Chapter 51 - Tunnels

The ceiling shook loose dust that had not been disturbed for no one knew how long.

The glass walls buckled, but they stood fast against the weight of it, with the roots to reinforce.

They'd been walking along the hard black stone floor for some time now.

The light coming from the water was smooth, and easing, but it was nothing short of torment for the man who felt only cold.

His body's ability to feel temperature was in complete disarray, with what his mind understood, and his heart beat was extremely high as a result, making him light headed.

Constance looked ahead.

It was quite the challenging path for him, she knew that much, and chose to speak, to ease the journey which had already been unbearably silent, "So? What's the capital like?"

She felt a stinging sensation on her cheek from the silent but scathing look Argo sent her.

She didn't feel like it was deserved, but he also looked like a zombie, so she merely replied, with a well-maintained smile, "Work with me."

"...It's terribly quiet." He rolled his eyes over to the glass tubes on either side of them, that could break at any moment, and suck them into those pipes.

"Really?" Her brows furrowed, the capital from what she'd heard was nothing but loud noises, and people everywhere?

"No, I lied," Argo's head pounded, but at least, the ire in her eye seemed to ease his heart for some reason, his tone changed slightly as he recalled his time there, in the imperial capital, "It's actually very loud. Too loud, for how quiet the people are. They shout and scream but say nothing. Everyone there is hiding something."

Her face looked constipated. What kind of answer was that? 

"..." Constance stared down at him, he didn't seem to be lying, and she regained control of her face, "...Then? What are some good places to visit?" 

Dust fell from the ceiling, yet Argo merely levied a glance at it.

For as much as his body shook and his flesh froze, for as much as he wanted to live, his mind was gradually beginning to resist the fear due to the constant exposure.

Though his body was afraid, his mind was clearing.

"I hear the East is a wonderful place to retire." He couldn't think a single place in the Capital worth visiting, and he didn't want to think about the capital either, "Any recommendations?"

It would only cause an even bigger headache.

Constance raised a brow, "How did you know I'm from the east?"

All information about her was kept extremely quiet with only a select few knowing about her homeland, since it could cause a dispute with another nation, if she was born in a border zone of some sort.

Anyone who knew where she was born, was not the type of person that Argo would be able to get into contact with.

Argo didn't look, as he replied, "A hunch."

He was busy counting the number of clicks in the walls, for every interval. His body was anticipating the shockwaves now, causing him to flinch from time to time.

She felt frustrated, that he wouldn't give a proper answer, but, she saw the girl looking up at her for the first time in a long time, and chose to reign it in.

She was clearly curious to hear about it.

She slowly spoke, the smell of salt filled her nose and refreshed her body, as she was reminded of that place, "...Cold. It's very cold on eastern shores. The people are very kind. They don't have time for fighting one another, with winter colds always a day away. But they would share their last loaf of bread with you even in a famine. And if they thought something was unfair, they'd fight tooth and nail to make it right even if it wasn't their business."

Bridland.

He had expected as much based off of the ethics that she held, as well as her mannerisms, which seemed to transcend the churches attempts at turning her into a machine.

Core values that seemed unshakable, her personality which shone from time to time through the mask of a hero, had given her away.

No one, not even a hero, would be worried about anything other than themselves, in such a complex life or death situation, where one couldn't even guarantee their own life, or beyond that, one didn't even have the agency to gamble for a chance at life.

Yet, he could tell she was worried.

And it wasn't about herself.

Only a person from Bridland, would maybe have such an outlook, and such a stalwart one as well.

"Festivals?" How they had managed to take her from there, without anyone noticing, was not for him to consider, there was already too much in his mind, and so he threw it to the back.

Constance nodded, looked at the girl, who had yet to blink and wondered if it was bad for her eyes, "Like no other. Karlan might have them big. But ours last weeks. It's a celebration of life, and a remembrance of the lost. We gather at the foot of the snow hills, or at the bottom of the cape, to meet with their souls. At least... that's what they believe. I know that they're with the Goddess, and not there but, I don't think there's a need to be annoying about it, if it means so much to them and doesn't hurt anyone." 

"..." Argo looked up at her, his eyes a little wide. The shock had stemmed the strangeness in his body.

Her eyes narrowed at him, she didn't know why, but she felt ruthlessly insulted by his eyes, her tone came out with some venom, "What?"

Argo turned back to look ahead, focusing back on the clicks.

He shook his head a little, his eyes becoming faraway again, he knew the girl wanted to hear more, and so he kept it short, "I misjudged you. Tell me more."

She wanted to ask him what he misjudged her on, or make a remark on it, but she also saw how the girl wanted to hear more.

And aside from Constance, or Argo, they both were hyper aware of the fact they were travelling through all of this, with a child.

The wellbeing, and the mental state of that child came first, for them, something they could agree on and put first even in the situation they were in.

Her lips slowly parted, looking down at her with a little smile, "More? ...I guess, on the final night of the festival, all of the kids usually come together except for a few, to play find the lamb. The big group will hunt the smaller hiding group, and whoever finds the most lambs wins." 

Argo peered ahead. They were rising in altitude, it was sharp enough now to notice clearly. The strength was returning to his body, the sturdiness of a Knight was nothing to scoff at.

His lips parted, "What?"

"What do you mean what?" Constance looked up ahead at what he was looking at, but didn't find anything.

Argo's eyes narrowed a little impatiently, they were coming up on something, he didn't want to scare anyone yet, "What do you they win?"

She laughed a little, thinking about it before replying, "Bragging rights? I guess? It's just fun. You've never had fun before?" 

She had hoped that maybe the girl would be interested, but it looked like she had lost her, as she was now staring ahead as well.

Her heart ached for the ordinary girl, who had been dragged into all of this. She was never meant to be here, and Constance could only say her prayers that she would survive, and go on to lead a magnificent life, after this place.

On the other hand, Argo was caught in that thought.

Had he had fun before?

In his memory... there were a few, yet his reply was decided, "No." 

He didn't care to be asked about it. The clicking had grown to a place where it was now evident even to Constance, who was a little sour about his response, since she could tell he was lying.

But, the time for talking had come to an end.

Though they had been walking slowly due to Argo's injuries, as well as his body under fire by the memories trying to drag him around, they had still been on the move nonetheless.

The water was growing more clear.

She investigated the pipes of clear glass around them a little more closely, beyond the fog of intense magic that obscured her vision.

There were thin, thinner than the roots, bars that were in the pipe itself, blocking larger items from getting through, like a sieve, the speed at which those items were moving, one would imagine them getting cut to mist after a few pass throughs.

It was remarkable that there were still some recognizable pieces of corpses in that water at all.

The clicking grew.

An explosion rocked the underground, but it was not enough to send them off their feet, or force them to brace.

It was further away.

She didn't know how far they'd walked, but, they had not stopped a single time since arriving down here.

Argo shifted, and she stopped to turn. His feet were rooted in place, and his pale face was facing forward, peering at something she could not see.

Another illusion?

Her hands balled into a fist. She forced her insight further, but there was nothing there. Just more black stone ground, and more pipes.

She whispered, not knowing what was going on, with her other hand wrapping around the handle of her sword, "...What is it?" 

"...White. Very white stones, aligned in a chaotic pattern on a wall. Each stone has a carving on it of different types of fish," Argo's eyes narrowed, his headache was growing stronger, was the magic density increased in this place? He didn't know, "It's a puzzle." 

He let go of her shoulder. He felt the strength in his legs. It had been enough time to recover at least that much.

She couldn't use her holy power here, or her magic, lest they be discovered for it, since there were only a few people that could use magic left, and only one that could use holy power.

Against Masters, it was not guaranteed that they couldn't pin point them the instant it was used, either.

He stepped forward with difficulty. His muscles themselves felt torn. He knew he was on a clock, before he would become unable to move at all.

The adrenaline would run out, but he didn't know when.

He was sweating up a storm, stood before that gate, with a twelve by twelve patterns of different types of fish on it.

Sun Fish, Earth Fish, Sky Fish, Sea Fish.

Elemental Fish...? His gaze darkened. They were each fish that had a specific nature to them. The four elements that are thought to make up all things. 

Amidst the twelve by twelve, there were empty squares as well, and there were some that had fallen off the gate entirely, broken off.

"...Hey... Don't, move." Argo was still, at Constance's words.

He heard a click, followed by another, and another.

Those, weren't gear noises anymore. They were quieter. Hidden inside of the great cacophony of this place.

Something peeled off the wall.

As soon as it did, the illusion broke for Constance, as she could see their intentions, and therefor could see through the veil at them.

That tear brought it all down in that space.

It's foot stepped from the darkness, she saw it's long arm reach out from the illusion to cut her and it down! The clicking was fast! 

But she was faster...! 

She drew before it's sword could fall onto her head, and split her open, catching the strike her knees instantly buckled underneath her, and her jaw tightened.

Her eyes widened.

An armor wielding a sword, the size of a man, like Awick, huge and wide as well, gears spun under the armor clicking quickly as it's form moved through space, making it look inhuman as it's agility did not match it's form.

"Behind." 

Her pupils shrank, she ducked, and a sword cut right where he midsection had been, giving her a near haircut, there were more peeling off the walls...?!?!

"D-, door! Get the door open! Hurry up!" Her sword found it's mark through a gap in the armor, the teeth of the gears snapped against her blade, but they were weaker than her sword.

The automaton fell forward towards her, it's arm swinging, and it's other trying to grab her. A single break in the complex machine that was the living golem was not enough to break everywhere else.

She grit her teeth and let go of her sword, weaving out from underneath it, before getting behind it, the other one that was still up descended upon her, but she used it's forward weight to send it flying over her. 

Her eyes fiercely turned to Argo, "Anytime now!" 

But Argo's hands had long been on the move.