Inside the mountains, the mines stretched far into deadends and unharvested turns, seeming endless at times. Venturing into the depths proved to be a challenge, even for an experienced team. A singular group was always permitted to keep 10 in their crew, with a singular guard to administer orders. Any less could result in miscoordination, possibly leading to loss of morale, which had happened more times than the empire could keep track of. Any more than 10 could overthrow the guardsman, which was also a problem in itself.
The mines were layered from the entrance, connecting to 10x10 passageways dwelling deep beneath the ground. The lower the layer, the higher the accumulation of Arzin. The ground consisted of either hardened mud, or damp clay. This depended on the numerous layers, and on the surface above it. Most of the passageways had rusted beams holding up the walls and ceiling, along with spaced out glass lanterns placed fairly far apart. They reached just far enough to connect traces of light to one another, though they lacked precision around corners and jagged edges, casting twisted shadows in the darkness.
Stalactites were common in the deeper layers, as well as stalagmites carpeting most of the floors. The deeper layers also didn't follow the rules of the upper floors, expanding to massive craters of openings and clearings. However, as dangerous and spacious the surroundings became, the more beautiful the mines illuminated themselves beneath the earth.
Gentle leaks of cyan peaked through cracks in the walls, signifying not only Arzin, but natural cavern plants as well. The man-made lamps diminished the further Vaan and Kage traveled, their lightsource now coming from Arzin and the flamesword Kage kept from his duel. They soon reached a narrow hall leading deeper into the underground routes, which held an eerie presence Kage hadn't bothered to mind any attention to.
The ground beneath was surprisingly sturdy, though it felt hollow, as if a hard enough jump could collapse the entirety of the cave system around them. The core from the flamesword had dimmed and, as they traveled even further, would soon extinguish entirely.
"How far do we have to go?" Vaan gulped, his eyes pulling tricks on him, deceiving the shadows of the jagged environment.
"I don't know," answered Kage, traversing further down the narrow passage. "We have to reach some sort of cliff—"
Kage stopped, his words trailing towards the dead end before him. Further ahead, a barricade stood, clamped and screwed together by old, rusted bolts. Planks of dry wood raveled against one another by thin, metal wiring, blocking the path.
"And how do we get past that?" Vaan asked, fully aware that asking if they needed to get past it was a dumb question.
"I can get by with ease," Kage poked the barrier, then gave Vaan a sharp look. "It's how you will get past."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vaan gave him a look that resembled a shroud of uncertainty, the forefront of his brows curving upwards.
"Exactly what you think it means. We don't have time to stand around like idiots." Kage said as he pulled out one of his sickles. Without unleashing the hinge and the sickle firmly in his grip, he stretched his hand through a crack in the barricade. Flicking his wrist to unleash the hinge, the blade propped open, glistening in the darkness beyond.
"Step back," Kage said, but Vaan was already three steps ahead, waiting nearly a dozen meters behind him.
Kage yanked back on his sickle with a quick thrust, scraping his forearm against a few jagged edges of the metal wiring. The tip of the curved blade sliced cleanly through the barricade, erasing nearly every piece of wood and wire as if it were never there to begin with. A few specks of black ash wisped into the air, fading into the blackness in the distance.
"You're. Bleeding?" Vaan questioned, somewhat anxious.
Kage wrapped a piece of brown cloth around the wound, hoping to refrain from dragging out the bleeding. "It's hard to turn a specific part of my body into a mist, or whatever you want to call it, especially when I'm holding an object, and especially when it's not the very end of a limb, but rather in the center of one."
After a few spiteful breaths, Kage traversed further down the passageway, Vaan tip-toeing passively on his tail. Breathing seemed to be more dense, as if the atmosphere around them dropped a few miles under water. It was an eerie feeling, unsettling more to Vaan rather than Kage.
A beam of light sprouted in the distance, far beyond the passageway. However, the light had not been the cyan color of natural arzin, nor the colors of man-made lamps. The light moved in rhythmic patterns, casting waves of brightness and darkness repeatedly.
"A flame," Kage said, his voice questioning. "It must be."
"A flame? This deep underground?" Vaan whispered.
Kage kept his head forward, rounding a turn in the passageway, "Be on guard. It's possible we aren't the first ones here."
As they shuffled across the rocky earth, the flickering light reached closer towards them, outlining the cylindrical exit that was now a few arm spans away. Sounds of prickling fire echoed through Kage's ears, alongside a constant tapping of heavy droplets somewhere in the distance.
"What is this…" Vaan asked as he stepped out of the passage, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. The premonition of a fire had been a simple lamp attached to the rocky wall, with a dying bulb flickering from pesky bugs. The spherical lamp was roughly the size of a human head, stuck to the wall by thick, rusty bolts and screws.
"This is…" Kage stopped short of his sentence, for he too was beyond amazed.
Despite being far beneath the layers of soil and civilization, up above through a small hole in the earth, a crescent, gleaming moon reflected back at him. Although the spherical lamps were seeded all across the massive cave before them, the moon had never seemed so far away. Dry strings of vines and cobwebs swung back and forth as small gusts of wind circled the cave, flowing with tiny specks of fireflies switching their hazy lights on and off.
"Unexpected…" Kage finished, observing his surroundings. "Could this be a ravine? This far down?"
Vaan jumped forward, his eyes dancing across the lamps scattered around the cave walls. One second, the ground felt sturdy, but the next, the rocky floor of the cave no longer greeted the soles of his shoe. His heart dropped, and his body along with it, as a nearly-invisible cliffside hid within the shadows. Darkness traveled deep below, further than an echo could reach. Rattling insects chirped from the depths, scattering as if they were afraid.
His balance faltered, and Vaan's attempt in grabbing the edge of the cliff fell short as his fingers nicked a jagged piece of dry rock. "Aghh!" He yelled as his body swirled below.
"Idiot." Kage dropped to his knees, scraping the line between life and death as he clutched the boy's elbow. Vaan's body smacked the cliffside as Kage lobbed him to safety, his screams continuing into the chasm without him.
"T-thank you.." Vaan whispered, catching his breath.
"Pay attention, because next time," Kage shot him a dirty glance. "I won't be there to save you."
Kage stepped to the edge, as if observing the darkness. Something seemed off. Something he couldn't process in his thoughts. So, cautiously, he grabbed a small rock off the ground, and cautiously dropped it into the sea of black.
At first, not a single thud nor whistle of air traveled back at him. Instead, he heard a brief roll, followed by a drastic descent of sound as the rock seemed to have escaped even further below.
"Interesting," Kage grimaced.
"What happened?" Vaan skipped beside him, glaring down the chasm.
"It seems as if the ground below isn't flat, but rather at a slope. A very smooth one too."
Vaan gave Kage a concerned look, "You can determine all that from a single rock?"
"Well, that's my guess. I'll find out the hard way." Kage turned, stepping off the edge as if it were the final step on a staircase.
"What are you doing!?" Vaan tugged him back, sweat trickling down his forehead.
Annoyed, Kage swung his arm free from Vaan's grip. "My father said his answers are below a cliff. We are indeed standing before a cliff, and unless you have a better idea, I'm dropping down."
"How do you trust words on a piece of paper so easily? How do you know that this is the exact cliff he was specifying? How do you know that there is actually something down there?" Vaan raised his voice, trembling the cave walls. "How do you know that the empire or the guard didn't plant that letter there for you to find? How do you—"
"Enough!" Kage cut him off, his fists tightening. "I don't know any of that… This could easily be another trap. The truth is: I have no idea what to expect. But there is nothing else I can do. Whether those are his words or not, I am going to follow them, even if it gets me killed." As his final word escaped his breath, Kage leaned back, and within a second, the darkness consumed him, as if he had disappeared into the void.
"Kage!" Vaan screamed after him, dropping to his knees. The silence staring back at him was almost too loud, ringing through his ears. As he crawled toward the edge, all the balance keeping him upright rested in the palm of his hands.
For a sudden moment, distracted by what he should do, Vaan felt a disturbing sensation crawl up his forefinger. And as he looked down, twelve gleaming red eyes attached to a brown torso stared back at him. The torso twitched, sending eight spindly legs into motion.
Vaan—having little affection towards insects—slapped the spider away. While his posture depended on both hands holding him up, he shifted forward, and a prudent fear kicked his stomach further. Without enough time to recover from the slap, Vaan slowly tilted into the chasm, succumbing to the darkness ahead.
Before he had time to yell, his back whiplashed on what seemed to be a smooth, vertical wall. As he caught against the slope, he regained control of his body, sliding furiously down the smooth tunnel. His hands couldn't be lengthened all the way due to the sudden engulfment of narrow walls around him, and with the darkness taking his sight, all he could do was wait until the tunnel reached its destination.
The further Vaan's body traveled, darkness faded into small illusions of light. "Grrgh." Vaan grunted as he flew out of the slope, tumbling down a small corridor illuminated by two spherical lamps. Between them stood Kage, parallel to an opening of mined rock resembling an entrance.
"You followed?" said Kage, sounding curious, his back facing Vaan.
Vaan coughed up a cloud of dust, fumbling as a bruise appeared on his left knee. "Kinda had no choice."
Kage picked up the rock he had dropped earlier, tossing it to Vaan. "Get up, we're here."
Vaan had been too busy coughing to respond appropriately, instead following Kage through the broken entrance. Not knowing what to do with the rock, he decided to shove it in his pocket for now, keeping it close as if it were a souvenir.
As Kage stepped through, the walls around him burst into sprinkles of light as dozens of spherical lamps flickered on. The ceiling, floor, and walls were all shaved and carved from old rock, crafting dazzling shadows from their curves.
Random books occupied most of the empty spaces on the floor. Most, however, held pockets of empty spaces from torn out pages, making comfortable room for cobwebs and dust.
Thick, poorly-crafted rugs layered the flooring, which lingered with a dry, wooden smell. That smell either originated from the mounds of wooden shavings, or the black boot prints; either way, it was unpleasant.
Across the room, an oak chair with a broken armrest sat next to a similarly designed table, which seemed to have most of the torn out pages piled atop it. Mining equipment hung on the walls, held together by chains and long nails. In the far distance of the cave, a large cylindrical smelter rotated at a slow pace, keeping metal ores fresh. Alongside the smelter stood a stone pillar, which had the outline and perfect dimensions of a typical core-shaped mold.
The cave spiraled to the left, blocking sight of whatever was hiding out of sight. Kage turned the corner, dismissing any caution he might have had.
"We're lucky," Kage sighed.
"What do you mean?" Vaan trailed behind him, observing the cave.
"Not including my father, we are the first ones to discover this place." Kage stopped before a small room that seemed to have been entirely dug out by his father. The proportions of rock didn't align with the rest of the cave, and the ceiling dropped just inches above Kage's head.
A triangular desk faced the ceiling, layered with large scraps of paper, a relatively small black box, and a letter atop it. The rocky walls couldn't be distinguished from all of Willow's ideas and drawings. Scorched sheets of unrecognizable paper were stapled to every corner of the room. Some had scribbles of some sort, some had drawings of the Vitruvian man, different sorts of weapons, cores, and lastly, in bold letters read "Enlightment."
Kage swept the letter off the box.
Dear Son,
Welcome to me second home. Wish I'd have been there to show you this place myself, to see that joy blossom on that gloomy face of yurs, jumpin' down that slide that took ages to build. Just like when yu were a little nugget, runnin' around like crazy, jumpin' into trouble, always looking for ways to make yur old man worry sum.
Sorry 'I wasn't able to show you this place sooner. Trust me, yu bet yur soul 'I wanted to. Couldn't risk you getting caught though, I'd be damned if 'I did. Yur all iI have left. 'I struggled everyday to keep these secrets from yu. There are many things yu have left to learn, especially 'bout thee empire, and the world beyond it.
In this box lies a gift, true to my word, one that 'I was curious to make all by m'self. Give it to that boy, Vaan, and no matter how curious yu get, do not use it underground.
Kage stopped reading and placed the letter aside, his curiosity guiding him to open the box. Inside lay a silver revolver, glimmering with an orange fluorescent light. The barrel was carved with a mastercraft pattern of flowing branches, all tied together to a thick, lightweight frame. The cylinder for ammo carried the core Vaan had given Willow earlier, leaking streaks of orange light. Carved into the maple wooden grip was a "W," symbolizing the creator of such a beautiful instrument.
For the first time, and perhaps the last, Kage's expression turned to pure awe.
"What is it?" Vaan asked.
"Vaan," Kage turned, presenting the revolver to him. "What you see before you is something that has never been done in the history of the Dustlands. Do you have any idea what that means?"
"Do I look like I have any idea what that means?"
"Even I have never seen one," Kage's brows relaxed. "A real firearm. And a revolver too, rumored to house unstoppable firepower, at least according to my father's stories from when I was a kid. Depending on the core, sometimes a singular shot can be fired every 24 hours. My father did say this core was very unique, so we'll have to test it when we get out."
"What exactly do you mean by shot?" Vaan gulped. "That thing can shoot? And What does it shoot?"
Kage presented it forward, still amazed by the detail. "Think of an arrow, but smaller, faster, and far deadlier. Keep it close, my father did entrust you with it, for it is your core that has brought it to life."
"Thank you, truly, but how are you so certain it works?" Vaan gently grabbed the revolver out of Kage's hands, the frame's cold touch stung his skin for a moment, numbing his fingers momentarily. "And to be honest, this seems far too valuable to be given to someone like me…"
"If it didn't, there would be nothing in this box."
"I see…"
Kage found a custom-made holster on the table, giving it to Vaan. "Seems that us crossing paths was destined."
"Huh?" Vaan almost laughed, but after looking at Kage's face again, he realized it wasn't a joke. "Are you a believer of fate? I would think someone like you would be the last to believe in such nonsense."
"I wouldn't say I am a believer of fate," said Kage, his eyes weary. "But I cannot disregard this sequence of events as a mere accident."
"I guess it is quite fortunate," Vaan shoved the revolver into the holster, careful, but confidently, as if he had practiced the motion beforehand.
Kage breathed heavily, testing his patience with the boy. After exhaling a long breath, he picked up the letter and began to read again.
Read carefully son, this be important. There is a notebook, attached to the bottom of this desk. No matter the cost, yu must keep it safe. If it were to get in the wrong hands… Even 'I don't know what could happen.
With Tera's ideas, tis a project I've been working on for some years, named "Enlightment." Tis not fully complete, but I'm too close to stop. This could be revolutionary for power, combining arzin into something far beyond yur wildest imagination. Far beyond wut yu or I know is capable from dem cores.
They've been draining the rest of em miners like crazy for some time now. The empire is up to somethin' son, and it ain't smellin' good. 'I know I'm not able to stop yu from pressing forward, but yu need allies my boy. Yu need those yu can trust. In this world, you can't fight alone. I've learned in the hardest of ways.
I'm happy yu trusted yur gut. That yu got to see this place, but I'm afraid I'll have to say goodbye to it once and for all. Behind the smelter lies a small exit which will escort yu to ground level. When you get to the end, flip tha switch and run as fast as yu can to shelter. Don't be seen, especially with the damned gun.
Thank you my son, I love yu. May we meet again, in this life, or tha next.
-W
Kage squeezed the paper tight, fighting back the urge of grief. "Let's go," He said, swiftly taking the black notebook beneath the table.
"What? You're just gonna leave like that?"
"You expect to stay here?" Kage raised a brow. "We need to get back before dawn. I thought I would find answers here, and I was foolish to think so. Coming here gave me more stress and questions to deal with."
Vaan gulped, "Well, I want to sta.!"
Kage turned, "Suit yourself," heading for the exit found in his father's letter.
"Aren't you going to lecture me?" Vaan asked, sarcasm touching his voice. "The whole spiel about—"
"Vaan," Kage stopped. "My father has entrusted you with one of the most powerful pieces of weaponry this world has, which you should consider a gift. You are able to protect yourself. However, neither you or I know exactly what it is capable of. And knowing you, you'll get it stolen within a day, maybe two if you're lucky. So either you're following me," Flicking open a sickle, hovering it below Vaan's neck, unenthusiastically. "Or I'll kill you right now."
Vaan could feel his developing Adam's Apple move away from the sickle's curved blade as he swallowed his nerves down his throat. "Right… Sorry."
"I don't have time to play these games. I need your full commitment in this."
"Right…" Vaan nodded sheepishly.
"Don't ask stupid questions again, because next time, I won't give you redemption,"
Kage closed the sickle, rolling his hood over his forehead.
Head down, Vaan followed, tracing the steps of Kage's receding shadow. They twisted around the smelter, coming up to a thin crawl space, which essentially led to a narrow passageway capable of squeezing one person wide, and a ceiling that matched Willow's dwarfened height. The passage lain on an incline, with light every few hundred steps.
"If this leads us all the way back to the Dustlands," Kage hunched his back, scratching his hood on the jagged ceiling of slanted rock. "Prepare to hike at least four miles or so."
An annoyed moan echoed back to him, evidently painting a grimace on Kage's face. "You wouldn't happen to have any water on you by chance?" Vaan asked, his voice dry and hungry.
"I was hoping you'd ask," Kage kept walking. "I am currently carrying plenty of bottles on me, I was wondering why you had not asked me yet."
Vaan raised a brow, inspecting Kage's empty hands. "Are you being sarcastic?"
"What did I tell you five minutes ago?"
"That you need my full commitment in this?" Vaan felt a burst of endorsements surge through him as he finally managed to answer a question right. For the most part.
"Yes. And after?"
"Oh... To not ask stupid questions."
"Well," Kage sighed. "At least you remembered."