Chương 2: 2A. Marvels of the Deep

The feathered serpent surfed the sea of clouds, snapping at the flock of giant swans flying just ahead of it. The white birds rose and dove, desperately trying to avoid the fanged, beak-like maw, but fell in quick succession, each bite severing limbs or tearing giant chunks from their torsos. Half a dozen sets of wings of varying sizes lined the serpent's body, emerald and sapphire feathers appearing carved from polished, precious stones.

Sam's Post-Cataclysm Zoology professors used to tell him that dragons were creatures of myth and didn't exist even in the Abyss's deepest levels. His Spirit Studies and Shamanology doctoral advisor said otherwise, and the feathered serpent was proof.

"Dragons might not exist in the form popularised by artists and popular works of fiction," the old woman once told her class.

"But thousands of years of carvings and tapestries don't lie. Perhaps they were never beasts but spirits who occasionally slipped into the mortal realm, as guides, teachers, or traders." Sam liked the sentiment. It meant a draconic spirit somewhere in the wilds was waiting for the right person. He had a long way to go before becoming someone strong or worthy enough of such a bonding, but one could always hope.

"Ascending to Level One," the voice over the speaker announced.

"Please ensure all windows are closed." Sam's attention remained on the sky outside. He couldn't help but gape at the shade as it shifted from yellow to orange as the vessel ascended. He barely remembered the time when it was plain blue, and only the time of day or the weather changed its color. Now, the world outside filled his ears with distant whispers. Something deep in the abyss below called to him. They weren't as loud or intrusive inside the airship, but still ate at him.

Sam leaned his head against the vessel's wall, hoping the vibrations and loud whirring would drown out all else. The feathered serpent abruptly changed its course, turning around and darting toward the airship. Sam's heart caught in his throat. The creature was a marvel to look at, but he didn't want to see it up close. It was an apex creature of the abyss's second level, of course. As a mortal, he didn't stand a chance against it. Even one awakened with a fully condensed star or two would likely struggle with it.

The airship had weapons, and his employers were reasonably powerful, but such a confrontation would inevitably end in damage to the vessel and casualties. The serpent was far longer than the vessel and faster than anything he had ever seen. Sam was about to alert the crew when the fluffy white sea abruptly swelled under the creature. A shark-like maw shot out from below, closed around the serpent, and dragged it into the clouds.

His heart kept racing as Sam realized it wasn't approaching the ship to attack, but hoping numbers would deter the larger predator from the level below.

"Sir? Sir!" A tap on the shoulder snapped Sam out of his daze.

"The storm may have passed, but miasma levels are still high. Please close the window for the sake of all mortal passengers."

"Right." Sam nodded. A quick turn of the adjoining lever was enough to close the airship's window. It sat on hinges attached to the central axis, allowing the metal frame to rotate.

"I'm sorry." He hesitated, looking outside again. All looked calm and undisturbed. It was like the feathered serpent and the monster that devoured it had never disturbed the cloud sea or the local fauna.

"It's just so beautiful outside."

"It always is after a storm." The young woman smiled. She checked over her shoulder before taking the seat next to him.

"Look over there," she said, pointing at a tall building jutting from the mountainside. It was almost perpendicular to the cliff face.

"You can see the precise point where Level One turns into Two." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"The seam," Sam replied, studying the Abyss wall. It rose out of the forest-covered urban jungle like an upside-down funnel and disappeared into the clouds above, much like many other 'natural' structures in the distance. He barely remembered the time before, when it was all flat. A visible line ran across the wall marking where two different kinds of rock met, almost appearing as if Level Two had extended downward to meet the rising landbridge.

"I hadn't noticed it before."

"I spend far too much time staring at the walls," the attendant admitted.

"My mother says we used to live around there before the cataclysm. It's silly, but I can't help but look for our old house. Or what I remember of it, at least." The woman slid closer on the benches that lined the budget passenger cabin. It was small, close to the engines and hence noisy, and had only a few passengers. Of the four rows, only one other was occupied. The trio kept close to the rear, holding equipment their employers deemed likely too valuable for the vessel's hold.

Two were fast asleep while the oldest among them, a middle-aged man, glared at Sam and the attendant. He couldn't help but wonder if she had joined him and started a conversation to escape an uncomfortable situation.

"You're with the Ranger Legion, aren't you?" She asked.

"I wish," Sam replied, returning his attention to the world outside. The whispers seemed to grow more distant and muted the higher the vessel rose. Dense miasmic clouds obscured the orange sky, and the stony walls that rose from the Abyss's Level Two turned into Level One.

"I'm just a temp. A Scavenger."

"Scavenger?" The woman raised an eyebrow. Now, Sam was sure she was making conversation for the sake of it. It was unlikely anyone working aboard an airship wouldn't know what the role entailed.

"Skinning. Butchering. Picking herbs. Seeking out relics and magical materials. It's a job with many hats. We do whatever the employer wants and carry their bags."

"I thought you were a low-ranking or new ranger," she said, almost sounding disappointed.

"Your spar certainly made it seem so."

"Even recruits get to sit up front," Sam replied.

"I'm just a mortal pleb, looking for his big break. They told me being the training dummy for their young client would come with a bonus. So, I complied."

"Then you should be more careful about keeping windows closed. The miasma isn't good for any of us." The woman grabbed his arm and squeezed violently, pointing outside again. He followed her finger just in time to see a giant winged beast covered in scales and feathers shoot through the clouds that separated the layers. Sam was sure he caught a glimpse of a humanoid form in its beak. He couldn't be sure it was a person or one of the creatures that lingered on the fringes of the first level.

"That was a spirit beast, wasn't it? Can you imagine what it would be like bonding with something like that?"

"They're two separate things, beasts and spirits. The Cloud Fisher will try to eat you the moment it gets the chance. It has no interest in bonding with or befriending anyone." He shook his head.

"Horrid creatures. A nest of them almost ate a newbie party I descended with a couple of months ago." Sam did his best not to go into tutor mode, but he always found it challenging to shake off habits born of his past profession.

"Spirits anchor themselves to a place when materializing on our plane. Their domains and area of influence might grow, but they can't exactly leave their territory. It makes them easy to track and find, but even then, good luck having a talent they like and an offering they'll accept."

"And how do you know much?" The attendant asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you some sort of academy dropout?" Sam laughed.

"I don't know if dropout is the correct term. But I was a librarian until recently."

"Are you insane?" Her eyes widened.

"You gave up a cushy librarian job to be a scavenger of all things?"

"And here I thought you didn't know what a scavenger is," Sam teased, meeting her gaze.

"Well." She nodded at the benches behind them.

"You know."

"I guessed as much."