Waiting In The Dark

We continued surveying the dark alleys as Dux led us through, fully focused on the road ahead. The shapes in the dark became more coherent now that I have seen what the residences of this old city look like. I could see the glint from their whited out eyes and the outline of the odd shapes that their bodies now took. Though they watching us from afar in this damp environment, it gave me chills knowing that they are only victims of a mysterious plague. It made this walk more disheartening than fear driven. The words that child had said to me earlier clung to my mind. It must be a frightening thing for someone that young to have to experience, but still, though that short conversation was gut wrenching, it has provided me and Fesha with a little more knowledge.

We walked in silence for a bit, following Dux as he turned each corner without hesitation. At some point the silence in combination with my thoughts got the better of me, so I had to ask.

"Hey Dux, how long have you seen that man?" I asked.

"Ah, the one in the dark. I'm sorry, but talking about it makes me ill." He said.

I need this information, so I kept prying. "But we've seen cases like this before, we just want clues as to what's happening." I said.

Dux sighed. "Alright, fine, but don't go crying if mine story gives thee the spooks. That man began to appear when my vision began to dull, same with all the others. We had no idea how or why we went and blinded ourselves, seems like it just happened!"

His words shocked me. "What do you mean? You did that to yourself?"

Dux squealed. "I-I don't know! I barely remember, but I can recall the feeling. Like I was searching for something, and I wanted more and more... to the point that I..." Dux let out a short scream. He stopped in his tracks to calm down, then continued. "Apologies, I-I can't answer for thee after all. Not all of us were like that though! Some just started going blind!" Dux said with his hands over his face.

I felt sorry for pushing him a bit too far, but I knew in my heart that whatever this plague was had to do with the fall of Caelum, and I needed to know how.

"Sorry, I was asking for too much. Can you at least tell me how you still have some sanity left? Fesha and I have crossed some strange monsters on the way here, yet they seemed to have nothing left of them. They were mindless unlike you." I asked.

Dux continued walking hastily forward, not saying a word. Then he composed himself enough to talk. "A-ah, you mean those hollowed ones. Fine, I'll tell thee, since thine accent is so charming, yes. They have indeed gone much further than I have. Those ones have not only lost their sight, but even their ability to hear I tell ya!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" I questioned him.

"Some of us in the camp say that they've begun to hear sounds coming from the man! It's those who I have to repeat myself multiple times for. I only assumed they lost their hearing!" He said quickly. "It's always those who begin to lose their hearing that someday suddenly start screaming, then next thing I know, I never hear from them again!"

I thought about all the monsters we have faced coming up here. Looking back, I did not remember any of them having ears, though I was not too sure. I looked at Fesha and she seemed just as lost in thought as I was. We both thought about it in silence for a bit as we continued down the long stretches of thin roads. Between the the beautifully made arches just overhead I began to see the glistening light above the roofs. Its yellow rays scattered through the air, broken up by the crumbled edges of the layers above. Finally, Dux took us on a right turn and we were out on the other side of where we came.

"Here we are! I can't help thee much further than this." Dux said cheerfully.

"No, I thank thee. This is more than enough." Fesha responded.

Fesha and I began to head off, then the sound of Dux clearing his throat met our ears.

"Before thee leaveth, I must say this! I can't remember how I ended up the way I am now, but I get the feeling that thee could be on the same path I once was, so just be careful. Have a safe trip!" He shouted.

We turned our backs, walking back through the glorious light that blessed the very air around us. Fesha and I marched over some large piles of rubble, bits of the black growth seeping through the cracks. Walking atop this mountain of ruin, we eventually made it to a peak, letting us overlook the gorgeous view. The height of the peak we stood on allowed for us to see a couple layers below, just off the crumbled edge. I stared downward, looking at all the black fields below, and a couple layers lower the gradient of the pitch black transitioning to a lush green. As I turned to face the dark city we had come from, I heard a familiar scream. I saw Dux in the distance, curled up near the ground, his head looking down. From where I stood, he looked like he was scratching his ears, perhaps a little too hard. Then his hysterical screaming turned into words.

"Oh please stay unseen please! I do not wish to confide with thee!" His voice cracked, then he went silent. Finally, he screamed one last plea. "Sovereign of the void! Thou shall not taketh me, not like the others!"

Dux stood up fast and began sprinting toward the light. As he ran, I noticed something black begin to grow from his shoulder. Right before I could call out to him, his foot left the edge. I watched as he fell, falling straight through the gentle sky's shimmer, before disappearing into the depths, never to be seen again.