Selenite

Chapter 9

I instinctively look down at my hands in my lap. Viridis' words just confirmed all the things I had known were true but hoped were false. I can feel my breath getting faster. This is all my fault. Everything is escalating so fast, and I still don't even know what happened. What am I going to-

The light touch of a hand on my knee pulls my mind out of the spiral. I look up and Viridis is looking at me with a curious but concerned expression. "Are you alright?" she asks me.

"Yes...I'm fine. This is all just overwhelming for me," I answer.

She nods, as if this inadequate explanation makes sense to her. "This is a strange event for all of us. Only in legend have I heard of such an occurrence, and my memories of such legends are so faint that they may have never existed at all. Perhaps looking among your resources for these stories may yield something." She rises to her feet, and I scramble up to a standing position as well, out of respect. "I must return to my people. They are uneasy from the events of the past few days and I know they would like to rest. Hopefully we will be able to speak again." Viridis turns to leave, but looks back at me. "Did I ever get your name?"

I shake my head. "It's Sedna," I say apologetically.

She smiles. "Sedna...you must have been named after one of the ancient goddesses. In one of the ancient cultures, Sedna was the name used for the goddess of the sea. Whoever named you must have been well versed in such matters." Turning away once again, she rejoins the other dryads. I watch as she kneels beside a much smaller spirit, seemingly checking if she is alright. She really, genuinely cares about them.

I sigh and look at the entrance back into the shrine. Eris is still nowhere to be found, so it looks like I'm going to have to find her myself. I know I can't figure this out alone. She knows where everything is here, and if there are any clues, like Viridis said there might be, Eris will hopefully know where to find them.

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I can't believe she just left me here. I finally make the decision to tell her the whole story and ask for her help, and now she's nowhere to be found. That's not even mentioning the fact that I've been wandering for nearly half an hour and I'm hopelessly lost.

I slump down on the floor, leaning my back against the cold shrine wall. If I have too much time to think, I know I'll change my mind and go at this mess alone, but at the same time I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

Only now to I notice how strange this hallway is. The ones on the upper floors are lined with doors, but these are smooth and featureless. There are no sounds to be spoken of; I am almost afraid to draw a breath without the sound of my own feet on the floor. The realization makes me uncomfortable. How did I even get here?

I could perform a spell that would bring me back to familiar territory, but I've only done it once before and it takes a lot of energy. Better for me to just take a breather and keep moving forward.

The coolness of the wall seeps into my skull and I can feel my mind drifting. I can almost hear the voices of my past cutting through the silence.

"-has been selected for a highly esteemed position. She will be endowed with the tasks of the maintenance and sacred rituals dedicated to the Moon Goddess. Her position will make her an elite in the city, and may she be treated with respect and honor."

That was the day I was assigned to keep the shrine, and also the day that I was given the pendant that hangs at my neck.

"May this pendant always be a reminder of her dedication to the Goddess, and a protector in dangerous places. Let her call upon it in a time of need."

For over a year, the stone has hung inertly from my neck, never giving a sign of life. Even now it offers no assistance. I sigh and rise to my feet. I look back the way I came. It would take me hours to remember each turn I took. The other direction, however, is uncharted territory, at least for me. There's got to be more than one way to get down here. I should have never tried to find Eris on my own.

I continue in the direction that I had been going. The floor starts to slope down slightly beneath my feet. The walls are still solid, without doors or windows, but faint etchings begin, growing into larger, more intricate patterns as I proceed. I trace my fingers along one particular pattern, recognizing it as a rune of fire that someone has elaborated on. Why is this here?

A loud thumping noise makes me jump suddenly. It echoes down the chamber, coming from the direction I've been going. It sounded almost...like a slamming door? I quicken my pace down the hall while still being as quiet as I can.

A dull murmur indicates that I am getting near voices. Soon enough, I come upon a wide set of double doors on the left side of the hall. The doors are shut tight, but I can hear the people inside. I press my ear against the door and listen, breathing as silently as I can manage.

"....assembling forces at this time is unwise. We still don't know the cause of the fire. Perhaps it was a spell gone awry." The voice is the same one I heard less than an hour ago outside. Kiara, I think Eris said her name was. "We have no way of knowing without further investigation."

"But looking into this could take weeks, even months," another, unfamiliar voice cuts in. "We don't have that kind of time. The whole forest could be destroyed by then."

"Then we will make time!" Kiara shouts, which is accompanied by the sound of someone bringing their fist down on a table. "We have to be sure of whether or not this is the fulfilling of the prophecy."

Prophecy? What prophecy? I press my ear harder against the door, hoping to hear more, but before anything else is said, I feel a cold hand on my shoulder, accompanied by a cold voice to match. "What are you doing here?"

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Sorry for the long wait on this chapter! I hope you all liked it! Thank you for reading!