-Maddox-

The force of the water met them with unforgiving brutality. The edges of reason blurred and fear lurched deep in his gut. Angry waves crashed above them, as if fighting over who would take them down. The water flooded Maddox’s lungs, crashing around his chest with painful pressure. Maddox clung to Varia, wrapping him in his arms and allowed the current to drag the both of them under and away. He realized quickly that Varia was unable to swim, and unable to help their current situation. At least he was conscious and alive if the grip of his hands on Maddox’s back were to be believed.

Waves crashed over them, muffled, whipping them around, forcing them under. Maddox did not know which way was up, and an overwhelming fear of suddenly being lost overcame him. They breached the surface briefly, and Maddox gasped a breath before they were once again beneath the waves. The current swept them further away from where they fell, further and further. Maddox gave up kicking, he was not strong enough to fight the tide. He tried to focus instead on the man in his arms, so scared, clinging to him. The pressure of the water kept them together, but every pull of every wave threatened to tear them apart. He couldn’t let go, if he let go, Varia would never surface. He could not lose him.

They surfaced again, and for a moment Maddox thought the water was growing calmer. If it was calmer, he could swim, he could drag them to shore, they would be okay. Then, a pressure in his legs, and he and Varia were once more dragged under the surface and dragged further and further down. The last breath he had taken escaped him and was replaced with water again. He could not keep swallowing water, he had to stay alive. Varia could not swim, he could not save himself if Maddox could not force himself to stay awake. The light above them was gone, and Maddox had the fleeting thought that they were now in a tunnel, underground. The water was quicker down here, but less ferocious. He managed to breach the surface with Varia, gasping for air whenever he could.

Then, they were falling down once again, sucked into another tunnel and swept away. Maddox had no concept of their location, if they were going deeper or not, but it felt like they were. Suddenly, they surfaced. For a moment Maddox did not realize they had. It was so dark, where ever they had ended up, he was not certain he was no longer under the water until he drew a breath of air. Varia sputtered and gasped, still clutching Maddox, alive, and breathing.

Maddox’s adrenaline spiked, and he began to kick his legs. He ignored the weight of them, the exhaustion he felt. He was spurred on by the figure in his arm, and by the sound of water lapping at something solid. Varia did not struggle, and even kicked his legs a few times. He could not swim, but he was doing his best to not be more of a burden then he already was. His eyes adjusted in the dark, but all he could see was water. The fatigue was settling into his muscles, and though he could breathe now, the panic was beginning to swell in him. They needed land. He could not tread water forever, especially holding onto Varia.

“Left.” Maddox turned his head when Varia spoke, a simple word. He could see him, his hair plastered to his face, eyes wide in his own fear.

“W-what?” Maddox croaked, his throat raw, his breath coming out in pants.

“Swim to the left.” Varia responded, and Maddox turned his gaze in the direction Varia indicated. He could not see anything, but he trusted Varia. He had too, it was trust him, or drown.

Maddox shifted and began to drag a single arm in the water, propelling the both of them forward with short, quick kicks of his feet. He wanted to stop, to rest, but he couldn’t. Instead, he continued on, ignoring the scream of his muscles, the tightness in his chest. And then his feet touched the ground.

A burst of relief erupted in his chest, and he scrambled forward, dragging Varia onto the ground. Varia, once he too touched his boots to the mud, began to move. Side by side, they reached until their hands touched sand, and they pulled themselves onto a small embankment. Maddox collapsed once there was solid ground beneath him, rolling onto his back and focusing on his breathing. His chest hurt, he could feel bruises forming over his body. If they were from rocks and trees, or from the fall itself he was not certain. What he was certain of was that he had no broken bones. He wiggled his toes, his fingers, and felt along his ribs. He was not sure of Varia’s condition, but in that moment he could do nothing beyond breathing.

Finally his breath begins to slow, and he opened his eyes, turning his head to Varia. Varia was beside him, on his hands and knees. Below his head, and between his hands, he had vomited. But he was breathing, and alive, and was using his arms and legs properly. Maddox pushed his hair from his eyes, and then leant his head to gaze around.

The embankment they had found themselves on was long, deeper in the specific spot they were in. He could vaguely make out plants… and a darker area near them. Another tunnel. Gods, he was so sick of the underground already. On the surface, he could see, he could feel the air, he could gaze out across the lands and make a plan. He knew what direction to go, and if he lost it, he could always find something he recognized, or follow the sun west. Underground, there was no direction. No concept of time, no concept of depth. He felt the panic rising in his chest once again, pinching his eyes closed. He could feel Varia shift and rise besides him, could feel him leave him.

Why would he leave? Where would he go? Would he abandon Maddox in the dark, when Maddox saved him from drowning? He promised. He promised to ward off the dark, to be his light, to lead him and protect him. Why would he abandon him when Maddox needed him?

Deeper in his mind, he knew Varia wouldn’t leave. He knew Varia was likely inspecting the only path they had. He was making sure there was no danger, that they would be safe when they began to move. He knew that Varia would not abandon him, he would return to him. Yet his heart only slowed when he heard soft footsteps returning.

“The tunnel goes deep. We have to follow it.” Varia’s voice pushed away the darkness buzzing at the edge of his mind, threatening to throw him into even further panic.

When he opened his eyes, Varia was beside him, crouched over the bag he kept strapped to his body, going through the contents. There wasn’t much in it to begin with, a map, charcoal, flint and stone and a few Nihalian coins he likely stole from some poor soul he murdered. Varia pulled out a piece of cloth, though it was soaked, and wrapped it around what appeared to be an old torch. The underground was ripe with torches, mostly left behind by bandits. It was the same here as it was in Er Rai, though how Varia found a torch so far below was a mystery to him.

When Varia stepped away to begin finding kindling in the small reeds along the bank, Maddox finally sat up. With one final check of the movement in all of his extremities, he rose to his feet. As he did, Varia glanced back to him, before resuming his task.

“I admit, I am worried. That river stretches for many leagues. Since it swept us underground, I have no idea of how far we were taken.” Maddox crouched beside Varia, cupping his hands around the small flame that Varia created in the reeds and grass. He welcomed the fire, and the light it provided, though not much.

“We need to move. Most of the caves in Nihal connect, and were used by the dwarves. They all lead to the surface.” Varia said quietly, holding the damp cloth over the fire. It sizzled and cracked when the fire licked it, smoking as the water evaporated.

“You’ve never been this far north…” Maddox murmured, his eyes on the torch instead of Varia. It was disheartening knowing that Varia had no idea where they were, or the layout of this depth.

“No.” Varia said, then turned the torch over in his hand, showing Maddox the end he had been holding. “These indents are the same shape and size as ones I’ve seen before. Dwarves would carve these down, then place wet cloth over the ends to keep their hands from heating up when the wood did. These are similar, the same I would even say. Regardless, if these lead to ruins, which I reckon they do, they will also lead out.”

That tempered the fear a bit. Varia knew much about dwarves and the creatures that lived below Nihal. He did not seem worried, though he was difficult to read. Maddox hummed, releasing a long breath when the cloth finally caught fire.

“Dwarves also used oil to keep their torches and braziers burning longer. Finding that oil is common still. Perhaps the further in we go, we will stumble across some.” Varia murmured as he turned the torch, allowing the fire to catch and envelope the cloth. He handed the torch to Maddox, pulling another piece of damp cloth from his pouch and wrapping it around the handle.

“You hold it. I don’t need it.” Varia stood then, brushing his hands over his wet leathers, face twisted in something that looked like annoyance.

Maddox was comforted by the fire, and by Varia’s words and promises. If he were to be stuck with anyone underground and lost, he would wish it to be Varia. Maddox rose to his feet as well, holding the torch higher and gazing out the way they came. Perhaps it was the darkness making it look much larger, but the lake did not seem like a lake. It appeared to be a subterranean ocean. It felt that way, and Maddox felt small standing near it. Something moved below the murky surface, unseen, but the groan of movement could be heard still. He realized that he should count himself lucky that nothing ate them when they landed in this great place.

He turned when he heard Varia move, following behind him and lighting his own way with the torch. They moved into the tunnel, which was not only relatively narrow, but also short. He did not have to duck, nor turn his body, but he felt very closed in, suffocated in there. He would not have been able to travel this route without the fire, and Varia likely knew that.

Varia dipped in and out of the light of the torch, moving quicker than Maddox, but slowing whenever Maddox cursed at him to slow. While they walked, Maddox paid extra attention to Cithrel. Cithrel was not reacting in any manner, which helped to clear the fog in his mind as well. Eventually, the panic was completely subsided, leaving behind only a tense feeling in his stomach.

They walked for what felt like hours, though the concept of time was lost in the underground. The tunnel widened in spots, shrunk in others, but eventually they were free of it. Instead, they found another chasm. It was surprisingly well lit, though the source was not sun, but towering mushrooms, taller than any tree Maddox had seen. They glowed green and blue, soft light, but enough to illuminate the rest of the cavern.

It was huge, and made to look even larger due to the ruins. Dwarven ruins, pillars of stone, houses with golden rooves, stairs, courtyards. It looked as if life could suddenly appear, resume as if nothing had happened. Small streams trickled along the paths of stone, emptying into crystal pools and further into many other dark tunnels. He heard Varia draw a breath of awe, and Maddox felt the apprehension fade.

This place was a ghost town, a graveyard. Dwarves had not lived for hundreds of years, yet left behind such creations. He knew Varia was partial to them, but Maddox just wished to find the surface. Though, the cave was chilled, and the old homes provided shelter.

Varia was moving before Maddox realized, and he scrambled down a mossy rock after him, nearly slipping, but righting himself with a curse. Varia was climbing the stairs to the city without any worry, and perhaps no cause to worry. Maddox had seen ruins before, moved through them with his military, but Varia’s wanderlust was unmatched.

“Varia-!” Maddox hissed, stumbling over a loose block of stone, dropping his torch. The torch fizzled out once it hit the damp ground, and he cursed again, reaching to pick it up.

When he rose again, Varia was in the thick of the buildings, and he was left behind. He cursed under his breath again, and jogged the stairs to catch up. Once he was in the city itself, it began to dawn on him just how incredible it was. He caught Varia and walked beside him, behind a bit when Varia darted off. The homes were still furnished, with golden carved seating and tables, plates and bowls adorned with jewels and intricate patterns. There were clothes that seemed more modern that what he ever imagined ancient dwarves wearing. Small, colorful lizards with eyes that seemed much too large and milky to be of any use skittered around the homes, but beyond them, there were no other signs of life.

“This place…” Maddox began, crouching to pick up a book. The pages were damp and the ink was running. The few words he could make out were foreign to him, though he recognized them as dwarven. “I’ve never taken time to look about these places when I’ve passed them…” He admitted to Varia.

Varia was in the same home as Maddox, and seemed to be searching for more useful things. He inspected furs and leathers, an old bag in hand he had snatched up from another home. “They are full of mystery and history. You should have taken the time.” Varia replied.

“We could camp here for now. The homes seem to be mostly in tact… there are fire pits, beds even.” Maddox said, lifting the lid on a small container, peering inside. Oil, he could smell it. He picked it up and handed it over to Varia, who placed it into the bag.

“We will. We need to rest, find supplies and food. Gain our bearings and figure out which way to move.” Varia agreed, his attention now on the shelf nearby with the old books stacked neatly.

Maddox agreed, and set out by himself to find any items that could be used. He found broken weapons, taking several of them back to the home that Varia decided was best to rest in. It had a complete hearth in the center, and wood that was mostly dry. He tried his luck at fishing from the small pools, and was able to spear several small fish that did not have eyes. They had the same color patterns as the lizards, spotted, purples and greens and deep blues splashed across silver scales. Varia called them a strange name, and indicated that they were good to eat. With the fish, and several handfuls of berries and small mushrooms Varia had found, they finally settled down.

Their clothes were mostly dried by then, though Varia wore heavier gear than Maddox and he seemed downright miserable. They lit the fire with little issue, and huddled together, their heavier gear strung up nearby to dry.

Maddox pinched the fish he was cooking, peeling its crunchy skin away from the white meat. They had found a map earlier, and Varia was able to identify a specific marking on one of the tunnels that told him it lead upwards. It was comforting, very comforting.

“I am glad you know your way around the dark. I would not last here.” Maddox murmured once bellies were full and bodies were warmed by the fire. His head was tilted, cheek pressed into Varia’s wild hair. It was nice, having him so close. It was due to the chill, he knew, but he appreciated it still, and wished to stay like this for longer than he knew they probably would.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in dwarven ruins. You did not used to chase me that far.” Varia spoke, a hand outstretched towards the fire, the other tucked around Maddox’s arm.

“Aye, I would not wish to be stuck in the dark with you as an enemy. Now, I’ve been stuck with you in two caves. I fear you are cursed.” Maddox stretched bare feet closer to the fire, his lips flickering up into a smile at the sound of Varia’s snort.

“Perhaps. I do enjoy having the upper hand on you.” Varia replied, sounding much too arrogant.

“Now that I know your secret, I will simply toss you into a pool.” Maddox said with a chuckle. Varia snorted again, that odd sound Maddox knew now was a laugh.

“Why didn’t you learn to swim? They planned to send you to war. It seems like… that would be something you would be expected to do.” Maddox asked suddenly.

Varia lifted his head, frowning as he rubbed a finger across his brow. “Arcturus does not really have… water. Everything is frozen. There was no need to learn, and nowhere to learn.”

“And if you, or anyone fell overboard on your journeys across the sea?” Maddox asked, propping his elbow on his knee and his chin in his palm, watching as Varia pushed a log closer to the flames.

“When that happens, they just leave them. Why stop for one man?” Varia asked, gesturing to himself.

Maddox snorted, cocking an eyebrow at the commander. “I stopped for you. I fell off of a cliff and into a river for you. I suppose I don’t understand the… disregard for their men.”

“You did. You are not them, you are different.” Varia said, his voice lowering. “Though you still have not told me everything. What your goal is, your purpose. If it is to re-establish the Aesirs… if you are one of them. Whatever your plan is, it is likely better than what is currently happening in Arcturus.”

Maddox felt a jab of panic once more when Varia mentioned the Aesirs, his goal. Then, he felt the cold. She was pressing at his conscious, reminding him. Varia was not like the others. He needed Varia, She needed him.

“Do you truly not know?” Maddox asked softly, his eyes lifting to Varia, before turning to gaze into the fire. Varia was not ignorant. He saw many things, and was touched by Her many times. If he truly did not know, Maddox would be surprised.

Varia was quiet for a long while, allowing the silence to stretch around them for quite a while. It was comforting at first, but then drew on longer and began to swell around them. The shadows had not moved, had not reacted to any anger or fear… That was a good sign. Maddox nearly broke the silence himself, unable to sit with his own thoughts, his own anxiety and fear of being found out, of Varia denying him.

“I suppose I do know, though it all seems impossible.” Varia said finally, glancing to Maddox. “The gigantic mark on your back does make your intentions and perhaps… your lineage easy to discern.”

Maddox thought he would feel anger, an urge to silence Varia. But instead, when Varia spoke on it, though he was dancing around saying it out loud, he felt relief. A weight lifted from him, and he audibly sighed.

“I suppose it doesn’t help hide my secret.” Maddox said, amused at Varia’s, and then he looked to Varia. “You know, back on Ytthar… the ship, that wasn’t… I didn’t mean…”

Varia huffed, his gaze finally returning to Maddox. “You don’t need to explain. I know about the demon. She has come to me before.”

Maddox was relieved to hear that once more, though that admission did give him a bit of anxiety. The entire conversation did, truly. “I admit, I worried that you would not be so… accepting of this.”

“Of the demon, or of your lineage and goal?” Varia asked, and his tone suddenly was sharp. It struck Maddox, and he realized that perhaps Varia may not be as agreeable as he originally hoped.

And why should he be? Any person living in Arcturus knew the stories of the old King. The last king. A sickly man, who let his people suffer and die, for reasons he himself did not even know. The king that fell, the king that paved the way for the council and tyranny. That king, Maddox’s grandfather, abandoned Her, and destroyed Arcturus in one breath. He left Her mad, angry, weak. She was a shell of Her former power, and She simply wanted to survive.

So does Varia. All he wants is to survive, and even that is wavering.

“I would tell you my goal, if you would listen with an open mind.” Maddox said softly, and that coldness and fire in Varia’s gaze seemed to lift briefly. He wished to tell him, to share his story with someone else. Someone he chose.

Varia looked unsure, watching Maddox with a creeping sort of distrust. He could see him working through it, deciding if he trust Maddox enough to listen, to accept his words. It was exciting, the prospect of sharing with someone. Not someone who has been involved since he was young. He wondered how he would sound, what words he would use. He’d never been able to share with another before.

Varia’s gaze softened more, and he tilted his head. It was exhilarating, and frustrating, waiting for the answer. Such a simple thing for any other. Maddox never truly realized how much he wished to have someone to share his secrets with. He never realized how lonely he was, not until Varia swept into his life and changed everything.

But it was not meant to be, not this day. A rancid, foul stench suddenly overcame the both of them. Cithrel began to keen loudly from where it lay propped against the bed.

“Demons.” Maddox hissed, scrambling to his feet and snatching Cithrel. Varia rose as well, grabbing for his weapons.

She was suddenly pushing at his mind, hungry, wishing for a taste of whatever was down there. It was not powerful, not like Her or Dor’Goth, but it was still a demon. It was still dangerous, and they were very exposed.

Varia was braver than he, as always, especially against dark creatures living in tight places. He moved from the home, barefoot and only in a pair of light trousers, sword drawn and hair an absolute mess from the water. Maddox would have been amused if he wasn’t already so on edge from the entire situation, even without a demon in the mix.

Maddox joined Varia, eyes sweeping the ruins, noticing the way the shadows twitched and darkened. Then, from some of those very same shadows, a voice, fouler than the smell wafted across towards them.

“Why, the little lord has come to me once more. Perhaps our journeys fall along the same path.” A slithering, disgusting voice. Grating and deep.

A demon dragged itself from the shadows, knobby knees bent backwards, ribs pressing against skin stretched too thin. Stunted, it appeared as a steer with long, ratted fur. But it stood like a man, though a hunched and broken man. Gnarled fangs, rotted and cracked gleamed from a long face. Antlers, half broken and crumbling, seemed to shed dust with every move of the beasts head. It slid forward, crouched low, like a beaten dog, hands, humanoid except the curved claws and dark veins pulsing along them, were held before Varia, palm up.

“Sokanoth.” Varia replied beside him. Maddox turned his head quickly, eyeing Varia. He knew this demon? Perhaps this was the demon he spoke of, the one who tainted the cave elves so long ago.

“Little lord, Varia, the mighty Demon of Arcturus. I humbly cast myself at your feet. My knowledge, my power is yours.” The demon rasped to Varia, bowing deeply, pressing his head to the ground between the others feet, palms lifting higher.

He could feel himself bristling, and felt, heard Her snarl in his mind at seeing a demon bow to Varia and not to Her.

He is no king.

Her voice echoed in his mind, half mad with jealousy, anger. She was hungry, She would continue this path of violence, of possessiveness until he was able to give Her something, anything. He was losing her, and She would soon fade like the others of Her kind.

Still, he looked upon Varia, seeing how he gazed down his nose at the demon bowing to him, and he thought that for a moment, he did look like a king.