35th Fall, 518
Okay, this is epic.
Elea heard of the Quartz Cave. That it was a fair and beautiful place, that it was haunted, that it was possessed by something hungry and evil, that it was full of weird artifacts, that it fills in with water as the tide goes in. Elea believed only the first and the last rumor. Having been dealing with her mental distress for some time now, she was more and more eager to find places to rein it her mind in. Perhaps this could work.
After looking up when does the tide recedes, all that was left for Elea was to set out at the right time. The trip was long. From the port, all the way outside the city walls. Elea was boasting her black trousers, shoes and crimson undershirt. As she arrived in place, she saw the cave’s entrance and the glimpse of the mystical light thereof, signifying that this was the place.
The circumstance of the ground still being hidden beneath the shallow sea water and knowing that the time and the season was right, signified that the tide was retreating. Thus, Elea walked in head-first.
Its distance from Lhavit and all those seemingly silly rumors implied that the cave would be empty most of the time, with only the company of the strange crystals for Elea. Just the way she’d want it to be. Inside, a space far wider than the entrance, greeted her with diverse hues from the crystals, some giant, some tiny. A ceiling as high as some Lhavit buildings, the water pools around the place. All that was left for Elea is to march on, slowly, seeping in the wonder of it all.
She touched a large crystal near her and examined herself in it. The reflection was pale, distorted, but it was such that the woman reflected actually laughed. It was surreal enough to lose oneself in, and Elea affirmed that by taking a deep breath, almost breathing in this whole place. She moved on again, walking over the poodle of sea water. Touching the water, she made it out to be much warmer than oceans in them. Was it due to the crystals? Perhaps, as Elea examined crystals, they were slightly warmer. She moved on from poodle to the next one, somehow drawn in to the phenomenon of that strangely warm water, only for her to unintentionally descend beneath the next “poodle’s” surface, her world becoming darkness and salt, in place of crystals and light.
Her instincts kicking in right away, she resurfaced after a moment with a frowning expression, as she worked to exorcise the burning, biting salt and brine off her eyes, but her mind was still positively impressed. Even the pools like that were warm. When she crawled out of the watery pit, the girl took liking to the ceiling, far above her and stayed lying on the floor for a moment. Partly to rest after her long walk, partly to enjoy and meditate the scenery.
She saw here naught but beauty and harmony. The gravest surprise for her was the deep pool she crawled off. Where did all those rumors she heard came from… she did not knew. But the atmosphere and mystical looks of the cave, begging to be explored almost, worked on her strained mind. The voices, often echoing in her head, sometimes even teasing her, were silent as if they were never there. The feeling of bad luck seems to have receded. Elea felt as if all was quite literally all right again.
She could almost take a nap in this place. But there was still no telling what was hiding further down the cave. Perhaps it was something that caused all the rumors. Though Elea had no faith in the rumors, she still desired to verify their truth… or at least their origin.
As she marched on, she spotted the last thing she expected. No, not a ghost described in the rumors, or a beast looking to turn Elea into a wet meal. A person instead. Perhaps an explorer, just like her, perhaps… something else.
