Stretching Norbert saw the sun starting to shine on the horizon, the rays piercing into his eyes. Staying up for most of the night, happy that sleep hadn’t taken him, getting back into his regular rhythm. Petting the bird Norbert felt it flutter in his hand as it woke from its slumber, shaking her feathers as she chirped to the brightening world in greeting.
Norbert continuing to pat at Obsius’s head as he stared at the sea of green around him, staring back up at the sky the stars having fallen away, fading out as the blue sky returned once more. Gazing at the side to the bird, now awake, the two of them eating a quick breakfast before making their way back down to the ground.
Thankful that they weren’t attacked by anything during the night, Norbert walked towards the hole in the ground leading to where the blue smoke disappeared to. Sticking his face down into the hole, peering over trying to see what was down there. Only seeing several meters down before the darkness consumes the tunnel, taking a torch from his backpack Norbert lit it with the flint and steel he still kept from the start, before dropping the lit torch down the hole.
Counting the seconds, watching as the torch quickly descend, before hearing a sharp crack as it bounced around on the ground, the torch rolling out of sight but the light it produced still illuminating the bottom of the hole, a yellow semicircle on the ground. Nodding his head that there wasn’t anything down there to cut him up if he slipped, Norbert began uncoiling the rope from his backpack.
Walking to the closest tree he walked one end of the rope around, before tying it off. Doing a solid tug, confirming that it wasn’t going anywhere, remembering the skills from when he had to traverse the trees before, the skill still coming in handy to this day.
Walking to the hole Norbert chucked the rest over, watching as it unspooled, before going taught. Staring down, watching as the rope swayed left and right far bellow. Breathing in deeply, picking up the backpack as he held the rope between his hands. Staring at Obsius, who joined him on his shoulder Norbert started shimmying down the rope.
Stopping half a meter down, the light from the top still shinning against the walls as he brushed his hand against the pattern inscribed on them. The mark of his hand as he gripped into the stone he looked to the side, confirming his thoughts from the previous nights, it looked oddly familiar.
Staring at it Norbert noticed the slight differences here and there, although it looked the same it had a different feeling to it, blockier than the flowing form of the last ancient chamber he found himself in. Making a mental note he continued going down the hole, deeper into the bowels of the earth.
Gloved hands sliding against the rope as Norbert stared down, watching as the light grew brighter and brighter underneath him. Finally coming to a halt as his legs buckled with the force, touching solid ground again. Seeing the rest of the rope coiled in a rough pile on the ground, making a note of how far it was, some several meters but not too much as he picked up the torch, holding it as high above his head as he could, staring out at the area he found himself in.
The cave around him completely square, the walls shaken and cracked, watching as roots came out from above him, the ceiling of the room twice his height. Looking back up the hole Norbert called to Obsius “You coming down here?”
Hearing the flutter of wings in response as he saw the bird shoot down from above, landing on his head as it pecked at his forehead. Brushing his hand against it he left the bird to its doings, watching the cave, making sure that nothing poked its head out of the crevices.
Tilting his head in surprise, not seeing any of the carvings or marks like in the other temple, not like there was any of the purple flowers for him to test the walls. As he stared there Norbert remembered he had the purple liquid he ingested. Taking out a knife he held the torch in the crook of his elbow as he took his glove off.
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Seeing the back of his hand, white in the dark stone around him, the contrast making him look alien with his near porcelain white skin. Holding his hand up Norbert pushed energy to the back of his hand, watching as his veins turned purple. Taking the dagger out with his left he held it to the back of his right hand, feeling pressure, a sharp pain as the blade sliced into the vein.
Watching a small drop of blood form Norbert scooped it up with the tip of the dagger, before carefully holding it next to the wall before flicking the blood onto it. Staring Norbert held the dagger, watching as nothing happened.
Sighing he pushed some energy to heal his hand completely, covering his hand once again with the glove. Holding the torch up again in his hand Norbert started walking around the room, searching for anything that could be a lead.
Finishing his investigation, finding nothing at all standing out to him, just an empty room, some dirt and dust here and there but nothing pointing towards the blue smoke that caused it. Staring at the archway leading further into the earth Norbert looked at the engravings covering it.
Small squares forming up, squished at an angle, reminding him of kites as they slowly wrapped around the poles on either side. At the top of the arch a simple rectangular shape, nestled with the kite shapes going up, meeting a circle before continuing down the other side with the kites.
Tilting his head in confusion, Norbert held the torch closer to the archway, following it around as it came to the centre of the room again. Now looking past the archway, only a tunnel leading down, with stairs etched within the stone leading further down.
Taking his first step, hearing as they echoed through the tunnel. Staring at the ceiling as it had the same steps etched into it; like the stone had been split in two and the two parts of the steps were above and below. Walking back up to the top, confirming that no special lever or grinding of the stone, not wanting to be crushed half way down or caught in some trap where nobody will find him.
Changing his sights as well, hand on the side, trying to see or feel for anything. After a minute of searching, confident that nothing was hidden down the passage Norbert started his trek down the stairs.
Walking down, watching the steps carefully as he stared at the walls. Counting Norbert confirmed, on every tenth step was a divot in the wall, stopping at one of them Norbert rubbed his hand within it, a slight graininess collecting on the glove, Staring at the finger, seeing it come back slightly black. The wall previously being used for torches, now long gone in the passage of time, only the soot the remains of what once was.
Returning to the centre Norbert continued going down once more, taking it carefully and slowly as before, ears peeled in case something was coming his way. Stopping, Norbert stared down at the last stair, before it went into a hallway again. Slowly Norbert stood on the last step, putting his weight onto his left foot, before all of it was on the last step.
Staring off into the hallway, trying to find anything else that could lead to his suspicion, anything that could trick hi out. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary still, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up on end as he stared, flipping his vision across, trying to find anything out of the ordinary.
Stopping his thoughts, no need to get paranoid down here, sure that there would have been other people to trigger the traps if there were still any.
Stepping down onto the hallway, Norbert whipped his head around, trying to spot anything different. But still nothing happened, the dark stone remaining the same as he stared forward into the empty hallway.
Steps still echoing the pair made his way forward, watching across the bend. Making his way forward Norbert walked through the hallway, surprised as he saw no doors or branches off to the side, only the continued hallway.
Watching the side of the hallway, seeing nothing on the walls. No markings, lines, diverts or crevices. Just the completely smooth blank wall, completely smooth from what he could see. Focusing ahead of him again Norbert made his way to the end, seeing an arch now jutting out.
Happy that he wasn’t in the constant never changing hallway as he made his way further across. Watching as he made his way over to it, seeing that it was the same arch as before Norbert passed through it into the next room. Now not even knowing how deep into the earth he currently was, no more signs of tree roots cracking through the stone down here, like it was at the top.
Walking through the archway Norbert saw a massive dome, cut into the stone. The remainder all moved out as he stared, feeling small and insignificant.
Staring around the dome Norbert spotted other cuts in the dome, darkness coming out of it. Looking to the centre Norbert found what he was looking for. On the floor below him Norbert saw the blue smoke curled around an object, slowly and steadily swirling around in a sphere.
Looking up to Obsius Norbert spoke “Well, looks like we found something interesting.”