Mevi followed Zelkan closely, not knowing what dangers lurked within this dark expanse. Once their group had fully passed out of sight of the Legion barracks the light had reduced to almost nothing. Ambient light drifted in here and there where cracks in the tall ceiling let in glorious light. The illuminators Zelkan had picked up became immediately useful, their group illuminating long-stretching beacons of light across the area.
The cave the Legion’s barracks was located within was long, like an enormously wide tunnel. The sides of the internal structure were so far apart you could not fully see both walls at the same time. Yet even despite the great expanse, it was remarkably quiet. Mevi was unnerved by the silence, she had been told about the desperate souls that somehow live this far below the surface, but her only experience outside of orderly society was with natives of the Pipes. The long stretch of perpetual dark only heightened her fear of the unknown within these depths. Yet strangely enough, the rest of her party seemed at ease as they walked the darkness. They must know something Mevi didn’t, as every shadow seemed to jump at her when she cast light across it with the beam of illumination.
It wasn’t a long walk, maybe an hour or two, before Zelkan began progressing more cautiously. Mevi could see his digital mask lighting up and displaying strange colors, even from behind him where Mevi watched silently. Mevi assumed he was using the mask as a digital display rather than his usual swirling clouds on a blue sky. Mevi was still curious what lay beneath the mask, able to only see hints and impressions of the man underneath the covering. But as she watched his mask suddenly went dark, dimming and shutting out all light from its illuminatory visor.
Mevi had been staring into Zelkan’s back, daydreaming about what lay beneath, when Zelkan’s darkened mask turned to look at the group. Zelkan seemed to debate with himself if he should speak or not. He seemed to err on the side of caution, motioning towards his illuminator before he switched it off and signaled everyone else to follow. Begrudgingly Mevi adhered to the silent advice. In the dark Mevi could still see, her eyes being one of the few gifts she inherited from her family. Her people having lived in darkness, avoiding the death that was sunlight for unknown generations. Mevi could easily make out the forms of her companions, but even now she still dreaded the dark and its terrors despite her long hours of meditation in complete darkness. As Mevi began to fear the looming dark she noticed Saerin seemed to bumble around as if blind, while the rest seemed attuned to it. Mevi instinctively grabbed Saerin’s hand gently, the woman jumped in surprise but attempted to maintain silent composure. It felt better to look after someone when she was scared, Mevi thought. She had to ignore her instinctual fear of the dark so she could take care of Saerin, who was disadvantaged in a place like this. Zelkan then began to lead them through the dark quietly, Mevi guiding Saerin along the metallic terrain.
Zelkan led the group for a further ten minutes in complete silence. When Mevi was beginning to wonder exactly what they were doing, she heard something. A gravelly grunting followed by eager snorts. The entire group paused, each having heard the strange sounds. Mevi darted her eyes around the vast cave, the sounds had come from nearby she thought. Then she saw what the sounds had come from. A large beastial thing, fat and round like it gorged itself on food frequently. Four legs that slugged against the ground with a fleshy slap, making a sound like a suction cup as it walked. A long neck, held low to the ground, swiveled as an elongated snout sniffed the ground eagerly. The creature was a strange sight, its body so big Mevi wondered what threat it posed. As their group watched the creature in silence, Mevi saw something incredibly peculiar. The creature’s underbelly began to glow with bioluminescence. Small luminescent orbs dotted the creature’s stomach as it seemed to search the ground for something. After moments of the creature’s light sources illuminating the ground, it stumbled upon a patch of some gooey mess that began to make a chiming sound in response. The pile of mossy goo stood no chance as the bovine creature voraciously devoured the substance.
Suddenly, just as the fat creature began to eat its meal, a massive claw rocketed down from the distant ceiling. A massive hooked claw, that seemed more like a barbed cage, wrapped around the fat creature as it was pulled away into the darkness above in screaming terror. The moment the creature was attacked Zelkan grabbed Mevi and made her run. Mevi still held Saerin’s hand and was trying to guide her through the dark as fast as they could manage. The capture of the fatty creature or the clattering noise their group made against the ground seemed to awaken some angry hive of ceiling-dwelling monsters. Screeching yells echoed from the ceiling as Mevi’s group ran through the dark. Mevi could hear the billowing wind and hard crashes on the ground as something desperately tried to abduct them up to a death high in the air. It seemed that without light to aim at, the creatures only flailed angrily against the ground. Yet even so, they seemed to squeal excitedly at the fatty catch one of their number had acquired.
Zelkan easily led the group out of that hive of ceiling dwelling terrors. While the monsters were distracted by the bovine creature they initially caught, the group made a quick escape. As they ran away from those creatures, and Zelkan’s pace began to slow, Mevi could see a dim light in the distance. The light bounced around the cave walls, and seemed to emanate out from a turn in their path. At this point, as the light was fully visible in the distance, Zelkan finally stopped to let the group catch their breath. When everyone had stopped their heavy breathing, or mostly just Mevi as she was unfit for such exercise, Zelkan began to remove folded cloth from a small bag he hid under his robe’s layers. The bag seemed to hold more than it should, or the cloth was folded in such a way to allow its easy storage. Regardless, Zelkan produced what looked like five long blanket-like cloaks. Handing them out to each of the group members, including the Sentinel, Zelkan said, “While it will be difficult, we must attempt to adhere to stealth. The Sentinel will be our biggest worry, but we might manage if we can reach a market without detection.”
“A market?” Mevi asked, almost surprised at the notion.
“Yes my lady. Within the Undercity, and even some parts of the Barge’s outskirts where Magi do not yet rule, many residents use a primitive economic system. It consists mostly of trading item for service, or item for item. Yet here in the Undercity, they have developed a sort of currency.”
Saerin interjected, wanting to get to the reveal before Zelkan, “They trade in Mana!”
Mevi was genuinely surprised, and even confused, “How could they trade in Mana… Isn’t that protected by the Custodians and Magi? How would they even hold it, is Mana something physical?”
Giving Saerin a look, untranslated because of the dark but surely one of annoyance, Zelkan continued, “Yes, normally it would be unthinkable for someone to handle Mana directly. But Mana powers all of our devices, weapons, technology, and is even used in our synthesizers for fuel. In truth, the outcasts here trade mostly in batteries, ones usually harvested from salvaged equipment that goes missing or is stolen from the Magi’s faithful.” Zelkan looked at the Sentinel, who was much too large to properly wear the simple cloak, “I acquired an amount of batteries we might trade for things we need down here. It looks as if we will need to use them to buy your Sentinel clothes.”
The Sentinel was an odd sight. Its large body was much bigger than Mevi, and the cloak Zelkan gave it barely covered half of its golden armor. The creature seemed undisturbed by the lack of covering, but would almost certainly draw attention with the golden armor covering it from head to toe. Zelkan led them forward, towards the bright light that pierced the darkness of the cave. As they came closer to the bend in the tunnel, Zelkan tried to convince the Sentinel to stay behind, but the creature was unconvinced. Mevi had been followed by the large creature for so long, she often forgot about its presence and size. Knowing it would draw too much attention as it was, Mevi also asked the creature to stay behind. It seemed almost hesitant. As if conflicted between following its directions and doing its duty to protect. It shuffled in place for a moment as it processed the direction. It thankfully seemed to give into the command, but Mevi could almost feel its uneasiness. The Sentinel was worried, even as Mevi followed Zelkan closer to the light and the Sentinel stood in place nearby a tall pillar, Mevi could still feel the creature’s unease at leaving her side. Yet even so, whatever logic controlled its actions seemed to understand the necessity to wait.
Mevi followed Zelkan, with Ouapi and Saerin close beside her. As they rounded the turn, the echoing sounds of commotion flooded down the narrowing passage. As they approached, Mevi was met with a sight almost as awe-inspiring as the City of Light. They passed through the narrow tunnel and exited into a wide street. A terraced civilization lived etched into the walls and against the massive pipe supports. A grand cavern stretched out before her, as the exit of the tunnel placed itself near the top of this mountain of structures. Scrap metal, shining steel, and stone buildings covered almost every surface. Lights dotted on, in, and around the buildings sprawling well past Mevi’s vision looked like thousands of hovering wisps of light scattered like burning embers. With their tunnel so high up, Mevi saw the Undercity limits stretch both farther than eyes could see and so deep light didn’t fully escape the dark chasm. A bustling street of dirtied residents walked up and down the various roads, paths, bridges, and stairs that stretched in every direction to reach all levels of the city. This underworld seemed less populated than the streets above, but even so many dozens of bodies could be seen walking along the road at any one time.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The cloaks Zelkan acquired for them seemed to allow them to blend in, but even so several figures stopped to glare at them as they exited the tunnel onto the street. Even with the glaring natives, Zelkan quickly began moving into the crowd with the rest of the group following close behind. There was much more room to navigate the roads in the Undercity than the City of Light above, and it afforded them enough space to move as one group without getting separated. Zelkan seemed to know what he was looking for and pushed through the crowds without hesitation as if he’d known this place his whole life. Wandering vagrants were scattered in the streets, sitting or laying on the edges of the streets in dirty rags. Ruffians passed back and forth, glaring at any who approached too close, and some even fought each other in the middle of the streets in brawls that people simply stopped to wait until it passed them by so they could continue on their way. Most of the creatures and people who walked the streets here seemed gruff and angry, while even those Mevi would consider ‘normal’ bore scars or angry expressions. Most inhabitants seemed to avoid the main street, and idled outside what might’ve been their homes. As they walked, Mevi could even make out faces peering out cracks or make-shift windows in the sides of the buildings. Watchers who preferred the safety of indoors than to risk the violent streets.
As Mevi and her group passed through the streets of rough people, they entered into what looked like a widened section of the road. Scattered across the more open space were stalls and small huts housing people that displayed what looked like junk and trash for sale. Scraps of electronics, pieces of technology, destroyed weapons, and any number of items that seemed useless to Mevi were peddled in this market. Even stranger was that the natives seemed to seriously consider the offers displayed by these merchants. Saerin whispered to Mevi so others couldn’t hear easily, “Many people down here make a living from scavenging things that fall through cracks in the city, are stolen by brave vagrants that reach the surface, or are thrown into trash disposals that lead down here. To survive they need the scraps to repair their own equipment to make food and defend themselves.”
“This is… horrible. Why do the Magi let them live like this?” Mevi asked.
“The Magi do not force people to obey them. Many of the Magi’s servants have children, who might have their own children, and many of those descendants are given the option to follow their parent’s lord… But many also choose to live within the dredges of society so they might claim to be ‘free’ instead.”
Mevi was conflicted. Within her she knew the desire to be free. Her family had owned her and threw her away as a tool. She tasted what felt like freedom with Kalesi, her comatose mentor, but it was quickly lost when Kalesi was wounded. Yet even with that taste of freedom, she felt she wouldn’t trade it to live in a place like this. She knew the Magi proclaimed any who wanted to return and dedicate themselves to them are allowed to, most with open arms. What could possibly have motivated so many people to flee the Magi into squalor instead of serving them?
As Mevi’s mind was distracted with pity and conflict, Zelkan seemed to find a place that satisfied him. A small house that hung above several others, with a rickety metal stair leading up to it. Zelkan helped Mevi ascend the steps as they entered the small house with a badly carved sigil on the front door. As they entered, the store seemed to be what might be considered a ‘fancy’ shop within the Undercity. Yet even so, the rust, dust, dirt, and discarded junk within the premises still seemed to perpetuate regardless of the establishment seeming a higher class than the other market stalls. A man turned at the opening of the door, with a gleeful expression. Shorter than Mevi, but not by more than a few centimeters, he rushed over to greet them. Ushering them inside, welcoming them profusely, the man looked the group over “Oh welcome! What might ya be lookin for?”
“We require new clothing, something discreet.” Zelkan told the man.
“Ah, I see! Goin about a secret are ya? I’ve just the things!”
“We also need something large enough to fit a Behomarian or Warrior Bug.”
“Weird ask, but my stock is just the thing for it!”
The short man rushed off into a doorless room entering further into his small store. The four of them were left on their own, unguarded, in the man’s store. The main room, if it could be called that, was little more than a few piles of metal junk and a crumbling table at the end of the room. There were no clothes set up for looking at, or furniture to sit on to wait. It was obvious this man had very little to his name, but apparently enough to afford a house even as bare as this one was. The man came back quickly, holding bundles of clothes that seemed to be meant for them. An assortment of simple, and mostly clean, clothes that were drab and dark compared even to the simple cloaks Zelkan brought. Browns and faded blacks made up the bundles of clothes that were haphazardly stitched together to make hanging cloaks and thick trousers. There were two normal shirts, stained with water and badly faded from ineffective cleaning methods. Zelkan immediately delegated one of the shirts to Mevi, which she quietly was grateful for due to the rough and scratch look of the cloaks. Saerin agreed to let Ouapi have the other shirt, while she would wear one of the cloaks and a large shawl over her robes. By the time they were fully dressed they were garbed in an uncomfortable amount of layers of additional clothing, but it did completely cover their formal robes underneath.
By the time Mevi had finished dressing in the simple garments, Zelkan was already negotiating with the shopkeeper by the table. Zelkan had laid out two small metal cylinders no bigger than his thumb. They seemed extremely simple energy canisters, even from where Mevi stood she could see the faint blue glow of energy that came out of the small containers. A slit, barely a millimeter wide, displayed how much of the glowing material was inside. The shopkeeper looked down at the two canisters, not bothering to hide his eagerness for the batteries. Zelkan was patient and looked down at the man cautiously, “The first is to pay for our clothes. I am sure it is more than enough. The second however… the second battery is to purchase your silence.”
“You’ve no worries from me good sir! My silence is my best product!” the man replied, reaching towards the batteries.
“If.” Zelkan said with emphasis as he put his hand over the batteries, “If we find that someone follows us. I will assume where they came from. Do you understand me?”
The short man nodded eagerly.
“Good man.” Zelkan said as he removed his protective hand from the two batteries.
The short man gathered up the two batteries quickly, almost slapping Zelkan’s hand in his haste. With his payment in hand the shopkeeper smiled wider, waving his customers goodbye as Mevi’s group left. The group followed Zelkan out of the store and back to the road below, then began their trek back to the Sentinel. Mevi was astounded by Zelkan, he was almost like a different person down here. She was amazed that he somehow knew exactly how to deal with these people, who seemed to be gruff and hostile even as they simply walked the road. Mevi was tempted again to ask about Zelkan’s past, but after what happened last time when Saerin spoke about Modrak, Mevi was hesitant to dredge up what might be dark pasts again.
Mevi followed Zelkan with Ouapi and Saerin trailing at her sides protectively. They quickly reached the tunnel they had come out of, but to Mevi it looked just like every other tunnel, dugout, road, or natural feature they had passed; as the Undercity was covered in strange places that led to dark alleys or darker pits. Yet even so, Zelkan seemed to know his way around, as if he had been here before. The way he acted, walked, and how he knew what to do Mevi was almost certain he had traveled these parts at least once before. The mystery of the masked man continued to grow as Mevi started to realize how little she knew of any of her companions. It made her almost sad to realize she had been so focused on her studies that she didn't find time to get to know the people who claimed to now serve her. It made her a poor leader to not know anything beyond surface views of her companions, but delving into their past would need to happen another day.
As Mevi rounded the corner of the metal cave tunnel she eagerly searched for her golden Sentinel. Its presence was sorely missed, the leering glares from passersby on the road made her uncomfortable and every person seemed angry or hostile. She felt almost naked without her golden shadow looming over her protectively. Another thing she took for granted, Mevi thought. When the dark expanse was visible again, Mevi searched for the tall golden form of the Sentinel. Yet it was nowhere to be seen. The group encroached carefully into the darkness once again, silently looking for the large creature. As they pressed further and further away from the light’s illumination, Mevi began to become worried something had happened. As they began to leave the edges of the warm glow from the tunnel, a form stepped out from behind one of the large metallic pipe pillars. The Sentinel approached with an eager gait. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, it seemed Mevi wasn’t the only one who briefly worried if the Sentinel had disappeared.
With their group reformed, and the Sentinel robed in heavy cloth that wrapped over every part of their armor, their group set themselves back upon the bustling road. Somewhere within the Undercity was a once-was man named Modrak, and Mevi was tasked with finding this entity for the sake of her mission. With her companions at her side, Mevi followed Zelkan back onto the road to delve deeper into the Undercity.