The Guardian

Getting advice from a goat

Throughout the many different bridges, there was one that led all the way across the dark chasm. As we walked across the long bridge, Geodians passed by other bridges just to see us.

I felt like a hero, making my way towards the battlefield as people stared at me like I was some sort of alien. Brutus decided to come with us, to point the way of where we needed to go.

"Do one of you have a scroll or a piece of paper I could draw a map on?"

As he asked, I felt something hum in my back pocket. Rosslyn was the first to notice after peaking over my shoulder.

"Harlen! Your butt's glowing!"

I reached back and pulled out the map of the three kingdoms. It was glowing purple and humming in my hands.
I rolled it out on the smooth stone floor, and the three kingdoms were slowly dissolving, sinking into the map before growing darker in color.

The seas dried up, the buildings sunk into the ground, and the valleys and chasms opened up wide. Eventually, everything on the surface had disappeared, revealing the vast Underlands, spanning just as far as the land above.

Under Roslantica was the land of Sediments, Sedimentia. Under Artlandia was the land of Igneous, Ignea. And under Craig was the land of Metamorphic, Metamorphia.

Sedimentia was rich in color. Diamonds, gems, and metals spread far and wide, with massive ranges of size. There were quartz crystals the size of towers, emeralds the size of cities, and hundreds upon hundreds of different others.

I saw what looked to be a gigantic turtle, with a shell made of billions of shiny precious jewels. There were fortresses with goblins, rock monsters, and animals I couldn't even think to describe. There even seemed to be colonies of fairies, Lanti, and water spirits in submerged caves.

I could even see plants of all different types growing in the most bizarre places. Orange trees hung from ceilings, crystal flowers surrounded underground oasis's, and more grey trees grew from wall to wall with grey vines hanging from their crossings.

It wasn't all beautiful, though. Right below, where Rosslyn's volcano would be was a massive circular chasm with pink and black pulsing tentacles reaching out. There seemed to be rotting trees and plants that grew even beyond death, completely overtaking what looked to be a city of stone and metal surrounding the chasm. But worst of all, it seemed to be spreading, draining the color from the stone and crystals around it.

Yet that was just Sedimentia. Ignea seemed to have a relationship with the surface. The yellow liquid pouring from the pyramid turned the majority of Sedimentia into a swamp land, except instead of swamp water, it was a popping, swirling yellow ooze that pulled smoke down towards it. There were bridges connecting most of the islands together, all leading to an entire kingdom below the pyramid, with giant castles spreading far. The island the castle was on was almost as big as the pyramid itself.

Right where the mystic jungle would be, there was a colossal cluster of colorful vines and plants tying together, with a purple acidic swamp at the bottom of it all.

As for Metamorphia, it looked to be in the best shape of them all. Most of it was an ocean with majestic metamorphic rocks, reaching up from the water. Its only problem was the blackening water near where the tentacle chasm was.

Right under Craig's mountain was a large island filled with hot springs, beautiful waterfalls, and what looked to be an underwater city in the heart of it all.

The Underlands were absolutely breathtaking. It was insane that all of this was just beneath our feet this entire time.  Another world just below us, waiting to be explored. Waiting to be saved. They had their problems, just like the three kingdoms did. Sure, it would mean we would have to do even more than we once thought, but it was for the greater good.