At long last, they reached the top huffing and puffing for breath. Liz leaned against the natural wall to catch her breath, while Terra simply flopped on her bottom and then back to lie against the stone ground. Kakri smiled at them then turned her attention ahead and about stumbled from shock. In front of them was a massive building, as large, if not larger than the palace they had left. The landscape up here was wild, a sharp contrast to the overall natural grooming they had seen so far. Large bushes and flowers exploded from beds lining the area. She could see slightly off to the side, a smooth path lined by more alcoves leading down at a slightly different angle. The earth shook again, causing her to grab the nearest wall as she went to try to see where the smooth path went; as the end came into view she saw a tumble of rocks seal the option away entirely as the smooth opening closed. Sighing, she returned to the mortals, both looking startled at the sight before them.
“What is this Kakri?” Liz asked, raising her voice enough to be heard over the rumbling the shaking was causing.
“I don’t know,” Kakri said honestly. “I caught a glimpse of it before, but thought it was just an exit that didn’t have use. I had no idea it was… this.”
“Where do we go now?” Terra asked.
“Well we have two choices I think, we can either sit here and wait for someone to break through, or we can see if this building as an outlet. The other one down there,” she pointed where she had come back up the smooth path. “Filled up by the looks of it, at the very least it’s too much for me to want to risk going in.”
The other two considered it for a moment. “Can’t we just go back? Why go in at all?” Terra asked.
“Chances are that path might have collapsed more as well,” Liz pointed out. “So far this has held up very well.”
“Yer right,” Terra said. “All this shaking has gotten te me I swear, I’m not thinkin’ at my best.”
Liz smiled from where she was holding herself up. “Do not worry, I am not either.”
Kakri staggered forward a bit toward the building to investigate it more. There were three bridges that were partly crumbled, spanning the water before it fell over the edge and into the pools below. Each bridge was wide enough for a cart or carriage to go over it when it was in better shape. A circle drive was on the other side with decorative bushes and flowers and a grand staircase. She felt a hand on her arm as Liz steadied herself. “I might redecorate my palace like this,” Kakri told them. “There’s a certain charm in a building like this.” She considered it for a moment. “Rustic. So what did you decide?”
“Let us go,” Liz said. “It is going to take them time to find us anyway.”
“Way to look on the bright side of the situation.” Kakri linked her arms through both of theirs, and led them across the water. They climbed the stairs and stared down the large doors that loomed overhead. “Think it’s unlocked?”
“One way to find out,” Liz said pushing against it. “It appears so. Security must have been the least of their concerns.”
The door creaked open gradually due to the weight. Liz took the first steps inside, followed close by Terra, apparently not letting her friend out of her sight while Kakri spared the outside a final glance before following behind them. The interior was dusty from disuse but looked lived in. Vases sat upon tables that dotted the corridors as far as the eye could see. “Not as disused as I thought,” Kakri commented.
“But why is it empty?” Terra asked peering down both directions next to her.
“That- is the question,” Kakri took a few steps forward and opened the closest door. Inside was what looked like a receiving room of some kind. Couches sat around a low table covered in dusty decorations. She stepped inside eyes moving around constantly. She heard the others following behind her, as she reached the table and picked up a picture frame. The painting was faded somewhat with time and was covered in thick dust. “Odd,” Kakri whispered.
“What is?” Liz asked from across the room.
“Nothing, it’s probably just a coincidence. Let’s keep going.” Kakri set the frame back down and went toward the inner door and peeked out. “There’s another corridor down here, anything leading to where we need to go will probably be an interior hallway.”
Kakri paused in the center considering for a moment. The light was much dimmer here growing darker as the corridor went to their right, almost ominous looking. Despite this Kakri started toward the darker section rifling through drawers for any type of light source. She opened a few of the side doors to quickly see what was promising before slamming them shut once more. As the hall grew darker and darker she felt more and more frustrated since if she wasn’t too careful she would be leading them through complete darkness again. Finally, out of a holder in a wall she saw the faint outline of a torch sitting there. Yanking it out she turned back to the others. “Anyone have a way to light this?”
Liz looked around and saw some of the stone in the wall crumbling in large pieces kneeling she examined it more closely then sighed. “I wish I had some metal with me, this stone might work to get a spark off the metal if I formed it into a blade or something that was shaped just right.”
“Why don’t you just form a weapon and try it?” Kakri asked then continued as Liz stared at her questioningly. “You’ve never tried to just make weapons at all?”
“It does not work that way, I need something of substance to form the weapon out of.”
Kakri smirked and shook her head. “That’s how it typically works, yes. You never tried to experiment with your power before though?” Liz shook her head looking confused causing the goddess to sigh. “Ever simply make a weapon from seemingly nothing in the heat of a battle?” She watched as the Queen’s brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to jog her memory before she shook her head again. “You’re a member of my House, which means you can draw on sources that don’t make sense to a more logically grounded yet. I didn’t mean for it to happen like that but the Eiren personality somewhat drove me to it because it confused them and was really funny to watch.” She smiled at the memory of the looks on their faces as she sat in the branches high above when Essarnis had done that trick partly to impress his future wife. Terra coughed behind her and brought her out of the memory and back to the puzzled mortals staring at her. “Anyway, you can shape your weapons out of anything so long as you have the strength to hold the shape, what it is doesn’t matter as much as your own will. It’s like your Eiren friend healing, or the Inarni doing their magic. The only thing holding you back is your own limitations and somewhat imagination.”
“Imagination?” Terra echoed. “What else can she do?”
“In this case it might be an expression only,” Kakri shrugged. “She’s not all powerful but I’ve said too much already. Try it,” she urged to Liz.
Liz’s doubt was apparent even in the poor light but she closed her eyes and held out her empty hand. For several moments they stood quietly, the only sound their breathing. “Nothing is happening,” Liz protested. “If anything I can feel it starting to affect the stone.”
“That’s because you’re used to it having to,” Kakri said. “Hand Terra the stone and then focus.”
Relieved of the stone Liz closed her eyes once more. For the longest time nothing happened and Kakri found herself panicked that for some reason she wasn’t able to do it. Maybe it was too much pressure due to the situation and need for her to be successful. Glancing as quietly as she could she looked around for a possible other source of a spark. She was about to just turn and go in search of one when Terra squealed in delight causing her attention to fall back to Liz. A small blade in comparison to a normal dagger was resting the palm of Liz’s hand and she was looking down at it frowning. “You’re still getting used to it,” Kakri offered gently. “That should suit what we need it for.”
Liz took the stone back from Terra and turned it in her hand to find the best position to strike, Kakri brought the torch up to be close enough to spark. “Hopefully it’ll cooperate,” Terra said wandering a little ways away from them to investigate some other doors.
“Should be,” Kakri said. “This area was sealed enough to have kept them in decent condition.”
Liz struck the metal repeatedly, building up force as she went. Small sparks shortly started to appear but didn’t catch. A couple times it appeared hopeful they would have luck but the embers faded and died just as fast as they appeared. “We might need to try another one,” Liz sighed at last pulling the metal and stone away.
Kakri looked around and darted toward another torch that was a couple doors further into the darkness. Terra walked out of a room a bit farther down and walked back toward them. “I swear these people loved to meet, or somethin’. They definitely left easy enough, there’s really nothin’ left beside furniture-”As Kakri lifted the new torch from its holder the floor opened under Terra causing her to plummet below.
“Terra!” Liz screamed, running forward with Kakri right beside her.
The opening was completely dark; Terra’s terrified yells echoed until the floor closed once again looking as innocent as it had before. Queen and Goddess stared at it in shock for a few moments.
“Where does it go?” Liz demanded.
“I don’t know but we’ll find her,” Kakri replied calmly.
“How did this happen?” Liz knelt desperate groping for anything that might have triggered the trap.
“I’m not sure,” Kakri looked back. “All that I saw was the floor open after I removed the torch.” She walked over and picked it up from where she had let it fall and placed it back in. “Let’s see if it triggers again.”
Liz moved back slightly and sat back as she pulled the torch once more from the holder. Kakri tried it a few more times, before giving up and letting it fall against her leg. Looking back up she saw Liz kneeling there with her head down. Walking up she placed a hand on her shoulder, she felt the tension beneath her fingers. “We’ll find her, she’s here somewhere.” Kakri pulled her feet up. “Come on, let’s get this lit so we can find our way the fastest.”
In almost a second a larger blade was in Liz’s hand, the stone was in her other one and she was bashing away. Kakri quickly brought the torch into position as the sparks flew, though they quickly died. A few strikes caused some small pieces of the stone to fly through the air, spraying across Kakri barely missing her face. Liz’s pace picked up almost causing Kakri to call her to stop and they would find another way to Terra as it seemed her desperation mounted. Finally the torch burst into flame almost making Kakri drop it in shock.
“Let us go,” Liz said vanishing the blade and dropping the rock on the floor. “One of these doors or openings must lead to stairs.
“That’s likely. The question is which one and hope its close.”
They walked on; opening the doors as they went each taking a turn while the other watched their back mindful of everything they touched. Kakri opened one and about stumbled over the side. The floor here didn’t exist, but looked to be on purpose. Far below she saw a garden and what appeared to be the bottom of the building enclosed but a tall wall that bordered the ponds they had seen on their way here. It was here that seemed most promising for her thought of getting them out of this building as it joined with the cliff once more. “Well there is our target,” she said.
Liz joined her in the doorway. “It appears so. If this building is this large why was it left?”
“I wonder if it is because of traps,” Kakri quipped closing the door once more and starting forward. “Odd features for a castle to have. Though I might add some of those to my own palace as well, keep out meddling gods.”
“Surely it is not that bad,” Liz said opening the next door.
“That is for the eye of the beholder.” Kakri replied. “Oh dear, these torches seem a bit beat up.”
The light was low, simply flickering as Liz disappeared behind another doorway. “In here!”
Kakri stepped inside there was a long spiral staircase with some unlit torches along the walls though they weren’t needed. Long, wide windows lined the stairs providing plenty of light to see by. “Well, at least we can get down now. We will figure out how to get out of this area then.” She eyed the torch along the wall. “Do I dare?”
“If you do not then we will have to redo the whole process and could be risking it in an area that is much worse.” Liz pointed out. “As you said, the more light we have, the faster we can reach Terra.”
“Brace yourself for anything then and here it goes.” Squinting Kakri pulled the torch from its holder fast, and quickly held it up as the last bit of flame on the one already lit as it threatened to die out. The fresh one caught instantly and she beamed at Liz. “Apparently we chose lucky to switch them out.”
A grinding, shifting noise caused them to start and look around frantically. The stairs under their feet slid to be smooth causing them to lose their footing and go sliding down, around and around they went. As they slid the torches flew from Kakri’s grasp causing a little light to be shed as they rolled with them but quickly flew over the edge of what used to be stairs. Both women yelled as their speed seemed to grow faster and Kakri wondered when it would stop. Yelping she started as the windows disappeared and they slid into darkness once more.