THRIVE: Book One

Chapter 3- The Temple in the City

As I walk down the narrow streets of the crumbling city, the sun begins to set in the west.  The sun setting casts bright beams onto the temple on the mountainside. Six massive stone pillars appear to be holding up the entryway. As I ascend the staircase, I can't help but admire the incredible detail, and I can see statues on the roof and at the entrance of giant reptiles. Even after years of abandonment have covered everything in moss, the intricacy is still impressive. As tempted as I was to go inside, getting lost in the darkness could be dangerous, so I decided to set up camp in a nearby building. Grass has grown through the cracks in the stone floor, so I find a soft patch and lie down, staring at the stars in the sky through the opening in the ceiling. I feel exhausted from hiking all day, which feels even worse because I hadn't had anything to drink in nearly twenty-four hours. As I stretch my muscles, I rest my hands on my stomach, feeling it begin to rumble with hunger. Tomorrow is another day. I roll my head to the side and look through a small crack in the wall, gazing at the temple. As it gets darker, it's as if the colossal structure is disappearing into the mountainside. As I doze off, I see a faint light coming from the entryway. I suddenly become excited but disregard it as exhaustion and dehydration playing tricks on my eyes.

I woke up the following day to a torrential downpour, and somehow, my crumbling little building kept me dry. Outside I can see water flowing downhill like a river in the street. Thirsty, I cup my hands and hold them out the window, then take a sip of the somewhat warm water. I am not going to die today. I continue my process until I stop feeling thirsty, then decide to wait for the storm to die down. I'm not sure where else I could go besides the temple, the great city before me is overwhelming. The jungle doesn't seem entirely safe, and going into it alone again would probably end in me getting more lost and disoriented than I already am. When I look out at the temple again, I freeze up. It wasn't my imagination before, and I can still see a faint light coming from inside. Someone else is here.

Anxious to find my friends, I dash straight out into the storm. Halfway to the temple, I slip on the wet ground and skin my knee. I roll over to look at it in pain, and I see that it's covered in dirt and loose stone and bleeding heavily, making the rain sting when it hits it. I can hear thunder in the distance, so I quickly get up and move carefully into the temple. When I get inside, I stop to catch my breath and look more closely at my leg. The rain had washed away the initial stream of blood, but it was quickly beginning to run down my leg. I choose to ignore this for now and follow the promising light at the end of the hall. Looking down at the floor, I can see a set of wet footprints trailing across the floor and fading as they go further inside.

"Hello?" I call out, and my voice echoes through the hall. Nothing but silence. They should be able to hear me if they're nearby. "Is someone here?" I yell louder. The entrance leads in all directions, but I continue to follow the fading light. As I continue down the hallway, it leads straight to a large room with beautifully intricate carvings etched into every wall and the ceiling. Statues of large jungle cats guarded the entrance as though to intimidate intruders. On the opposite side of the room, I see five thrones, also carefully carved from stone, sitting before me. One seemed broken, and the backrest was a crumbled pile on the ground. The one in the center was far grander in its design than the others; this must have been where the royalty amongst these people stayed. Torches were lit in the room's four corners, causing dimly lit shadows to dance on the walls around me. The ceiling was at least fifteen feet high, and a carving depicting a circle made of a snake loomed above the thrones. Another torch was lit beside a doorway that led down another hall. Someone has to be here somewhere, and the flames clearly didn't light themselves.

"Guys, it's Val." I yell, my voice echoing. "Where are you?" I plead nervously as I look down the darkened hallway. Slowly a figure appears, and as it turns out, it wasn't one of my friends. It turns out to be a young girl that can't be more than sixteen years old. Slowly, she steps into the light, nervously grasping a crudely crafted spear. Her long blonde hair is down to her waist and tied in a braid draped over her shoulder. Small hibiscus flowers appear to have been carefully woven into it. Her green eyes shine in the torchlight, and I can see that she's dressed in clothes made of various primitive fabrics, all stitched together to create a dress. Around her neck is a golden chain adorned with a strange totem with ruby eyes.