The events of the 29th of Opal, 1061"Come along, Vash," Kuli said while pulling on his wide-brimmed preachers hat. "We need to get down to the crafts shop. Time is of the essence."
"Maester Problemwalled, I understand the need, but ... why did we wait so long? Erith has been in there for almost a week now, shouldn't we have acted sooner?"
Kuli sighed, stopping his movements. How could he explain this? That he just disliked the pornographer, that the insanity, the debauchery, the corruption inside this fortress were beginning to take their toll on him? His days were spent supervising the dwindling number of metalworkers; his nights hearing the confessions and concerns of the citizens. A good nights sleep - one not haunted by nightmares of the past - was a commodity he would have given any amount of gold to get.
"Because it was assumed he had only gone Fey. He hid this very well; it wasn't until recently that the truth came out. We must assess the situation, see if the pornographer can be saved before we make any drastic actions."
The citizens moved out of their way, a corridor of Dwarves silently watching the pair descend to the workshops. A sense of dread washed over Kuli, and the silence on the final floor did nothing to alleviate it.
Outside the crafts shop, it was deathly silent. Kuli found himself holding his breath and forced himself to exhale. His hand tightened upon the book of Zefon.
"Ready, apprentice?"
"Yes, Maester."
"Keep your Faith close. Be prepared for anything."
The door swung open, Kuli and Vash stepping quickly inside. A single candle flickered in the corner, the light falling on the destroyed workshop.
"Oh, Zefon save me, I see him," moaned Vash. He pointed to barely-lit corner where Erith slumped, mostly obscured by darkness. His face was streaked with blood, thick rivulets running down the gouges in his cheeks and matting in his beard. An unidentifiable green goo caked under his eyes, and dribbled slowly from his mouth, his nostrils, his ears. Clutched in his hand was a Basalt Bracelet.
"Vash," Kuli said, "He's ... still alive. He's breathing. Quickly, go get Archin and Rice, have them help you get him out of here and to bed."
As Vash sprinted from the room, Kuli set to work. Distastefully he took the bracelet, something he'd already mentally dubbed The Afflicted Language, between two fingers, scowling at the tainted piece of jewelry. He couldn't discount the workmanship of Red Flash Opals encrusting it's edges, finishing in an engraving of a fire snake. Two thin crosses were worked into the stone in expertly worked spidr silk.
Something on the wall caught his eye. Putting the bracelet on the table, he lifted the candle high. The pale light illuminating the smoothed wall.
Eldritch designs covered most of the surface, started in charcoal and chalk, eventually finished in blood. Sketches of unnamed horrors, of the walking dead, were crudely represented on the smoothed stone along with multiple squares, and many, many systems of grids. Foul designs, marring the purity of the shops.
Drawing closer, Kuli squinted at to read the ruddy smears of blood. He did not look up at the sound of running footsteps, lifting his hand in a quick greeting as Vash, Archin and Rice came in.
"Should we get Sulari?" Rice asked, concern in his voice.
"No, this room is empty. Keep her informed when you leave, but I... think that it has gotten out."
"...What has gotten out?" asked Archin, worried.
"Whatever caused Erith to write this-" He took a step to the side and swung the candle to the wall, illuminating the writing:
quote:
SUUUP NPMHS OREQH CFOPV MKFRK FXUCD LHKVP EJLSX XHHQA BFQWM RBHHE DJLPP EGMSK TGRPK XWLEC NHEQB JJTDR LTWPP HXWBX TBFUN TRTEH
Rice cursed, his legendary patience running briefly thin. The others turned to look at him, and he offered an embarrassed smile in apology. "Sorry fella's, I just ... can't ANYTHING around here just write normally? What's next? Our mandates start coming in tongues and codes, so more of us can be punished?"
"Hush, Rice," Kuli said gently. "Don't say that too loudly, or some unsavory Dwarves may pick up on the ideas."
[ June 04, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]
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Topic: Migrursut: What Comes After The World Ends? [Epilogue] (A Community Fort) (Read 389543 times)