CHAPTER 43
Cici pulled Kopius out of the crevasse, and the two men took in the sweet, sweet feeling of open spaces. The good times kept rolling as they looked about their surroundings. To their right were the tall hoodoos of Escher Pass; to their left were sky high cliffs with a stone village carved straight into it.
The cliff dwellings, reaching as tall as four stories, looked to be pulled right out of the history books. Not that he had ever been, but there were a countless number of these on Earth, each artistically different. This one looked like it was both finished and abandoned on the same day. Most of the structures were erected, while about a quarter of the dwellings had wooden scaffolding in various stages of stability.
“It goes further back,” Cici mentioned, seeing that it had caught his traveling companion’s eye. Cici pointed to an area just off center. ”Just through there.”
“What is it?” Kopius asked as he continued to gaze about the impressive architecture.
“People call it the Kickshaw Project. They say it was a petty man’s attempt at revenge,” Cici said with a huff. “One of the founders of Cawbachu claims he was swindled from his share of the town. Built this to divert the travelers’ business as they made their way through the pass. This was before the Tessel went ill, mind you.”
“Nobody lives here? Not even the local Thieves Guild?”
“I am sure they have tried. Skinwalkers and ghost stories have made this place a bit inhospitable. Sunlight is minimal and with the Tessel as it were, no water supply. At least, nothing close. It was a nice idea until it wasn’t. Want to have a look?”
Kopius had to look back to see if Cici was serious, and when it looked like he was, responded, ”Yeah, let's check it out.”
“Might even suit us to get inside one of those for the night,” Cici said, pointing up towards the top floors. “Seeing as Cawbachu is not even a half-day walk from here.”
The news that they were close to their destination gave Kopius a mixed bag of emotions. He was closer to getting the items he needed but also closer to people—human or otherwise. He had been called ‘’friend’’ enough back in Feral Crossing that he was not looking forward to more of the same.
The fact that his interface hadn’t fixed itself when he reached level 10 was another source of massive disappointment. Yet with the prospect of amenities that may include, but not be limited to, hot water and a pillow, Kopius’s mood remained lifted.
They walked down the off-center path wide enough for two buses to drive through. The tall archway came to an end at a well-lit courtyard flush with stone tables and seating. In the center looked to be the beginning of an elaborate fountain. Beams of sunlight lit up the place, and Kopius admitted to himself that with a little water and a lot of plants for greenery, the place would be livable. Cici approached the empty fountain and shook his head. As Kopius followed along, he watched the big man pull a coin from his person and place it next to another inside the fountain.
“This is my way of checking if anybody has come through this way,” Cici said over his shoulder as he stood up. “I place one each time through.” Six coins sat in plain view for anyone to see if they were close to the dry fountain bed.
“When did you put the first one down?”
“Many cycles ago. I don’t come by this way often.”
There was a pause in the discussion as Kopius began to wander around. The open space looked like it could have been an exclusive country club if the place was cleaned and decorated. The balcony had a fantastic view of high, arching cliffs and the hustle and bustle that could have been below. Two tunnels veered off, smaller than the one they had walked down but still a decent size. They both ended in darkness, the light only reaching so far.
“What are down these?”
“Oh, a collection of businesses and whatnot. Shops and boutiques, that sort of thing. Some even had signs up, like here.” Cici walked over and pointed to a dusty sign with red and black writing. It took a moment, but Kopius was able to read the words written in Common: Afton’s Apothecary. Below the words was a symbol of three vertical lines with a V superimposed on top of it. Cici pointed at another further down, and the two went to look.
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More store fronts lined the tunnel like some back alley, black market, knockoff brand swap meet. The abandoned strip mall continued down the darkened tunnel, sunlight fading as they made their way farther into the dark. About the same time Kopius turned on his Night Vision, Cici had started to complain.
“I will need a torch or the like to follow you any further,” Cici said as he came to a stop. “Not much else down there—two more signs and that covers it. A place for clothing and one for potions. I forget the names. I’ve been a time or two with some fire light. More of the same.”
“Is the other tunnel basically the same, too?”
“Pretty much, more food signs down that one.”
“Want to show me?”
Cici led the way out of one dark tunnel and into the other one. While there was still light to see, many of the storefronts had illustrations of food, of gathering of food, or even preparations of food. It had all the hallmarks of a mall food court except for a missing coffee shop and bathrooms. There were words etched into the stone like graffiti with words like ‘‘Fresh,’’ ‘’Tasty,’’ and ‘’Best in all Metem.’’
As they journeyed further down the tunnel, light fading with each step, they came to a shop with a painted sign. It wasn’t anything special except for the fact that this store had a door still loosely hanging on its hinges. A sign above the door had seen better days. It hung sideways from a single spike, having fallen off another.
Kopius stepped forward, reached up and took the sign down. He dusted off the buildup and then held it up to read: The Blind Chemist. Below the shop's name were a bunch of scribbled symbols that looked nonsensical at first but became legible once Kopius focused on them: Your guess is as good as ours!
Kopius laughed a bit at the humor and then tossed the sign to the ground. It clanked and clattered before flipping over and landing flat. They were about to move on when Kopius noticed another carved symbol on the back of the sign. He paused, looked at it, and looked at it again before his mouth went a bit dry. He began to rub his thumb against one of his rings, smacking his lips for some saliva.
“What ah… is this place empty, too?” Kopius asked hesitantly, nodding through the half-open door.
“This place has a few things inside. Bunch of empty shelves and cupboards. A few old pots and other things these chemists use to make their concoctions. Lots of pipes. Too many if you ask me.”
“Pipes?” Kopius perked up. He stepped past Cici and pushed the door the rest of the way open.
An array of pipes branched out around the small shop, creating a vast system throughout the room. Empty shelves and cupboards, just as Cici had said, took up much of the space, but Kopius could still picture it. He could see a large cauldron in the center of the room and the makings of sciencey-looking stations along the back wall.
“You been here before, lad?” Cici said with a laugh. “I'll be outside.”
Kopius stood examining the small shop for a few moments longer then also stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He picked up the sign and looked at it again.
“Excellent,” Cici said to himself. He had a look on his face like he was reading something.
“What’s up?” Kopius asked, taking his attention off the symbol.
“You’re not the only one to level up, my friend. I jumped two levels.”
“That’s great, man. What level are you anyways?”
“Level 29 but I’m only telling ‘cause I know yours.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it to myself,” Kopius replied, and he returned his attention to the symbol.
“I’m allocating my points, so I will be a moment,” Cici said with his thousand-yard reading stare. Kopius absently waved his hands at Cici, and the two ignored each other.
Spinning the ring on his finger, Kopius cycled between the carved symbol, his ring, and the door. It took some brainstorming, some head scratching, and some unnecessary math, but Kopius eventually gave his idea a shot.
First he stepped up to the door and closed it, the door's latch still functioning. He took a deep breath, grabbed the door handle, and opened it again. A long exhale followed by a shit-eating grin and Kopius stepped into a familiar surrounding.
Instead of an empty and abandoned shop, Kopius walked into an classroom-sized space with full shelves, a boiling cauldron, colorful sciencey stations, and a short old man wearing a thick leather apron and goggles.