Chapter 23 – Into the Depths
Menna paced the narrow aisles of Bowerbird Avenue. It felt like just yesterday when she last browsed the street during their last trading circuit. The Middleshy who tended the stalls eyed her Deepshy companions, a rarity in such an open and exposed settlement as Mossgrove, with a mix of curiosity and tension. Kaeloris seemed out of his element in the cheerful chaos, his eye drawn to random odds and ends, Vazko put on a show of perusing at a measured pace, his taciturn demeanor cutting an imposing figure amid the bustle.
Kaeloris held up a small, intricate device of concentric gears and dials, its purpose unclear but its craftsmanship mesmerizing. “This has promise. There’s arclith here—I can sense it.”
Menna leaned in, noting the faint spark of arclith pulsing in the device’s core. “What do you think it does?”
Kaeloris turned it over, brows furrowed. “Not sure yet. But it’s worth investigating.”
The next item that caught his attention was a small, spiked cylinder, no larger than a thumb. It looked unassuming at first, but Kaeloris seemed intrigued by how it could fit into a larger mechanism. “The spacing of these pins… it’s deliberate. This might be part of something significant.”
Menna picked it up, turning it over in her palm. She tapped on a pin with a fingernail and a clear musical chime rang out. Hitting another pin elicited another chime but of a different note.
“Sounds like a clue,” she ventured, trying not to come off as smug.
Kaeloris dismissively handed both objects to Menna. “Take these please. Study them. You’ve got a knack for this kind of thing, and I’ve got enough to carry.”
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While Kaeloris scoured the remaining stalls, Vazko kept watch over the Deepshy dignitary in case of any dangers, unlikely they may be in such an established settlement.
Menna grabbed to opportunity to slip away to Mossgrove’s local Sunshy outpost, to check for any new updates on Sylven’s trail, and to send back word to her family about their journey so far and to come.
The outpost was a modest structure built into the low-hanging branches of a sprawling fig tree. Sheltered by the figs dangling vines and foliage, steps had been carved into the tree’s trunk in a spiral leading up from the ground-level roots up to the entrance. A Sunshy scout greeted her with a nod.
“Any word from the search parties?” Menna asked, her voice taut with concern.
“Oh, you’re the Middleshy girl helping us look for Sylven,” the scout quipped, then pointed to a crude map pinned to the wall. “We traced the trail to near the edge of the caldera. We’re pretty confident now, based on their tracks, that Sylven’s pika and a kobold seem to have been traveling together at certain points. From there, the tracks head into the jungle, but then the terrain gets rough, with heavy undergrowth. Harder to follow.”
Menna’s heart sank. The thick rainforest near the caldera’s edge covered territory few Sunshy dared to tread.
“So they were together, but not fighting?” Menna clarified. “How could that ever happen?"
The scout shrugged. “It’s a mystery. But who knows with Sylven. If he somehow managed to charm a kobold, he’d be a legend.”
“A living legend, we hope.” Menna glared.
“Sure. No evidence of violence to be found yet. No blood trails or… body parts, yet,” the scout disclosed, attempting to be reassuring.
“Thank you,” Menna cut her off, still glaring as she turned to the outpost’s message writing desk. The wooden perch, carved right into the branches, provided Shy a space to compose their letters which would then be sent out through the Sunshy scouts as they ventured out and rotated among the different surface outposts.
She penned a quick note to Sylven’s siblings, outlining the few additional clues she’d gathered. Since they didn’t let her apologize to them the last time they were face to face, she again said sorry about Sylven rushing his Daring Rite partly because of her taunts.
She folded the note with care and set it to the side. She then moved on to a letter for her family, likely her last before descending to the Deep.
She dipped her pen into the ink and began to write:
Dearest Mother, Father, and Murdo,
I hope this letter finds you all well. As you read this, I am preparing to leave Mossgrove and travel down to Obsidara. Our journey via the Shyways has so far been uneventful, but I’m grateful to Master Lethar for providing a Deepguard escort for our security. You can rest assured that we’ll be able to reach our destination safely.
We’re in Mossgrove because Kaeloris, the Deepshy envoy, wanted to explore Bowerbird Avenue and search for curiosities the birds may have brought back from across the caldera and even beyond. Apparently Master Lethar was intrigued by my finds during our last visit. He says they may hold knowledge worth unlocking.
I’ve been checking in at the Sunshy outputs throughout our journey. Their scouts are keeping close watch over the trails. They’ve been kind enough to let me send this letter through them before our descent.
I’ll send instructions how you can reach me as soon as I am settled. I hope to hear word from you soon, though I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to send them up from Obsidara. I will miss you all terribly, but I promise to make the most of this opportunity.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Love, Menna
Signing her name, she folded the letters carefully, wrote the addresses on the outer folds, sealed them with wax, and handed them to the outpost courier.
As she stepped outside into the golden light of late afternoon, Menna felt the significance of the moment settle over her. These were her last solid tethers to the life she knew. The next steps she took would be toward a new role, and a new world. For the first time, she let herself feel the full impact of that change. Then, squaring her shoulders, she walked back to rejoin Kaeloris and Vazko, leaving the sunlit surface behind.
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When Menna rejoined Kaeloris and Vazko, they both stood stiffly by the gate into Mossgrove proper, their expressions serious.
“We’re done up here,” Kaeloris announced. “Nothing is keeping us from heading down to Obsidara now. We should no longer tarry, so we’ll go through the Deepways.”
Menna hesitated. “We’ll ride the arc-lifts?” she asked. It would be her first time using the vaunted Deepshy transportation system, which was off limits to those with neither a Deepshy escort nor invitation. Only the Deepborn could activate the arcliths that powered the system.
“Yes,” Vazko said firmly. “We’ve spent enough time on the surface. It’s time to descend.”
“But… once we’re… down there… can I still… find out about what’s happening on the surface, communicate with my family?” Menna pleaded, the weight of reality hitting her.
Vazko stepped in with a reassuring tone. “We Deepshy may seem below it all, aloof and disconnected, to you Middleshy. But we aren’t. Information as well as goods and people flow up and down through the arc-lifts and through all the Deepways. It’s just that the flow is… controlled. But if there’s important news from the surface, we’ll hear of it.”
Menna wasn’t entirely convinced, but there was no arguing with the two in agreement. With a resigned nod, she followed them into the center of Mossgrove.
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Evening fell as they made their way through the shaded pathways leading to the arc-lift portal, Menna noticed Vazko lingering next to a thick bramble. Tiny fireflies flickered among the thorns, their soft light illuminating his otherwise stoic features. His hand hovered near one of the glowing insects, his expression unreadable.
“Have you never seen fireflies before?” Menna asked the Deepguard curiously.
Vazko straightened immediately, his usual aloof mask slipping into place. “I’ve seen… a few,” he said curtly.
Kaeloris smirked from behind them. “Oh yes, plenty. Down in the Deep, where fireflies thrive in the shadows, I’m sure. Or could just be a cluster of floating arc-lights. Easy enough to confuse them for insects.”
Vazko shot him a sharp look but said nothing, resuming his stride. Menna followed, glancing back at the fireflies and wondering what had captivated his attention.
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The arc-lift descended into the earth with a low hum, vibrating through the walls of the shaft illuminated by softly glowing arc-lights embedded in the rock. As they reached the bottom, the air grew cooler and carried the tang of damp stone. The Deepways stretched out before them, a flawlessly bored out stone tunnel polished to an eerie perfection. Its smooth curved walls mirrored the arclights, and its lines disappeared into the distance.
“So, this is what it’s like,” Menna breathed, her awe momentarily eclipsing her concerns.
They climbed into a waypod, a sleek, hollowed-out stone conveyance designed to fit perfectly within the tunnel’s curvature. Kaeloris inserted an arclith shard into the front of the pod, his hands deftly activating it to release its energy. The pod began to hum, and Vazko gently prodded Menna to take the middle seat between him and Kaeloris, helping her strap in before they began to glide forward.
As the speed increased, Menna found herself gripping the edge of her seat. The acceleration was thrilling, the walls of the Deepways rushing past in a blur.
“Exhilarating, isn’t it?” Vazko said from behind Menna, she could almost hear the smile playing at his lips.
Menna nodded, though her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip. “A bit wasteful, though, using arclith shards just to go faster.”
Kaeloris turned back just to roll his eyes at the Middleshy girl. “You’ll get used to it.”
Vazko, chimed in. “It’s not just about speed. The Deepways connect our cities, our people, our lives. We can cover in a few hours what would take an entire day aboveground, even riding the fastest mounts. Efficiency matters.”
Menna blinked and met his gaze, startled by his sudden openness. Kaeloris, too, raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
When they reached top speed, it almost felt as if the pod was just hovering in place, if not for the steady woosh of air and the soothing hum filling the tunnel. Kaeloris leaned back, his arms crossed. “You’ve gone quiet again, Vazko. Missing the surface already?”
Vazko’s glare was icy, but he said nothing.
Menna looked between them. “I thought you’d both be glad to be going back home?”
Kaeloris chuckled. “Oh, he’ll deny it, but every time we’re topside, he finds some excuse to linger then gets all sulky on the ride back. I think he likes it up there more than he lets on.”
“I follow orders,” Vazko said flatly. “Nothing more.”
Kaeloris leaned closer to Menna, his voice conspiratorial. “It’s endearing, really. He’s like a child sneaking out to play in the sun when no one’s looking.”
Vazko’s jaw tightened, but Menna caught the faintest blush of pale pink on his cheeks before he turned away.
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As the waypod continued its journey, the tunnel began to slope deeper into the earth. Menna noticed the air growing warmer, and strips of arclights began illuminating the path at closer intervals. Then, the tunnel gradually spiraled downward, slowing the pod just before they braked, stiff wire bristles catching against its sides to smoothly bring them to a stop. The roof of the tunnel abruptly widened then soared up into a vaulted ceiling, opening up their viewpoint into a panorama of the cityscape. Menna gasped.
Obsidara stretched out before them, a geometric puzzle of interlocking edifices, streetscapes and courtyards carved into the dusky, solid rock. The city glittered with ethereal illumination, with arc-lights twinkling from windows, curving across viaducts, lining walkways and plazas. Warm steam, smelling faintly of sulfur, hissed from vents and pumped into pipes, which then turned gears and pistons that moved an array of city-wide mechanisms ranging from trams to fountains.
“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” Vazko’s voice was quieter now, almost reverent.
Menna nodded, her earlier anxieties momentarily forgotten. “It’s… beyond anything I imagined. Even my mother’s stories didn’t prepare me for this.”
For a moment, she allowed herself to take it all in. The lights, the movement, the sense of something greater than herself.
Obsidara sparkled before her like a jewel emerging from the heart of the world. Towers of dark stone spiraled upward, their surfaces studded with runes and arclith shards. Intricately carved bridges crisscrossed the spaces, connecting one end of the underground canyon with the other.
Kaeloris grinned. “Obsidara—the greatest center of learning and arc-craft in the Deep. Not bad for your first visit downside.”
Menna turned to the two Deepshy and gushed with all sincerity. “Now… I understand… why you hold such high regard for your way of life here. It’s so beautiful…”
Vazko’s gaze remained fixed on the city, his expression unreadable. “Beautiful, yes,” he said quietly. “But it’s a beauty built on many… sacrifices.”
Menna glanced at him, sensing the weight of his words. Before she could respond, Kaeloris gestured toward the spire at the city’s center. “That’s where we’re headed. Lethar’s sanctum. Ready to make your mark, Menna?”
She nodded at Kaeloris, mouth pursed into a firm line. Vazko fell into step beside Menna, his shoulder brushing hers lightly as they walked up the main ramp leading into the entry plaza. Menna couldn’t help but glance back up at the tunnel from which they had just descended. Her thoughts tugged at her with a last reminder of the surface world she had left behind, and the connections to it that she needed to keep alive.