< Into The Underworld | Ex Pulplogs | Into The Deepest Depths >
Art Badger A week of travel aboard the ghostly airship leaves both Carmine and Corve feeling fairly unhappy about, well, everything. The ghosts that crew the ship aren't rude, in fact they're very polite considering how well they're being paid. But the Underworld itself drags at the living, making them uncomfortable. Each of the crewmen has, somewhere on their person, a mark of how they died.
Art Badger The first mate has a thin line that follows her jaw from ear to ear, the captain has a perpetually damp shirt from the fatal wound to her heart. Several of the deckhands are green-skinned Contagion victims. And beyond the dead crewmen the Essence of the Underworld itself is so unlike that of Creation, so alien and harsh, that neither Carmine nor Corve is able to make any use of it. The reserves they had to themselves when they stepped across the salt line is all that remains.
Art Badger When the Captain comes to tell her passengers that they have gone as far as they're willing to go the sun is halfway to the peak of the sky. With their supplies and persons lowered to the grey-sanded desert by rope and net from the low-skimming airship Carmine and Corve make the final payment to the Captain and watch her swing back aboard her ship.
Art Badger At the edge of the otherwise featureless horizon Carmine and Corve can make out the faint blur that is the Mesa of Midnight, the only landmark as far as their eyes can see. Aside from that tiny blur of darkness on the horizon there is nothing in any direction except a vast, endless expanse of grey-black sand.
Carmine holds Corve's hand. "Well, it looks like we still have a long walk."
Corve nods slowly and sighs, trying not to choke on the dead air. "Yeah. Let's get going."
Art Badger The desert around them is cool as they walk, though as the sun climbs up the sky it gives off a harsh white light that offers only a blindingly reflective illumination and harsh heat that drives to the bone. Reflected from the shining grey sands underfoot, the light is near blinding to both Exalted and only barely do both manage to avoid hidden pits in the sand dunes as they stumble through the light
Art Badger In the shadows of the dunes it is somewhat easier to pass and the pair learns by trial and error how best to move through the sands over time. The rest of the day passes as it began: hot, blinding, endless. No matter how far they move the mesa in the distance does not seem any closer. This could take days.
Carmine keeps on walking, helping Corve as she does, pressing regardless of the lack of distance apparently travelled. She's walked the desert before.
Corve isn't used to the desert, but he can handle it. Trodging along with Carmine, he looks up at the mesa in the distance less and less, feeling like they'll never reach it, but walking anyway. This was a bad idea.
Art Badger There is nothing but walking, trudging really, up and down the featureless dunes. Half-closed eyes against blinding sun. But eventually the harsh, careless ball of light that serves the underworld for a sun begins to set. And as it does, the air starts to cool. As the sun is nearing the horizon, it becomes colder.
Art Badger Despite their earlier mutual decision to continue on, moving more at night then during the day, the exertions of the day and the coming cold of the night take their toll on Corve. The next time he tries to go down a dune he slips and skids, landing at the bottom in an undignified pile. And he finds himself unable to muster the strength to get back up the dune.
Corve mutters under his breath and rolls a little, trying to breathe the dead air and coughing up a little sand.
Carmine runs down to his side "Corve .. corve, are you alright?"
Corve "Bah... yeah, I'm fine. Just... can't really keep going unless I get some rest..." He coughs again, and semi-sits up against the dune.
Carmine scoops him up easily in her arms. "Well, I'll carry you for a while. I've crossed the real desert before. This isn't much worse."
Corve looks at her and then rolls his eyes. "This is doing wonders for my ego, love," he says, but doesn't complain. It's not secret that, physically, she's much more adept than he is.
Carmine "I won't tell if you don't." she leans down and kisses his lips
Corve smiles a little and kisses her back, before drifting a little... to get some bloody rest.
Art Badger It is, of course, at this moment that both Carmine and Corve become aware that they are not, as they previously had thought, alone in this endless twilight desert of grey and black. Under several nearby patches of sand, something stirs. Warbling calls ring out into the night as the sands shift...
< Into The Underworld | Ex Pulplogs | Into The Deepest Depths >
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