PASSING THROUGH the ground floor and wandering around the north wing, finally entering a new chamber, Maze was almost exhausted from walking alone. The entire level felt like a massive landscape where he toured every other attraction like a lost youth. Perhaps he would have felt that way if he were a boy, but he was a man who now envied such a pleasurable view.
Indubitably, this new chamber was by far a peculiar one, and thus, was something that Maze wanted to know the function of.
It was a vast, circular chamber with four pillars near the center, possibly a bit smaller than the hall, but capable of occupying about a hundred souls. They encircled what was deemed to be an elevated circular platform. There were torches in all corners, and no windows for other radiance to seep in, which was the very reason that the room was only being lit by the flames themselves. Standing at the passageway were Maze and Vaelstrom; the latter, who had his hand slid in his pocket, was in front to lead him in.
"This is called the Chamber of Sanctum. It is one of the chambers here on the ground floor that bears much significance to us Children." Vaelstrom glanced at Maze before they went in, but he seemed not to make an effort to explain things the best way, though it was still understandable. "This chamber helps us in ways that are necessary for our advancement, and you can think of such growth as a determining factor to the development of our special abilities. That is the generalized idea, although vague, of what really matters."
Maze realized that there was a grand sight inside, only that it felt like an altar, some kind of place that seemed peculiar and cultic. Though he understood that Vaelstrom was giving him general information to better understand what specifics were to be given next, he took note of them with due diligence.
"Now, Mizmaze—" He then became stiff. "Wait, what should I address you as?"
"Anything," Maze almost shrugged. "But most call me Maze. Not that it matters to you, right?"
"Then, Maze it is."
Vaelstrom brushed his hair as they stood in front of the elevated platform. "Maze, may I know what you were told? I merely assumed you were aware of the Children."
"Truly, that is the only thing that I know." The idea that Children were those awakened individuals who obtained special abilities felt like a scratch on the surface, a dust that held no absolute answer. "Apart from that, I have come to know nothing in a profound manner."
"Hmm, well, you have got so much to learn indeed." Vaelstrom nodded in understanding. "When I was, out of the blue, tasked to teach you the basics, Sir Azaniel did not deign to give me the specifics, so I was a confused maggot. But what could I do? I was the youngest, and probably the newest before you, though I joined a year ago. Others before you, and after me . . . Well, we should not bother the dead, should we?"
He was a bit talkative now. Maze almost scratched his nape. It was clear that he was trying his best not to make an awkward atmosphere, especially since Maze did not know anything else to say vocally.
Vaelstrom yawned before he leaned on a pillar, his dull stare piercing at Maze. "I am granting you a chance to ask anything that you desire to know."
What I want to know . . . ? Maze thought about it and tried to search deep within his mind. What was it that he wanted to know first? Something that was not big but could help his problem, and by doing so, he needed to go back to the root of it all.
"Anything, right?" Maze had a reluctant look, such that Vaelstrom had to raise a brow.
"As long as it is answerable, and not beyond my grasp, then I shall, by that logic, answer." He crossed his arms. "This way, we might clear some of the troubles that have been bugging you."
The root.
It was now his cue.
"If there is anything that I would ask . . . that is, how do you know that I am a Child?"
Vaelstrom was slightly taken aback by the question, but then, he quickly recovered. "Other inquiries?"
It seemed such was not something he could answer; then he must ask some shallow ones.
"The beast . . . is it a property of the Towers?"
"It is not generally of the Towers, but of our specific Tower. It is a griffin, which is a beast of half-lion and half-bird lineage, trained to observe, scout, and transport anything, including the likes of yourself."
That somewhat explained why the creature seemed possessed of such keen intelligence, such that Maze had found he could neither outwit nor evade it.
"Each of the Towers possesses griffins, and by extension, so does our own, serving the Children of the Widower."
"Children of the Widower?"
"Indeed. The Towers Below formerly housed two lineages of Children; one was our own, while the other simply ceased to be. The Children of the Widower are an existence sustained by the God of Widows, the Widower Himself, which renders this bastion the Tower of the Widower. Consider it a foundation, a pseudo-church of sorts. It is not strictly a house of worship, nor are we compelled to offer devotion, but it is a necessity to establish our kind as Children of the Widower to eventually attain ascension."
The Towers Below. Maze felt a lingering curiosity regarding the name, but not out of spite. Instead, due to a certain logic that might have dictated why they were below. He felt he must press that point.
"Then I am a Child of the Widower, an existence whose foundation relies upon the God of Widows in order to ascend."
"Precisely."
Something still troubled Maze. "But why is there a necessity to ascend? For myself, for you, or for any of us?"
Vaelstrom's eyes flickered at the probing nature of the question. "That is the very reason we are supported by the God of Widows."
The answer remained obscure to Maze.
"Understand that a deity does not act without a price; there must always be a bargain. Should a higher power fail to sustain us, we would simply cease. We might even be treated as a corruption, for without an established communion to preserve our being, we would lose control of our entirety." Vaelstrom played with his fingers, staring deeply as if lost in thought, before he returned to reality. "I suspect this topic was one you should not have broached, nor I mentioned, as it is a profound and sensitive matter. Yet, that is the gist of it. Pray, dismiss it from your mind for now and refrain from taking notes, lest you become overwhelmed. You shall grasp the underlying nature of these things in due time. And so . . . do you have any other inquiries?"
"About the Towers," Maze quickly replied, attempting to form the words despite his lingering confusion. "If we are below, then who resides above? What is the logic in that . . . ?"
He felt he must determine exactly where this place was situated, even if he did not yet know why he specifically had been brought here.
Vaelstrom grinned at the question and spread his arms as if preparing a demonstration. "For we are quite literally underneath. This is . . . the inverted equivalent to the Towers Yonder."
At that thought, Maze suddenly realized why the griffin had appeared in a topsy-turvy position as they neared the spires, and why the many towers had seemingly merged into three.
Realizations began to click into place.
I am standing upside down?
He imagined the entire concept: these monuments were inverted, not merely facing the surface, but as if the world above were reflected and flipped. Such structures were called the Towers Yonder. Whatever Children dwelt within those heights, Maze decided not to mind them for the moment.
Maze had other questions about his master, or the gift he had obtained — the blindfold itself — but he found he could not bring himself to ask. The secrets only seemed to grow, kept hidden in the dark. His current knowledge was like knots after knots, perhaps because Vaelstrom was ill-suited for the task, having been thrust into it unprepared.
"So I am a Child, specifically a Child of the Widower, of the Towers Below." He tried to recall the details. "I am a subject of ascension so that I may continue to exist . . . and not fall to corruption."
But why would he be corrupted in the first place? He hoped to learn that soon, but it was best not to shock his mind, or he might lose the fragments of knowledge he had gleaned.
"That is indeed the core idea, but know that being a Child is merely the call for existence; there is a far deeper mantra that we rely upon." Vaelstrom gestured toward the elevated platform. "For now, you are prepared to face the platform and address a matter that requires your immediate attention."
Maze followed the instruction and stepped onto the platform.
"This certain something," Vaelstrom added, "is the path you are destined to tread."