CHAPTER 4: Unearthing

"Kuna, I'm going into the wilderness."

Sky stood a distance from the entrance to his hut, firm in the position in which he stood while talking to his companion, who was perched on a nearby branch. The two daylight stars cast their bright rays of sunshine over the Zelenoan residences.

"I very well predicted this would occur…" The pterolark sighed and sagged a bit, "But your decision, this is. If that is where your heart is being called, then I have no objections." Sky's eyes widened as he took a step forward, blinking quickly from surprise as a slight smile broke out on his face.

"Y-You mean it?" He raised his tone out of its earlier seriousness, "No questions or lectures?!"

"Yes, Poljska. I think you are knowledgeable enough to fend for yourself quite well. You shall miss the spirits festival, however…"

"I couldn't care less about that! I'll finally be able to see what's on the outside!" The young lynx was practically leaping into the air from excitement. He ran into his hut and packed supplies for his voyage very quickly.

Sky undressed and donned a piece of rather vivid long-sleeved silken clothing as well as his usual pair of woolen pants, strapping his sleeping mat over his shoulders with two woolen strips. He gathered a textbook and a notepad along with a thin brush and a tiny container of ink. Seeing that he was prepared after finally slipping his feet into some lightweight sandals, he eagerly rushed out of his shed and made for the trail that led away from the village outskirts.

"Stop!" An alarming squawk reverberated through the air and caused Sky to stand still. Kuna rushed in front of his path, appearing to be flustered. "It is mid-afternoon. Your parents are expecting you to be present at pre-initiation until tonight… What shall the excuse be for your absence?"

"It's simple. Tell them that I haven't been feeling well and that I've gone off into the healing gardens in search of some medicinal herbs… Something along those lines."

"Methinks you are counting on your parents to have a rather large amount of trust in you…"

"I feel like I'm being called to do this, and I can't wait any longer. C'mon, you understand, don't you?" Sky gave a slight chuckle and smiled at Kuna. His youthful expression was too difficult and alluring to ignore… The childish innocence seen within the young lynx was strong enough to crumble a heart of stone into unconditional adoration.

Even a pterolark could be overpowered. Kuna caught Sky's contagious grin, "Okay, that is good. For your sake I shall risk my plumage again."

"Yes! Thank you, Kuna!" Sky pleasantly laughed out an expression of gratitude with a nod of his head.

"Good luck I wish to you, Poljska!" As Kuna and Sky parted ways, the young lynx felt a warming in his heart at his companion's last word of affection while stepping onto the trail towards the wilderness.

…

Falco had finally collapsed in the snow from sheer exhaustion. He wouldn't last much longer in the conditions he and his comrade were attempting to survive through. Fox, who was lagging behind just slightly, immediately rushed to his teammate's side after making a frantic sprint through the thick layer of ice they both had been marching through for the past day. Ignoring the agony that tore at his muscles, he slung Falco's arm around his shoulder and carried him onward with the little amount of energy he had left.

It seemed as if all hope had disappeared for the Star Fox team… Not a trace of it could possibly be fathomed in their current situation. So what was Fox's reason to carry on? It felt like days had gone by. They were starved, battered, and never in the travelling mood to begin with. They were just two helpless, subtle specks among a gigantic field of white. Instead of going out with a band like they had always hoped to do, they would be trapped inside of two giant blocks of cryogenic ice and buried many meters below the ground. No recognition or remembrance, just a hell of a load of frostbite.

The dejected vulpine took one last scan around the area. Surprisingly enough, even though the horizon line couldn't be seen, he had still kept most of his sanity. In such a situation, losing mentality meant certain death, so he had made an effort to keep thoughts running through his brain as much as possible, particularly warm ones… like fireplaces. Or his ex-teammate, Krystal.

Throughout his contemplations, his eyes had subconsciously locked onto something far away. Very slowly, his thoughts began to fade out, and his brain throbbed painfully with exhaustion… What his eyes registered was some sort of black shape that mysteriously floated in midair. No, it was rooted to the horizon… It only appeared as though it were levitating because of the snowstorm. What was it? Why was it there? Fox tripped over himself and almost dropped Falco once he lost his focus.

Damn… Everything's so pointless now. Falco's out like a light, and there's nothing in this motherfucking frosty wonderland to give us any hope! FUCK!

During the moment in which Fox had almost surrendered to the cold, the two warriors' efforts to survive were rewarded at long last when the silhouette faded into view not too far away from them this time. A closer look through the intense blizzard proved it to be a rectangular object of some sort… a rather large one. Whatever it was, it provided Fox with an aspiration to use his remaining strength and get to the object as soon as he could.

He grunted through the wind and frost, squinting his eyes shut and straining to keep his muscles moving as they were almost entirely numb. The object continued to get closer… Miraculously to his benefit, it consisted of thick layers of a woolen material on its exterior, keeping sturdy and hardly inching out of position from the strong, chilling gusts. There were long, metallic stakes that resembled the structure needed to keep the woolen sheets in place, and sure enough, there were two opening flaps on one side that indicated an entrance. The whole thing appeared to be a cubical tent…

Fox sped his movements up to the best of his ability and burst into the shelter with a triumphant yell, collapsing onto the tent's soft, carpeted surface with Falco still on his back.

Wait, an insulated carpeted tent… How was this possible? Did Fox seriously lose his sanity, or had he found a slice of heaven amidst his hopelessness?

The vulpine's brain felt like it was being pierced and beaten violently in one of the worst lightheaded migraines he had ever experienced. Any mental activity at all exacerbated the pain, so he only concentrated on lying down on his stomach while feeling the softness of the ground beneath him… if he could feel it.

Shit, I still can't feel anything.

Fox thus tried to relax and regain feeling in his bones and skin as quickly as it could flow back into him. He started by wiggling the tips of his gloved fingers… Then, he inched his arms and legs back and forth until he could widen the range of his movements. Once a few moments had passed, he could adjust his body to become comfortable while lying over the carpet and taking in the insulated warmth that massaged his body into shivering ecstasy. God, the heat felt incredible.

After a few minutes of much needed recovery, Fox made an attempt to stand up and assess where he was while Falco laid on the carpet unconscious… The inside wasn't as spacious as it seemed to be on the outside, but it was well sealed and kept a relatively warm temperature. There was a thick sleeping mat in one corner with a small rock positioned next to it. On top of the rock sat a lantern with a tiny flame burning inside, and it was the only source of light keeping the tent from absolute darkness.

The vulpine knew immediately what he had to do first. His mental strength had made enough improvement so that he could make at least one rational decision. Thus, he strained himself to stand on two feet again and leaned over his avian teammate. Fox brought Falco over to the sleeping mat very slowly by using another bit of strength he didn't even think he had, tucking him under the sheets in an attempt to keep his body temperature from lowering further. Fox still kept close to the lantern in order to try and warm himself as well, keeping his violently shivering muscles in constant movement to expel as much of his numbness as possible.

Well, this is a great start. I'll let him warm that up for a bit, if he can, and then I'm gonna switch with him, knock myself out for a few hours, and get some more recovery so I can get rid of this fucking headache…

Taking another look around, Fox then noticed a small crate that stood near the opposite face of the otherwise empty shelter… Curiously, he dragged the box over towards him and lifted the top. To his utmost surprise and gleeful satisfaction, there were a few food items of some kind. They looked highly extraordinary, with vivid colors and leaves protruding from its spherical shape… But why the hell should he have cared? What else was he going to get into his stomach?

Fox unanimously decided to take the risk and tore into the item's thick skin to see what lay inside, quickly discovering that it was no other than a pitaya.

Fox had never tried one before, but he was in dire need of nourishment, recalling how he had spent a good amount of time trekking through a vast and hellish wasteland while suffering from a potentially severe head injury, so he removed the flesh of the fruit to the skin and proceeded to devour it hungrily. He sank his teeth into it countless times, feeling its juices flood around his dried mouth and causing flavorful fireworks to ignite his spirit into energy once more. The ravenous vulpine finished the large fruit after another minute had ticked by, and he slumped back against the wall, smiling and humming with contentment as his stomach finally had something to keep it from protesting so much.

It had a somewhat bitter taste, but he hadn't noticed while he was eating since the buds on his tongue had long been sedated. He was hungry for another, but another rational thought told him to put it off until later and make the most of what he had. Judging by what was in the tent, which he assumed was built for the purpose of survival, there would be enough to last him and Falco for at least a week and a half.

Speaking of his comrade, it was at that time which he began coming to.

"Ugh… I can't feel worth a damn…" Falco mumbled almost inaudibly, "Where am I…? Fox, where the h- *cough* hell are you?!"

"Hey, buddy… I'm right here. Nothing's wrong." Fox calmly replied while sitting next to him, relaxing as his pitaya continued to send gradual waves of nourishment through his mind and body. "You went out like a light… so I carried you the rest of the way, which thankfully wasn't far."

"The… The rest of the way where?" Falco turned his head slightly to the side, directing his weakened gaze towards his comrade and conveying a sense of alertness.

"We ended up here… I still don't know where we are or whose shelter this is, but we have to stay here for right now. Possibly, for a much longer time. Also, there's food… You'd best take a pitaya and eat what you can." The vulpine rubbed his forehead and chuckled, partially out of disbelief, "Can you believe it? This appeared right out of the blue… or should I say, white. It could be a perfect little hideout for us in the meantime since it's got just enough to let us live for a little longer."

"Well I'll be a son of a bitch. C'mon, don't just sit there with that food in your hand, damn! My stomach's rioting!"

Fox laughed again and took another pitaya out of the crate, splitting it open and setting its innards next to his comrade, who weakly reached a wing out from underneath the covers. He brought the fruit to his beak and bit down, digesting the pitaya at a much slower rate than Fox's. He breathed out a sigh of satisfaction and rested his head back onto the carpet once again… The vulpine smiled and looked at the entrance to the tent while adding, "We don't want to deplete the entire supply. We'll take what we need and keep resting until we're ready to keep going. I'll let you recover first, then we'll swap shifts and I'll take a little snooze while you keep watch for anyone or anything that might attempt to make an entry."

Falco nodded slowly and continued eating. The avian got each bite down with somewhat of a struggle, but he seemed to have been able to move his body better than Fox's even when he first regained consciousness. The fruit was finished at a deliberate pace, and immediately after, he let his head fall back onto the light cushion so he could take another short nap. Both of their bodies very gradually regulated to a normal temperature, and they found themselves in a position where they could relax and take as much time as they needed before they got their voyage underway again.

However, they proceeded to silently ask themselves where they were or how they would ever escape the hell they've just entered… They were without the Great Fox and all alone in an icy desert. With no other supplies and no passersby to come to their aid, how would they survive?

Would this be their final destination?

…

Sky had already progressed further away from his comfort zone than he had intended. The vast fields next to the village boundaries were noiseless… Not even the rustling of its long grass was audible enough to break the silence. However eerie the setting was, he knew that stopping there was not an option. His boundless curiosity pulled him closer to his destination, causing a blend of nervousness and exhilaration to rush through his brain.

Sky then arrived at the borderline… There, a plethora of noises could be heard, but not from a far distance away. Feeling slightly relieved, yet still on guard, he took a step forward into the unknown and began his true journey.

As he walked onward, the creatures of the forest seemed absolutely rapturous and full of life. It put a satisfied smile on Sky's face to hear the melodious song of the pterolark mingling with those of the other birds and animals. He had to restrain himself from skipping because of the ecstatic anticipation growing within him at the thought of making discoveries that could change Zelenoan history.

Hours dragged by, and the mid-afternoon light had been reduced to a swirling orange sunset, giving off pink beams of radiance to pierce through the forest's leaves and cracks in its branches. Sky had been furiously scribbling and sketching in his notepad all of which he saw in the immensely diverse wilderness, referencing everything he knew from the wisest textbook which he brought from the village library on his journey. He grew tired quickly, having scaled rolling hills and tramped across miles of open plains along with trails which were crowded with tall, exotic vegetation. He acquired a sense of frustration after noticing his ink bottle, which was almost completely drained.

Sky's efforts were rewarded a bit later when the two Zelenoan suns had all but barely disappeared over the horizon. There came a clearing at the end of an excessively teeming portion of the trail… After a few more kilometers of intense wildlife and overcrowded trees that darkened his surroundings and gave off a rather ominous aura, there was an exit through a thick wall of shrubbery which led to a wide-open range of much softer earth. It was as if Sky had been sealed in an open cube of sudden silence, where nothing could be heard except the movement of his own feet. He looked as far up as he could behind his back and could barely see the dimly lit atmosphere.

As he wearily turned around and continued, not knowing what else to expect after how he had progressed so far on his fantastic journey, he lifted his head up and was immediately stricken with awe from the sight presented directly in front of him.

There in the center of the enclosure's surface stood a large, pyramidal stone structure, looking as though it had existed for much more than a mere millennium. It towered a good fifty yards over the flabbergasted lynx, displaying Celestian hieroglyphics on each of its mossy, aged bricks all around the ruin's faces. The symbolic Zelenoan Eye of Wisdom, the renowned emblem of the entire village that was frequently exhibited on every crystalline building and street corner, was carved into the side Sky was facing as it almost dangled precariously over a deep cave-like entrance leading to the structure's interior.

Sky took the opportunity he had left, seeing that the atmosphere was altering its lighting into a more violet hue, and made a detailed and thorough drawing of the ruin in his notebook with the miniscule amount of ink remaining. The nervous lad took a quick swallow along with a deep breath, and then focused his attention to the corridor in front of him.

This is it. I gotta keep going, even if it means putting myself before death. I can do this… for Zelenoa.

He tried to relax himself before taking a leap of faith, walking into the cave and immersing himself in its darkness.

With every step he took into the stone passage, Sky's footsteps echoed louder. He then widened his eyes as he foolishly realized that he neglected to bring a light source... It would have been important in a situation such as the one he had just gotten himself into.

He cursed under his breath as his hands slid across the increasingly dampening stone wall with extreme caution. He moved at a steady pace and finally came to the top of a stairwell from what his sandals determined to be a dull drop-off. Thankfully it really was a stairwell and not a bottomless chasm that could have potentially led to a dreadful death…

Sky kept his eyes shut tightly while advancing deeper into the temple, convinced that it made no difference compared to the darkness he observed when he opened his eyes. However, he was oblivious to the fact that a faint glow was present much farther inside, and it gradually grew with intensity as the stairs continued. He subconsciously opened his eyes once the walls were lit brightly enough and felt a wave of relief rush over him once he could finally see where he was going. It also looked as though he had reached the last step.

He transitioned onto a much colder surface in a more spacious hallway. Openings in the wall, evenly spaced and deeply cut, contained torches to brighten the path towards the temple's centermost destination. As Sky looked closely, they weren't torches… Instead they were uncut crystalline formations that seemed to give off a mystical luminescence as they stood at the tip of their aged wooden stakes. The disorientated lynx took another look at the surface upon which he stood. It was also crystalline, polished and radiant as it mirrored the glow given from the crystals on the wall.

Sky wanted to record this in his notebook somehow, but his supply of ink was empty. Instead, he stared with fascination at the hieroglyphics displayed on the walls as they were made visible once again. They weren't the same as the ones he saw on the outside of the temple, and each of them conveyed messages seemingly in the form of riddles. He decided that he would find their answers later and keep moving.

The hallway's lighting was increasing significantly with every step. Sky found himself becoming entranced by his own reflection off the ground as he walked forward, not noticing the room straight ahead of him at the end of the corridor.

He was then blasted by a wave of freezing air as he crossed the hallway's exit into what appeared to be a massive underground dome. Again, the only noise to be heard was the sound of his sandals shuffling along the smooth, shining surface. Sky observed the outermost surroundings, gawking at the walls and spherical ceiling as they were plastered with Celestian symbols and letters of much larger sizes. Column after column expanded directly from the pole of the roof down to every edge.

The pictograms could be seen very indistinctly from where Sky was standing because of some sort of blue radiance being emitted… but where was it originating? There weren't any crystal lights on the walls.

The lynx turned around and averted his astounded gaze towards the center of the dome. There in the middle sat a small stone pedestal, but hovering stagnantly above it was a huge, glowing gem. It was considerably bigger in height than Sky's body, and soft azure light poured out of every cut edge from the gem's heart steadily as if it were a fountain. It seemed absolutely divine, sacred and powerful.

As Sky staggered slowly towards the gem, he could feel newfound energy seeping into his bones and muscles, causing free-formed thoughts to spark instantaneously within his mind. It was as though he were experiencing a dream… The amazing wilderness he never would have thought to enter, the expanses of beautiful Mother Nature that he journeyed through, and at last, this. The presence of everything that surrounded him caused his heartbeat to grow much faster, and he could almost hear its muffled tone being reverberated about the stone walls of the spiritual dome.

He stopped just within a few yards of the sapphire as he heard a voice echo in the room. It reverberated with a deep, aged tone and caused the lynx's topaz eyes to glisten over and widen with fascination, "It is good to finally meet you, Gray Sky."

…