[IP] The subway.

...

So, you know what this is?" The quiet voice was more than nervous as we waded closer towards it, pools of water rising up along our knees. "Because it reminds me of the High-Undying."

Sola's voice was more than a little concerned as our odd group stopped short in the mine's descending tunnel. Both the flashlight on my rifle, and the headlamp tight upon my brow seemed inadequate for the sight ahead of us.

"It reminds me of the same." Lars quietly added, unwilling to step into the liquid that filled the lower section of the sloping tunnel. "Almost like your metal carriage." He held my spare flashlight uncertainly, directing its glow to skitter along the water, reflecting ripples and shadows in the mine's darkness.

"Yes, it should..." I replied in a hushed tone, slowly stepping along the illuminated path; staring at the familiar shape. "Because it's really not supposed to be here."

We'd been picking up more jobs since I'd managed to get the car running on moonshine. "Running" might be a loose term for occasionally stalling out, and my combination of mistrust and hesitation to feed it more than two gallons of the liquid at a time: but it was functional enough to get us down the roads without too much trouble. For the amount of silver, research, headache and patience that had cost me, I would have accepted no other alternative.

For all that effort and pain, the hatchback was once again increased and capable of effective ranges. So in turn for my work put in, that my capacity to find us profitable work had also increased.

This time around I'd accepted two contracts in one go, an effort to both save fuel and net us spare currency. Hanging more to the side of caution, this was a trend I was normally against- for rare exceptions. Working for the Guild had been stressful so far. Stressful, mostly due to the fact that it was more dangerous than any sane human being would prefer in their profession, and the pay was far from satisfactory for the risk associated.

For all our hard work and close calls: After living expenses were tallied, debts owed were payed, vehicle maintenance was considered, and rent was paid... The dregs were all that remained on the best of days.

Ever the pragmatic sort though, with those previously listed debts at the very least I was making progress. If this contract went as issued, Jarl Congrad of the Guild would have his money in full. The loan-shark could suck my left nut if he was going to demand anymore from us.

After another extermination mission, I'd signed us up at the outpost, weather scribe sneering as he signed the ink and glanced over our Guild crests for reference. A simple investigation of the local Silver Mine, currently unranked and unscouted- issued by request of the fringe town along the western border within the Doterra Northern border wall. Odd creatures and occurrences had been noticed by the population, especially prevalent within the mines.

It seemed simple enough. No killing, no bounty: Just a report, written or spoken to a scribe or representative. Thirty silver, gravy on the fifty we'd already collected for the previous contract. The last of the debt remaining.

That didn't seem terribly difficult. In fact, that sounded like a bargain on the surface- but underground in the mines I was already singing a different tune.

"Something is really, really, wrong here." I murmured quietly, lifting my rifle's light as I approached, spare hand feeling along the cool metal. It was as if the car had been ripped from a moving train, shredded metal lurking beside it, some still seemingly attached. My memory considered that, filing it away as I continued my approach with caution. "It doesn't make sense for this to be here... why would this be here?"

From the outside I could see all the familiar portions, the metal and paint, the windows and doors. Slowly I stepped up from the murky water, soon standing atop the the platform to carefully pull the door aside.

Part of the structure seemed molded to the tunnel walls, continuing deep into the solid rock that oppressively surrounded us. The more I stared at it, light tracing along the edges that shown through the stone, the more I believed this wasn't the only car to come through. Whatever freak occurrence had brought this here, had brought other things as well.

"There's some odd traces of magic... I think." Behind me, Sola's eyes glowed in the dim ambient light of my headlamp. "Reminds me of a kind I used to see in the West. Bad magic, the mana's got a wrongness about itself."

I pushed deeper into the car, stopping suddenly as the lighting flickered overhead, pulsing like tiny strobes of energy through fluorescent bulbs. Behind me, I heard Lars gasp by the waters edge, and Sola froze deathly still. "It's safe." I said, uncertain but continuing. "The mana must be interfering somehow, if there was electricity, Lars would already be the only one left alive anyways. My world runs on something like lightning magic."

"Gods and light." Sola cursed behind me, "Your people are mad."

"Some of them." I whispered offhandedly, unwilling to break the quiet silence of the space as I waited for the water around us to settle before we continued. "Maybe more than just some, honestly."

The cabin's space was as I imagined and remembered others like it, only much worse. Although there were no bodies, there was also no shortage of blood indicating that there had been. Ruined suitcases and soaked papers floated in the murk alongside my knees, rocking softly against the walls; those themselves covered hand-prints and red smears sliding along tanned paint in the efforts of some unknown dying soul. I reached for one of the papers, squinting against the blotted ink for any further information, but the paper fell to sludge beneath my touch.

"There are... words here." Sola spoke quietly. "I can't read them, but they look like the script I've seen you use before."

My light rose to the far end of the car's space following her gaze to a portion submerged deeper in the murky water, a section of the cart in the distant rear; only blackness beyond its many broken windows. The sloshing sounds of movement sounded far-off the water somewhere past the shattered door of thick metallic paint, dark and slow churning of ripples and force.

I dare not approach further than to read the smeared words of blood beside it.

HELP

The letters trailed with that same sliding grip of blood, and suddenly there was more than enough proof for my curiosity to sate itself.

"Sola... We're leaving." I held a tense whisper as I took slow steps back, rifle trained along the darkness of that far door. "This is what we'll need for a report, I think." The glow held to the black space in the distance.

"Did you see something?" Sola's question reached my ears as the rifle in my hands wavered, glow of the light taped to it showing the oddest reflection, as if a dozen glass spheres were watching me from the farthest depths of that distant tunnel beyond the back door of the cabin. My boots sunk deeply as I stepped away with slow control.

Those strange glass spheres in the recesses of the light's absence seemed to shift. Moving... Reacting.

"I hear something!" Lars shouted from the edge of the upper tunnel, fear and urgency prevalent in his voice. "I hear something moving!"

His ears were sharper than mine, and perhaps even Sola's, but as I stepped down from the car, slow steps moving backwards in the darkness of the tunnel, I could hear it too. Of steps, splashes, but not slow or few: Many and quickly. Keeping my pace slow and steady while my heart pounded up in my ears was never easy, but as I watched that growing distant broken plane of glass and darkness, I was sure I saw a hideous face.

A toothy mouth of rows upon rows with far too many globed eyes of domed red glass, trapped behind an unnatural cage of otherworldy steel. The film of cloth and skin hung along its jaws, as it clapped teeth with horrible effect.

It stayed there, as we left it.

How long I walked with my weapon trained backwards, Sola and Lars guiding our slow ascent back to the world of sunlight and fresher air, I wasn't sure. It felt an eternity, listening to the groaning clack of teeth and legs rattle against a distant object that should not have been, but in time we found our way back to the surface, back to the car, and back to the quiet stable in town we'd come to call refuge; if not some far kin to home.

As I hung my boots and pants to dry among the straw and musty scents, listening to the gatherings within the Tavern of 'Oar and Swindler my mind chewed and gnawed with no uncertain fever at the witnessed sights, and the weight of silver coin in my pocket.

For every day I spent in this world, I simply had more questions.