Page 95 of Secrets of the Void
Humans were perhaps doomed to wonder about the past more than they thought about the future.
She followed the lines all the way to the back of the cave. There was a small path there, leading into the wall of the cliff and who knew where else. She glanced over her shoulder to see a storm rolling in. It wasn't a big one, just enough to stir the waves so that they were taller as they entered this space. The whitecaps crested and spat foam up onto the same spot where she and Proteus had been sleeping.
A small spark of fear bloomed in her chest. What if this cavern flooded during high tide? She had no idea how long Proteus and she had been here, but she doubted it was long enough to see a true high tide. Perhaps it was smarter for her to follow this path, just to see if there was another place where she would be safe.
She convinced herself quickly. Ellie stepped onto the stones and into the darkness beyond. It was, after all, just a staircase. She kept her hands on the walls on either side of herself, making sure she would know if there was a room on one side or if the walls suddenly dropped off. There wasn't any light to guide her, so she had to use her hands to see.
But this was only a path. One that led out of the heart of this small mountain and into the world beyond.
Ellie lifted her arm up to her eyes at the first spear of sunlight that hit her. It was hard to see beyond it. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she had to wait a while until the bright white light revealed something other than painful sparks.
The remnants of a garden unfurled before her. Though everything was dead, it wasn't hard to see what it had once been. The beds were broken by time. They had once been wooden, it seemed, and most of that wood had rotted. Earth spilled out of them. At some point, moss and some other types of plants had grown between the stone paths under her feet, leading her tomore broken garden beds. Brambles were all that survived now. Massive brambles that were covered in thorns.
She had to walk carefully, considering she was still nude. The thorns would tear at her skin and leave red lines that would make it very obvious she had gone exploring, but she wanted to know more about where she was.
The sun hadn't risen too high on the horizon yet, but she realized she was in some kind of canyon. So perhaps it never got as hot as she thought out here. The air was cool on her skin, but not so cold that she was shivering.
The brambles covered most of the area closest to the cave. Almost hiding the sight of it from anyone who came into this canyon. But as she moved past them, it opened up into a much larger space.
There were tiles on the ground. She looked down at her feet, slowly moving in a circle as she traced the design that someone had left here with obvious care. It was a massive sun, she realized.
Bright yellow tiles still held their color. The circular center had long ago broken, but the spindly waves that rotated around it were still very easily seen. They shone in the sunlight. Glistening with color.
She smiled down at it, wondering who the artist was who had created this in a canyon of all places.
Ellie looked up, seeing how high the walls were that surrounded her. They were easily bigger than any space she'd ever been in before. She got dizzy looking all the way up there, imagining what it must be like to live that high. Or even to look down.
She had to brace herself against a wall with a laugh. There was no way she could stand on the edge of that cliff and look down. Staring into an abyss was one thing. Water held her up then, and she at least would feel the salt pushing back on her,even if she couldn't swim. But gravity would take her swiftly at the top of this canyon.
There were small, sparse plants dotting all up and down this area. But then...
"Is that green?" she whispered to herself. Taking another hesitant step forward.
Her feet sank into sand. It appeared there was only dirt very close to the mouth of the cave, but she was so curious to see what was green.
A voice in her head screamed to go back to the sea. She was safe there. Safer than anywhere else, because she knew Proteus would return. And there were actual people living here in the sand. She had to be careful. If she wasn't, then maybe she would see one of those snake people for herself. And what would she do then?
They were hunters, that much she was certain. Only the hardiest of people could survive out in the sands like they did.
And they wouldn't like seeing her here.
But the hint of greenery, the whisper that there was life here that she could feel and touch and see... It made her too curious.
Her footsteps were nearly silent on the sand. No one would know she was here. Glancing behind her nervously, she noted that she didn't even leave footprints behind. It was like any hint of where she had been was swallowed up by the desert.
No one would know she was here. She could explore for just a little while longer.
False bravery settled in her chest, and she kept walking. Every step made her feel a little safer. Every breath brought her a little closer to the bright green plant that was hanging on the wall.
She finally reached it, peering at the strangeness of it. It was bright green. That much she hadn't made up. Tiny spinescovered the entirety. She carefully touched a finger to one, and it pricked her skin immediately.
"Ouch," she muttered, bringing her finger to her mouth to suck at the blood that welled there.
What kind of plant was covered in spikes? How strange.
She looked it over, trying to see how it was attached to the wall. The base was rather bulbous, and it appeared to be attached by a rather large circular... bubble, she supposed. It certainly looked clear enough. She reached down for one of the many sticks on the ground and prodded it.
Strangely, it leaked.
