I took a deep breath.
Turning around I had one of two choices, either leave now or... do something before leaving.
I could explore the place more, bury the dead and maybe find some better tools, but... should I?
This place is dark and creepy and Everly might come back, that would be hard to deal with.
In the end I did choose to bury the bodies, going back and searching for a shovel, when I found one I realized that I can't dig in the caves of the colony.
With no other choice I was forced to bring them one by one to the overworld, there I can easily bury them.
Which at first seemed to be going at a fast pace, but when I was almost done half a day vanished as if it was nothing.
As I wandered through the cavern I found answers to some of my questions, for example the plates that make the wing roots actually...
They grow on trees... kinda.
Metal and other materials seem to grow on weird small plants that grow on the walls.
Whether this is connected to Everly or something discovered or made by the elves themselves is still a mystery.
I found my way to the library as well as other rooms with books... but they all were meaningless.
After burying every one of them it was already evening, so I went to do the last important thing which is to check on their souls.
Everly is gone but what about the souls of the elves? Avatha said that they are gone too, yet I want to check myself.
Slowly I descended the straight stairs in an especially dark cave, the stone gate is far down with its chains reaching to the ground.
As I went lower the dark staircase felt less alive, as if nothing is watching from the dark corners.
'Feels so much better!'
Slowly but surely I reached the wide stone chamber, and walked inside.
'... Nothing?! Really??'
There was nothing inside this time, no trapped souls and no monster corpses, completely empty.
It was a weird scene to see the wide stone chamber dark, empty... and lifeless, completely cold and gray.
I felt a little relieved though, for more than one reason.
With that out of the way I went back up the stairs with light steps, a smile found its way to my face.
From a dim corridor to a dim corridor I found myself back onto the platform that oversees the unfathomable trench from within.
After a deep breath two translucent wings made of air spread, I then ascended to the overworld.
Now that I looked around I noticed just how long the trench is, it looked like a cut in the world itself, even the mountain far away seems to bear a slit.
The other end of the trench is less pronounced but the end that extends towards the mountain is very long.
I took a deep breath silently marveling at the massive trench.
After a second or so I started to move, even though I didn't know where exactly to go.
"Avatha." I said evenly.
A voice came from nowhere specific - "yes?"
"I... might not find a way out of this world any time soon and maybe never, but I still want to survive so I want you to tell me everything you know about this world.
Especially things that can həlp me survive." I said with a heavy will.
She lingered for longer than I expected, then she said -
"I don't mind... but there is actually a possibility to do so, to leave this world."
I almost stumbled, regaining my composure I said- "what??"
"It's just a possibility. Even the lords can't leave this world, and they can't help you... except for Hakk, lord of the underworld.
He is also very good at making portals, and he even managed to make another world within this world." Her tone was neutral as she spoke.
I stared at my gloved hand and eventually sighed as I said- "but?"
She continued -
"But... you'll have to go to the underworld, then you'll have to find him, then you'll have to convince him."
'I just have to go to the realm of the dead, move through it until I find him, then I have to find a way to convince the eccentric lord... God, give me patience!!'
"In any case, is there an easy way to the underworld." I asked.
She lingered for many seconds, then she said with no humor-
"Death. It's a choice though."
'This ghost is going to give me an aneurysm. I swear to God!'
"Another way?" She said -
"maybe getting swallowed by the hydra..."
She thought for a second before continuing - "there are some gates, but hard to find."
"Is thəre a way to find one?" I said.
Her voice turned slightly darker -
"There are a few... closed to the center."
"The center?"
She replied - "The center is a very crowded spot, with many big... colossal things revolving around it.
The underworld gates are one of the things that encircles the center for a reason."
I sighed as I tried to digest what she said, eventually I said - "what's thə shortest route to the center?"
"Well, the trench is a good landmark, land mark, just go towards the mountains, and after the mountains, it should be a short trip towards the center."
.
.
.
"Alright, and can you tell me about ghosts more?" I said.
I was already on my way towards the mountains, moving with unhurried steps.
Walking back among the trees brought back the eerie feeling of being watched.
Should I talk to Cighr again? Maybe I'll ask him a few questions later.
There are still no animals around, barely any ants and worms, nothing else.
The silence was broken with my voice-
"Do you know what's limbo's ambiance? I've lost my human legs in one of those.
Time seems irrelevant in a place like that, and I still don't understand why."