Chapter 19 - The Underground's Civilization
Once her vision is uncovered by the blindfold, Caissa's point of view soon realizes the surrounding atmosphere is far from her imagination.
As slight as it was, she was overwhelmed by droplets of water leaking from the cracks of the rocky interior and cobblestones, welcoming her to this phenomenal place.
And last but not least, the puddle of water below everyone's feet gave off a forbidding yet paralyzing to one's own perception. How was it that nobody got their shoes wet during their journey here?
'Without soaking and sinking down into the puddle, my shoes are in perfect condition after 'he' put me down.' Caissa thought to herself.
If such a phenomenon was able to deceive Caissa's mind and senses, it was without a doubt the doing of a Blessing!
With more to add to this oddity, the stepping on the water's surface didn't disturb it at all; merely replicating the reflection as water should, yet failing to behave like a liquid.
"I would appreciate it if you kept your eyes on me. Your curiosity about this new environment will be answered shortly. It'll only take a while before we get there." The Pontiff rested his hand on the young teenager's shoulder, implying her life was completely within his grasp.
On the other hand, the lady with short hair, shifted her garnet irides towards Caissa, giving the latter an uneasy and tense position.
"..." Caissa kept her silence.
"Why don't we carry on walking towards our destination? If I ask you any question, make sure to nod or shake your head to respond to me."
"..?"
Sooner or later, Caissa caught on to what the Pontiff was saying. Her voice wasn't producing any noise; only her lips were moving.
The teenager didn't know the cause of this voiceless curse or when and how it started to happen. The only feeling in her throat is a void left behind; no sound can be made nor can it be heard.
"..!"
"Took you long enough." The man forms an eerie sneer on his face after watching the girl's faintest reaction, removing his hand from Caissa's shoulder later.
"I'm sure you understand your circumstances. You wouldn't run away in this unfamiliar place, would you?"
With a nod, the teenager finds herself in an irreversible situation where she's left without any route to escape.
"Words aren't necessary. We're merely walking for now until we reach our lair." The Pontiff casually spoke as his steps sped up.
"You'll only need to see what's going on around you. That's all."
"Child, you needn't worry about your well-being. Although the thought of ripping you apart does amuse me, that'll prove to be problematic for 'her' grand undertaking."
"So, how about we get along?"
The silence from Caissa is understandable, and it only serves as a notion for the gentleman to continue filling up the quietude with his speeches.
As though to display her lack of inability to talk and fight back against his every action, the Pontiff makes it painfully obvious to her with his entertained smile and chuckle.
—Drip..
On their way to their main objective, the trio went through grueling pathways that would make recollecting the directions agonizing and confusing, even for Caissa.
Afterward, they came across what looked to be an underground city below the surface.
Brimming with residents to strive in all these beautiful houses while lanterns dangling loosely to emit an exquisite complimentary lighting to appeal to the underground's aesthetic, the structures which are the final piece to this wonderful construct, are composed of wood, brick and stone with mosses and flora to build contrasts.
An underground ravine, naturally formed for the residents to construct ethereal and stunning buildings to compliment this unique environment, has a stream of river flowing in the middle of the city.
Ease and comfort were put in mind when the construction was in progress; a harmonic combination to mix together rather than to bend into the rock-strewn interior.
Not only that, when someone takes a glimpse of their surroundings, joyful bliss is on every passerby's face while walking around the area. Easy-going attires to add to their uninhibited and unconcerned nature in this strange residence, these people are striving with a smile on their faces!
Far from what expectations could hold, the scene unfolded before Caissa's eyes when her above is the surface of what appeared to be an ocean, mirroring sunlight for the people below to absorb sufficient substances while the heat showered its warmth upon touching Caissa's skin!
How is it that a flood hasn't occurred whatsoever? Why is this phenomenon breaking the laws of the world? And what is forcing such a contrariety to happen?
"Mesmerizing, right?" The Pontiff, who allowed Caissa to let this experience sink in, mumbled to her.
"I would never have pictured myself standing at the bottom of an ocean. It's crazy to say the least, isn't it?"
"But alas, Her Majesty's imaginations are beyond my comprehension."
His words flowed through with no traces of despondency nor indifference, it was as though it was purely tenderness towards an individual who he truly adored and was devoted to.
Whoever this person was, the mere mention of her made the Pontiff, who once wielded a sinister smirk, etched an endearing smile upon his face.
"Without further ado, shall we move on?"
—Bustle! Bustle!
Each step towards their destination was an occasional pause in their way as people began to recognize the Pontiff and Sister within a glance.
The numerous waves and gestures of friendliness that were put together upon giving snacks and beverages to this duo, became a highlight of their return.
"Dear, I have packed some baked goods for you to munch on. I made them extra sweet for you." Someone in their 60s handed her homemade cookies and cupcakes for the Pontiff.
"Because grandma always makes the best snacks, I'll be sure to savor every bite. And I hope you don't overdo it."
"I'll be alright. It's always comforting to see you strolling around with this darling." The grandma slowly patted the Sister's head, who was standing so close to the Pontiff.
—Chatter…
In a matter of seconds, crowds were beginning to form as conversations were made to bid the duo a wonderful day, including the gratitude and admiration that continuously overflowed the whole place!
If it weren't for the teenager stuck in the Pontiff's grasp, numerous individuals would have been unaware of the time! However, it seems all the residents noticed the unfamiliar guest and simply shortened their greetings to allow the Pontiff and the Sister to move on from there.
—Step.
From one place to the next, the livelihood of bustling noises from the residents slowly but surely died down as buildings were nowhere to be seen anymore.
Granted, the duration of the journey to the current location should have been a few hours' walk from the city earlier. But, as a result of these two individuals' speed and pacing, Caissa already found herself in a different area in an hour.
—Swoosh!!
In front of her lies the bottom of a waterfall, towering with magnificent scenery to attract everyone's attention. Regardless, it was in the way of the trio's path, which shouldn't be the case because there's nowhere to go other than above.
"Sigh, it's been a while since I last did this. I pray I won't lose my grip again and fall to my death." The Pontiff stretches his body in preparation for what's to come.
'It appears the waterfall is much higher than I expected. Judging from the Pontiff's words and behavior, I can deduce that we'll be climbing up this waterfall.' Caissa averted her glance upward, watching as the water descended without a clue of how far up it was.
'That being the case, how will they cross over the tsunami-like splashes that come at the end of this waterfall? Is there perhaps a secret door that'll lead us up? Or are they revealing their Blessings right here?'
—Thud!
And as predicted, the Sister was the first to take an outstanding leap towards the wall, letting her hands clasp onto the rock to initiate the rock climbing!
Later on, Caissa found her first assumption to come true as she'd be carried to the top by the Pontiff, scaling up the cave's steep wall soon after.
Next to follow behind her was the Pontiff who was about to attempt climbing with only one hand to grab onto.
It would have been an impossible feat to do as the weight of two people would weigh down his chances of succeeding, yet the Pontiff had managed to plunge through the air before landing right next to the Sister to begin his rock climbing!
Not one at a time, but a succession of one hand climbing above a waterfall while holding onto a teenager was done at that moment!
No heavy breathing was taken, nor were any droplets of sweat formed! It's almost as if this challenge was honestly a piece of cake for these individuals!
'Chances of escape are 5%. The only method of survival would be..'
"Have you determined your next objective?"
While contemplating her course of action, Caissa was immediately interrupted by the Pontiff who was mounting his way upward towards the waterfall's surface; nearly halfway.
"Your expression is quite experienced, I say."
"Normally, teenagers your age should be fearful and screaming with fright, yet here you are, being the complete opposite."
"Haha, the good old days you reminded me of, those were the greatest of all, isn't that right?" Once the Pontiff shifts his glance to the Sister, she gives her answer through a simple nod.
"We were once starving kids in the streets, trying our best to get by through the constant beatings and abuses we suffered along the way."
"All hopes were never to be made in that situation. We were honestly giving it our all to just get a mere piece of bread."
"When something like hope was soon introduced to us in the form of a pale and fragile child, we were skeptical at most, since we were also near the same age."
"But.."
"We didn't predict the consequences of what it was like to be standing close to a beacon of hope. She was everything we hadn't hoped for."
"She's our savior."