Going down below

After the initial shock, you check yourself thoroughly but find no injury except a few scratches from the fall. The rubble has completely blocked the was behind you and there is no way to move those huge rocks. Looking around, you find yourself in a sort of underground dungeon. The walls seem solid enough, made of large cubic stones. Without any other option, you begin walking at the direction that is available for you. The tunnel isn't completely dark luckily, as there are small holes craved into the ceiling to let in some light. Whoever constructed this thing, must have done it for a purpose... As you are wandering through the dungeon, you find old pictures pointed onto the walls.

Lily (to herself): Hmm, interesting... These all look sooo old... I wonder when did this place got built here?

Examining the pictures, they show some sort of a godlike woman fighting in battles and slaying all her enemies. Later, they depict crows eating the flesh of the fallen.

Lily (to herself): Ouh, bizarre... These don't look like Christian art at all! They are unlike anything I have seen before...!

You keep walking until you find a grand room. There are columns keeping the ceiling, which is far higher than it was in the tunnel earlier. At the end of the room you notice an altar and a marble statue. You walk closer and recognize the statue from the pictures.

Lily (to herself): This is the woman from the pictures! It must be an ancient temple dedicated to her!

? (a female voice from behind you): You are right Lady Lily, this place was dedicated to the goddess long ago...

Lily (turning around in panic): Who's there?!

The voice came from a hooded woman in some weird furs, who was holding a long staff with many bones and amulets hanging from it.

? (stepping out of the shadow of a column): We have met only once before, I don't blame you for not recognizing my voice so quickly.

Lily: Your voice sounds familiar, but I can't see your face...! Who are you...?!

Dercia (after revealing her face): Dercia O'Connelli, at your service Lady Lily!

Dercia? Here? You haven't heard of her ever since your visit to George's castle. She was the druid woman he introduced you to.

Lily: Dercia! Oh my...! I mean...! Welcome, glad to see you, but to tell the truth I wasn't expecting to see you here at all...! How did you get here...?! What is this place...?!

Dercia: I'm sure you have many, many questions, but I must ask you to clear your mind for a short time, so that I may explain everything.

Lily (calming down): Alright, you have my full attention...!

Dercia: To begin, this is a temple dedicated to an old Celtic goddess, the Morrigan.

Lily: "The" Morrigan...? Why put "the" in front of her name...?

Dercia: She is actually three sibling goddesses in one mind and body, hence we refer to them, as the Morrigan, or as the Great Queen.

Lily (scratching her head): Right...

Dercia: She is a goddess of fate, war, victory and doom, she has often takes the form of a crow. My ancestors built this temple here, into the ground, over a millennia ago. She had a cult here, but when the Romans conquered the area, they blocked the entrances, save for a secret one and eradicated every evidence of the location of this place. They feared the invaders would only do harm to this sacred place. The Romans might have spared many other sacred places while they followed similar pagan deities, but once they started following only one god, they destroyed everything that was connected to the previous religions. Only a select few, the druids and priests like myself, knew of this place's existence, we became the guardians of those temples that remained after the eradication of our culture and religion. I have been living near this sacred ground, leaving it only few short duration of time and only when necessary. When I saw the invaders coming, I came down here to ensure, the artifact I'm guarding remains untouched.

Lily: Ehm, okaaay... What is that artifact you mentioned?

Dercia: It's the sword in the hand of the statue of the goddess! The Sword of the Morrigan!

Lily: What makes it so special?

Dercia: Aside from being one of the 5 Royal Regalia of our realm, the sword was crafted by spirits in my home, Ireland, from rocks falling down from the sky. They were sent by the goddess herself to craft a weapon, worthy of her.

Lily: Spirits huh... Rocks from the sky... I heard of the 5 Royal Regalia, but never knew what they were exactly. I have heard of the Diamond of Discordia soon after we met, as Prince Henri was trying to steal it for himself. So this sword is an other one... What are the others?

Dercia: The 5 regalia are the Crown of Chronos, the Scepter of Serket, the Sword of the Morrigan, the Diamond of Discordia and the Orb of Odin. All sacred objects, given to the humans by the gods themselves. Only the man who has all of them may become the monarch of our country. This rule has been loosened however, as the sword has been taken away by a druid from one of the ancestors of King Charles. The kings weren't seen fit to rule by the Morrigan, hence it was retaken here, to her sanctuary. My family was assigned to guard it from unworthy hands. Now, only 4 regalia are enough to be seen as the legitimate ruler of the nation.

Lily: How did the sword end up in our kingdom? You said it was crafted in Ireland.

Dercia: It was originally made for a young queen of a small county, who wished to unify all of Ireland, as it has always been fragmented. The queen, once receiving the sword from the spirits was deposed by her brother, who thought no woman may sit upon the throne. He continued her campaigns for unification, but the goddess, displeased with the wielder of her sacred sword, had him killed in his first battle. Thus the sword and the throne returned to the original queen, who used it to lead her armies and managed to unify the whole island, with the sword serving as a symbol of unity. Generations later, the rulers were once again unfit to have the sword and the kingdom begun fragmentation once again. Ireland remains fragmented into petty states ever since... During the chaos, a king of your realm managed to lead a campaign there across the seas and stole the sword for himself centuries ago, addig it to the already existing other 4 regalia. Soon, a druid had stolen it as I have already told you.

Lily: Wow, alright, let's say I could follow you... So you are the guardian of the sword over there in the hands of that statue, right...?

Dercia: Exactly.

Lily (sarcastically): Great...! Aaand... I assume I'm supposed not to touch it or go anywhere near it to avoid the goddess's wrath, right...?

Dercia: Whether you believe it or not, the goddess has chosen you to be the wielder of her sword! The sagas have foretold your arrival, the young noble girl who will rise to be the queen of the realm! If you truly are the one chosen by her, I'll accompany you from this day forth as your loyal advisor to help you through these dark times, until the spirits call upon me to join them!

Lily: What...? You can't be serious...! Me?! How could she have chosen me?!

Dercia (pointing at her amulet with a symbol of a Crow): Here, this is the amulet of the Morrigan. It has chosen you way back, during our first meeting. Ever since I had been waiting for your eventual arrival to take the sword and meet the Morrigan yourself!

Lily: Dercia, this isn't funny any more, you are taking this too seriously!

Dercia: If you don't believe me, see for yourself! Take the sword and I'll let you talk to the goddess!

Lily (sarcastically): I just have to take it from her hand right? No trials or any difficulty, like the sword being stuck in there and only the chosen one can pull it out or something...? I won't be killed if I try right?

Dercia: Such stories would only be invented by some foolish scribe sitting in his dark room and fantasizing about creating an amazing legend...! This is very real though!

You grab it and take it without any difficulty. You are surprised how lightweight it is, as if you weren't even holding anything in your hand. Must be due to the material, the "rocks that fell from the sky". After making a few slashes with it, Dercia interrupts your fun.

Dercia: Khm... As I said, you are expected to meet the goddess. She is eager to finally meet you.

Lily: And how am I supposed to do that exactly? I have never spoken to a goddess before...!

Dercia (handing you a potion): Here, drink this with the sword in your hand and sit down. Soon afterwards, the goddess will appear to you.

Lily (taking the potion): I wouldn't believe anything of it, if I hadn't known you truly are a skilled druid...!

You drink the potion, sit down next to a column and soon your sight goes totally dark.