As night fell, activity overtook the small city nestled into the ravine. People rushed out of their homes and buildings to put out every fire they saw, and douse whatever remnants smouldered from earlier fires. A large, dark fabric was pulled taught across the entrance of the ravine and tied off to tree roots that poked out of either side. The light was snuffed out, and darkness was welcome into their home.
And then, the city died down. People returned to their homes — or temporary abodes, however the little town worked and all that Zoe heard was a quiet chattering of people echoing through the dark ravine. In a way, it was almost peaceful. The solidarity she felt from being stuck in a place together with so many others helped fend off the gnawing reality of the shadows that ruled the night. They were all in it together, desperate for the light of day to release them from their prison.
A surprising number of people seemed to not mind the darkness, walking along the rickety wooden bridges as though they were lit with spotlights showing the way. Each step as confident as the last to Zoe’s ears as they tapped on the wooden planks.
Guards, maybe? Did they have some skill or class effect like Zoe had, to see through the darkness? Or maybe an enchantment that let them perceive the world around them without their eyes? Would that be something that was more common down in the valleys, brought about by the necessity of surviving the brutal nights?
Zoe spent the night sitting in her room listening to the quiet activity that filled the ravine. People whispering to each other in nearby rooms or walking along the creaky bridges. The tapping of shoes on stone as somebody somewhere seemed to be dancing. Would they know of anything different? Would they be able to understand not being afraid of the night? Just going out for a midnight walk with a torch in hand to push back the dim moonlight without fear of the devils that lurked within it?
Her mind raced with fantasies the people who lived down here might have. What the cliffs that surrounded their valley meant to them, what the sun might be. Had somebody escaped and returned with word of a brighter life, only to be scorned for making up tall tales?
It all fascinated Zoe, and the night passed before she knew it. The ravine exploded with activity once more when day came, as people removed the covering from the top of the ravine and lit all the torches that hung from the walls and bridges. The flickering flames cast long, shifting shadows along the ravine’s walls but without the dead of night to empower them the remained just that. Shadows.
Zoe left her room after changing her clothes to a pair of rugged black pants and an off white wool shirt, and wandered through the ravine. Which didn’t take too long considering how small it was compared to a normal city. She climbed up and down the ladders and walked along the maze of bridges, wondering if there was any organization to the place. Did somebody have a map of the ravine? A layout, showing where everything was?
Or did it work more like Gafoda, where a map would only be up to date for a few days before things changed so much that the map made no sense. She walked by dozens of shops and restaurants, though most of the buildings set into the walls seemed to be homes, and she tried to avoid peering into them too much as she wandered around.
The shops all tended to be related to different methods of keeping oneself alive. Armour and weapons, potions and salves. She made a note to check them out someday, see if they had any interesting enchantments that could help her out. There were no inns, no hotels, no places that sold a room to stay. She expected as much from the brief meeting with the young man the previous night but it was something else to see it in person.
Most of the tunnels that poked into the ravine’s walls were filled with rooms much like the one that Zoe had stayed in. Simple, dark boxes and if you were lucky, you might find a worn blanket or a rotting chair.
The people who lived in the ravine were interesting in their own way too, Zoe found. None of them were below level one hundred and most were even above one fifty, with not a child to be seen. Maybe they kept their kids in rooms, away from the general populace? Or maybe nobody was having kids in such a rough environment, but then where would the several hundred people she could see have come from? They couldn’t all have wandered in from the peaks — falling from that height would mean death for most, and if they could climb it then Zoe would have heard of the valley years prior.
She shrugged the thought aside as she walked into a raucous restaurant nearby. Laughter and music tickling her ears from beyond the wooden door. Inside was a tavern — or a pub? Bar? Was it still a tavern if they didn’t have lodging? Roughshod wooden tables and matching chairs were staggered throughout without rhyme or reason with a messy kitchen nestled into the far corner separated only by waist high wooden bar failing to hold back the excited patrons.
There was no stage inside as Zoe expected from the music, but rather several people playing instruments throughout, and the rest of the patrons singing along to a joyful tune about conquering the darkness and letting it build them tougher and stronger for the next gray sky.
Zoe sat down at a table that looked free and watched over everybody for a while. The singing and music continued for a while, and she found herself tapping her foot along to the beat. People entered and grabbed some food from the kitchen and left an assortment of objects behind when they finished.
Gems, mostly. Red and blue gems made up the majority of what was left behind, though Zoe noticed several pale white gems and even some glistening yellow ones. None much larger than a finger nail, but as the time passed the pile of gems at the counter continued to grow.
Others left more strange items behind. Weapons and armours, shoes and one person even left behind a chair when they got their meal. Was that the currency here, Zoe wondered? Get some food, pay whatever you feel equals the food? The precious gems seemed to be the most standard for currency, but they didn’t seem to be the only accepted thing. Nobody batted an eye when somebody dropped their shoes at the counter, or dragged in a chair.
Zoe got up and walked to the counter where several others were leaning over calling out their orders to the three women who were working the kitchen.
“Meat!" One man yelled out.
“Gimme some meat!” Another shouted.
One of the women in the kitchen turned around and waved her spatula at the group. “You’ll get what you get, and you’ll be happy about it. Just shut the hell up about it.” She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the stove she was working at.
Zoe chuckled as she saw a distinct lack of meat anywhere in the kitchen. Was she supposed to just wait here to be served? Take the dish before anybody else grabbed it? She should have paid more attention when others walked up, but thought nothing of the process behind actually getting the food before.
An older man leaning on the bar next to her chuckled along with her. “They’re gonna be disappointed.”
“No meat?" Zoe asked.
The man nodded. “Never seen you before, you new here?”
“Yeah, just got in last night before dark.” Zoe said.
“What brings you here? The hydra bounty?” He asked.
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A woman from the other side of Zoe laughed. “That bounty’s old news now, old man. Didn’t you hear?”
“Oh? Did somebody finally get the beast?" The man asked.
Zoe smiled, hoping her nerves didn’t show on her face.
“Sure did. James’ party just got in last night and claimed the bounty. Said they ran into something even worse, though.” The woman said.
“Worse?” Zoe asked. “I hadn’t heard of the hydra bounty before, what’s that about?"
“You didn’t know about the hydra bounty? My gosh, have you been living under a rock?” The woman asked, a shocked expression on her face.
Zoe thought to how she’d been living for the past few nights and laughed. “Yeah, I guess. We all are though, aren’t we?"
The man laughed and smacked Zoe on the back hard enough to sting a bit. “True that.”
“Apparently they ran into some masked creature on their hunt. Healed them up real good but took out the hydra in a flash and then vanished. Humanoid apparently. Scary stuff that.” The woman said.
“If it’s true. Could’ve just been some wanderer.” The man said.
“Could’ve,” the woman shrugged. “But they liked the hydra. Kept us pit dwellers in line.” She spat.
One of the women working in the kitchen brought up a platter full of charred vegetables and set it down on the bar. “Order’s up!” She called out.
People rushed in, grabbing food off the platter and placing it on plates they pulled out of their pockets and bags, then leaving behind whatever they felt was enough for payment. A lot more colourful gems, but one person left their bag.
“You two don’t wanna eat?" She asked the two who had been talking over her, neither of which made a move for the food.
The woman shook her head. “They’ll serve us soon, I’m in no rush.”
The man shrugged. “So what brings you here, if not the hydra bounty then? We don’t get many travellers."
“Nothing really, just thought I’d come visit. I’ve never been here before so it’s been interesting.” Zoe answered.
The man squinted at her, curiosity and fear welling up inside him. “Are you a wanderer?"
The woman on the other side of Zoe laughed. “She’s barely past a hundred, are you insane?”
The man nodded. “Right. Right, I’m sorry. Just nerves.”
“It’s okay, I’m not offended.” Zoe said. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but none seemed like they would be wise. What was a wanderer? Why were they scary? How did people pay? What was with all of the gems? But any question she asked would just make her seem like an outsider, which very quickly started seeming like a bad thing to be here.
“You come alone?” The woman asked.
Zoe nodded. “Yeah. Any jobs here do you know? I’d like to help out with stuff if I could.”
“What are you good at?” The man asked.
“Well I can heal, and I’ve got a bit of magic. Frost and water, mostly. But I can do a little earth molding in a pinch too.” Zoe said, deciding to keep her abilities a little different from when she met James’ party.
“Ahh, that makes sense. I was wondering how you managed to get here all on your own at that level. But you’re a healer. Rare sight, that.” The man said. “If you’re interested in going back out there, I’m sure most groups would welcome a healer on their hunts.”
“Where would I find that?” Zoe asked.
“At the bottom, far side.” The woman answered.
“Thanks, I’ll go check it out then.” Zoe said and turned to leave.
“Good luck!” The man called out.
“You think she’s got much on her? I saw those bracelets.” The woman whispered to the man when she seemed to think Zoe was out of earshot.
Zoe chuckled to herself as she hopped down the wooden platforms to the rocky floor of the ravine. On one end was a wide cavern that opened up, full of desks and several groups of people pointing at different papers on them.
She walked inside and looked around. It was bright inside, fires flickering along the walls and in standing torches littered near each desk. Along the entire back wall were papers hanging from strings attached to thick metal posts that jutted out from the wall. Even more groups were up against the wall ruffling through the papers, talking about which jobs seemed good and which weren’t worth the risk.
To Zoe’s left as she entered was a long desk with a thick metal grate separating the area Zoe was in, and the area a few workers were in just behind. Two groups were there, talking with the workers about a job they did and arguing about the number of gems they deserved for their work.
To Zoe’s right, far in the back corner and looking through some of the papers hanging on the wall was a group Zoe hoped she wouldn’t run into. James, Lilith, Patty and the wooden fellow she was never introduced to argued quietly about which job they should take, and James in particular seemed wary of taking any job.
She turned her attention away from them and to the rest of the groups spread throughout the room. How was she supposed to join one of them? Make a big sign advertising herself as a healer? Walk up to each of them and ask if they needed a healer?
Maybe she could walk up to the desk and ask one of the workers if anybody needed a healer? That seemed the most logical to her, and she wandered over to the front desk to where a free worker waved her over.
“Yo, sup?" The worker said.
“Uh.” Zoe stuttered, not sure how to respond. “I’m a healer, and I’m looking to join a group? Do you know any who would be interested?”
The worker smiled, and a moment later a person appeared next to Zoe with a big smile on their face. Their pale gray hair drifted across their face as space twisted around them. Level two hundred three dark blue mage. “I’m Brick. You’re a healer?”
“Um. Yes?” Zoe answered.
“You can join us. We need a healer.” Brick said.
“Oh. Uh, I’d like to meet you all first and know what you’re doing at least but, sure why not I guess?” Zoe said.
“Great!” Brick said and mana surged from them as Zoe’s surroundings shifted back to near the center of the room where she was suddenly sitting in a chair at a desk, surrounded by a group of three other people, including Brick.
“This is us, and we’re hunting a dragon.” Brick smiled. “Wanna come?"