A Hand-Woven Universe 44 44. The Fall Iii

The elders lined the halls leading towards the sanctuary.

The sanctuary was a sacred hall large enough to fit the entire population of Tapestry. It was a special chamber for life and death. It acted as the buffer between Tapestry, and the cemetery. Over the past eternity, endless numbers have died of old age. Thus, an enormous cemetery was built in a cavern above the city. The sanctuary was the only entrance. It was also an extremely well protected place.

As people pa.s.sed, all the elders could do was extend their energies and words in an attempt to calm the minds of the weary. They held ointments and healing herbs. They took the time to pull the injured aside and heal them personally, offering rea.s.suring words. The entire hall became filled with the energies of the elders creating an air of divinity throughout the caverns.

Gradually, the scared minds of the people began to calm down. The elders were the peak power in Tapestry. No matter what happened in the conclave, the elders were looked to as the beacon of strength. If they were going so far to do all this, it rea.s.sured the peoples' hearts.

They weren't stupid of course - and they knew all of this was meant to make them feel less scared. However, when someone is drowning in an ocean - any piece of floating driftwood is valuable enough to latch onto. To the people of Tapestry, the elders were their life rafts.

At the entrance of the sanctuary Elder Azelle stood alone.

He greeted every person that came through the doors beside him. Watching as the trickle of survivors slowed down even further. Men and women all injured and exhausted, their eyes red with tears. Elder Azelle had the eyes of every person burned into his mind.

He counted their arrival. Looking at the familiar faces, but his heart wrenched with pain at their grieved expressions.

In the middle of the night, the atmosphere of the whole of Tapestry s.h.i.+fted. Both he and Trisha were together and were the first to react. Initially they rushed towards the warehouse thinking something had occurred there. However, it was when they pa.s.sed through the city center that they realized that the sickness had not been contained.

On all sides they were surrounded by people who had been turned like Tahmel. He and Trisha both were extremely shocked. They reacted quickly, subduing them easily with Elder Azelle's attunement energy. However, neither had been ready for what occurred next. How could they be?

Suddenly the entire city exploded with light and heat. They turned to look at the forge just in time to see it send mountains worth of metal and stone into the air.

Heat exploded over them first - along with a percussive wave of sheer energy. Elder Azelle - though old - was not weak by any means. He quickly covered himself and Trisha in a bubble of water which took care of the heat and dampened the effect of the blast. However, in his rush, he could not do anything against the shrapnel which was launched from the forge.

A sharp piece of hot jagged stone cut through his barrier and hit Trisha, cutting a deep gash in her arm.

"Trisha!" Elder Azelle used his energy to move them behind the nearest building, attempting to avoid any more shrapnel.

"Here." He handed her a high-grade topical ointment to stop the bleeding. It had happened so quickly that despite the large gash, she had not lost an extensive amount of blood.

After the initial wave of heat and energy, the entire city became significantly warmer. The ground itself was hot enough in some places to burn the feet of the people who walked around – stifling smoke filled the air.

Elder Azelle shook his head. He refocused on the faces of the people entering the sanctuary. At the end of the tunnel he noticed Trisha approach, along with Elder Omias. Elder Azelle breathed a sigh of relief, although it was only momentary. He was happy Elder Omias survived.

"Omias, Trisha… stand with me and tell me what happened after we split up. The rest of you, if you are hurt you can receive treatment from the elders." He went back to watching his people enter the sanctuary. Various looks on their faces, but the same look in their eyes. Despair.

….

Nine hundred and nineteen. Elder Azelle's teeth were grit tight and his eyes bloodshot.

That was the final count after waiting an hour after the last person arrived.

Elder Azelle and Elder Omias stood in front of the door facing the hall. Their faces were extremely grim and full of grief. Trisha was sat inside towards the front of the hall reserved for elders - her back was against the wall and her knees were curled up into her chest.

She stared at nothing.

Porose was not there.

The elders who survived sat up towards the front, waiting for Elder Azelle.

Adria was not there.

The head of Adria's family was. He was sh.e.l.l shocked but still functional, the fire energy inside him protected his mind. But it came at its own price. Gradually, his fires cooled, and he too sunk into a depression.

Liter was not there. Not anywhere.

The atmosphere in the sanctuary was equally bad as the atmosphere in the city.

Finally, Elder Azelle and Elder Omias entered into the hall, closing the doors behind them. Elder Azelle looked back as the door shut closed, hoping a herd of people would round the corner before it shut.

But no one came.

With a very final-sounding clunk, the door to the sanctuary was locked tight. Except for Trisha who continued to stare at nothing, all eyes in the room went to The Elder.

Elder Azelle.

The beacon in the night. The raft in the storm. The leader of Tapestry.

Elder Azelle stood there with Elder Omias by his side.

He looked into the eyes of everyone present. All the pain and fear was burned into his mind. Into his heart. Into his soul.

I'm so sorry.

He let out a sigh and a deep blue breath escaped from his lungs. Under the elemental energy and the power of the robe - the breath spread out to everyone in the room. Everyone's eyes dazed, including the elders. Including Elder Omias.

Slowly, everyone began to lay down and their eyes shut, and their breathing slowed. Their breath did not stop, just slowed to an impossibly small rate.

Trisha's eyes cleared up for a moment as she looked towards elder Azelle. She said nothing though and her eyes gradually went back to how they were. Uncaring. She returned to staring at nothing. She was the only one not affected.

Elder Azelle's body shuttered, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Now that no one could see him, the tears that had been building inside him finally streamed back as he attempted to choke back cries of anguish.

He failed. Falling to his knees and crying in despair. The eyes of all the people seared into his soul, their pain and anxiety.

Some time pa.s.sed.

The sanctuary was quiet apart from the sound of Elder Hollice Azelle.

….

Adria laid on the ground in front of the entrance to the ancestral library.

A few hours ago, she had finished deciphering the 4 books she was working on and wanted to head out to stretch her legs and find Liter to ask him about Eephie.

After she put away the books and leaving the book by Eephie on the Table, she went to the door. When she reached out to touch the barrier though, her hand bounced off. Adria's eyes went wide.

Thinking it must have been a fluke, she reached out again a bit more forcefully. However, like before the barrier merely denied her access.

Her heart began to pound. She reached out again. But to no affect.

She struck out. But to no affect.

She tried to channel her energy into the barrier. But to no affect.

Hours pa.s.sed, and she tried everything she could think of.

"d.a.m.n!" She stared at the barrier, an anxiety had crept into her heart. Being stuck in a small room was unnerving as is. But when she thought about how she had not seen Liter in a while her anxiety mounted.

"If the barrier is rejecting me from exiting, could it be keeping them outside as well?" Her brain moved quickly, and the exhaustion she had from studying quickly vaporized as she tried to rationalize her situation.

"No… even if it was acting up, the elder would certainly be able to handle it." She recalled the power she felt when wearing the robe of The Ancestor. In her mind, adding that power into Elder Azelle's already overwhelming strength was more than enough to handle the barrier.

"So… I just need to wait for the Elder or Liter to realize and come sort it out." She thought carefully, taking a calming breath.

Thus, she waited. She laid on the ground and grabbed a book to read. If she was stuck there anyways, she might as well use the time efficiently, and gradually time pa.s.sed at what seemed like a crawl. She was unable to really focus on her studies as her mind drifted with subtle bouts of anxiety.

Hours pa.s.sed, but Adria was unsure how many. There was no way of telling time in the ancestral room. It was always well lit, so she could only rely on her internal clock.

As she was getting up to put the book away, she felt her ears pop. At first, she didn't react, however quickly she spun towards the door.

Elder Azelle was standing there looking at her.

"Elder." She let out a sigh of relief. When she realized how anxious she had been over nothing she felt silly.

"Come with me. Quickly." Elder Azelle did not wait for her to respond, but merely pa.s.sed through the barrier to the outside.

Adria stared at where the elder had been for a moment before reacting.

"There must be something very wrong with the barrier." She thought uncertainly.

Quickly she dashed towards the barrier, pa.s.sing through it swiftly. However, before she had time to rejoice… she realized she was within another barrier. It was blue and cool, almost like it was made of water.

Next to her stood Elder Azelle, who walked forward without waiting for Adria to catch on. Although he knew she was there and confused, his mind was thinking about too many things at the moment. He felt so tired.

Adria walked with the elder, staying as close to him as possible and looking through the barrier he was creating. Whatever reason he was doing this, she was afraid. Well and truly afraid.

Elder Azelle's face looked… blank. She couldn't tell what was on it. There was no happiness or exhaustion or worry. It just looked cold, almost… dead?

"Elder… What's going on?" She reached out in an attempt to draw him from of whatever trance he was in, but he did not respond or even react.

They pa.s.sed through the doorway of the library and out in the hall. Adria looked around but did not notice anything strange, apart from Elder Azelle.

"Elder… please." Adria's tone was pleading, she did not know what would cause this, but her fear was threatening to take over. Her mind was moving as fast as it could to come up with any possible explanation. Did it have to do with Noone? Or her? Or was it something else? Something from the desolate world maybe? Did it have to do with their journey?

"Elder…" He did not stop.

"Elder Azelle!" Adria stopped walking, the edge of the barrier surrounding the elder b.u.mped into her causing her to stumble a bit. Elder Azelle finally stopped walking. When he turned around and made eye contact with Adria, she felt like lightning bolts were cras.h.i.+ng around her skull. The pain caused her to grip her head, stumbling to her knees.

"I'm sorry Adria," He stretched out his hands and put two fingers on each of her temples, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Adria's eyes had tears coming out of them from the pain. Elder Azelle's robes flared out and energy pierced through her mind. Memories and thoughts filtered through her brain at light speed.

The cough. Liter. Trisha. Tahmel. Pride. Elder Omias. The sick. The forge. The rest of the city. Everyone… the sanctuary.

Blood flowed out of her nose and she collapsed into the elder's arms. He easily lifted her body, carrying her the rest of the way.

The halls were silent, no footsteps could be heard. He felt so lost.

The door to the elder's hall opened and he stepped through, sealing it behind him. Finally, he released the barrier around his body.

The reason he had set it up was to keep any viruses that might be in the air away from Adria, he wasn't sure if it would help… but it was better than nothing. He wasn't as worried about the air in the Elders Hall. Elemental energy perfused throughout the walls, purging the air from anything vile.

Once the barrier was dropped, Adria began to regain consciousness. Her head throbbed, and she felt her nose which had stopped bleeding. She instinctually licked her top lip, tasting the blood that had been there.

The memories that were injected into her consciousness was everything Elder Azelle knew about the situation. Even though she had pa.s.sed out from the shock, while she was unconscious her mind still absorbed them like they were her own.

This included what he was planning to do now.

"Elder…" She choked out the word through her crying. She hadn't even realized she was in tears until she tried to speak.

"I'm sorry Adria… but there's no time." Elder Azelle shook his hood. "I don't understand what's going on… but I have my fears. However, no matter what it is, it's very possible our survival depends on the world above."

"Come with me Elder! I don't want to go alone!" She shouted. Her mental connection through the common heritage was growing weaker. He shook his head again.

"I must stay here Adria. These are my people. I am responsible for them. Even if we are all to die-"

"Don't say that!" Adria's eyes were red with fire and tears. There was an endless amount of energy in her soul. "Bring everyone! Come with me to the surface!"

"The surface is far too dangerous for an already broken Tapestry… I will force everyone into a hibernation here. If you return one day, you can wake us up. Also, someone should be here for when Noone returns… no?" Elder Azelle too was being affected, his exhaustion and fear was all compounding on each other.

Adria didn't respond. She was attempting to hold back her tears, but they kept falling.

"Come Adria. You must go on ahead. Eventually you will return… or we will follow you. I promise."
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Elder Azelle turned around and placed his hands against the far wall of the cavern his hands shook with exhaustion and veins protruded noticeably across them.

Adria stepped up next to the elder, watching as the wall in front of them began to glow with blue lights like the ocean. Immense power pa.s.sed through the elder's palms.

In front of them, the wall simply disappeared as though it had never been there. A long straight tunnel stretched on for what looked like forever. There were no sun-stones in the tunnel, and unlike the rest of Tapestry it smelt like completely stale air. Although probably just as old as the rest of Tapestry, it seemed much much older.

"Go… this will take you to the surface. From there… you will have to fight. No one knows what it's like up there.

You will be alone. But not really. Not truly. I will always be with you, as will the rest of Tapestry." He stared down the tunnel, there was a small urge inside of him to escape. Just to leave with Adria and forget the horrors here… however… he merely shook his head.

"Elder…"

"No more words Adria… Get going." He looked at her, and she looked back. After being given some of his memories, she could now see the fear and exhaustion on his face. It was clear as day and she wondered how she missed it before.

She took a step forward into the tunnel, however she couldn't hold back from looking behind her. Just as she did though, a robe was shoved into her hands and she was forced back a step. Noiselessly the door behind her closed.

Using the illumination from the lines of power on her body she saw clear gold designs on the robe. This is… the ancestors robe?

She fell to her knees as the reality of what this meant hit her.

She cried out as she clutched the robe against her body. Her whole body shook with pain and grief. Her voice echoed down the tunnel endlessly.

In a matter of moments… her entire world had been turned upside down.

Her voice grew hoa.r.s.e as she cried and cried. She felt the whole world around her had crumbled and no number of tears could fix it. Nothing could fix it. And that terrified her.

….

Elder Azelle heard none of this… but he could only imagine her pain.

He turned and left towards the sanctuary… without looking back.

….

In the residential area of the city a door creaked open.

Porose stepped through holding a bottle of alcohol. It was a special bottle he had been working on for hundreds of years. Something he was entirely proud of.

He shut the door behind him and fell back against the door and slid down sitting against it.

On the door behind him there was a trail of blood. Porose was pale and his eyes were red. His whole right side was stained with blood, and if anyone had been there, they would be scared at how he looked.

"d.a.m.n! You know, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are really too scary." Across from him he eyed the tied-up figure of Tahmel.

"You want to know how they did this!?" He waved the bottle towards Tahmel with one arm. He only had one arm to wave, his right one was gone.

"With their d.a.m.n teeth! That's how!" He continued to grumble to himself while he fought to open the liquor with one hand. Eventually he gave up though and unceremoniously used his teeth to uncork it.

"If it had been anything but their teeth…" He sighed as he looked at his former brother. The creature that was Tommy was still conscious, however it was calm unlike before.

"I guess… I will be joining you soon enough." He downed half the bottle before coughing some up along with blood.

He just chuckled bitterly to himself…

"I really do hope…" He looked at Tommy, "I really do hope Tapestry gets through this."