The moment darkness surrounded them Aster´s hands released the crank. Fire came forth from his palms illuminating the darkness in a warm firelight.

¨You turn the crank Ragh. I´ll keep a fire lit.¨ Aster let the flame slowly travel from his palms to the blade of his greatsword. As if the metal was catching fire, it slowly engulfed the blade. The chips centered on one side of the blade looked much like the waves of a blazing fire.

Ragh grabbed the crank and began to turn. With each revolution it would creak, sending them further into the hole. Veins of different colored rocks passed them, some darker shades, some lighter, and for some reason there was a thick black stripe in the rock. As if something had seared the stone and turned it black.

The only sound that could be heard was their breathing. Time passed in the elevator shaft. To Ragh, it felt as if it would never end. The ominous creaking, the veins of ageless rock around them, the chains rattling.

Then as Ragh went to turn the crank, it got stuck. He tried to force it but quickly realized that it might not be such a good idea. He stepped back from the crank. ¨Good sir, the crank is stuck.¨

¨Stuck?¨ Aster approached and grabbed the crank, leaving his greatsword on the floor of the cage. He turned it as hard as he could, grunting in effort. When it didn't move he looked up to Ragh. ¨Help me out here.¨

¨I'm not sure if forcing the crank is the best idea.¨ Ragh looked dully at the crank. It was clearly old and not in the best condition.

¨It's fine, it's fine, have faith. God's blessing is with me.¨ Aster tensed, ready to turn the crank as he waited for Ragh.

Slowly Ragh approached and grabbed onto it. Aster nodded towards him and together they pulled. The crank screeched unbearably loud. The sound was terrible, it made one's fingernails itch and skin crawl.

He didn't really think this was a good idea but Aster hadn't lead him wrong yet. So Ragh continued to pull on the crank. Together they pulled it and with all their might began to turn it. Then, it snapped.

The crank passed the threshold where it had been stuck then snapped into motion. It began to spin uncontrollably and the cage was sent into a free fall. There was a dropping feeling in Ragh´s stomach, bile rising in his throat. He grabbed onto the bars, arms flailing for purchase.

Then the cage caught itself again, rocking and smacking into the walls of the passage. Ragh slammed onto the floor of the cage, his armor protecting him from the brunt of the damage. With a groan he tried to stand up, his eyes wandering over to Aster.

Aster was still near the crank. He had one hand on the handle of his greatsword while the other was gripping tightly onto a bar of the cage.

¨By the gods.¨ Aster grunted, turning the blade of his greatsword away from him. The cage lurched again.

Ragh quickly looked for his weapon. He took the point of the spear and held it close, securing it away from him. He didn't want the sharp point to be flying all around the cage if it was dropped again. He barely managed to grab the spear as the cage rattled again before dropping.

With a grip like iron on the bars, he tried to keep himself as close to the floor as possible. For a moment he felt his lower half rise off the ground. It was a unique feeling and in that moment he wondered if that was how dragons felt. Taking to the sky, unburdened by gravity.

Then reality came crashing down as the cage slammed into something. It was a softer impact than Ragh expected but a harsh one nonetheless. He was thrown all over the cage, bars smashing into his guarding arms before he came to a stop face-down, ribs burning. The culprit of the softened fall splattered all over Ragh and his armor.

Black sludge, disgustingly thick, covered Ragh head to toe. Slowly the cage began to sink into a pool of the stuff. His foot was stuck in the tar-like substance. He pulled at it and with a surge of effort his foot came free with a sucking sound similar to mud.

Aster had already ripped off the door of the cage and threw it to the side. Sunlight washed over him, outlining his form. He stumbled out and dropped out of sight.

Ragh gasped for air, his entire body in pain. He grabbed at his spear and pulled it from the sludge. The cage was sinking, and he struggled to reach the doorway. It slanted back as it sank, sending him back into the sludge. It engulfed him, getting into his mouth and covering his body. Immediately he felt pain, like thousands of tiny ants gnawing away at his skin.

He was not going to die here, not today.

With a burst of effort he grabbed the bars and pulled himself up and out of the sludge. Ignoring the pain all over his body he jumped towards the gate of the sinking cage. His fingers grabbed at the edge and he hung there. His body felt weak, the sludge was seeping into the cracks of his armor, touching the skin underneath. His body locked up in agony but he still grasped at the edge.

Aster appeared above him and grabbed his arms. With a heave of effort he pulled him out of the cage and dragged him away.

Ragh keened over once he reached solid land. From his mouth he hurled black sludge all over the cobbled street. He was covered in it, making him look like some sort of abomination.

Through the haze of pain he heard Aster´s words. ¨You okay Ragh? What in the name of Yrena was that? Take off your armor and well get you cleaned up.¨

Ragh dropped to his hands and knees before once more throwing up the viscous substance. It burned in his throat like fire and dulled his senses. From the visor of his helmet it spilled out, dripping into the pool that had been formed. ¨Do- Don't take off my armor.¨ He panted, breathing between the gaps in his teeth.

¨It's okay brother.¨ Aster went to pat Ragh´s back but quickly noticed the sludge covering it. He hesitantly withdrew his hand. ¨Damned elevator broke.¨

¨I…..I told you what would happen.¨ Ragh retched loudly before puking out another stream.

¨Everything turned out okay did it not? I'll help you recover, then lets find the Sinless Warden.¨ Aster´s eyes burned with determination. ¨I'm so close, I can only hope she is here.¨ He was completely focused on his task, ignoring everything else around him. There was a hint of guilt in his voice but it was quickly overpowered by pointed focus.

Ragh was fuming at his blatant disregard for his well being. But his instincts told him not to talk back. Similar to when he vowed to help Aster in the first place, the same urges guided him. So, he remained silent, dripping with bottled up anger.

When the pain subsided enough he slowly stood. His stance was shaky but he still managed to stand despite the pain. Then once the sludge had cleared enough around his eyes he looked around.

The cobbled streets were dirty and covered with splinters of wood. Wooden buildings surrounded them, covered in scaffolding and platforms. Behind them was the face of a giant stone cliff. The elevator was sinking into a pool of black sludge which lay at the bottom. The streets were very narrow here, and everything looked like some kind of fire hazard.

There were rugs and mats thrown about on the street. Small streams of black sludge weaved between the cobbles around them, forming some puddles on the sides.

¨Disgusting.¨ Aster eyed his surroundings. ¨I can handle a little filth if I must but this is vile.¨

Ragh trudged up behind him, shaking off as much of the sludge as possible. It was still beneath his armor, sticking and crusting to his skin. ¨Where are we headed… sir.¨ Ragh boiled with anger towards Aster but he still held a formal tone.

¨I… I don't know. I have never really been down here. In the tales of the Sinless Warden it was never mentioned exactly where she is.¨ Aster gazed around the area looking for any sort of clue. There was a twinge of hesitation in his voice that was quickly drowned out.

Ragh wearily looked around the scene of destruction. There was nothing really of note other than the streams of black sludge. They all seemed to be flowing in one direction, streams of the stuff moving across the cobbles.

¨The sludge seems to be moving in one direction.¨ Ragh pointed out the unique occurrence. Though the entirety of the dragon dregs was built on a slanted hill, the sludge was flowing horizontally.

¨Good eye Ragh.¨ Aster let out a sigh of relief at the clue. ¨I knew that you were sent to me by the gods to help me on this journey.¨

Despite the praise Ragh remained silent. He was getting more and more convinced that Aster was a little delusional in his faith in the gods. They had not helped Ragh, why would they help Aster?

With no other clues other than the one before them, they began to pick their way through the ruins. As they walked wind blew through the wooden buildings. Scaffolding creaked and swayed. Boots splattered in black sludge as a horn sounded far in the distance.

From a pile of rubble there was a sorrowful moan. A blackened undead hand reached out, trying to push the wooden beams that pinned its body. Ragh was tempted to go and end its existence and painful afterlife, but remembered that it would soon return once again. It would only cause it more pain.

¨I don't like this place.¨ Ragh glanced around him. The air here, it reminded him of loss, the feeling hit closer to home than he would like to admit.

¨What place is there left to like? This city has turned into a hell-hole. Though I guess that this place is worse than the others.¨ Aster mumbled to himself, seemingly unworried about the situation. ¨All we have to do is find the Sinless Warden and she will tell us what to do next.¨

Ragh sincerely hoped that the Sinless Warden would have answers. At this moment he was lost, simply wandering and looking for any signs. This train of thought made him wonder though, where was he going to look, where was he going to go?

¨Looks like there is something ahead.¨ Aster stopped abruptly.

The trails of sludge flowed into a massive pool. It was surrounded by half-drowned wooden buildings that sunk into the substance. Broken scaffolding hung precariously, some leaning, some shredded into pieces. It was impossible to tell how deep the pool could be but it was very wide. A cold wind blew, chilling the warrior and knight to the bone. It brought with it a fetid scent that drifted over from the pool.

¨What is that unholy scent?¨ Aster covered his mouth and nose with his hand. His eyes watered. ¨Gods, I can taste it!¨

The scent was unlike anything Ragh had smelled before. It smelled like a field of rotting crops combined with the scent of dead flesh spoiling. Mixing in with the nasty smell was a hint of sulfur.

Ragh was already feeling nasty due to the sludge, but this terrible scent almost brought him over the edge. Retching, he leaned over trying to hold in his gut. He dry heaved before the rest of the sludge he swallowed spilled out of the cracks in his helmet.

¨There is definitely something here.¨ Aster eyed the pool as he patted Ragh´s back.

¨Good sir… we should… get something to cover our noses.¨ Ragh gasped for air between words, trying to recover his breath after throwing up.

Aster turned his head away, hiding his face in his hand. With his other hand he searched himself for something to cover his nose.

Ragh instinctively began to open the pouches on his belt. There was nothing really of note in them, but there was a roll of white cloth that he recognized to be a bandage. That might have been useful earlier. There was also a strange residue in some of the pouches which was colored light green. Lastly he found a few small metal spheres. He held one in his hand and recognized it as a ball bearing. Even his fleeting memory identified the item with little hesitation, he must have been familiar with this particular gadget.

He ripped off strips of the bandage and stuck it in his nose, lifting up the visor of his helmet just a bit. It blocked a part of the smell but he could still taste it. It would do for now but it was still horrendously unpleasant to be around this pool. He handed the roll of bandage to Aster.

¨You're a life-saver.¨ Aster soon had a few strips of bandage as well which he plugged his nose with. ¨It's better than nothing.¨

¨This reminds me of…¨ Ragh had a flash of memory, a dim light amongst grey walls, a dark damp cave, a wave of red eyes. ¨Apologies, I lost my train of thought.¨

Aster gave him a quizzical look. ¨It is good that you remember something. But we should focus on the task ahead.¨ He slowly began to approach the pool. The smell only intensified as they walked closer.

As Ragh´s eyes scanned the area and its surroundings he caught sight of an odd piece of protruding metal sticking out the pool. It was moving rhythmically up and down, as if it was bobbing in the sludge. As he got closer he realized that it was the blade of a sword. The handle was missing, leaving nothing but a blade.

His foot kicked a rock on accident, sending it skittering to the edge of the pool. The two were no more than a three strides away from its edge. The stench was nearly unbearable even with the nose blocks.

¨We should make haste and leave sir, there isn't anything here.¨ Ragh took a step back from the pool. The whole area gave an off putting feeling.

Aster kneeled near the edge of the pool of black sludge. He grimaced at the sight of it and the mysterious smell. Then he stood, taking one last look around. ¨I was hoping that there would be a clue here.¨

Ragh´s eyes didn't leave the blade of the sword as it bobbed. Then to his horror, it slowly began to rise from the sludge. ¨Sir! We need to leave now!¨ Ragh's rough voice called out.

Aster backed away from the pool as he noticed the sword blade rising. From the pool there was a gurgling sound. Bubbles began to pop at the surface. A massive form slowly rose, sludge cascading from its body.

A mouth opened, revealing sharp yellowed teeth like dagger points.

¨A demon!¨ Aster gripped his greatsword tightly, eyes narrowed. ¨You are going to regret surfacing here.¨