I woke in the same state as the day before, panting heavily as though I had been running! I looked out of the window and noticed the small traces of light creep over the horizon. It was morning... time to get up and nurture my adventurer's side!
I went into the chest close to my bed and took out the items I had not used in a very long time! I dressed myself in a thin leather under-garment and then began to apply the different armoured pieces! I probably looked a right sight, but I didn't care! Today I was going exploring and I would find something interesting! Going back into the chest, I retrieved my sword and stuck it through the belt loop sticking out from the leather garment! I then slowly trudged downstairs and took out my quiver and bow. I was going to fully equip myself today for every eventuality! Nothing would stand in my way of getting some exploring done! No fears, no creatures, nothing! Telling Chiron to stay put, I trudged out of the door, collecting my iron pickaxe from the wall as I went, on towards the mine!
After a long 30 minute walk, I had made it back to the point I had left yesterday; the water still trickled from the hole in the wall, but it was nothing to contend with. I entered the tunnel and continued along it, as I did yesterday. However when I got the split in the tunnel, I took the right path... the unlit path. It didn't stay unlit for long, for I had brought torches along with me, and placed them in effective places at regular intervals along the wall! It wasn't long before - yet again - I heard another pool or stream of water embedded within one of the walls. I took out my pickaxe and began smashing away at the stone until I noticed the air was cooler. A few more minutes and I had made a hole in the wall which lead to another tunnel with a small water source!
With a few well placed slabs of stone, I managed to divert the flow of the water into another crevice and began down the long, dark pathway the water had originally run into. After a few feet, I noticed a huge gap between the two sides of the path and wondered how I was going to bridge it!
As I was thinking, I looked around for any possible route to exploit, but it was all dense stone and rock all around! Looking down into the crevice, I noticed that it was far too deep to try jumping down, and if I got into trouble, there'd be no way back up! However, what I did see down in the crevice made me consider jumping! DIAMOND! There was a small deposit of diamond sitting on the surface of the crevice, with gold deposits nearby to a lava pool. I had hit the jackpot! Now all I needed was a way down!
I took off the helm and the heavy chestplate, and tried my best to jog back up to the surface. I got back to the half-way point of the mine and continued on to the forge, remembering the iron I had left there. I fashioned a crude axe from the iron and went straight into my forest and felled the first 3 trees I saw! Taking all the wood from them, I carried it back to the half-way point and refined it into planks. With some of the mass reduced, I continued onwards, back towards the crevice and placed a few torches around the area. I redressed myself in the chestplate and helm, and began to bridge the gap slowly with the planks I had made! I really hoped that the direction I was going would lead to the diamond! If not, I would have to find a way of mining to it... even if it meant searching the ship for explosives! After an hour, I had the entire crevice bridged and secure, and I continued down the pathway, lighting my way as I went!
It was literally a few feet before I found another water source! It seemed that there were springs all over the place! It then occurred to me that I might lose my way, so I propped up planks of wood in locations where I had been. All I had to do was follow the planks back to the entrance... or at least to a more recognisable area! I also diverted this water source so that I didn't injure myself on the way down!
After following the path for about 20 metres, it began to bend around to the left and continued doing so, whilst going deeper into the ground! It was then that I realised this pathway lead directly to the gold deposit next to the lava pit! This was perfect! My sense of direction had lead me to exactly where I wanted to be, and the gold was only a few metres from the diamond! After a few more minutes of walking downwards, and illuminating the path, it came to a point where there was no need for torches; I had reached the lava pit, and it had illuminated the entire area!
There was tons of ore here ranging from coal, through iron, gold and even redstone! There were scattered patches of lapis lazuli too, but most of it was inaccessible because of the lava. It didn't really matter anyway; my eyes were on the diamond, which was a little tricky to get to. There was a small trickle of lava that connected to the pool, and I managed to restrict the flow using stone to divert the flow. Within 20 minutes or so, I had fully diverted the lava flow, and made a small access area to get to the diamond! Holding up a torch, the light thrown from it cast strange shadows all around, and illuminated the diamond. I affixed the torch to the wall close to the diamond and stared in awe at it! There it was! A small patch of isolated diamonds, at a level I would expect to find it at! The presence of this much lava would've made it impossible not to find diamonds though to be honest. I took out my pickaxe and began striking at the diamond ore. Within minutes, I had mined the entire lot! There was a surprisingly large amount despite the conditions around the area.
I was gathering up the diamonds I had found when I heard a strange hissing noise, followed by skittering! The hissing was similar to that of the spider in the dream, but it was hard to tell what it was, and where it was because of the geography of the place! Every now and then the hissing would start up again and the skittering sound would accompany it! I placed the bag of diamonds on the floor, and took out my sword! Holding it ready, I took out another torch, lit it and began to explore further into the cavern! After a few metres, I noticed another pool of lava and heard a trickle of water. Approaching it, I saw a strange purple rock beneath another water flow, and watched in surprise as the water hissed when it came into contact with the lava! I lowered my sword, and shook my head in relieved disbelief! The hissing continued as the water kept coming into contact with the lava, and then before my eyes, a small section of the lava cooled and began to lose it's colour! After a few more moments it took on the same purplish hue of the surrounding rock! What was it? I put my sword back into the belt loop and was about to walk away, when I noticed a strange glint off in the corner. Raising the torch I looked carefully and could not believe my eyes! MORE DIAMOND!
I rushed over and excavated it quickly, placing it into a small bag I had. Then I heard the skittering again... The hissing continued, but I had learnt the source of that, but the skittering sound wasn't coming from the same source. At this point I had had enough! I slowly made my way back to the other bag of diamonds, but I couldn't find them! Had I taken them with me? No, I had dropped them and grabbed my sword! But the diamonds - and the bag - were nowhere to be found! I took this as a hint and began to make my way back up the passage as quickly as my armour allowed! When I got to the wooden bridge, I heard the skittering again, not as loud as before, but still within earshot! I tried to ignore it and pushed on towards the first water source back near the mine! I emerged and was initially blinded by sunlight that streaked from overhead! Was it midday already?
I made my way back to the house, all the while still hearing the strange skittering noise! I stopped now and again and glanced around, but I never saw anything unusual! I got to the house and took off the armour and placed it back into the chest, along with the sword. The bow and quiver I left out just in case, and I changed back into my everyday clothes. I then went to the front of the house were I stored the planks of wood and returned to the tunnel entrance! I spent an hour securely boarding up the hole, ensuring that whatever was in there never got out! I was lucky in that the main path of the mine continued in the opposite direction to the tunnel, so I could continue mining without worrying about a giant hole! I went back to the house and returned the tools I had used to build the barricade. Going back upstairs, I went to the bag of diamonds and poured them out onto my bed; they glittered and gleamed in the light, reflecting, refracting, bending light into a kaleidoscopic array of colours and patterns. They were beautiful! But I got the impression that something else wanted them! I went through the sequence in my mind; I had dropped the bag of diamonds after hearing a hissing, and went to explore. Finding it to be some lava and water mixing, I went to leave, but found another deposit of diamonds. Hearing more skittering I went back to the bag... but it wasn't there! I had dropped it! But it had gone... Had whatever the skittering sound belonged to taken them? If so, was it why I could hear skittering leave the mine? Was it after me? I put the diamonds back into the pouch and hid them under my bed!
I needed to get my mind off the skittering sounds and the strange sights in the cavern! I might go back there, but not for a long time, and in the meanwhile I needed something to do. I felt uncomfortable working so close to the entrance, so I decided to extend the farm as I had suggested a few days before. I took my hoe from the farming chest and picked up my bow and quiver on the way out! I wasn't taking any chances! I spent the entire afternoon extending it, well into the evening, until it began to get dark. I had a fresh crop of wheat planted and the farm was considerably bigger than necessary. But it would be just a waste of land not to use it! I was about to head up to the house when I heard a strange scratching noise at the gate. Taking the bow from over my shoulder and readying an arrow, I crept towards the gate and flicked the switch. The ceiling pistons retracted into the wall and the sand slid back into place. Nothing! Well, nothing at first! I lowered my bow, and suddenly a white streak fly straight past me, through the gate! It was a wolf and it seemed startled by something... maybe me... or the gate! Glancing outside at the boat, I noticed no new addition to it, and closed the gate. By the time I had turned around, the wolf had disappeared! I shrugged; a wolf was the last of my worries!
It's late in the evening now and it's only just occurred to me what that strange purple stone was: obsidian! It is a strange material that occurs when lava cools too quickly to crystalise, and so forms dense pockets of purpley black stone. I had learnt from the MiNES that it was a bitch to mine, and possessed no real purpose... a bit like the lapis lazuli. On the other hand, I had proof that the lapis lazuli did have another, more sinister use... Did the obsidian? Another thought had struck me as well; since this incident with the tunnels and cavern, I hadn't spared a thought to the crew of the ship at all! The ship was still in the exact same position it had been since it arrived, and as far as I know, no-one else but me had been there! I think HoN Co. have officially stated the crew MIA and have begun an investigation into their disappearance. If the crew had been stopped by pirates, why was all the valuable equipment still on board? They can't ALL have been washed overboard, and someone must've been there to write the entry into the ship's log stating that they had arrived! I've already sent a message to HoN Co. regarding the equipment on the ship, but I have a good idea what they'll say. I wonder if they're willing to send another ship? Or maybe a plane... I think air transport would be faster, but more dangerous! I suppose it's one other thing to ask HoN Co. ... along with other uses of obsidian, and whether the book mentioned it!
Syeonyx signing off
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