An Old Friend

I stared upon Dente's face, now changed with whatever he had been through. His warm, deep brown eyes were now longer present. Instead, one of his eyes had dulled in color, a layer of white coating his brown iris. His other eye was far worse; it had been split open and bare red. I deep scar ran from the top of his eyebrow, across his eye, and to his cheekbone. The skin around his scarred eye was darkened to a tint of black. His thin beard had grown out a little longer and messier than last I saw him, his hair being far messier. A tiny glint of reflection appeared in his dulled eye when he laid his sight upon me.

"It's-it's thee." He said while quivering.

He collapsed to his knees, in shame at what he had done. I patted his shoulder to reassure him. He looked toward the ground, Fesha and I surrounding him, trying to ease him. Finally he looked up and I took my opportunity to get answers.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" I asked.

Dente took a deep breathe. "W-we wounded up somewhere near here, lost in the dark. I... I should've realized something was wrong, but I had thought mine eyes deceived me." He put his palms over his eyes. "Oh... Ohhhh! Why must it be this way, why must it be true!" He said as if wanting to yell, but did not want to alert the robed people below. 

All of his talk was nonsense to me. I tried further to calm him down and he began to settle into Fesha and I's presence. He took more deep breathes, cleansing him of all the pressure he had been under. Finally he spoke in a more clear conscience.

"Our balloon landed just a couple layers below. We had no trouble in our travels, even in the deadlier parts, we were able to handle ourselves." Dente paused. "Once we had entered the dark, I felt as if I was going crazy. It was much harder for me to see, not just because of the dark, but like I was going blind. I couldn't tell thee what came over me, but for some reason I... I had tried to blind myself." He paused again, trying to catch his breathe.

In his moment of silence, I had felt something off, like we had been missing something. Suddenly, my heart sank as thoughts of dread filled my mind. I had to ask the question.

"Where's Serrum?" I asked as if I did not want the answer.

Dente reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of accurately shaped metal. I knew it only could belong to one thing: Serrum's prosthetic. I looked into Dente's light-less eye, waiting for an answer. 

"Mine insanity felt like an eternity. I hadn't even noticed Serrum in it at all, but by the time I felt sane enough to realize what was going on around me, Serrum had disappeared. I wandered in the dark looking for her for ages. I thought mine sight had deceived me, but I saw a light and miraculously ran into thee." He said a little bit happier. He clutched the piece of metal in his hand harder. "I still haven't a clue of Serrum's whereabouts. I just hope she is okay." He said.

After a long pause, we had remembered where we were again and Fesha and I continued staring through the columns at the strange ritual below. The robed people surrounded the corpse piles, holding their red-filled bowls up above their heads. Then, they tilted their bowls in unison allowing the red liquid to fall down onto the snaking tendrils that peeked out from the bodies. I looked back at Dente, who had knelt behind us and was patiently waiting.

"Can you even see anymore?" I asked with concern in my voice.

"Ah, after everything I've somehow still retained my sight in my one eye, though it's a bit hazy now." He said softly.

I described the sight below us to him quietly. The organized files of robed people, the bowls, the mountains of decaying corpses, the black tendrils, and the woman atop the piles. It was when I mentioned the woman to Dente that something had clicked. I turned back to face the columns, staring even more intently at the saddened looking woman. The black mass that grew from her shoulder twitched and pulsed as she sat there seemingly lifeless. She started to seem familiar. Then, I spotted the shape of a triangular pendant hanging around her chest area. It was unmistakable and undeniable who it was that sat atop death. I looked over at Fesha, worry spread across her face. Seems like she had the same revelation as I had.

"Let us go." Fesha said as she turned away from the gruesome sight.

"Where art thou going?" Dente asked.

There was a pause. "Don't worry Dente, we'll get Serrum back." Fesha spoke.

I followed suit and so did Dente. We walked along the abandoned hall, now more aware of our surroundings knowing that their are others here. I looked closely at the torch light and the intricate stands they were perched upon. I thought they were metal, only to now realize it was woven strands of the black growth, widening out and twisting like tree branches. Fesha passed between two torches and turned toward one of the abandoned shop fronts and stepped through the frame embedded with broken glass shards. As we stepped through, the crackling of debris under my feet filled the empty room. The smell was damp and it was a little chilly. Fesha led us near the back behind some of the only shelves that were still standing, though they were in a rough condition. Fesha sat down and began rummaging through her pack. Dente and I sat too, waiting for Fesha to explain what we were doing here.

Fesha looked at us. "We campeth here for for now. Get some rest, we'll need it to save Serrum."