Discovery

It was so dark down here. Mori and his friends had found caves before; gleefully exploring the little crags in the earth that swallowed up the light. Wet and dark, full of strange insects and flying things. None had ever been as large or still as this. Now they clung to his robe like children as the walls of rock stretched high above, the flame of the single torch and candle barely illuminating the ceilings. Passages stretched on into the darkness, threatening to consume them all.

This expedition was the longest and most desperate. It had been many days since they arrived, or at least, they thought it had been. It was impossible to tell in the endless black. They were running out of food and water. Soon they would start fighting each other over the precious resources.

This cave was strange. It was quiet and still and dry. No echo of dripping water or scurry of little beetles or swoop of leathery wings.

The group stops at a split in the passage for a break. Mori passes around rations of dried vegetables and almost-bad rice and they eat their meager portions in a miserable huddle on the cold stone. Yousei is the one that finds it. In the flickering light of the small candle, a near-invisible trail of lichen winding off through the middle tunnel. It is all they need to lift their spirits and fling the ache from their joints. They gather their few supplies and hasten down the passage as fast as they dare, following the strange blue of the plant, mindful of sudden dips in the earth and praying there is no dead end. It seems like many hours before they hear a low, distant drone that gradually develops into the distant unmistakeable roar of rushing water.

The boys explode into joyous shouts and tug on Hayato's robe, urging him faster. They can feel the air growing damp and cold but they have found what they are looking for. Water! At long last. Perhaps there will also be fish or some of the strange flying creatures for them to eat. Water begins to drip from above and the walls and ground become slick. The noise becomes louder and louder still, echoing off the widening tunnel. The lichen gives way to another plant, equally blue but glowing faintly. Long tendrils creeping in delicate swirls and then great swathes across the walls until the passage finally ends quite abruptly in a small drop off that sends Jisei tumbling to the edge of their torch light.

They were unprepared for this discovery.

It is a room. Vast, enormous, endless in its girth and height. The walls stretch on to either side and there is no ceiling to be seen. They are standing in the dark, alone but for the sound of water in the distance.