Sirius held his right hand high, a ball of bright white flame resting in his palm. It illuminated the walls on either side of them, and several feet ahead. They began the descent down a ramp into whatever the Solaria Pyramid hid. Hopefully, it was the orb in which they were searching for.
"Think there's anything else down here besides the orb?" Sirius asked, only briefly peering at the strange pictures carved into the walls as they passed.
"By the Gods, if I knew, I'd tell you," he began, and was probably going to say something else, but he stopped Sirius. "Look at this," he said, pointing to a specific picture on the wall. Sirius peered at it searchingly. He couldn't tell what it was, as it looked like a bunch of scribbles of rock on stone to him.
"What is it?" He asked, finally giving up.
Edward rolled his eyes. "Well, this is the Great Mother, Ikladunna. Where as her children, our Gods, only have control over their own element, Ikladunna was the one who created everything, and controlled everything. That's why there's all these drawings representing different elements around her."
Sirius now remembered, and indeed saw it. The drawing was a woman of sorts, in a dress, with all sorts of odd scribbles around her. Some he could make out, like fire, and wind, and he thought he saw something that looked like a snake.
"The nomads of ancient times worshiped her, or something like that, right?"
"Even more. They believed they could commune with her. Though I'm sure they just gave her lots of fruits and pretty trinkets," Edward responded with a smirk. Sirius couldn't resist a grin in response.
"Nevertheless, we should keep going, hmm?" Sirius said, after a moment longer of studying the picture.
"Indeed. Afterwords, I definitely want to take some time to study the pictures," Edward said, his eyes endlessly scanning the walls as they pressed onward.
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The hall twisted and turned, and eventually leveled out until they walked on flat ground rather than descending steadily. Sirius was honestly surprised they didn't come across any traps, but he wasn't going to question their luck.
A few more minutes of walking through dusty, sandy tunnels, and they had spotted a artificial light at the end of the tunnel. Sirius dispelled his fireball with a swipe of his hand before they hurried to the end. As they entered the final chamber, Sirius saw the light was coming from a translucent white orb, scarred with cracks and dotted with spots all sorts of colors. Other than the artifact sitting on a pillar, the room was bare.
The two brothers approached the artifact, gazing upon it with wonder. They had spent countless minutes observing the artifact, finding that there were many more lands besides their one continent, all covered with dots. However, that wasn't of any interest to Sirius. He was focused on the cluster of colorful dots, not to far north from the desert they stood in. If his memory was correct, then that was a rather large forest, in about the same area that cluster was in. He pointed it out to Edward for affirmation.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhD1Wzmmfe
"You're right. And I don't think it's near any cities. Could it be a village of blessed Nomads?"113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtm4lf1T1CB
"That's what I was thinking. Perhaps we can pay them a visit?"113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJrnYRlcha
Edward smirked. "If we don't get an arrow in our head on sight."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnCW9HUt3N
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Elia unconsciously pulled at the hem of her shirt, trying to cover her back fully as she was led into large clearing. Even though Jostein had assured her everyone here was cursed as well, she still felt un-safe showing her back off. As she looked around, she noticed these people embraced the ways of those who threw them out, rather than creating new traditions. Elia wasn't sure how she felt about it, other than wanting to simply walk the other way.
It was huts everywhere, some large, some small, with people going about their daily lives. On the outskirts of the village, there was even carvings of scowling faces. It was traditional for her people to set these up around their camps, because it was believed they protected the village and it's people from the influence of the Gods. It appeared to be a more permanent settlement though, which meant they don't practice the tradition of moving from place to place to avoid the gods. Elia wondered why they did this. Did they believe the Gods would stay away simply at the sight of a couple scowling statuettes?
Jostein seemed to sense her tension. He glanced over, and tried to reassure her. "No need to freak out. Nobody is going to hurt you here. In fact, we haven't seen a new face in quite a few years. Everyone will be happy to meet you, Elia."
"Reassuring," she said, trying to not sigh. "I'm not used to people. It's been me and the birds and the bees, out there in that cave."
"Well, it doesn't have to be that way anymore, if you're really willing to stay."
Was she willing to stay? It would have to depend on what the people were like.
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Jostein had introduced Elia to the village chieftain, which was actually a woman named Annette. She had been cursed with the ability to talk to animals, which Elia had already put together when she had met the woman. Annette had a cardinal perched on her shoulder, which she had been muttering gibberish to when Jostein and Elia had approached.
Then there were other people she had met with vibrant, inhuman eyes, and others who were cursed with the witch's' toes. Jostein hadn't lied, not that she didn't believe him. This was a village of cursed nomads. They all seemed like good people to Elia, and most asked her if she as going to stay. She figured she could stay. It could do her good to have people to talk to.
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Three Months later...
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Elia never did figure out who startled her in the woods, but she had made a couple friends with people whom bore the same curse as her. These people had already learned how to control their curses, and turn them into something more like a blessing. It amazed Elia, and she had asked them to help her. So her life became nothing but helping around within the village, and then trying to take control of her curse. There was of course a few times she had when she was free, and would spend it with Jostein or Annette. They seemed to be her favorite people out of everyone she had met.
By the end of three months since she had arrived, she was finally able to retract the metal and call it forth on another part of her body without physically harming herself, or letting someone else do so. It excited her knowing she now had control over it, and she found herself using her new found ability in anyway possible. She would say her favorite use was never technically having to wear shoes again, unless her feet got cold. Now she could just summon the metal to the soles of her feet, and walk around. Though when she walked on hard surfaces, it was a bit annoying, to hear the metal clapping on stone or rock.
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"Elia, can you get the berries from that push for me? You have the metal skin here, darling," The Medicine woman, Cholena, told her, pointing to a bush of light green prickle berries. Elia understood Cholena's reasoning for asking Elia, as the Prickle berry bush lived up to its name. The berries were fine, and could be used for plenty of purposes. However the plant was thick and the branches were covered in wicked, jagged thorns. 113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIszAftxc0
Elia followed Cholena's orders quickly after she had summoned the metal to cover her hands, and had a basket full of prickle berries in minutes. After she had finished, she retracted the metal, and forced it back out to cover her feet.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7RzQne8pv
"I should bring you with me more often, dear. At least when I intend to gather prick-" She was interrupted by the blast of a horn, coming from the village nearby. Elia froze, peering over her shoulder, where the village lay hidden beyond the trees.
"What does that mean?" Elia asked in a whisper. She wasn't sure why she whispered, but it was too silent now to speak any louder.
"It means there is an emergency at the village," Cholena answered, fully turning around. She mumbled something under her breath that Elia didn't quite catch.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YSGRtVuxN
"What did you say?" Elia was worried. What could possibly be happening at home? She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that there was an emergency that everyone in the village had to know about at this very second.
"Please don't let it blow again," she began. "If it does, it means,-" again she was interrupted by the horn. It reverberated through the woods loud and clear. As the sound assaulted her ears, Elia could only imagine two blasts of the horn spelled out a doom of some sort. Even though fear pounded through her whole body, it only seemed to drive her to drop the basket of prickle berries and charge back to the village.
She wasn't going to lose those she held dear again.
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