Vulnerability.
A concept that allows us to project ourselves towards others and make connections.
Connections which if we do not have make us closed off, suppressing our emotions and becoming an outlier with misplaced feeling in society.
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Weeks passed on in this strange world.
After being accustomed you tend to accept things as normal, even if they might have felt abnormal earlier.
It is quite fascinating to see a 30-hour day and night cycle. It was not noticeable earlier with the dense canopy and quest for survival, but now having accepted the new normal it is quite easy to sense minor details.
15 hours day and 15 hours night, a surprise revelation, but even more surprising are the moons and suns in this world.
Not expending more time on these abstract concepts, I focused on what we had accomplished in these few weeks.
I was a novice in swordplay now. All due to my continuous training with Ruth. She had gotten over her initial sense of guilt.
She had devoted herself in my training with even greater intensity than before, perhaps to distract herself of the tragedy or in reaction for my unexpected talk of my vulnerability & fear of death.
Perhaps she doesn't wish to see anymore deaths.
Hope she is getting conscious of me.
Our search for ruins had a breakthrough, we had found a stone monument. It was around my waist height, covered in moss, with cracks everywhere but surely was sculpted by intelligent beings.
It felt like it marked a crossroad. There was one way visible which was clearer, and hence we decided to transverse it.
I glanced at Ruth who was now walking closely beside me. I gazed deeply onto her face, which no longer evoked any feelings of disgust from me.
A certain part of me even felt it was normal or even pretty. Her visage now tempted me like no more.
While I had been earlier with people, no one was a woman. I had always been trying to survive in groups with no sense of other gender. This was the first time I had been in close contact with someone.
Well, such continuous contact really breeds familiarity & even closeness.
Ruth slightly quickened her steps.
'Did she feel my gaze?'
"Look there!!"
It was not shocking to see her talking with me, I was not the only one who has grown accustomed to our close relationship, I believe she must have as well.
Focusing on her exclamation, I moved my gaze and first saw two stone pillars, then behind them a small clearing with a certain building in the middle of it.
The stone pillars were simply crafted with minor embellishments, while the building was like all the other primitive establishments we had seen. It was though our first time seeing a lone building, rather than the clusters we had seen.
This was not typical living village; it must be something else.
Nevertheless, we had found what we ventured in the journey for. We now had to explore it. I was excited to see what treasures we might find here. Hope it's something I could use directly to increase my strength.
"Let's go!" I exclaimed with palpable excitement in my voice. Without waiting for Ruth, I entered the monument.
My greater excitement was also fuelled by the sense of hard work that I had put to reach here and the feeling of boundless exploration towards this mysterious world.
I didn't even try to scout for dangers.
Ruth could only helplessly follow me. I admired the building up close. This was different from the previous buildings. The design though primitive was a step up above others.
I climbed the steps, which were now covered by a green layer of moss descriptive of the harshness the jungle had on this beauty. There were no doors, it was an open structure.
Taking in the musky breath I entered the hall. The hall was exceedingly simple. It was open aired from where sunlight converged directly into the hall.
The walls had a simple wavelike design embroidered on them, which moved from the walls to the floor.
The sunlight intermingling on the waves created a serene sense of harmony with each other, as if everything was moving and lifelike, with the sole aim of converging into the centre of the hall.
Everything present there and whatever entered the hall as well, was drawn in the structure that stood in the middle.
A statue of a woman. Or rather a statue of a Goddess.
A beautifully crafted marvel, with radiance shining it from high above. It was completely white, with vines covering most of its body giving just glimpses of what might be below it.
These wines did nothing but enhance the beauty as if even the vilest of things could do nothing but serve to embellish its divinity.
From the hands of the statue drops of water slowly flowed in the pond that lay at her feet. The pond was filled by clear water, it sparked an enticing aura as if tempting others to come and indulge in it.
Or maybe this was due to the uniqueness of the Statue.
There was a sense of serenity and peace in the temple.
But everything was broken by a single blasphemous act—the place above the neck was empty. The goddess's head was severed cleanly, with no mentioning of where it was.
There was just a void that made the entire hall as if weeping.
I felt angry and sad for no reason.
Who dared to?
Who?
While I was losing my emotions, rapid footsteps from behind jolted me awake. Ruth has finally come in; she had not forgotten to scout the surroundings.
I was seriously glad for her interference as I had nearly succumbed to the strange atmosphere.
Wiping the cold sweat, I gazed towards the statue again.