Mankind: An Elysian Tale
Chapter 11: The Temple
You follow the crowd into the cramped, dusty alleys of the outpost. Much like the hub you visited before, you see vine-like wires stretching throughout the battered cobblestone walkways. Soon, a silhouette of a building emerges ahead of the crowd you are travelling with.
Eventually, you reach the end of the walkway. As the crowd in front of you disperse, you realise that the building you saw earlier appears to be a temple of some sort. But, more surprising is the courtyard you now find yourself in.
Brimming with life, trees of different shapes and shades — a long-forgotten sight in the Wastes — surround you and the crowd you are with. Buried underneath the soil and vegetation are the same wires you saw in the alleys — enveloping most of the trees around you.
You scan the crowd, most of which share your bewildered amazement.
Suddenly, a crack pierces through the quiet.
Although faint, the initial disturbance is quickly followed by a multitude of others — all emanating throughout the courtyard. You quickly examine your surroundings and notice the wires around you constricting the surrounding vegetation. Trees rattle as branches crack and leaves fall — a consequence of the wires’ metallic embrace.
The crowd huddles together in fear — dragging you deeper into the courtyard. Right before panic overcomes the masses, a voice beckons from within the temple.
“Peace, Travellers,” says the otherworldly voice. “All of you have come from distant lands to seek respite from the Wastes.”
You wince upon hearing the voice — its tone an unsettling combination of hoarseness, presence, and indifference.
“As such, it is respite that you shall have,” the voice continues. “Worry not, for all of you are now under the protection of Elysium.”
