Necromancer and Co., Book 3: The Underearth

Chapter 9: Almost

"The City of Pillars is all connected through stalagmites of beautifully carved obsidian pillars, but in the same way, the mysterious Cloud District is disconnected from the rest--a stalactite to watch over, where water drips to feed the growth of the stalagmite below. However, one thing is different. The two will never meet--never connect."

[Lynn]

It was in the middle of the night when she’d heard a voice in her head. Familiar, bringing with it a twinge of annoyance as she stirred lightly in her sleep.

“Lynn,” it said, hurried.

She twisted in her sheets, groaning.

“Lynn. You there? Lynn.”

The elf let out a disgruntled noise, somewhere between a grunt and a monosyllabic complaint. She pulled her sheets over her head, then covered her long, delicate ears with the soft pillow the room had provided for her.

“Lynn,” it repeated, then paused. “She’s not waking up. Hm.”

A moment of peace passed, and the elf smiled lightly beneath her pillow.

“Lynn Lynn Lynn Lynn Lynn Lynn Lynn Ly—“

Lynn’s eyes snapped open and she immediately brought up the blue screen, staring at it with bloodshot eyes. She glared, then pressed down on the button to reply. “What,” she spoke, slowly, “do you want?”

“Oh, hi. Okay. So the joke goes like this: knock knock.”

She felt the corner of her eye twitch. “I’m going back to sleep.”

“Wait, wait! I was joking! I actually need help! I’m stuck in the middle district and I can’t get back into the upper one. Can you uh, get someone to help me get back up? Has Granny Drizza come back yet?”

Lynn considered leaving him to sleep on the street, but she doubted he’d leave her alone. She sighed and reached out for her band, but stopped. Tying her hair back up would be too much of a hassle. With another sigh, she stood up and began changing out of her sleepwear.

“How did you even get stuck down there? Don’t tell me the guards just let you pass the gates without checking for any identification? How could they not remember your face?” she asked, pulling a shirt on.

“I uh, jumped off the edge of some railings to get a drink. I didn’t want to walk, so I figured it’d be faster.”

“Didn’t you say you hated falling?”

“Correction, I hate dying. Falling without a parachute? Scary shit. Falling with a parachute? Awesome.”

“I hate getting woken up,” complained Lynn, checking herself in the mirror. Her hair was down, and she didn’t have her armor on. She felt a bit embarrassed, thinking of walking out of such an expensive-looking house wearing such travel-worn clothes, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Alen’s voice rang out in her mind again, coaxing.

“I have a consolation prize,” he said, as if enticing a pair of children to enter an alleyway with him.

“What?”

“A half-eaten piece of bread.”

“I think the street would serve as a great bed for you, now that I think about it,” She said, starting to take off the shoes she’d put on.

“I was joking!”

She sighed and stood up, heading for the door.

“Only a third of the bread’s been eaten. I’m generous like that.”

Lynn glared at the blue screen. “Do you want to be left outside?”

“Correction, it’s not bread. It’s good bread, you see. Real nice and fresh out of the oven. Completely worth the trip,” he said. She could already imagine him nodding to himself. “If you come here and save me from being taken advantage of by old men waiting in the dark, I’ll really appreciate it. Enough to share my bread.”

She let him prattle on, walking out of the house. She shivered in the cool breeze. Lynn indignantly trudged through the blowing wind, hugging herself. The guards to the courtyard let her through without a word, handing her a small token. She slipped it into her pocket.

“If the bread isn’t good, I swear you’re going to regret doing this to me,” she lamely threatened.

“The bread’s excellent. Nutritious, even. It’s bread. Real nice for adding some meat to your bones. You’d need it, really. I know elves are fabled to be lacking in the endowment department, and I’m glad you’ve risen above your peers, but there’s always room for improvement, you know?“

“How would you even know?” she asked, a bit defensively. “My armor gets in the way. You probably haven’t even seen any in your life.”

”You see, there’s this thing back where I used to live called the internet. Wonderful place.”

She raised a brow. “A red light district? How disappointing.”

“Oh, how many men would kill for it to be so. Nope. It’s completely different. Hard to explain, though. I haven’t told you much about my old world, have I?”

“Nope. I never asked, either. You looked homesick enough on your own.”

“Really? You could see that? Damn. Ah well, I’m more or less fine now. You can ask about anything whenever. I’d be glad to find something to talk about besides how to handle the next problem, for once.”

“I suppose we do struggle a lot, don’t we?” she said, descending down a winding road. Even on the district she was on, the courtyard they stayed in was on the higher end of everything. She briefly wondered who the world that unassuming old woman named Drizza was. She spotted the gate in the distance, the silhouette of a young man seemingly talking to himself just outside, barred by two guards a distance away.

“That’s the biggest understatement I’ve ever heard,” he complained. “How many people do you know get caught up in a tidal wave of angry undead? Pissing off the Cava’tal? Getting stuck for a month on the back of that stupid centipede? Hell, finding themselves here, of all places? If these are everyday occurrences in this world, then we might as well go after the Cult of the Dark One right now.”

“I’m at the gate,” said Lynn. “Get over here. And what in the gods is the Cult of the Dark One?”

“Long story,” Alen said, and she looked up at the screen. He stood in front of two stoic guards, waving at her. “I’ll tell you about it later. For now, tell them to let me in?”

“He’s with me,” she sighed, flashing them the token. “We came here with Granny Drizza.”

“Lady Drizza,” a guard corrected her, gruff. They said no more, pulling back the halberds blocking Alen’s way.

He grinned at them and stepped through. He walked up to Lynn and held a bag out to her. “Here’s your consolation prize. Congratulations.”

She took it and pulled out the bread, indignantly biting into it. She turned her back to him and started heading back to the courtyard. He fell into step behind her. “See? Good bread. You can’t deny it.”

“I’m denying it.”

“What? It’s great.”

“You’re souring the taste,” she said, extending an arm to push him a couple steps back. “Ah, you’re right. It’s much better now.”

“I’m offended,” he said, crossing his arms.

“Good,” she smiled, tearing off a piece of the unbelievably soft bread and tossing it into her mouth. It melted, fresh and sweet, tasting almost like fresh river water as it ran down her throat. “So,” she said, before he could retort, “what’s this about some cult?”

“Well, it’s a long story.”

“You’ve already woken me up. Might as well stay awake until morning. Come on then, out with it. We have all night.”

“What? What about my beauty sleep?”

“It jumped off a cliff with mine after you decided to wake me up,” she flatly said.

“That isn’t fair,” he groaned. “I brought you bread.”

“And now I’m eating it,” she mocked, tossing the last of the bread into her mouth.

He sighed and relented. “Fine, then. So, where do I start? Uh, my first week in the canyon? Nearly getting killed by a snake the size of a train? After I got some god named Thagathos’s interest and completed a deadly trial in my mind? Soul? Whatever. Oh, right. There’s this lich named Selerius living in my head, who’s apparently a loan shark too—“

Lynn coughed at the sudden string of words, her chewing interrupted. She staggered to the side and turned to face him, incredulous. “You’re joking,” she said.

“Nope,” he crossed his arms, almost smug.

“You got the interest of a god,” she spoke slowly. Maybe she’d heard wrong. Thagathos? The god of death? Wasn’t his champion the one that went on a rampage a few years ago? The one with thousands of vicious mortals waiting to do his bidding? There was no way he’d talk to Alen, of all people. She looked at him, waiting for his confirmation.

“Yes,” Alen confirmed, but quickly deflated. “And that’s not even the worst bit. So these cultists? They’re the ones that attacked the village. Gathering god’s chosen and killing them, apparently. We’ve encountered one of their uh, major characters, and he’s kind of after me now, I think. Something about waiting for my strength to increase before he sacrifices me to pseudo-Voldemort.”

“Who’s—no,” she stopped. “You aren’t joking? Completely serious?”

He sighed. “Yes.”

“This isn’t good.”

“No shit.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Well, find a way out of here. I’ll try not to die, either. That should be high up in the priority list too. Another should be getting stronger real fast. Fast enough to catch Seith off guard so that when he finds me, I’ll be able to kick his ass and fuck him sideways,” said Alen, making rude gestures with his hands.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. I mean, what else am I supposed to do?”

“Aren’t you scared?” Lynn asked, checking his expression. Same expression. Same light smile. She frowned at his lack of worry. “You felt how strong he was. Alen, a whole cult’s after you.”

“I know,” he said, then sighed, scratching the back of his head. He plopped down on the side of the road, sitting on the fiery, faintly glowing grass that lined the side of the streets. He looked up at her sourly, the smile on his face bitter. “Of course I’m scared. If anything, I just about shat my pants on the way to the upper district. It’s just that I have to simplify things you know? Get stronger, kick big bad evil guy’s ass. Find a way out. Get home. Sounds easier, right?”

She sat down beside him, unsure of what to say. He was right. What else could they do? They certainly couldn’t talk to the man. Finding a way out was difficult enough, and now this? Lynn felt wronged. It was unfair, how things only seemed to get worse as the days passed. Her brows creased into a frown. “You have really bad luck,” she said, quietly.

“I know,” he said, “but hey. We have two more people on the team now. If we can find Roland, we can be a whole crew of five, fighting off evil. Justice and all that idealistic crap.”

Lynn sighed. “I’m tired.”

“Yeah. Me too. We’re taking a break for a few days before we start getting busy again.”

“Shouldn’t we get started as soon as possible?”

“I’m a natural born procrastinator,” he grinned, and she smiled lightly. He nodded at that, his work apparently done. “Say, I found a good-ass bakery in my little stroll a while ago. He’s something like a blacksmith too, apparently, so I’m headed there tomorrow to see if I can get a staff made. A bit risky with the deal I’m going to pull, but I don’t really have much of a choice.”

He paused, then glanced at her from the side. She caught it and gave him a look. Alen pursed his lips for a moment, then shrugged. “You uh, down to come with?” he asked.

She thought for a moment. He’d asked her, instead of assuming she’d do what she wanted to like she usually did. It wasn’t a simple mention, but an offer. Lynn was aware of how he felt, of course. Maybe even before his friend somehow wrangled it out of him. As for her? She didn’t really know. She certainly didn’t mind his company, and she certainly didn’t have a reason to decline. Lynn gave him a long look and came to a decision.

“How do you say that phrase? I’m down?” she asked, and he nodded. “I’m down,” said Lynn. “Your treat?”

“Do I have a choice?” he asked, voice hopeful.

She brushed her hair away from her face and smiled. “Nope.”

“Fine,” he relented, then gave her a look. “You aren’t wearing your hair up today, actually,” he noted.

“I got lazy,” she shrugged. “That scrunchie’s getting old anyway, I’m thinking of just leaving my hair like this from now on,” Lynn paused. “It doesn’t look bad, does it?”

“How do you like your compliments?” he asked.

“Awkward. It’s endearing.”

“It reminds me of freshly straightened, summertime pubic hair,” he said, and she laughed, standing up. Lynn pulled him up with her.

“Well, let’s get going,” she said.

“What, now?”

“What else do you propose we do until everyone else wakes up?”

“I dunno, sleep?”

“Nonsense,” she shook her head, then began walking forward. She walked under the fiery lights of the City of Pillars, her white hair bathed in the glow. Her steps were silent, practiced; a mark of the life she’d lived.

His were too, now that she thought about it. He’d changed a lot since their first meeting, but she was glad that despite everything, he stayed the same person at his core. She wasn’t sure where they’d go, being stuck in the Underearth, but with the people she had with her, somehow she felt that finding a way out wasn’t as impossible as it seemed after all.

—o—

Lynn idly gazed out of the window, the empty courtyard greeting her line of sight. It was as large as a village, littered by numerous pagoda-like houses, but most of the people inside had yet to come out. She rested her cheek on her hand and leaned forward, yawning. Lazily, she rested her shoulder against a wooden beam that supported the house they’d been assigned to in the upper district. Above, the crystals in the ceiling began to light up one by one, bathing the now-blue grass below in an otherworldly glint. She rubbed her eyes, recalling her trip to the bakery the night before.

It was nice, simply put. The building was cozy, situated just off a corner leading to a plaza, it was nestled between an ascending road and a large, closed building she didn’t pay much attention to. The lighting was bright like the flames of a hearth, and the smooth Stonewood furniture had been refined so that only the inner layers were utilized in the creation of the table, creating a soft, woody exterior. The seats had been cushioned as well, a benefit she hadn’t enjoyed since visiting Draenys in Redaria. She couldn’t enjoy that however, as the shop had closed by the time they’d arrived.

She’d opted to drag Alen around the city in search of food stalls instead.

Lynn lied down on the wooden floor, her feet dangling over the edge of the slightly elevated platform. The stroll was nice, she remembered, but she couldn’t really appreciate it as much when her eyes kept threatening to close shut. While her attributes had more or less lessened her need for sleep, her current condition was more from a want to sleep than a biological must have. She sighed, and door behind her slid open, a young man with brown hair stepping out.

Adam, she noted, remembering his name. He looked down at her sprawled form, a brow raised.

“What are you doing out here this early?” he asked.

“Alen,” she said, more of a complaint than an answer. “Woke me up in the middle of the night to fetch him on the entrance to the upper district because he left without an identity token. Couldn’t fall back asleep after.”

Adam laughed and let her be, walking away with his hands in his pockets.

She watched him leave, and when she saw that he’d disappeared through a bathroom, she stood up and stretched, taking a deep inhalation of air. Lynn looked around the courtyard. It was silent, and the fiery grass from the night before had now turned a dark aquamarine, as if she was looking down at an empty ocean from above. Lynn pushed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She smoothed her clothes out, then looked outside.

Not much to do, she realized, again. Alen had left for the bakery and she’d opted to stay behind, but there wasn’t really much for her to do. She considered checking out the branch of the Hunter’s Lodge in the lower region of the city, but decided against it. Whatever she needed to register in there, be it money or an identity, she didn’t have. She waved her hand, and a Redarian gold coin appeared on her palm, glinting in the light. Her lips pursed. She’d been extremely stingy with her money before, but now she couldn’t even use it now.

Feeling wronged, she headed for the room where Dieter had retired into the night before. If there was someone she could talk to, it would be one of the Hunters. Before she could call out however, a commotion began just outside of the courtyard.

She turned her head, and simultaneously, the door behind her opened. Dieter stepped out, followed by Razzan and a hunter she didn’t recognize. They stepped past her urgently, headed for the gate. Razzan gave her a small nod as he passed.

Lynn followed.

Already, as she arrived, a crowd of villagers had already gathered in front of the entrance. More came in, exiting the houses and running towards the opened gates to view the scene outside. She squeezed her way past some villagers and looked over the heads of the a few short others, and what greeted her was something that caused her to look on blankly, stunned.

A woman was outside, surrounded by guards. Lynn took a second to recognize the woman who looked to be in her forties. It was Granny—no, Lady Drizza who stood in front of an extravagant carriage. It floated off of the ground, sigils glowing just beneath it and causing it to float inches above the road. Two large, eel-like creatures were linked to it, similarly floating off the ground. They twisted and coiled and spun, but they never failed avoid getting tangled together. The two eels hissed, but kept their heads lowered, avoiding looking at the previously unsuspecting old lady.

Lady Drizza wore a gold-colored ceremonial robe, and if it wasn’t for the features of her face that stuck, no one would have been able to recognize her. Her hair was straight and black, her figure standing tall, back no longer hunched. Glimmering pieces of jewelry hung from her robes, and when she walked forward, they flowed with the fabric—an river of gems in an ocean of gold.

She stood in front of her people, and her eyes were kindly, albeit sad. Lady Drizza scanned the crowd, and she nodded.

“We’ve returned,” she said, and the area was suddenly blanketed in silence. Instead of joyful however, it felt somber. As if a sacrifice had just been made.

She continued.

“For years, we’ve lived outside of the City of Pillars, away from the rest of the seven great families. We lived on the run from the Cult of the Dark One, and we struggled. Some of you stayed,” she looked at the crowd, “and some of you left. Considering the situation we were in, I can understand. I was supposed to leave with just my granddaughter in the first place, but you all followed us regardless of the difficulties we were bound to encounter. For that, I thank you,” Drizza said, smiling warmly at the villagers. They responded with silence. Clenched fists, gritted teeth.

Lynn wetted her lips. The words and reactions… they didn’t fit. Something was wrong.

“We left the city because of many complicated reasons,” she continued, “but now that we have returned, we have been welcomed back. As decided by the council, I will be joining their ranks once again. From now on, our people will live here, in the upper district, and I will depart for the Cloud District, where I will stay with the rest of the council.”

There was a collective dampening of moods within the crowd, and the atmosphere turned even darker than before. Razzan was pale, Lynn noticed, but there was a smidgen of self-blame in his eyes. Drizza went on.

“Together, we will work towards eliminating the Cult of the Dark One. Because of Kara, I left the council, and because of her, I will return. We will find her,” her voice trembled, but she kept her composure. Drizza breathed slowly and looked up. She hesitated as if to say something, then stopped. She steeled her gaze and nodded at everyone present. “Please do all you can to help me find my granddaughter. That is all.”

Lynn watched Lady Drizza turn. She entered the carriage, and the two eels at the head stirred. Like a bolt of lightning, they took off, bursting into the air like two rays of light. The carriage trailed behind it, and the bodyguards on the ground followed, jumping into the air. They ascended a great height, then their feet glowed, stepping on the air as if it was solid. They used the foothold to soar higher, repeating the process before disappearing into the mist enshrouding the Cloud District far above.

Slowly, the villagers all around Lynn dispersed, returning to their homes with solemn expressions and hard faces. Razzan, the hunters, and Dieter were left, standing in the middle of the street.

“What does this mean?” Dieter asked, as confused as Lynn was.

“She’s gone,” said Razzan.

Lynn frowned and continued to listen. What does he mean? she thought, and Razzan spoke again, as if to answer her thoughts.

“She isn’t dead, but we won’t be seeing her for a long time,” he spoke, his voice quiet. “If we ever see her again, that is.”

“You’re making her sound like a prisoner,” Dieter frowned.

“She is,” Razzan said, turning and walking away. The rest of the hunters followed.

“Wait!” Dieter ran after him, the ever-burning wisp of flame over his shoulders burning in agitation, “What do you mean she’s a prisoner!? Didn’t she just get a position of authority? Didn’t you tell me on the way here that she was just going to pull some connections!?”

“She did,” the Hunter dismissed him, “and it’s a very, very long story. One I never hoped to tell. I’ll tell you everything tonight. For now, I need to talk to someone. Lynn Frostwood,” he said, and Lynn blinked, looking up at him. “We’re going to the Hunter’s Lodge. Your group mentioned wanting to register, right? Come with us, but hurry. Time is short, and the chosen dwindling.”

Chosen. She noted that term. Alen had told her he was one. He had to hear what was coming next. Lynn nodded and pulled up her party’s screen. She pressed the button and spoke.

“Alen?”

“Yes?” he asked, the reply almost immediate.

“Message Sam and Adam to tell them to meet us in the Hunter’s Lodge in the…” she looked to the Hunters.

“Middle district,” Razzan interjected.

“The middle district. Tell them to hurry. We’ll meet you there.”

“Oh, I’m already here,” he said. “Someone’s helping me get my sigil map and identification card.”

“Good,” she said. “Call them there, and wait for us. A lot of somethings just happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” Lynn said, “but we might have to cut that break short. Something just happened to Lady Drizza.”

“Ah shit, now I wish I went to sleep last night.”

Me too, Lynn thought, then ran inside a bathroom. She waved her hand, and her equipment flashed into existence from her storage ring, already equipped. She nodded, then dashed outside, following after Razzan and the others.

If there was one thing she couldn’t deny about meeting Alen, it would be that her life had become a lot more interesting as a result, for the lack of a better word. Almost frustratingly so.

Then, even if it was a bit strained, she smiled. Almost.