Chapter 299: Visiting the Aftermath (2/2)
Clearly, they had suffered something along the lines of a major earthquake, or perhaps floating island quake was a better term, which had left the fragile buildings in ruins. Some of the more robust ones had survived, though, which gave him some clues about the nature of their inhabitants.
The presence of artificial illumination sources (currently nonfunctional), glass windows (mostly broken), and elaborate and artistic architecture suggested that the Asani were a cultured and advanced species that had manufacturing capabilities comparable to many of the surface nations.
Judging by the shape and size of the doorways, the owners of the buildings were probably similar to most humanoids, with one notable exception. They apparently didn't need to rely on walking to enter their buildings, as most of the entrances were set at least a few meters above the ground.
[Well, Morris did say they were bird-like. Maybe that means they are capable of flight. Still, it's hard to imagine a humanoid creature that would be comfortable flying to the extent that they designed their homes based on that principle, but still have the manual dexterity necessary to build things…I suppose magic or some sort of innate skill might be the cause. Anyway, I'll have to wait until I meet one to know for sure.]
He'd yet to see any sign of the people in question. Even with Aerosense activated, he couldn't detect any signs of a living being larger than a mouse inside the ruins. It seems the Asani had evacuated at some point prior to the crash.
[While it's possible they abandoned the island when they realized the danger, they also may have moved into some kind of emergency shelter. Assuming, of course, they had sufficient warning.]
Figuring that the center of the island would likely be the best protected, and therefore the safest place to house evacuees, he headed towards the large crystal spike. As he got closer, he could hear a faint, discordant hum that seemed to emanate from its surface. It vaguely reminded him of the note he'd detected earlier, but it now had a sort of warbling, chaotic sound mixed in, which set his nerves on edge.
The base of the crystal seemed to serve as the focal point of the Asani settlements, with a large city built around its circumference. Here he began to get an inkling of what might have caused the island to fall.
The buildings were also damaged by the seismic activity stemming from the impact with the ocean, but there was additional destruction caused by something else entirely. Scorch marks, melted stone, circular holes bored into the side of the stone buildings, and even splashes of red fluid that looked like blood were present throughout the city. He'd seen enough warfare to recognize a battlefield, but wasn't able to locate any bodies.
Landing briefly, he examined a strange polearm-like weapon that was embedded in the ground near one such blood stain. It was one of several dozen in the area, although it was the only one that appeared to be intact. The long, metallic shaft was topped with a two-pronged, trident-like blade with barbed edges. While it didn't appear to be particularly useful in combat, he could imagine its victims have a rough time.
A quick Appraise told him a bit more.
------------------------------------
Kalingi
Mundane Weapon (Tier 2, Rank 1)
Crafted from Sky Steel, this polearm is one of the many traditional weapons of the Asani. Primarily used as part of the Tuling school of aerial combat, which specializes in fighting large, airborne monsters, it is designed to deliver painful and debilitating wounds in preparation for a lethal finisher delivered by a comrade.
--------------------------------------
Mike left the weapon where it was, and took another look at the others in his surroundings. Based on the layout of the blood spatters and the other more damaged armaments, he began to get an idea of what happened.
[This seems to have been the site of a fight between Asani fighters and some kind of large flying creature. Maybe there are no bodies because they were eaten? Not sure if I want to run into anything with this large of an appetite.]
His thoughts were interrupted when his Aerosense, which he'd been keeping active, picked up the hint of a disturbance from a large building that practically abutted the crystal. Guessing that this might be his best bet for answers, he moved to investigate.
The structure had all the appearances of a fortification, being composed primarily out of massive blocks of worked stone. In comparison to the graceful and aesthetically pleasing architecture he'd seen on the rest of the island, this stronghold was almost crude. It resembled a cube made of smaller cubes, and Mike was reminded of a certain popular puzzle toy from his old world. There was no sign of any windows or adornments, so it had all the hallmarks of a final redoubt.
In the center of the building's outward facing wall was a single entrance. There, a hinge like apparatus was built into its upper side, which would have ordinarily lowered a large slab of stone to seal the opening and disguise it among the others that made up the wall. However, something had evidently gone wrong, since the melted remains of the door were lying some distance from the structure's foundation.
Mike flew up to the entrance and found that it led to a square tunnel which extended for a few dozen meters before ending in a chamber. The edges of the corridor were scarred, blackened, and melted, as if something hot enough to liquify rock had passed through here recently.
Keeping his mana at the ready, he flew forward, making sure not to come in contact with the warped surface of the stone, just to be on the safe side. The room turned out to be a simple squarish space that he guessed occupied the exact center of the building. With the exception of a circular opening in the floor, there was nothing else of interest. He floated over and looked down, using a bit of Air Magic to scout the passage with Aerosense.
It was a circular shaft which seemed to extend deep into the heart of the island, farther than he could make out with his sight alone. Much like the previous passage, this one was also damaged.
As he was examining the edges of the hole, his senses picked up the distant presence of living creatures in its depths. However, the picture he got from Aerosense was strangely distorted and confused. The best he could determine was that there was a large group of smaller creatures right next to something that was a great deal larger, but anything more than that was lost in the odd static.
He briefly contemplated going back and leaving the Asani to their fate. After all, he didn't even know the species existed an hour ago. However, he had a feeling that whatever was attacking them posed a threat to more than just this island. Where might it go, once it had finished here?
[I need more information before I can decide whether or not to leave. The last thing I want is to abandon this place, only to have a country destroying monster chasing us.]
The unusual air currents became more jostled and confused, and he thought he heard the distant sounds of screaming.
[I suppose there is really only one way to find out now.] He thought as he began his descent.