Free Into Oblivion (Book 4) by Shawn E. Crapo Page A

therefore it is detectable. Theia is hidden, unable to use her energy to fully affect this world. She can only be an observer, if even that. Her energy is not present anywhere but her own prison.”
    Khalid sighed. “I feel for her,” he said. “Such great sadness. Such solitude.”
    “Needless to say, she’s probably not in the most organized and rational state of mind.”
    The grotto led to a great stairway that led down into the darkness. Still circular, the walls and ceiling sloped downward, keeping with the plane of the stairway. Along either side of each step, a small green orb glowed with the energy of the Earth, lighting their path in a pleasant, yet somewhat eerie light.
    “It stretches down as far as I can see,” Khalid said.
    “The Vault is deep,” Dagda answered. “It lies just outside the Great Inner Worlds; layers, within the Earth, that are worlds in their own right. We will be traveling to the innermost layer. It is the only place this spirit may exist.”
    “I was thinking earlier,” Khalid said, following Dagda down the stairs. “If Theia is a Mother spirit, then surely she could have created some Firstborn.”
    “That is possible,” Dagda agreed.
    “I would, if, for any other reason, to have someone to talk to.”
    Dagda grinned. “Mother spirits are not as needy when it comes to companionship. Even those that choose to create life do so only for their amusement, and for the store of universal knowledge. They are servants of the cosmos, existing only to provide experience for the entities that share it with the creator.”
    Khalid shrugged. “My only concern is with this world,” he said. “The stars and the rest of the… matter out there concern me not.”
    “That is very close-minded, Khalid,” Dagda joked.
    “This coming from a flying creature that spends all of his time in a cave… not flying.”
    The Dragon laughed loudly, his booming voice echoing through the grotto. Khalid joined him.
    The journey was quite enjoyable so far; for both of them.
     
    The stairway ended after what seemed like a day of descending. At the bottom, a great granite door stood. It was carved with symbols that Khalid recognized as the Druaga’s language. In the center of the door, a wheel was carved. It was separated into twelve sections, each one representing the months of the year. Inside were countless concentric circles that depicted the layers within the surface of the Earth; each one, the Dragon had said, worlds of their own.
    “Beyond this door is the most interesting chamber you will ever witness, Khalid.”
    “I can’t wait,” Khalid replied.
    The Dragon held his hands out before him, chanting in a language Khalid did not recognize. Symbols on the door began to glow, each one coming to life with every word the Dragon spoke. Then, the Dragon was silent, concentrating on finishing… whatever he was doing. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, smiling at Khalid.
    “We have been welcomed,” he said. “The Great Mother knows our purpose, and she approves.”
    “That is good.” Khalid replied.
    From behind the door, a loud grinding noise was heard. The wheels in the center of the carving began to spin in opposite directions, forming some sort of combination that would open the chamber in the right configuration. Then, the wheels stopped, and many of the symbols went out. The others moved across the surface of the door, coming together in what looked like a mathematical formula.
    The rumbling behind the door increased in magnitude, causing the grotto to shake enough to make Khalid uncomfortable.
    “What is happening?” he asked.
    “Relax, Khalid,” Dagda said. “The door is merely opening for us.”
    After the rumbling had subsided, the wheels in the center of the door began to grow. They expanded to the size of the grotto, each one disappearing into the next and creating a pathway for the two to pass.
    Now, the entire door frame was gone, and a single, wide pathway was revealed,