Teeth

Serrum led us through a couple of doors before we entered a stairwell. While following her, I had finally been able to get a better look at her. She wore a dark green leather headband with silver buttons along its ridge that held her hair out of her face.  Her light brown hair dropped a little bit above her shoulders. She wore dark brown overalls over a dirty gray short sleeve tunic. A large muted green cloth with faded silver detailing was tied around her neck and draped over her shoulder, covering a part of her back and her prosthetic arm. The parts of her prosthetic I could see looked old and slightly worn, but I could tell it was still kept well maintained and was made with proper care. 

"Hey, how did you lose your arm?" I said bluntly, only realizing how rude the question was after.

Serrum ignored the rudeness and answered honestly. "Well, funny thing is I haven't the faintest clue. My memory is in a bit of a haze."

"Wait, you're having issues with your memory too?" I asked quickly.

"Oh! So it isn't just us!" Serrum said. "I know someone who might be able to help."

"Us?" I thought to myself. I looked over at Fesha and her face seemed weary, not in the way that it was with Tenebris, just in the way that we couldn't completely trust Serrum yet. Nevertheless, we continued following her since she promised us supplies.

The stairwell led into another industrial looking room. There was a trapdoor that lead straight into the hallway below. No wonder Serrum was able to attack us so quickly. There was a short ladder in one corner of the room. Serrum led us up and we found ourselves on a flat roof with railings along its edge overlooking the district. The dim orange sky light illuminated the sides of buildings beautifully.

"Dente, we have friends." Serrum called out.

I turned my back to the overlook to see a man sitting comfortably in a wooden chair. In front of him was a metal barrel with a fire set ablaze inside it. He seemed to be about thirty and had the face of someone who has seen a lot. His hair was jet black, somewhat curly at the top, and completely unkempt. His eyes were a deep brown against his slightly tan skin and he had a somewhat rectangular face. He had a thin, unkempt beard that curled out and tangled into itself. He wore black pants with a white tunic that had been heavily stained and dirtied. Over his clothes, he wore an opened brown cloak that nearly touched the ground. He also wore a necklace with a yellowish triangular pendant that hung at his chest.

"Ah, so these are the intruders! We mean no harm as long as thee don't." Dente said in a deep comforting voice.

"Well I thank thee for thine hospitality." Fesha responded.

"Ha, thou must be from the uppers! The way thee speaks is too proper. Get cozy, we'll give thee a place to sleep and all that is needed for thine ascent, though, it won't come free." Dente said, his tone lowering.

I looked over at Serrum for some sort of elaboration. She spoke up. "Well me and Dente over there also wish to ascend, but we are far too lazy to walk the whole way." She laughed. "Anywise, we're building something that could get us to the uppers faster, but the last part is in a troublesome area. Wouldst thou help us?" She asked sincerely.

Fesha and I nodded in agreement. We had no reason to say no; we needed supplies and if this troublesome area was in our way, it's better to get more people to help get rid of whatever trouble it is. Serrum and Dente smiled at our agreement to help them. Unlike Tenebris, these two had a more homey air to them.

"We'll tell thee about the assignment tomorrow, it's getting late anyway. Let's talk and get to know each other." Dente said.

Serrum left into a separate building attached to the roof and came back with water in metallic cups, bread and some dried meat arranged on a tray. As she walked over, I saw the shape of a triangular pendant slip out of the cloth that covered her chest. A similar looking pendant to the one Dente was wearing.

I asked in curiosity. "What's with the matching necklaces?"

"Ah, art thou impressed? I just found them while exploring." Dente responded.

"What is it?" I asked.

Fesha interjected. "They're dragon teeth. How didst thou come upon them?"

"I just said I was exploring and found em, was thou not listening?" Dente laughed.

Fesha had a look of concern, as if stumbling upon these teeth was a curse, which I guess would make sense considering her religious background.

"Anywise, I just took them because I found them amusing, but I keep them for an entirely different reason. Truth is, when I awoke, Caelum had fallen and I couldn't remember how. In fact, I couldn't barely remember who I was! But, once I adorned this tooth, parts of my memory began to emerge, ever so slowly. When I met Serrum, it seemed that we shared the same conundrum, so I adorned her with the other tooth I had." Dente said. He looked over at Fesha who was visibly concerned. "What's got this one startled?" He asked.

"Which layer didst thou find thyself when thee awoketh?" Fesha asked.

"Just one below, it took me long enough just to find a ladder." Dente answered

Fesha looked worried. "If thou had foundeth the teeth of a dragon this far down, perhaps it may haveth something to do with Caelum's demise."

"Huh, I guess that wouldst be strange. Caelum's architecture is suppose to be impenetrable to dragons." Dente said.

Fesha looked as though she had just remembered something long forgotten. She turned to me and saw my confusion. "Ah, Caelum was once constantly seized by dragons, which is why this city is completely walled within a spire."

I looked over at Dente who seemed to have noticed Fesha's eureka moment. "Seems you've almost forgotten some common knowledge, and this other one here seems to not even know. Perhaps thee have had thine memories lost just as I and Serrum?" Fesha and I nodded in unison.

"I see, something strange must be in the air I tell ya!" Dente exclaimed then took a long pause. "Well, we've got quite the mystery on our hands now, but we've met eventide, so lets get some sleep. Ye will need the energy for tomorrow's favor."

Serrum lead Fesha and I to our sleeping quarters. Fesha and I tidied up and got comfortable with our beds. I laid in my mattress, following the metal framework of the ceiling before Fesha dimmed the lamp, darkening the room. The ambient blue tone of the evening took over the room as I slowly drifted to sleep.