The hole was wide, so wide that it was hard for anyone to see the other side. Mountains brushed against the opposite edge of the hole, with clouds obscuring the point where the hole became hill. Soft light slid over the mountaintops as the hot blue sun began to set, giving the entire island an odd purple hue. Dilapidated buildings kissed the hole, sometimes with entire sections having obviously fallen inside. The former town that filled the island had long since been deserted, but now Gawayen and his troops began to refill the place with life. He smirked as he looked down at the hole. He was so close he could feel it, though in retrospect he was unsure whether what he was feeling was his nerves running taut at the chance of completing his plans to reshape the tower or simply the power and obscure energy that exited the well.
He glanced around at the group with him, before picking up a coil of rope that lay at his feet. “We’re going to begin the climb down the well now. Grab your rope, but do not fret, this is not the first trip down. We need to start on a stable route down before the rest of the chosen arrive. It might be dangerous but do not fret, we are Avalonians. We fear nothing within the walls of this prison, and everything is simply a route to the improvement of our people”. The men and women who surrounded him nodded but kept quiet as he led them to the edge of the hole. They set up a weight system that held their rope in place before they jumped down into the hole and hung against the side of the wall before them.
Gawayen touched the wall, wondering how the heretics had managed to make the sides so perfectly smooth before casting the idea aside, pulling a bone hook out from the bandoleer across his chest and slamming it into the wall itself. He slid down a single meter and pulled the second hook out of his belt before doing the same thing as before. The soldiers he was with quickly followed his routine, sliding down a meter or so before puncturing the wall with a bone hook that they carried on their person. Soon enough they fell into a routine; slide, pull, hook, slide, pull, hook. Again and again they did the same thing, with ten strikes sounding out in unison until they reached the end of their ropes.
As the last person hit the end of his rope, Gawayen glanced up and surveyed their work. There was about fifty meters of rope separating him from the rim of the well. It did not seem like much when he said it in his head, but as he looked down he still had no idea how deep the hole in the ground went. It was still out of sight, and even the depth he had climbed and his far beyond average sight had left him unable to comprehend how deep he would have to go before he finally reached his target.
“It’s time to return to the surface. Climb up and test your spikes on the way up. They should easily be able to hold your weight, so anyone who is found to have slacked upon the placement of their hooks will receive a demerit. Myself included”. The group as a whole grimaced when they heard the punishment that Gawayen had declared they would receive if they messed up. No one complained however, as the fact that Gawayen was willing to take the same hit as them was beyond fair. They were chosen, but Gawayen was the Grand Lancelot. He was the leader of their people, and the fact that if he made a mistake he would take the same hit to food and extra Gi gained during their time on mission was a matter of pride of the chosen. They knew that even though the grand Lancelot was above them in rank, he was willing to dirty himself for them. Because of that they all attempted to work as hard as possible for him.
They climbed up the hooks, making sure that each one was securely in place and that the rope they were using to climb down the side of the hole with was under the hooks and securely in place. It was much quicker going than their journey down, but now that they had made the route they were almost ready to begin work on the first platform that would support their descent into the deep.
As they climbed back over the lip of the hole, Gawayen smiled at the group. “I knew I made the right choice in bringing you nine with me. The next few days are going to be hard, but as long as you follow my commands to the letter I will make sure that all your names are entered into my personal guard as soon as we return. This caused the chosen to cheer with pride and joy, as that was the greatest honour that they could be given. They were simply soldiers with potential, and Gawayen knew that. He smiled as he walked back towards the dilapidated buildings, but as soon as he was out of sight of everyone his smile became a vicious smirk. He would use these chosen until there was nothing left but skin and bone, then he would harvest them like he had every other Avalonian who had fallen by the wayside during his climb to power. With their bone and life potential he would easily be able to make his first contingency.
He laughed. Gawayen knew that there was a chance that he would fail to get the power from the well, but all that meant was that he needed more plans to achieve this aim. This was not his first plan, nor was it his last, but it was his most likely to succeed.
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