River Currents

Gaze Unto Nothing

Erosion. That’s the first word that came to Coyle’s mind as he trudged up the frozen black mountain. He carried with him fire, nestled into a severed ox horn, its embers crackling with each step upward. He pulled down tightly on his wide brimmed hat with his free hand, keeping steady against the screaming winds that carried ash and snow. 

“What are you two doing down there, sleeping?! Come on, damnit, move!” echoed a booming voice from ahead. 

“It’s not like there’s a hundred feet of snow or anything!” the man next to Coyle replied, shaking. 

“There could be a hundred thousand feet of snow and I still wouldn’t care Carther!” The man ahead snapped back. 

Coyle wiped his eyes below his spectacles and sighed, “We will be there soon, Sulyvahn, just calm down.” 

The wind around them remained in its rage. Through it, Coyle could just barely see the mountain’s figure. In between flashes of snow, deep gashes in the earth filled with metal shavings and swirling empty holes could be seen scarring the landscape. Coyle felt anxious as he looked at the decimation the mountain had endured. He swallowed. He didn’t want to think about it.

Finally, with horn raised high, Coyle made his way to the mountain’s summit. Just ahead he could see Sulyvahn’s silhouette through the blizzard. Coyle pulled down his scarf and shouted.

“Sulyvahn! … Sulyvahn we’re here!” 

“All right, I can see your light! I’m coming!” Sulyvahn called out.

Coyle saw the imposing form of Sulyvahn begin to take shape. Marching forward in iron plate mail, with brown fur stuffed between its gaps, Sulyvahn appeared, clenching a claymore adorned with a single faded red strip of cloth wrapped around his blade in his shaking hand. He squinted his angry brown eyes while baring his teeth toward Coyle. 

“Coyle…”

Coyle took a step back “Yeah?”

“Where is Carther?” Sulyvahn growled, staring down the wiry man in front of him.

“Where is… he was..” Coyle spun around his head frantically, his eyes darting around the mountain wastes before him, but he couldn’t see anything. The snow was too thick.“He was right here, Sulyvahn! He must have got distracted, we can-”

“You can’t even keep watch for five fucking seconds Coyle! God only knows if he’s a pile of sludge right now!” Sulyvahn roared. “We’re going back down there and I swear to god Coyle if he’s dead I’m gonna rip your eyes out!”

Coyle threw his hands up, almost dropping the horn. “I’m sorry Sulyvahn, I just wanted to get up here, I didn’t know he would get lost,” Coyle prattled. He took a deep breath in and said softly,  “I-I should have paid more attention, I’m sorry. You’re right.” 

Sulyvahn shook his head. “We’ve wasted enough time already c’mon. Let’s go.” 

Together, the two made their way back down the mountain, each taking turns shouting for Carther. The snowstorm only worsened, and they were pushing themselves farther and farther from where they needed to be. Eventually, they finally stumbled across a lead. Footprints.

“There!” Coyle pointed with a gloved hand. “He must have deviated at some point and got lost.” 

“Good find,” Sulyvahn said with a crack of a smile, “Let’s go before the snow takes em.”

They navigated with the pair of prints all until it led to a grim sight. A massive bloody red smear on the ground over six feet wide. Spread even further away from the summit. Chunks of flesh and fur littered the scene. 

Coyle felt his lungs fill with acrid air, his heart began to race and his body became slick with sweat. “Sulyvahn…?” He said quietly, looking over his shoulder.

Sulyvahn drew his claymore and raised it in preparation. “My lord… Do you think Carther may have seen this, Coyle?”

Coyle bent down beside the pool before him. Adjusting his glasses as he looked across the scene. 

“Yeah.. Yeah! He must have, there’s some more prints here,” He motioned to the warrior at his side. 

“Alright! He must be somewhere close then. We keep following them until we find him, then we head back,” Sulyvahn said with a new found resolution.

“You sure? My fire’s dying and it’s gonna be dark soon,” Coyle pointed out.

“As opposed to what? Leaving him to die?! Is that what you want?!” Sulyvahn accused.

Coyle shrunk, lowering his head as he replied, “No, I don’t but I’m just saying it could be dangerous.”

“Which is why we need to go, come on!” Sulyvahn shouted, already stomping ahead.

Coyle glanced back in the direction of the peak, cursed under his breath, and began slogging with him.

The trail was fresh, and grew wider and wider as the two went. Culminating in a disgusting slurry of gore and intestines. 

“What the hell…” Coyle mumbled with disgust. “How could something have pulled whatever this was so far, so fast?”

“I have no idea. Had to be somethin’ big though so I’d be wary,” Sulyvahn answered.

Just as Coyle was about to reply, he saw a faint outline further ahead, a shape standing completely still, watching.

“Eyes up Sully.” He warned with a harsh whisper.

Sulyvahn whipped his head where Coyle was facing and gritted his large uneven teeth. 

“You! Put your hands up or I will chop your head off! Now!” Sulyvahn commanded.

“What are you doing?!” Coyle sputtered “You’re gonna get us killed!”

“Wait!” A trembling voice cried out, “I-It’s me Carther guys I-… aw god. Can you please come here?!” 

“You heard the man double time it,” Sulyvahn announced, running forward.

Without a word Coyle followed suit, breaking into a brisk jog while shielding the horn from the wind.

The two arrived, only to spot the meager frame of Carther shaking. The pale man’s blue eyes were wide with terror. He couldn’t bring himself to move, only muttering “Oh no.. Oh no..” over and over again as he frightfully stared at the origin of the trails of viscera Coyle and Sulyvahn were following. 

There lying in front of Carther was the mutilated corpse of a moose. Five gargantuan gashes were carved through the creature’s muscular frame. Its stomach was ripped wide open, with metal shavings stuck into its joints. Its mouth agape. Dead before it could even understand, if it could. 

A smile disappeared from Coyle’s face. “How in the.. What the fuck is this, Carther?!” Coyle sputtered, “We.. We gotta get out of here, right now! Whatever awful monster that did this is still out here, come on!” Coyle nagged frantically.

Sulyvahn’s eyes widened at what Coyle said. Monster. “We need to go, we don’t have a fighting chance out here!”

“O-Okay, okay, okay!” Carther said, shaking his head.

All together the three sprinted up to the summit of the mountain, silently hoping for safety. 

In a torrent of speed, the three were back at the mountain’s peak. Running towards the reason they climbed every mile of this cursed mountain. A cave. Coyle barely ran ahead of the others, his vision blurred with adrenaline. Until he suddenly stopped within mere inches from the uncannily smooth mouth of the cave, when his horn’s flame vanished. The others came to a halt behind him.

“What is it Coyle?” asked Sulyvahn, as he scanned the darkness within the cave.

“Do you see anything?” added Carther in a soft voice.

Coyle wordlessly examined the mouth of the cave. It looked strangely alive, like the lips of a horse were nailed open and had sanded off gums. He shuddered looking away toward the horn in his hands.

“Nothing… Nothing, it’s just the fire went out,” Coyle said with a shaky breath, “We need to go inside, we can’t stay out here. Sulyvahn, can you go first please?”

“Fine.” Sulyvahn said, before once again raising his sword, “And you,” He pointed to Carther. “You pull that again and I’m leaving you for dead. Got it?” 

“Don’t worry about it none. I’ll stay close, I promise” Carther submitted.

“Good. With me then,” Sulyvahn said, steeling himself before venturing in.

“Wait,” Coyle interjected. He knelt and pulled out a tinder box with a fire striker inside. He clicked the two pieces together hurriedly over the horn before a dim light rekindled within. He turned toward the others and nodded signaling them to keep moving after standing up.

After minutes of travel within the putrid cave’s humid throat, they were here. A cold light shone down from the top of the cave. Broken in years past, the chamber they arrived in was full of cracks along every surface but one. There in the middle of the room laid a maw mid scream that led deep into the heartless earth. The floor was warped around it, like it had sucked in the world itself in a terrified gasp. Echoes of trachea tearing rumbles could be heard inside. 

The group stared in uncertainty towards The Abyss, exchanging glances between each other in a place no one should have dared to go.

“Well… we made it,” Sulyvahn croaked, “You guys know what to do?”
“Yes,” affirmed Carther, “Everyone… get uh… acquainted… with the hole.” He said reluctantly, “Understand what you see, and tell the others what’s inside.” He added with more tact.

“You’ve been first every time so far, Sulyvahn.” Coyle said with a nervous laugh, “It’s worked.” He quickly added in recompense.

“I’m well aware Coyle. Set up traps around here, I don’t wanna get attacked when this is over,” Clicked Sulyvahn as he took a step toward The Abyss’ edge.

“Sure, I will,” Coyle quickly dismissed, staring intently at Sulyvahn. He felt suspense as he waited to see what the knight would be subject to. He couldn’t help but smile under his scarf.

Sulyvahn gazed down into The Abyss and let out a small violent yelp. He swung his sword around him in defensive cuts. His tan skin paled from fear. He quickly backed off, falling to the floor. 

“There’s monsters! Monsters everywhere down there!” Sulyvahn howled. “Stop looking at me! See for yourself!” 

Carther froze, still shooting glances between the toppled fighter and The Abyss. “I don’t think-”

“Gaze, Carther,” Coyle asserted. He lifted his chin, glaring at him. His spectacles reflected the silver light of the cave onto Carther, “Look into The Abyss.” 

Coyle felt satisfied as he saw the young man in front of him bite his lip and timidly approach the edge. Carther wrapped himself tighter in his brown leather coat as he placed one boot after another toward the edge.

“I-I don’t understand… How can anything even be down there? There must be only a foot of space between the walls! They’re pulsing too! There’s no way we are gonna fit down there you guys!” Carther pleaded.

Sulyvahn slowly looked up, “You don’t see any monsters?”

“No! All I see are swollen cave walls closing in on themselves!”

Sulyvahn’s head swiveled toward Coyle, “You! Look what’s down there! Now!”

Coyle’s smile dropped, and his hands flew to his pockets, “Are you su-”

Sulyvahn exploded with rage, “Yes I’m sure goddamnit, look!”

Coyle flinched and weaseled toward the edge. He took a deep breath in and slowly lowered his gaze into The Abyss.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

A vast expanse of blank walls stretched infinitely down, it looked just like a regular hole in the floor. Coyle let out a sharp, high-pitched laugh.

“There’s nothing down there guys,” Coyle snickered. He looked over his shoulder to see Carther staring at him in confusion, and Sulyvahn winding up a punch.

Coyle felt his jaw explode as the iron-clad gauntlet of Sulyvahn crashed down onto his chin. His teeth slammed together with a crack, and blood pooled from his mouth. He hocked it all onto Sulyvahn’s arm.

“What are you doing you idiot?! Are you insane?!” Coyle shrieked.

“You don’t get to sit here and lie to me goddamnit! What did you see?!” Sulyvahn roared back.

“I told you already, nothing!” Coyle struggled to his feet, and pulled a knife from his black wool coat, “I’ll slice your throat you come any closer!”

Sulyvahn glared at him in fury, simply wiping his armor off, “Coyle, put that thing away before I rip your fingers off,” He demanded.

Coyle drew a long breath in, twirled the knife in his grasp, and sheathed it. Before turning to Carther.

“You need to do something and just stop sitting there!” Coyle spit another glob of blood onto the cold floor, “too late now…” he sighed, “Let’s all rest and have a clear head so we can tackle this thing tomorrow and hopefully not try and kill each other.” 

The others only nodded, pulling out their bedrolls. Carther pulled some fire wood out of his rucksack and made a small fire for warmth in the center of the room. Gradually they all migrated toward it as the night grew longer. 

That night Coyle dreamt of the world around him, only disintegrated into a vast expanse of void. His body was the only tale that something once existed. It wasn’t dark around him nor was it light. It wasn’t hot or cold, it wasn’t closed or open. It simply wasn’t.

Coyle’s eyes flickered open. He found himself staring up at the cave’s ceiling. His body was numb, he couldn’t hear the world around him and he couldn’t tell if the ceiling was even there. All until he saw a flash in the corner of his eye. When he remembered, he never set up the traps.

Coyle jolted upright in his bed, putting on his glasses and trying his best to listen into the dark, where he heard the sound of warped breathing. It sounded like old leather, creaking and flaking with each breath it drew. Coyle felt his nervous system ignite. He rolled out of bed and broke out into a sprint across the other side of The Abyss. He heard the breathing fade as he ran into the dark. He looked back, seeing the faint light of the campfire. He saw the aberration approaching. Gangly and made of rotten black flesh, with two oily bulging eyes, shining through the sunken blackness of the cave. It moved, joints popping with shaky uneven weight. Coyle tried to call out but nothing came from him. The abomination’s arm suddenly wound around Carther’s wrist, and rapidly began yanking and twisting in a soundless frenzy. Carther woke up and let out a shrill wail to the point his vocal cords began to tear. Sulyvahn quickly rose from his bed, grabbing his sword he aimed it at the monster’s neck and sliced. A thick black fog spilled out from the creature as it kept yanking. A wet crunch was heard through the cave as the creature tore ligaments from Carther’s now elongated arm.

Coyle was horrified, he wanted to run away, but he found himself drawing his dagger. In a blur of speed, he let out a cry and leaped onto the monster’s back, ramming his dagger into its head, again and again and again, while Sulyvahn cut his sword into the creature’s neck. One slice, Sulyvahn grunted as he slammed his blade into it. Two slices, Sulyvahn raged as he ripped through the creature’s throat. Third slice, Coyle grabbed the head and yanked it back, and with a shared battle cry, Sulyvahn crashed his sword into the creature’s head, and with a violent yank upwards he ripped its head off with an ugly, jagged pull. With the creature slain, they saw its remains disintegrate into fog, and get sucked down into The Abyss. Coyle was relieved, until he saw the fiery gaze of Sulyvahn stare back at him. 

“You didn’t set the fucking traps! Goddamnit Coyle! You almost got us all killed again!” Sulyvahn raged.

But Coyle wasn’t even paying attention. He heard the noise around him drown out as he saw the remains unravel into nothing. He shivered. He was only brought out of his trance when Sulyvahn slammed his fist into his stomach. Coyle collapsed into a heap on the ground, gasping for air.

“Listen to me! If you don’t clean your shit up, next time they’re gonna rip the boy’s arm off!” Sulyvahn stomped away from the groaning Coyle over to the sobbing Carther, trying to set his arm back in place. 

Coyle just stared at the ceiling. He was sick of that degenerate ripping every single moment away from him. Constantly putting him into the dark. Something had to give.

Hours later, the group was finally prepared for what they had to do. They fastened harnesses around one another, clicking them into pitons for rappelling. They all shared glances between each other, as one by one the three descended into The Abyss. As they descended into the first layer of the twisted hole, Coyle saw them both nervously looking below, interrupting the rumbles of The Abyss with occasional cries and kicks against the wall they descended from. Coyle grinned once more. He was just moving down a wall into a pit. Though the longer he looked down, the longer it took for him to regain control of his senses. Through the darkness Coyle saw a strange sight. A human structure all of the way down here? It couldn’t be, but then again it was engraved into the side of the cave with a landing and carved stone support beams. He looked up toward the others.

“I see something! Down here, a building!” Coyle squinted towards it, he barely could make out rows of bookshelves, “It looks like a library!” He called, “Let’s go then please, I can hardly breathe in this place… My wrist is killing me.” Carther said, coughing and wheezing.

“Agreed. We need the respite from this hell,” Sulyvahn grimly concluded.

The three landed on the stone lip of the library with a percussive thud that sent echoes up and down the sides of The Abyss. They took turns unfastening themselves from the wall. Dropping their equipment down on the outcrop. Finally they arrived. 

“Okay, we need to stick together, we don’t know what could be ahe-” 

“Relax Sulyvahn, I’m afraid of nothing, remember?” Coyle quipped insincerely, cutting off the already agitated Sulyvahn.

“Interrupt me again, and I’ll drop you. Second, if you wanna go get ripped apart by whatever else is down here go ahead,” Sulyvahn dismissed.

Carther held a hand up, squeaking out a small “Wait-” but Coyle was already gone. 

Coyle had a goal in mind, he had to know why he was seeing nothing. He stalked through the halls of the library, ripping books from shelves and skimming them, but there was nothing useful to them. Just warnings and passages full of rudimentary information that only displayed the previous teams who came down here’s findings. He heard Carther a few shelves down gasping with delight over the contents of each book, and what they could mean for the outside. Good for him Coyle muttered. He felt betrayed. Aren’t I something special to you? He questioned. You’re not showing me anything! Do I mean nothing?! He pleaded for answers as he recklessly threw books from shelves.

Finally he saw one. A black book, and only one word could be made out on the cover. Nothing. As he snatched the book, he saw a nearby shelf rapidly slam into a wall cracking its smooth frame. 

Coyle cackled as a plan hatched in his mind. Thank you.

“Sulyvahn! Come over here!” He called, setting the book back down, watching the shelf retract into the wall.

His heart raced as he heard footsteps approaching, he knew he only had one chance at this. A shadow formed on the wall where the shelf previously crashed into. He hunched his back and tightly gripped the book.

A figure appeared before the shelf. Coyle jerked the book back with all his strength, tumbling to the floor. Through the blur, he saw Carther frozen in his tracks… just as the shelf began crushing him into the wall. Coyle’s heart stopped as he heard the breath force itself from Carther’s lungs. The man’s ribs exploded inside his chest, fragmenting outwards as blood ejected from his mouth. The shelf kept pushing as it compressed further into Carther’s flailing body. His neck and jaw were mashed into his own cheek, as finally the shelf slammed shut, bashing and twisting the man’s head. The movement from his body swallowed into nothing. 

Coyle rolled over to his side and swallowed back vomit. He heard Sulyvahn’s footsteps running over. 

“Oh no.. no no.. Oh GOD! CARTHER!” Sulyvahn collapsed at Carther’s side, clutching the maimed body in his arms, tears flowing across his cheeks. 

Coyle quietly stood up, and opened the book. There was nothing inside. The pages were all blank. He slowly turned toward Sulyvahn, who he could see was in a distraught frenzy, but he couldn’t hear the slew of words spilling from his mouth. 

He ran. He ran as fast as he possibly could. He bounded through shelves, and jumped over piles of books. His ears were a death knell, ringing out for the soul he just damned.

Coyle dove out of the library onto the landing, curling himself into a heaving ball on the floor. He saw Sulyvahn approaching, sheer dread plastered across his face. Sulyvahn knelt down beside Coyle, reaching a hand out towards him. Coyle rolled away and pulled out his knife.

“Coyle…? What’s going on?” Sulyvahn deliberated, the dread on his face slowly cracking into fury.

Coyle didn’t answer. He still had to get rid of him. He needed to escape. Instead he leaped forward, plunging the dagger into the goliath’s shoulder before him. Sulyvahn shrieked in pain, dropping his sword. His face contorted into an expression of fear and anger, his arm wound back like a spear, and he loosed it into Coyle’s cheek. Coyle hit the ground with a snap. His head cracked into the stone as Sulyvahn’s fist connected with him. His eye popped with viscera, and his nose shattered after another hit. 

The world around Coyle began to fade into nothing with each subsequent thump. Yet, he saw a slash appear in the warrior’s armor. Along with the scream of the word “Monster!” across his lips. With this, Coyle thrashed his away from under Sulyvahn, rising away from him. He saw the once intimidating figure get ripped apart by imaginary beasts. Coyle leered at him, staggering over. He wrapped his hands around Sulyvahn’s hysterical face, and threw himself on top of him, plunging his thumbs into the man’s eyes. Slamming the two into the floor. He clawed and ripped at the man’s sight while he screamed out in fear. Coyle’s glee was cut short, when Sulyvahn’s writhing arm, knocked their rappelling gear, into The Abyss. 

“Oh No! No! No! No! No!!” Coyle wailed, banging Sulyvahn’s gurgling head into the floor with each scream of denial. 

His voice cracked and broke, and when he couldn’t summon any more words, he stared down at his blood soaked hands. He looked through his dripping fingers at the man under him. His eye sockets a pulverized void. 

Coyle stood up. It was quiet. All he could see around him was an expanse.  It wasn’t dark nor was it light. It wasn’t hot or cold. It wasn’t closed or open. It simply wasn’t. All except for The Abyss. Coyle weaseled toward the edge, and slowly lowered his gaze into The Abyss. Where he saw massive metal claws raking the The Abyss’ edge, before disappearing into the depths.

There was nothing left for him. Nothing up in the rest of the world. Nothing down in the staggering crater before him, and nothing left in the library.

He took a final step forward. He did it all for nothing.