The room they arrived in was lit not with torches, but with a large, glowing crystal that shimmered shades of white to gold on the ground below. The light rippled as if coming through water, but above them was a high, stone ceiling. Vines and plants grew rampant, but despite the wildness of it, it still seemed to grow with purpose. It looked ancient and mystical.
Newgrange had spent plenty of time here just basking in the peace of the room, but unlike his other visits, he could tell that something was wrong.
The plants, once vibrant and lush, were browning and wilted. The flowers, which looked and smelled like jasmine but seemed able to grow much larger, had lost much of their petals, and the once fragrant aroma of the room had been replaced with the smell of old Earth.
In the center of the room, below the great, glowing crystals, was a sad, small, glowing orb.
It looked like it had shrunken in on itself, dim and tired and barely holding on.
Newgrange's brows furrowed and he immediately looked sympathetic. "Ah, there it is."
Aldwynn wasn't here, though to be honest he was surprised. Usually whenever there was a problem, he was the first to notice--and he was certain that many of the tugs he felt to come to his Wonder must have been the old Knight finding some way to call him here to fix it.
Behind them, a large arch opened up to a winding stairwell. "If you want to sit down, you're more than welcome. But you can look around if you like." They'd already been out for so long tonight; he knew they must be tired so he wanted to get this done as quickly as possible for them, too.
Images had been carved in to the wall, both an array of symbols and some ancient text. There was plenty to look if they didn't want to rest. He hadn't brought anyone else down here--partly because he assumed Aldwynn would fuss, but this was a special circumstance. He'd understand. He would want Newgrange to be safe and secure, and he knew all of that started with the Code piece.
Whisler had resonated with his and Starlight the same, so Newgrange had high hopes. He approached the Code as he would an old friend, but with the care one might with a frightened animal, too. He tried not to let the sadness creep into his eyes at the sight of the room but it wasn't too bad, all things considered. The walls seemed stable, the crystal hadn't been damaged. If the worst of it was some struggling plants, he was sure a bit of attention could get them back to normal.
...As long as he could actually do this.
Orangeish Sherbert
