Golden

Chapter One

Now that we're into my second story, I just want to say to you guys.... please comment!! I really could care less if you vote because that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for YOUR thoughts, YOUR opinions, YOUR COMMENTS, not just a silent crowd :(

Thank you for reading, and I hope you guys do tell me what you think about this story as I continue updating :)

Chapter One

            I bow my head as I kneel at the base of the towering throne before me. The stone chair alone stands well over twenty feet as the additional decoration and designs engulf the majority of the room. The designs are incredibly intricate; the stone travelling in a captivating array of swirling patterns that loop across each other, twirling around the legs of the chair and spreading widely across the linoleum floor. The ceiling is caved in completely, allowing no breath of air to pass through the tightly sealed blocks of stone that overlap one another.

            Sitting in her throne with the air of authority and threatening stare that only a divine being can accomplish, is the statue of the Goddess Penella. Her stone figure rests almost uncomfortably in the courtroom that is reserved for only her to reside in. Her eyes are focused permanently on the doors that enter and exit her courtroom, however I know her gaze is fixed onto my bowing frame as she watches, invisible.

            “Goddess, I will not fail you,” I say firmly, my eyes cast downward.

            I can feel a gentle caress on my bare shoulder, and a soft whisper that floats through my mind soothingly. I cannot understand the words she murmurs, but I know what she is trying to tell me.

            I stand, feeling the caress travel down to my toes as it leaves without a trace. Turning on my heel, I make my way across the glossy floor and push open the discouragingly large double doors. The two pillars that stand guard at the entrance of the doors tick as I pass them, clearing me as unthreatening. As I leave, the grand double doors collapse behind me, leaving a stone wall in its wake that ensures the safety of the courtroom.

            Penella’s Hall is in ruins; a desolate image of what I can image used to be so vibrant. Her Hall spans the length of Valsea – the dismal world that I now live in. What once stood tall and strong is now a crumbled corridor that collapsed long ago. The many doors that once inhabited the Hall are not in sight – a safety precaution that was created by Penella herself – however, now that it is all a collapsed ruin, I am not sure if many of these rooms exist anymore.

            I walk along the corridor, taking in every crumble of stone and crack in the walls and small pillars. The large, intricate fountain that decorates the center of the Hall does not run water anymore. There must have been a pipe that connected the fountain to the shore of Valsea, allowing the water to flow freely and indefinitely, although I can imagine the damage it must have taken when the Hall collapsed.

            Finally, I reach the almost never-ending staircase; the only entrance to Penella’s Hall and her courtroom. As I near it, the stairs reform from its pile of rubble – the same safety precaution as every door that lines the Hall. I take the first step and onwards, the stone steps rising to meet my feet as I continue, quickening my pace the closer I become to the base of the staircase.

            When I reach the bottom, I see the retreating figure of the rogue Unborn who had been attempting to activate the staircase. His attempts were in vain, as the staircase only reforms when in the presence of a nonthreatening being. As my feet leave the last step, the staircase collapses behind me, returning to its original state of rubble.