The Midnight: Dark Horizon

Chapter 9: Creatures from the Depths

     A warm morning arrives on the land of Nuria with the sun revealing the mess of the festival. With the help of the town locals, the crummy streets began to be swept off, releasing small clouds of dirt into the wind. Harmonic scrubbing echoed throughout the rocky streets, married by the douses of soapy water onto the avenues. People on ladders had removed the decorations from the night prior, leaving only the adorned doors as the only festive article. The barking of dogs resounded off the walls with laughter from kids joining them, screaming as they played with their new gifts. Wagons bounced from the town's rough lanes with traveling merchants bidding farewell to either family or loyal customers.

      Now out from "The Gargle", Sebastian's group carried their bags and weapons on their backs, with Camila following them from a distance. Before exiting the inn, Sebastian attempted to tell her of their plan but was not recognized, only receiving a kick to her door from the other side. Desperate to inform her, Sebastian requested Aiden to try to talk to her about the arrangement. Camila listened carefully, and with some reluctance, she too agreed that it was a smart plan. However, she felt as if the detour to the island was a waste of time; not to mention climbing Mt. Elra just for a chance to find the plant was asinine. If she were to accept, her condition was no more sidetracking since the lives of the villagers of Pueblanto were at stake. Aiden repeated her demand to the rest in the other room promptly. With no indecision, everyone acknowledged no more time could be lost, they only hoped to find a clue to where they are being kept captive. The idea to follow Sephtis came up, but Aiden shot it down as Sephtis is someone to have spies all around him. With the topic at hand, before exiting their rooms, Aiden let Shani borrow one of his gigantic cloaks to hide her from any that searched for her.

     A thought rushed to Nia that she had almost forgotten to do and took out the shard of Obliriumite that Cecilia had given to her. Not taking long, she opened up her transmitter from the bottom to reveal the contraption's inner workings. Around where the dial is supposed to be, lay two pieces of Obliriumite fit snuggly between a small pair of metal plates. Slots for more fragments were present, so she placed Cecilia's shard next to the others and closed her transmitter.

    Following the list they wrote before going to sleep, dried meats, medications, and other essential items slipped into their backpacks, buying only what was needed as too much could slow them down. Dwindling through the list with the rays of the sun on their backs, preparations came to a close, and soon after, they made their way to Northwich's docks. A breeze swept through the town as the group grew closer to the docks in the south-eastern region, tickling their nose with a slight touch of rotten eggs.

     A gate stood between them and the lake as they stood, waiting to gain access to pass on through. While in a queue, Sebastian's party overheard a conversation taking place amongst guards, "- so there have been no shipments from Yardinask for a few days? That's odd. They usually have a boat or two come in once a week on time."

     "Who knows, but they better not be holding us up, they make the best wine in my opinion. And if there's no wine, then what has all this been about? I'd quit in a heartbeat if we aren't given liquor."

     "You drink too much, you know that? You better get that fixed."

     After a short while, they had arrived at the diverging docks. Small waves swished and splashed as they hit either land or the nodding crafts floating up top the water. Wooden boats with sails bobbed in lined up against the planked paths as men, women, and children moved crates filled with items from either off the boats or onto them. Though some were getting ready to set off with cargo in them, the majority were made for angling. Large fishing nets, the size of two adults, came equipped as they hung off next to the hauls of almost every boat with their owners carrying off cages with packed fish in them.