Çhapter 90: The Heart of the cardle

Chapter 90: The Heart of the Cradle

Before them was the opening to the stone structure, doors made of stone and adorned with bright glowing text. The chalice that Natasha held in her hands also glowed, and the glow was synched with the rune; the shadow of light bouncing in the room and causing energy waves.

"This place is alive," I heard Alison mumble the word to himself.

Natasha only nodded, still staring at the doors. The Cradle isn't just a place: It's a force. It came from Malrik, I assume—all the killing, all the wrecking; it has all been for this."

Answering her words, the chalice began to shake, and the runes on the doors stirred. The symbols began shifting while rotating, and the brightness of the sequence increased with each change.

"Do we just… wait?" Alison asked, her hands clenching the sword.

To her, Natasha didn't get a chance to answer; the doors groaned open, unveiling a seemingly endless black hallway with just enough low flickering lights, rotating to give an impression of displacing dancing. After that, electrical energy ran through them, and a warm sweat passed through her.

"Get near," replied Natasha, entering the room.

The next passage resembled a corridor, which extended as far as the eye could see it and had frescoes of battles, rituals, and persons holding luminous objects. In two different scenes, I was privileged to realizing each scene as a caution, as if the Cradle would show the capability it possessed and the disaster that it could bring.

"I have a bad feeling about this place," Alison commented, and his voice was muffled.

"It's not wrong," Natasha said, staring at the chalice, her fingers aggressively gripping the cold metal. "It's powerful. And power can be terrifying."

It became louder, and they continued walking, the lights on the wall blending and congealing into rivers heading to a huge room at the far end of the tunnel.

The room was wide, and the ceiling was invisible; it was covered by darkness. At the top was a complex podium while below it several symbols were etched on the ground and glowed. Over the altar there hung a crystal sphere irradiating energy that it was difficult to look directly at.

"That must be it," Alison said, standing still with his eyes following the sphere. "The source."

On getting nearer, the earth vibrated and the air became thick. Natasha could sense the oneness of the Emberstone and the chalice with the sphere, and their link made the fine immature hairs on the back of her head stand on end.

For that, they could go straight for the altar; however, they were stopped by a figure that came from the darkness.

"Malrik," Natasha hissed, turning to the Emberstone.

The sorcerer himself appeared to be a living menace, his black robes nearly swirling about him. He stared ahead with demonic eyes, and his aura was bad and electrifying.

"You have been lucky to get this far," Malrik said; it turns out his voice was coming from behind. "But your journey ends here. The power cradle belongs to me to make."

This is true to the extent that Natasha moved closer, and the chalice began emitting a bright light. 'You have burnt villages, polluted the earth, and caused so much suffering to many people for this gift? It won't be yours."

Malrik only laughed darkly and suddenly raised his hand. What do you think? The Emberstone, along with this chalice, is not enough to halt you? You do not know how many potential threats the Cradle holds at all."

He made a sweeping gesture, and darkness sprang from the concrete, becoming horrible figures with red pupils and sharp knives for fingers.

"Alison!" Natasha yelled out to call up the energy of the Emberstone.

Alison rushed at the creatures with the sword held in front of him, cutting them clean through. But the moment he threw them into the darkness, another one appeared in its stead.

As such, Natasha centered on Malrik, on the Emberstone's light fighting against his darkness. Lighning ran between them as their powers overwhelmed the chamber filling it with electric shocks.

"You're strong," Malrik begrudgingly said. However, strength will not solve it alone. The Cradle only bows to those who shall know it well."

Natasha clenched her teeth and felt how the amulet in her hands began to pulsate. She was conscious of the focusing, overwhelming strength of the Cradle as though it were trying her soul.

"Then let it judge me," she said lifting the chalice above her head.

Loud echoed in the chamber the floor was shaken and the symbols that where marked burned brighter. Charging towards Natasha was a beautiful burst of energy emanating from the Cradle, and shedding its brilliance upon her.

"Natasha!" Alison called, cutting down yet another group of the shadows.

She simply leaned back and shut her eyes, feeling the power moving quite inside her. It was too intimidating – a cyclone of strength and passion. She beheld moments in the creation of the jungle, especially its protectors and many battles that were been made to protect it.

After the light had faded, Natasha, her Cradle-granted height advantage, looked like the messiah of a world left rave-worthy. The chalice, and the Emberstone have become one single object, an object that glowed both light and fire.

Malrik's expression darkened. "No! That power is mine!"

He created an explosion of darkness, but Natasha lifted the object – the light dispelled the darkness without effort.

"This ends now," she replied calmly no indication of the emotion that had brought her to this point.

Holding the artifact, Malrik saw the light suddenly flash revealing him and his creatures. The crowd roared as the shadows vanished, and almost collapsing, Malrik seemed to be running out of strength.

He could not believe his eyes and ears and he fell to the ground.

Gradually tension disappeared from the air, and I continued: The sphere above the altar faded, and the energy was transfer in to the artifact Natasha had in her hand.

And still clutching his sword, Alison moved towards her slowly. "Is it over?"

Natasha just wagged her head while continuning to stare at the altar. "For now. Thus, one cannot underestimate the Cradle's power which will be elaborated in the course of the work. It is an obligation not a tool."

When they emerged from the chamber they saw that the jungle came back to life, it appeared to be awakened. I noticed the way was silvery behind them, urging them to come back to their starting point.

But Natasha felt very much aware that their job was still far from done. The Chiefain of The Cradle had selected her as its protector, and with that came a mission, the mission to restore the land and to make bring peace to the land for generations.