The Broken Song

Chapter Eleven

— The Fells, Svartalfheim —

At first, she thought she was imagining it. There, in the back of her mind, quieter than a whisper, a dreadfully eerie song dragged along the inside of her skull and scraped down her spine. It reminded her of the nursery rhymes of childhood that had seemed so fun and innocent at the time. The words were indistinct, but even then, she could not escape the sorrow they evoked and the dread they inspired. Lulu felt a hand brush over her own. She turned sharply, hearing a child's laughter fade away, but there was no one there. Rubbing the back of her hand, Lulu turned away and followed Idelle.

Despite living in Svartalfheim for the past twenty odd years, neither Duncan nor Isaac knew much about the Fells. All they knew came from local legends and superstitions, though even those were few and far between. The Fells were the remains of an ancient dark elven city that had fallen, mysteriously, in the First Age of Men. One morning, it was a bright and thriving city of hundreds of thousands, and the next, it was gone, some of it sunken, some of it burned, some of it crumbled, and some of it had simply vanished. No one knew why or how. Those that wandered too close to the Fells were taken, swallowed up by the specters of the lost, and never seen from again.

To be honest, the history of the place hardly mattered to Lulu. She liked a good mystery as much as the next person, but this place felt wrong. Even she was having a hard time focusing, and magic never really bothered her. She could only imagine how Idelle was feeling. As always, however, Idelle said nothing of the matter, pushing forward without a word. She admired her strength.

Idelle's magic pointed them in the direction of a set of stone stairs that disappeared deep into the earth. A low growl emanated from within as they approached. Idelle conjured a small ball of light that pulsed a few times before descending into the darkness. The two women went first, as promised, Duncan and Isaac following closely behind.

The walls were coated in a thick layer of grime. No one had been here in centuries. Yet, Lulu could still distinguish the tell-tale sign of blood beneath the other various forms of dirt. Whatever had happened here had been a violent and bloody end. As they descended the stairway that seemed to lead on endlessly, they could hear the faint cries of the dead, their suffering still clear so long after their memories had disappeared from the world. Lulu shivered. The air was getting colder.

And then, they reached the end, stepping down onto a cracked floor. Silence, so loud it was deafening. The four paused as they reached the landing, wincing against the sudden change. There was no sound, no movement, no light. It was as though the world had stopped in this singular moment that nothing could break. But Lulu shook her head and took a step forward. Silence was nothing to fear. Her foot hit the stone. She paused again, eyes wide as she looked down. This time, she slammed her foot to the ground. But still, no sound. Lulu whirled around to look at her companions, each staring in surprise at her. They all began to move at once, stomping their feet, clapping their hands, even trying to shout.

The Fells remained in silence.

*************

It was a slow progression, four sets of eyes scanning an impenetrable darkness while trying to maintain a similar pace. They crept along, ever mindful of their surroundings, but the further they delved into the Fells, the more Idelle began to suspect the evil here was far greater than simple echoes and silent darkness. Whatever had destroyed this place still lurked within its halls.

A hand touched her shoulder. Idelle turned in fright, but there was nothing there. She stayed as still as possible as she tried to peer further into the pitch-black room. When nothing moved for several breathless moments, Idelle finally turned back to her companions.