“Ah! Andy you made it! Good!” said a smiling Captain Buck.

  “Hello.” said Andy sheepishly.Standing outside the entrance to a cave with green lit

  lanterns lighting the way inside.

  “ Come on let's get started” said Buck, leading the way the cave only made him look

  shorter and the green light shone on his balding head. Andy followed looking a tad uneasy

  and a little displeased thinking to herself- Great a hot ass cave hopefully this won't take too

  long.

  To her surprise the cave was cool and the air only a tad earthy which she quickly got used

  to. After walking a short way she was just unable to see the entrance to the cave. Andy

  marveled at what she saw. It looked like the picture she saw in the book. The ruins were

  like a Cathedral with its arching entrance. The door already opened they went inside to find

  stone pews and columns encrusted with a single ring of what andy thought to be diamonds.

  They sparkle and shines brilliantly in the light given off by the many lanterns. Andy

  immediately went over to the column and upon closer examination the columns told a story

  of a figure in the shape of a woman arms outstretched towards a group of people. Another

  carving on the column showed a group of people digging and carrying something to a

  temple.

  This lines up with what's already been proven. Andy thought. Going down the center aisle to

  the pulpit which was well intact. Beyond it to the left was an open door half expecting to

  find a pile of gems in its corner. But nothing was there, it was just an empty room. She

  opened up Claus’ journal feeling as though she was missing something. Skimming over it,

  the word facility made her stop and think.

  “Buck!”

  “Hmm? what is it? he said entering the room.

  “What other ruins are there in Castoria?” asked Andy.

  “What brought this on well lets see there are two others open for all researchers and

  historians of any clearance level. The closest one is West of here. I think it's the last one

  discovered by Claus, the famous historian of Seust.” said Buck.

  “Alright then let's go to that one, this is clearly just an old church for old seustian's to

  worship god”.

  Buck smirked and said “What's the rush?”

  “I wanna uncover lost history, not look at some shit we all already know from our

  elementary school days.” said Andy.“Oh you see the news last night about their tightening

  security in Castoria.”

  “Well with the recent terrorist attack Some of the main forces in Hollister have come

  over here to increase security even some of us in R&D have to come over to make sure

  nothing not yet to be released to the public in historical records gets out. Really just giving

  us something to do besides sitting at a desk.”Buck explained.

  “Yeah I was on that train and didn't see anything though it took forever to be

  released from questioning.”

  “Tsk I‘m sorry Andy..you ok now? Huh?”

  “Yeah I’m fine Buck I’ve never seen these smoke people just heard stories and I

  hope to keep it that way.”

  “The smoke are bad people- dangerous, they say they follow religion but they're not

  just killing people because they’re different, Siya don't teach that.” he said, shaking his head 41

  You’ve seen them before Buck?!”

  “Yeah, a long time ago about your age he was a crazy man who tried to kill

  everybody at site. Just a bunch of researchers studying and a guy came in and he looked

  normal at first.”

  “Oh wow”

  As they walked back and got into Buck's truck driving to their next destination. Turning off

  the main roads onto a dirt path they reached the Westpoint Ruins, the last site discovered

  by Dr. Andrew Claus. Or at least that's what the large sign said hanging from a fence with

  barbed wire and a booth to the left with an officer inside it to whom Buck showed his

  military ID.

  This site, unlike the Cathedral church which also had a cave entrance, led down into the

  ground and wasn't as well lit as the other. Andy knew upon sight that this was what she was

  looking for, which would give her a clue to lost history. The atmosphere was as pleasant as

  the cathedral the air was earthy and smothering a dimly lit after walking for what seemed

  like a mile in a set of stairs led up and into a temple with a large entrance a four pillars to

  on each side with silver engravings and a large diamonds at the top of each. Inside was a

  large space before like the other ruin, a place of sermon and worship. Andy once again

  examined the columns but instead of hieroglyphics the same strange silver engravings like

  the ones outside.

  She walked further in past the pews and up the three steps tripping on the third catching

  herself on the pulpit.

  “You okay?” Buck asked. rushing to her side.

  “Yeah,” said Andy.” Hey you've been here before Buck?” she asked.

  “Only once before There were more people here then it was for the Equal Inquisition

  act. You know someone from at least three nations must be present to conduct initial

  research on a historical site.” said Buck.

  Andy nodded.

  “So this place won't activate and function as it once did without another person

  here?” she asked.

  “How’d you know about that?” asked Buck.

  “I read it in a book from the Hollister library.” said Andy walking around the large

  temple heading towards the back and Buck followed.

  “Oh, it's so nasty in here,” said an irritated Andy. She concentrated on the air feeling

  the moisture and focused on her hand which started glowing blue and formed some water

  floating above the palm of her hand. Looking at it was too dirty to use so she threw it and it

  landed on one of the columns. All of the sudden the columns' silver engravings started to

  glow.

  “What the hell,” she said.

  “What did you do?!” said a bewildern Buck.

  “Hell nothing I made some water and it was dirty so I threw it away”. said Andy.

  “Ah...Andy! You're making trouble already.” said Buck exasperatedly . As he bustled

  over to the column to look at it closely.

  Andy crossed her arms and frowned. Looking on at Buck and up at the top of the column

  the diamond staring at it a moment and then the others she noticed that these diamonds

  didn't shine and sparkle like the ones in the cathedral ruins.

  “Argh! I won't stop shining”. said Buck.

  Andy thought for a moment and then made some more water and threw it at the remaining

  five pillars. 42

  “What do you do?! Andy!” exclaimed Buck. His accent clearly affecting his speech.

  “Since ones on might as well turn them all on,” she said. Shrugging.

  The temple lit up to reveal that it was once pristine with pure white walls and its ceiling

  painted with a picture showing the hand of god and four men using their powers to try and

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  reach him standing on pillars of earth water fire and the fourth man suspended in mid air.

  “I get it you don’t necessarily need a certain amount of people in here just a certain

  usage of elementia in here.” said Andy.

  “This temple is different from the church, it's more- complex.” she went on.

  “Quite impressive.” said Buck.

  “The temple has chakra sensors that detect when someone uses elementia or has developed

  their gene enough to be picked up by the sensor. Since the Enlightenment era and the

  teachings of Siya call us to be more aware of our inner selves and chakra flows when all the

  world worshiped and praised God and had a newfound respect for nature 500 years ago.

  People and animals were given the blessing of controlling the elements, Henceforth the

  elementia gene. Now of course people were scared and need more guidance now that they

  have been given power and the beasts of the world became unimaginably more powerful.

  This caused the world to be thrown into chaos and for the next 200 hundred years nothing

  was known. ” Buck explained.

  “The lost history,” said Andy.

  Buck nodded.

  “I'll share my knowledge with you Andy. You're quite sharp,Let's go downstairs”said Buck.

  Leading the way going to the back and right of the temple to a door which had stairs

  leading down. Andy felt that they were very beneath the earth. Coming down the last few

  steps. To a large area with tables and benches similar to a laboratory. With a few stones still

  laid upon the tables.

  “You know that Castoria was once a city known as the “Jewel of Seust” right?” Buck

  asked.

  “That's about all. I know this city had a lot of gems and jewels brought here and sold and

  shipped to other places because where they mine it's dangerous to conduct business. With

  the wild animals and terrorist groups roaming about the countryside.” said Andy.

  “You're right but there is also a reason as to why the city is so adorned with many

  jewels and diamonds,” said Buck.

  “ The people of Castoria were one of the first and most outspoken of all the cities

  and people of the time readily embracing the changes people were forced to accept and

  following Siya they offered up jewels and decorated the city a symbol to Say that her

  teaching a God's grace were brilliant and beautiful like jewels and gems they dig up. Soon it

  became a fad and other cities adopted the practice,” He said.

  “I see”, Andy paused for a moment. “I noticed that not all the diamonds are the

  same and back in Hollister a man mentioned that it was a stone called moissanite that made

  the city sparkle so brightly.” said Andy.

  Buck smiled “I asked the same question when I was “ Starting out as a researcher.” he said.

  and went on to say “ For them to adorn the city with jewels to glorify God why the

  inconsistency? This question was dismissed say that minerals and gems don't grow on trees

  and they probably started using what they had. Is what my colleagues said but I'm not

  convinced of that. Later on I spoke to a gemologist and she told me that moissanite is even

  more rare than diamonds and is in fact made from diamonds and it sparkles and refracts

  more light and a regular diamond. “ 43

  “Hmm….. I’m not convinced of that either and this temple it's more than a place of

  worship, it's a facility of some kind. Let's go, this place is driving me insane. The air may

  have become less heavy when I activated it but it's still uncomfortable here.” said Andy.

  “Yeah let's get lunch, you don't waste time do you Andy” said Buck.

  “Nope” said Andy.Making their way back to the surface.

  “What made you take this up? Join the military?” Buck said. Turning the wheel of the

  truck onto the main road.

  “Well I've always wanted to travel around and the pay is good,” said Andy.

  Buck smiled and let out a laugh. “Well yeah that's true” he said.

  “Hmm? it's the truth and I've always been good at history in school so why not.” she said.

  Buck shook his head and they continued on back into Castoria city limits on the south side

  lower quarter in the daylight lower castoria looked like any other poor side of a town run

  down buildings graffiti tags bars on windows and loud music and suped up cars, stopping in

  a burger restaurant . Andy pondered the two ruins she saw today and drew a venn diagram.

  In its middle were the obvious: they were both places of worship but with different styles.

  Buck finishing his burger gets up to throw away his trash looking at his watch.

  “ It's one o'clock you want to head back to the research institute?” said Buck.

  “No, not really”, said Andy.

  Buck smiled and lowered his head. “You're tired already huh? You were moving so quick

  before and now that you’ve eaten you're tired?” he asked.

  Andy nodded. Buck gave a small chuckle and gripped her shoulder and gave it a shake.

  “Okay, Ah….. you want me to take you to the barracks?” asked Buck.

  “No, I’m ok I’ll see you at the research institute tomorrow”. said Andy.

  “Okay...see you,” said Buck.

  Andy sat there a while looking out the window. When the boy from the train came over and

  sat down across from her.

  “Hey, how's it going?” said Jay.

  “Hey I’m good”, said Andy turning to face him.

  “....Are you busy now?” said Jay.

  “No, not really,” said Andy.

  “You want to hang out for a while?”he asked.

  “Sure,” said Andy.

  They got up to leave and got on the bus after finding seats.Jay asked “So what brings you

  here? You said you work here?”

  Andy nodded and said “Yeah I’m researching lost history.”

  “Oh I see you're an egghead, gotta be to land and want that job” said Jay.

  “What's Wrong with that?” asked Andy.

  “Nothing, it's just boring,” said Jay.

  “It's not boring!” Andy said indignantly.

  “Yeah it is, what difference does it make what happened in the past where here

  now.” he said.

  “ I suppose it makes no difference but, whatever happened then we should know

  about it. It's never a good thing to be ignorant of where we've been or of our past.Besides it

  pays good and I get to travel.”said Andy.

  Jay smiled and hung his head.

  “You’ve got a point,” he said.

  “And you? why are you here,” said Andy. 44

  “Hm. me? I’m just a soldier. I was on my way to the border to do patrols and

  subjugations for Seust. But that whole train incident got me stuck here till the investigations

  finished.” he said.

  “ Oh I see,” said Andy. “Where are we going anyway?”

  “I don't know,” said Jay looking around.

  “What?” said Andy. “I thought you were taking me someplace?” she said unnerved.

  “I don't know anything about Castoria” he said with a cheesy smile.

  Andy sighed and got up to get off at the approaching stop, in which Jay followed.

  She began walking up the street where they were still in lower Castoria and in the building

  where holes from tiny to bottle cap size. Which looked peculiar to her. Coming across a

  white man seemingly in his thirties smoking a cigarette; wearing black pants and a white

  shirt. Stood outside a high end barber shop and salon.

  Andy asks him where she was to which he replies ” This is the better side of lower Castoria

  just before the richer parts of Castoria downtown and all that”.

  “Ok thank you and why are there holes in the buildings here?” asked Andy.

  “They used to have jewels in them like the rest of Castoria but people looted them

  and the city stopped adding them to the town. When this started happening this side of

  town got the name lower Castoria.After the first few incidents they tried putting glass jewels

  in and people stole those too..”

  “Not surprising,” said Jay, just catching up to Andy.

  “Yeah people start losing faith or never gave much care anyways, why they were put there

  in the first place started looting”. said the man.

  “How do we get to the base from here?” Andy asked.

  “You’ll have to go up about four blocks and make a right to Rutherford street and

  take the bus.All the stops here down this way loop the lower,” said the man.

  “Thanks man,” said Jay.

  As they headed up the street Andy noticed that he had a single earring which sparkled

  brightly in his ear hidden behind his swooped long blonde hair. It reminded her of the one

  at the cafe.

  “You can tell this side of Castoria has seen better days,” said Jay.

  “Yeah it's a far cry from uptown” said Andy. walking slightly behind him.”And you

  why’d you join the military?”

  “No reason really, just a place to go,” he said.

  “Oh I see,” Andy said softly.

  “What do you like to do besides read books?”

  “Nothing, I’m pretty much a homebody.”

  AHHH!

  Andy took a step back, alarmed looking around.

  SOMEONE HELP!

  Jay and Andy start running in the direction of the scream leading them to an alleyway,

  where they come across a man being cornered by another wearing jeans and a white shirt

  with short black hair and rather long nose. His body gave off what looked like black swirling

  smoke. The smoking man made the ground clamp the screaming man's feet holding him in

  place.

  Jay charging the man said “HEY!” his right fist ablaze he tries to punch the smoking man

  who dodges his fist. Jay continues his assault with a barrage of punches and kicks which he

  dodges and deflects with ease but pushes him back from the victim. Andy rushes to the

  trapped man's side. 45

  “Please help!”

  “Hold on,” Andy says. Taking a sharp exhale grabs the man's leg and pulls out from

  the ground and then the other.

  “TT-Thank you” said the man rubbing his leg before running away.

  “Uh-Huh” said Andy.

  “AGRH!” Jay grunted. Landing his first hit on the man and shaking his hand fervently as

  though he’d hit a wall.

  “Are you okay?!” Andy asked, showing a look of great concern on her face.

  “AH! His body’s like steel” said Jay looking unnerved.

  The smoke turned his head watching the hobbling man make his escape.

  “You all will follow, you all will remember!” he bellowed looking at the sky.

  “Ahhh!” said Jay once again charging the smoke, his fist once again ablaze. The

  smoke lifts the ground and Jay loses his balance changing his direction toward the deranged

  man. Jay's attack finally connects, singing the side of his face. At this the smoke came on

  the offensive throwing the cemented ground at Jay dodging them only to get punched in the

  jaw and held to the ground by ground itself. Jay struggles to free himself. The smoke now

  turns his attention to Andy.

  Already in the fighting stance. Oh great I really don't wanna fight… he can evade well I’ll

  have to get him at point blank Andy thought to herself.

  Andy created some icicles from the air and threw them at him which he dodged then her

  hands glowing blue raised them and threw her arms toward the ground making it slick with

  ice he jumps into the air coming down towards Andy about to kick Andy raises her arm and

  a single ice pike skewers him his blood splatters and body vanishes in swirl of smoke leaving

  a large blood pool behind the smoke gone Jay is released from the ground.

  “You okay?” asked Andy.

  “Yeah” said Jay, sounding distant.

  “Remind me to not get on your bad side EVER!” said Jay.

  “Hmm? I no worries I’m a lover not a fighter” said Andy smiling.

  “......Anyways what was that about?” said Jay.

  “I didn't know this was my first time seeing a smoke member” said Andy.

  “Not mine there bodies are quite tough there trained for combat and some intense

  chakra control but that guy wasn't your average smoke.strength wise anyway.”

  “All I really know is smoke are extremists in their religion and sometimes kidnap

  people for the cult,”said Andy.

  “Well whatever, let's go,” she said.

  “Still it's strange Seust is the safest nation in the whole world to have these smoke

  infiltrate so far in….”said Jay.

  “I don't think these are some jackass wannabes either-Not my mess to figure out.”

  she said walking out of the alley way.

  “We should make a report,” said Jay.

  “Yeah you do that leave my name out of it I don't want to be involved in this shit

  anymore than I've already been that train attack was enough now this”said Andy.

  “But you're the one that killed the guy,” said Jay.

  “So- hell things are starting to get ugly for this country and it's time to get out

  before the security gets even more hairy here. I can't afford to get stuck here waiting for

  clearance for three months to get to Boscage.” said Andy. “See you later” she said, getting

  on the bus.

  “HEY!” he yelled. 46

  “Good Morning beautiful, we're here” said Bailey.

  “HMM…”said Shelly, opening her eyes and looking around.

  “Here we are the R&D for Seust headquarters.” said Bailey as Shelly sits up in the car

  holding the reclining hand upright.

  Getting out of the car walking toward a large six story building with glass windows.

  Inside looking at a directory they head toward the Geology Department in the basement

  level. It was surprisingly busy with many people in the seust army uniforms and some

  wearing brown slacks and green dress shirts with lab coats walking back and forth with

  paperwork in hand. Shelly, stopping one of them, asks where they could find the

  department head and once pointed in the right direction they arrive in front of Jeremy

  O'Kelly's office. Bailey knocks on the door and enters Shelly leading the way.

  “Mr.O'Kelly”? she asked.

  “Yes come on in,” said a rather large man with thin dirty blonde hair and glasses

  sliding down his nose.”How can I help you?” he asked.

  “I'm Shelly, this is my partner Bailey '','',she said flashing a badge. Seust secret

  services were here on an investigation for the recent terrorist attack. We’ve come across

  some information that in Grover they're developing a healing diamond and that you're

  working together with Oldin Industries on the project.”

  “Yes that's right the new diamond will be used in hospitals to help balance a

  person's chakra and heal them as well this project over twenty years in the making and

  finally coming to fruition,” Mr. O'kelly said with a proud look on his face.

  “How’d you come across this information? Who set this in motion?,” asked Shelly.

  “ It came from a researcher Klein Rousseau who works out in Grover, whose well

  seasoned in the field he found through his research that people from the lost history may

  have had a special use for diamonds and found in an old text that diamonds were used in a

  healing ritual.” said O’Kelly.

  “It's gonna be unveiled this weekend that it's ready for human trail stages.You know

  a lady from Oldin came in a few days ago and was asking me similar questions too. Can't

  think of her name right now.” said he went on.

  “Cynthia Swartz?” said Bailey.

  “Yeah that's It” said O’Kelly.

  Shelly and Bailey looked at each other.

  “I’ve been getting a lot of visits lately. Even Klein himself stopped by yesterday to

  see how things were going. said O’Kelly excitedly.

  “Thank you very much sir, you've been very helpful Mr. O’Kelly, Shelly said.

  “No problem,” said O’kelly.

  Both Shelly and Bailey turn and leave making their way back to the ground floor. Shelly took

  out her phone calling someone.

  “Ki have you found out anything yet?” she asked, pausing “Okay oh and Ki we need

  you to find out where Klein Rousseau is staying.

  “Alright it seems that a boy named Oliver, whose family of the victim was also recently

  stationed out in Grover and is still working there.”

  “Swartz movements are a little peculiar. She was a workaholic everybody loves her,

  she takes a vacation but visits O’kelly to ask about how this project got started, goes to a

  museum and whines up dead; and somehow has a diamond on her most likely one of these “Okay I’m calling it a day, I'll be back over here tomorrow to look up some stuff and see

  what this Klein quack is really about”. Bailey said getting into the driver's side of the car.

  “Yeah, after you take me back to the station and I do the report I’m done too.” said

  Shelly, re-clipping her long wavy black hair.

  She gave a sigh as she looked out the window sparkling from the many jewels that

  adorned its buildings.