Hᴇʀ Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ Nᴇᴄᴋʟᴀᴄᴇ [968 words] wrote:"My necklace? Ah, you are one of those, aren't you? Seeking to know if the rumors are true. I'll tell you, of course. Just know that your memory will need to be wiped immediately after I've finished my tale. See, I actually made this necklace some years ago..."
The cave was quiet.
Its emptiness had been unbroken for decades. The only sound that echoed through its chambers was the faint ambiance of the water dripping steadily from the ceiling. This deep into the cavern, no light reached the walls. All that could be seen was black.
A sound. Quiet, near imperceptible; but it was a sound: flecks of crumbling limestone that dribbled down beneath careful footsteps, rattling daintily into the stale air. With it comes the faintest flickering of light, a glowing point amidst the void. A single point of warmth was bobbing up and down amidst the yawning emptiness. It wavered and shuddered with each movement, and to any intelligent eye it was clear that it was a flame.
The flame followed the path of its source as its tongues lapped up the moist air, seemingly unaffected by the stifling dampness of the cave. Faint sounds of breathing occasionally accompanied the sliding rocks that skittered down barely-seen slopes, and it became clear that whatever was traversing the narrow pathway was here with intent when it stopped deliberately before one of the high walls.
Silence. The flame had ceased its movement and was now hovering before the wall, as if awaiting a command. Then, slowly, it reaches forth, closing the gap between its dancing shape and the vast, hulking vertical plane of the cavernous wall. It doesn't hesitate to make contact with the wet rock.
Instantly the orange light plumes into a warm violet. Its calm flickering becomes erratic and wild, and with a startlingly loud pop it lets loose a spray of bright lilac sparks that scatter at a pair of white paws.
Veins within the wall that were previously unseen begin to glow. Blue, violet, purple, teal, even hints of cool greens begin to disperse across the dripping surface, revealing stalactites and columns that fork down into the depths. The thin strings of light continue to race up the wall until they reach the ceiling some hundred feet above, where they continue to follow their course, highlighting countless marvelous formations amidst the black.
Eventually they make it to the other side of the cave walls. It's far enough away that the owner of the white paws has to enhance their vision to recognize the intricate patterns decorating the rock face. One in particular catches their attention.
It takes nearly an hour to cross the empty space separating the two sides. The bridge is sturdy, but thin, and several times the white paws have had to stop and recenter themselves before continuing on in stately fashion.
The flame, still a passionate warm violet, gives off little light. Still, it isn't extinguished. It's not here for light anymore.
In the darkness, a paw extends forth, tracing a bright blue outline that stands out starkly against the surrounding purple. Silhouetted claws flex cautiously. This has to be done right. If it isn't, the entire excursion was pointless, and she'd be left to wander endlessly in the absolute dark without the option of escape or starvation.
Delicately the other paw, still encompassed with flame, lowers to press against the center of the symbol. A few words, words without language, are muttered, and the blue outline glows a vibrant white. The seams break their seal with not so much as a hiss. She sidesteps steadily as the slab of shaped rock glides effortlessly away through the air.
Inside the smooth crevice is a coarse, pale rock, perfectly dry despite the moisture of the cavern. With steady but anxious paws she reaches forth and takes hold of the rock without lifting it from its place; it's not huge, but she needs both paws to keep it steady for what she's about to do.
Crunch.
One swift movement and the rock splits, the edges crumbling around the two halves. Instantly a dull glow begins to emanate from the rock. The light is low, but the power is humming in the air around her.
This is what she'd come for. This is what she needed.
She flicks her paw, and the flame goes out.
"I am what you would call a...mage, of sorts. I'm really more of a Geomancer. I specialize in arts of the earth, and dabble in almost all other arts. This pendant is made of a geode that has only ever existed once. It might seem cruel, yes, I understand, but you must know that I didn't unearth one of the most powerful natural artifacts this planet has ever yielded just to make a pretty bauble. This necklace now dually functions as the source from which I draw the majority of my immediate magicks and the wellspring that keeps my senses attuned to that of the earth's.
It's very powerful to those who know what it is and how to use it,
and at the time I removed it I was serving as its guardian of sorts, keeping its location hidden from those who sought it for power. There was one who was getting very close, too close, and I knew I had to remove it; but alas, in its natural state, it is a beacon to the magickal, and I had to change its form so it would not be easily recognizable. I wear it,
now, night and day. I will never remove it so long as I live, and no one must ever know what it truly is.
Does that settle it for you? I certainly hope so, because in a few minutes you'll have forgotten it ever existed..."
