Underground

Nanta and the rest of his small band of soldiers had been traveling for about eleven days now and had just come across the river. On the other side of the river would be a journey of about five or six days to the next town where they could rest. The four of them set up camp along the bank of the wide river and were sitting on logs and roasting deer over a fire. Nanta had taken off his leather armor for a more relaxed fit and now sat by himself at the edge of the river by himself. The trees stood tall and were blooming at their full potential. Their shadows were long and draped across the land and seemed to inch even longer as the sun eventually met with the horizon. It was getting dark and the orange hue of the sky was reflecting itself against the rippling currents of the river before him. He dabbed his feet in the water and picked up the orange and red leaves from the ground to tear them up with his hands. A smiled dazed his face and the world was peaceful. "Such a wonderful sunset..." His gaze shifted to the mountains to the North-West and he noted how they made a shallow gap before rising to peaks that acted as a barrier between lands.

The week before he was told to guide these men through the gap in the mountains to deliver a message to the High Elf King as a act of peace. Rising of demons in the South were a large problem of the current era and if the King would agree, reinforcements would be widely accepted through the Provence of Talera. I suppose I should check on the horses. I'm certain that Blithe isn't too happy due to the extensive travel. He thought to himself. With this in mind he stood from the fallen log he was perched on and made his way to the muscled mountain horse known as Blithe. He was a wide eyed horse with a passion that seemed to exceed the most courageous man. Nanta found the horse as a small child roaming around the field near his village. It was curious to him because the horse was a breed only found in the short hills of the mountains and he was miles away from any other herds. So he tamed it and raised it to the mighty steed he is today. He smiled as he patted the horse and it calmed down.

The thick bristles of fur were coarse against the palm of his hand and every time he patted the brown blotched horse a cloud of dirt arose from the deep corners of his hide. Nanta let out a cough and retreated to wave his hand about to make the cloud of dust dissipate from the air. "By the Gods' Blithe, you need a bath my friend!" He chuckled as the horse gave him an annoyed mumble.

Walking amongst the woods, walking slowly with caution, Kenton eyed the forest for any wondering spirits. He enjoyed the time he had alone, away from everyone because where there is life, death lurks near behind. He let out a long, gaping sigh. He tugged the straps to his pack tightly around his shoulders as he walked. Leaves and fallen branches crunched under his boots. These were the only sounds that broke the silence of this desolate forest. As he strolled through the empty woods, he heard the noise of civilization, or rather departed civilization. As he walked, he arched his movement away from the sounds as he now knelt down, walking on crouched legs. He tried to make as little noise as he could. Weather it be live or dead, he would rather not attract any attention. People had become very aware of his eyes, always assuming that he was some sort of evil demon that only wished to kill them or harm them. It was quite the opposite. If he were to kill anyone or thing, he would only be harming himself. He hated seeing his curse in full force, especially if he were the cause.

As he approached, he hid behind a tree, trying to hide himself from the civilization. He glanced around the tree and saw a fire and tents and people. He let out a large sigh of relief but knew he wasn't out of hot water quite yet. He walked in the opposite direction, keeping his back away from the people. He hoped dearly they had not not sensed him or spotted him. For if they did, he would only have trouble.

Eventually Nanta became tired so he walked back to the four tents that were set up for his small group of men. First he had to get someone to keep watch for the next for hours and once that deed was done he brushed aside the leathery flap to the entrance of his temporary brown tent that sat a few feet away from the other tents. He liked he space so he often kept to himself, even though he was in a leadership position at the moment. Once inside he pulled up a steel trimmed lantern from the corner of his tent and hung it from the support wood at the top with a piece of leather. He then pulled a peace of rock that had a coal like mineral in it and set it in the center of the lantern. The mineral was special and mined in the mountains. It would burn for a long time and when you wanted to put it out you just dipped it in water.

With his small tent lit, he pulled out a wrinkled map etched into the back of cow hide. It took him a few minutes to study the map and then decide a good path for the morning. At first he though it would be best to cross the river and venture to the village about five days away on the other side. Although he then thought they would save more time just following the river strait up through the gap in the mountain range and venture forth to the Elven City nestled in the fork of the river that laid about a weeks long journey from their current position; given a few more days than just a week. With a plan in mind he rolled up the map and placed it back in his pack. He doused the Brightstone with water and then lay his head on a soft bag filled with goose feathers. He soon fell into the dark embrace of his dreams which were soon filled with vivid visions of his soul.

Kenton let out a large sigh of relief as he realized that he had escaped. He rerouted himself so that he was following the river. When the sky became orange with the dusk setting in, he stopped to make a small shelter with a few fallen trees that were light enough for him to carry. He started a fire and relaxed on a cot he was carrying in his pack. He sat his pack down beside him, keeping a knife safely hidden under his pillow as he slowly drifted off to sleep. For once, his dreams were filled with peace. He finally felt good for once.

Nanta awoke as a few rays of sunlight brushed against his skin. The warmth comforted him and he stretched with a yawn as he prepared for the coming journey of the day. He quickly packed everything stored within the tent with his pack and then rolled up the tent itself as a roll of leather that was fastened to the bottom of his pack with rope. After this he climbed onto Blithe and waited for the few remaining soldiers to follow in his lead.

They seemed to travel in a similar pattern as before and made camp every night to rest before carrying on the next morning. It had been eight days since they camped at the bank of the river when he decided to head strait for the Elven city between the river's fork. Occasionally he would see some large deer about eleven feet tall from hoof to the peak of it's antlers. These deer were indigenous to the mountains here and he now knew he was entered the Elven territories. Many of his men were startled by these strange beasts and he assured them they were harmless, although he wasn't quite sure of this himself. It seemed they meant them no harm due to their skittish behavior but he was motivated to make it through the pass in the mountains. He was aware that more large beasts were native to the mountains but not as friendly as the giant deer. Stories were told to him and other soldiers about giant wolves and bears. Some even said that evil creatures similar to that of the Skuldak Desert even roamed the wilds of the Elven Forest. He was reluctant to believe such stories but the curiosities would always remain in the back of his mind.

At noon of one day one of his men swore he saw an elf and chased after it. (This is you) Nanta tried to calm him down but it was to no avail. One of the men chased after the odd being on horseback but were still outdone. Eventually they though they had lost them and wound up at a unique pile of ruble. Nanta stepped from Blithe and walked to the weathered stone structure. Large pillars stood with no ceiling and were decorated with intense carvings that flowed like images. They were curious marks but seemed like ordinary stone work for the Elvish people. His interest peaked when he came across a door. It was double paned constructed from metal and decorated with the similar lines and shapes as the pillars and crumbling walls that slanted around it. He brushed the tips of his fingers over the lines when he was suddenly interrupted by one of his men. "What is this place Captain?" Nanta shook his head and pondered his recollection of the map, "I am not sure to be honest...this was not on the map and we are miles from the river. I wonder if the Elves even know it is here..."

When he woke the next morning, he had doused his fire and tried his best to remove any trace that he was there in the first place. He destroyed his shelter and followed the river to a fork. When he came to the fork, he started noticing more and more souls lost amongst the river. They never pursued him but they gave him chills with their ten mile stares. After a few days of traveling and being watched, he gave up and moved away from the path of the river. Eventually, the soldiers he had encountered a week ago caught sight of him and he was forced to run. Beings how he was so used to running from departed souls and spirits, a few humans on horse back was no challenge for him. He led them away from him by throwing many stones in one direction while he ran in the other. Also, he had purposely ran in many different paths as to lure them away from his direction.

Eventually, he came to a structure. It was a structure he had never seen before. He removed his map from his pack to check to see if the structure was on it. he searched for an hour, carefully examining every inch of where he was, trying to discover building some where. Despite his best efforts, his searched came up to no avail. He found the door and decided that he was worn from his travels and ventured in. Upon entering, he found only darkness. This warmed him a small amount for if he could not see the souls and spirits, there would be no reason for them to think he could acknowledge them. A few meters away, he set up camp, lighting a fire and laid out his cot. He cooked some meat he had brought with him and ate it. Afterwards, he doused the flame and slept on the cot. His dreams returned to the dark, tormenting night terrors from before.

Nanta led the group through the metal doors and into the ruins. They wondered for perhaps an hour and then came across the sleeping person. Two of the five men drew there swords and even as Nanta preferred to be passive he gripped his pommel and prepared to slay the man if need be. He nudged him with the tip of his leather boot. "Hail! Wake up!" He eyed the ears and noticed they were rounded instead of pointed which instantly indicated the species but actually rose for more questions. He was slightly relieved he hadn't been chasing an elf but still, there was a new concern. With another nudge he caught a glimpse the eyes that saw death and grimaced at the sight.

"What in Talera is that!?" Screamed one of the other soldiers. Nanta retreated a few feat and made sure none of his men made a move. "This is odd...What race are you? I have before seen a creature with eyes like that. Maybe a demon but never a humanoid such as yourself. So I shall ask again, what in blazes are you?" His expression grew a bit more intense as he gained the will for fight but remained passive either way.

When awoken in the manner he was, he instantly drew his dagger he had hidden under his cot, knocking the blades away from him. "If you are here to kill me, take your vengeance for whatever you believe i have done. I am human but then I won't try and force that assumption on any man woman or child. " With this being said, he kept his eyes switching from each soldier, waiting for them to make a move. He would not kill them, even if that is what they thought his intentions were. He breathed heavily, fearing his eminent doom. "Again I say, I am human but I will keep my secrets if you please."

The soldiers conversed between each other, several of them wanted to kill him where he stood but Nanta spoke above the rest, "His eyes may be dark but their intentions are pure...Sheath your weapons but do not rest at ease. We can't entirely trust him." He kept his hand on the pommel of his blade but otherwise seemed less tense. "Forgive us for the rude intrusion. The lore in our country is fairly un-tollorant of other races thus why we chased you with the assumption of you being an elf. And the eyes...they remind us of demons from the South." He told three of the four men to go back out of the ruins and watch the horses and other supplies they left behind. They last soldier that was supposed to stay with Nanta continued to complain about the surroundings so he eventually sent him out as well.

The strange man walked around the dark crumbling ruins and stared at them. Eventually he set down his pack to retrieve and light his lantern with the brightstone. He stood back up with the lantern hanging from his grasp. The rocks were much brighter and he could see the destruction as well as the beauty of the sculpting. "I will give the Elves one thing...they sure know how to craft. No human could do something this complex." He rubbed a hand over his roughly shaved chin and thought a bit. "So tempting...The urge to just delve into the depths of this place..." He took a few feet forward to get a better look when the ruins started to shake frantically. Standing on edge for a few seconds allowed him to grasp the danger that was now in hand. "It's collapsing!" Without hesitation he grabbed the dark eyed male and pulled him from where he stood while jumping himself just as a large pillar fell from the wall to their side and crumbled into large boulders. Each was about four feet in diameter; the weight would kill anyone unfortunate enough to be under one when it fell.

Quickly he rushed from the entrance as the rest caved in, blocking them from leaving. He stood several feet away from the debris with shock and calmed himself down to examine the wall of crushed rock. "We won't get out that way..." He turned to look down the endless tunnel which seemed to only get deeper. "We have to go down then...?"

He did not like to be handled as if he were a sack of flour but he did in fact enjoy not dyeing which did come in handy. He gave a grimacing glance to his savior and said "Thank you I suppose. Why save me though? There is no reason for it nor is there any meaning for you to even care for anything I have done. You do not know me there for a life is useless. So why save me?" He noticed he had actually become slightly irritated and he wasn't entirely sure why. He sighed, feeling that he should be nicer to the man who had just saved his life. "Sorry. I don't really like people and that goes for all races, species and other wise." He began walking down the hallway, feeling a bit safer being away from the rest of the soldiers. "Down we go."

"Why would I save you?" The question seemed to hit him in the back of the head like a horse hove but he never really thought about it until now. "I saved you because it is the right thing to do. When someone is in danger of death, the question should be not to save him or her but how." He nodded with acceptance of his statement and continued down the long steep journey. It was hours and hours on end with nothing. The only difference is that the farther they went, the less roots they could see growing through cracks in the ceiling and the walls themselves seemed less dirty and worn. He also noted that large openings were in the side from place to place which would be a good spot to camp.

When he finally got tired, he set up two pallets with the supplies for his tent and chopped some roots from the ceiling with his sword. It took him a long while to ignite the roots but when he did the warmth was welcome. "So, what is your name and what brings you to the Elvish part of the world?"

He seemed to keep a cold demeanor through out the trip. When they stopped, he sighed, still being tired from being woken from his slumber earlier. When he was asked the questions, he answered, "I am Kenton, Kenton Devileyes or that is what the villagers in my home town call me." His voice seemed to trail off into a almost sad tone then he said, "And as for why I am here, I could have been anywhere but the souls and spirits seemed to lessen in this area. This is why I am here. " He didn't wanted to reveal quite what or who he was just yet so he chose to be vague. He relaxed on his cot and sighed again. "And what would yours be?"

Noticing that he was reluctantly forthcoming about his past he was sure to avoid directly asking for fear of offending the man. Then he spoke, "Good to meet you, DevilEyes may be a little harsh but the name does suit your appearance. My name is Nanta Horseman. Given to me by the villagers in the town I once worked. I was a Stable Master and many would come to buy my horses. None were finer. Then I got drafted into this damn war because of the surplus of demons..." He seemed to punch the ground with anger when the demons were mentioned and his expression became much more fierce. "Someone needs to close those blasted gates once and for all! I'd do it myself if I knew how..." He sighed and seeing as rest was now the answer to the day he took of his weapon and armor placing it in a nice pile next to them. He was sure to keep his blade close at hand just in case.

As he relaxed, he slipped his dagger under his cot and let the troubles of the day melt away. "Harsh yes, but then the world is harsh to those who are different. " He allowed sadness to take over a small part as he slowly closed his eyes, shoving his hands behind his head, as to comfort his neck. "My eyes are a product of my life. Or maybe my parents' life. Who knows. Either way, I can see the dead and the dead can definitely see me. Which is why I went this way and well," he paused, thinking of all those sad eyes staring at him. "...I have grown used to it all."

"That is an interesting story. I have never heard of such a thing on all Talera." He pondered the words of the dark eyed man and eventually put it out of mind as to rest. Without any indication he eventually fell asleep; weary from the past few days.

When he awoke, it was pitch black and he had trouble finding his lantern and Brightstone. Once he did find them he lit it and packed up his gear as he did before. It was still a long journey ahead of them and he feared they might never get out. Determination prevailed so they continued on. They went down the slope for several days, resting each time they got too tired to continue. It was a long journey of the current day and as every night were preparing to rest. Nanta set up his space to sleep and sat facing a wall as he thought about their long travel into the earth. It was an odd concept for him and he was curious of why the Elves or any species for that matter would build a tunnel so deep and so long that it would take a week to travel without still reaching the bottom. "What creatures must lurk the depths of the earth as we are now..."

During their time together, he had become comfortable with this man. So much so that he let himself become almost nice in a sense. He allowed a smile as he said "Remember, what ever the creature responsible for this tunnels may have feelings as well. Or it may be a truly evil demon willing to hunt only in darkness. Either interesting concept, wouldn't you say?" Kenton smiled again, letting the thought drift through his mind. "Who knows? Maybe it is a race of dragons who enjoy the earth than the sky." He let out a chuckle and thought that it felt odd to laugh. He had barely laughed in the past and usually it was because of some of the things people had said about him. This time, he generally thought it was funny.

He let out a chuckle as well and especially found the concept of dragons living underground to be humorous. (Lol, the irony)When Nanta was about to pull some food from his bag he became aware of a frightening presence that was wrought by the sound of a thread be tugged. Another sound quickly shifted in his ears that reminded him of animals growling. He reluctantly turned to see that a group of elvish that had at least seven men with them. Each one was aiming a well crafted bow that was decorated with wood as well as metal. They all had magnificent blades that were trimmed with gold and silver and seemed to have a natural steel to them as well. They wore fine tunics that draped their bodies and acted as a padding for the silvery sheen of the armor they wore over them. Each set of armor was different and some had a gold sheen instead of silver. They had furs and cloth hanging from certain areas as to complement the appearance and most had helmets that matched the full suit but the ones without helmets struck him. They were more beautiful than any man or woman he had ever encountered. Their faces were long and well rounded. The ears were tipped at the end and stretched about three inches back. They all had long hair that was either silver or a bright golden color that made him think of rays of the sun threaded into a strand.

His eyes suddenly burned when a few of them lifted their hands and released a small ball of flame that illuminated the area much more than his brightstone. Each flame was a different shade and had sparks and other particles falling off. Their magic amused him and even more so were the multiple animals around them. He saw two wolves, a tiger, and a bear. They each seemed ferocious and periodically had fits of unique flames that patched over small sections of their hide before vanishing.

One of the elves took a few steps closer to them without flinching his arm that held the arrow in place on his bow. He suddenly spoke in the language of humans but it seemed a bit off, as if he had not spoken it in a long time. "Men...What have you to do down here in the sub surface?" His voice rang like the bells of a church back where he was a Stable Master and otherwise threw him off guard. When he regained common sense he carefully replied. "I was leading some men to the Elvish capital when we wondered across this cave. We needed to come in for specific reasons and when I sent my men back out the roof collapsed and sealed us in. Thus why we are here now."

The elf that had spoken first glanced to the side as a few others spoke in their native language. It was a soft voice and seemed magical in some ways. Nanta listened to them without understanding but enjoyed it ether way. When they were done they withdrew their arrows and placed them back in the quiver strapped to the backs of their chest plates. "We take you to see Elder of our people. You come?" Nanta nodded in reply with a few other pleasantries before following him for what seemed like miles down the hall. And then came the most amazing sight that he had ever been pleasured to see.

At the base of the tunnel it opened up into an expansive cavern where miles above large stalagmites hung and some of the long rocks were carved into the well decorated stone pillars that stood miles tall. The imense size amazed him and on ground level were carved homes trimmed with gold and silver. Each had windows and he even saw waterfalls flowing from the high reaches of the cavern that flowed into rivers that were carved in the stone. The two were lead over a stone bridge with short rails with silver poles and gold rims. This is when he noticed that even the ground was carved to appear as tiles each two feet wide and trimmed with gold. The grasp of it was amazing and as the buildings crept together he began to see that some elves were about doing various activities such as smiting a blade or sewing a tunic. When he eyed the smith he gave him a returning glance before returning to his steed. Each pound of the hammer sent sparks until he was satisfied with the shape and placed into a long stone box filled with water. Steam filled the area and he lost the visual. Next he turned his head and gazed up at a looming tower with several different chapters and windows. It was amazing, immensly amazing and he almost coulden't grasp the full concept of their being a city this large underground. It must have spread for miles on miles and there were other tunnels that he assumed lead to other places that must have been similar. "By all the tales told in Talera...I never heard of something like this..."

Some of the Elves seemed to smile at his words and then continued.

During the entire encounter, he remained silent. He felt lucky enough if they didn't say anything about his eyes and hair. He wasn't about to open his mouth and speak. People always seemed more on edge when he spoke to them. He was sure that it was because nothing he had to say was even close to be considered happy. Either way, he chose to quiet himself. During the trip, he remained unamused by the delicate carvings and stone work. He almost smiled when he saw the cave open up and saw the city. That smile quickly faded from his lips when he noticed someone fall down, dropping their clay pot and shattering it on the ground. The woman's arms and hands were cut by the shards of hardened clay that she fell onto. This sight made Kenton grimace for he new that without proper treatment, those cuts would fester over and become infected with germs that he was sure lurked inside these tunnels. He turned his gave away from the sight and looked down. "So where do we go from here, our humble guide?" His tone would have come off very mockingly.

The Elves seemed to ignore his comment and when Nanta repeated it they told simply pointed to a large structure int he center of the large cavern. It was gorgeous and unlike most of the other buildings was carved from marble and trimmed with various patterns of gold and silver. It made him curious of how long it must have taken to build such a monument but he had no time to ask as the Elvish lead them inside. They went through several winding staircases and the interior of the building was much more advanced than how it appeared on the inside. It had rooms and cages that were lined with gold.

Once at the top they went through a archway that lead to a room with a large stone desk in the center and a man sat on a marble throne decorated with animal hides and other materials as to make it more comfortable. The Elf sitting on the throne was very young and appeared as the other Elves did if not just slightly different. He wore a gold crown on his head encrusted with jewels that were cut to perfection. Around his torso he wore a magnificent tunic that seemed as if it were sewn out of pure silver. The elf greeted them and spoke to the other elves in their native language. The elves left and then the king spoke, "Please take a seat." Nanta looked at a stone chair similar to the kings throne but not nearly as dynamic. He sat without asking any questions and looked to Kenton, hoping he would do the same.

He, once again, remained silent. He had noticed that no one seemed to take heed to him so he decided to say nothing for the remainder of their little adventure. He sat in a chair, saying nothing, and let his eyes gleam towards the king. He always took pleasure in making people who disliked his company unhinged. As he sat there, he wondered where all of the spirits were. He finally decided to ask "Does no one die in your city?" He understood that it was odd question but it was the easiest way to ask the question for him.

The elf tapped his fingers against the marble desk before him and seemed to ponder his question, "Very rarely do people die here. We are an ancient race, even for elves. We live longer than most Elves and if we do die it is either intentional or of old age." He glanced at the boys eyes and seemed to gaze at them with a curious expression, "I assume you were cursed at some point?" Nanta blinked wondering how it was possible anyone could assume something like that. The more he experienced of the Elves the more he realized how advanced their race was.

He was taken back by by the king's words. He was astonished that anyone knew what had happened to him. He had heard stories of how it happened. "I presume it was before I was born. I suppose the stories of my birth are true. Either way, there are no spirits or lost souls here. Where have they gone?" When coming in, he hadn't seen so much as an elderly spirit who had died of old age. It shocked him. He had never seen a place that so free of souls as this city. "There aren't any souls anywhere....Why?"

The Elf gave a curious gaze and then began to explain. "You see, when someone's physical body dies, their soul remains in eternity. Most of the souls go forth to The Valley of Death. Other claim that this stage is called Purgatory but essentially it is where souls of the dead wait to ascend or descend to Heaven or Hell." He stood up and grabbed a staff that was hidden on the side of the desk. Walking past them with the staff clicking against the stone floor he asked them to follow him.

They seemed to walk for at least an hour before coming across a much older part of the city but the construction was just as dynamic as the rest if not superior. The stone was cool and lacked the fine trimmings of gold and silver and had an ancient tone to it. The old Elf lead them through vast pillars that stood as tall as the rest and at the back was a long wall carved with intrinsic patterns and seemed to tell a story through pictures. He began to describe several things that seemed confusing but Nanta listened either way.

As for Kenton, he never seemed to pay attention. He kept searching for even the slightest of souls. He still hadn't seen one. He wondered if souls were instantly transported to the afterlife after they died here. He wanted to further question the king but decided it was unwise to pester someone about death too much. He found the city wonderful and interesting. He examined everything as they walked past, seeing the carvings, the way people interacted with each other, the strange style of clothes, the strange beauty and vanity of the creatures before him. He had never met an elf but then he hadn't ever met any other race other than human until today.

Nanta drifted off from what the king was saying and began to eye the wall. Quickly the drawings became more vivid in his eyes and seemed to tell a story. He watched the plot unfold before his eyes and smiled at the immense power of their underground world. Then something pondered his thoughts. Turning to the king he waited for the appropriate time and then asked, "I noticed a few odd things when we came here..."

"And what would those be?" Asked the king.

"When the Elves found us, I saw animals with them and patches of flame spouting from their fur. What was that? What are they? And the orbs of fire that they put in the air...what sort of magic is it?" He crossed his arms, very curious now. The culture of these people was truly feeding his appetite for adventure.

The old elf then explained the power of aura as well as the general acceptance of Were-Children by the Elves. Just the concept of Were-Children being accepted in society was flabbergasting but he listened either way. He also seemed to realize that the shape shifting creatures were quite noble and not made out to be evil as his culture had made him believe. Nanta was seeing the world through a completely different view now.