The Legends of Anigma: Ethiel Archer | ONC 2023

PART XIX

Walking through the desert in the sandy wind, following the map, passing by the soft, porous mountains and trees, they searched for the Cave of truth. The task wasn't so easy given how everything seemed almost the same, nothing much to distinguish if seen vaguely; everything was black, sandy, and crude. To find a cave in the midst of such a desert that had such a flora that made sight such a complex mess, it was indeed something rather difficult, time-consuming, and annoying.

It took quite a while to find the cave; it was well hidden behind rocky bushes under the dent of a mountain.

Inside, it was quite huge, and at the centre there was a big statue of a woman fallen on her knees with her back bent gloomily with exhaustion and despair; her face was an epitome of the burden of grief, and her eyes had welled up beads of tears. In front of the statue was a bowl. The ground was studded with cracked, rocky structures that seemed like cactus without thorns. The walls were buried by a mess of rocky climbers and creepers.

Ethiel was yet again left in awe.

"This is the cave, but not the place where the piece of the Pyramid is." Lord Veer said, looking around. "We have to go further in. Tifa,"

"Yes, Lord Veer?"

"What is written in the book?"

"Hmm," She opened it and started reading. "We need to set the red crystal on fire and place it in that bowl. That's all." She closed it with a thud.

Ethiel took out the red crystal.

"Allow me," Tifa came close and set it on fire using her staff.

At once it caught fire. Before the fire could reach the bottom tip and burn his fingers, Ethiel put it in the bowl. The flames themselves became red and bright embers started popping out of it in thousands. The embers rose to the face of the statue. Suddenly, the stony beads of tears started to melt and become water, flowing down to the ground endlessly. In very short time, the water spread throughout the cave. Those tears stopped when the water level rose above their ankles. As the water seeped into the rocky structures, the cracks on them glowed brilliantly. Lines of shining dust connected the rocks in a beautiful, divine pattern, illuminating the whole cave. With a roar, the cave trembled, and the walls behind the statue drifted apart, revealing a spiralling staircase of stone that ran down into shadowy depths.

Ethiel went ahead and stood in front of the stairs.

"Somewhere down there lies the part of the Pyramid," he said.

"Let's get going."

As soon as they climbed down a few steps, the wall behind closed again. Tifa lit up her staff. The stairs were long. Ethiel looked at the walls of the cave; they had big symbols carved on them and paintings of events that were perhaps a part of the history of Anigma.

"Those paintings illustrate the birth of Anigma and the dawn of wisdom which was the root of every civilization that came after." Lord Veer told him, pointing at the walls. "Those over there, they are the divine spirits that aided this world and many others."

"I'd like to know all that knowledge." Ethiel was intrigued by the paintings, and the symbols resonated within his head and heart, arousing some divine energy.

"When the quest has been fulfilled and we go back to the village, I shall enlighten you myself." Lord Veer smiled.

The thing about Lord Veer was, his eyes spoke along with his words. Whenever he blinked slowly and elegantly with that smile, it felt like his eyes smiled too. This suffused a divine warmth wherever he was. So were his ways and Ethiel always felt honoured to be in his presence.

"That would be my pleasure, Lord Veer. I look forward to it." He bowed.

"I look forward to it as well."

"Me too!" That was Tifa not wanting to be left out.

"Of course, my dear Tifa." Lord Veer laughed.

"Can we just move on without this sweet talking," Red Wings barged in with his rude commentary. "I don't know about you all, but it's making this quest more difficult than it already is for me."

They did stop talking, but not because he said them to, it is because they had to be focused as they were almost at the end of the stairs.

At the end was a vast, rocky plane, mostly shrouded in shadows. On reaching it, Ethiel suddenly found himself standing in the middle of black space; there was nothing under his feet, and there was nothing around him, nothing but the black empty space. He turned around and he saw the others. They were as taken aback as him. To their shock, even the stairs had disappeared. They were just standing in a void.

"What is this?!" Ethiel asked.

"Oh great!" Red Wings got more annoyed.

"Welcome to the Cave of truth." A voice echoed loudly around him. It wasn't anyone from his group, and it wasn't his head either, others heard it too.

"Who is that?"

"I am the spirit that governs this cave and guides all those who come here, seeking the first segment of the Pyramid of Lomeyin." The voice replied in its wise and composed tone.

"Yes, that is why we are here." Ethiel admitted, still trying to find where the spirit was. "We need it, for good reasons."

"Good reasons or not, it is not something you shall get with no effort invested. It is to be earned."

"Yes, we know. Can you please tell us how we can earn it?"

"Pass the trials, and the segment shall be yours."

"Alright, then we are ready for the trials."

Instantly and spontaneously, blue sparks ignited all around them and grew into glowing orbs, floating everywhere. It was so sudden that Ethiel reflexively readied his arrow. Even Tifa got ready with her staff, Maya jumped into the air and spread her wings, and Red Wings got closer to Lord Veer, having no defence. The only one who wasn't startled was Lord Veer.

In all directions, extending infinitely, there were nothing but blue orbs suspended in the void.

Someone whispered something. And then there was another whisper. And another. Soon there were whispers all around them.

"Inside these orbs are spirits. If you touch an orb, the spirit inside it will be set free. Among all these, only one will aid you in escaping this void and passing on to the next trial. As for the rest, they are nothing but liars beckoning to you that they will help if you set them free, claiming to be the one true spirit, however, they wish only to harm you. Only one spirit is true. Be wise."

"What??!" Ethiel couldn't believe what he heard. He already knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but he never imagined it to be something that was almost impossible.

"Let the trials commence." The spirit of the cave declared.