Wednesday, May 11, 2011

131

Orphic tugged on the door ring and the door lifted from the floor with the creaking sound of old wood. The smells of stale air and must wafted up from the dark steps below. He could hear running water as it traveled over stones.

"You'll have to carry the torch Hallie. I won't be much use with the boy in my arms." Without a word Hallie began to make her way out of the room they were in and into the classroom. "Will we be safe down there?" Orphic asked. "If the temple collapses will the sewers hold?"

"The sewers are older than the city." Hallie said, her voice echoing to Orphic from the classroom. "They were originally carved from natural underwater river formations by an ancient culture long before the Tyrants or the Electorate or Cap-Sebastian. It's fascinating really. When the Tyrants were extending the city they discovered the sewers and expanded them to suit their needs. No records or tools remain of the original creators, but the lead engineer for the Tyrants kept a detail log book the still remains in the Library. He believed that the tunnels were expanded by hand over generations." Hallie re-entered the room with a lit torch in her left hand. She walked carefully holding the flame in the air and well away from the infant squirming in her arms. "To think that the construction of something like this would spend generations if amazing to me. I share the late Engineers belief that there must have been some religious need for the tunnels, else why how could the people be convinced to dig them?"

"Maybe their was wealth in the rock?"

"Maybe," Hallie stepped down the stairs and into the sewers. "But such and intricate system for water removal and delivery? Wouldn't they just mine everything if that was the case..."

Hallie's voice was lost to Orphic as it dropped into the tunnels. She's forgotten where she is. She talks for herself now wrapping herself in the trappings of the past. Comfort then can be found.

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