Foundation's Mistress

41. Secrets of the First Abode

'The fabled peace of Arcadia ought to be exalted more than its conflicts. During the principal periods of prosperity, we understand, much was achieved in the fields of art, philosophy and public projects. I, for one, would long to see such days again...'

- Excerpt: Lectures on the History of Saburra, Charon the Archivist, Priestess of the Line of the Eldest, 177 SSA

As she soared above the wastes, Adya tried to keep a level head. She could not help but observe that her flight technique was improving. She was now transitioning from anchor point to anchor point without interruption, having learned that she could hold onto numerous touchpoints simultaneously. Although the technique required a greater level of concentration and focus, it wasn't beyond her capabilities. It was well that she had discovered the multi-touchpoint technique, because they were flying towards the Fissure, which scattered her confidence. She stared up at the looming rift in the sky, feeling a strong sense of foreboding. If they were to get much closer to that thing, she would need to counteract the whirlpool as best she could.

Conrad too, was getting better at coping with flight. He held on to her for dear life, hanging underneath her both arms and legs clasped around her back. They had tied themselves together with a thick rope before setting out this time. If he lost his grip, the rope would give Adya a few moments to settle their flight before he fell to the earth. His precious blade was no distraction, either - the thing was securely fastened to his back, thanks to the large shoulder scabbard he had acquired from the Confessor's armoury.

'I have no idea where we're going,' Adya declared.

'The tablet says due west,' Conrad said, staring forward and upside-down from where he hung.

'Yes, but west of what?' Adya looked down at him. 'Whoever wrote those words lived in Old Arcadia, centuries ago. I wonder if we're headed in the wrong direction. We don't have time to tour the length and breadth of the forbidden wastes.'

'Could that be it?'

'What?' As she looked up, she descried it immediately. How Conrad had caught sight of it before Adya was a mystery. He was upside-down, and did not have the benefit of enhanced senses.

Ahead of them was an otherworldly devastation that defied her understanding. Whatever it was, it was gigantic. A huge cylinder, perhaps twice the size of Saburra, and certainly thrice as high, was just lying there, on its side. As they neared it from the air, Adya perceived that the gargantuan structure could not have been Formed. It was not made of stone. Parts of it reflected the sun with an unusual sheen, like the precious metal trinkets from Old Arcadia, but with darker colours. The cylinder was a vast wreck of some kind - buckled, bent and twisted.

Adya slowed and eventually came to a halt, using the anchor points to lower them down onto a nearby mountaintop. The peak was one of the highest in the vicinity, but it was still much, much lower than the height of the wreck beyond them.

They dropped to their feet, untying themselves on the edge of the cliff overlooking the monolith.

'Is this an Old Arcadian ruin?' Conrad asked in amazement.

'No,' Adya answered, gazing up at the Fissure. 'I don't think so. There's no account of this in the annals - not so far as I'm aware. It doesn't look anything like an Arcadian relic, either. It looks old, yet somehow new. This, whatever it is, must have been made by the Gods themselves.'

'You think it came from there?' Conrad pointed up at the looming rift in the sky.

'I do,' Adya nodded. 'It's impossible to say for certain.'

'If it fell from up there, it does look big enough to have created the Fissure,' Conrad observed.

'It does,' Adya agreed. 'Though that would mean it only fell to the earth...' She wracked her brain, trying to remember when it was that the Fissure had first appeared.