Chapter 337 Truth or Myth?
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/Chatter…/
A large plaza presented itself to Dale.
There were dozens of people around, from the elderly to the young, sitting around as they talked and even played around.
If it wasn't for the fact he was currently deep underground in a highly secured military zone, Dale would've thought he was in a neighborhood park of some sort.
It was a bit odd as given everything he passed through to get here, he expected to find some ancient temple where he would have to pass some sort of trial before moving on to claim his reward…
"This is anticlimactic." He said as he exhaled lightly
/Chuckle…/
"The truth is oftentimes simpler than it seems…" Roger said in a humorous tone as he looked at the people around them
"In any case... Is that our objective?" Dale asked as he pointed at the tablet
"Yes… The large tablet is the source of this place."
"Then, shouldn't it be… You know, protected? It was literally a straight path from the elevator to get here."
"This place is already plenty protected, besides, it's better this way." Roger replied as he resumed his walk
"... What about these people?... There are even children here."
"Time passes on I'm afraid… The young workers recruited during the 2030s are now in their 70s to 80s, their children grew up and theirs as well."
"They can't leave that easily, same thing for the soldiers outside, they live here and this is their community, so this place needs to be hospitable otherwise people will go insane."
"And don't forget, you're not the youngest to have been brought here, it is a bit rare but there are instances of it."
"Sometimes a father may wish for his son to inherit his position, but for that, the Oath may be needed but that is inconsequential for us…"
"You do have a knack for these types of questions don't you?"
"I, uh…"
"Hoho… I'm just messing with you. Don't worry too much about these, you'll come to know about it all naturally, your questions are mostly common sense anyway."
"So… What do I have to do?"
"The Tablet holds the key to what you're seeking, it is ancient, old, and its origins are a mystery of great proportions to all."
"It holds within a tale, carved in its surface, one we cannot read as its language hasn't been decyphered yet."
"But there are other aspects of its structure one can make use of. I'll show you once we get there."
/Step.../
"..."
Dale began walking, following Roger as he silently observed his surroundings.
'I feel strange, there's something in the air… Tickling my skin, like static on a screen.'
'It's heavy, viscous, I may as well call it old… But it's somewhat rejuvenating, filling me with desire.'
'... It was as if I was walking on honey.'
'A Tablet huh…'
...
Neither slow nor fast, Dale and Roger approached the Jade Tablet in sturdy steps, climbing dozens of flights of stairs before standing face to face with the tablet.
It was massive, standing at least a dozen and a half meters tall, likely considerably more, and around seven meters wide.
It was made completely and utterly out of jade, a single piece so massive and symmetrical Dale gasped at its perfection.
He wondered about the sight of how it must've been for the first explorers of this place when they found it, what expressions did they have as they dug into this room?
Despite the ancient feeling this place gave him, the Jade was still extremely smooth and well cared for, partially reflecting him even though he was a few meters away from it.
There were a few white marks on the jade, but those weren't cracks, they felt more like chalk lines that went across its smooth surface as compared to scratches and imperfections.
Strange words were carved on its surface in a way never seen before in Earth's culture.
The words, if they could even be called that, strung onto each other, creating forks and intersections where new strings of words began, creating a net of scribbles no different from a child's art piece.
There was no way to describe it apart from a net of words.
(Image)
There were others as well next to the tablet, including guards standing to its sides, quietly waiting and observing the people as they approached the tablet.
There didn't seem to be any sort of order to it, no lines, not that it was necessary.
Some people touched the tablet, others stood further away, gazing at it with pensive and absent gazes.
It made Dale feel odd, as if he was witnessing a cult's holy relic and its believers in deep prayer.
"These people…"
"They're already under the effects of the Tablet, see the line on the ground, that is when its effects will begin to take hold."
"What does it do? Should be worried about something?"
"So far, even after a century of testing, there hasn't been even a single instance of anything bad happening from contacting the tablet."
"The worst it can happen is someone being unable to take in whatever the Tablet decides to show or request of them."
"Decides? Is it sentient?"
"Maybe, or maybe not, once you see for yourself, you tell me what you think it is." Roger replied with a sly smile as he raised his arm
"From here on out it's on you, even if I pass the line I'll likely see nothing, it's been decades since I was last told anything, it would just be a waste of time."
"Either way, I'll wait for you to come back before checking if today will be yet another of those times. Remember to relax and keep yourself calm, that's the best way to maximize its effects, as you may never know when the Tablet will decide to communicate with you again."
"... I'll keep that in mind." Dale said as he raised his right foot before taking one relatively hesitant step forward, his expression somewhat wary
"..."
'Okay… Nothing happened.'
/Step step…/
/Light…/
'Oh… That's something.'
As he approached the Tablet, something began to happen.
The words within its surface began to twist, gathering together before crisscrossing, forming knots, breaking and scattering as they became fragments of light on its surface.
Slowly, those fragments began to gather, condensing into a shining point of light high above the tablet…
Dale knew what it was, the words formed naturally in his mind...
A Star.
The star shone brightly in the sky, and together with many, the cosmos was lit with exuberant energy.
The world was at peace, that was what Dale thought when he looked at the tablet.
/Shine…/
But one day, something strange happened.
Light was created, but not from the skies… This light came from the ground, the world underneath the stars, of one many that lingered around them.
It shone brightly and strongly, threatening to outshine even the stars above.
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As Dale approached the Tablet even more, he began to differentiate and understand what that light actually was.
It wasn't a star like the others, it was the tip of an arrow, and it was about to be released from its bow.
/Release…/
/Shatter!/
The arrow was released, it's light so strong it cast everything into shadows, streaking across the skies as it clashed against one of the stars, shattering it into thousands of pieces which then began to fall upon the world below like comets.
At the sight of this horrific event, the Stars dimmed, hiding from the fearsome arrow as they saw the bow being pulled again…
/Thunder!/
At that moment, the skies rumbled with power and something stepped from the dark void the Stars hid.
A creature clad in primordial lightning arose from cosmic dust. It raised its hand, pointing it towards the feeble world.
A ray of sunlight fell upon it, bearing within the might of a 1000 berserking stars, clashing against the bow, shattering it into Seven pieces which flew across the lands, their fates unknown.
Its wielder fell to its knees, still alive, but barely.
But while he fell in pain, fighting to push forward a new era, for the inhabitants of the world below, they thrived in the flesh of the dead astral body.
They gathered its bones and constructed mighty castles, with its flesh, they built everlasting art pieces, their own creations.
Amidst these creations, a giant amongst man rose.
But while his compatriots raveled in the dead flesh like vultures, he felt pity for the fearful stars, and they felt it.
Together, the stars parted away, revealing a piece of the dead star that had yet to fall, its heart, which would one day bloom again.
Rebirth, the principle of existence, a cycle to be forever repeated.
One day it would rise again and shine amidst its sisters, but today, it would be given a new purpose, a new body.
The man resolved himself, understanding his duty, his call, he would bring the star back to life.
With one hand, he plucked the large fragment from the skies, and with the other, he struck down with his hammer, pouring his all into his work.
One strike to shatter its protective shell, the man began his work.
Two strikes to soften its previous nature, the man defied its origin.
Three strikes to gather its essence, the man understood its desires.
Four strikes to refine its flesh, cutting out that which he could not recover.
Five strikes to temper the body, transforming it into its final shape.
Six strikes to sharpen its edge, so it would cut away that which took it down.
Seven strikes to inscribe the wishes of its sisters, so it would never forget its origin and their names.
Eight strikes to form its light, as no Star shone without it.
Nine strikes for its name to echo… But the strike missed as the man grew weak, leaving behind only silence.
Ten strikes…
As the man swung his hammer for one last time, something catastrophic happened.
As the star began to shine stronger and stronger, his own body began to fail.
It collapsed and burned, and even with his will, he was unable to finish his creation.
In the end, he was unable to finish the final strike, as a Star could not exist on land as its place was amidst the skies.
Disappointed and ashamed of himself, the man left on a journey, not being able to face the stars for his lack of ability, leaving the newly born nameless star to its own devices, it's fate now its own to make…
But it didn't know what to do, it did not even know its own name...
That was, until it met another light, it wasn't a star yet it shone brightly in the lands below.
And together, the star shone brightly, and from its light, a name came into being:
Caladbolg, the Sword that reflects the Stars
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Notes
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