Inquisitively

The depths of the ruined temple are dark and silent. This light may be some sort of ancient trap, but this place was a venue for public worship. It is open to anyone who knows some deific names. If people are meant to be kept away from here the creators did a poor job on design. All danger notwithstanding, this is a peculiar and unexplainable event. As someone who is unfamiliar with this world, I cannot ignore this opportunity to learn. This place has a history connected to the very beings that brought me here. There is something important to learn here, and the magical light seems like a good place to start.

Pushing, seeping and squirming through the rubble I try to move closer to the mysterious light. The stones remain cold and dark, but the light grows brighter and hotter as I grow closer. I cannot feel the shape of whatever this is buried in the rubble without touching it. After passing through thick layers of dusty detritus I come close enough to do just that.

Cramming between two large stone slabs I slide down until I rest on something round. It would be a perfect sphere, except a huge part of it had cracked off. It’s also a hollow shape. I would easily run myself through the inside. The outside feels hot like a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven, but the inside is cool to the touch and empty.

Feeling curious, I begin to slide into the sphere. The sphere is only as large as a kettle, so of course my whole body does not normally fit. However, as I slide in, I feel more space available than I thought. Is this some sort of extradimensional space? I push more of myself into the compressed space, and it feels equally as comfortable as before. At this point, I decide to commit entirely. Bracing myself, I enter the sphere.

I realize after entering the sphere that I did not notice the environment most of my body now occupies. I can now see a large open room, much like I had seen that blue light shining from the sphere. It is a huge stone room whose ceiling goes unlit from this distance. Both of the walls are lined with twenty large sculptures of women in various poses and costumes. Each of the sculptures pairs with another in front of ten stone podiums. Those altars are laden with bowls and plates which seem to be stuffed with paper and decoration. Eight stone pillars fly up to support the distant ceiling. Between each of the stone pillars lay tables laden heavily with food. Heaps of stir-fried vegetables, fresh cuts of meat and platters of baked goods sit ready to be eaten. I do not doubt I would love to eat all of these, but I cannot smell them. I doubt the displays of food are real.

Amid the tables I see crowds of dusky incorporeal monsters milling about and eating the food. While many of them have human arms or legs, the majority share the features of animals. One might say monster was a cruel description, given my current physiology. All of them appear gray and faded as they go about their business. The two exceptions catch my eye.

Two broad chested figures stand on my left away from the crowd. One is a human with a deep tan and a beard. He is dressed lightly and tries to turn away from the room as often as he can. He stands there talking to an unclothed snake monster whose scales are yellow and black with diamond patterns. I slide toward them with interest.

“I don’t think you understand,” the human whispered emphatically. “You need to do something to ensure your safety. This dungeon core puts a huge target on your back. You are in danger.”

“I understand well enough. You are overreacting, friend.” Despite the snake’s towering size, they had a surprisingly pitchy voice. “Our temple and people have had no dealings with the demons for years, and we have long ago renounced each other's beliefs. We side with your people, you have our power. Simply do not attack us, it is a win-win.”

“I get that you mean us no harm, but others are not so understanding. There are greedy people out there who will use your beliefs against you. I’m not even saying you should give up your core. You can leave, you can ask someone for help, just tell me you’ll do something!”

“Of course I will do something. I will go and talk to your people, do not worry. I will make sure we find someone to support assuming something bad happens. Come, friend, have some food before you return home.” With that, the pair walk toward the rest of the crowds. The human looks resigned, yet satisfied.

I turn my vision to look around the room. After several hours using ambiguous methods of detection normal vision begins to disorient me. This whole charade seems too convenient. Just as I leave the presence of some goddesses, I encounter one of their temples and a magic message that paints them favorably. Still, I was looking for some answers. I will remember this, even if I do take it with a grain of salt.

Looking back to where I began in this illusion, I see the two statues that overlook the whole room. It impresses me how accurately they depict Carnachius and Melanoche. The right one is endowed with large breasts and lingerie apparel with straight hair. The left one is dressed in elegant clothes and ribbons with long twintails and sharp eyes. The statue of Carnachius had its limbs thrown out and joints bent in a wild and triumphant pose. Her mouth was open in a shout, or perhaps a jeer. The statue of Melanoche stood more reservedly, but in its hands was a depiction of a broken sword as if she had just snapped it over her knee. Between the two stands an orb that sheds a beep blue standing on a pedestal.

As I consider the statues, the earth begins to shake. I realize a rumbling sounds from a door beyond where the snake and the man made conversation. Before I have time to run for cover or anything else, the wall holding the door cracks and bursts open. Moving forward undeterred by any debris or damage are three hulking figures of earth. I slide away from the earth creatures as their footsteps crack the earth with ceaseless shuffling. As one of them moves down the walls to the altars, the other two move to the primary statue display. I notice off-hand that the dusky crowds have already vanished.

Having moved to relative safety, I watch each elemental creature go about its business. Even more begin to pour in as each smashes the closest altars and statues. The two which demolished the principal statues line up to face each other with the sphere between them. They brace and then leap towards each other, and the vision ends.

I find myself in darkness once again. Remembering my first night in this world I try my best to relax and open my senses. It appears I moved over the course of that vision. I am standing outside that pile of rubble where I found the sphere. The room is as dark and quiet as when I first entered. The scents of dust and caves return. The shell of the sphere I found rests inside me. It feels like a normal stone, and no magical light shines within it. I inspect the shell and find it has lost all of its magic.

Certainly it had been magical. I assume the vision had shown this temple’s history. This must have been the same sphere that stood between the statue of the twin goddesses. Those two people in the illusion mentioned a dungeon core. This could be the core they talked about, or at least the remains of one. So the cores are desirable for people who hate monsters as well as monsters. That is what I needed to take away from that experience. As interesting as the presentation of peaceful worshippers is, I can’t trust it isn’t something Carnachius and Melanoche want me to believe. That said, this paranoia is starting to tire me.

Perhaps going outside will be nice. The cold of this cave does not bother me, but I am psyching myself out by analyzing the situation so closely. I begin to slide silently out of the ruined temple. I feel more confident in crossing the whole room now. If there are traps I’ll know there is more to the story than the illusion tells. My journey down the middle of the room goes uninterrupted however. I only find smashed wooden boards and clods of grime.

Soon I return to the doors of this chamber. I begin to ascend the stairs when I hear something far above me, perhaps at the top of the stairs. A clacking bounces off the walls as I stop my climbing. I cannot tell if it sounds like hooves or jumping footsteps or kicking a stone, but something is at the top of the stairs. Several clacks will sound before a short pause, then resume again. Something was up there, and it had arrived while I was down here. I sit patiently and do not move. After several minutes the sound stops. Once again I feel uneasy. Was I confident enough to encounter something or someone?