, who was having trouble keeping up with his much taller companions at times. "How you doing Slim? I know us tall bastards and our long legs get to moving sometimes."
Malachai nodded and assured her he was doing fine. He wasn't as uncomfortable as he feared. Matiya had insisted he get a new pair of boots. He currently wore low, brown leather boots with solid, thick soles and laces that gave good support to the ankles and calves. He also wore the leather pauldrons and chest armor Matiya had picked up for him with his sword sheathed across his back with his pack. He didn't see the need to constantly wear armor, but then Matiya quipped, "What are ya gonna do, tell the enemy to hold on while you change? Gotta be prepared for anything, man! Up-country is rough!"
His pack was wearing heavy on him though. That was something he was not used to carrying. In Gatlin, he only carried a large knife on his side. No need for any other gear. Much else wouldn't have allowed him to creep stealthily through rows of corn or sneak up on unsuspecting outlanders trespassing through the town he was tasked with protecting.
As they pushed on into the dwindling light of day, they came upon a dilapidated sign. Red paint on dark wood gave the illusion that it was written in blood. The sign proclaimed "KILLINGHAM".
The three of them stopped and attempted to gauge the situation. The narrow road that led to Killingham forked off the main road. Total silence reigned there, and the twisty trees grew very dense, curving over the road like gossips leaning toward each other to whisper covertly.
"This don't look good." Matiya said uneasily, after several moments of quiet observation.
"Neither does it feel good." Achilles said. "Something is not right."
"I feel watched. They have hidden scouts." Malachai said.
"You see any?" Matiya said in a low voice. The red haired boy shook his head. "Then how do you know, Slim?"
Malachai smiled up at her, "Because I have been on their side of the fence before." came the simple explanation.
"Actually, that's not out of the ordinary for this town. Daylight's gettin' scarce, and they've always been a watchful lot, even when they decide to be sociable." Matiya shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then threw her hands up in front of her. "Killingham is always weird. Ain't gonna lie."
"No sense in attempting stealth then, either we go in, or not." Achilles said. "I, for one, would love the comfort of a bed. That luxury will soon be a memory." With a grim expression, he moved forward, and the other two followed. They walked slowly down the narrow, rutted road. Outwardly, they looked nonchalant and unconcerned. Inwardly, they watched every shadow, and listened for the slightest bent leaf. Nothing came to accost them, and they heard no noise at all. To the contrary, the twisted trees crowding the road remained silent and mist-enshrouded. They were giving up none of their secrets.
The three of them came out into a clearing where the small village slumbered. Killingham was a fraction of the size of Schilliner. It had one pub/inn that also had a general goods store attached to it, a blacksmith shop and a smattering of small homes. All the buildings stood dark and silent, the altars in front of them untended and the odd living-statues of Gods barely more than crumbled piles of dust. The town appeared to empty. Nothing stirred, no one came out to see who they were, or tell them to go away. Coming in to Killingham, you could count on one or the other always happening.
"What the hell happened here?" Matiya said, taking in all the crumbled statues and dark windows.
"It's too quiet." Achilles remarked.
"Too obvious." Malachai said, with an air of disdain. "They're hiding. Watching. Not sure if out of fear or curiosity, or something else. Since we're here, we might as well have a look around." He moved towards the inn, and motioned for his two companions to follow.
"I don't know Mal, I think we got the place to ourselves. Looks like everyone took off. Hey, maybe they all did like that last batch of folks we met and moved on to set up elsewhere?"
Not looking back, Malachai waved a dismissive hand in the air as he said, "No, they're all still here. You'll see."
Matiya glanced at Achilles at this and he raised his eyebrows back at her in amusement. "Covert ops is the Specialty of the King." Achilles said gravely and quietly. Matiya snickered.
Upon entering the inn they were met by the same empty silence as outside. Malachai and Matiya went to the Inn's kitchen to look for something edible while Achilles explored upstairs. Opening the door to the kitchen released a horrid smell that made them both exclaim and cover their mouths and noses. Rotten food sat in pots, as if it was in the process of being cooked when all the inhabitants disappeared.
Matiya rifled through the pantries for dried or preserved food they might eat or take with them on the road but then stopped and frowned, staring at the supply of jerky and other foodstuffs she found as if it might jump at her if she moved to touch it.
"What's left out might be poisoned." Malachai said.
"Great minds, Slim." Matiya answered, and closed the pantry doors, taking none of it. She moved to the wood stove and pulled the cover off a pot and then slammed it back down with a disgusted grimace. "No thanx, Hoss, I'll pass on the special." She said to no one in particular. "Shit! This place was doing fine not long ago! People here are fucking weird, but this is past weird. If you're going to take off for greener pastures, fine, but why leave all your shit behind? I wonder if something came here and chased them all away?"
"I told you, they're all still here." Malachai stated. He appeared entirely convinced of this. There had been a strange change in him since they left the road and walked up the path to Killingham. While most people encountering a weird, empty town would rightly feel at the least uneasy, Malachai on the other hand, became almost predatory. He seemed to be in his element when even Achilles and Matiya were put off.
Malachai leaned in the kitchen doorway as Matiya called, "Lee! What's up there?" from the foot of the stairs.
Silence for a second and then a muffled, "Nothing. Just rooms, beds. It is deserted. I say we pass a comfortable night's rest here and investigate the town further when the light returns."
"Well glad Lee's got the situation under control. Maybe he can get us room service too." She grumbled. "C'mon Mal, let's drag-ass upstairs."
They chose a room that had four beds in it. Achilles began rummaging through his pack and glanced over at Malachai, who was staring up into the rafters above them.
"Do you see something odd?" He asked.
"No." Malachai answered. "I'm just...keeping track." He then wandered to each window in turn, looking out into the gloom below and saying nothing else.
Neither of them asked what he was keeping track of. They found his behavior strange, but trusted his instincts. Matiya wondered if the odd way he was acting had something to do with Gatlin. She knew his life there had been an unusual and violent one. Her own existence was not from which she could judge normalcy though. She thought about bringing Gatlin up, but decided to let Malachai be in his element and return to the skillset that was his specialty. She and Achilles felt most at home in battles loud and fierce, hack and slash. This situation called for stealth and guile. An ability to anticipate the movements of an unknown and unseen foe. A tactician. Malachai's demeanor suggested his experience in this type of scenario was rote and verse. Achilles' earlier glib remark about 'covert ops' was more accurate than he knew.
Achilles was not convinced anything was out there at all, and felt the town was simply deserted and the inhabitants off to find somewhere new, as is wont to happen in this realm. That occurred more now than before as Warlords like Rhades in the north pressed their greed onto the other inhabitants of the realm instead of trying to find peaceful co-existence. That was the purpose of this realm. Mortal souls still had much to learn, even after their bodies in the mortal realm were exhausted and finished.
They lit a fire in the small stone fireplace in the room, and watched the window go from dim to total blackness. The night was heavy with the lack of sound. No crickets or frogs or any other night-creature noises were heard. The three finally took to their beds, weapons close at hand, to attempt a bit of uneasy sleep.