The Deep Realms

[Big Al545]

Gabriel nodded his head.
"I'd say I'm more of a mercenary. I used to be a soldier, I didn't like it that much," said Gabriel. He had seen some tough things while he was a soldier, he didn't feel like going back to them.

 

[WhiteLily]

"Mercenary? I'm sorry, but I don't know that word." Rosalie shrugged and her wings fluttered.

 

[Big Al545]

"A mercenary is someone who is hired for a certain job. Usually I'm hired for a certain job that requires somebody of my...type," explained Gabriel as he walked, "Generally, I'm used as a guard, sometimes as a soldier. After we get to where we're going, I might tell a few stories."
Gabriel kept his hand close to his flintlock, his eyes flicked left to right, searching for the slightest of movement, the movement of a threat. Listening for the lightest of growls, or the deepest of snarls. He was prepared to protect the group to his dieing breath.
"Will we have to set up camp before we reach the water? Or will we travel straight to it?"

 

[WhiteLily]

"We may need to stop so your injured may rest. I know a place not far from here where we will be hidden from view." Rosalie turned and walked backwards to speak to the healer and the scholar, "How does that sound? We can stop, I'll get some food and you can make a small fire. Please, don't use any wood that isn't already on the ground. The trees don't like being broken."

 

[Shadowseldil]

"We understand," Naaman said calmly as he supported the injured soldier.
"Yes," the scholar added, "We have fairies on the surface; that's where we come from. I personally know a few myself. And again, we apologize for entering your forest unbidden. I realize that is is not proper to enter a fairy's woods without permission. I hope you will forgive us, based on the circumstances. We will treat your woods with as much civility and understanding as we may."

 

[WhiteLily]

"Thank you, but these are not my woods, I just protect them. The forest does not belong to one person, it can't. I don't know what our cousins on the surface have told you, but anyone may pass through the world, but it is always good to respect it." Rosalie turned and pointed to a thicker part of the forest they were walking into, "This is where we will stop, the trees will hide us. I can show you how to make water pouched from the leaves, they will hold the water from the river well after I find some food. Healer, would you like some herbs that will stop pain?"

 

[Shadowseldil]

"I understand," the scholar said, "But, as you protect them, they are yours; not that you own them, mind you, just that you are their keeper. On the surface, it is, well, rude is not quite the right word; too weak. Taboo, perhaps, is too strong. Either way, it is not right to be in a fairy's woods without their permission. However, I highly doubt that they would ever expect someone to just, pop, fall out of the sky like that," he ended with a chuckle.
They arrived at the thicket where they would be camping. Rosalie made an offer of healing herbs. "No, thank you," Naaman said coolly, "He should feel no pain more than what is healthy. If he is feeling pain, it means he is going too hard, and we would need to slow down. He has not complained, so I assume he is doing well enough?"
"Yes, I'm alright," the soldier (Tarvis by name) replied, "I could probably do a few more click if we had to."
"Best if you did not," Naaman replied, "Besides, if there are many dangers out there, this thicket will provide reasonable defense." To the others, he added, "Alright everyone, bivouacking time."
"Be mindful of the woods," the scholar added hastily, "Be sure not to harm any of the plants."
"Naturally, Scholar," Naaman said in reassuring tones.
"Just reminding everyone, father, that's all."
"I'm not a father, Scholar, not in any sense. Just a healer," Naaman replied coldly, "Come on, Tarvis, I'll help set up a place for you to lay down. I found a cloth sack we were going to use as bedding."

 

[WhiteLily]

Rosalie flew up into a tree and looked out along the treetops for any danger. Satisfied that any trolls were far away she dropped back down the the others and pointed out a large group of bushes, "Those have sweet berries, they are ripe so the bushes will not mind you picking them." Rosalie paused for a second then added, "My name is Rosalie, by the way."

 

[Big Al545]

Gabriel set off around their thicket, gathering large pieces of wood that had fallen from the many trees. He gathered as much wood as he could carry and started to create a pile, and shortly after, he had collected enough wood to build a reasonable defensive perimeter. Gabriel, sweating from lifting the heavy pieces of wood, removed his chain mail and set it down carefully by one of the largest trees.
As he continued with his task, Gabriel constructed a defensive perimeter around their thicket. It was about five feet high, and reached all around the thicket, he had sharpened wood sticks into large spikes, and placed them on the wall.

Gabriel ran his hand over his forehead, cleaning the sweat from his brow. He looked around at his creation. He turned away and started walking back towards the center of the camp.
"I made a wooden spike wall. It's not much, but it'll have to do. Is there anything else I need to do?"

 

[Shadowseldil]

"Thank you, Rolalie," Naaman said. The scholar and the other mercanary set to picking some of the berries for their supper. Naaman tended to Tarvis's injury, tightening the splint and using some of his healing magic to help the leg heal faster. Bones were always tricky things for healing. Afterward, he saw to preparing a small fire. Their food was dried, mostly, but he had found some coffee and tea leaves, and for that one needed boiling water. It would be a welcome treat after the events of the day. So many were dead, and he hoped those who were missing had made it out alive, but he did not disguise reality.
"I made a wooden spike wall," Gabriel said as he came into the main of the camp. "It's not much, but it'll have to do. Is there anything else I need to do?"
"Rest," Naaman said flatly, "You probably wasted your efforts building that thing. Rosalie said this was a fairly safe area. Save your energy; we might need it for tomorrow. I'll boil up some coffee for you. You like coffee, right Gabe?"

 

[Big Al545]

"Sure do, but I'll just take some water, save the coffee for the morning. If I sleep in, I'll be able to drink it and be ready to go," answered Gabriel.
Gabriel sat down on the ground next to the others and then looked over at Naaman.
"I built that wall for a few reasons, one being that if we ever need a fall-back location, we know where to go. Another being that if something decides to come close, the wall can keep them away," explained Gabriel.

 

[WhiteLily]

Rosalie sat across from the others and folded her wings together. "We will hear anything before we see it, trust me." Pulling a stick from the edge of the fire, Rosalie watched it burn. "I don't usually see fire up close like this."

 

[Shadowseldil]

The scholar sat and began asking questions, "Now that you mention it, I have a few questions. Does it ever get dark down here? Where does the light come from? And the trolls, what are they like? And--"
"Scholar," Naaman chided, "Give the girl a chance to breathe, for crying out loud."
"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited, so interested in... in... what do you call these lands, down here?"
Naaman took a small pot off the fire. "Always with the questions, scholar," he said, shaking his head, "Well, I have one question for you, Rosalie; do you like tea?"

 

[WhiteLily]

Rosalie smiled, "Yes, healer, I would love some tea." She turned to the scholar, "I would be happy to answer your questions of the Realm, that's our name for everything here, I'll tell you specifics later. I'll start with the trolls. They are about seven feet tall, ugly, ugly creatures with gray skin covered with warts. They can't see very well, but their hearing is very acute. They usually stay in their herds, very rarely roaming alone, and they hunt whenever they feel like it, night or day. Their favorite food is fae. Their king said he outlawed the killing and eating of my people, but we still find bones of the unlucky ones. As for the light and nighttime, it does get dark here, everything needs to sleep. The plants emit the most light in the forest, they will go out as they begin to fall asleep. Other places, like the fire fields, burn all day and all night, but they only dim when they sleep. Everything in the Realm is alive, plant, animal, rock. Everything here gives off energy in the form of light, including myself. When I fall asleep, I will go dark except for here," Rosalie pointed to the center of her chest, "There will be a glow there. We call it the Li'v'a. Our life light."

 

[Shadowseldil]

"So, dims, more than darkens?" Naaman stated, as he prepared a tea bag with some spare cloth that he had found. This was tied and set in a wooden mug; they had found two such mugs (the ceramic ones did not survive the fall and the metal ones could not be found), and would have to share them all around. Naaman, though, had found his metal strainer, which would work well for tea and coffee, but not for fairies, though. But the cloth should do well enough, he thought, as he carefully poured some of the hot water into the mugs, the other with his metal strainer and coffee for the wounded soldier.
"It is all very fascinating," the scholar said, sketching down notes on some paper (he was overjoyed at having found so many of his recording supplies, so that he could chronicle the adventures properly), "These fire fields, what are they like? Would we be able to go see them ourselves?"
"Easy, scholar," Naaman said calmly, as he handed Rosalie the mug of tea. "We need to find a way back home."
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense; we came to investigate the dwarven ruin, and here we have some answers! These deeper realms, we never knew they existed! Now we can find the answer to so many mysteries."
Naaman "humphed," but made no other reply. The scholar was right, but his mind was wondering about something else. Now that they were in the deep realms, what about those "horrors" he had mentioned. Could they still be down here? Maybe, well, maybe the trolls were the horrors. Yes, if the fairies wrote the message, and if trolls ate fairies, perhaps that was what the message meant.
But what if that was not what it meant? What if a greater "horror" was out there still...

 

[WhiteLily]

"Thank you." Rosalie accepted the mug and inhaled the fragrant steam, "As for your questions scholar, I'd be happy to answer some of your questions. Understand, there may be some I must keep secret. I have no doubt that my brothers and sisters are furious at me for even showing you any kindness. You see, the fae here were run underground by humans many years ago, some of the elder ones were there when it happened."

 

[Shadowseldil]

"Oh, my!" the scholar gasped, "Good heavens, that's right! Why, the last time your kind must have seen humans was, was... possibly more than a thousand years ago! Yes, during the, uh, the great racial wars! I hadn't even considered it!"
"But the wars have been over for well past six hundred years," Naaman said, "There is peace between the races now."
"Yes, but how are they to know that? The last time their kind saw us, we were dreadful enemies. They have had no contact with the upper world; they have no way to know that there is peace. To them, we are still the enemy. Good heavens! I do hope, Rosalie, that your assistance will not cause any trouble for you. If so, you can just point us toward the water source and we can find our own way."
"That would be a bad idea, scholar," Naaman opined, "If the fairies of this realm really do see us as a sort of enemy, Rosalie might be the only prayer we have of survival. If other fairies do find us, she might be able to explain the situation, whereas they would not even think to hear us out."
"Good heavens!" the scholar exclaimed.
"Shush," Naaman hissed, "Not quite so loud, scholar."
"Sorry, it's just that, well, we seem to be in rather of a pickle."
"Indeed," Naaman said as he handed the mug of coffee to the injured man, "Which is why our best bet is to find a way back to the surface, possibly come down with an envoy of fairies from the surface to help explain matters."
"Mm, perhaps you are right. Still, I hate to leave such an opportunity behind."

 

[WhiteLily]

Rosalie pursed her lips and shook her head, "It would be a bad idea for you to come back again. If you did, I would not be able to help you once more. I am only able to help you now because you are planning on leaving. We are happy the way we are."

 

[Big Al545]

Gabriel shook his head.
"We came down here for nothing? Countless men died for nothing? Some of those men were friends of mine, and they died for nothing? We lost a lot of money on those supplies, and we don't even know if there IS a way out of here," said Gabriel.
Gabriel stared into the fire for a few more seconds, then looked up at the group.
"I think we should continue, we might as well spend time exploring the place and looking for a way out. Believe me, I'd rather be in a tavern with a glass of ale rather than this place."

 

[WhiteLily]

"I'm sorry you feel that way, warrior." Rosalie ducked her head and bit her lip before standing, "It is too late to go any further. If you need me, just call." Spreading her wings, Rosalie leaped into the branches of a large tree and disappeared among the leaves.