Day: 3122
Days Left: 2358
Lives Saved: 17
It took just over two weeks of travelling until Henry and Nia arrived at the forest that Yven described. The trees were tall and thin, resembling toothbrushes with their leaves like bristles at the top, the bark an unnatural radioactive green that caused Heny's eyes to hurt, straining from the vivid colour before they eventually adjusted. It wasn't just the trees that were of this unnatural pigment but also the grass beneath them and the moss-like flora. As they ventured further into the emerald forest, following a compass, the trees grew sparse, no longer so tightly packed. They looked more uniform, creating a winding pathway between them where the grass had flattened from constant use, and then they both stopped as they saw a sign in the shape of an arrow, 'to the Warren, a safe haven in this Abyss'.
"It seems people have used this path before," said Nia.
"Quite regularly," said Henry. "If the grass hasn't grown back." He crouched down, seeing how fresh the footprints were, a few human, a few monster. "How many people will be there trying to get in? Yven was right; it will be difficult to get in."
"But not for you because of nepotism!" Nia grinned. "Going to get in because of that family privilege!"
"You think second cousins get to profit off of that privilege?" Henry laughed.
They continued walking, following the natural pathway and pausing for rests until the forest broke away, the trees even sparser, a few were cut down to the root or had bark stripped off, revealing their even more vibrant green underneath. And then there was just flat grassland, a vast clearing, lined and defended by the circling forest line of emerald, and in the centre...
Was a city.
Or at least as close to a city you could ever find in the Eternal Abyss. The buildings rose as high as four stories, made of the radioactive green wood from the nearby forest, the buildings shining a matching green. Surrounding this large emerald city were multiple walls and gates, dividing the city into districts, the inner circle being what seemed like a large crater, presumably the Land of the Lost, Henry theorised, as even in this distance, he could see a flicker of light, a portal opening and shutting in an instant and sending down someone's discarded junk from the other realm into this one; the Eternal Abyss a landfill for not just criminals but unwanted items too.
The walls that contained and defended the city were enormously tall, likely due to how large some monster masks became, then encircling those walls were trenches and spiked barricades and other defences to keep everything out.
And what were they trying to keep out?
Henry would have presumed it was for during Blood Moons, with such a high-density population within the city, any monsters during the Blood Moon would be drawn to this place, seeking bloodshed. But it seemed that these defences were not just for blood moons.
Surrounding the city and its multitude of defences were a sea of pitched tents.
Was this... a refugee camp?
People seeking out of the harsh reality of the Eternal Abyss, wanting to live in the city?
How many were there?
In the years Henry and Nia had been imprisoned in the Eternal Abyss, never had they seen so many people gathered in one place. It was too dangerous. They were all fighting over food, water, and shelter that was never enough for everyone, and then there were those who had lost their minds in this place, losing control to their monster masks, and then there were the blood moons...
The blood moons...
Shit.
What were the blood moons like with this many people?
"What was that about nepotism and family privilege?" Henry forced a chuckle.
Hesitantly, Henry and Nia walked on. As they approached the tents that were on the outskirts, the prisoners greeted them with wary eyes, glancing to their masks on their person. Henry gave a politely awkward smile and nodded as he passed, looking around in caution, seeing most of the prisoners were in their monster forms.
Not everyone seemed to have the luxury of a tent, makeshift or not, as some bundled up in duvets and sleeping bags, and the less fortunate lay in nothing, shivering from the current chill wind.
Nia paused, finding it challenging to keep walking as she saw the numerous injured, a few mauled beyond recognition of a human body, likely from the aftermath of a blood moon, receiving no medical care other than waiting for the Abyss to eventually fix them and return their bodies' to their original state.
Prisoners had set up campfires and huddled around. One in particular was being contested, fought over as the prisoners punched and kicked until one was knocked down, face bloody. In other campfires, prisoners gathered around were chanting.
"To the architect... to the gardener... please let us be chosen next to walk through the doors to the safe haven."
Henry and Nia gave each other worried glances.
A withered-looking man hobbled over as they passed, reaching out to Nia. "Food? Food?" his voice croaked, motioning to Nia's bag, and then to Henry's. His face was sunken in, his cheekbones practically sticking out, and his baggy clothes hung loosely off his starving body. "Food?"
Nia glanced around, seeing that other prisoners were perking up, watching them. She gripped her bag closer to her body. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "We don't have anything."
The man stared at her for a long moment, his eyes having lost any sense of hope, dull and lifeless, and then he returned to his cushion, his only comfort, that had lost almost all of its stuffing.
The lie tore Nia up inside, but she knew that if they had given any food to the man, everyone else would demand some too, and then they would be left with nothing for themselves. Perhaps when Henry got into the city, she could give out her packets? But that hope of it happening anytime soon quickly grew nonexistent the more people she passed.
As they got closer, navigating the sea of tents, Henry could see prisoners guarding the gates to the city, all in matching uniforms, and those in their monster form, the majority, had a semblance of the uniform, signifying their guard role. On top of the walls, more guards patrolled or overlooked the refugee camp.
"I think our best bet is to talk to the guards," said Henry. "Tell them who I am and to send a message to Corinna. Maybe I can still meet her even if I can't live in the city."
"Yeah, sounds good." Nia smiled, holding onto Henry's hand and squeezing it.
"And we can ask about you being allowed in, too," added Henry. "If you can get in to use the portal and leave the Abyss, since your sentence is finished."
Nia forced a smile, lasting only an instant until Henry looked away. Her hold on Henry's hand loosened before she then pulled away and let go.
Near the gates to the city was a large sign in wobbly cartoon-esque font, like it was painted by a child. It read 'welcome to The Warren, population: 450.'
Four-hundred-fifty people...
That many people were already inside.
How did you accomplish this, Corinna?
As they approached, the guards perked up.
"Excuse me, please!" Henry called out, his voice cracking as he saw how large one of the guards was in their monster form: an 11-foot tall monster with hulking arms and legs.
Two guards, one being the monster positioned at the gate, marched towards them.
"Yes?" said the human guard with a tone of weariness and frustration, his brow set permanently stern.
"Excuse me, sorry," Henry cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you would be able to send Corinna Warren a message-"
The guard's face grew even sterner, angry even, his hand hovering near the sheathed blade by his belt. His colleague, the monster, folded their arms, emitting a low and rumbling growl.
"You want to send a message, do you?" the guard purred. "What would you like me to tell her?"
Henry swallowed, eyes darting between the human guard and the monster, unable to tell if there was any sarcasm in his voice. "My name is Henry Best, I'm her second cousin and-"
"Oh my, Harry!" cried a voice. "Is it really you!" An elderly man with a dirty blonde, scraggly beard and balding head rushed over to Henry, grabbing his hands together. "It is! It really is you!" The man turned to the guard. "I can't believe we are reunited! Please, they won't believe me!"
Henry froze, startled. "What-"
"Tell them who I am, Harry!" the man begged Henry. I'm your dear uncle, Uncle Bert Warren!" The man glanced to the guards and said even louder, "uncle to Corinna Warren!"
"Wait, what! Really!" Henry couldn't believe it. He had found another family member down here. No, wait, did he call him Harry?
"I am Corinna's uncle!" the elderly man repeated, the guard rolling his eyes in response. "And you shall let me enter and see her! Along with my..." he glanced at Henry, the cogs in his brain ticking. "My 1st cousin once removed!" He pulled Henry into a side hug, grinning a set of incomplete yellowed teeth.
"Hey!" Nia snapped. "Let go of-"
"And I am Corinna's niece!" a young woman called out, pushing Nia out of the way.
"I'm her actual father!" shouted a man. "Let me see my daughter!"
"I'm her brother!" shouted another man, and the two paused a moment and then acted out a heartfelt reunion before demanding entry again.
More and more people crowded around, calling out to the guards how they were all related or best friends with Corinna Warren. The guards at the gate finally moved, assisting in controlling the situation as the crowd attempted to slightly push forwards, closer to the city.
"Enough!" roared the towering monster, and Henry was sprayed with its spit.
The crowd quickly dispersed; however, the elderly man who claimed to be Uncle Bert Warren still hung onto Henry, smiling at the guards, as he directed Henry away, walking through the camps. Nia struggled to follow, weaving through the other refugees, calling out to Henry.
"That was some... interesting thinking there, kiddo," said the man. "Nice touch in giving a surname that wasn't Warren; makes it more realistic."
"But it is my name," said Henry, frowning. He shrugged the man off. "You're not really Corinna's uncle, are you?" he asked quietly, the disappointment clear in his voice.
"Of course not!" the man snorted.
"But I am her second cousin," Henry stressed. "They're not going to believe me now. If you hadn't interrupted-"
"No one cares about second cousin, it's original, I give you that. Cousin, yes, second cousins, who even the fuck knows their names?" The man grabbed Henry's shoulder, pulling him into another side lock as they continued walking. "Anyway, that con has long been ineffectual. Ages ago, they would listen to anyone claiming to be Corinna's family since it's so big, hold interviews, all of that, but so many people did, no one will believe you."
"But I am her-"
"You don't need to keep the act up, kid. We need another strategy in getting into the city, and I'm going to need your help. You're clearly not above lying, though your acting skills could need a bit of work-"
Henry finally managed to break away again. "I'm not lying!" he hissed.
"Ooh, temper, temper." The man stared at him for a moment, a corner of his lip slightly curled up. "Maybe you're just not right in the brain," he mumbled, then shrugged. "It's alright, happens to everyone down here."
"I'm not-"
"Henry!" Nia finally managed to catch up, wheezing for breath. She glared at the old man, and grabbed Henry by the arm, pulling him safely away from the creep.
"Is she with you?" the man asked. "Excellent! More people to help!"
"We are not helping you," Nia said flatly.
"We're getting in by honest means," said Henry. "Not through any of your dirty schemes. I'm sorry, Nia," Henry mumbled. "I didn't get to ask about your release."
"It's okay." Nia smiled. "We can ask later when the guards have calmed down. But we should leave soon, the Blood Moon is coming and it would be suicidal to be here with this many people-"
"Oh, I'd advise not leaving," sang the old man.
"Didn't ask for your opinion, creep!" Nia snapped.
The old man sighed, shrugging. "If you want to get in by 'honest' means, then you need to stay here during a Blood Moon."
"Why's that?" asked Henry.
"To enter the city, you need to meet certain criteria," explained the man. "One of them is to be able to control yourself during a blood moon; you need to prove that you are not a threat and won't go on a murderous rampage. If you want any chance to be chosen, the more blood moons you survive through sane, the better your chance of getting in."
Henry and Nia looked at each other, unsure.
"Feel free to ask around if you don't believe me!" the man flopped down on a nearby tent that belonged to someone else. The prisoner it belonged to yelled at him, but he remained nonchalant as if it was all white noise.
Henry and Nia turned around and started walking away from the man, anywhere was better than near him. "Let's ask around," said Henry.
"Yeah," replied Nia.
*
Much to both Nia and Henry's dismay, the weird man was telling the truth; they had to stay and survive a blood moon in order to have any hopes of entering the city. They had asked around the other prisoners camping outside, most of them not wanting to answer or were slightly hostile, hissing or threatening Nia and Henry if they dared get closer in fear that they were thieves wanting to steal their food supplies. However, there were still some people who had not completely lost trust in others, who explained to Nia and Henry the choosing process for new residents. When there was a new spot available, they held interviews, similar to a job application, asking what you would bring to the city, your monster mask's abilities and your own personal skills. However, they rule out anyone automatically if they showed signs of loss of control during blood moons, which made sense. Why would you want to take in a new citizen who would go on a rampage every blood moon and need to be locked up? It was better to find people who were calm and could control themselves.
"I was worried too when I first got here," explained a man whom Nia was questioning. "I didn't stay the first few blood moons, but even with this amount of people, they aren't as dangerous as you think."
"They aren't?" Nia frowned, looking around at the possible hundreds of campers, imagining a blood bath as soon as the sky turned red.
"Well, everyone wants to get into the city, don't they? So everyone needs to behave. If there are any newcomers that cannot control themselves, the guards deal with them and destroy their masks. Anyone who misbehaves or tries to start a fight has their mask destroyed."
"Right, don't piss off the fuzz, got it," said Nia.
"There are still some people that do. They've long ago given up on getting into city so they try and just stop others getting in, try to rile them up and start a fight so that they won't ever be chosen to be a citizen."
"So if someone does try that, what do I do? Just ignore the bully?"
"Yes, even if they start wailing on you, don't fight back, just hope that one of the guards sees it and helps you out."
Nia bit her lip, hoping that that situation won't occur especially if Henry did get hurt, there was little she could do in her pixie form.
"You have nothing to worry about, unless you give someone a reason to pick a fight with you, you will be safe."
"That is a relief; I thought it would be a blood bath."
"Oh, it is," said the man. "But not for us."
Nia paused. "Then who?"
The man motioned over to the city walls. "There are people who have given up on getting selected and try by force to get in."
"But that's stupid. They won't let them stay if they brute force themselves in."
The man shook his head. "There are coups all the time to try and take over the city. There haven't been any in the last few blood moons, so chances are the next one is when they will strike; they would have had time to build up more forces, regain new masks. You will be under suspicion as a newcomer of being one of them." He pointed up at the sky where Nia spotted a raven flying overhead, circling the area. "They're watching you."
Nia looked around and saw that there were even more ravens surveilling the area.
"The Watcher, spymaster of the guard," explained the man. "Do anything stupid or suspicious whilst they're in sight, they'll report you, and you can say goodbye to ever getting into that city. I also suggest transforming now and then to show your control, and so they know who you are during the blood moon."
Nia nodded. "Makes sense; thank you very much for your help."
"Not a problem," said the man. He looked at her in anticipation.
Nia glanced around, and then snuck the man a packet of food. "Sorry, haven't got much."
"It's okay, none of us do."
Nai thanked him again, and left to go find Henry to tell him the advice, all the while glancing up at the raven that seemed to follow her. Before she had not even noticed it, perhaps because whoever looked up? But now, she was so acutely aware that she was being watched but that was the fulcrum of the plan now, to be watched and seen as not a threat, and to somehow prove how useful they would be to the city, not that Nia and Henry were a threat to begin with. However, the reveal that the blood moon would mostly be safe for themselves, was a relief, and yet Nia always felt a sense of dread before any blood moon.
She looked up at the sky, at the moon hanging above, which would soon turn red in a couple of days.