Gamleon's Tail ~ Welcome to the worlds of : Within ~

Prologue

Meanwhile, far away, the princess and her small retinue drew ever closer to the openings of the cavernous mines. With a minds eye full of stories from childhood, amazing wonders beyond comprehension, of things that seemed to whir and tick, metal creations said to move on their own, with no beating heart, no hand to guide them. She noticed others inspecting their expensive purebred steeds, realizing even they would surely not make the rest of this foolhardy journey. They had to find shade or shelter, set up camp, or create something to get these magnificent animals out of the deadly, beating sun. If they let them die now, they would have no chance of making it back. They couldn't afford to let their mounts die. Period.

As the princess and her companions rode onward, she started rambling about something that filled them with much-needed hope: a small oasis, it seemed, hidden away in the foothills of the not-too-distant mountains. The greenery she imagined was sparse—a small pool of water fed by a natural spring shimmered invitingly in the distance. It would be the answer to their prayers.

The princess urged her shaking steed forward, eager to reach the sanctuary, with confused and desperate companions following close behind. She lashed her mount, picking up the pace, weary eyes lighting up at the sight of the cool, refreshing water. But alas, as they approached, the mirage shimmered and disappeared. Youth held her heart already heavy, but it sank even lower. She checked her water skin as the blue and purple paints dripped off her huge destrier and sizzled on the loose desert sand. She took a small sip past her cracking lips and then gently stroked her loyal steed, its eyes already glazed over with thirst and exhaustion. They were so far from the comfort of their daily lives of ease and routine that she wondered: if she turned them around now, could they still make it back? Would she lead them all to their deaths?

Doubt began to seep its way in. Thoughts of her father and the strict rules she was trying to assert herself against all seemed so petty now, childish even, as the faces of her attendants clearly showed fear and doubt. She raised her hand and was about to speak when her stable boy pointed something out to her. And then, from the corner of her eye, she saw it.

She rubbed at her hot, burning face and then stopped her horse. There it was something else a glint of metal, half-buried in the sand. Another mirage?

She motioned to her exhausted, dehydrated servants to help her dismount. Walking slowly, they opened the parasol above her head. She went over to the strange metallic object, looking down at her hand. Slowly, she reached her fingers toward the object, and sure enough, it was burning hot in the desert sun. She took out gloves from a small pack about her waist, not putting them on but instead using them to cover the end of the strange rod. She began trying to move it back and forth, noticing its tendency to shift around a little. She tried pulling on it. Easy at first then harder and harder. Trying to understand if she could pull it free or take it out of the sand. No such luck.

Whatever it was, it was beautifully made the handle adorned with deeply engraved ornamentation reminiscent of a style from a long past and better times. The small pock-like indentations may have once been inlaid with angled jewels or crystals. Now, as she moved it about, she noticed that it wiggled a little more each time. Unsure of what it was, she motioned to one of her advisers to come and have a look as well.


Not all that far away, Earth and Sky moved around the perimeter of the crumbling dam. They saw that once it must have had some type of large painted signs on boards, but they had long since become unreadable, only tiny bits of paint and pigment still clung to them. They were weathered to the point of almost turning to dust as she tried to touch them.

Earth looked towards Sky and asked, "Are you sure you really want to do this? Are you sure you understand what will happen?"

Sky laughed in the way that she always did and said, "What are you so worried about? I can always just grab you and we can go back into the clouds. We can always just go back home. But wouldn't it be nice to have a long, cool drink chase some big fish? You said you wanted to see these lands flourish again. Bring all of the green that you love so much back. Wouldn't you love to see this field covered with flowers? Wouldn't you love to see the giant fish in these dried, ancient rivers returned? I know I would. What are we waiting for? Help me. Let's bring this thing down. Do something good for a change. Let's make it happen."

Far away from the cool breezes of dams or the sounds of water, the princess nodded, her brows furrowed with determination. She motioned for her bedraggled servants to gather around her, forming a loose circle. They exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions a mix of trepidation and anticipation. The princess took a deep breath and addressed them.

"Does anyone recognize this lever or the lands of the people who may have made it? Does anyone have any idea what moving it forward or backwards may do?"

Taybien, an elder wizened-looking man with a flowing beard he often stroked, had been her long-trusted advisor since her earliest days of childhood. Slowly, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, may I suggest choosing one of these," as he gestured towards the slaves and servants, "one of these that just don't look as though they're going to make it. Have one of them push it and pull it while the rest of us move back to a safe distance to observe what does or does not happen. If nothing happens to her, then wonderful. But if something does, at least it's not someone important."

The princess seemed to understand immediately. She said yes. "Speak to the advisors and make it so."

Taybien nodded and turned to address the group. "All right, you all heard her. Let's move back a safe distance." He pointed to a familiar disheveled servant girl who had once rejected his many sexual advances and said, "You, come forth and do as you're told. Wrap some of your clothing around this handle and pull on it backwards as hard as you possibly can." Obediently, the servant girl did exactly what she was told this time. The servant began to pull while the others moved back. The princess watched intently, dabbing away sweat, her heart pounding with both fear and excitement. As the lever began to move, a loud grumbling, clanking, and then a startling boom was heard, the sand around them shifted, revealing more of some timeworn carvings. The princess's breath caught in her throat as she saw glimpses of a time long past when this land must have been teeming with life and beauty. As her thoughts raced, excitement building in her, a massive portion of the sand and of the very land and earth itself simply fell away, revealing a vast cavern, like an opening. Dust and sand were swirled up in a blinding wall, causing much choking and gagging for quite some time as stale and foul air escaped the yawning massive door. The princess instinctively rubbed at her now very dirty face as cool tears rolled down her off colored eyes.

The servant girl, still grasping the lever, let out a shrill cry of shock and disbelief. The whole thing had finally given way fully, its elaborate mechanism grinding to life after centuries of stillness. A massive door, carved from the same stone as everything else, creaked open, revealing a vast, dusty chamber beneath. The chamber itself was, of course, pitch black in its darkness, the sun barely able to illuminate, the light dancing off partially hidden statues and frescoes. Their colors and patterns still vibrant. Immediately telling wordless stories from a better place and a time long forgotten. The princess gasped, her big watery eyes now wide with childlike wonder. She couldn't believe the myths and the stories of her foreign nurses had any merit, but, there it was Nemea.

The stale air was cool and damp, a welcome relief from the oppressive heat above. The chamber seemed to stretch out and branch off in every possible direction, its many walls adorned with intricate carvings and paintings. Most of the art centered on depicting scenes of peace and prosperity, not the usual war and conquerors she had come to expect. Their torches flickered as they moved slowly along, casting shadows across the dust hidden floor. In the center of the chamber stood a flowing fountain, its basin carved from a single piece of very beautiful marble from lands unknown.