Wynlynn’s Reflections 5

We float slowly down the long tunnel of light to softly land in a large empty room made of stone. As we open the only door in the room and head out, we are looking over a large plaza surrounded up neatly manicured trees and on the far end is a large staircase leading up a stone temple of some sort. Around the temp there was no ground but bright light seemed to emanate from below. I look up and expanse is so big I can’t any type of ceiling though we are underground and there must be one. This is certainly the strangest place I have ever seen. 

As we walk up the cobblestone street in the direction of the large temp, we start to notice the activity of small spherical metal creatures who wirl in and out of holes formed in the sides of the street. They pick up leaves and anything out of place with metal tong like hands that extend out from their bodies when needed. Val picks a leaf off a nearby tree and drops by her feet and waits a moment. A spherical robot comes whirling out of a nearby hole, heading straight for the leaf. Before it can grab the leaf and leave, Val reaches down and grabs it. She holds it up and examine the metal creature. A metal arm extends out and starts to stab at Val’s hand.

“Ouch,” Val gives a small cry of surprise.

“Put it down,” I tell her adimitly. It stabs her several more times. “Put it down!” I try again. It stabs her again. Reluctantly she puts the creature down and it rushes off and back down the hole it came from. I check Val’s hand turning it over in my own as blood wells up from the small stab wounds. She pulls her hand away from me looking annoyed that she couldn’t keep the things. She smears off the blood with her other hand and heads to catch up with the others who are still heading up the road, Travis in the lead.

As we approach the grand stairway heading upwards towards the large stone temple, we see that the road goes to the right and left, ending just a short ways up, surrounded by stone archways filled with swirling purple light. Portals perhaps? Travis heads to the left to get a closer look and then we see two warforged approaching, each larger than Travis and made of metal gears.

They great Travis, not in the friendly manner of the guards above, but in a mechanical way. They immediately state that the rest of us are not authorized and the one closest to us immediately lashes out at Val. She is nearly knocked unconscious with justone blow, just barely staying on her feet. I yell at the others to run and we quickly turn to go. Teal, who is always a quick thinker in battle, summons a fog surrounding our two attackers and covering our retreat. Travis does not run with the rest of us but instead tries repeatedly to argue with the large mechanical men, telling them we are authorized to be here. As we run we hear the request repeatedly denied.

Triavis does not stop his attempts pleading once again that we are authorized. As suddenly as it began, one voice calls out, “Authorization confirmed,” and the fight is over. As the fog slowly clears the large war forges turn towards the trees and start to trim any branches that sticking out from the rest in the sights sign of disorder. Small spherical robots rush around their feet cleaning up the dropped foliage as they trim the trees. 

Travis calls to come back and continue our exploration assuring us that is fine now. We are very wary to continue, now knowing that we are very out matched by those that would guard this place and that, unlike Travis, we are not welcome. Still, we go because if we don’t, I am not sure he will be willing to leave with us, and we don’t have the heart to leave him in this strange place alone. What are we even doing together as a group if not to watch each others back as we search out for what it is we seek in this world? If we do not help Travis uncover his past, now the immediate danger has passed, how could we ask each other to help us when our time of need arises? 

So we go forward, this time heading up the larger steps towards the door at the top that leaning into the temple. Val who usually rushes to the front of the group eager to see what is around the next corner stays back, still seriously injured from our attackers, who even now stand not too far away pruning a tree. I stay with her, never willing to let her out of my sight in such a dangerous place as we find ourselves in. 

Travis and Agenar are at the top of the steps now and open the doors, slowing heading into the temp and out of sight. I look over the edge of stairs at the fantastic sight of nothing, no ground, no nothing, just light shining up at us in this cavernous chamber far underground. I don’t have much time to look before we hear the commotion and shouting from inside the temple.

Val, in no state to fight, immediately informs the group that she is running and off she goes back the way we came. I go after her for my place it at her side. As I reach the doors at the other end of the plaza I see Val just ahead of me stepping into the beam of light and being gently lifted upwards, floating back to the surface. I look back at the others. Most of our partly is fleeing now but I can just make out Travis and Agenar just inside the doors of the temple with another large metal warforged standing over Travis. I can’t make out what is happening and even if I could, there is nothing I can do for my friends now but hope that they make it out alive. With that I turn and follow Val back up to the surface.