A World With/Out Home

Chapter 30: The world that we built on. (Part 1)

Chapter 30: The world that we built on.

The submarine hatch opened releasing a hiss of air as the pressure of the outside air equalised with the cramped space within. Like Kyle had thought, the contraption Mr Devro had used to explore the underground waterway was the very same that Estile had used before.

"Where are we?" Lillia asked as she pulled herself out of the hatch. Illuminated by her magic they popped into an open cavern. Surrounding them on all sides was a pond of water. Further past, the shore the ground inclined upwards towards an exit.

Reina looked around, gauging their surroundings and comparing it with the device she had bought along. "It looks like Mr Devro was correct. We're currently sitting right beneath the temple grounds."

"How is that even possible?" Melissa huffed as she jumped to the shore. "I thought we had mapped out the entire mountain."

"We mapped out what we could and left what we couldn't," Reina replied and slowly walked to the walls of the cavern. "This place is similar to the Garden. It probably has its own history that none of us can fathom."

"Are you still held up about Kyle's story?"

"How could I not be?" Reina scowled. "If his story is true, which facts point it is, our world, this world, it's different to the one past the fog. We are foreigners to this world and we don't even know its history."

Kyle locked the submarine and facing the group nodded, "Reina is right. Even if it was my past I barely know anything. But we have something more important to do right now. Reina do you think that passage will lead us to the right place?"

"We can only find out, and I'd rather not use the explosives we brought with us."

With Reina in the lead, Melissa, Lillia and Kyle followed. Their progress was slow as they took every care they could while moving through the tunnel's uneven footing. There was no telling how long it had been since someone had walked the same path, and although there was only the one way forward, a sense of unease tickled against their minds. It wasn't all too long before the tunnel suddenly split. One end descended again, and the other, a sudden change as a staircase took its place.

"I'm no genius when it comes to navigating but I think we take the staircase," Melissa quipped but waited for the other's response.

Reina nodded, "The staircase seems to be the right way. We all may be curious but now is not the time to go exploring."

Upon climbing the stairs the atmosphere changed. The previous tunnel while cold, had a fresh air to it. Ascending the staircase, the air grew stale. The walls became structured and the ceiling flat. Layers of dust built up in the corners and smoothly covered wherever they stepped. An ancient site untouched by man or monster for an unknown number of years. Even compared to the temple above, the architecture around them was unlike anything they had seen, except for one of them that is.

Kyle couldn't help but frown as the memories poked at his already addled mind. The higher they climbed the more familiar the surroundings became. From the arching supports attached, to the walls, to the smaller details of how the stone brick were lard and finally as they reached flat ground, it became clear.

"This is a temple for the Sleeping God...," Kyle whispered out loud. An enormous dome surrounded them with only two exits, one they came from and the other opposite them. Now that it had clicked, the memories of Estile's fight against the false gods rebounded. Though at first it seemed different due to the lack of murals or art, the way everything was structured was the same. A large circular platform sat in the middle of the room, and upon it nothing but a rectangular indentation.