A dark orange filled the sky as they continued across the canyons. The cold had increased until it bit at his fingertips. And now, an orange fog had seeped into the canyon. Aged statues leaned into the ground. Sometimes, blurs of motion passed in the corners of his eyes.

But, when he turned to see what it was, he saw nothing but the cliff. It had seemed so long ago that birds had populated the sky. Nobody talked, he heard rocks tumble, but the constant crackling of the torch permeated the air. The fire that Osmond contained and held comforted David. He calmed himself with it's sound...

They climbed a sloping cliff that seemed to go to infinity. His arms ached and he longed to sleep. But the sky hadn't turned dark yet, and it was still red. After a while, it seemed like they'd climbed every pit, ledge, and cliff in existence.

"Osmond?", David asked, "Let's stop. It's too dark... We can stop for today, and get our minds rested."

"Soon, not now."

"What's that?", Bernard asked. David looked down at his oilskin. It was almost empty.

"What do you mean by 'what's that'?", Darrell asked.

Bernard pointed again. David looked, but the fog blocked his view.

"What's that you saw, then?", David said.

"There are shapes. People. Behind the fog.", Osmond answered.

"Alright. Let's go David", Darrell looked and beckoned him forward.

"But, well...", David answered.

"C'mon. We're only seeing what's behind the fog."

"Fine", David stood up.

He followed Darrell's lead. They walked slowly towards where Bernard pointed. The fog thinned and David could see people. Faces appeared, thin, pallid, dull, lost of life. He expected a sea of whispers, but no sound. David walked a bit further.

The fog finally opened. David saw multitudes of armor. Bronze swords skewered bodies, and lances struck past thick armor. Rust had congealed in ragged shapes on each suit of armor. All of the soldiers stuck in a pose for eternity. A torn red-crossed flag stood waving in the middle of it all. Crowds of armored soldiers seemed to surround the flag for miles.

Some of the armor had collapsed with age, revealing mottled bones. Around it, Men of Deer, grinning in death, holding their weapons. Legs bent, chests high, in the position of glory. Spears surrounded their flanks, many through their ribs, killed by war.

They were from lost battles, lost armies, the past. They stood from a time long forgotten, the Callous War... He walked around them, trying to pull Darrell forward. He turned to look behind him and saw Darrell standing there, motionless.

"The Story...", Darrell exclaimed.

"Every nightmare, everything... All I want is to go home... Back where nothing will ever affect me... But what will happen? What will happen? By the Prophet... By the Prophet..."

Darrell drew in a ragged breath.

"They're dead... All of them..."

"Let's go back. When night falls, we forget about this", David said.

"Back then... Back home? Back? Or, forward", Darrell muttered, "Back and forth. What's the use?...What's the use David!?"

"C'mon. Let's go back", David said.

"Fine... Fine...."

They walked back to Bernard and Osmond. Osmond perked up.

"So, are there people there?"

"No, no, some rocks", David lied. Darrell nodded.

"Funny-shaped rocks then"

"Yes, they were funny-shaped rocks", David nodded, "With ears of stone, and much, much, more..."

They continued walking. With Darrell looking down, past the earth, into the Abyss. He turned away from him, nodding sometimes, tapping his feet, whistling. Anything, to make noise, to remove the silence, but it suffocated and constricted until he heard nothing.

The cliffs shrank down in size until trees covered everything. The road widened into dirt and gravel. David pulled at his beard incessantly. Bernard said nothing, looking down with wide eyes. Osmond stayed looking at his notebook. Nothing... Nothing....

A crossroad stood ahead. Dirt and gravel divided into three, and the sky wrapped darkness around them. The forest grew taller. An amber sliver poked out of the clouds and shone upon the world. Moony clouds crowded the sky and covered the moon. Stars hid themselves behind the night, and darkness filled the world. Birds rested on branches and lay their wings upon nests. Bernard yawned and David blinked.

"Third one," Bernard stepped forward, "It seems the best path to follow."

"After that, we rest beneath the shroud of night." David nodded.

"All I desire is sleep. Nice, nice sleep. To rest these burning eyes of mine, that I want and will do", Osmond yawned and shut his mouth, "But for now, no... Let's hurry..."