Day 16: The Depths

"Auch!" I said while getting up. 

I felt neither great nor terrible, just a bit off. Yesterday I had fallen asleep with some.... difficulty. While I had found a way to cure/reverse the "curse",  I was rather weak. To be honest, when hearing the word "curse" I tended to imagine something more different, more like the "...and you shall suffer for all eternity!" type of spell. Still those undead were surprisingly scary, just imagine if I had gone completely insane. At least I could get an idea where they came from. After all, I believe, unless there was a way to get refreshments, we would have wiped them in no more than a few decades, a period of time that was nothing compared to the infestation's actual age of several centuries. No matter what, I do believe that the undead should be exterminated. There existance causes no more than suffering for the people. Were I only stronger and more competent... The few calming things I had were several pieces of information like the fact the weapon that had cursed me needs to be carried by an undead to have its effects and etc... 

"Ugh, Stri, are you fine?" Ish laid a hand on my chest to calm me down after I had awoken her with my grunts. 

"Don't bother yourself, dear. Everything is alright: no visions, no bleeding, nothing to worry about!" I smiled "I could go out at any type!"

"No, you are not. I am letting you out until you get better. If you stand for what you told me, please."

"Okay, okay. But you are staying with me here. If I get bored out of my mind, so are you." I said. 

"I will survive that somehow."  she said sarcastically. 

"Then what do you suggest, honey?" I asked. 

"A breakfast wouldn't be a bad beginning."

We quickly at a few pieces of cooked Okon meat and then I asked Ish: "Any preferred things to do?"

"Hmm, well I usually like doing more active stuff, but... Well...."

"Don't remind me. I will get fine. And I won't hurt myself anymore." I said. 

"I'm sorry for bringing that up." Ish said in a way reminding me of when I met her for the first time"I... You know, you made me like makin' stuff. Wanna challenge at who best?"

"Sounds good." I said. "And what will we be makin'."

"Let's go and see what we have first."

"Well, materials here are certainly lacking." I thought and then said "I guess sewing is out of the option." then I picked a horn "Maybe we could use those. Whoever carves the coolest thing gets a...a.. "

"A hug." suggested Ish

"Everybody wins then. Let's do it, I'm started to get bored."

"Okay."

We took a horn of some animal each, I took out my dagger out, Ish took out her short sword and we started. I cut the horn to, so I could get a segment with no sharp point and then cut the sides to get a rectangle. From it I carved the rough shape of a person, the features were rough, square. I also added some small details: hair, nose, chest. I was trying to portray Ish. I thought it'd be a cute sign of affection. 

And so we showed each other what we had. 

"It's kinda supposed to be you. Sorry for not being great." I said. 

"Oh, its adorable." said Ish as she hugged me "See mine." 

It was a figure of some animal. All you could say is that it was a four legged animal. It was lacking in details even more than mine. 

"That's a great..."

"It's a horse! See the mane, and the hooves?"

"Yes, yes. Sorry. You obviously win."

"Thank you, Stri." a moment of uncomfortable silence, Ish frowned slightly "What are we doing now?"

"Hmm, do you want to follow me to the depths of the cave?" I said. 

"You are not healthy enough..." she gave me a judging look "But what can be done? I bet you'd go without me... I'm with you."

"That's how I like you!" 

"But we are going back at the first sign of danger."

"Of course we will." I said. 

We picked up our weapons and a torch each and started walking. To be honest having a torch deeply troubled me since I could not use my scythe to its full potential. Still I do believe it could have a great effect as a tool for area control in the thigh corridors through which we would walk. 

First we passed by the few chambers, (Six in total, of varying size. Ish and I actually slept in the biggest one.) which were the closest to the surface. This is where where the living quarters of this small outpost were. Light was coming either from the entrance (a source which you could almost entirely forget about in a few minutes) a few sporadic torches. To keep us from suffocating they were notably less than what one would desire, but still something is better than nothing no matter what. At least my eyes were pretty good at seeing in the dark. 

"Do you know the way?" I inquired Ish, who was obviously leading. 

"I'm fought here. Once. Three months ago, it was about the time Krol hatched. I reminder the disappointment of missing that out. I've been to beyond the barrier once, but not that far away, if you wonder."

"Understood."

We passed two off-shoot deadend corridors which were used for storage, or empty. Several small chambers too. Occasionally the corridor was getting wider, occasionally thinner. But the most important was that we were getting deeper. Soon we saw it: the blockage, a place where Freyr had collapsed the ceiling eight years ago. Only one small opening existed, through which you'd to crawl to pass. Actually most Undead would be too big to get through it and the smaller variants supposedly inhabited the areas close to the surface. 

We got through it with not too many difficulties and then... Nothing. The cave corridors seemed absolutely the same to me. Maybe the only difference was that there were no torches at all on the walls. That's all. The only sign of some fighting having taken place here was a chamber full of broken bones. 

We were walking in an eaire silence until we got to a place where the main corridor was splitting in two, a medium sized tunnel (we'd barely be able to stand upright there, this is how big it was)  and a bigger one to the right. 

"That's it." Ish said "I no longer recognize the way."

"Well, what now?" I pondered for a bit "To the right seems better."

"Okay." 

There was barely anything of note. And they I felt it. 

Sound of claws touching the ground at every step as something was running. 

"Ish!" I shouted and quickly turned around with my scythe facing forward. 

I did so just in time to stop some type of undead dog or wolf from reaching us. It had more flesh preservered than anything I had ever seen. Furthermore even the fur was there at most places, although it was really, really dirty. Probably the only sign that this thing was not alive was the missing right half of its jaws. A notable detail, to be honest. What was it? A freshly created undead or one with a powerful spell that was keeping it moving, biting and whatever else these creatures do? 

And thanks to its inertia it ended up stabbed. After that all I needed to do were several careful moves and I had killed it. Not that problematic. 

While we were tearing it apart to guarantee its death being permanent I noticed that it had something on its neck... an amulet with something like a coin on it. From the one side were carved some symbols while on the other... there was a carving of a bone. Somewhat disturbing. I took it, though. Maybe it's a magic artifact. And even if it's not, making a collection out of random stuff might as well be a hobby of mine. 

We continued walking downwards until we reached a small room. There were two corridors we could choose on that was going upwards and one downwards. As I was wondering which one we should choose I noticed movement in the one going downwards. 

I quickly moved myself to the wall, so I wouldn't be noticed and then called Ish. 

"See." I whispered and pointed. 

The skeleton of a goblin was casually walking around. 

"We need to do something about it." Ish said. 

"Right." 

"Follow my lead!" she charged at it. 

"Wha.." while I was still trying to realize the situation Ish was bravely charging forward. 

I needed to help her. This is all I could think of, so I too charged. Using the element of surprise we destroyed the undead quite fast. Fortunately it had no weapon to threaten us. 

"What were you thinking!? What if there were more!?" I almost shouted. 

"Sorry, Stri, but we are fine. I just thought that this was the best way to keep you and I safe."

I could sense the honesty in her eyes. How are you supposed to argue with a person who means only the best for you? I couldn't. 

"Whatever better go the opposite way." I said. 

"Agree."

The corridor going upwards was calm there were multiple offshoots, but nothing particularly interesting. Thusly we continued the same path. Eventually I started sensing differences like the periodic arches above us. Somebody had been building here. Eventually we reached a half-open metal door. It was too heavy for us to open it, so we squeezed through the opening. 

"Wow!" exclaimed Ish. 

"Wow might not be enough. Correction a "wow" ISN'T enough for this." I said after looking around. 

We had entered a gigantic hall. The room was circular, thirty meters in radius and ten tall. The statue of a human, I believe, female was standing in the center. It was four meters tall, made out of white marble, although it seems like it used to be coloured long ago since there were some spots with paint. 

This was my first good look at what a proper human is like, so it'd be good not to forget it. She looked beautiful, not the fine facial features of mother, or Ish's prettiness, mind you. This was unerthly beauty. Something foreign and dangerous. But simply describing the feeling I got from seeing the statue was not enough. Better describe the face first: the skin was pale white, only a few shades off the statue's marble itself. The hair was long, going all the way to the the hip, and straight, black in colour. The lips were saturated red, while the eyes green. The woman was wearing a black robe with golden decorations.

And the most surprising fact was that I could see no sign of danger. 

"Better check the place fast."

"Right."

And so we started looking around. To my right I saw something like a table with some drawers. There were several items on the table, mainly transparent flasks of not too big size. The material they were made out of felt quite strong. They were all empty, though. No matter what, I took the flasks. 

I started opening the drawers. 

A small flask full of something black and a small stick with metallic end. Drawing materials I was about to realize 

Empty

Empty 

Sheets of paper, nothing on them

Sheets of paper with several black and white drawings. There are depicted landscapes I can't recognize and people. I have no idea who they are supposed to be. Let me see. 

Painting one shows a man with a big sword preparing for attack. The area around him is depicted as if it's burning, but the man doesn't seem to mind. He is wearing a heavy armour that covers most of his body. His shield itself has an insignia of some sorts. It depicts a stylized land with the sky. Weirdly enough two celestial bodies, moons probably, can be seen. The next one shows a group of soldiers, including both the man from before (although a helmet doesn't obstruct his face this time) and the woman from the statue. The next one gave me idea who the man was. The Abaddon from legends. 

I and the other goblins who I have talked don't know (although there are probably others who do) much about the wars against the undead. Only that they were originally a race of men, who suddenly appeared one day centuries ago and sought to bring destruction to everybody on their way. All sorts magical and mechanical constructs were under their disposal. Every race from every corner of the world had allied under the direct banner of the Gods to stop them. And yet even they were giving casualties, Ayla the Red and the Forging Father are two examples I can think of and mind you, most dead Gods are not well known (for obvious reasons). Jörtanmir the Howling One, who is said to be the guardian of these lands lost his eyes and three of his his four arms in that war. And he fought against a single man, a single being named Abaddon. There was a drawing of this exact event. At the moment I didn't know what scared me more. The fact that Abandon was could not be killed, just imprisoned or that I was at what was probably the living room of a person who was quite close to him. For heaven's sake, there was even a drawing of Abandon posing! 

"Better not think about it." I told myself and picked up everything. 

Who knows maybe I could try drawing? 

Just as I was going to move on, I heard Ish scream. 

Five, no six, no seven, eight, nine.... Sixteen undead goblins had just entered the room. Most were closing in on Ish, but she seemed ready. Six were attacking me. I charged forward with my scythe to push them back, but I was kicked away. I landed in what appeared to be a semi-separated zone of the room, I failed to pick up more details, though. It felt like a small shrine or something of this type. 

I touched the ground with my bare hands and then everything started to feel weird. First the world seemed paler, more white. An immeasurable amount of energy felt like was going to pass through me, descimating my mind. And the undead were like imbued with a complex network, stretching across the entire body. Dozens of signals were firing with every move. 

I wonder if that's what controls them. 

Just as I was thinking that, probably in my subconscious, passed the idea of destroying this... spell, I assumed this is what I was seeing. Not exactly quickly, maybe because I didn't know the spell's weak spot, the skeletons started to loose control of their body parts and eventually stopping moving for good. 

But the pressure I was feeling on my soul was too much. I had to step aside from that place.  

Ish rushed towards me. 

"What was that?!" she asked. 

"Magic... I think." I said. 

"And since when you were capable of that?" Ish looked... confused. 

"Let me see..." I started to speak, while simultaneously trying to concentrate myself and create a fireball, which failed, not even the slightest trace of magic. "Try going in this.. shrine. You will get a better idea of what happened."

"Okay." Ish went in, closed her eyes and breath in. Nothing happened. 

"Huh?"

"There is nothing, Stri." she said. 

"Let me try again." I said and went in. 

I was feeling the pressure once more. 

"Calm yourself, think of fire." I said to myself and then open my eyes a small fireball was a few centimeters away from my head. 

It collapsed almost immediately. I started to feel sick and vomited several times. I am thankful to Ish for being by my side. 

She, by the way, had me luck looting the place since she had found three metal knives. They had weird design, to be honest. 

We returned to the camp and rested before going to sleep. I tried to make myself perform magic once again, but I had no success at all. When I go back to the village I should have a serious talk with Freyr. 

Whatever. The important thing was that I was quite well. Nothing compared to what I felt like yesterday. 

Ish and I also happened to have a quite active evening before we went to sleep, but that was for the day.