Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 57 - The Sanctum

Chapter 57 – The Sanctum

The Base of the Brother Hood was comprised in such a fashion that Ann still found herself helplessly lost at times if she were not vigilant enough to notice the etchings made into the arch ways and at the end of each hallway.

The Central Base, like all of the other bases around the world were built on a numerical Foundation, and inverted like an inside out honey comb. With three Companion Stair cases, called the Primary Breezeway's, that cut clean across the Five Foundations of the Base, which extend deep underground to the Bowels and Ghoul nests, but also reached high up to the sky, culmination in the Sanctum.

The work of stone was a marvel, accomplished only by the hand of skilled gifted Mana Masons, who had sculpted their home centuries ago. And over the years more gifted Children had kept expanding upon the work of their predecessors.

The Base was navigable, if you kept track of the Foundation number you were on and added or subtracted the Numerals located at the top and bottom of the Hallways.

For Ann, she knew that if she came to the end of a Hallway and there was a IV etched into the wall and a II on her right and a IL on her left, Ann knew that she had to keep going forwards.

The symbol II meant that she was going to a room. And IL meant that she was heading into a Branching Hallway, which would just continue to carry her in a circle, until she arrived back at one of the Primary Breezeways. The Breezeways lead up and down, interconnected and bisected by countless doorways and Floors.

The Base of the Brother Hood that she called home was only one of nearly four other ancient bulwarks built during the time when Mankind flourished and Merlin the Great toiled for a kingdom of prosperity and greatness. A time of War, destruction, renewal, and the relentless pursuit of progress.

There had been many more Base's, opulent works of stone erected all over the world, but Ann had been taught, that history and time had not been kind to the Children of the Sun...and disease and War and weakness had dwindled their greatness. The false Gods above had slaughtered so many of them...and now they had been reduced to the shadows.

Their Bases, now resided in but a few corners of the world...and were allocated deep in the earth.

Ann made her way along the Second Foundation. This Foundation was where Eric and others in more esteemed positions, like the Councilors and Healers slept.

The Fifth Foundation is where Hovel had his Offices. Most Alchmists stayed far away unless summoned to the Saviors side if they did not want to suffer his ire. That Fifth Foundation was built chock full of Observation rooms, for Alchmist experiments. Testing rooms, the Awakening Rooms, and the Ghoul Pins. The Bowels, which stretched beneath the Base, were unreachable except by Portal. And seeing as Hovel and Eric had been the only ones allowed to travel into the Bowels no one else had access.

The Fourth Foundation and Third foundations was where they had their Library's, and Agriculture rooms, Class rooms, Nursery's, and consequently this was where the most of the movement happened, an where most of the Brothers and Sister spent their days.

The First Foundation was where the Barreks were located, as well as the Dining Halls, and where most of the ventilation and sewage was sent from.

Above this Foundation...there was the Sanctum. A few years ago the room had been renovated, but the Sanctum was still one of the most amazing areas in the Base to lay eyes upon. Every time she set her eyes upon it, it took her breath.

And today was no different.

The Sanctum took her a solid ten minutes to reach from the Second Foundation, and when she arrived, she came in from one of the countless, adjourning path ways that branched away from the Breezeways, but all inevitably led to the Sanctum. This was space was a culmination of everything she respected about Alchemy and had always out lined to her clearly what it is she should have faith in.