After two months of exploring Lera had scoured many of the caves. The one she was looking at now was very large and she had not finished exploring it even after 5 days. What she had found though, were some old ruins that she wanted to explore further, it seemed some civilization had lived down there. Along the walls and floors were many designs and runes in a language she did not know. This, of course, is why she had dragged Mercer all the way over this time. She hoped he would be able to recognize the text.
"Alright then Lera, lets get going, I want to see these symbols you are so excited to show me." Mercer grabbed his pack and set off for the entrance to the cave, lighting his lantern as he went.
"yeah, yeah, it isn't that far down, though if you want to see the ruins we do have a ways to go." Lera jogged to catch up and they set off down the tunnel together.
...
It was roughly a thirty minute walk down to where the symbols started to become visible, however it was another 15 minutes before they found a spot where the pattern was still entirely visible. Mercer knelt down to look closely at the symbols.
"Hold on a minute, this is Eldar..." He was muttering under his breath and took out his journal to copy the runes down. "This is an old Mountain city from a country that doesn't seem to exist anymore, The Alathian Empire. They must have been very adept at magic as these are all Runic Cores designed to keep the place together." He stood up and continued moving forward.
"Doesn't look like they are still working then, most of this place looks like it's crumbling to dust." Lera glanced around as she walked behind Mercer.
"They probably stopped working well once the people left, I wonder why they left though."
...
Coming to the end of the path it opened up into a massive cavern. All around could be seen ruins of ancient buildings, far down the path could be seen a massive building that was almost untouched. Unlike the rest of the city it appeared to be in perfect condition.
"I would like to go there, maybe there are still some books inside that could teach us about this city." Mercer pointed his staff towards the large building.
"Alright, but don't stray too far from me, we don't know what could be down here. I have father's old sword that mom gave me just in case." The sword in question was strapped to the side of her bag, and looked like it hadn't been sharpened in years.
Walking through the city was quite eerie, there was no sound except the dripping of water from stalactites. As they neared the palace Mercer could feel the energy being emitted from somewhere deep inside. It felt almost like someone had stored the entirety of a forest's magic power inside the palace. The palace itself towered over them, it had tow towers on the front corners and ran all the way to the back wall. It was at least three floors tall based on the number of windows, and the towers were twice as high.
In front of the palace was a large courtyard with a fountain at the center, although water did not run now, it was easy to see how beautiful it would have been. Behind the fountain were stairs leading up to the main doors, flanked on either side by tall stone statues of ancient warriors each holding a spear pointed over the path and a shield that was engraved with a Runic Core.
As they walked past the fountain a voice echoed around the courtyard.
"Tosu tilaso leo'omo Somu Meuote."
Mercer recognized it but in his shock couldn't translate it. Lera immediately dropped her bag and drew the sword,resting in the stance her mother had taught her.
"Mercer stay behind me, I don't want you getting hurt." Lera stepped in front of Mercer looking towards the palace. Regaining his composure Mercer decided to try and speak.
"Hold on a sec, he spoke Eldar, we probably don't have to fight him." Taking a moment to concentrate he began to translate what he wanted to say. "Ritimu..." (Who...). Before he could finish the voice came back stumbling a bit over words.
"aaahhh... You are not... Alathian... you struggle with our... tongue though you know it." A figure appeared tall and graceful, he wore a red robe and held a book in his arms, Mercer could see the tips of his ears poking out from behind his hair signaling that he was not human. As they looked closer Mercer could tell he was not real, and instead seemed a more solid Magical intelligence like Tu. Mercer took a step forward to look closer but Lera blocked him with her arm.
"Who are you?" Mercer asked.
"I am Silachlume, I was the MI who served as the record keeper for the king." Silachlume did a small bow before continuing, "May I know who you are?" he looked expectantly at the two of them.
"Are you sure we should tell him?" Lera glanced back at Mercer appearing very worried.
"He's a Magical Intelligence, from my understanding they are often restricted to a specific task." He looked back towards the man, "I am Mercer."
"I am Lera." She relaxed a little lowering the sword.
"Hmmmmm, neither of you look quite like the... Valanheir that I met. Perhaps... I am just a little behind. It has been almost... 300 years after all." He looked down for a moment then back at them. "I can sense the... magic in you, both. As such I can show you the Library if you wish, it is open to every... Mage."
Mercer look at Lera, "I would like to see, there could be something important in there." She looked warily at the man and the sheathed the sword.
"If you really think that's what we should do then I will follow. I can't let you go alone." As they turned back and started forward the man looked pleased.
"Ah good, I will take you to the shrine first, as was expected of all who visited." With that he turned and walked to the door which opened as he came close. The doors them selves had a beautiful design on them, one that he recognized after looking at it for a moment.
"These are the goddesses..." He spoke quietly but the man heard and turned smiling.
"Yes, it is the symbol for the Goddesses, that symbol is what made us choose this cave for our library, it was ...etched above the entrance." He turned back and walked down the hall. It was extensive and tall, it was extravagant with banners along the walls and chandeliers from the ceiling, along the walls were suits of armor that were just slightly too tall for any normal man. At the end of the hall was a set of massive double doors, each engraved with the symbol of the Goddesses spread between the doors. The man walked up to the doors and they opened, revealing a statue sitting behind an altar. The statue was of a three winged angel with it's palms cupped over the altar and it's eyes tightly shut.
"Normally you would leave a gift for her, often an engraved stone or pure spell core in hopes for a blessing. If you are unable we can move on.
Mercer grabbed the small stone from his pocket and then shook his head and replaced it. "I wold leave something but I do not have a stone to engrave and I have not yet learned of Spell Cores."
"Ah well then..." The man produced a stone out of the air and handed it to Mercer. "The stronger the Core the more likely of getting a response, though they have not spoken for an age."
Mercer held the stone in his hand and focused on it, he had turned his staff into a small ring with a socket, though the socket remained empty. Holding his hand with the ring over the stone he formed a Runic Core that he learned from Tu, it was simple and all it did was comfort those who held it. After a moment he placed the stone in the palms of the Goddess statue.
Immediately they could feel a change in the atmosphere of the room, a strange power resonated from the statue.
"Lamiztomote, she's waking..." he knelt down in awe.
After a moment the power subsided and the statues eyes opened. A dazzling golden light emanated from the eyes momentarily blinding all those inside.
"True Son and Daughter of Eldar, Bloodlines mixed and mingled, together as they never should have been, brought from a world that was naught but a dream. Human and Valanheir, Soul and Eclipse, Somurame lamolo Luimetosaolu. However only shall a daughter recieve the gift of the Goddess." The rock in the statue's palm burned brightly, and in it's place sat a small green sphere.
"Take the stone of life and use the gift of healing it will grant you to always protect those you must. When you must leave once more, go to the Ahmeshian Diarchy, there you will find a man who will help you." As she finished speaking the eyes faded and everything went quiet.
"Tu, what is a stone of life?" Mercer asked to the small stone he held in his hand. After a pause Tu appeared and answered.
"A stone of life is a gem that is created by a goddess to bestow incredible powers on a person. Usually this is a healing power, however it has also once been a direct injection of memories and power."
"You!" Silachlume stumbled back and pointed at Tu. Tu turned and glared at the man causing him to quickly quiet and bow his head.
"It appears you have already arrived at the shrine, you will want to return to Tumuo when you leave. Though you may want to return home first and gather what you can." Tu vanished once again.
Lera stepped forward and grabbed the stone, holding it in her palm and looking at it while Mercer went over to Silachlume and made sure he was okay as he had been shaking. All of a sudden a brilliant flash of green light filled the room before fading.
"You truly are blessed by the Goddess, amazing, I have never seen this before. And you, is that really the great wizard Tumuo who you are to see?"
"Yes, he is teaching me. Lera, you alright?" Mercer stepped over to her and set his arm on her shoulder but flinched right before touching her, a strange new power was coming from her.
"I think so, I can tell that I have a new power though, I immediately knew and understood it." She looked down at her hands.
All of a sudden Mercer remembered what Tumuo had mentioned about the Shrine of the Goddesses, that he was to go there with Lera when he had no where else to go.
"Silachlume, this is the only shrine to the Goddesses near here right?" Mercer looked up at Silachlume.
"Yes, the next closest one is still a long way away." He looked back quizzically.
"We need to go, Tumuo told me to go to the shrine of the Goddesses when we had nowhere else to go, but as far as I know home is still there."
"Mother!" Lera face contorted with worry and she immediately started for the door.
"Wait! Please bring me with you, I have nothing here for me now. I can leave a Magic transmission stone here so my Spell Core doesn't drain you. All you must do is embed it in your staff. Come please." He walked behind the statue to a long stairway, Mercer and Lera followed, Lera was fidgeting and kept glancing back over her shoulder towards the exit. At the bottom of the long stair way was a massive lake of pure magic. Something that was very rarely seen, let alone in liquid form. Hovering above the lake was a massive Spell Core, at least three arms widths, that served as Silachlume's brain. It was incredibly dense with connections formed over it's long years of use.
Silachlume called it over and compressed it to the size of a marble that would fit neatly in the socket of Mercer's ring. In place of the his Spell Core Silachlume threw a new Spell Core, it was significantly less complex and much smaller, all it did was transfer Magic Power to the main Spell Core. He then pressed his Spell Core into the socket of Mercer's ring. Mercer could feel the freedom of information that flowed from the ring into his mind, but stopped it for now.
"Time to leave, we need to head home." Heading back upstairs they made their way through the city and towards the surface.