What Lies BeneathAfter her adventure out in Rodina,
Melanie Bell had finally bitten the bullet and moved into the family estate, she hadn't lived there since her father had died but after everything she'd found, every broken bone, every mystery she was well and truly out of his shadow. As the early morning rain pelted down on the windows Melanie lay asleep in bed, the sound against the glass was almost musical and more than enough to keep her sleeping... the ringtone of her mobile however was a whole different story, reaching for it was as usual quite difficult considering the amount of sleep in her eyes eventually though she had it in her hands.
"Yes?" she said
"You busy?" it was the voice of
Doctor Donna Steele"Why?" Melanie asked
"Last nights storm gave up something weird." Donna said "Well the landslide it caused did."
"Where are you?" Melanie asked
"South of Mount Purity." Donna said "Bloodline valley. There's that much of a circus you won't be able to miss it."
"On my way." Melanie said
It took a good six hours total, thanks to a flight and then driving but soon enough Melanie was driving down Bloodline valley, so named in reference to the nine 'sacred' bloodlines of the Namist faith, to the believers Mount Purity was where the Goddess's had departed the world from after their battle against the Great Unspoken's forces but it was also in this valley where they'd, according to the faith, blessed their most devout warriors, their champions. Melanie had brought
Rosalie McLean with her, it became very obvious, very quickly what Donna had meant by circus as the place was crawling with people. There was a very clear landslide with what looked like a stone structure poking out from behind it.
"What the heck?" Rosalie asked as Donna joined them
"See why I called you?" Donna asked
"What is that thing?" Melanie asked
"No one has the foggiest." Donna said "Some sort of structure, lost to time. Last nights landslide shifted the earth enough to give it up but we don't know what we're looking at and as per the red tape, no one wants to dig it out until it's safe."
"So let me guess you want me to go in there and take a look." Melanie said
"If you wouldn't mind." Donna said
Melanie sighed and opened up the boot of the jeep, handing Rosalie a flashlight and then grabbing one herself, she led the way up the slope, it was solid underfoot though balancing was still something of a problem.
"This is old, white stone." Rosalie said when the pair reached the opening at the top
"Fvuras jorreh." Melanie said "Moon stone, see the slight mineral glittering like a sequin?"
"What is this place?" Rosalie asked
"I have no idea." Melanie said flashing her light through the opening "Looks like there's a floor though." she grinned before stepping inside. "Oh wow"
"What is it?" Rosalie asked
"Two floors that I can see, this is the upper floor looks like a living space." Melanie said "The lower floor is much larger."
"What's that like?" Rosalie asked
"I'm going to find out." Melanie said, she'd found some stairs and was walking down, Rosalie wasn't that far behind her curiosity getting the better of her.
"If it wasn't for the lack of an altar I'd say this was a temple." Rosalie said
"This is a fire pit." Melanie said stopping at a stone circle in the middle of the lower level.
"And this is a well." Rosalie said
"I think this is a blacksmith's forge." Melanie said "Look you've got most of the instruments on the wall there, fire pit, well for drawing water." she picked up something "Sword blade moulds."
"Pretty grand blacksmith." Rosalie said "Love to know whose forge this was."
"So would I." Melanie said shining the light around until it settled on an engraved name in the stone above the inside of the blocked ground level entrance "Faylen Sylfiel... you have got to be kidding."
"As in Sylfiel's swords?" Rosalie asked
"Yeah." Melanie said "Each blade carries a name and then there are those in groups, but most of this is legend."
"Not now." Rosalie said "You think there are records?"
"Let's get the landslide out of the way and then find out." Melanie said