Free Book - Prequel of The Chronicles of Canes Venatici

Pryia Planet 3 (Part 7.1)

Part 7.1 – The Ember Vault's Discovery

You find yourself standing before the massive, towering gates of the Ember Vault, their dark, obsidian surface etched with symbols lost to time. A wave of oppressive heat radiates from the ground beneath your feet, blending with the scent of sulfur and ash in the air. The volcanic landscape surrounding the vault is alive, rumbling and shifting, as if the planet itself is aware of the significance of this moment. You feel a weight pressing down on your chest—not just from the heat, but from the history that the vault holds.

The Ember Vault was once thought to be a legend, a myth whispered among scholars, adventurers, and fortune-seekers. Hidden beneath the volcanic ridges of Pyrya, the vault was said to contain ancient technology, capable of harnessing the planet's geothermal energy in ways the modern world could only dream of. Now, here it stands before you, the gateway to forgotten power, the key to Pyrya's future.

The obsidian gates seem to pulse with a life of their own, responding to the volcanic forces beneath the surface. The symbols carved into the gates glow faintly, illuminated by the molten rivers flowing through the rock below. You can feel the hum of power vibrating through the air as if the vault is alive, waiting for someone to unlock its secrets.

You've heard the stories—tales of how the ancients built this vault to harness the core's energy, using it to power cities, machines, and perhaps even their own bodies. But the stories always ended in disaster, with the vault's builders losing control of the forces they had sought to command. The last image in those tales was always one of destruction—of cities submerged in lava and skies darkened by ash.

Stepping closer, you place your hand on the cool, smooth surface of the gate. The symbols pulse beneath your fingers, and the door shifts, groaning as it begins to open. Dust and heat pour from the entrance, and as the door creaks wider, a gust of fiery wind bursts out, like a breath long held by the vault. You step back, feeling the force of the heat surge past you, and in that moment, you know you are no longer standing on the threshold of an ancient ruin. You are standing at the edge of something far greater—something that has been dormant for centuries, but that is now waking up.

The inside of the Ember Vault is vast, its ceiling arched high above you, supported by towering pillars of volcanic rock. Massive machines, still and silent for centuries, line the walls. Their surfaces are blackened by age, yet faint glimmers of molten energy run through them, suggesting they are not as dormant as they appear. You can sense the power within these machines, as though they are waiting for the right moment to stir back to life.

In the center of the chamber lies the geothermal reactor, the heart of the Ember Vault. The molten rivers that flow deep beneath Pyrya are channeled into this massive structure, designed to harness the planet's core energy. But as you approach the reactor, you realize it is not just a machine. It is a living thing, pulsating with the energy of the planet itself. The air around it is thick with heat, the ground trembling slightly beneath your feet.

You reach out to the reactor, feeling its power reverberate through the vault. The hum of energy grows louder, filling the air with a deep, resonant vibration that shakes the pillars and walls. This is the true heart of Pyrya's power, a force greater than anything the Pyrian Order or Ember Guard could ever control. And it is waking up.

The Flamespeakers accompanying you study the vault's ancient technology with reverence, their faces etched with awe. They believe that by unlocking the vault's secrets, the Pyrian Order can stabilize the planet's core and bring an end to the civil war. But you are not so sure. The energy in this place feels untamed, ancient, and alive in ways that the Order does not yet understand.

Future Glimpse:
The reactor hums louder, its energy fields growing stronger with each passing moment. The molten rivers deep beneath Pyrya begin to stir violently, their fiery tendrils reaching up toward the surface. The machines lining the walls flicker to life, their systems awakening after centuries of dormancy. The ground beneath the vault trembles as the planet's core stirs, its power surging through the vault's ancient systems. The energy within the Ember Vault is awakening, but it is not under anyone's control.

Olav J.'s Insight:
"The Ember Vault is more than just a relic of the past—it is a living monument to the hubris of the ancients. They believed they could harness the power of Pyrya's core, that they could control the energy of the planet itself. But they were wrong. The vault is a reminder that some forces are not meant to be controlled, that the energy of a planet cannot be tamed by mortal hands. The Pyrian Order and the Ember Guard both seek to unlock the vault's power, but neither truly understands the magnitude of what they are dealing with."