The Wailing Canyon
"Move it! We need twelve more tons loaded up by the end of the week!" A haggard old knight shouted over the rumbling and crashing of hammers and drills as the crumbling of stone echoed through the dense, humid underground air. "God! It's like they don't hear a word... Get moving!" He growled his orders into the mouth of a narrow mine shaft, his words racing through the darkness to reach the unseen workers toiling in the deep. Seeing and hearing little change in the miners' pace, the knight shook his head and wiped the dirt and soot from his brow. Shedding his gloves and donning a cloak, he retreated to the faint light of the surface world for a breath of the dry desert breeze. As he stepped into the sun, a massive blast rang out and the ground trembled, the result of the increasingly aggressive excavations going on beneath his feet.
The shock of the blasting charges startled a falcon perched atop the mine's entrance, setting its wings into motion as it took to the wind. Whistling against the rocks, the crisp canyon breeze brushed over the hundred shades of red and brown that painted the ragged layers of the canyon wall. It stirred the surface of the dark, muddied river that wound through the canyon bed as it swept across the cliffs and crags, carrying away the errant pockets of sand lingering along the canyon wall. As the wind died down, a gentle veil of sand spilled over into the canyon and trickled down its side, flowing from rock to rock and trickling across an old, worn wooden sign that welcomed visitors to the town of Bethma.
Weary from four days of travel through desert and desolation, Elsword, Aisha, and Rena passed beneath Bethma's welcoming signpost, their legs heavy and their energy spent as they arrived. Though they had arrived in the middle of the afternoon, the streets were nearly empty and the town was quiet save for the sound of the rushing river below. As they made their way into the market square, a gruff elderly across the street stopped and stared at them warily. Rena smiled and waved at him and he scoffed, dropping his head and walking off toward the saloon without looking back.
"Ah, well, I guess it's still not the friendliest place." Rena's hand fell to her side as she looked around, taking note of the empty streets and the shuttered windows on every home.
"Where is everyone?" Aisha glanced down the road and then to the river. There were a handful of children down by the riverbed and perhaps a half dozen adults in the distance, but for the most part, there was no sign of Bethma's nearly six thousand residents.
"All the shops look empty." Elsword glared at the empty stalls and boarded up doors that littered the market square, their keepers and wares nowhere in sight. He scowled, searching for anyone they could interrogate about Lord Wally, his nasod, or even just a hunk of bread.
Noticing the uncertainty of her companions, Rena looked toward the river in dismay. "It wasn't like this when I was here last. Bethma's a mining town, so there are always tons of people trading metals and ore and the place is full of miners and craftsmen. I wonder what happened here..." She paused a moment and then turns to Elsword and Aisha. "The town's run by a Sheriff instead of a mayor so they should be able to tell us what's going on and if Wally passed through. It looks like there might be some people down by the river as well..."
Aisha looked around and considered the situation. "We should probably all take different parts of the city and ask around... but eventually we'll need to find a place with food and water too." Her eyes fell as the dry air stung at her parched throat.
"Fine, let's go someplace with food. There should be people there, anyway." Elsword grumbled, not particularly at anyone or anything other than his own hunger. While he and Aisha looked around for a tavern or restaurant or bakery, a devious smirk spread over Rena's face and she slowly backed away, careful not to alert them until she was near the end of the street.
"Okay! I'll go talk to the Sheriff then and I'll meet you guys later! Have fun!" She hopped down the uneven steps to the lower level of the city while Elsword and Aisha stood and stared, too stunned by her sudden retreat to even call after her. Huffing and frowning, Aisha crossed her arms and glared at the end of the road.
"Alright, let's go."
Rena's walk across the lower levels was just as quiet as the upper city had been and the few people she met on the street did little more than nod and pass her in silence. As the cool winter breeze stirred up small clouds of dust around her feet, Rena carried on, watching the children play along the riverside as she crossed in front of the city's stables and arrived at the office of Bethma's Sheriff. With the door open, she carefully poked her head inside and looked around. The front of the building seemed to be some sort of waiting room, or perhaps a detention area, and though there was no one around, Rena decided to hop in and look around for any Sheriffs that might be hiding inside. As soon as she crossed the threshold, a shrill panic rang through the air.
"But Stella, you have to send someone else! Go yourself if you have to, but do something!" The voice of a desperate man filled the office and spilled out into the street as Rena stepped inside. Another voice, calm and stern, answered his plea.
"Listen, we've sent twelve men there already... It's a half-day's walk to get there and an hour back on the river, but there's been no word from any of them since last week. I'm not sending anyone else on a one-way trip to check out your problem."
"No, Stella, please! You don't understand, if we don't get the mine running again, I'll lose my contracts with Velder, and if I do that, I'll go out of business, and if I go out, the whole city goes out! Do something!"
A loud thud echoed through the building as a fist slammed against the wall. "Shut up and sit tight. We can't do anything about it right now, we'll just have to wait till we can gather up a bigger group to check it out. Hell, if you're so worried about goin' out of business, go check it out yourself."
"Nnnn... Fine! I'll take care of this myself!"
"Damn, that took ya long enough. Now get goin'! I got my hands full with a hundred other things and no time to deal with your mess."
As the arguing subsided, a well dressed man stormed out of the hallway, his face full of anger and apprehension as he stomped through the office, ignoring Rena and slamming the door on his way out. Once he had gone, Rena smiled awkwardly to herself and headed down the hall.
"Excuse me... is the Sheriff in?"
"Hm? Who's there?" The stern voice from earlier called out to Rena as she entered the nearest open room. Leaning back in her chair with her boots propped up on the corner of her desk, the Sheriff glanced sidelong at Rena and dropped her feet to the floor.
"I was wondering if you could help me with a few things." Rena smiled warmly, "I'm on my way through town and I'm looking for someone who might have come through here a few weeks ago."
"Well then you might already be outta luck." The Sheriff rose to her feet and held out her hand. "I'm Stella, the Sheriff, if you didn't already figure that out."
Rena took her hand and exchanged introductions as they both took a seat and Stella returned her feet to their post at the corner of her desk. Staring off into the corner, Stella searched through her memory and frowned. "See, if you were lookin' for somebody who was here say, last Tuesday, we'd be fine, but anything a few weeks past and you're outta luck. So many people came in and out of town back then, if you pulled a dozen of em' aside I'd not recognize a one."
"Ah, that's okay..." Rena hid her disappointment with an uneasy smile. "Why is the town so empty now then?"
Stella sighed. "Mine's gone quiet. That's the only business we do here, and we do a lot of it. We take about two tons from the mine upriver to the market every week and about three quarters of the townsfolk do some sorta work there. A few weeks ago, the shift that was workin' there never came back. So, I sent a few men out there to check and they've been gone almost three weeks now. The whole thing's got us in a tizzy, along with everything else goin' wrong around here."
"Everything else?" Rena's smile faded as she considered the scale of Bethma's distress.
"We got word last week that Velder's bein' attacked and needs more supplies, and of course we're all stopped up and can't get any to them. On top of that, we got mercenaries that act like pirates and storm into town, drinkin' all the good booze and eatin' our food and takin' whatever they please without payin'. Hell, we even got people sayin' they've seen nasod out in the valley... not that I believe it, but it feels like, at this point, if it's bad, it's gonna happen to us. Sorry we can't be much help to you, but help is one of our major deficits these days."
"No, that's-" A sudden spark ignited a fuse in Rena's brain and her eyes went wide. "Wait, when exactly did you stop hearing from the mine?"
Stella blinked. "It was just a day over three weeks ago. Why?"
Rena shot up to her feet and planted her palms on Stella's desk. "And when did people say they saw a nasod in the valley?"
"That was about a fifteen days ago..." Stella eyed Rena suspiciously. "Just what're you lookin' for, anyway?"
Standing straight and lowering her voice, Rena revealed the object of her search. "A giant El crystal was stolen from a forest in the North, and the man who took it might be the one who's closed off your mine."
A faint, dusty light poured through the dirt-stained windows of the local saloon as the air erupted in raucous laughter. At every table sat a ring of rowdy mercenaries, each one chugging a tall drought of ale in between fits of boisterous vulgarity. As the bartender sighed and wiped up a mess of spilled liquor on the counter, the saloon doors swung open.
"Wait, so everyone's just here drinking?" Elsword glanced around at the packed tables.
"I don't think these guys are from around here..." Aisha took note of their uniforms and the scars on their faces as she and Elsword walked up to the bar. As they squared off with the barkeep, Elsword hopped up onto a stool and leaned over, resting his arm along the bar and glaring sternly.
"You seen any knights or nobles coming through here in the past few weeks?"
The barkeep sighed and turned aside and began drying tumblers and mugs. "Kid, you're not old enough to buy liquor so get on outta here before you get in trouble."
Elsword stood up on the edges of his barstool and looked the barkeep straight in the eye. Behind him, a faint snicker rose over the crowd.
"Alright, calm down..." The bartender backed off a bit and placed a glass on the shelf behind him. "I haven't heard anything about any nobles or nothin' like that around here. If they did, there'd be a pretty big fuss over it and I can't imagine I'dve missed somethin' like that. What's it matter to you?"
"We're looking for a thief." Aisha set her arm along the bar and shot the barkeep a cold stare. "He's a noble that ran into the desert, and this is the only place he could've gone."
Another round of crude cackles from the saloon's occupying army seeped through the air.
"Listen, I can't help you if I haven't seen anything, and I ain't seen nothing but miners and mercenaries for months now."
"Then tell me where else he could go!" Aisha slammed her fist on the counter as she glowered, the steel in her eyes glimmering in the dimly lit saloon.
"Hey, take it easy there missie..." The barkeep pulled back from the counter and struggled to meet her gaze. "There's not much choice for crossin' to the south except here, unless they can get down the canyon and up the other side at some other point."
Aisha frowned, dissatisfied with his answer. At best, Wally's nasod might have been able to scale the canyon walls and they could already be in Velder by now. Undaunted by their lack of success, Elsword's eyes narrowed and he tried another approach.
"Has anybody seen any nasod around here lately?"
"Hey, barkeep..." One of the mercenaries at the nearest table called out over the din of the crowd. "Go on ahead and answer him quick this time, you don't wanna make this kid mad, he looks like he might piss himself." The soldiers gathered round the table snickered and slapped their knees, far from sober and easily amused. Elsword spun around and snapped at them.
"Shut the hell up or we can take this outside!" The mercenaries doubled over with laughter, stomping their feet on the floor and pounding their fists against the table. Annoyed, Elsword turned back to the bartender and awaited his answer.
"Well, a few kids said they'd seen some out in the valley, but that ain't nothin' to worry over. Even in the winter, the sun plays tricks on the eyes all the time and besides, it's not like a kid knows what a nasod looks like. Hell, I never even seen a picture of one myself."
Aisha perked up and stared up at the barkeep adamantly. "Where? Tell me where they saw the nasod!"
"Hehe..." The mercenaries started snickering again. "Clive, you got laundry detail this week, dont'cha? Good thing I just found ya a grade A washboard." They leered at Aisha and gave a crass chuckle.
"I said shut the hell up!" Elsword hopped down off the counter and stared down the nearest soldier who gave a toothy grin in response.
"Okay, okay, sorry kid, we'll back off your girlfriend. Hehehe..." Scowling, Elsword returned to the bar with his fists clenched. Behind him, the jeering continued.
"Eh, washboard you say...?" Another mercenary turned in his chair and looked Aisha over. "Which side's the front? I can't make no sense of this if it's flat on both sides, but I reckon it'll get the clothes washed anyway." A round of derisive cheers broke out as Aisha clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. Elsword turned to confront them again but was cut off when Aisha slammed her fist against the bar.
"Bourbon, the strongest you've got." She stared at the barkeep, her eyes ablaze. He opened his mouth to object but couldn't form the words of a refusal. Unsteady, he turned and opened the strongest spirits in the house and poured a glass, passing it to Aisha slowly. With obscenities flying through the air behind her, she grabbed her tumbler and hurled its contents into the eyes of the offending soldier.
"Ah, dammit!" Stumbling out of his chair, the mercenary rubbed his eyes and shaking his head. The rowdy laughter in the room died out and a half dozen men rose to their feet and charged at Aisha. She jumped to the side of the bar and easily dodged their clumsy tackles as Elsword punched a soldier in the gut and unlatched his sword.
"Stop this now." A cold, grave voice cut through the fierce shouts and silenced the crowd. Elsword stood with his blade in hand while Aisha held fire in each of her hands, the mercenaries had drawn their swords, clubs, and hand cannons, and they all stood motionless as a dark figure stepped through the saloon doors.
"B-boss..."
"..." He stared down at the soldier who fell backward from Elsword's punch, his face dripping with disdain. "You're a disgrace. Everyone, get your gear and move out!"
"Yes, sir!" Within moments, every mercenary in the building had filed out into the street, leaving behind a mess of half-eaten meals and overturned ale. Their leader stood at the entrance, scars covering his body and metal covering his left arm. Whatever his business there, the story that unfolded across his bloodstained armor and his baleful eyes suggested that it could not be anything admirable. For a moment, he stood facing them, his face empty and sullen as his unearthly metal arm twitched and creaked. Elsword and Aisha held their stances, unsure of whether or not they would be in for another fight. Silently, he turned to the street and left, following after the clamor of his unruly subordinates.
"Ha... ah... oh... god..." The bartender panted, pulling himself to his feet as he surveyed the catastrophe around him. Finally relaxing their guard, Elsword and Aisha turned back toward the bar.
"What jerks." Aisha rested her fists on her hips as she stared disapprovingly at the mess around her and mumbled. "I can't believe they'd talk that way to a lady..."
"Hey pops, who were those guys?" Elsword strapped his sword to his back and picked up a fallen barstool. "...and where're the waiters and cooks and stuff?"
"I-I'm the only one left..." The barkeep leaned back against his prep counter and poured himself a shot of whiskey. "Everybody else ran off when the Crows showed up. Even if they were here, I couldn't afford to pay em'. They never leave any money. They drove out all my other customers. If I don't serve em' they'll just kill me and take my entire stock..." He downed his drink in a single gulp and refilled his glass. "You two... go on, get outta here." The barkeeps eyes began to water. "You don't need to see a grown man drink hisself stupid, so go on an' get outta here." Dumbstruck, Aisha and Elsword stared for a moment at the broken man behind the counter. They turned and walked out, leaving behind a small stack of coins and Aisha's empty bottle of bourbon. With the saloon empty save for the bartender's sobs, they headed down to the lower levels to meet with Rena and find out what she had learned. Along the way, Aisha found herself saying something unexpected.
"Thanks..." She looked toward the river as they walked along the dirt covered streets.
Elsword nodded. "They deserved way more than a few punches. Why did they think they were gonna get away with talking to you like that?" His mind drifted off in daydreams, imagining what would have happened if the fight had continued for just ten seconds more. For the most part, there was a lot of fire, and, at least in his mind, Aisha cackling atop a pile of burning corpses.
Not being privy to his imaginings, Aisha was struck by his sudden, apparent nobility. Just as her mind began to wander and her cheeks took on a light blush, Rena popped out into the street and waved to them.
"Hey! Did you guys find anything?"
The three of them gathered together and walked down to the riverbank, sitting in the soft sandy soil as they discussed their findings and speculations. So far, they could only confirm rumors of isolated, human-sized nasod somewhere in the valley. Aside from that, they knew very little, though Rena had ideas of her own.
"We should go check out the mine at the end of the Canyon, I think." She pulled off her shoes and dangled her feet into the running water. Aisha nodded in agreement but Elsword merely blinked and stared.
"Huh...? Why?"
"Because Wally's probably there." Aisha laced her fingers together and stretched her arms out in front of her. "He stole the El because he said he was going to use it to make more nasod, right? Since nobody in town has heard from the mine or the miners that were there a few weeks ago, Wally probably went there to take it over. There's so much El all around this canyon, he's probably mining as much of it as he can along with all the metal he needs for making new nasod."
"Ah!" Elsword nodded seriously as Aisha's explanation finally made sense to him. "Then let's go! We've gotta hurry before he runs-"
He was interrupted by the rumbling of his own stomach. Aisha opened her mouth to speak when her own belly began to groan, leaving her blushing and glancing at the ground. Seeing the two of them so eager and yet so unprepared, Rena giggled. "Come on. Let's at least grab dinner first."
As they climbed back toward the upper levels of the city, the sun fell behind the cliffs above and darkness stretched across the city, blanketing each building with a cool, soft shadow. With the moon now free to glow bright overhead, night descended on the gorge and its inhabitants withdrew to the confines of their homes, hovels, nests, and burrows. In the still of that night, there was scarcely any sound bold enough to disturb the tranquil silence. Traveling along the river's edge, hovering just above the rushing water, a low rumbling crept through the valley. From deep inside the northern mine, the sound of ceaseless steel and steam echoed into the night. As the evening wore on, another, more ominous sound joined the roar of rust and drills: A single, blood-chilling scream.