Chapter 1 – Pathways
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legends fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Contemporary Age by some, an Age that had long arrived, an Age present, the deafening silence rang like massive bronze bells against the sturdy rocky walls of the caves that crept within the Southern Phillian Mountain Range. The silence was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor ends to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.
Within one dark passageway one brave and strong soul dared to explore the mysteries that were hidden within, afraid not of the many dangers that linger just around the bends and hidden amidst the scattered rocks and boulders. Commissioned by his superiors, supported by his friends and pushed by his belief in his responsibilities as a Stand of the Northern Coast Society, Mariuz Zamora braved onward into the abysmal lengths of the tunnel, carrying with him his trusty Crimson Long Sword on one hand and a small flashlight on the other.
"Uhum! Uhum! It's so dusty here that it's hard to breathe!" Marius complained of the atmosphere presented to him by the passageway. Fifteen years old and five foot four in height, the young boy was a striking young lad, pretty in some ways but hardened in others. His black hair split into two partitions as it traveled down his face, almost covering his dark brown eyes before coming to rest down on his chin. Behind, his hair swooped down until his shoulders; nevertheless, it was tamed by a band just fastened just above his neck. "It just astounds me as to why I even consider going on missions like these!"
Sometimes his foot stumbled out of misplaced, protruding stones on the groung. Sometimes his skin was cut by sharp rocks by the walls. Sometimes his mind played tricks upon him of ghosts and goblins that lurked within these cramped passageways that seemed to stretch out and lead into hell itself. And yet he wasn't deterred. He had a job to do – to inspect this anomalous source of mystical energy spotted by the Society's Information Network a few weeks before – and he wasn't about to return empty handed. He was going to solve this mystery on his own, it was his duty and for that his pride as a Stand was at stake.
At least you could've asked Jun to come along! Val, Marius' other identity, complained to the man in charge. Ever since time immemorial, the more aggressive and the more irate Val shared the same body with the more subtle and rational Marius. Val had tried on some occassions to take command of the outer shell and, on a few instances, it was the other way around. Nevertheless, neither Val nor Marius was able to get rid of the other. Fate determined for the single body to be shared between the two and for that both Marius and Val had learned to coexist with each other… probably until the time comes when one left or passed away. This mission is sooo… boring! It's the same scene over and over again! Aahhhh… I hate this! I wish someone was here to break the silence!
But for now they were friends… if you could describe their relationship as that.
"No! If Allan said that this mission is good for one then I believe him," Marius retorted to himself, flashing his light down another long and dark path that seemed nothing different from the rest that he had passed through. "Besides, you have me to keep you company."
Ha! I always have you to keep me company and frankly I'm sick and tired of it! Erika! Now that's a great idea! I'm kinda missing that girl already! She's always a good one to tease now and then! Ha! That girl's full of spirit that it's just thrills me to see her explode whenever I mock her. C'mon! Call her and make her join us!
"Shut up, Val! Leave Erika out of this! I won't let you bother her as long as I'm in control of this body!" Marius shouted to himself, his voice echoing through the tunnel, seemingly steering up a few critters from far within. He heard the animals return the favor, screaming likewise with their high pitched, screeching voices; nevertheless, he wasn't frightened a bit. He continued on within, eyeing the walls and the ground for his own safety.
Ahhhh!!! you're no fun, Marius! Whatever happened to the boy that had all that time for fun? What happened to the carefree lad that…
"Hush, Val!" Marius suddenly ordered, keenly observing his surroundings. Something was different. Something was there that wasn't during the minutes before. "Do you hear that? It's… sounds… like… crashing… flowing… dripping… WATER!!!"
Marius needed not to wait for Val to answer back. He knew what it was and there was no mistake about it. Gathering up his feet, the young lad scampered off into the dark crevices of the tunnel, using the musical sound of water to be his guide though the unseen path. As the man turned corners and climbed over boulders, the sound became stronger and clearer – a voice that beckoned him to work harder, faster, and to push himself to the limit. He felt it coming closer, the scene coming nearer and nearer as he trudged over stones, brushing away strands of who knows what as they swept across his face. And when he saw light far across the tunnel, he knew that his search has finally ended. Gathering up his sword, he scurried for the opening, caring not if danger awaited him from the faraway exit. Steps rang against the walls, his breath echoing along with it.
And then Marius eyes were greeted by light.
It was one of the most beautiful sights that Marius had seen in a long while, probably second to his five second vision of heaven he had envisioned from memories long past. The rays of the sun shone from the large, circular crevice from high above, casting its warm rays which filled the enormous rock chasm bottom he had emerged out from. The faint sound of rushing water that he heard came from the miniature waterfall that swiftly fell across on the opposite wall, creating a small spring that trailed off towards the right as it entered a much smaller tunnel that Marius doubted he would fit in. Small patches of green lined the walls, some were grass, ferns and small growths, others were just plain, simple algae. But in any case, it was a welcomed change of scene from the rocky pathway he had trudged through for over numerous of hours passed. Truly it was a remarkable sight, a surprise present from the heavens above to this hardened world of great waste and darkness.
But what was more remarkable about this was what lay just beside the stream a few paces before it disappeared into the small hole that punctured the rightmost rocky foundation. It was a group of weathered stones arranged properly and marked with different symbols and faint writings. Time passed harshly for this artifact for if Marius wasn't paying attention he would've dismissed the formation as a mere fluke of nature. But Marius had no doubt that this was not merely a creation of chance, no it was impossible. The markings were man-made, the arrangement of the stones designed for a purpose.
Plus, there was a strange energy emanating from it – mystical, magical, mysterious and powerful. He knew instantly that this was what he was looking for… and knew that such a thing should be handled with ease. This was not a mere toy and should not be treated as such. This was an artifact passed on by civilizations gone… and as such should be handled with utmost care and caution.
"Do you feel that, Val?" Marius asked, his eyes transfixed at the structure before him. "The aura that it emanates… it's quite… I dunno… I cannot describe it. It's something that I've never felt anything like this before in my entire life."
Hmmm… neither do I… but I think our father knew of this.
"What?!"
Don't you remember? He told us about formations like this. It was our bedtime stories when we were young. Supposedly, these are passageways to different worlds, gateways to different dimensions that we could only begin to comprehend. I never took them seriously for I thought they were but childhood tales to begin with… but now that I see one right here before me then there's no mistaking it!
Marius' eyes widened, hearing the man trapped within him reliving a memory that he vaguely remembered. But there was truth in Val's words and, despite how much he hated to admit it, it had sense as well. "Wait a minute! Don't tell me that…?!"
Yes, Marius! Our father was not joking about it at all! The Society had just stumbled upon the greatest archeological discovery in nearly sixty years! These are Portal Stones!