The Journey to Undertown

By: Milicule the Nightwaif (edge wiki username)

These were the Nightwoods. A dark and mysterious place filled with dense undergrowth, sharp thorns, and spiky brambles. But none of these were as dangerous as the inhabitants of the Nightwoods. Nightwaifs, Flitterwaifs, Copperwaifs, and many more. They fed on the emotions of those who strayed into these treacherous lands, and then they fed on their flesh. But the danger was not just for the unfortunate few who stumble into the Nightwoods, it was very common for waifs to feed upon other waifs, who had grown too weak or old. Take me for instance, my name is Milicule, a Nightwaif, my long delicate ears stretched out to hear the thoughts of my Flitterwaif pursuers. Their minds were a mess, screaming for the taste of my flesh. But my nimble legs were fast enough to outrun them and their gnashing jaws. For now. Soon I will be too old, too slow to outrun my would-be predators, I had began to make the dangerous journey, through the terrifying Deepwoods, through the enchanting Twilight woods where many a mind may wander and through the desolate Mire, to the legendary Undertown, where the streets were allegedly paved with gold. But for now my one purpose was to escape these Flitterwaifs, I turned left, right. Desperately trying to escape these cannibalistic creatures. Behind me I heard an animal scream of rage and pain, I looked behind me to see one of the Flitterwaifs, sprawled on the ground, a deep gash on its wing. I watched as the rest of the group forgot me and turned onto their fellow waif, and began to feast on it. I turned my head forward and set off again at a slower pace towards the general direction of the deepwoods.

After many days of travelling the forest of brambles began to thin, until I finally emerge into a clearing. Behind me lay the Nightwoods, a dark and dismal place, full of vampire-like creatures. In front of me lay the Deepwoods, the sound of an almost infinite amount of minds working resonated through my mind as I bent my ears in that direction. I stepped forward, into the light, and the noise of the minds enveloped me.

As I walked onward, it seems as though the Deepwoods went on forever. Everything seemed peaceful, until suddenly my ears alerted me to the presence of a creature that I had never seen before. I searched its simple brain and identified it as a Hoverworm. My ears searched for the levers that made its decisions. Crash! The hideous creature barged out of the bushes and prepared to strike me with it toothless mandibles, filled with venom. Suddenly it stopped,as my mind slowly bent it to my will. The Hoverworm twitched until suddenly it stopped and became completely docile. Never before had I experienced such power, the ability to manipulate minds was almost useless in the Nightwoods, a place where all other creatures could do the same. Almost in a trance I jumped onto the previously dangerous creature's back. I had made my first companion, granted an unwilling one but it was a start.

The hoverworm made travel a lot easier. With the small orifices along it underbelly it could jet itself up into the air, this made it much harder for other potential predators to reach me. Days and nights of flying passed as my companion and I hovered beneath the canopy of the vast Deepwoods. Until, suddenly I heard the Twilight Woods.

I had only heard of this place in the minds of a select amount of Deepwoods dwellers. A place where your mind turned to fog and drifted away. I had suspected the worst, but this was somehow even more terrifying. The Hoverworm stopped, and refused to go onward. I dismounted. Already, my mind began to wander, but I forced myself onward, my ears flicked forward, only to find the minds of the poor, lost souls of those who had strayed too far into this realm of dim yellow light.

I had to stay true to my purpose so I continued walking. I began murmuring to myself, so that at least I could have company. Occasionally I passed the half-corpses of previous knights academic, their blank minds were very disconcerting.

After a few days I stumbled upon a grey goblin, turned insane. His jaw had been replaced by a mechanical contrivance, and he kept muttering the same thing over and over again;

"Cloud Wolf, Cloud Wolf, where are you, oh Quint, where have you gone!"

I quickly moved past him. Voices entered my head, begging me to let my mind loose, let all the pain go away. But I remained strong.

I don't know how many days passed while I stumbled through these forests full of golden light. It didn't seem long, but at the same time it felt like forever. But finally, I made it, I emerged onto The Mire, the final step in my long journey. As I stepped out of the treacherous Twilight Woods and onto the desolate wasteland, that was The Mire, my bare feet squelched under the glistening grey mud. I tuned my ears forward, and far ahead I could make out the many minds of Undertown, I headed in that direction.

The sun came up and went down, but I paid little attention as I squelched across the bog. The only thing I ate was slimy Oozefish, the muddy taste was now infused in my mouth. I avoided the many dangers of The Mire by listening in on the surrounding minds, and fleeing any Muglumps, or any other terrifying creatures that lived in this place.

But finally, my long journey was rewarded, I reached the gates of undertown and entered. I had no money, but I was sure that a waif like me could easily make a living in this town of opportunity. Little did I know what Undertown had in store for me.