A frigid breeze pressed against Amethyst as she descended the stairs. Small lanterns with stacks of dimly glowing blue rocks lined the walls in random intervals. The staircase was wide enough for two or even three people to pass each other. The stone work was crude and rough cut. It resembled a more natural style than the well organized and maintained brickwork which had offered a level of decoration in the house above.
As Amethyst continued down, the sounds of the battle above disappeared entirely. She could hear the patter of footsteps ahead of her, but the echo made it difficult to judge how far Tenya and Ponáei's men may have already gotten. She couldn't hear Nuru or Wa Chini following behind her. She hoped Wa Chini could get her to follow down. But if they needed to go back, she understood.
Amethyst stopped at the bottom of the stairs. To her right, the hall looked to have been walled off some time ago. Only the remnants of a casing remained to define the old passage. In front of her, the tunnel shrank on into a void. Amethyst felt like dark eyes were watching her, like if she were to go that way, she would never return. To her left, the faint sound of water could be heard with only a hint of footsteps remaining before being drowned out completely.
Though as dark as the tunnel ahead, Amethyst took the left tunnel. As she advanced, the blue glow of another lantern came into view as the tunnel started curving. Amethyst felt some relief in knowing she was most likely going the right way. She prayed that Tenya and the others were in time to find Uongo and save Ebba. But she could see no sign of them and the echoing steps had disappeared, replaced by the increasing sound of flowing water.
Her anxiety spiked as, like a wall, a stifling reeking stench burned into Amethyst's nose. She stopped in her tracks and retched a couple times. Her eyes were watering and she had a hard time keeping steady as her frame revolted against the sour odor. The sickly scent of rotten meat and bile swirled around her as she choked and struggled forward. The stench grew as she continued along. It clung to her like a tick, this unwavering parasite trying to convince her to turn back.
The darkness parted as her watery eyes cleared slightly. There was a glowing lantern dead ahead of her. She could see the silhouette of a doorway before the lantern itself. She had one hand plugging her nose while the other continually wiped the fountain of protesting tears while simultaneously holding her dagger.
She picked up her pace to a jog. The echoes of rushing water whispered all around her, the echo's offering no hint to where the water was. Just as she could see the fluttering light reflecting on the walls, her foot collided with something on the ground. She fell nearly face first into the uneven and rough hewn stones.
Her arm's took the brunt of the fall, but luckily she had padded them prior to the raid. Her elbow still cracked against the ground, leaving a lasting jolt through her arms. Amethyst looked back to what had tripped her. She couldn't make it out and had no time to investigate. Amethyst pushed herself up, forgetting her nose as she hurried forward more carefully.
Amethyst passed under an archway then was met face to face with a canal of swift moving water. She could hardly tell the water was there. If she hadn't tripped, she may have run straight into the torrent. The sound had made the water seem close and yet far at the same time. The dim blue glow and consistent darkness had robbed her of any depth. The walls blurred together with the floor and the water was nearly invisible.
The path went to both the right and left, the flow of water followed left, so too did the blue lanterns. Amethyst chose to continue along the left path. The cold air had grown violent as wind rushed past her. There were large lumpy piles along the walkway pressed up against the walkway wall. Amethyst had to tread carefully as she walked the thin line between the drop into water on her right and the piles to her left. The walkway was narrow, but the ground was firm. Her boots stuck a little to the ground as light squelching sounds emanated from beneath her.
Amethyst continued past the piles and around the curving bend of this hidden river. She could see the light of a lantern as she continued, but not a dim blue one. The one ahead of her and the others lining the bending tunnel were a brighter white light which cast both bright lights and dark shadows dancing about the cavernous space ahead.
In the Light she could now see that the water flowed into a grate in the wall at the end of this bend, but the walking path split to the left away from the water. As she grew closer she could start to make out the piles more clearly. Their odd shapes were not uniform at all.
Had they not been somewhat soft, she would have thought the tunnels were unstable in some way. She could see large water puddles pooled in the walkway. As she grew closer, her mind finally registered what her eyes were trying to warn her of. Amethyst let out a muffled scream. Her hand couldn't hold back the body's ejection. She had nowhere to turn as she vomited along the walkway and onto the piles near her. She couldn't keep her feet as she dropped to her knees and looked on in abject terror.
The piles along the pathway were not rubble, but the rotting infested corpses of people and creatures of all sorts. The bodies were in all stages of decomposition. Some were whole while others were missing bits and pieces here and there. They all shared one thing in common aside from the mutilated state they were all in. That was the fact that there was not a scrap of cloth or linen to be found among them.
The pools of water shared their deception as well in the flickering light. The brown and blackish ooze flowed out from the piles creating puddles. The sticky squelching noise made while running were the softer remains piled along the edge of the water. The foul liquid had coagulated in places forcing the water which dripped down from the walls along with the oozing fluids to flow into the water below.
As Amethyst's gaze unconsciously followed the trail into the water. She could see the grate below had become somewhat clogged as bodies had slid or were thrown into the aqueducts which served as the cities primary water source. The water here at the Southernmost part of the city flowed northwards into neighborhoods and potentially through the citadel the Pharaoh lived in.
Amethyst's horror had never been greater than in this moment. Where were Tenya and the others? Did they see this room of death? Did they see the bodies floating, bloated and maggot covered? The mold and fungus growing, devouring the evidence of this nightmare? Amethyst's only ray of hope was the fact that the little well in Ponáei's courtyard was even further south and had no connection to the Aqueducts at all.
Amethyst didn't want to put a number to the bodies, as much for her mental wellbeing as for the time. She had passed piles to get here and still there were more piles as she willed herself forward, inching deeper into the lair of some creature which hid here out of sight. She struggled to keep her footing as she slipped along the slick wet floor. She had started to pass into a larger chamber heading slightly away from the poison flowing in the Aqueducts.
No smell had been so pungent in The Sewers as to force her to gag at not only the scent but the taste of the thick cloud of nauseating sickness she had been forced to endure here. Amethyst tried to look away. She tried to turn her mind to that bright sunny place which had been as burned into her memories as this stench would be. The faces of the dead staring up with milky or missing eyes. The buzzing of the flies here were like the mosquitos she had been devoured by.
Tears streamed down her face as she felt the piercing gaze of the dead cutting slowly into her soul. Their accusing eyes damned her to the pits of fire for her audacity to be alive. She heard them in her mind hurling insults and begging for her to join them. She flashed back to The Sewers again where she had begun this Journey to save Ebba and now she was back in the cesspool trudging forward.
Each agonizing step lasted only seconds, but felt as though she were passing deep into the bowels of the underworld. She pleaded with the lifeless voices of her mind to leave her be and let her move forward in peace, but deep inside she felt like she belonged with them. Her miserable life to get to this place, to die in this place was buried itself as deep into her mind as the flies buried their eggs.
As her mind passed into the realms dark gods, a scream called her mind back to the task at hand. Ahead she could hear voices conferring aggressively. Nearly forgetting the stacks of judging corpses, Amethyst broke into a sprint. Though she couldn't tell what was going on in any detail. She could tell Tenya's voice apart clearly, even if it was just a scream.
§
(Ebba)
The cold desert wind twisted Ebba's curly mane as it whipped her and the rest of the caravan towards the kingdom of the rest of her life. She had been keeping a steady pace as the last leaves of light were shed behind them. A sea of tranquility crept along the sky, sheltering her in the sparkling diamonds no mortal could reach. The stars blazed far away in that deep void above, offering their silent encouragement to Ebba as the caravan stopped short of their destination ahead.
Ebba had imagined on so many nights like this, while staring into the heavens, that somewhere out there, she was asleep. She had simply passed into a nightmare. Though she was only eleven, the veil of childhood had been ripped away at a young age. But her imagination still shined brighter than any star she saw.
Tales and stories she had been told to the things she made up. The heroes she drew in the dotted canvas above came to rescue her from the fate she had been stolen for. Their shining armor and flying horses crashing in and taking her away as the fiery breath of dragons descended among those that hurt her and the few friends she had made along her blistering sun scorched journey. The dragons would take them to her mother and brothers, then they would run away to Bran'Durim, in the grand castle of her mother's stories. But each night her dreams were crushed as she would awake each morning to the blinding sun.
Tomorrow she would be with her new master. She had heard nothing but the worst things about her soon to be master. Beating and beheadings, not to mention the horrible things he was said to do to the new young girls. A shiver ran down her spine as she contemplated The man they called Uongo. Sleep wouldn't come to her. The dancing sheep that she would count to fall asleep wouldn't show in her mind's eye. She tossed and turned for a long time before she threw her covers off and set back into camp.
It was not uncommon for her mind to keep her up, especially since the kidnapping. Walking was always relaxing to her, and the edge of camp was typically the best place to see the stars. She wandered past the familiar faces she had grown accustomed to. There were nods exchanged, and a few somber smiles as well. some gave sneers and threw the undesirable pieces of half rotted food at her.
The caravan was made up of several different groups that had banded together after the typhoon. She didn't care for the group that she had initially sailed with. They had kept her in a tight cage crammed with other children of a similar age. But some of the groups happened upon the survivors and decided to travel with them too. Some had been extremely kind to her, protecting her and the other remaining children as they could.
Stolen story; please report.
After the ship had crashed on the desert shore, they were released and monitored while they came up with a plan. Ebba had spent many cold nights shivering under thin blankets, huddled together with her cage mates aside a crackling fire. During the day, they marched. Some kids snuck off in the night, choosing to make a run for it. The men guarding them just watched. a few laughed and waved them goodbye. Ebba surmised that it was unlikely any of them would survive.
Nine years living with a man like her father taught her the value of paying attention to things unsaid as much as the things said. She had been away from her family for nearly two years by this point and she could tell these men were just the same as her father. So she fell into line, choosing to get back at the abusers more subtly. With a sweet little smile and a soft voice, Ebba appeared to be the perfect subservient child, fetching water and food unprompted for the beasts keeping her captive. At the same time, she fiddled with carts, causing them to fall apart, forcing them to be abandoned. She cut the ropes tying the remaining animals. Sacks holding the high quality grains the guards ate would spring leaks, leaving a winding trail along the desert floor.
Solveig, Ebba's father, had taught her how to subtly sabotage. Between the open lessons he taught and the little hints she learned sneaking around with Sven, Ebba whittled down the guards' advantage, forcing them to eat the same food, drink the same dirty water, and walk the tiering trail she was forced on. They never knew she and the other kids were spitting in the guards' food any chance they got.
Things changed after they had reached a trading town and met up with several larger groups. The brutes she was traveling with started to hold back their aggression. They acted like anyone else one might meet on the streets. Smiles and handshakes along with charismatic laughs garnered them a place heading towards Wester Ashara. Ebba was grateful for the reprieve, but longed to continue her shenanigans.
Looking towards the western horizon, she could see the walls of the great city off in the distance. Rays of light like vines were just beginning to sprout. Ebba sat down to watch the light grow. She had grown to admire the moment right before the sun peeked over the land. In her mind everything went silent, the darkness let out its last breath before the heavens were torn apart by the blinding eye of the gods. She knew that as soon as she would cross the gates of that city, she would die there.
§
Amethyst rushed through the hall, chasing after Tenya's call. As she passed into the room Tenya was in, she muffled the sound of her own scream. Uongo, that titan of a man, stood on the ledge of a canal. In his left hand he held a long glinting blade. In his right hand he gripped a hefty chunk of a little girl's hair. It didn't take Amethyst even a moment to realize from the pleading and begging of Tenya along, with the silent whimpers of the girl, that Ebba had finally been found.
Amethyst could hardly register the other shouts. Ponáei and her men were stopped in their march to capture Uongo. In front of Uongo were four of the Serpent Guard. In front of them were four slaves that all had ears like Agápi's catlike ears. The serpent’s held spear tips to the backs of the slaves.
They stood for a long time, neither side making any move. The shouting had slowed and then stopped altogether. Amethyst was focused between Tenya and Ebba. Slowly, Amethyst had started to prepare her wind magic. She gripped her dagger tightly, as she felt the heat of her vitality begin to seep into her hands.
"Stop this foolishness Ponáei." Uongo's face remained still as stone. His masculine features flickered only a little. The only indication he was truly alive. His voice was without any natural cadence. Like there was something wearing a human, saying the things a human would say.
"Uongo?" Ponáei's voice was soft, her inflection was saturated in fear. "Surely this had gone far enough. Let us move on from this and we can be together again. We were made for each other, my love!"
Amethyst's attention snapped to Ponáei. Was she being serious, or was this just a ploy.
"You are a disgusting creature, inhabiting the body of my dead wife. The scales of your true body shine through." Uongo still had no emotion.
"You are not serious, Uongo." Ponáei's voice broke and became shaky. "You don't mean the things you say, I love you anyway." Her shaky voice became desperate. "I'll cut away my imperfections, mold me like you did with them my love, please I can't be without you!"
"Then," Uongo's voice rumbled. "Come and I shall slay you." His dark eyes looked to Ponáei completely devoid of any soul or heart. He spoke as if it were the genuine answer.
Ponáei fell to the ground and screamed deeply and fully. She pounded her hands against the ground as she wailed.
Uongo's muscles flexed a little as his grip on Ebba tightened again.
Ebba let out a cry. "Mommy!"
Her shriek echoed around the room as Tenya bolted forward towards Uongo. Amethyst, who had crept up beside Tenya, dropped her knife and grappled Tenya. Tenya slipped her arm out of Amethyst's grasp. She landed a solid elbow directly into Amethyst's face. Tenya had not bothered to look back as she continued forward.
The slaves, seeing this, took the advantage. They turned onto the Serpent Guard. Ponáei's men rushed forward as well. One serpent dove into the water and swam away. Two others were engaged in battle. While the final was run through with his own spear. Ponáei, who had curled up on the floor, was begging Uongo to stop and just come back to her. Her tears fell like drops of Ice as Uongo's cold gaze rested forward.
Uongo did not hesitate further. The instant Tenya had made her move, Uongo did too. His hand slid back firmly and steadily. The fluid motion of a practiced killer Undid the bonds of flesh comprising Ebba's neck. The small beads of her life force began to rage out of her throat. Her cries ceased and her eyes went wide. Ebba's hands shot to her neck. Her grip slipped all over her neck as she panicked to stop her own demise.
Uongo dropped Ebba onto the stone beneath him, then turned to untie the boat. Ebba clutched at her neck, only gurgles from the blood escaped her. Tenya had abandoned any plan of revenge. She picked up Ebba, like cradling a baby, then stumbled backwards a few feet. Her back landed against the wall and she slid down. Her face cast down at Ebba, whose eyes were slowly losing their shimmer.
Amethyst stood and looked around for Nuru who was nowhere to be found. She and Wa Chini must have decided to go back after all. Maybe they have been captured by the people who were coming after them. Those serpents were likely slithering their way through the tunnels in pursuit as this was all transpiring.
Amethyst looked at Tenya, torn as to whether she should go to her so that everyone would face their deaths together, or whether she should stand alone against any who may come in an attempt to at least give Tenya the time to escape through the Aqueducts.
Amethyst started to make her way towards Tenya as a yell came from Uongo's direction. She looked to see that one of the slaves had survived as was fighting Uongo for the boat.
"Tenya, we have to go!" Amethyst cried out, but Tenya couldn't hear her. She was lost in the eyes of her failed mission. Her daughter lay in her lap like she had done on cold rainy nights years before. Tenya was trying to get her to respond, only subtle movements were still left in Ebba's eyes.
Tenya had braved the ocean to find her son dead. She had crossed the scorching desert to save her daughter, and although Tenya was hugging Ebba so close to her. Ebba had started to wake up somewhere in the void of stars. Where she could fly through the pools of heaven and no pain could reach her.
Amethyst simply put a hand on Tenya's shoulder. No comfort in the world could cure the sickness of a mother who had lost two of her children. Children who were not yet old enough to have been expected to bear the cruelties of the last two years.
Amethyst kneeled down and closed her eyes. She too was ready to go and swim through the stars. Her life had been one long nightmare anyway. What did it matter if they all died here? Amethyst's hope crashed down and the reality of death started to swallow her as it had so many times before.
A loud thump caused Amethyst to look up in surprise. Wa Chini was steadying himself after colliding with the wall while he simultaneously wrestled Ebba out of Tenya's hands. Tenya fought back and screamed curses and obscenities at Wa Chini.
To Amethyst, Wa Chini moved in slow motion, and yet somehow as fast as lightning. His face was determined, his eyes were dilated and his fur was on end. In that flash of eternity, Wa Chini had taken Ebba and was running towards the tunnel that Amethyst and the others had entered through.
Amethyst forgot herself and was chasing after Wa Chini. She didn't realize she was standing, let alone running until she was in the tunnel too. Wa Chini had already made it to Nuru as Amethyst came to her realization. She could see Wa Chini gripping his shoulder tightly, likely injured now from colliding at what she assumed was full force. She was about to slow down when the forms of the Serpent Guard rounded the bend and started to come down the tunnel.
Amethyst didn't take a second glance as she hauled past Nuru and Wa Chini. "What am I doing?" She thought. "I am going to stop them." She thought in response. She was surprised, only a moment before she was ready to die. What had changed? Ebba was still dead, despite Wa Chini's heart, neither he nor Nuru could turn back the clock. So, why?
Regardless, Amethyst moved forward all the same. She stopped Suddenly and raised her hands in front of her. She felt once more the heat of her vitality as she steadied herself. She felt a pang in her stomach and let loose all of the energy she had stored.
A sound like an explosion rocked the tunnel to its core. Amethyst's ears burned as the noise cut into her. Ahead, she could see only one serpent remaining. Its shield raised over its head while prone on the ground. She could see the remnants of the others. Their splattered Viscera added to the drips of water from humidity.
Amethyst felt her strength wash away from her as she collapsed to the ground. The serpent, whether brave, stupid, or loyal, continued the attack. Amethyst knew this time she really was dead. It wasn't hopelessness she felt now though, rather it was pride in herself for making one last push, the outcome be damned!
Just as the serpent reached her, she could tell that he wasn't focused on her. A figure leaped over her from behind. With a ferocity that rivaled Wa Chini, Amethyst watched in awe and her guardian angel had come to her defense.
Tenya swung wildly against the serpent. Her battle cry was a silent call to action. Amethyst realized she couldn't hear anything as she watched Tenya battle the guard. Amethyst's vision had started to fade slightly as Tenya's blade was lost in the serpent's neck. She pulled and started slashing again and again. The screams of rage rousing Amethyst to stand up and move.
Amethyst raised herself up slowly as pain churned her stomach, and the cacophony of the world returned to her. She staggered to Tenya and slipped her arms around Tenya's waist. Tenya let her sword slowly lower as she took in deep heaving breaths. Amethyst pressed up against Tenya's back and squeezed tightly, but not so tight as to hurt either of them. Tenya turned around in Amethyst's grasp and wrapped her arms around Amethyst. For a brief moment, all the suffering was gone.
Amethyst's heart ached as she considered Ebba's fate. The journey, the fight to save her and now there was nothing left but a funeral. That was dependent on if they could even escape. The two let go of each other and pressed their heads together.
"I am so sorry about Ebba." Amethyst cried lightly. Her whispering voice broke and a hail of sobs and tears exploded out of her. "I tried so hard! I am so sorry!" Amethyst sobbed deeply as she hugged Tenya more and let her head fall into Tenya's shoulder.
Tenya squeezed Amethyst tightly, then pushed her gently back, looking into her eyes. She had a smile warmer and sweeter than any she had shared with Amethyst before. She nodded her head towards Nuru, Wa Chini, and Ebba.
Amethyst saw Nuru sobbing over Ebba. Wa Chini was jogging back into the chamber where Uongo was. Amethyst looked back to Tenya who was nodding her head with a smile before she turned and quickly walked back to Tenya. Amethyst hesitated before she started towards Ebba. As she approached, she could see blood covering Nuru's hands, arms and chest. She could see in this soft light Nuru smiling, even laughing between her sob's.
Tenya was no different. She took Ebba's body and cradled her once more. Amethyst's approach was slow. Her breath was shallow as reality continued to flow rapidly to her like the waters that flowed ahead of her now. The devastating failure she endured moments ago clashed with her eyes. As she kneeled before Tenya and Ebba, Amethyst studied the slit Uongo had left, now scarred over. As her eyes blurred, Amethyst could hear a rasping breath ebbing and flowing in and out.
Amethyst rubbed her eyes and a laugh escaped followed by heavy heaving sobs. Amethyst wrapped her arms around the woman holding Ebba's body. as they pressed tightly together, Amethyst could feel the subtle rise and fall of Ebba's chest.