Scars of the Past

"Woah... What's this?"
We stood on a hill, and before us was what looked like a wasteland filled with a vast trench network.
I turn towards Eris and she explains with a few words.
"Just scars... Scars of the past."
I look back it, taking it in.
'Scars huh...'
We walk forward, approaching the trenches, and I jump in, with everyone else hesitantly following, when Sparo asks.
"Are we really going through them?"
I look back at him.
"There's nothing more here, we may as well check it out. No harm right?"

We slowly walk along it, taking random turns and exploring every room we find dug into the wall.
For the most part they were simply small rooms without much in it. But some were larger and longer, with actual things inside, like beds, old sacks and chests, and so on.
As we explored one such room, Makito turns to me.
"So boss, any of these rooms look nice to you?"
I pause and look at him, giving him a strange look. We stared in silence at each other before I finally spoke.
"You're not actually suggesting I live here right? Are you insane? I said we should check it out, that was it."
"Oh... Well if you did, you could start fixing this whole area!"

As we keep talking, the rest of the group is almost done with the room when Eris opens a chests, causing her to scream at what she saw.
We all turn towards her and I approach, asking.
"You okay? What happened?"
She shakily pointed to the chest and I turned to look in it, freezing at what I saw.
A green goblin was sound asleep inside, her black hair in a bun, and glasses still on. Wearing a small brown dress.
I stared at her for a while, before I too shouted.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"

With my scream, everyone came closer to see what was in the chest, only for them to be shocked too.
"Huh. A goblin girl."
Sparo turned towards me and asked.
"What do we do with her?"
"Huh?!"
Eris quickly holds me and says.
"Don't eat her! I have food."
Makito and Lunaris turned to each other as they talked.
"Does she live here?"
Lunaris shook her head.
"I don't think so."
All this talking and noise finally stirs her awake, as the goblin slowly stands up.
"What's with this racket... Oh."
She stared at us for a moment, before hopping out of the chest, grabbing the sack inside she used as a pillow, and saying with a grin.
"Alright I'm ready, let's go."

We stare at each other until I finally I exclaim.
"What do you mean let's go?! Who are you?! Why were you in a chest in the first place?!"
She holds her hand up in a greeting and says.
"The name's Lina! Pleasure to meet ya! The chest was comfortable so I was sleeping there. So, where we headed?"
I turn around and start walking out of the room, when Lina suddenly dashes and grabs onto my leg.
"Hey! Let go!"
"No way! Not until you accept me into the group!"
'What's with her?!'
"Alright fine!"
With that she lets go as she jumps with joy.
"Yay!"
Lunaris approaches her and asks.
"Why do you want to be with us so much anyway?"
Once again she grins, and says.
"A big group like yours, with a dragon for a leader? I'm certain of it. I'll be able to get a ton of loot if I stick with you!"
I look at her.
"Huuuh?! We're not going to be plundering anything if that's what you think!"
She turns around towards me.
"Ain't that what dragons do?"
I flinch and say.
"W-Well... I'm on a different adventure! I'm trying to find a home!"
She nods slowly and thinks for a moment.
"A home... Have any of the rooms here looked nice to you?"
"NOT YOU TOO!"

...

We continue exploring the trenches, now with a new group member, until we finally get to the end of them as a huge desert stretches before us.
I turn around towards Lina and ask.
"You sure you want to stick around? There's no end in sight, I don't know how long this will last."
She shrugs and says.
"I'll leave when I want to, don't worry. Besides... I got so much loot from these trenches! I thought for sure I had explored them thoroughly... Clearly you're a good luck charm!"
I sigh and start walking.

...

We spend a good while walking, and as it starts to turn dark, we sit down and rest for a moment which is when Lina asks.
"What was that place anyway? Do you know?"
I shake my head and look at Eris.
"She might."
Lina quickly crawls to Eris and says with glittering eyes.
"Well? Tell me!"
"Eh?!"
She blushes for a moment before calming down and saying.
"...I only know a big war happened here in the past."
Sparo nods and says.
"From what little I've heard and what I've seen here, it must have been horrible."
Eris nods and continues.
"Yes, for it to all be desert now... No one got eaten though at least."
Lina nods as she leans back.
"A big war... Well, glad they left a bunch of treasures for me!"
I groan and stand up, ready to continue, when Lina asks.
"So how long have you travelled?"
I glance back at her.
"Quite a long while. Why?"
"Just making conversation. It'll be a pain to go back then huh?"
I turn back and shake my head.
"Not really. I'm great at flying. I could probably reach home in maybe a day."

When I say that, Lina's eyes shimmer and she quickly says.
"Oh? Then that means you could probably carry us all and fly away, right?!"
"Tsk, that's why you asked?! Are you cra-"
Before I can finish my sentence, the whole ground suddenly gives out beneath us, creating a huge circular hole we all fall through. The ground had given out into a huge flat cavern with no end in sight, as if it extended the whole desert. With many huge flat pillars randomly scattered throughout.

Quickly Sparo and I take flight and attempt to grab a person, before putting them on the ground below, and quickly going for the rest.
Just barely we avoided anyone getting crushed as we both finally take a moment to breath.
"That was... Too close."
"Agreed."
Makito and Eris look up at the hole above, noticing some cracks next to it as Makito says.
"The rock is starting to crack around it... It might get bigger."
We all look up and Lina says.
"Huh, we rested right where the ground was weakest... Well, our great dragon here can fly us back up, right?"
I give her a death stare as I say.
"Are you out of your mind? I'm not risking falling through again!"
'Having to risk being unable to save someone from falling through again would be terrible...'

"Guys."
We all turn towards Lunaris as she continues.
"I think we're surrounded."
I look around, starting to shake slightly as I notice many red eyes in the darkness surrounding us.
"T-That... Isn't good..."
We wait for a long time, expecting an attack, but none comes. They all simply kept staring. Both at us, and at the hole above.
Seeing as they didn't seem to want to attack I whisper to the rest.
"Let's just go while we can..."
They nod, and with that, they start following behind me as we start slowly walking, looking for a natural entrance.

We pass by them, and they simply kept on staring, unmoving, turning as we went. I had thought them to be some sort of monster, but looking closely as I walk, they almost looked human. They were very pale, basically white, with red eyes and a random amount of arms, changing per person.
'Who are these people...?'
I lean back to the rest before whispering.
"This place is creeping me out."
Lunaris places her hand on my shoulder and assures me.
"Don't worry, if they attack I'll make sure to drive them off."
I nod, blushing slightly embarrassed.
'She really acts more like a dragon than me... So cool...'

We keep walking, noticing there didn't seem to be an end to them. The more we kept going, the more of them we saw. Until coming across one of them right in our path. She was crouched down, but seemed to be slightly smaller than Lunaris if she were to stand up. With long white hair and three arms, with one holding onto her torso, her hand placed over where her heart should be inside. And like everyone else, she was naked.
She took a few cautious steps forward and asked.
"Are you... From the beyond?"
We all look at each other and I approach her.
"We're from the outside if that's what you mean... We fell from the hole up there."
She nods and says.
"Yes... From the beyond. Are you going back?"
"Yes, we are. Do you know some exit around here we can use?"
She looks all around before turning back to us and saying.
"To leave safe zone? Many areas. In the buildings."
"So all buildings have one? Where are they? It's nothing but cave he-"
Before I can finish Eris tugs at me and says.
"Remember what I said?"
"What you..."
'...Scars of the past?'

A realization hits me as my eyes widen and she nods. I look all around, taking a closer look at the flat pillars. Every single one of them seemed to have regular holes above, and one hole in the bottom. The cave itself was also incredibly flat, except for any debris that fell from above.
I turn back towards Eris, and ask with slight fear in my voice.
"What... Is this?"
She shakes her head, and says in a normal tone.
"Just a scar, long forgotten."
I get a bad feeling in my stomach and quickly turn around, heading for a nearby pillar, trying my best to put forget my realization.

Everyone follows behind me when suddenly the pale girl rushes ahead on all fours, stopping right in front of me.
"You... Leaving?"
"Y-Yeah... Leaving."
Suddenly she seems excited as she does some small jumps and says.
"I follow!"
Lunaris looks around at the others in the darkness, and says.
"You sure? What about your... Family here?"
"Never been beyond! Was afraid... But I want see! Is food small there too?"
'I can't deal with this...'
I clench my fist, before quickly rummaging through my bag, pulling out a small blanket and giving it to her.
"It's not much, but here."
She takes it, confused.
"What this?"
Lunaris realizes and approaches her with a smile.
"Something to wear, like us! I'll help you with that!"
The pale girl looks back at me and I take a deep breath before forcing out a smile at her.
"It's cold out there sometimes. If you're coming with us, then you need clothes!"
'Besides it's also getting embarrassing just looking at you...'
She blushes and keeps jumping with joy.

I crouch down and place my hand on her shoulder.
"So what's your name?"
She tilts her head and says.
"Name? None. No one here has."
"No one... We'll have to think of one then..."
Makito lets out a small laugh and approaches.
"That has a nice ring to it though! Let's call her None!"
We all turn towards him with blank faces, I'm about to suggest a different one when she suddenly spoke.
"I like! None... My name!"
She was blushing with a big smile on her face as she said that.
I stand up and proudly say with a smile also on my face.
"Welcome to the team None! Let's get on going then. You have a lot to see out there!"