What Lies Below

[Rayleigh]

Closed to Darigaaz. Takes place shortly after the events of The Machinations of Fate. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28420-The-machinations-of-Fate-(closed-to-Rayleigh))

As always, it came without warning. After nearly an hour of rolling along steadily, the small carriage was tossed violently to one side. The vehicle's lone occupant, a woman with wild brown hair and wide emerald eyes, had braced her feet against the opposite bench to keep from being thrown across it. Twelve days had been spent traveling in this particular manner, and she had learned to be cautious, and as prepared as possible. This time, however, the impact managed to propel her small frame to the side rather than forward, and she crumpled against the right wall. A small groan escaped her lips, as her eyes screw shut, and a single hand snaked its way up to the growing bump on the side of her head; she had struck it squarely on the ornate silver clasp that gathered the curtains in one corner of the window. As her cheek rest on the soft velvet fabric, gaze on the crimson fringe that swayed back and forth endlessly, she found herself once again growing critical of the showy interior. The blonde-haired scholar had promised her the best, and at first, the carriage had delighted her. But after nearly two weeks of being tossed about the coach, even her love of exploration was slowly being replaced by an insatiable urge to set fire to the thing.

"Sorry about that, Ray!" came a female voice from the box seat. Despite the rough terrain and the countless hours the pair had spent on the road, Louise, the driver, had remained impossibly chipper.

Through the window she had left cracked open, the mechanic called back, "s'alright, Lu." This was a well-rehearsed exchange, and one that had transpired every time that the carriage's thin wooden wheels found a rut.

"Its just that we're getting deeper into the mountains now. The path is a bit rockier." On cue, the vehicle tipped, though not enough to lodge the brunette from her seat. Then, as if spoken as an afterthought, Louise added, "it will not be long now."

The words caused Rayleigh to perk up considerably. "Really?"

"Yes. I'd say another two hours, maybe."

The estimate had been nearly spot-on, and the two-horse team slowed to a halt at their driver's stern command just around noon. The door swung open with an ugly creak, and Rayleigh spilled out gracelessly. "Finally," she drawled, throwing both arms out wide in a theatrical stretch.

"Oh hush, you," Louise scolded as she climbed down from the box seat. "I'm not that bad of a driver."

"Had me fooled," came the sharp retort, and her new friend feigned insult until Rayleigh clapped her on the shoulder. "I'm messin', Lu. You were great."

The blonde, who was only a few years older than Rayleigh, stood about six inches taller. Watching Rayleigh pat her was comical, but she accepted the gesture, and the words that accompanied it, graciously. "Thanks, Ray. That's sweet."

The pair turned from one another, the mechanic returning to the carriage for her belongings, and the driver moving the opposite direction to tend to the horses. When Rayleigh moved up alongside Louise once more, her pack draped over her shoulder, the taller woman was running her hand down the bay's strong foreleg. She watched, fascinated, as Louise's fingers followed the deceptively thin cannon bone, checking for any warmth or swelling. The muscular Standardbred mare, who dwarfed Rayleigh at sixteen hands, stood patiently. Her partner, a black gelding, did the same, chewing harmlessly at the bit.

"Shame you don't know more about horses," Louise commented, straightening back up, and giving the mare's neck an affectionate pat. "I can tell you like them, but you look downright terrified."

Shoulders rose and fell as Rayleigh shrugged. Then, with a sheepish smile, she answered. "They're big."

"Big babies, more like." Louise broke into a broad grin. "I'm the one who will pick you back up when you've finished. I can help get you acquainted with Alder and Aja on the way home." Rayleigh gave another noncommittal shrug, but Louise pulled her into a one-armed hug nonetheless. Then, she pointed down a well-worn path. "Just follow that. Be careful though, Ray. The dark elves I've met have all been fickle things, and they don't care much for humans."

"Thank'ya for your help, Lu." With a nod, the woman bid her new friend farewell, and began the short, steep descent into the unknown. From behind her, she heard the sounds of the driver returning to her post and urging the horses into a trot. But Rayleigh's green eyes remained focused ahead, as only a moment later, evidence of an excavation project became visible. Great tents had been pitched, popping up in seemingly random order between the steep, mountainous walls that surrounded the area. Large chunks of rock, wooden crates, and various pieces of technology were scattered about. It was these machines that drew the young mechanic's attention first, and excited goosebumps raced up and down her bare arms. Without hesitation, she made a beeline for the nearest piece. It was approximately four foot long, two foot wide, and three foot tall, and it seemed to be constructed entirely of wood, save for the metal blade and levers that jutted out of opposite ends. She reached for it eagerly.

A sharp voice interrupted her, and caused the woman to freeze mid-action. "Excuse me," barked one dark elf, who seemed to materialize beside her. His lips, the same navy blue shade as the rest of his skin, were curled downward in a vexed scowl. Yellow eyes bore into her as he grasped her forearm with surprising speed and strength. "What are you doing?"

This was her first encounter with dark elves, excluding the few times she had passed them on the street, and Rayleigh found herself agreeing with Louise's evaluation. "I'm Rayleigh Aston," she replied.

The grip tightened. "I did not ask who you are, human. I asked why you are here."

"Technically," Rayleigh began matter-of-factly, "you asked what I'm doing, which has a real different answer than why I'm here." The dark elf gave a disgusted grunt, and for a moment, she worried that his hold may snap her arm in two.

"That's enough, Remin." A third voice joined the discussion. The dark elf who approached the pair spoke softly, but the edge in his tone caused his companion to release her arm almost immediately. "I apologize for Remin's behavior, miss." Now he addressed Rayleigh, offering her a small smile. "He ensures that our site is secure, and he takes his job very seriously." His eyes, which were a vibrant green color, revealed a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Did you say that your name was Rayleigh Aston?" When the woman nodded, he shook his head in awe. "I cannot say that I expected a human. Very interesting indeed." Then, pulling away, he motioned to her to follow. "Come. You must meet the one who is in charge of this whole project." With that, his disappeared into a nearby tent. Rayleigh, rubbing her smarting arm, followed close behind.

[Darigaaz]

Canvas split to reveal a deceptively large area with machinery humming and sputtering on in its normal fashion. Low spurts of steam filled the room with dank, hot air that burned at the eyes. The dark skinned elves amassed there seemed to take no notice. Rayleigh had walked in to the middle of a very heated monologue, much to the chagrin of those who had arrived before her. Sour faces twisted in disdain for the topic that had come up again, for the millionth time.

"...we cannot be certain of the nature..." whispers and hushed sounds of disapproval broke apart his sentences while the human girl tried to edge close enough to hear them. "...I propose that we abandon..."

Another voice, this one feminine and acidic, tore in. "We have labored here for months, Asric," the elven woman hissed, "and the heart of this font appears to be within that ice." The speaker, a raven haired Alerian Elf named Tiera, stared at Asric through jade eyes. "We should not throw away all of our work so readily. Not this close to completion."

Rayleigh had made her way into the crowd successfully, and no one seemed to notice her complexion, or the strange nature of her physique. Indeed, all eyes were on Asric and Tiera as the future of their project was warred upon. "Tiera," Asric held up a hand to dissuade her from rage, the same rage that stormed in her gaze. "I have seen few artifacts that are so old as cannot be properly dated by our science," he said, "and none so raw and powerful in magic as this. There is too much unknown, here."

"And science teaches us to make the unknown, known, Asric," she countered, a lithe hand pressed against his chest deflated the elder from responding immediately. "How can we claim to be seekers of greater knowledge if we jump at shadows?" The elven woman pointed toward the winding stairwell that bored deep into the crust of Alerar's surface. "There is magic there that predates the differences between ourselves and our lesser Raiaeran cousins. With that power under our command, we could write a new chapter in the history books of Althanas."

Asric shivered. "Those thoughts," he whispered, "are the kind that lead to powers like this being lost to time."

"And thoughts like those," she spat, "are why those secrets remain hidden." Tiera turned and headed for the stairs, but stopped short when she saw the young, plain looking human woman. "You are the one who was sent? Rayleigh Aston?" she asked, almost conversationally. "I am Tiera Galvan, the lead Artificer on this dig- that bumbling fool-" she indicated Asric, "is my associate, Asric. He is the senior anthropological officer here, but my word is final when it comes to the fate of the machines- I take it you've been briefed on what we're looking to achieve here?"

Tiera rounded on Rayleigh and stared down at her expectantly- she was easily a head taller or more than the girl, and her presence was impending. It may have been the noxious odor of recycled water that had been buried for ages, however.

[Rayleigh]

The air trapped inside the tent was dramatically different than what existed just outside of it. As Rayleigh entered, hardly stooping down at all due to her short stature, she was immediately greeted by a familiar aroma. Though another individual may have been disgusted by the scent, or even made ill, Rayleigh drew in the hot air excitedly. She felt it trickle into her lungs, and without really making a conscious effort to do so, she closed her eyes. Sharp metallics mingled with the unmistakable odor of gasoline, and to Rayleigh, it was the perfect perfume. All memories of her father were accompanied by this scent, and she momentarily found herself lost within it. A firm touch on the small of her back brought her to the present. Slowly, Rayleigh turned to the green-eyed elf, who withdrew his hand, and motioned for her to continue walking.

The woman snaked her way through the mass of dark elves without incident. It seemed that the crowd's attention was not on the lone human, but instead, on the spirited discussion taking place a short distance from her. Sharp words and animated gestures caught her eye as well, and as it often did, curiosity got the best of the young woman. A hurried glance over her shoulder revealed that Rayleigh had lost her companion. Perhaps he had only ventured off for a brief moment, but for the time being, she was alone. Without his watchful eye on her, Rayleigh slipped closer to the two impassioned individuals.

It took no time at all for her to realize that the pair was locked in a heated debate. As she listened, she found herself growing more puzzled by the topic of their discussion. They spoke of ancient artifacts, wild magic, and great mystery, all things that the lowly mechanic had little experience with but much interest in. Still, there were pieces of the puzzle that went unmentioned, and she struggled to work with the jumbled information she was presented with. Was her job to date the technology that they had uncovered? That had been her understanding, based on the directions Vincent had given her. But what of this magic? Were the elves aware that she possessed no magical abilities herself?

Just as the emerald-eyed human made a mental note to remind the elves of this, one bore down upon her. Ray's cheeks, flecked with light freckles, now also carried a warm blush of embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping. The black-haired stranger, who would soon reveal that her name was Tiera, did not seem bothered by the intrusion, however. The crimson soon leaked from Rayleigh's face, and a broad, excited smile replaced the sheepish one that had existed there seconds before. "Aye, that's me," she replied. "Nice to meet you-" she hesitated briefly, then repeated the elvish name to the best of her ability. Though she echoed the pronunciation, it still felt clunky rolling off of her tongue. For Asric, she simply raised a single hand in greeting, nodded in his direction, and added, "you too."

Once introductions were finished, and Galvan seamlessly transitioned onto the matter at hand, Rayleigh found herself growing a bit uneasy. Based on the conversation she had overheard, the scholar had left out quite a bit while explaining her newest job. She did not want to appear ignorant, but there was no use in lying either. "Eh, sort of," came her honest answer. "Vincent mentioned some old technology, but that's all I know." Then, because she felt it was appropriate, she tacked on a soft "sorry" before falling silent again.

[Darigaaz]

Tiera turned when Rayleigh assented that she was, in fact, the person that the elf had been waiting for. Perhaps that was all she needed in order to proceed? The young girl's hasty apology melt with the harsh silence of the Artificer's back, even as Asric called out a gentle "pleasure to meet you," though the two women were gone before Rayleigh had time to answer back.

Descent through the expansive shaft was slow, despite the elevator rig that chugged and hissed as it drove them into the depths. Runic symbols carved into the rock face told ancient tales as they went deeper, and Aston stared in awe as the words seemed to glow with faint inner light. "This doesn't seem like a naturally occurring phenomenon," she rasped breathlessly.

"Because it isn't," the Dark Elf snapped. "Alerar boasts the finest, most advanced and powerful technology in all of Althanas. In spite of that, we lack the resources and... understanding..." she hissed the word as if it were not the one she sought, but it was all she could find. "...to rouse the ancient energies that power what we uncovered here."

"How did you come by all of this?" Rayleigh asked cautiously.

"The last earthquake," Galvan replied slowly, "it released a weak portion of the earth nearby a dig site. The Guild councils sponsor certain archeological ventures, in hopes of discovering secrets that our ancestors sought to deprive us of."

Rayleigh bit back an acerbic comment about the entitled attitude that Alerian elves seemed to take on knowledge and power, but observed the writing on the wall in silence. "The machines beneath the surface appeared to be engines of war," Tiera rewarded the mechanic's sage silence with further insight. "Powerful and destructive machines that fed on magic and created a resource that anyone could use."

"As a power source?" the girl asked quietly.

"Of course," the elf drawled, "in its most rudimentary form. I'm certain that the elves who came before shared my vision."

Rayleigh glanced over the woman in relative silence. "It occurs to me," the girl said in a hushed voice, "that may be why the weapons were laid to rest here."

"Obviously." The retort was dry and unenthusiastic, but Tiera was a grim woman. "It was an endeavor many thousands of years before its time. It is not by chance that this was revealed to us." Her wicked smile stretched over her features, and Rayleigh shrank back a bit. "Oh, come girl, I'm not so foolish as to believe I'm not prone to the same fate. That's why we called for aid."

Rayleigh waited, the look on her face one of patient concern. "Your associate informed us that you had a bit of... ah... mechanical insight. We want to know what happened here, and if possible, how to prevent it from happening again. Ultimately, we'd like to see this technology harvested. And no," she laughed, "the councils have no immediate desire to create more war in this world."

The elevator creaked to a halt, and only orange runes and dimly lit torches lit their way. The tunnel seemed to shrink as they crept forward, darker with each step. The smell of machinery faded as the sounds of their technology was left behind. What they saw ahead of them stole their breath.

The antechamber glowed with deep green and blue light. Rails and metal steps led up, down, left and right, and consoles unmolested for many years were beset by dust. In the center of the room, a massive crystalline structure of deep white and blue sat, frozen. The air was cold and devoid of moisture. Ancient power sat here, stagnant and devoid of any movement, preserved for an eternity.

"This way," Tiera urged, and she took the girl by her wrist. Still in awe, Rayleigh complied. "We haven't found any answers in this room," she told the girl, "whatever this is, it seems unimportant. The real treasure is just over here..."

[Rayleigh]

With each step the pair took, the taller elf dragging the shorter human, Rayleigh felt the knot in her stomach grow tighter. The situation she found herself thrust into felt wrong in every possible way. They moved too quickly, and the fragmented bits of information that had been given to her made no sense at all. While she was not allowed much time to process what Tiera had just explained, her gut told her that the work could have dangerous consequences. Is this what I should use my gift for? she found herself thinking as she reluctantly allowed herself to be led along. Of course, she could be of great help to the dark elves, but who might be hurt in the process?

Furthermore, it seemed that Tiera expected quite a bit from her. This alone was enough to make Rayleigh grow anxious, as her ability was still incredibly new. Her time at the Jolly Otter had demonstrated that she had absolutely no control over when the visions came. What if she pressed her hand to the machine, and nothing happened? The sheer thought of appearing a fraud before Galvan made her nauseous.

But then, there was also something else that put the brunette on edge. This was more difficult to explain, but it had a powerful effect on her nonetheless. The air seemed to have a heaviness to it, and each movement that Rayleigh made required twice the energy. It was a bit like moving through water, but to the naked eye, nothing appeared to be different. Green pools were wide and panicked as they swept the room. The breaths that she drew became short and shallow, and finally, she croaked to her companion. "Could we please stop? I think something's wrong."

"Hush, girl! You're fine," came the sharp reply. Stung by the words, and already overwhelmed by her surroundings, the girl winced. Tiera caught the motion from the corner of her eye, and though she felt no obligation to soothe the human, she did add, "I imagine you are just adjusting to being underground." A small, unconvincing nod was her only answer.

Now at the other end of the antechamber, the dark elf gave Rayleigh's wrist an excited squeeze. "Here we are."

What Rayleigh found inside the larger room worked to both delight and terrify her. A mechanic's dream sprawled out before her. Machines of all shapes and size lay scattered about, their intended purposes a mystery even to the experienced engineer. Copper pipes connected these pieces, running the entire length of the room, and disappearing into the earth in a number of different locations. To Rayleigh, they looked like rusty vines, hanging from the ceiling, and clinging to the walls. It was a sight that caused her breath to catch in her throat, and she immediately understood why Tiera had been so excited to show her this room. It was, undoubtedly, a treasure.

Despite all of this, her slender frame trembled in fear. The sheer weight of the air was suffocating her, and Rayleigh struggled to keep from being crushed by it. Whatever this sensation was, it was infinitely stronger in this second room. But why did the dark elf seemed entirely unaffected? Lips parted to express her discomfort once more, but she was interrupted.

"So?" Tiera demanded, motioning to the machines that lay before them. Each stood in eerie silence, but the dark elf had been assured that the human could communicate with the hunks of twisted metal. "What can you tell me about this?"

"Uh," Rayleigh began slowly, "I have to touch them first." A 'go ahead then' nod from the other woman prompted her to shuffle toward the nearest piece. It was a copper pipe, which jut out of the earth, twisted in on itself, and disappeared into the wall once more. She inhaled deeply, fighting against the heaviness surrounding her to fill her lungs with air. Then, her hand closed firmly around the pipe.

Immediately, her world was set ablaze. Vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows licked at the walls, the ceiling, the pipes, and the machines. Rayleigh became aware of her own skin as it bubbled under the immense heat of the growing inferno. Small flames even danced across the silver chords, which wrapped about her arms and tethered her to the pipe.

Her body twisted as she turned back to Tiera, searching desperately for relief from this vision. But the dark elf was gone. In her place stood a black figure. It had no distinguishable features, and appeared to be made entirely of darkness. Behind the silhouette, the shadow figures from her previous vision drifted back and forth. Though the figure had no eyes, she could feel its gaze upon her. Within that gaze was a searing hatred unlike anything Rayleigh had ever experienced. It peered into her very soul, brutally violating her from across the room. This thing, whatever it was, wanted her dead. And in that moment, Rayleigh wanted to be dead.

Two hands grasped her shoulders, and as fingertips dug into her skin, she was pulled backwards. Now, without any connection to the machinery, Rayleigh's vision dissipated. It was not until Tiera stepped in front of her and began to shout that the woman realized she was screaming.

"This has to stop," she heard herself begging. The dark elf fell silent as Rayleigh began to plead with her, but the worry in her eyes was slowly replaced by something that resembled skepticism. "Please, we have to leave here. This place is not right. There is something here. There is evil here. And it hates me. Oh gods, it hates me."

[Darigaaz]

"Control yourself, girl," Tiera hissed angrily. She took firm hold of Rayleigh's wrist and wrenched the woman back. A jolt of pain wracked the small human woman's visage. Whatever she had seen, it was obvious that Galvan had not shared in the event. The air was thick with something, but the elf had become used to it. "I've spent far too long slaving over these baubles to be denied my prize," she mumbled as her careful hands moved over the machinery with practiced delicacy. "It has a certain effect on the mind," she admitted, "working under heavy pressure coming down from above."

"That's not it," Rayleigh rasped desperately. She fought to free herself from the elf, but grimaced as pain lanced through her body. "Please, let's go. Just let me go."

Galvan turned on the girl with an icy glare. "I am so close," she hissed, "and you have felt in one touch, one graze of these mechanisms more of the hidden power than I have ever broached in years of research. You can go when we are finished, and not a moment sooner." There was a sob from the small girl as Galvan pulled her back toward the ancient artifacts and pointed. "You're a mechanic," she stated accusingly, "find out how to start it."

"Why can't you?" Rayleigh shot back, "aren't you an Artificer? Doesn't that make you an authority on powerful machines?"

"Just because I study them," said Tiera in a much cooler voice, "does not mean I know them so intimately. Not often do we all have such an intimate knowledge of the things we read about in books."

"Lousy artificers, elves," Rayleigh muttered discontentedly. Tiera overlooked the comment, mostly because the haunted look never left the human. Her faced was etched with a permanent scar from her vision, and though she did not admit it, Tiera was unnerved. It hates her, she said. But what hates her? What was laid to rest in this place? Are there more than just machines, here?

The Artificer would not admit to any conflict or doubt. Her resolve was absolute and her purpose clear. "The sooner you find it, the sooner we can move on," she coaxed. "We need only to find out how they work, and then we can get them out from here. Doesn't that seem fair to you?" Her attitude shifted from commanding to encouraging, only because Rayleigh seemed to react less amicably to her assertiveness. "Come now," she chided. "Let's not linger longer than we must."

"We have to go," Ray repeated with urgency. "I can feel it staring at me. It's in my mind, it's everywhe-"

The room shifted uncomfortably in her mind, then blinked black, and returned to normal. Haunted whispers echoed in the small girl's mind, echoes from eons past. She could feel warm fingers on her skin, dancing to a mad tune long forgotten. Then, the cold set upon her with anguished ferocity as the very essence of that place reached out to her. Let me be freeeeeeee. A cold, powerful, but detached and toneless voice creaked in her mind. Awaken meeeeeee...

[Rayleigh]

When the disembodied voice invaded her thoughts, the girl gave a soft whimper.

"What?" demanded Tiera, a bit too eagerly. "Did you have another vision?"

Already overwhelmed by her first vision, as well as the strangeness of the air around her, Rayleigh struggled to make sense of these lingering effects. She had been dizzy after her vision at the Jolly Otter, but the experience had been nothing like this. The room had not warped the way it did when she looked at it now. Her skin had not crawled as if invisible fingers rest there. There had been no voices in her head. The small girl shuddered.

"No," she answered finally, her voice hardly audible even in the still silence of the underground chamber. "There were no more visions."

Galvan, who was not convinced, pushed back. "Are you sure?" The brunette nodded. Heaving a sigh, the dark elf continued. "Fine. Then get a move on. Find a way to get these machines running again."

"I told you!" Ray insisted, her voice cracking pitifully. Both hands rose to her head, palms clasped tightly against her temples, fingers weaving themselves through her hair. The voices grew louder. No, that was not right. Not voices. This thing inside the woman's mind was a single voice, and though it was one that she had never heard before, it continued to beckon to her. Release meeeee. "I don't know how!" This time, when she cried out, she addressed both the elf and the voice in her head.

Tiera was not impressed. "What sort of mechanic refuses to even try?" The words were dry and blame-filled, but they were not enough to spur Rayleigh into action. The human woman knew that her father, despite all of his pride, would never have dabbled in something as dark as this. Therefore, she did not feel obligated to do so either. Recognizing that her attempt had been unsuccessful, the devious elf resorted to an old tactic. A graceful hand cut the heavy air as she waved it apathetically. "Fine. Do what you wish, foolish human. But we will remain in this room until I see results. That, girl, is a promise."

It was as if her intruder recognized the opportunity it had been presented with. Nowwww, it called to her. Free me nowww.

"Alright." Every muscle in her body throbbed with overexertion. Her lungs burned, and her heart raced. White spots danced across her vision. Her mind was filled with someone else's thoughts, and it seemed that there was only one way to remedy the situation.

"Good." The dark elf's answer was simple, but the pleasure that twisted her features was unmistakable.

Tucked away in the far corner was what seemed to be the largest of all of the pieces. As Rayleigh neared it, the voice in her mind grew more forceful. Yessss, it prompted her. Yessss. Her entire frame was racked with silent sobs as she came to rest beside what was surely the control station. Gingerly, she reached out a single hand, and placed it on the metal box. Despite countless years buried under the earth, the machine was warm to the touch.

"We've examined that piece before," Galvan informed her from the other side of the room. "There are no buttons or levers."

Rayleigh, who chose to ignore the comment, allowed her fingers to trace the sleek surface of the box. Machines were rarely so simple, and the fact that Tiera believed this particular piece would be spoke volumes to her abilities as an artificer. A couple of tense moments passed before the mechanic found what she was looking for. A small portion of the box's lower corner was slightly raised. Her careful, trained eye revealed that this was, in fact, the cover to some sort of compartment. The girl slipped her leather sack off of her back, set it beside her on the ground, and after a few seconds of rummaging, withdrew a screwdriver. Expertly, she eased the flattened end of the tool under the cover's edge. Because of the machine's age, it took very little pressure on the other end to free the sheet of metal. It clattered loudly to the ground below, revealing a small, black switch, and words written in a language she did not recognize.

After that, everything seemed to happen all at once. The thing in her mind began to shout at such volumes that the words were no longer coherent. Clutching her head once more, Rayleigh fell over backward, groaning in pain. Tiera Galvan, at the same time, swooped in. "Finally," she twittered, nearly hysterical with excitement. "I've done it!"

As the human writhed in agony on the dirt floor, the dark elf extended one long finger, and flipped the switch.

[Darigaaz]

With a sigh anticipated for thousands of years, dust billowed off of rusted mechanisms and the entire underground rumbled. For a moment, the world shook. The machines sucked in air like a man taking a breath after diving under water. Several hissing sounds broke free from the antiquities, then the world stood still.

"What is this?" Galvan spat. "Has age addled it?"

"Be patient," Rayleigh chided in a soft voice. "And remember, you asked for this."

"Asked for it?" Tiera barked a laugh. "Girl, this is my life's work! My finest discovery! Everything in this room will bring glory to Alerar, and on the coattails of that glory, I will ride to greatness." The Dark Elf's worried look was at a heavy contrast to her words. Doubt flickered in the inky eyes of the Artificer as she ran a hand across the ancient machine. "Work, damn you," she whispered. "I didn't come this far to fail!"

In answer to Tiera's plea, the machine groaned once more. Steam surged from the nethers of the chamber, rising like the tide. The chamber slowly warmed around them. "It's getting hot," Rayleigh observed with a frown. "Too hot, too quickly. If it gets too hot, we'll be burned alive."

"A risk I'm willing to take," Tiera seethed as she found a blinking console at last. "Ah, here we are... now... If I can just translate this..."

"It's a language dead for a millennia," Rayleigh told her. "Probably as old as this room. You'll never read it." She clutched at her head, though the voice was gone. She looked around, terrified, frantic.

Tiera flicked a dismissive hand at her. "Bah," she smashed in several buttons in an attempt to make sense of the device's origin, or its function. The apparatus glowed intensely in accordance with her touch. Green and blue clouds of ethereal light swirled rhythmically around the machine. Magic danced around Rayleigh as her horror grew. "It's responding," the elf called out triumphantly above the roar of her spoils. "It works!"

"You don't even know what it does," the young human stammered, "you shouldn't have come here. We shouldn't be here. This is not right."

"Nothing could be more right," Tiera scoffed. "Witness my victory, human. Witness Elven mastery over Magic, as was our birthright!"

The machines throughout the room and all the way up to the surface gargled with renewed power. Ancient energy writhed and the earth itself trembled. Hundreds of voices on the surface echoed their screams down the mine shaft to Rayleigh, who whimpered helplessly. "Tiera," she pleaded as she found her feet once more, "we have to get out of here."

"No." The answer was quiet, cold, and sharp. "I am on the cusp of discovery, Rayleigh Aston," Tiera turned dark, deep eyes on the younger woman. "I will see that you are rewarded for your efforts here, child, but I will not leave now. Not until this power is mine."

Rayleigh understood everything that went unsaid. She could see in Tiera's gaze that this would not end with glory. The power here- she could feel it, and it was toxic. It was rage, ancient and unchecked. It was hate, the same hatred that had fallen on her in that vision. That hatred was in Galvan's head now, and it had twisted her.

[Rayleigh]

Though the room's temperature climbed, Rayleigh hugged herself tightly. The action brought her little comfort, as the screams from those above-ground continued to trickle down to her. There was very little that the woman understood about the situation, but one thing that she was confident of was that death would find them if they remained there any longer. Even if there was no evil entity trapped within the machines, she and Tiera would surely fall to the immense heat.

Turning her attention to the dark elf, Ray was shocked by the transformation that had already occurred. The tall, willowy woman, who had been so poised during their decent into the cavern, now wore the expression of a madman. Her face was twisted into a deranged smirk, and wide, green eyes rolled in their sockets as she let loose a peal of maniacal laughter. In that sound, which echoed in the large chamber, Rayleigh could have sworn she heard the bodiless voice once more.

"Okay now," the young mechanic murmured. Both hands were extended in front of her, and she gestured for Galvan to calm down. In a voice reserved for talking a suicidal man back from a ledge, she continued. "Its time for us to go. That's enough." Despite her own panic, Rayleigh recognized that something foreign had possessed her companion. She would have to switch tactics, as she no longer spoke only to Tiera.

Her attempt, unfortunately, seemed to do more harm than good. Immediately, the dark elf whipped around to face the small human. All joy drained from her face as she bore down on Rayleigh. "That's enough?" she barked, expelling a thin line of spittle a few feet in front of her. "How dare you? I dedicated my entire life to this project. This is my moment of triumph!" Hands clenched into fists at Tiera's side. "I will not allow a know-nothing human to ruin this for me."

A nearby machine suddenly wheezed, coughing out a great plume of pungent smoke. "This place," Rayleigh pleaded once more, throwing her arms out wide, "is collapsing in on itself! Can't you see that? If we wait any longer, we'll-"

Suddenly, the room lunged to one side. A great tremor shook the earth, toppling both the frightened human and her elven counterpart. Though the quake was brief, and the women were able to climb back to their feet very shortly after, Rayleigh was nearing hysterics. What she spotted when she surveyed the room once more pushed her over the edge.

"Tiera!" Her voice shook. "Do you see that?"

"What?" demanded the woman.

"That."

The dark elf's eyes followed Rayleigh's trembling finger. Upon locating the source of the girl's fears, she nodded. "Yes, of course I do."

That was enough for Rayleigh. The flames that now consumed the outer edges of the room were real, and not a figment of her imagination. Despite whatever Tiera, or the thing inside of her might do, it would pale in comparison to being burned alive. That was incentive enough for the brown haired human to turn on her heel, and make a panicked dash for the elevator shaft.

It took only a matter of seconds for her to burst back into the small antechamber. To her horror, this room closely resembled what she had just left behind. The fire traveled quickly, closing the gap between the walls and the great blue and white crystal. Soon, the vibrant flames would begin their destructive work on that too. Rayleigh, however, did not plan to stick around to watch that happen. Boots thudded loudly against the dirt floor as she put on another burst of speed.

Her plan was foiled when she was enveloped by thin but surprisingly strong arms. They squeezed her tightly, producing a pained cry as she was yanked from her feet.

"Please!" Rayleigh wailed, struggling to fight due to the growing heat and thick magic that still surrounded her. She sobbed freely, aware that her fate was sealed. It would be impossible for her to outrun Tiera, who seemed unaffected by such things. "I don't want to die."

"It is too late now," Galvan replied, in a voice that was not her own.

[Darigaaz]

A chorus of woe reverberated through the chamber; wails and screams twisted together with searing flames that cackled like daemons, and Rayleigh stood at the center of it all. Spirals of green heat roiled before her eyes and the poor girl could feel the blood as it sheltered in her veins. Sweat beaded on her brow and she gasped for air, but what she received was dry, cracked, and painful. "Let me go," she pleaded as futility bled into her voice, and the tears on her face felt like they had begun to boil. "Please," she choked, "Tiera, it's got hold of you-"

The elven woman turned a stony face toward the small woman and offered a grim smile. "When they speak of my legacy," she told Ray, "they will tell of the woman who brought power back to the world, many years after it had been sundered." She spoke firmly and above the wild catcalls of shaking earth and searing flame. "They will recall Tiera of House Galvan, High Artificer, She who enslaved Magic, but was not enslaved by it."

The mechanic sat on her knees and stared up at the Artificer as she pontificated, her words a poor attempt to conquer defeat. "They will remember me as the greatest thinker of my time, and the end to all conflict. I will bring peace with this discovery," she told herself more than anyone else. "Yes," she whispered quietly, fascinated, "peace."

Tiera stared at her open palms, transfixed by her own legend. She sought to conquer the force that compelled her, and Rayleigh could see sanity bleeding through the cracks. The magic had twisted through her, used her, and now it had cast her aside. The chamber was filled with brilliant light and mind numbing sound, and energy swirled like a vortex through the cavern. Pieces of the rock face were torn away and tossed one way or the other, like a storm had manifest before their eyes.

"Guck... ahhhh!" A sharp gasp escaped the elf and her face twisted in horrified agony. A garbled sound escaped her lips and she looked slowly down, where she could see a shard of glacial ice impaled through her stomach. The elf slumped to her knees and clutched at the spine of frigid death as it sapped at her with ancient, life sapping power.

Rayleigh watched in mute terror as the only link she had to a world above sank to the floor. She reached out slowly in disbelief for Tiera, but the light faded from her benefactors eyes, and the small brunette clutched at her mouth to stifle a sob. "Oh gods," she rasped.*

On the far end of the tunnel, the ice had been tattered and melted away. Fire had dissipated from the room, but the heat lingered. Water sizzled beneath each step Aston took toward the exit. "I don't want to die," she sobbed, "I didn't mean for it to be like this." She looked around frantically.*

When she stepped into the control room, she stopped dead. Panels were ablaze with ancient programs. Scripts went unrecognized as they mindlessly powered the destruction she had witnessed moments before, and would continue to witness long after if they remained. "This has to stop," she resolved. Quick steps took the girl before one large screen, and she skimmed over the keys for any hint. "Only one hang to do," she muttered.*

Rayleigh grabbed a large chunk of ice, and with vigor that belied her small frame, sent it through the screen. A high pitched screech ripped out of the control panel and sparks erupted. Ray shielded her eyes as the intense heat bathed her, then died out. Bursts of power tore through each panel adjacent in turn, and shrieks of computerized suicide offered the girl some solace after her brush with death.

When she turned, Rayleigh felt her heart plummet.

It towered over her. The specter was swathed in stygian robes, hooded, swallowed by darkness. Snow white hands hung dead at either side, and two vivid, ancient eyes stared down into hers. "Oh... oh, no," she cried, and the girl sank to her knees. The heat in those orange eyes burned straight into her soul. All of her willpower shattered beneath the weight of its gaze. "Oh god, no..."

The hood tilted, a million lifetimes of unanswered questions brushed past in that motion. Whispers from an eon past manifested in Rayleigh's mind, as though the creature itself lacked a voice, or it had lost its own. A single word.

Vengeance.

[Rayleigh]

The foreign voice in her mind, which undoubtedly belonged to the hellish figure before her, was drowned out only by the cries of her own conscience. Her brain willed her to take flight, and a few seconds later, her body obeyed. Finally able to tear away from the captivating orange gaze, Rayleigh scrambled to her feet. The action was so clumsy it was comical, damp pebbles sliding about beneath her as the brunette tumbled along, all four limbs aiding her in her mad attempt to get away. The newcomer, who made no immediate move to stop her, never looked away. She felt his fiery gaze on her back as she finally found her footing, and stumbled back into the small antechamber.

Boots splashed through puddles that dotted the muddy floor. Even in her panic, Ray found her attention immediately drawn to the lifeless body of Tiera Galvan. An impossible amount of blood spilled from the woman, mingling with the water from the melting ice shard, and pooling about her long frame. The mechanic, who had never witnessed a death or a dead body in her life, shuddered despite the blistering heat.

Unfortunately, a more horrifying sight awaited the young woman. Peeling her gaze from the dark elf's corpse, Rayleigh surveyed the room once more. The great crystal structure, to which Tiera's killer had once belonged, had completely vanished. All that remained in its place was a circle of rocks, and a considerable amount of still-steaming water. Her gait slowed from a panicked run to a stunned walk, face growing pale as realization washed over her. The demonic creature, which had seemed to materialize out of thin air, must have emerged from the large, blue-white object. But how long had that item sat buried deep underground? How many years had the figure been trapped inside? What did I set free? came a thought that chilled her to the core.

Slowly, Rayleigh turned around; the phantom stood only a few feet away from her. The heat that seemed to roll off of him stung her eyes, and burned her lungs as she took a short, shaking breath. Wide, frightened emerald eyes found his burning gaze, and though no verbal exchange transpired, that word rang loud in her mind once more.

Vengeance.

"Leave me alone!" Rayleigh sputtered, unable to make sense of anything that happened around her. Confusion, fear, and anxiety overwhelmed her. The damp heat, coupled with the effects of the magic, left her body weak and trembling. All of the energy the woman possessed had been drawn from her. Pure animal instinct took control, and as the creature took another step for her, Ray fled the opposite direction.

Her breathing was labored, and dotted with sobs as she returned to the cavern's entrance. Over the roar of the ancient machines, she had hardly noticed that the screaming on the surface had ceased.

Stop.

"No," the frantic woman howled in response to sharp command in her head. Then, again, she called out, "no!" The second cry was thick with frustration, as Ray finally reached the elevator. It rest in shambles, the supports felled by debris from the tremor. As if to mock the young woman, the entire heap still smoked from a recently extinguished fire.

Stop, now.

Chapped lips parted as if to shout once more, but the only sound that she could manage was a small whimper. Her clothing, damp with sweat, clung uncomfortably to every curve of her body. Brown hair, unbearably frizzy in the humid cavern, tumbled into her eyes with every move that Ray made. A stitch in her side nearly brought the girl to her knees. Perhaps it would be easiest to simply fall at the strange man's feet, to beg for mercy, and to hope for the best. But if Tiera's fate had proven anything, it was that such ancient magic was far too dangerous to be negotiated with. It was wild, unpredictable, and nearly impossible to control. "Now don't you ever get mixed up in that damn magic nonsense," her fathered had told her on many occasions. "Won't never bring you nothin' but trouble."

The small human was running again, though her body no longer felt as if it belonged to her. Every muscle had quit its protesting, trading pain for a dull tingle. Her heart pounded in her head, and the sound of her own breathing filled her ears. Desperately wishing that she had heeded the wise words of her old man, Rayleigh threw herself down the tunnel opposite the way she had just come. Though she knew not where it led, her only wish was to put distance between herself and the demon.

[Darigaaz]

Darkness twisted and writhed as the wraith turned its hooded gaze on the panicked woman. Sparks showered down from every side and bathed the hulking specter in a vivid array of colors. The body seemed oblivious to the heat as flames sparked over it robes, then withered and turned to smoke. It let out a sound almost like a masculine sigh, and heat swirled before orange eyes like a vortex of condensed air.

"I said," he croaked in a weak voice that belied greater power, "stop."

The world writhed as the flames that already raged around the creature built at his word. The very air thinned as magical fire sucked the life from it. Withered, pale fingers stretched out toward Rayleigh, already many meters away from his grasp. The deathly digits tightened into a fist, and flames engulfed the air...

A short distance in front of him. Hellish heat danced like laughter at the paltry attempt to summon ancient power. The miniature inferno blazed hot for a moment longer before it dissipated in a puff of jet black smoke. He could hear the girl's scream as she ran and stole distance with every step. "How long have I slept?" the sad, soft voice asked.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that the fire had been his ally; now the cinders scoffed at his attempt to stoke them. "I remember your kind," he rasped toward the frightened girl, though she was far beyond earshot for his tiny voice. "I... don't... I can't remember why I hate them." The words sounded like smoldering flames as the conviction in them grew. Firelight in his eyes blazed hotter with the realization that he would not catch her. He could not thank her for his freedom. He would not free her from her fear.

The wraith took a step, and the world shook. Energies from the unstable machine twisted around him and seeped into his being. Flames swallowed his form, and the entire world screamed in agony.

Above, the chamber had begun to collapse. Rocks fell from the ceiling and smashed whole pieces of machinery. Relics of a lost age were stolen from Althanas by the meddling of mankind. Glittering ash twisted up from the floor as he stepped from the fire. "Why... was I sleeping?"

She was gone. He saw no trace of her in the immediate tunnel, and doubted he could give chase if he tried. With another heavy sigh, he spoke. "It feels..." he considered the words as his voice grew in strength, into a bastardized form of the common tongue. "Irrelevant," he said at last, though his voice drowned beneath the sundering sounds of the antechamber he had awakened in.

The next steps he took were into the elevator shaft. "I will regain my memories, first," he resolved.

[Rayleigh]

Not once did the girl look back. Chancing a backwards glance seemed incredibly dangerous, and Rayleigh feared that the time spent to turn around might mean the end of her. For this reason, she had little idea how close the fiery demon was. That thought alone was enough to propel the mechanic forward as she put on yet another burst of speed. Her lungs screamed, burning from exertion and the smoke trapped within them, but she knew that whatever the wraith would do to her would be far less pleasant.

Of course, strength of will could not keep the out-of-shape woman's exhausted body from giving out on her. The heavy pull of the magic was beginning to let up as she put more distance between herself and the elevator shaft, but she could still feel the hold it had on her. Every step she took was a battle, and even under normal circumstances, Ray would have been spent. What she had witnessed in the past half an hour had been anything but normal, and her fragile emotional state had to be considered as well. Pure adrenaline kept her moving, but the young woman wanted nothing more than to curl into the fetal position and sob. A death, a monster from hell, magic, and flames - all because of her. If only she had refused to touch that pipe.

As her legs finally gave out beneath her, and the small human came crashing down, the tunnel echoed with her startled cry. Immediately, her mind willed her to find her feet once more; if she remained on the ground, the phantom would surely make easy work of her. The moment of pause was not worth such a high price, and Ray pulled her tired legs under her once more.

However, as she made a move to stand, a small item caught her attention. Had Rayleigh lacked her unique connection with machines, she may have run on past. But this particular piece seemed to call to her, a gentle, welcome humming that cut through the sounds of the tunnel collapsing and her own panicked breathing. The girl was aware that she had no time to waste, but this machine felt important to her. The small box, crafted entirely of metal, looked as though it would fit in the palm of her hand. A series of nobs and buttons protruded from one side. Unable to resist the machine's siren song, Ray tore off her damp, battered scarf, and used it to pick up the piece. The last thing that she wanted was another vision, spurred by her contact with the item. A fit such as the ones she had experienced before in such a dangerous time would surely mean death.

Clutching her new toy tightly in one hand, Rayleigh took off for the end of the tunnel. Her gait was choppy, and her speed was slowing, telltale signs of her own fatigue. Luckily, a beam of light appeared shortly after, both a literal and figurative light at the end of the tunnel. Ray burst into the sunlight, squinting against its bright rays, but rejoicing in the freedom it promised her. She welcomed the fresh air into her lungs, but continued to lope away from the mouth of the cavern. Though the thing had appeared a creature of the underworld, she refused to wait around to see if her suspicions were accurate.

The place where the side-tunnel had dumped her was far from the site of the main excavation, and Rayleigh had no idea whether or not the elves had met the same fate as their leader. For once, curiosity did not win out, and the girl continued to run rather than circling back around in search of the others. On the breeze was the salt of a nearby ocean, and if there was any escape to be had from the hell she had just endured, something told her it would be found on the shore.

[Rayleigh]

This concludes What Lies Below.
(Ray's first completed roleplay!)

Rayleigh's story continues here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28574-When-the-Coast-s-not-Clear).
Darigaaz's story continues here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28533-The-Light-of-Day).

Requested Spoils:
For Ray, the small machine that she picked up in the final post. Later, she will discover that it has the ability to convert raw magic into a synthetic form.
This box will allow her slight control over magic, an ability that I will set up in the future!
It will be quite some time before she is able to understand what the box is, or what it is capable of.

[Leoric]

Thread: What Lies Below (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28500-What-Lies-Below&highlight=what+lies+beneath)
Participants: Rayleigh (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17734-Rayleigh), Darigaaz (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17787-Darigaaz)

Judgment Type: Basic Judgment

Hello I am Leoric and I shall be your Judge for this thread. I just wanted to say I really enjoyed this thread between you two and I am looking forward to reading future endeavors. As per request of Darigaaz, I will only give feedback for Rayleigh here.



Strengths

The story was well done. It was just as entertaining as it needed to be, while delivering all key points in the story. As the reader of this thread I found it a very nice read and had a hard time accepting that it was over. The beginning of the thread seemed to lack the story telling prowess that the rest of the thread had. It appears that this thread directly took place after a previous one. Something I would suggest is maybe writing a synopsis of what happened prior. Including something along the lines of what had intrigued her so much to come this place.

Upon finishing reading the thread the reader would easily of been able to grasp who Rayleigh was, what she was doing, why she was there, and how she would react in various conditions. You did a very nice job writing her. For example in post one you correct an elf very matter of factly. Showing the reader that she has the confidence to correct people and point out their faults. Starting in post seven you showed that she could lose her calm and almost enter hysterics. Though later on in the thread you then showed that when push came to shove she could focus and do what was needed. Also, when the whole world around her was crumbling down or on fire she tried to save the elf up until the last possible moment. This showed she had a very strong morale compass.

There was no spelling issues that jumped out at the reader, allowing them to just enjoy your story. Your grammar was also very nicely done. Your sentences seemed to be just the right amount of length. Comma placement was nicely done. It allowed for you to expand on what you were trying to say without run on sentences. Nicely done.


Weaknesses

Though the overall tone and quality of your posts are good, there is some hesitation in the beginning of each post. It might be helpful to consider rewriting the opening paragraph after the post is written to make sure it fits in nicely.

When it comes to technique it was lacking a few things. You did put some personification in there, however it felt like the thread could of improved with some more technique, such as alliteration and metaphors. If you are ever unsure of how to add more technique to your writing try looking at an action and seeing if you can change it up. Could you possibly add anything to make it come 'alive'? Overall, you draw a very pretty and convincing picture but making the image feel alive is what will really see you improve.

Your setting was nicely done but it could improve by making the scene come alive. You did very well when you were underground and describing all the chambers as you came across them. However, when you were done and had to run for your life the chambers felt like they were just some backdrop, the vividness just wasn't there anymore. While on the surface, and in the camp, there seemed to be a lack of setting there. Little things like mentioning a few other tents in the area or the pattern they were placed in would help improve the mental image we as writers are trying to give to the reader. You mention machinery that were mostly wood in nature, in your opening post. Yet you never mention what they looked like or what their perceived job could be. And then in post three you mention metal and gasoline mingling in a tent. This could confuse the reader and cause them to go back and make sure they didn't miss anything. Little things could of improved the scene in question, such as describing one or two machines that really stuck out to Rayleigh.


Rayleigh receives 615xp and 90gp
Darigaaz receives 550xp and 85GP

Edited note by Philomel: Spoils are also added, as requested by Rayleigh. She receives a small mechanical box that appears to do nothing.

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!