Sadness and Stone
I am Mik. A Kobold. A gem Kobold. I used to live far under in the caves of Askad while the unnamed Emperor ruled over this land courtesy of the vile King Kirk on his Mainland throne. Both were dethroned and now we live free on Askad's surface, our population is mainly Kobold.
I am an explorer for my tribe, an archeologist of sorts, even living far in the caves there are many mysteries to the land of Askad that we have yet to uncover, namely to the East. My friend Kag'tegs tells me not to go there, we never go there, it is a silent land of death and decay. I listened to him for many years. Though even with his warnings I sat on the outskirts of it, a great wall surrounding a village of petrified people, they called it the Silent Village. It did not look like an active danger, but there was a sense of unease that washed over me whenever I got too close.
My tribe received a request from the Mainland, from an old artifact seeker named Altim, the name was foreign to me and I had many pen pal archeologists in the isles, so perhaps he was new and looking to branch out.
...
He was not.
His request is for us to investigate the mountain spire in the center of the Silent Village, as much as my curiosity wanted for me to go I listened to my friend Kag's warnings to not go, he was older than me and more experienced.
...
Kag went missing a week later, my tribe leader still urging me to go, said Kag was waiting at me in a camp he set up at the foot of the mountain, ready for archeological dives. I did not believe my tribe leader but he was far more experienced, he had four names and I only had one. It took a week for him to convince me to head out but I still was not convinced, I wanted to get away from him and his increasing fondness for collecting mirrors and turning them into masks, I did not like seeing myself when I talked to him.
I packed my supplies and head out, just me, and then I reached the edge of the Silent Village, I went around the wall until I found the gate into the village, it was already open for me, maybe Kag really did go through here. I walked through the ruined village as I looked around at the petrified bird people, I do not remember what they are called but Kag said they predated us on Askad. I peeked inside of a house just to see, the people inside frozen in a scene, they were hugging each other. It felt sad.
I continued through the village, now inside I felt easier than I did when staring inwards from the edge, except now there was a sense of loneliness seeing all these people in this village. I reached the foot of the mountain by the middle of the day and there it was, a packed together tent and a stamped out campfire, Kag really did show up here. He was not around so I had believed he went inside, I grabbed the tent assuming it was an extra for me and began scaling the stairs carved into the ancient mountain until I reached an archway, an old chamber leading into the mountain. I explored it first and when I went inside my heart sank.
Dropped supplies similar to mine in a path leading to a statue- no- to Kag, petrified in stone. I dropped everything I currently had to rush over to him and placed a hand on his back, he was in a curled up position like he was in the process of vomiting when it happened, but his eyes were closed and his mouth covered. He was turned to stone while crying. My throat siezed up as I closed my eyes, tears dripping down my face.
"Friend!" I meekly whimpered out. My hand still on the statue of my friend. "N-no, not friend, brother Kag..."
My mind flooded with memories of me and Kag, together since we were born into the tribe, brothers from different families yet in the same tribe. I tried holding my tears, Kag was always strong for me when I couldn't be, I was a scientist and he was a warrior. I clutched at my chest as my heart raced, still keeping a hand on Kag and hoping, praying, to whatever god I could to bring him back.
And then there was a voice, I could not make out its words but it was Kag. I hastily looked up, my vision blurry from my tears and then-
Dizziness.
and then
it went
black
I am an explorer for my tribe, an archeologist of sorts, even living far in the caves there are many mysteries to the land of Askad that we have yet to uncover, namely to the East. My friend Kag'tegs tells me not to go there, we never go there, it is a silent land of death and decay. I listened to him for many years. Though even with his warnings I sat on the outskirts of it, a great wall surrounding a village of petrified people, they called it the Silent Village. It did not look like an active danger, but there was a sense of unease that washed over me whenever I got too close.
My tribe received a request from the Mainland, from an old artifact seeker named Altim, the name was foreign to me and I had many pen pal archeologists in the isles, so perhaps he was new and looking to branch out.
...
He was not.
His request is for us to investigate the mountain spire in the center of the Silent Village, as much as my curiosity wanted for me to go I listened to my friend Kag's warnings to not go, he was older than me and more experienced.
...
Kag went missing a week later, my tribe leader still urging me to go, said Kag was waiting at me in a camp he set up at the foot of the mountain, ready for archeological dives. I did not believe my tribe leader but he was far more experienced, he had four names and I only had one. It took a week for him to convince me to head out but I still was not convinced, I wanted to get away from him and his increasing fondness for collecting mirrors and turning them into masks, I did not like seeing myself when I talked to him.
I packed my supplies and head out, just me, and then I reached the edge of the Silent Village, I went around the wall until I found the gate into the village, it was already open for me, maybe Kag really did go through here. I walked through the ruined village as I looked around at the petrified bird people, I do not remember what they are called but Kag said they predated us on Askad. I peeked inside of a house just to see, the people inside frozen in a scene, they were hugging each other. It felt sad.
I continued through the village, now inside I felt easier than I did when staring inwards from the edge, except now there was a sense of loneliness seeing all these people in this village. I reached the foot of the mountain by the middle of the day and there it was, a packed together tent and a stamped out campfire, Kag really did show up here. He was not around so I had believed he went inside, I grabbed the tent assuming it was an extra for me and began scaling the stairs carved into the ancient mountain until I reached an archway, an old chamber leading into the mountain. I explored it first and when I went inside my heart sank.
Dropped supplies similar to mine in a path leading to a statue- no- to Kag, petrified in stone. I dropped everything I currently had to rush over to him and placed a hand on his back, he was in a curled up position like he was in the process of vomiting when it happened, but his eyes were closed and his mouth covered. He was turned to stone while crying. My throat siezed up as I closed my eyes, tears dripping down my face.
"Friend!" I meekly whimpered out. My hand still on the statue of my friend. "N-no, not friend, brother Kag..."
My mind flooded with memories of me and Kag, together since we were born into the tribe, brothers from different families yet in the same tribe. I tried holding my tears, Kag was always strong for me when I couldn't be, I was a scientist and he was a warrior. I clutched at my chest as my heart raced, still keeping a hand on Kag and hoping, praying, to whatever god I could to bring him back.
And then there was a voice, I could not make out its words but it was Kag. I hastily looked up, my vision blurry from my tears and then-
Dizziness.
and then
it went
black
Comments