Eril's Story

Day 16

Every part of the following day was packed with activity, I found myself rushing from one thing to the next for most of the day. It started out with a soak in a hot spring built over a thermal lake, then going sliding down a popular ice hill, climbing and careening down multiple times alongside lots of other people, both young and old alike. There were interesting cave formations to look at, then picking out and buying small gems and interesting rocks as souvenirs from a small novelty shop, followed by a visit to one of the great libraries of Pangaea, looking through the vast amounts of knowledge stored there, as well as the museum it house which boasted many of Adura's natural wonders and historical artifacts.

Partaking in all these activities gave me the opportunity to travel through most of the city - from the winding tunnels around the central cavern, which was only a fraction of the city, to layers further underground which contained the entrances to the underneath. Going deeper was to experience a whole new world, some of which was man-made, the rest perfected by nature, stretching down into untold depths.

There were rumors that no one had made it to the bottom or found the deepest rift, leaving much unexplored. It was perilous to descend, but there were wonders beneath to match the risk.

I had hired a guide to take me down to some of these places. We met and made our way to one of the many entrances to the underground network. Along with us there was a fellow traveler that I had met the previous night at the tavern, and after we had talked excitedly about the caves, decided to go together. The route we chose was one that was more accessible and populated - used by both workers and civilians alike. Those who worked in these tunnels stood out easily, wearing thick leather and wool to protect from the harsh environments they would face on a daily basis, further accentuating their powerful builds and strong gaits .

We lit our lanterns and walked down a wide staircase, cut into a small knoll near the outskirts of the city ring. There wasn't much to see only one level down, plain stone corridors leading us to places unknown. We had come into a wide hollowed out space that currently looked as if it was being used for storage of tools and vehicles workers might need.

Everyone else seemed unconcerned, walking to and from a doorway at the far end, so we did the same. All the land under Adura belonged to the people, so there was no fear of trespassing, as long as each person could be respectful of their neighbors, the land was theirs to do with what they wished.

Going through the large doorway a sloped ramp took us deeper. The formations became less touched by human intervention and the shapes of nature took hold as the walls became less worked and smooth and increasingly rugged. A few more levels and we were getting to where the real excavation had begun. Now scaffolding was built up along cavern walls and long wooden bridges over chasms, I couldn't help wonder who built them and how good their proficiency was.

Pockets of gems were scattered all about within the rock surfaces, for most people it was not even worth the time to break them free, but they were still beautiful nonetheless. Such was the abundance of this place, that natural beauty thrived in harmony with the people living in it. There were some people, chipping happily away to take some home for themselves, in much the same way someone might pick wildflowers, a simple part of nature to appreciate and bring joy. There was a respect here that was given to the natural world that was generally shared by all.

As we went further, the people passing by became predominantly miners, going this way and that, working on various tasks that I didn't have the faintest understanding of. In one cavern, there was a large section fenced off, and when we looked over we saw the floor slowly undulating, the rock floor moving like a perpetual wave. Accompanying it was a strong smell of sulfur and a heat that dried the skin on my face. I tossed a loose rock over the fence to see what would happen and it landed with a plop, where it promptly sank, breaking the surface of the ground, exposing roiling magma underneath.