Project Second Shadow, The Forest Dweller Chapter IV: Secrets in the Depths That uneasiness, the feeling of something lurking just out of sight, had expanded to encompass all of the emptiness around him. Though there was no cause to believe so, Vander felt as though some terrible, predatory presence was surrounding him, like a crowd of bloodthirsty creatures was salivating over him just outside that small field of light around the group. But as Delter led the group, the light moved, and no beast revealed itself… the young man tried to eliminate these thoughts, but this only served to nurture them until his mind was almost completely immersed in terror. Then the caped man’s feet stopped. Tilting his head backwards, Delter suddenly lifted his golden eyes to the ceiling, his face intent with sudden realization. “We need risk nothing further,” Delter assured his companions, then adding, “Look up.” Stopping at his sides, Vander and the caped man’s underlings adhered to his command and lifted their sight as well. Vander felt his mouth open, but no words escaped, no air siphoned in, he had lost control of his jaw. “Oh my…” the rough voiced man mumbled, but the rest of his statement faded into a cluttered mass of sounds. “It’s… incredible…” the slender uniformed man squeaked. Still, Vander was without words. Through the emptiness of the dark open space above, three enormous vehicles were suspended from the ceiling of the building high above. They were ships; massive, each had a curved underside, with some sort of hatch built in, holding up a monumental deck. From the prow of the ships, long wooden posts reached forward, though none of them bore a keel or sail, as Vander knew a ship needed to steer. At the sides of each of the ships, large interwoven networks of steel chords and pipes cradled them and connected to them, combating gravity to hold them up there so high. But there was something even stranger about the lofty vessels, something that had captivated the young man and Delter’s cohorts since they had first laid eyes on them. The surface of all three of the crafts emanated a soft glow, similar to that of the orb lighting the groups way, it was powerful enough to make them visible, but not enough to reach the ground. The radiance fluctuated in intensity, lighting the steel around the ships periodically like the pulse of a living being. This was the conclusion of the ship’s similarities to one another. Vander’s eyes drank in the details of each vessel’s frame thirstily, tracing one’s vast curvature and another’s jagged edges. The third ship bore only the faintest of bends in its form. Each of the marvelous crafts also bore its own unique carvings in its surface of finely polished timber. The curved ship wore a mural of a twisting river wrapping around its exterior, the petals of flowers and the thin branches of trees surrounding it in the image of a bountiful ecosystem. The vessel with a sharp, jaggedly arranged design was inscribed with an elegant depiction of a mountain range alive with a multitude of animals. Creatures Vander recognized as goats, dogs, tigers, and even a few humans were carved into the side of the ship with such detail he felt as if they might come alive any moment and climb to the apex of their mountainous home. The final ship was eloquent in its modesty, it’s frame held only the image of a sky. The simplicity of this final craft’s adornments were its genius, the thin clouds were etched in its side so subtly their existence was questionable, mimicking the nature of true clouds, and the gentle sun peeking through them caused Vander longing for the warmth of the real sun.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 21:15:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015