The Moonlit Curse

Ch 28: Profound Nothingness

It was as cold in the morning as it had been when they arrived, even with August keeping the stove full of fresh wood all night. The fruit and oats they stewed for breakfast wasn't hot enough, and even the water boiled for tea wasn't enough to keep her from shivering. The worst was that it was just her. August wasn't bothered at all, and even dressed in a few layers less when they finally left the cabin to head in the direction of the First Village.

They left the horses behind in the stable, which meant they couldn't be going far. Kiya kept close, using the trench August carved in the deep snow to her advantage, but also so she could reach out and touch him if she needed to ground herself to the present.

It was impossible to ignore the persistent vision of the village that no longer existed. They passed by and through different people, and the hum of everyday life surrounded her. They spoke in a language similar enough to the common tongue that she got the gist of every conversation she heard. The more she tried to tune it out, the louder the voices got. She just wanted it to stop!

Suddenly, she collided with August's hard body and bounced back. He managed to catch her elbow and keep her from falling in the snow, raising an eyebrow at her gloved hands covering her ears. "In here and a little further," he told her. "It should be less crowded in there."

Kiya blinked and looked past him at the small building standing against the rock wall. It was hardly any bigger than a woodshed, so she imagined there was more beyond. Not a single one of the consistent visions of the villagers were coming anywhere close. If anything, they were avoiding it. "What is this place?" she asked through chattering teeth.

"Hadyn says it's the center of all magic in the area. I don't know how true it is, but it will be easier for you to focus your sight here."

He opened the door and stepped back to let Kiya go in first. As she suspected, the small wooden hut was just the opening to a large opening to a tunnel that led deep into the mountain. But when August closed the door behind them and cast them into a temporary darkness, a delightful warmth surrounded them. Kiya managed to take a deep breath of relief as her shivering began to subside. "How is it so warm?" she asked, following his lead and taking off her cloak and coat underneath. "And why aren't we sleeping in here?"

"People don't sleep in temples," he snorted, lighting a lantern waiting for them.

"I thought you said you've been to the capital," she retorted jokingly. "People sleep in temples all the time."

August just rolled his eyes and started down the long, dark tunnel. They walked deeper and deeper down, stopping every few hundred feet to light another lantern mounted on the wall. They kept walking until there wasn't any sign of the door where they entered. Eventually, the tunnel finally opened into an enormous cavern. While August made his way around the room to light the torches, Kiya stopped dead in her tracks.

There were three other tunnels leading off from the cavern, each one with an elaborate and distinct symbol carved above the entrance to guide the way. But what drew her attention was the enormous statue of the goddess carved out of the back wall. Just like the pendant around Kiya's neck, and unlike the more common depiction of her, one of the goddess's hands was reaching for the sky while the other held a sword at her side. A pack of wolves was carved around her legs. Different colored gems were set in their eyes, and they were carved with so much detail that the flickering light of the torches made them look alive.

The whole cavern felt alive. It was as warm and welcoming as the inn back in Silverkeep. A collection of furs and cushions were spread around the ground directly in front of the statue, making a comfortable place for guests and travelers to rest and pray.