Chapter 7 - The Temple
I thought that when Morgan said exploration, he meant journeying with me to far away places and coming back full of treasure or answers. Never did I know that it would mean an hour of cajoling and persuasion to get ME to do the exploring for him. Perhaps the effects of the miracle fruit have run out?
I was at the entrance of the mouth of a cave. It looked like it wanted to swallow me, or any passers by. No fear, I told myself. I had a lantern - a special one from Highlands - and a bagful of berries. I am alone, but it doesn't mean I'm at a disadvantage. I am ready.
So how did it come to this?
_*_*_*_
Dawn was making way for morning. I rose up to prepare oatmeal for Papa, but he was determined to prove that he can care for himself alone, and is capable of more. He made the oatmeal with a few Pechas mixed in for flavor. He even made his own morning medicine!
"You're so stubborn, Papa," I greeted him.
"And you as well," he replied back with an appreciative smile. "I heard you became a hit with the Basic students. The Market is bustling about the Fire Treecko in the school."
We both laughed at that.
"Thanks to your show, this generation's Valer explorers will never have to deal with unpalatable grub. Our secret, though, is no longer a secret," he added sadly. He took pride in the flint and steel technique.
"Don't worry, Papa, I taught them the other method," and by that, I was referring to using pieces of wood and friction. Papa was somewhat relieved by that.
"Still, I am proud of you. You'd make a good explorer."
Morgan knocked at our door. He often visits early in the morning, but not often this early. We let him in and offered oatmeal, which he gladly accepted.
"Ms. Wingull said that you could take the Basics test and, if you pass, start studying Advanced!" He announced.
"That's great! But that means that I'll be ahead of you. Are you okay with that?"
Morgan let the oatmeal sit on his mouth as he thought. He swallowed and said, "I have a fan club, and I want to progress with them."
I'm not the type to laugh at Morgan suddenly, but this time, I couldn't stifle it. I was shaking and going red as I tried hard to stifle my laughter.
"I'm serious, Ver!" He whined, voice shaky with laughter as well.
"A fan club? But it's your first day at school!"
"I told them about Glimmer's journal."
"But it's an unsolved mystery."
My mind went back to how we even had it. And then to Roman's warning. It was like being hit with icy water. He told me not to mention Glimmer. What if news reach him fast? I wanted to tell Morgan about it, but the thought of ruining his day stopped me.
I finished breakfast and said goodbye to Papa. Morgan was eager to see if I'll pass the Basics test. I was confident that I would, even though I haven't read any books yet.
The school already had its students by the time we arrived. It was a group of Basics, little Pokemons that greeted Morgan as soon as we stepped in. I pointed at them as if to say, "Your fan club?" And he replied with a nod. Ms. Wingull was, as usual, perched on her desk.
"I am here to take the test," I said, earning 'Oooh's from Morgan's fan club. She handed me a bunch of papers. It was easy. They contained simple questions, such as the effects of a Berry, what dungeons are, and little bits of Valer history.
"I'd have your final test to build a campfire, but you're already skilled at that. So I'll say: You passed! You should start reading Advanced books now, but don't neglect the Basics as well."
It was not mandatory to pass the test; it was only a guide on how much we were progressing as explorers. Still, it felt great to know that I am ready for more difficult lessons. I wanted to tell Papa that I passed, even though it was expected, so I headed home.
And met Jerome, alone, on the schoolyard.
"Oh look, you've passed Basics. I thought you'd linger for a while," he greeted me with the usual mocking.
"Good morning to you as well, Jerome," I returned.
"You still can't compare to me. I'm an Expert,"
A self proclaimed Expert, "and I can prove it to you."
"By running away from fire?" I mocked him.
"By having an exploration race."
He announced it like I even knew what it was.
"Another one of your farce, Jerome?"
He ignored me. "We will open a map and pick dungeons we agree to explore. The one who comes back with the most treasures - obviously me - shall win."
We marched in the schoolyard and plucked the atlas and turned it to the map page. It showed Valer Community at the southwest edge of the map, and the Highlands at the east. In little letters were the names of dungeons.
"I will go with Summer Woods," he declared, pointing at a thick green patch north of Valer Woods.
"Fine, I will go with... Loudred Cave?"
He snapped the map close. "It's settled, then. Bring your own exploration team and come back two days later with your spoils, if you even manage to return."
Jerome exited the school. I turned around to see Morgan with an anxious expression. I came to him and told him about what happened.
"He's terrible," Morgan said after my story.
"Karma'll get him someday. I need help, by the way. Want to explore Loudred Cave with me?"
_*_*_*_
Thinking back, it didn't go so well.
I summoned up a reckless courage, muttered my new words as an explorer, "Whatever," and sprinted towards the cave. The lantern swung wildly as I brought it, but the light never went out. It warded off darkness and let me see a few feet in front of me. When I felt the familiar tug on my legs that told me to stop, I stopped.
There wasn't anything special about the Loudred Cave. It was just a greyish brown wherever the light reached. I kept walking, hoping to see anything interesting at all. But nothing was appearing at all. I was ready to accept defeat. And that's when I heard the rumblings.
I was a fool to be uplifted, because the next moment, I was running for my life. The sound came from the entrance of the cave, and whatever it was, it could crush me. I couldn't tell if it was a rush of boulders or a stampede of beastly Pokemons. All I knew was that running would save me.
The cave narrowed and took hard turns. If the sound were boulders, they'd stop. But they didn't, which means they were something else. I looked back, but there's only so much light my lantern could let me see. I did the foolish thing of spitting seeds as I ran, which almost made me run into a wall.
Focus on running, I told myself. My feet were sore and bleeding from the rough terrain, but adrenaline forced me forward. I saw the ceiling slowly coming down on me.
The ceiling, Arceus help me!
The grinding of stone against stone mingled with the sound chasing me. My feet felt the ground turn cold and smooth, but I couldn't stop to observe or inspect it. I leapt at the last moment, throwing my body forward as the ceiling crashed onto the ground. It quaked slightly, and the rumblings stopped.
My breathing was audible enough for me to notice it. My legs and feet felt like they were exposed to hell. My chest ached, heaving up and down, as I tried to control my breathing. Tears from pain, fear, and confusion blurred my eyes. I wiped them away. The lantern was still firm in my grip. I sat up and held up my light source. Aside from the ground, which looked like it was made from black smooth stone, I couldn't tell where I was or what the place was made of. Only that it felt cold to the touch, and surprisingly tile-smooth.
I yelled, "Hello?" Which was a stupid thing, because no one would be here. Or if there was, I just intruded, and they'd think I was after their treasures or their territory. When in fact, I was only after my life...my survival.
The shout echoed, which means I was in an enclosed room. I estimated it to be as large as the whole Elders' Hall, but it could be bigger. I walked in no direction in particular, but I had to get somewhere. The lamplight met a wall and I was awed.
The walls were painted. I waved the lantern up and saw figures drawn in black. They depicted a story, it seemed, but I was absorbed in the beauty of it. I walked around the wall, basking in the magic and wonder of my discovery. I almost fell when the floor descended to stairs. I sticked to the walls as I descended.
When I took my eyes of the wall, the faint glow of something in the center of the room attracted my attention. I moved to it to find out that it was a lectern carved from blackened willow, with a musty-smelling piece of cloth covering the top. I removed the cloth, making a cloud of dust burst. There was a single candle on it.
Curious, I took out a match and lit the candle. My lantern was powered by something else, not fire. But the candle didn't burn. I lit the match again and held it to the wick. The wick looked flammable, but it didn't burn. Frustrated, I lit the match again and did the same. I never noticed that the room brightened.
Brightened, by the roof. Which was very strange. It glowed, lighting up the whole room just enough to see details. The black floor made it look like I was standing on abyss. When I turned back, I saw a mural, glowing like the roof. It depicted a peaceful green scenery, bordered by an ominous black that seemed to claw at it.
"Amazing," I muttered.
"The shadows are nothing to be amazed of."
I jerked as I whipped back. Roman was at the opposite side of the lectern, staring at me warily.