The Last Lands

CHAPTER 25 IT'S WHAT YOU DESERVED

The cavern beyond the waterfall was filled with screams that passed through the freezing veil. Blood had begun to pool in the dips of the rocky floor. The last followers of the Sect of the Spider wept and prayed to Voss Nova, recanting their heresy as they bled out in the rapidly darkening cave. The sky darkened rapidly beyond the veil, briefly turning the water silver against the black backdrop. The wind had died within the cavern, and so did the screaming. The smell of blood and rot crept up the walls like a fetid, shadowy creature.

Kad Ekiszika's fled, the chains rattling around his wrists and towards his ankles. The spider-like creature roared, its former body still hanging beneath its growing carapace like a bloody marionette. One of its giant legs soared through the air, crashing in between he and the other Consumers. Kad fell backwards as splinted rocks flew through the air. Naika and Bimi had huddled against the captive family who wept and held each-other closer.

“Kad!” Naika screamed.

Behind them, Kad could feel brushes of chilled wind crawling towards them.

We have to get to the tunnels!

“Naika, take the others, run through the tunnels!” He shouted as the creature bellowed.

Naika turned towards where they were, opening her mouth to protest.

“Bimi, are you ready?” Kad asked the cowering old man, who looked at him with reinvigoration.

The creature crept towards them with its scythe-like legs splintering the stone. Kad turned to it, his teeth gnawing at each-other, bracing himself for the monstrosity as it approached. With a yell, Kad extended his mouth, feeling the muscles loosen and extend, the flesh extending, serpent-like into the air. The jaws extended wide, and Kad began to feed.

“Wait, pushta!” Bimi shouted from beyond a veil.

The world became a kaleidoscope, energy whirled around him, but it was not the nourishment he had grown accustomed to. It was tainted, sour, filling his body with a sickly delight. The creature screeched, stamping its spear-like feet, digging deeper into the ground. It pulled back, fighting against the draining sensation. Kad dug his heels, feeling the creature recede.

It's too strong! We can't hold on!

He heard someone shout as a Consumer stood by him, ripping their head-cover off. Bimi yelled as the mouth on top of his head popped outwards, snaking upwards in the air. It was paler than the rest of his body, as wrinkled as the rest of his body, and its jaws opened reluctantly, lazily gaping in the air. It gulped heavily before extending his fangs, swallowing the dark energy heavily. The creature screamed again, its legs beginning to buckle. Bimi did not fare much better, his legs weakening, with Kad only able to watch.

Have to keep draining it, have to scare it away, or something!

The creature began to growl with rage, the body still swinging beneath it. It struggled itself upwards, as Bimi began to wane. Kad felt himself grow dizzy, when the third set of footsteps pounded behind them. Naika ripped off her covers too, unleashing her mouth, vicious, teeth gnashing and biting. She grabbed her grandfather's hand as together they began tod rain the creature. The monstrous cry was deafening as it began to sink lower to the ground, growing weaker. Kad heard Naika call out as the foul energy entered her mouth.

We're doing it, it's weakening!

The creature did not remain still, however. With a final flurry of movement, more abyssal webs carved their way through the air, latching themselves onto the rocky pillars and stalactites. Each web seemed to ave a property of its own, some froze the rocks, some exploded, and some caused the pillars to melt. The spiked lumps rained towards them, crashing heavily, exploding into thousands of pieces. They buffeted the Consumers, who could only shield themselves with their arms, tiny pieces of shrapnel tearing at their skin. The cavern air became heavy with the dangerous webs, creeping all the way up to the ledges where the strange cloaked figures watched from afar. Kad could feel the pressure they emitted begin to rise as they gathered closer, energy pooling in their palms. The web quickly struck forwards at them as if it had its own directive, skewering on of the members, then burning him greatly. His shout was almost human, polluted with dread and horror as the webs melted the flesh beneath his cloak.

I can feel them, they are gathering energy, but it's so foul! It's almost like this creature's!

Five of the cloaked figures muttered something, a chant among themselves, as energy pooled in their hands, one was the colour of swirling blood, the other was the insides of a glacier, and both began to spiral quickly, forming whirlpools in their palms. Kad felt the two distinct, yet strange energies vibrate, rapidly swirling and lashing as the spell-casters brought their hands together. The energy changed, turning a deep, luxurious purple, a third strange colour lighting in the darkness of the cavern. The Consumers felt the energy drain from them, the strange sensation of the new power becoming heavy.

What is this? A new kind of magic?

One of the cloaked figures called out, and the purple energy bounded from between the enclosed fingers of each of them. Five beams of energy soared through the air, carving their way through the shadowy cave and exploded onto the back of the abomination. The creature reeled, lifting several of its mighty legs upwards, pulling away from the Consumers. The energy scorched the creature, which wriggled and struggled away, sinking away like a spider hiding from the light. One of the beams ricocheted off of the creatures chitinous hide, bouncing upwards to the ceiling. The world shook and tremored as the cave began to drip jagged rocks, each splintering as they collided with the ground.

Kad turned to the weakened Consumers. He could feel the creature's dark energy coursing through his veins. It was sustenance, but no more than eating rotten meat would be for a Humie. He gritted his teeth as he pulled at the chains, bursting them free from his wrists. His vision was a dizzying blue of noise and overwhelming presence. He could feel Naika helping Bimi up, hear the flesh of the mountain tearing at itself as rock after rock began to crumble and crush the cavern below. Kad lept forwards, feeling the weakened energies of the others, and struck at Naika with his shoulder, knocking her and himself away from crushing debris. She panted, stunned.

“Take them, escape into the tunnels!” He shouted over continuous explosions.

The purple energies had faded, dissapearing into a different network of unseen veins.

“Poppo!” She shouted.

Bimi was cradled on his knees as the last of the candle light went extinct. Somewhere in the darkness, the malevolent monstrosity continued to roar.

“Hurry, we'll catch up to you!” Kad shouted.

Without looking back, he bounded tot he old man, grabbing him by the shoulders as they were constantly assaulted by solid, sharp rain. There was a terrible thunder as the gap behind them began to close itself with rocks and boulders. Bimi's feet scratched against the ground, unable to find his footing as Kad hastily dragged him towards where the last of the airflow remained. Further into the mountain, was more sickly thunder, as tunnels were closed by landslides.

Whoever those people are, they're sealing off the tunnels!

He heard Naika scream as she ushered the family through one of the tunnels, her shimmer now obscured by layers of crushed rock. Kad ducked his head, groping with his hands to find his way. Great pillars of rock had been formed, walls enclosing tunnels as he dragged the old man further into the deepening caves. The current of air lingered, but it was fading, now a pile of rocks formed its entrance. He could hear Naika getting further away, disappearing down an adjacent tunnel with a pack of strangers, while he was left with the old man.

“Up, Bimi! Climb!” He shouted, pushing the old man towards the rock pile.

Instinct took Bimi over, and he scrambled up the rocks. There was a small gap at the top, perhaps too narrow for most Sapes, but the slender Consumer wriggled himself through, and Kad followed, leaving behind the cavern of many screams.

*****

The tunnel was even cooler than the cavern, the memories of the constant falling water now faded beyond waking moments. The great bellows of the creature still filtered through the ancient walls as the Consumers scrambled through the make-shift tunnel between the crushing rocks and ceiling. Claws scraped at their backs as they followed the trail of the cooling breeze, the haunting shrieks of wind beginning to die behind them. Kad heard Bimi exclaim as he tumbled slightly, as the landslide descended, the sound of his chains jingling as they dropped. He followed quickly, sliding down the rugged rocks until his feet were reacquainted with the cold floor beneath them. Kad brushed off the excess of dust and detritus on his fine cloak, as Bimi leaned against the wall, his revealed mouth still agape.

“Muymum....” He whispered, pained. “We have to find muymum, we have to find her...”

“We will.” Kad said patiently. “She went down another tunnel with the other captives, she's not alone, Bimi.”

Bimi's frail hand groped against the cold wall. Even here, the sounds of dripping water were constant.

“Should never have come...I should never have brought her here...”

Kad sighed as he tightened the scabbard to his waist. Their bags of supplies were gone, and the freezing air was constantly biting. Bimi dropped his hands back to his side, the metal chains rattling.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Kad said, withdrawing one of his looted knives adorned to his waist.

He crouched down, and using a similar technique to what he heard Naika to be using, inserted the tip of the blade, and wriggled it.

“She's a Hel of a girl, your muymum. How she knew how to get out of these, I have no idea.”

Bimi rested his head back towards the wall, whispering a prayer to himself.

“Forgive me, Mother in the Sky, for straying from the path you lead us.”

Kad grunted as the tip of the blade slipped from the chains, and then again, as he persisted, slapping the hilt with his palm until there was a pop. He laughed proudly as the chains fell to the floor, and Bimi began to massage his wrists, still muttering almost incoherently under his breath. Kad felt the chill creep through both sets of teeth, the top of his head shivering and wriggling. His stomach began to writhe, the tainted taste of the creature's malevolence refusing to sit still within him. Kad stepped away from the distraught elder, examining the tunnel before them.

It goes on for a long time, at least a mile. I can hear the wind though, which must mean an exit.

The cavern stood taller than he, at least seven-feet upwards, wide enough for him and Bimi to walk side-by-side. It was relatively smooth, as if carved with the sole purpose of traversing the depth of the mountains. The mountain was silent, but for the dull thudding that reverberated within it from far away.

“There's an exit somewhere down there, Bimi. Can you walk?”

“No, pushta! We must wait! We must wait, and figure out how we can find my muymum!” Bimi wailed.

Kad felt the anger pulsating in his body as he turned to the old man.

“You want to wait? Wait here then. Wait for Naika, who is travelling down a completely different tunnel to ours, through a place we don't know, possibly chased by strangers in cloaks. Wait here, after all it was your idea to talk to the cultists, and that worked out just great, right?”

Kad spun quickly, feeling his fists begin to shake, as Bimi sunk to the floor, sobbing without tears. Kad squeezed his fists, trying to dissipate the rage.

“Come on, we can feel sorry for ourselves when we're out of here. Whoever those people are, they could be right behind us. You felt that weird energy right? I've never sensed anything like it before, have you?”

Bimi remained silent, cradling his face in his pitiful state. Kad hissed a furious breath between his teeth and stomped towards the old man, hoisting him up by his dusty and ragged cloak.

“Listen here, old man.” He growled. “I'm leaving; I'm heading through the tunnel and towards the current of air. You can come with me, but I'm leaving now.”

“But...but muymu-”

Kad pushed the old Consumer towards the wall, rage swallowing him.

“Where do you think she's at now, huh?” He hissed. “I felt her leave, with the other family through that tunnel, they were escaping too, like us. So, they're in one tunnel, and we're in the other, with no way back. You want to just sit here and feel sorry for yourself? What's the matter with you? Naika told me you were a fighter, that you were strong.”

He released Bimi, who gaped his mouth idly, turning away in shame.

“You...you are right, pushta.” Bimi said in a low voice, groping at the wall. “I am sorry.”

Kad straightened his back, releasing his frustration, his thoughts becoming clear again.

What does it matter if he comes with us? Leave him here, he'll only slow us down.

Kad sighed, stepping away from Bimi, feeling the tempting breeze call for him.

“Things are different out here, aren't they?” Bimi said, no more than a whisper.

“Yeah.” Kad said plainly. “Like I was trying to tell you.”

“I just thought...I hoped that away from the city, people would have the chance to be good again. Things are different, pushta, much different than my time. Young people are ruder, the streets are more dangerous. People would rather watch the Spherevision than spend time with one another.”

Clack.

“That's a load.” Bimi said, annoyed. “If people didn't watch the Spherevision then they ignored each-other watching newspapers, crime is the same as it was, and didn't I hear you got arrested before I was even born? Things haven't changed, you just got older.”

Bimi squeezed at a lump of rock in the dark.

“I wish I didn't, pushta. I wish I had more time. I could have helped so many more.”

Kad rolled his head on his neck, feeling the biting frustration brewing again.

“Maybe you still can, Bimi. What was that place you are going to again? Gentle Grove or something?”

“Gentle Stream. Oh, Mother in the Sky...what if I'm wrong about that too? What if there is no haven for any of us out here?”

“I suppose we'll find out, one way or another. For starters, let's find our way out of these tunnels. With any luck, we'll find Naika on the way, right?”

Kad smiled, knowing it would be unseen, feeling the doubt gnaw at his ankles like a persistent rat. He felt Naika escape, but she had gone further into the mountain than they.

What if there is no escape for her?

Bimi smiled back, Kad felt its warmth in the damp, freezing cavern, the threat of doubt nowhere to be seen.

“You are right pushta. Let us leave this place.”

The two walked in awkward silence in the great empty tunnel, with only the ever present scraping of wind to keep them company. Kad walked quickly, but Bimi trudged in a dizzy state, still holding on to the wall for safety.

“C'mon, you've got to keep up, old man.” Kad said irritably.

“You always call me old man, pushta. Have you no respect?” Bimi said with a tired smile. “Our word for elder is Tanka, yes?”

Kad gritted his teeth.

Clack.

He turned quickly, feeling the anger grope at the back of his head, but Bimi could not increase his pace, panting softly with every step.

Right, like you're worthy of respect, we're here because of you!

“Wait, pushta. I need some water, if you have some.”

Kad growled with frustration.

“Then maybe you should have brought some with you, old man. Why should I give you mine?”

“Please pushta, I lost mine in the cave-”

“The cave where your stupidity got us, yeah I remember.”

“I-I am sorry, pushta. I only thought-”

“That things would be just like they are in the city, or a hundred years ago when you were a kid, yeah I get it. Except they ain't, Bimi. People will do anything to survive out here, at any cost of any people, now we're stuck in some mountain and almost sacrificed to a damned spider-god. Worse, it's what you deserved, but no, you had to bring me and Naika in to this mess.”

Bimi crumpled.

“You are right again, pushta.” Bimi said in a hollow whisper. “Perhaps things haven't changed after-all.”

Kad sighed and crouched before Bimi.

“Things have changed, old man.” He said sympathetically. “We're in the Age of Discovery now. I know I'm not as old as you, but I've been surviving out here for a few months now. I'm getting' the hang of it, so I just need you to listen to me, alright? We'll find Naika, and we'll get you to Gentle Stream in one piece, got it?”

Bimi nodded solemnly.

“I get it, pushta.”

Kad reached for his water-skin and handed it to the old Consumer.

Maybe we shouldn't promise getting people out of here in one piece when we're not even sure what else is in here.

*****

The mountain had been opened, a great hole had been bored into the ceiling, revealing a sprawling forest flanked by mist that led towards more mountainous teeth. The path they followed crumbled to a slope of fallen rocks from years past. Kad held Bimi back, sniffing the air. The mountain breeze was invigorating, far from the overwhelming scent of damp rocks and fading blood they had grown accustomed to. The half-moon cast its pink light towards them, stars became thousands of candles that guided their way, illuminating something in front of them.

There's something here, something old.

“Stay close.” Kad ordered, before quickly descending the rocky slope.

There was a musty scent, melded with vegetation. It was not the forest, but newer springs than the ancient conifers that gripped the mountains sides. Kad felt the chill grow as the mountain sent a gale towards them, through his cloak and down into the depths of the dark tunnel. Kad was halfway down the slope when a scattering of rocks collided with something in front of them.

It's a building! Here, in the mountain?

Bimi lowered himself slowly, crouching down and reaching out to Kad for a hand, who helped him down carefully.

“What is that? Do you smell that, pushta?” Bimi exclaimed.

“Yeah.” Kad said, reaching out his hand.

His fingers gently brushed against a solid remnant of a wall, a strange and rough texture, similar to concrete. He gently rapped his knuckles against it, feeling the solid weight give nothing back. It was large, taking up most of the space of the cavern. Its two stories had splintered as if it were dropped through the very hole above them. Most of it was slumped against the pile of rubble, unable to stand under millennia of decay.

It must have been here since the Old Age, at least. Amazing how it hasn't completely disintegrated...

Part of the forest had crept through the gap in the mountain, claiming the old building. It had a strange style to it, unlike any architecture built in New Peridios. It had an ancient feel to it, even still has plants had taken to growing in between its weeping walls. Kad ran his hand along the scaly surface, until he reached something more familiar. There was wood, smooth, although disused by time. It did not feel rotten, but retained much of its solid state.

“This wood...it's not even decayed. Its still standing.” Kad said, knocking his knuckle against it.

“Hmm, such mysteries from the old world.” Bimi mused, similarly running his hands along the wall.

More of the wooden structures had been splintered and broken beneath the structure. A pair of ancient doors sat at the face of the building, born torn from their hinges and thrown to the floor. Boulders and rocks were buried into the slanted roof like fallen meteors. The old musk was emanating from within. The cavern curved around the building, the tunnel ending here.

“What is this place, do you think?” Kad asked.

“I could not say, pushta. It does not look like it should be here, though.”

“The tunnel ends here.” Kad said tiredly. “Perhaps there's something inside.”

“Maybe we should turn back, Kad.” Bimi said nervously. “Perhaps we can find other tunnels, one might lead us to Naika.”

Kad sighed, unenthused about the idea of crossing the creature or the strange cloaked figures again.

“Although, I admit I am curious.” Bimi purred, still caressing the old building. “Perhaps there are answers here.”

“Just a quick look, then.” Kad said, not admitting his excitement and curiosity.

The door-frames were built for a larger people, but in its crushed state, it was bowed towards them, barely tall enough even for the short Consumers. The smell of ancient dust seeped through its dilapidated skin, cloying spores and old memories entangled within.

“Why would this be here?” Kad asked, stepping past the deepening frame.

“A house in the mountains, perhaps.” Bimi said solemnly, following.

They entered into a broken foyer, the jagged rock floor reaching upwards, broken pieces of a building from a different age were strewn around everywhere. The second floor reached downwards, splintered wood and metal hanging like stalactites. The room was deceptively larger than what Kad expected, with the remnants of three other door frames leading to elsewhere. Before them were the remains of a staircase, its marble steps barely recognisable beyond their shape. The upper landing had sunken totally into itself, revealing only a nest of broken fibre and metal. Kad spun slowly, absorbing the entrance room, feeling what it must have been like before its ruin. The air was clean here, the smell of must still hanging to the skeleton of the building.

“Do you sense anything, pushta?” Bimi asked cautiously.

“No.” Kad said in a low voice. “There's nothing moving, at least.”

From beyond the cavern, the sounds of the mountain wind dulled down to a din. A gentle breeze stirred the moss and hanging plants that had relocated to this shattered shrine to the old world, but the rest was still.

“Wait a minute, I can feel something. Somethings.” Kad said, scanning his head around.

Bimi stopped and stood at attention, sniffing the air.

“Yes, yes I can too, pushta. Faint, somehow familiar.”

There were traces in the air of Nexos energy, though not the familiar surge they had become accustomed to back in the city, where it was everywhere. Nexos had the power to fuel Vehicles like the shift-mobiles, trams and elevators, lights and advertisements, but it was also said to the conduit what gave those with magical abilities their power. He could feel traces of it in the wind, no less obtrusive then walking down New Spire, with its huge billboards and constant streams of movement. Here, there were fainter traces of it, leading through the other rooms, sunken into some forgotten relic.

“Let's go this way.” Kad said, jerking his head towards the door on the very far left.

Part of the wall collapsed here, but Kad was able to easily lift up the timbers, spraying a cloud of concrete dust over himself. Bimi shimmied quickly past him as he held it, before finally dropping it behind him. The room they had entered grew darker than where they had entered, and narrower. Kad could tell there were objects here, stones that radiated with Nexos. There were the remnants of display cabinets, their glass walls had grown mouldy as they lay in pieces, much of the same wood as the timbers had only just begun to show signs of decomposition. Bimi bent over, feeling the energy that drifted off of the rocks.

“What are they?” Kad asked.

Bimi rubbed his chin, gingerly reaching for one, but hesitating.

“Stones with some traces of energy, yes?” Bimi said to himself. “I have not heard of such things. Be careful not to touch them, pushta. We do not know how they might react.”

Kad had swung his foot to kick at one of them, and stopped it quickly, stumbling slightly. His boots cracked at the old glass that lay by the rubble. The room ended in a doorway that was slightly askew.

“Let's keep going.” He said to Bimi.

The two crouched through the entrance and entered a much larger room. Here the light spilled down freely, illuminating a great marble statue. Kad could not recognise the form, but could feel its majesty, even under unseen starlight. It stood higher than if Bimi was on Kad's shoulders, a great monument to a forgotten creature. Its plinth had been shattered slightly by whatever impact had sustained this place, and it wavered, leaning towards one of the ruined walls. It was once a great reptile with an open mouth, four sturdy legs and a set of great wings. Now, half a wing was missing, and scratches and weathering had worn much of the detail of the great creature. Bimi whimpered with awe, stepping cautiously closer to it. He placed a withered had towards it, and lowered it, finding a plaque on its plinth. He wiped away at the grime, and traced the writing with his fingers.

“Ah!” He hissed. “It is not braille. I cannot read it.”

“No matter.” Kad said, stepping slowly behind him, standing in front of the forgotten creature. “I can't read that anyway.”

Bimi turned around in shock.

“You never learned?”

“Never saw the point.” Kad said, stretching his back nonchalantly. “Never saw the point in reading.”

Bimi tsked as he stepped away.

“No, no pushta. To know how to read is to know how to learn. In my day, every Consumer knew had to read, it was mandatory!”

Kad shrugged.

“If I need to know something, I'll ask 'em, usually.”

Bimi shook a finger at Kad.

“Do you know what histories Consumers have before the New Age? Hmm? Do you?”

“I mean, a little-”

“No.” Bimi said sternly. “No you don't. There are no records of our people in the Old Age. We have legends, yes, legends that the Mother of the Sky opened her maw on the night of red darknesses, but that was not long before the New Age.”

“There has to be someone. A scholar, probably.”

“There are no histories, none written, and little passed orally. We are a mystery, pushta, as unknown as we are feared.”

Kad crossed his arms and thought about that for a second.

I had heard the legend of the Mother giving life to us, but I always thought there was more history to it than that. I just thought I didn't care enough to learn it.

“I have read through much that I could, my friends with sight have often translated Evean and Arcane books to me, but there is very little to tell us about where we came from, who we were, what our societies were like before Peridios.”

Bimi walked away from the great statue. Elsewhere in the room were smashed tables and desks, and another door to another room. Along the walls were empty, broken frames, whose paintings had long since faded away or given themselves up to mould. Bimi stopped, wiping at his head, leaning on a large piece of rubble to rest his old legs.

“You said to me before you thought the Mother of the Sky was real, an actual person.” Kad said. “How do you know that if there aren't any records of us?”

Bimi leant himself down slightly, bouncing on his feet to stretch his joints.

“An old book. Light of a dying world, by the Knowledge-Spirit, Eyner. It was thought to just be a story of folk-lore, but many believe it is now a document of what drove the people to New Peridios. The night of red darknesses.”

Bimi allowed himself to sit down on the accumulated rocks, exhaling gratefully.

“And what?”

“It is there, Kad, where the first and only record I could find of a true mother to the Consumers lies. I do not remember the passage text in its entirety, but it tells of a great being, powerful, with many hungry mouths, arriving with an army of sapient creatures with mouths for heads, that could drain a man of their very being. Sounds familiar, yes?”

Kad rubbed at his arms.

“You really think you'll find out something about us here?”

“I would like to. To create the first and only history of the Consumer people before I pass on to the next world. That would be my dream, pushta.”

Some dream. Is there really no record of us before New Peridios? How did we even end up there?

“We've gotta find our way out of this cave first, before we start thinking about dreams.”

“Yes, you are right.” Bimi said, pushing himself up.

The two followed the doorway, feeling almost compelled. They could sense something else, more Nexos energy, slightly more concentrated from before. The next room they had been led into held another stairway, broken and destroyed beyond repair. Broken pieces of marble and wood were everywhere, some still resembling parts of faces and animals Kad and Bimi stepped over a fallen door that creaked under their weight, when the smell of Nexos grew stronger.

“There, can you feel it?” Kad asked.

“It is nearby, pushta, though I know not what it is.”

The third room held figures carved out a strange, synthetic material Kad had never smelled before. Each of them were posing, though most had fallen over, and carried small traces and smells of clothes that decomposed over time. A broken glass cabinet revealed an array of rusted swords and halberds. A door to the right of the room led to another room, but the scent of energy wasn't coming from there. There was another door on the opposite side, slightly less assailed by tiem than the others they had encountered, and closed.

“Should we check it out?” Kad asked, trying not to sound nervous.

“I can't sense anything behind the door, I suppose it would not hurt.”

Kad withdrew his scimitar out of instinct, and stepped towards the door, pulling at its handle. It groaned as it opened, revealing a smog of detritus. Inside was a storage room of some kind, its shelves barely standing, but inside was strange looking cleaning equipment. It was made of a different type of synthetic material, light and sleak, barely showing any damage from time. However, the two Consumer's felt their attention be drawn to the very end of the room. Away from the fallen furniture, came the gentle caress of the energy, leading to a large black box that stood still.

Clack.

“Its a generator. It must still be workable.” Kad said, remembering the generators that were buried under the ground where that silver wraith had been kept prisoner.

“But what is next to it, pushta?”

Next tot eh generator was a plug thrown to the floor, leading to a thick black cable that ran a short-ways, sticking out of the chest of a black skeleton. Though, its bones were made of metal. It sat with its legs splayed, leaning against the wall. It had a rectangular face, with only two black circles for features. Layers of dust and dirt coated its exoskeleton. Its hands held only three fingers, and its blocky feet lay useless.

“What is that?” Kad said, smelling the air. “I don't recognise the smell.”

“It is a metal man, pushta. Perhaps a robot.”

“Robots? Out here? I thought they were illegal anyway.”

“Ah yes.” Bimi said sadly. “To create a life is a deep sin, in the city. Shame to the creators for making something so sapient. Of course, a robot made after the Wendellios Act was not affected. I imagine the Old Age was full of them.”

“Looks like he's out of juice. Should we plug him back in?”

“Maybe he could shien some light on what this place is, pushta. Or better yet, maybe he can help us out of here.”

“Yeah, we'll see.”

I know why the Wendellios Act was passed old man, maybe it'll just try and kill us.

Kad clenched at his scimitar, bending towards the plug. He grabbed the rubber cord and pressed it into the slot on the generator. A whirring sound began to hum, and Kad felt the energy begin to spike. On the robots chassis was a symbol, veiled in dirt, of an orange circle with a white face within. The robots fingers began to twitch.

“Is it working?” Bimi asked gleefully.

The robots black discs turned red as it opened its eyes.