The Stones Of Power

Chapter 3｜Depths Of The Forsaken

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Once back in Edellerston, it didn't take long for Terico to lead Jujor to one of the cave entrances in the rocky hills just north of the burnt village. The sight of the town's remains was just as harrowing as it had been when the fires first died out, but it also strengthened Terico's resolve to not back down. It was a clear visual reminder of what he was fighting for, and why he was seeking out the Elpis.

Jujor had a red Nexi stone, which he caused to light the way down the cavern pathway. Terico led the way, however, and for the first hour, most of the journey was fairly familiar to him. There were a number of stalactite formations that he used to go by when remembering which way to turn in order to keep heading downward.

From time to time Terico came across monsters, and Jujor left it to him each time to deal with them. At one point there were a few rock-hoppers, which Terico tied up with a series of vines from his green Nexi. Later, a light yellow wisp tried possessing Jujor, but Terico managed to douse the ghostly light with the blue Nexi stone. He soaked Jujor as well in the process, much to the old man's umbrage.

The deeper into the cave they went, the more Terico wondered about the city as described in Jujor's old book. Jujor said it was a mystery why it was built so long ago, and why it was eventually abandoned centuries ago. Terico couldn't think of a good reason for Emoser Helena to be built so far below the earth. What would the people have lived off of? They certainly couldn't have grown crops without sunlight. Perhaps the Elpis stone played a part in the city's existence.

Jujor dimmed his red Nexi a bit to keep from straining himself since it took a little effort to keep the light going. Terico offered to take it, but Jujor wanted him ready for any monsters that would jump out at them.

At one junction Terico had to move aside a pile of large fallen rocks in order to continue down the path he and Jujor were taking. Terico had never been this far down the caves before, but Jujor felt they still had quite a ways to go before reaching Emoser Helena.

What may have been another hour passed—it was difficult to tell without the sun—and Terico started to feel a little drowsy. They had been walking down a thin, rock-floored path for so long, that traversing the jagged path had almost become a subconscious action. Terico had tried starting a conversation with Jujor a couple more times earlier, but the old man was still avoiding any real answers about his life. Terico was curious to know more about the Elpis too though, so he decided to start there.

"So, why do you think the Elpis stone is down here?" he asked.

"It's likely just a fragment," Jujor said. "And I can't be certain why it's in an underground city. There are all kinds of theories. To keep monsters away. To provide light for the citizens. To create food for everyone down there. To create a protective barrier against outsiders. To hold up the earth around the city. Of course, all this brings up the question of why people would have a city down here in the first place. My guess is that the original intention of the city was to act as a place to keep the Elpis fragment hidden."

"How did the Elpis stone break apart?" Terico asked. "And when was it found in the first place?

"Most of the legends say the Elpis was the stone that the God of Hope used to create all the Nexi stones," Jujor said. "All the Nexi were buried deep in the earth so people would learn to work hard for their rewards, and to rely on divine powers in their daily lives. Don't know if any of that's true, but that's the general sentiment of the ancient stories.

"But where the Elpis was found and who found it is very unclear. When it was in the hands of a benevolent ruler, the people in the land lived without suffering or fear—the world was a paradise, if you will. But when a cruel, self-serving ruler used the Elpis, the entire continent fell into ruin. In some sources, it is said that the Elpis could be used to kill hundreds of people in a single instant.