Arvium

40: Crystal Cavern

Month 1, Day 4, 9:00:26; Arvium, Trinity Mountain Pass

Aella's eyes widened as she paused, stopping for a moment on the narrow steps that led up the rocky face of the mountain peak. Even in her winter uniform, the chill still bit her fingers, stinging her skin. They had just crossed a turn and were momentarily protected from the harsh wind that whipped through the tips of the mountain range, carrying frigid wind and ice crystals.

Jothan waited for them higher up the path, waving them on. The tall man was burly, his massive frame covered only by a thin jacket, pants, boots, and a fur-lined hood.She stepped forward, climbing up the steps.

She gasped as she turned the corner, seeing the narrow path widen into a hill that rose to the base of the peak, where a massive block of black stone rose a hundred feet high. In it's center, steps carved from the rock led to a gaping hole of darkness.

That's where we going?

She frowned, stepping into the tightly packed snow that coated the steps.

When they reached the top, Aella paused, staring into a narrow tunnel that led downward, lit only by flickering torches. Jothan had already disappeared into the tunnel, the wind whistling past her.

She shifted for a moment, looking back down the path that led to the valley far below. She shook her head and squared her shoulders.

She stepped into the tunnel, and jogged to catch up with Jothan. She clenched her fists as she thought about what Garron had told her. The orbs were representations of live organisms that held memories of past Trinity-and the crystals were what the organisms turned into after they died--the whole idea was ridiculous. Whoever designed the Game was crazy.

The temperature rose as they continued walking down a twisting path that led them deeper. The darkness became lighter as the rock turned to a light blue shade, the path lit by long streams of burning oil as they entered a massive room. Stalactites and stalagmites rose and dropped before her, guarding the sides of the flat walkway. All sounds were muted, and the air felt heavy and silent, as if the mountain was sleeping.

She paused, reaching out a hand to touch the light blue rock of a stalagmite, seeing it shimmer as an orb appeared next to her, the soft light from the orb illuminating the surface. The surface of the rock looked slick as if it were covered with slime. She ran her fingers along it, frowning and pulling back as she felt her glove start to rip. That's sharper than it looks.

"Aella?" Jothan called to her, waiting just before a bend.

"I"m coming," she answered, making her way down the steep incline. They entered a short tunnel, where no torches were perched on the walls, nor any oil.

Jothan stopped, turning to her in the semi-darkness. "You are about to enter Trinity's Temple."

Her eyes widened, and her hand reached up to touch her necklace, which felt warm to the touch.

"Please," he said, bowing to her. "Listen to whatever is revealed to you. I will not be able to accompany you on this journey, as it is considered a personal journey and the truths revealed of a private matter, so I wish you peace. I hope that you find whatever it is that your heart is seeking."

He stepped to the side and held out his hand, motioning for her to continue on. She nodded, walking past him and down the rest of the tunnel.

Her mouth opened as the tunnel ended and led into a massive, fifty-story high cavern, glowing blue crystals bursting from the walls and twinkling in the light of hundreds of white orbs that floated high above. Some were ceiling length, and others, clustered around the base of the floor were no bigger than her pinky finger.