The Flowerlight in the Caves of Zefka-Khazad

Arriving at Zefka-Khazad, I decided to tour the local attractions. Deep in the mountains that surround the town are caves that span endlessly in winding labyrinths of mysteries. The local Dwarf population has been tending to these underground "groves" since thousands of years and, reading about my past adventures, invited me to join them in a special tour within the deeper sections that are not usually afforded to passing tourists. So, on I went in specially outfitted spelunking attire to keep me warm and dry.

Deep, deep we climbed down through the usual darkened corridors, using phosphorous lamps of crystal-hewn faces that shimmered against the glittering facade of granite, sparkling at every turn. Hours passed us by through these tunnels until we reached the smaller cracks and crevices that made it hard to travel through. But onward we went, far beneath where the tourists are shown the usual stalagmites and stalactites. The Dwarves were silent most of the way, only whispering at times to point out a particular vein of quartz, coal, or jade. Flecks of gold were sometimes revealed as we clambered down the lower shafts. Then, we reached a great big cavernous opening with a lake that stopped at our feet. The silence was only broken by the occasional drop of water, plinking and echoing in the vast blackness before us. The still water shimmered beneath our lights. Dwarves, being ever ingenious, pulled out a set of interlocking bars and taut canvas and proceeded to build a small collapsible rowboat. Within minutes, we launched across the great lake. At times, it seemed as if the silence was broken only by our quiet rowing, and the swishing tail of some blind fish below that came too close to the surface. I shuddered at the thought of some monstrosity separated from us by only the taut waterproof canvas that made the fragile shell of our boat. But the Dwarves seemed unconcerned, so I relaxed somewhat and enjoyed the time, lounging in the back of the boat and staring up at the grand cathedral of beautiful limestone structures that dipped and rose gracefully before me.

After about an hour of rowing, we came to a shore and the boat was pulled up and tethered so as not to drift away. Then, we continued our descent. Rope ladders aided us as we climbed down yet even further into the heart of the earth. My guide told me that the first stop would be one of the most beautiful things discovered underground - that they were passing great gem-filled caverns to show me this first. They had allowed me, the first non-Dwarf ever, to witness this gorgeous creation of nature. Naturally, I was touched and pleased, my curiosity being fired anew as to what I would discover. Finally, we came to a small opening and had to squeeze through. A new great cavern lay before us with those beautiful spires that towered above, glinting with wetness and the cool feel of the air. At this point, the Dwarves extinguished their lights, simply covering them with a cloth. We waited. The silence was overbearing and the full weight of the dark caverns seemed to press upon my mind. When...suddenly, my eyes seemed to adjust to a gentle, new light. Not the light of the phosphor that usually grows upon the walls of caves in abundance, but another kind of glow, moving with a magical radiance. Far, far ahead it glowed. Without a word, my companions and I slowly set out towards it.

The ground was all calcified with beautiful encrusted colors that seemed to shimmer, a light and shallow, pure pool of water that covered most of it's flat surface. I saw beautiful glowing mushrooms that seemed translucent and so delicate. I wanted to touch them, but I did not for I did not wish to disturb the quiet stillness of the great chamber. The splish-splash of our feet were the only sounds besides the breathing of my friends around me. And then, as we neared the radiance, I saw a beautiful flower - like a rose. A delicate rose of glass that shone a light around it, light swaying about. A beautiful, growing flower deep in the earth. We came to a stop and I admired this wonder for a while. I felt the Dwarves melt around me, their hearts filled with the beauty of this form, swearing to protect it. A secret they would not open lest too many visitors would mar it's beauty with careless feet and uncaring hands. I was allowed to take a picture for my readers. And here it is, my friends. The gentle glowing mushrooms, the shallow pool of water and, beneath, the beautiful calcified floor of the cavern. The oppressing darkness. And the Flowerlight.

We stayed for a while, admiring it. No one knows how long it has been there, but it has been there for the thousands of years that the Dwarves have been tending these stone gardens beneath the earth. And all this time, it has never changed or wilted. And so they keep it like this in it's natural beauty. After we left, they recounted to me how many other wonders exist in the caverns and were eager to show them to me. Naturally, I was touched once more and, having accepted their offer, we set out on more adventures beneath the crust of the earth. But few marveled me as much as the heart of those caverns...and of my friends, the Dwarves.

- Traveling Uncle Nat. :)

07/04/00