Chapter 13. Calls from the Deep.
Dawn came before long, the song of the morning birds announcing the start of a new day as the sun rose in the east, casting away the shadows of the night and bringing light to the city of Orario.
Morning found Rünira sitting at the table in Eina's tiny apartment, sipping away the last drops of the hot beverage between her hands and trying to find the energy to begin the day. I really hate mornings…
"Should we get going?" she asked the other occupant in the room, trying to hold back a yawn, the bitter taste of coffee still present on her tongue. "I can go with you to the guild if you want."
She hadn't been able to sleep much last night despite her tiredness, the images of the broken old dwarf weighing heavily on her heart, the look of his haunted eyes burned in the back of her mind.
"Y-You don't need to escort me," Eina answered her, already impeccably dressed in her guild uniform, face still slightly red from the compromising scene they had woken up to that morning. "The Ganesha Familia patrols the city until sundown, i-it should be safe."
"It's fine, I don't mind," Rünira said, with a wave of her hand, trying not to smile too much at the memory of waking up to a sleeping Eina cuddling her tightly. "Besides, it's on the way to the home of the Vidar Familia right? Goddess Loki told me it's in the southern part of Orario, though I don't exactly remember where…"
Eina nodded in acceptance, giving her a grateful smile. "The Guild has records of the residences of all familia within Orario, and maps too, I'm sure I can get you one," she told her, turning to look herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time, patting her black vest and pants and fixing her white collared long sleeve shirt. "There! All ready! How do I look?"
"You forgot your bow tie," Rünira said giving the half-elf a grin and tossing her the grey piece of fabric that had been left forgotten on the table. "Not that I blame you."
"It doesn't look that bad…right?" Eina asked with a cute frown, looking at her reflection once more.
Rünira just laughed as she stood up. "You look perfectly presentable," she said, her smile turning teasing as she made a show of inspecting the uniform. "And positively dull too, honestly who designed this thing?"
Her grin stretched more at the unamused glare that Eina was giving her through the reflection in the mirror, trying her best to stop the giggles threatening to escape her.
Rünira still couldn't believe how quickly she had grown fond of the brunette half-elf. The girl was generous and uncompromisingly kind, but also strict and a little stern. But, without a doubt, the best thing about her was that for some unfathomable reason, Eina seemed to be fond of her as well, or at least, Rünira hoped so.
She had tried to keep her distance from Eina at first, not wanting to get too attached to the girl, just the thought of growing close to someone filling her with inexplicable dread. Suffice to say she had failed miserably. Rünira had tried to fight it, but maybe the power of someone drooling on you while they slept was just that strong.
She thought she wasn't ready to open her heart again so soon after losing Elara but—
'That's it,' she thought, suddenly understanding why she felt so drawn to Eina as well as her desire to keep her safe. 'She reminds me of Elara…'
Just the thought of elf made her heart wring painfully. The wound in her soul was still raw, boiling anger still simmered under the surface, barely contained by a thin layer of grief, and the promise she had made to Lauriel under the Kneeling Willow. I'll not let it control me.
"Is everything ok?" Eina's voice came, snapping Rünira out of her musings, concern shining clear in the half-elf's eyes.
"Yes…yes, I'm alright," Rünira answered, giving her a thankful smile. "We should get going, no reason to be late for your first day!"
Both girls left the apartment, taking to the streets, heading towards The Pantheon; the guild's headquarters located on the Northwest Main Street.
Completely clueless as to how to get there, Rünira decided to just follow Eina, using the chance to look around and take in the atmosphere of the city life during the early hours of the morning.
The streets were beginning to come alive with activity, merchants and sellers opening up shop and setting up their coloured awnings over their stalls, dutifully preparing for the coming day. Adventurers, carrying bags and weapons, were marching in small groups in the direction of the great tower of Babel, presumably headed towards The Dungeon, to challenge its hazardous depths.
So many people of so many races, humans and demi-humans, elves, amazoness and pallums, Rünira had never witnessed so many different people gathered in a single place. Bál Eldur had hosted guests from many nations and races, but her memories of that time had grown faint over the years, so this felt completely new to her.
But for all the lively movent Rünira could see around her, there was something distinctively off about it. The streets of the Alf Royal Capital had always been vibrant and hyperactive, if a little pompous, the elves that called the city home, joyfully strolling down its streets, seemingly without a care in the world.
Orario felt different.
The air was tense, the faces of all the people Rünira could see wore the same subdued and wary expression. Merchants looked cautious, a glint of mistrust barely concealed behind their eyes, hands writhing nervously as they inspected the crowd passing by their stalls. The adventurers she crossed, appeared tense and alert, fingers tightly wrapped around the handles of their weapons as they moved forward with measured steps.
Rünira remembered the captain of the Ganesha Familia mentioning that Orario was coming out of hard times, and she could see clearly now what Shakti had been talking about, witnessing first-hand the truth of her words.
This place reeked of fear and uncertainty.
"Has it always been like this?" Rünira asked Eina, trying to find the right words to describe what she was sensing around her. "So… grim?"
Eina looked at her, before turning to gaze at the people around them, seemingly considering the question before replying. "No…it didn't use to be this way," she began, shaking her head sadly. "Orario used to be a bright and safe place, or at least that's what my father told me."
"What happend?" Rünira asked curiously as she continued to inspect their surroundings.
"The Dark Days," Eina said simply, a sombre expression donning on her face. "It began with the fall of Zeus and Hera Familia nine years ago. They were the pillars that maintained the law and order within Orario… with them gone, chaos took over the city."
Rünira couldn't help the morbid kind of satisfaction she felt growing within her as she listened to Eina's words, a dark sort of pleasure in the knowledge that her people had not been the only ones to pay the price for Zeus and Hera's failure, that others had shared their pain.
But as quickly as it came, it was gone, guilt crashing over her for harbouring such feelings. No one deserves to live like this. she thought, sadness and compassion flooding her heart.
A few more minutes passed, with Rünira listening attentively as Eina gave her a quick rundown of the rise of Evilus and the havoc they had wreaked over the past nine years.
"But the situation is much better than it used to be, Lady Loki and Lady Freya rose to fill the void of power that Zeus and Hera left," Eina explained. "And along with Lord Ganesha, Lady Astraea and a few others, they have managed to bring order back to Orario, well…mostly."
It didn't need to be said that Orario was not yet completely safe, something that had been clearly proven the night before.
"We are almost there," Eina said, pointing towards a big and very ornated building not far away from them. "Do you want to come in with me while I get you the map?"
"Well, I've never been to the guild before but—"
"Great!"
Eina took Rünira's hand leading her through the building's main entrance, the set of double wooden doors already wide open, welcoming any potential visitors.
Big squared ceramic tiles dominated the floor with their white and blue pattern, a large and open space greeting the people entering the building. Some adventurers were already inside waiting in line to get to one of the many counters, where guild employees were attending to those in need.
"Wait here," Eina told her, letting go of her hand and walking toward the counters. "I'll be right back!"
Rünira gave her simple nod, adjusting the bag on her shoulder as her eyes drifted back to the adventurers queuing in front of the counters, taking in their appearance, and their presence.
They felt strong, there was no doubt about that. Rünira could sense the power rolling off of them, but if she was being honest, most of these adventurers looked like a bunch of thugs and scoundrels, ragged and scuffed. Nothing compared to the members of the Astraea and Loki Familias she'd met.
Her wandering thoughts were brusquely interrupted by something smacking against her back, making her tilt slightly forward where she stood. She heard a grunt of pain coming from behind her as she turned around, coming face to face with the something, or rather someone that had crashed into her.
"Are you alright?" Rünira asked the small, pink-haired human girl, which was obviously a guild employee judging by the outfit she was wearing. "You should be more caref—"
"No!" the girl said, rubbing her forehead and looking almost on the verge of tears. "I'm gonna be late for my first day!"
"Uh?" Rünira said, orange eyebrow twitching at being so blatantly ignored.
"Rünira! I've got the map and the information you needed!" came Eina's voice from across the guild's hall, making Rünira turn her head back towards the counters. "It took me a while to find it, we don't know if Vidar is currently recruiting but— Misha!?"
"Einaaa!" the girl on the floor wailed, crawling to the half-elf and grabbing the hem of her shirt. "I'm late! They're gonna fire me! They're gonna fire me for sure!"
"Do you know her?" Rünira asked Eina with a dry tone as she watched the half-elf doing her best to reassure the human girl.
"A-Ah! Yes, we were students together," Eina said, ears twitching slightly giving her an apologetic look. "She is my friend…Misha calm down! You aren't late!"
"I…I'm not?" Misha asked, blinking in confusion. "B-But you told me we needed to be here an hour earlier on our first day for the orientation course."
"Oh…well you see…" Eina began, clearing her throat, the tips of her ears becoming rosy. "I knew you would probably sleep in and be late, so I might have made up the whole orientation thing…"
Oh Earth, she's evil… Rünira thought distinctively amused, doing her best not to grin at the dirty look the human was now giving Eina.
"You what!? Why would you do that!" Misha cried, getting off the floor and stomping off angrily in the direction of the counters. "I'll not forgive you for this you hear me!? I won't!"
Eina let out a sigh, watching the girl go before turning back towards Rünira. "Sorry about that," she said. "Misha can be…difficult sometimes, but she's a very nice girl…anyways, here you go."
Rünira extended her hand to take the offered items, giving Eina a look of sympathy. "Thank you, this will definitely come in handy," she said, nodding towards the map. "Have fun on your first day, Oh, and good luck with your friend as well!"
"I will, and thank you, for everything…" Eina said, voice barely above a whisper, looking like she wanted to say more. "W-Will we see each other again?"
Rünira gave Eina a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? Of course we will!" she said, scoffing at the mere idea of the contrary. "I'll come back as soon as I join a familia, you can't be my advisor if I don't get one first!"
"Y-You want…?" Eina began, looking at her in confusion for a brief moment before an expression of pure joy blossomed on her face. "Yes, of course! I'll be waiting for you!" she said, clearly elated.
"I'll be back before you know it," Rünira said with a nod, starting to walk back to the entrance. "The Vidar Familia won't know what hit them!"
Map in hand, Rünira said one last goodbye to Eina before exiting The Pantheon, beginning to walk down Northwest Main Street, deciding to follow the road straight to the Tower of Babel.
According to the information Eina had given her, the home of the Vidar Familia was close to Southeast Main, so the path to get there was, quite literally, straightforward.
Looking at the map again, Rünira let out a quiet snort seeing that the place was located in quite a peculiar spot, having both the pleasure district and the adventurer's graveyard as close neighbours, which was a rather perturbing combination.
I know there's a joke in there somewhere… she thought, smiling wryly.
The sun shone brightly on her as her steps brought her closer to Babel. Rünira had intended to have a quick look at the tower from up close and then move on, but instead of marvelling at the sight of the architectonic miracle in front of her, she found herself more and more distracted by the ground below her feet, every step making contact with the cobbled floor resonating within her in a way she couldn't quite explain.
There is something… familiar about it. To Rünira it felt similar to the wordless murmurs of the earth she was used to ear, but this time there was no subtlety about it, no comforting whispers or gentle nudges. This was much stronger, like a pulling sensation that tugged increasingly harder at every fibre of her being the closer she got to the great tower.
No, it's not the tower… Rünira thought with slight apprehension, realising what lay beneath the city and cursing herself for not noticing it sooner. She tried briefly to fight against the pull, but the call was like a siren's song, mesmerising in its beauty and terrifying in its possibilities.
Before she could realise what was happening, Rünira found herself entering Babel, marching along with other groups of adventurers through a gigantic hall until they arrived at what could only be the Dungeon's entrance.
Overwhelmed by the sheer presence flooding her senses, Rünira barely noticed as she fell to one knee before the gigantic hole in the ground, unseeing eyes staring in equal awe and dread at the circular stairs spiralling down into the darkness.
Almost by instinct, her hand found its way to the ground, her calloused palm making contact with the bare rock, a small gasp escaping her as she basked in the silent echoes emanating from the deep.
She had never felt something like this, so pure and raw and so…alive.
Not even the sensation of being inside the primal caverns of Bál Eldur could compare to the nature of what was lying now beneath her hand. These were not the subtle shifts and turns she was used to feeling coming from the earth, no… It was something more, so much more.
Rünira didn't know how much time she spent there, utterly transfixed by the feeling of this bottomless abyss, her mind going deeper and deeper, travelling down to the very roots of the earth—
"Are you alright?"
And just like that, the spell was broken, the simple question jolting her back to reality.
Rünira took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure before answering. "I… Yes, I'm fine, it was just…a little much," she answered, tearing her gaze from the gaping hole in the ground and looking up at the person who had spoken to her.
It was a girl around her age, Rünira noted, wearing a hooded cloak not unlike the one she herself had on. From her vantage point on the floor, Rünira could see the short tresses of beautiful aquamarine hair framing the girl's elegant face.
Cyan eyes were looking down at her, the young female human giving Rünira a look of understanding from behind her rectangular glasses.
"I get it," the girl said, a hand going to her face to adjust her glasses. "The Dungeon can be quite overwhelming the first time, especially to those who are more naturally attuned to the world."
Rünira tilted her head, brow furrowed in confusion. "Attuned to the world?" she repeated, never having heard the term before. "What does that mean?"
The girl gave Rünira a look of surprise, seemingly not having expected her to ask. "Well, people are born with different degrees of affinity to the natural elements," she explained, a little enthusiasm seeping through her previous serious expression. "Those with a stronger connection to the aspects of nature are considered to be more attuned to the world."
Rünira nodded along to the girl's explanation, she knew about the aspects of nature, it was a doctrine developed long before the descent of the gods, and one that the dwarves had staunchly adhered to, even after the deities began living amongst mortals.
Earth, Thunder, Water, Fire, Air, Light and Dark, the seven elements were considered the pillars of power in the lower realm. Raw, primal energy, infused deeply in the very fabric of the world. From the biggest mountain to the tiniest grain of sand, from the largest ocean to the smallest drop of water, a sweet breeze or a raging hurricane, it mattered not, the elements manifested in every single part of it.
"But what do the aspects have to do with The Dungeon?" Rünira asked, somewhat sceptical. She had studied the history of the aspects before, not only in Bál Eldur but in the Alf Forest as well, as the elves were amongst the few races that still venerated the powers of nature, and she had never heard it being related to The Dungeon.
"We don't know," the girl huffed, looking somewhat irked as if the lack of knowledge was personally offensive to her. "We know barely anything about the labyrinth, the gods refuse to tell us anything significant, and most people are more interested in butchering monsters than trying to understand its secrets."
The girl let out a sigh, shaking her head. "But we do know that it's absolutely teeming with natural energy." she continued, before pausing and giving Rünira a measuring look. "You must have a particularly strong affinity to suffer such a strong reaction."
Rünira was about to respond when another hooded figure approached them, giving a respectful bow to the blue-haired girl before speaking.
"Captain, the team is ready and waiting," he said, voice low but not enough to escape Rünira's hearing. "We should depart now if we wish to reach Rivira on schedule."
The apparent captain gave the man a curt nod before looking at Rünira again. "I apologise for cutting our conversation short, but duty calls," she said, beginning to move towards a group waiting by the stairs. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Rünira, I hope we can meet up again sometime."
Rünira just nodded back, still a little out of sorts, watching the human go with her companions, the group swiftly disappearing down the spiralling stairs, and into the Dungeon's depths.
The girl had been nice enough, Rünira thought distractedly after a moment, but there was something about their conversation that was slightly bothering her, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
The topic of the aspects had been somewhat surprising coming from a human but not really worthy of suspicion in her opinion. It was something else, something in the way she had said her name…
"Wait a second…" she said, realisation dawning on her as she jumped to her feet. "I never told her my name!"
"Damn humans and their damned sneakiness… You can never trust a human!" came the disgruntled groan of an irked dwarf, the sound of her dissatisfaction echoing through the cavernous tunnel. "And she was so nice too…"
Rünira was still a little concerned that a random girl, who apparently was some sort of captain or something, had not only known her name but where to find her as well. She hadn't interacted with many people since her arrival in Orario and there was no reason for an unknown human to know who she was.
Their conversation had been quite innocuous, nothing to really be alarmed about, and Rünira knew well that if this human had been from The Empire, their conversation would've probably gone very differently.
But the girl knew something she shouldn't… and Rünira wanted to find out why.
Thus, she had done the most sensible thing in that situation and decided to give chase as fast as she could to give that sneaky girl a piece of her mind. The fact that she was heedlessly sprinting into The Dungeon, a place infamous for being a literal deathtrap, not quite registering in her mind until after she was already down the stairs and into the first floor.
But she didn't make it very far.
"This…this is The Dungeon?" she murmured coming to a sudden halt, looking around the wide hallway she was in, all thoughts of the blue-haired girl disappearing from her mind.
No…this couldn't be right.
Rünira closed her eyes taking a deep breath, basking in the pure presence of the earth falling on her, enveloping her like a mother's embrace and taking hold of her senses like it never had before, filling her with a deep sense of stillness as she opened herself to her surroundings.
How could the Dungeon, a place known to be the birthplace of the mortal races' oldest foes, feel so… right?
But Rünira's disbelief was swiftly answered when a jarring feeling shot through her body, brusquely breaking her out of her communion with the earth, leaving her with a cold and empty sensation instead.
Her eyes shot open in alarm, gaze searching for the source of the feeling and immediately zeroing on the wall to her right, where she could see a deep crack starting to form on its uneven surface.
"Jarðar give me strength."
The deep realization of where she actually was came crashing down as a thin green arm started forcing its way out of the crack, one she knew very well from her time helping the scouts of the Alf Forest.
"A goblin…" she muttered, staring as the tiny green humanoid monster dug itself out of the dungeon's wall in an abhorrent mockery of birth. "They… they come from the earth."
From the earth we come…
The words of his father echoed in her mind, long-buried memories flashing briefly in her mind, filling her with anger. How dare these filthy creatures!
Of course, Rünira already knew where monsters came from, everyone in the world did. But to see it with her own eyes was another thing altogether, to witness this foul being emerging from bare stone left her with a bad taste in her mouth.
Rünira had felt the earth's cries as this monster spawned, almost like a wail of anguish and sorrow. These creatures were a crime against nature, and they had to be exterminated.
The goblin had finished emerging from the wall, hitting the floor on all four before looking up, beady red eyes glaring at Rünira full of mindless hate.
It charged at her with surprising speed, far faster than any of the goblins she had fought on the Royal Forest, murder clear in its crazed eyes. If Rünira had been a lesser dwarf it might even have worried her, but she hadn't relentlessly trained for years under Vanur to be beaten by such a puny monster.
The Aflhraûn was in her hand before she could even think, instinct taking over and muscle memory guiding her arm with an ease born of countless hours of practice.
With a single swing, the rune-carved hammer met the goblin's face mid-leap, a sickening crunch echoing through the hallway as the monster's skull caved in under the brutal assault, splattering the floor and Rünira with a foul mix of blood and other things she didn't really want to contemplate.
"Ugh, I guess these are tougher than the ones on the surface," she said, wiping her face with the back of her hand and inspecting what little remained of the goblin's face. "That strike shoulda taken its head clean off… oh well."
But Rünira didn't have much time to ponder her success, that awful jarring feeling returning just as she heard the walls around her starting to crack in multiple spots.
Five monsters emerged from the broken surfaces, the snarling creatures quickly moving to encircle her, cutting off any route of escape. But this time there were not just goblins, but kobolds as well, humanoid monsters with doglike heads and patches of fur covering its body.
Rünira stared at the monsters around her as she took her shield from her back getting into position. Sharp fangs and wicked claws filled her vision as the creatures pounced on her. but she was not cowed, the Aflhraûn raising into the air to meet the challenge head-on.
A Thane did not retreat, for forward was their only path. A Thane did not surrender for they were the bastion that guarded the realm of dwarves. Immovable as a mountain, indomitable as the wildest of fires.
Strike once strike true.
That was Rünira's way.
A/N: Short blue hair, glasses and knows things she shouldn't? mmm, who could that be I wonder?
Hope you enjoy the chapter.