153. By the Light of Gemstones
By the Light of Gemstones
My reasoning at the time
was rooted in logic.
Light led the way,
whereas darkness hid
any path that lay ahead.
So as I followed the crystal light,
carefully avoiding the teeth-like
minerals growing up from the cave floor,
I noticed that along
the uneven walls of rocks,
there were paintings.
The colours were warm,
rich purples and bright yellows,
crimson and vermillion.
But the paintings were…
I shuddered as I looked upon them.
They were clearly of battle.
A brutality shone in the swords,
the bodies of Gods and Goddesses
being ripped to shreds.
Even on these uneven walls,
I could see how violently
the artist’s brush had slashed,
creating clear images
of every cruelty of war.
And then my stomach
turned as I realized
with a cold shock
that these images
were of the Titanomachy.
The cruelty of my family
hurting, maiming,
trying to destroy each other
spread along the tunnel.
My hands shook now
as I froze, every thought
inside my head
was screaming at me
to turn back,
turn back now.
But turning back
meant accepting defeat.
All of this would be for nothing.
I had to continue.
I just had to.
So I took a lavender potion
from my bag of simples
to calm myself,
steeled my nerves
and continued.