He slowly climbed down the tree making sure to have a firm hold on every branch before reaching for the next. When he reached the ground, he set out in the direction towards the opening, remaining cautious and suspecting that he may be being followed.
As David hiked through the undergrowth following what looked like an animal path, he felt a strange tingling at the back of his neck as if he were being watched. A subtle rustling in the thicket behind David scattered some squirrels a few yards to his left, confirming his paranoia.
He turned, scanning the shadows behind him, looking for any sign of movement, but there was nothing there. Suspecting whatever was following him was the source of the voice from earlier, David kept walking. So far, nothing had made him feel like it posed a threat, whatever it was, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out, either.
After a few more minutes of hacking through the forest David finally reached the clearing.
He found himself facing a large stone structure that was carved right out of the mountain. It had large, round pillars in the front supporting a massive overhang that covered a great patio-like section. There was a wide, mossy cobblestone path leading from the edge of the clearing up to the entrance of the structure, beyond which was a dark tunnel leading into the heart of the mountain.
David cautiously walked forward, checking his surroundings with every step he took and feeling very exposed in the wide clearing. The fact that the clearing existed at all told David that this structure was being maintained, otherwise the open area would have been overrun by the forest.
Time had a way of burying all the feats of mankind sooner or later, no matter how grand or important, if they were left to its whims.
David thought that the structure looked vaguely familiar, but he quickly shrugged off the thought, figuring it was just his imagination getting the best of him.
He knew he had never been to a place such as this – never knowing anywhere but the few square miles between the orphanage and the school system, which happened to be large enough to house all three levels of school – Elementary, Middle, and High School – a great way to ensure kids like him got picked on by bullies of all ages and sizes throughout their tenure.
When David reached the first of the large stone steps, he stood before the massive doorway. It was larger than it originally seemed and made him feel smaller than he had ever felt before.
When he finally mustered enough courage, David peeked inside. It was extremely dark, but he could see a small opening emitting a gentle light at the far end of the tunnel.
“David…” the voice came again, only stronger than before.
“What do you want with me? How do you know my name?” David screamed, his voice echoing down the dark corridor. But still he received no response.
A strong but gentle breeze slowly pushed against his back, urging him forward into the darkness of the mountain. He could feel that the voice and the breeze were connected, that they both wanted him to go into the structure and find whatever awaited him at the end of the tunnel. Something told him that the voice, whatever it was, wasn’t dangerous.
Oh boy…I’ve lost it. I’ve definitely lost it.
The breeze pushed him again, more forceful this time. “Okay! Okay! I’m going!” David shouted.
All right…here goes nothing. He swallowed his fear and slowly crossed the threshold of the doorway.
As he walked, he could feel the air around him dancing and swirling like a playful child, encouraging him to keep going. He had no clue what he would find when he reached the end, but something was urging him to keep moving – urging him to go and see what was at the end of the tunnel.
He felt something stirring within him, something he couldn’t explain, but it was growing stronger and stronger with every step he took to the point that he couldn’t turn back now even if he wanted; in fact, much to his own surprise, he didn’t want to turn back. He was compelled to keep going, driven by something natural, yet foreign from anything he had ever felt before.
By the time David had reached the doorway the uneasiness was gone, and his heart was racing uncontrollably. Sweat was beading on his forehead and his fingers were tingling with anticipation of what was to come.
The light had grown progressively brighter with each step he took and now he could see that it was pulsing. He could feel his heart nearly beating out of his chest. He was unsure whether it was fear or something else, but strangely it didn’t matter. All he knew was that he must continue, he must keep going. He took his first step through the doorway and into the light enshrouded room that lay beyond.
As his eyes adjusted, David found himself in a large circular chamber. A soft buzzing noise, like electricity, was echoing throughout the room. David wondered if there was some sort of machine producing the strange light and sound.
He looked around and his eyes caught something in the middle of the chamber - it was beautiful, and immediately his heart and mind exploded with a sense of purpose.
There it was – the source of his enchantment. It stood on a pedestal in the center of the room, surrounded by several large, decorated pillars with intricate carvings from top to bottom.
Beyond the pillars, masterfully woven tapestries lined the walls, each decorated with some fluid form of writing and ornate paintings depicting majestic landscapes, sprawling cities, and heroic battles.
On top
