Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 5: The Artifact

Lady Lillias of the Pax

The hallway was not long, yet it took the nobles a long time to navigate. The only light source came from the flashlight mounted on Cobalt's rifle, which showed the ever-receding organic growth. Is it afraid of us? Lillias wondered. Or are we falling into its trap? The hand clutching the conjured sword grew stiff and sore with pins and needles. Lillias yearned for dawn. She hated being in a threatening situation without being able to use more powerful spells. For a thousand years, she relied on the Prime to keep her safe; now, she had to rely on Cobalt and Donny's flimsy conjured sword.

Finally, the hallway gave way to a massive chamber. From its roof, rays of unnatural light revealed an ancient cavern, even older than the ruins. From the hallway, a bridge of stone led onward towards a platform. The organic growth attached itself to every surface: on the bridge, platform, and the cavern walls. It was no longer receding. This is the Heart of the Hive. Like a wave, the growth rose and fell along the cavern walls. Far below, the howls of the creatures came. Thousands of them, barely visible in the light. They knelt, then rose, then knelt again in unison with the growth on the walls.

Yet, it was not the odd behaviour of the Co-Dek that drew the nobles' attention. On the centre platform, a lone figure floated: A Human woman, her arms raised above her head, her auburn hair floating weightless. Between her hands, an object hovered. The object was of an odd design: A swirl of metal and, in its centre, a blue crystal. The woman's eyes were closed, her mouth moving, whispering, in pain. The organic growth had risen to meet her. Like a tower, it attached itself to her feet, slowly pulling itself up.

Lillias was in awe at the sight. Never had she witnessed something like this. She stood, transfixed. Lord Cobalt, on the other hand, moved forward, stepping on the stone bridge and the organic growth. Suddenly, the woman's eyes opened. Shocked, Cobalt took a step back. "Stay away!" She yelled. The entire chamber shook. The Co-Dek below howled and screamed. "Stay away from my friends! Let them live! Go!" Her eyes closed once more. The organic growth had now risen to her knees.

"Friends?" Cobalt whispered.

"She was an explorer." Lillias realised. "From the party, we encountered outside." She pointed towards the object hovering between the woman's hands. "And that must be the artifact. The source of power you seek."

"I did deduce that." Cobalt smiled. "But how do we reach it?"

"I don't think that is the question you should be asking, Byron. The question is, should we retrieve it?"

"How can you even think like that after seeing what it can do." Cobalt pointed to the Codeks below. "They are in a trans. Docile even. They are clearly under the control of the artifact. Imagine what we could do with such power."

"Then why did the Codeks attack us earlier?"

Cobalt thought for a moment. "They were following her orders. Stay away from my friends. She tried to protect her fellow explorers, first from the Codeks, then maybe from us."

"By using the Codeks?"

"Yes. The artifact is not the source; she is. The artifact is only a tool, one that she used to bend the Co-Dek to her will."

Cobalt was right in that regard, Lillias knew. The artifact was indeed just a tool, but a very powerful one at that. Lillias could feel its power. It was an odd sensation that she tried to ignore at first, yet now, this close to the source, it was near overwhelming. The artifact was like a whirlpool, sucking things closer and closer to its centre. The growth on the walls was proof enough of that. With each rotation along the walls, the growth climbed higher onto the woman as if trying to reach the artifact. Lillias could feel that pull. Something drew her to the artifact as the Co-Dek was drawn to it. "Something is not right here, Byron. We should leave it here."