The Non-Human Society Chapter 497 Three Hundred and Seventy One – Renn – Crystal’s

Following Vim deeper into another cave, I wondered if we were going to et another monarch so soon.

We were in the Nation of the Blind, a few days deep into it actually. Unlike last ti, when we had traversed through large open fields and prairies we were now traveling through mountains and canyons. Though right now we were in a cave, located in one of those very canyons, one that had been so hidden and out of the way that on a few occasions Vim had needed to help traverse the rough terrain.

Unlike the cavern system where we'd t Tor in however, this one was… strangely not very dark. The caverns and tunnels were more open than usual it seed, and even though Vim and I had been walking deeper and deeper for the good part of an hour I could still make out nearly everything in the cave.

The stones were lighter in color, which probably helped keep it brighter, but it felt a little odd… We had rounded enough corners and gone through entire sections of tunnels and cave systems that there was no way any of the sunlight was peering this deep into the cave to reach us here.

"Vim… where are we?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. I had held back for the last day or so as we ca here, but I couldn't any longer.

The cave seed normal. I didn't sll, or hear, anything unnatural. And Vim had never ntioned another monarch in this area before, so…

"I found these years ago. While hunting a god," Vim said.

Found…?

"A god?" I asked as I stepped over a large rock. It was jutting out of the ground oddly, as if it had poked outward. It was sharp.

"Hm. In fact I found this place before officially joining the Society. Though not before eting Celine," he added.

"Huh…" I continued following Vim as we rounded another turn. The rocky walls around us beca… sharp and littered with similarly pointy rocks as the one I stepped over earlier.

Fascinated by the sudden change in appearance, I wondered why so rocks were sharp and why so were smooth. And why they seed to change so drastically so quickly.

Didn't water smooth rocks…? Did that an no water has ever been in this section of the cave?

I had to walk carefully for a short ti, and was thankful I could see so well. So of them were very definitely sharp. Not just at their points either. Almost as if there were ridges along their pointed sides, intentionally ford to be dangerous…

"Are we not here to et soone?" I asked. He was speaking almost as if he was talking about a thing, not a person.

"No. No one's here. At least, there better not be," Vim said.

I see…

Blinking quickly, I smiled gently as I beca suddenly very excited.

What was he going to show ? It wasn't often, rarely in fact, that Vim took sowhere not related to the Society.

Though we might just be getting another one of those items he's buried throughout the world… which would be fine too, I guess. After all even though he was gathering them for a reason I didn't wish to indulge, it was fun to see and learn about things Vim kept secret from everyone else. Since the very fact he told of them, and showed them, was only further proof at how much he cherished .

"I'm glad that riah got all antsy. We would have had to pass by here otherwise," Vim said gently as we rounded another corner… and seemingly ca to a dead end.

So he was glad that riah had left. That explained how he had gotten a little… calr after she had parted with us at Kaley's Hamlet. Here I had thought he had just been happy for us to be alone.

"Don't want her to know about this place?" I asked as I followed Vim to the end of the path, if you could call it a path. It was so littered with rocks and sharp points that it almost felt… wrong to even walk through it.

Hopefully it didn't grow dark here, else I might end up hurting myself. I'd not be able to traverse this place without sight, that was how problematic the sharp rocks were.

"I don't want anyone to know of this place, no," Vim confird as he stepped over to a wall.

"Not even ?" I asked happily as I watched him. He paused a mont, to glance back at .

Smirking at him, I waited for his quip or his attempt to tease in turn… which normally worked, since he was so good at it.

Instead though he only sighed with a small smile, and then he turned back to face the wall.

Before I could say anything, to tease him even more, Vim reached out and placed his hands on the wall.

Hesitating, I wondered if he was about to break the wall or sothing. Should I worry? The roof was littered with pointy and sharp rocks… would they fall on if he did?

Vim's hands and fingers made noises as he began to push on the wall… and I flinched as I heard stone scrape stone… yet instead of a loud bang, or crack, the scraping sound only grew louder and louder… as he simply pushed a giant section of the wall deeper into itself.

A little stunned, I realized he was pushing a huge rock. A giant boulder, far bigger in height and width than the wall even was. And as he pushed it… light started to beco visible.

"The outside…?" I mumbled in awe, wondering if we had maybe walked through the mountain already. The canyon we had entered in had been deep, and near so smaller mountains. It hadn't felt like had walked a great enough distance down here to pass through one of those mountains but…

Gleaming lights ca into view, and I felt my shoulders slump in awe… as a world of pretty glittering lights ca into view.

Stunned, I slowly walked forward… following Vim through the large hole-like doorway he had just opened up. Vim stopped pushing the rock after a mont, and turned and smiled at as I walked past him and entered the new section of cave he had just revealed.

It was a massive room. Big enough to have an echo and more… and the walls and roof were absolutely covered by giant gems.

Glowing blue ones. Very similar to the giant gem at the Armadillo's ho.

"Gems?" I asked as I kept looking around. So of them were so huge, they were as if trees themselves. Many of them were thicker and wider than Vim, and many tis taller. They all glittered faintly, though from a light source I couldn't place. Did they glow from within, like hearts? Or from another source of light?

"Crystals actually. Similar, but not. Co on, let push this back and seal it up while you enjoy the sight," Vim said gently as he patted on the rear, ushering away from the stone he had just moved.

I stepped forward, leaving him behind as he went to push the rock back into place. The sound of him pushing the rock, scraping the rock it slid into, was deafening but I ignored it as I approached the nearest crystal. It was sticking up out of the ground at an angle, like a fallen tree, and was about my size in width.

"Can I touch them?" I asked softly as I stared into the blue crystal. I could see through it, as if it was made of glass, but it had countless little streaks of white things inside of it. Those white lines glimred and glistened, like icicles in the sun.

"You can. They're just rocks."

Reaching out, I placed my hand onto the crystal… and found that it was strangely warm. Nowhere near as warm as a monarch heart, but far warr than I had expected it to be. Especially since they genuinely looked like giant ice crystals.

"It's warm, Vim," I whispered in awe.

And strangely smooth. It looked as if it had grooves, yet as I ran my hand along it I felt none of them. It felt as smooth as glass or ice.

"So of them are, yes. Weird huh?" Vim's voice sounded close, so I turned my head a little… tearing my eyes away from the beautiful thing to find he was now standing next to .

Blinking at him, I turned and found the rock he had just been ssing with. It was now back in place, sealing this cavern from the other.

"Is that um… the only way out?" I asked. The rock was massive. A huge boulder, as big as the hut Nory and I had lived in.

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Vim really was a monster.

"Yes."

"Don't die then, Vim. I'll be stuck here," I said as I returned my attention to the thing before .

He chuckled at as I reached up with my other hand… and realized I had my gloves on. I quickly took them off, and found that the crystal was even warr than I had originally thought.

"They're beautiful…" I whispered, and glanced down the crystal a little. I stepped a few feet away from Vim, so that I could step up against another section of the crystal… to put my face up against it.

Resting my cheek against it, I closed my eyes and sighed at the warmth. It felt good, especially on the cut that was still healing.

Plus it made relax a little. Which felt even better, since this place stunk terribly like that pit from my mory.

I wasn't sure if it was because we were underground, or if it was just re coincidence… but ever since Vim had moved that boulder, I could sll nothing but that pit. The one my family used to throw into as punishnt.

It was so strong of a sll, so terrible, that I was barely able to even focus on the wonderfulness around .

"They are, aren't they? There aren't many places like this in the whole world. Or well… there probably are a lot more than I think, but good luck finding any of them. And even more so good luck getting to them, too," Vim said.

Right… If this place really was sealed, except for that rock Vim could move, I doubted anyone else could get here. It was under a mountain. Near a canyon. It had taken us over an hour to get here, walking through caves and tunnels…

"Co on, Renn. We're not there yet," Vim then said as he stepped away from and the crystal I was growing to want to depend on.

Pulling my face away from the warmth, I frowned as I hurried to follow him.

This wasn't what he wanted to show ? Really? What could be better than these things!?

As I followed Vim through what felt like a forest of the crystals, I began to notice slightly different colors amongst them. They were mostly the sa shade of light blue, but a few had a pinkish hue, or a green one. Though…

"Are they actually colorful, Vim, or are they just… reflecting what's around them?" I asked, as I realized the green ones had grass or moss around them, while the blue ones didn't.

He chuckled at . "You really are observant. Yes, they seem to reflect their surroundings. There's an aquifer below this area, one that a lot of these crystals are connected to and are subrged in. It's a mineral heavy lake. Thus their blue color," Vim said.

"Huh…" I nodded, finding that to make perfect sense. Though… "What about the pink ones?" I asked as we passed one of them. It wasn't as big as the one's around it, which were a mix of blue and greens.

"The honest answer is the stuff inside the crystal. There are tiny parts of different minerals and stuff inside that give it that color. Most of them are actually a type of white, a see-through, which you'll see up here in a mont," Vim said, explaining gently as we walked.

I humd as we approached a huge crystal that erged from another cluster of smaller ones, and was so big and long it hit the other end of the cavern wall, in the ceiling. Vim had to duck as we walked under it, though I only had to slightly lower my head.

As we walked under the huge thing, I found myself strangely happy. "You really are taller than , Vim," I said as I watched the way he stood back up once we were out from under it.

"Hm…? Not by much," he said with a little shrug. He didn't seem to care either way, really.

For so reason it made happy to be reminded he was though.

After a few minutes of walking we rounded so larger crystals and ca to a new tunnel. One lined with crystals, though most were so big they ended up being the walls and roof of the tunnel, with the rock of the mountain only peering through occasionally between them.

"How did this form, Vim? It's as if they had all grown around this area we're walking through," I said as I noticed the way the crystals around us were ford. So of them were so flat against the wall, it was as if they were the wall itself. Decorations, maybe.

Vim smirked at . "Because it had been? There had been a huge crystal here, that they all were growing against and around. I removed it, to make this path," Vim said.

Slowing a little, I stopped midway through the tunnel and looked back and forth… and realized he was likely being serious.

I could see it. Where the hundreds of smaller crystals, so as big as , had ford around a larger one. In fact so of the crystals even looked… broken or impacted, as if they had been pushing up against sothing bigger and stronger than themselves.

"Where'd you put it?" I asked as I returned to walking.

"The crystal…? I broke it a bunch, to get it out. It's in pieces sowhere around here," he said.

Oh… "That's too bad," I said. It would have been neat to see a big one in full. Were they elongated and so perfectly shaped all the way to their source? Or were they like trees, where once you dug under the ground you found a wry ss of roots beneath them?

"Hm…"

Leaving the tunnel we entered another large cavern. This one though wasn't as littered with crystals, and had more grass… and…

Staring at the building on the other side of the cavern, I felt my tail twitch like mad at the absurdity of the sight.

"Vim…?" I asked, doubting my eyes.

It was a house. Undoubtedly. Made of so kind of dark colored stone. It was such an appalling sight here, amongst all the pretty crystals, that it offended .

"Why do you look offended?" Vim asked, pausing mid step.

"Why's a house here? Look, it doesn't belong at all!" I said as I gestured at the pretty crystals lining the walls and scattered around. There were even a few sticking out of the ground and grass, pointing upward to the ceiling.

"Hmph. Fine. You can sleep outside," Vim said as he turned away, smiling gently at as he headed for the house.

"I could! Staring up at them would be wonderful!" I said. I'd almost said sleeping against one would be nice, since they were so warm, but I was glad I hadn't. Since they were, even if warm, hard like stone.

"Really? They're bright, so it annoys …" Vim said as he frowned.

Oh…

Glancing around, I realized Vim was very right.

This cavern was so bright it was almost as if we were outside. So of the crystals were even glistening and glowing as if lanterns.

Yes… Vim was right… it would likely be possible to sleep, but it'd not be as easy or comfortable as I had first assud thanks to how bright they were.

"Are you here to sleep?" I asked carefully as I followed him up to the house.

A part of was hoping not. Although I was already getting used to the sll of this place, it was still bad enough that it bothered . I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to fall asleep here if I wanted to.

"Hm… actually, to be honest, I've not been very tired lately. That's odd, how co I hadn't noticed?" Vim slowed as he turned to look at , tilting his head as if I could answer such a question.

"You haven't felt sleepy?" I asked, a little excited to hear so.

Vim shook his head a little, frowning at as he did.

"That's wonderful, Vim. I have noticed you haven't really yawned or anything lately, too," I said. I had simply thought he'd been doing it without noticing, or that he had been more aware of himself since we'd been traveling with people lately.

"Haven't I?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not lately," I said.

"Huh… Well, like I said, I feel fine actually. Which is weird, since I've not really slept much recently. We've been busy, and all," he said as he stepped forward, towards what was likely the door to the house.

Likely, since it had no door at all. It was just… an open doorway.

The house was raised a little, built on the grass but with a layer of the brick beneath it for foundation. It made the front door a slight step up to get in, not sothing commonly seen. It was high enough that one could even justify using a stepping stone.

Stepping up into the house, I noted the stone it was made of.

"Is… this the sa stuff that bridge is made of?" I asked. "The one near Lun?"

"Yep."

Shaking my head at Vim, and his strange secrets, I followed him into the building. The hallway was slightly small and felt… weird. It reminded of the Keep a little. There were no rugs, no furniture, only stone. Grayish stone, all cut perfectly to shape.

How long has this been here, I wonder? Vim had said he found this place not long before joining the Society… I wonder if he had made this building about then, too.

"You made this, right?" I asked as we passed another open door. I slowed a little to study the small room. It was full of stone boxes and crates. Made of the sa bricks the house was, but slightly different in color.

At least, they looked like boxes. They had tal strips near their tops, and had little latches upon them. They looked like the tal latches that locked large gates, though didn't seemingly have any actual locks upon them.

"I did."

I turned, and found Vim was no longer in sight. His voice had co from another room. I had stopped, to study the weird stone boxes. A mistake. Hurrying a little, I found Vim in the next room… one that was in fact, an actual room.

Vim was unhooking a bag from his back, standing in front of a large couch looking bench. He was absentmindedly putting stuff onto the bench. Slowly entering the room, I glanced around at the furniture. The room was a large one; probably a little bigger than the one I had been given in Lun. It had several couches, chairs, tables and dressers. There was even a huge mirror hanging on one of the walls, adorned by racks of pegs where one could hang clothes and items… though they were all currently empty.

"Vim…" I whispered his na as I studied the ho, which looked far too clean.

"What?" he asked as he turned to look at as he untied another bag.

"Does soone live here?" I asked as I glanced at a nearby dresser. It, like the rest of the place, wasn't just empty looking… it was clean. Too clean.

I stepped over to it, and ran my hand along the top of its surface. It ca away as clean and fresh as if I'd just cleaned it up myself.

Not a speck of dust.

Maybe I shouldn't have been offended by this ho so haphazardly. As weird as it was, made of solid brick… it was strangely interesting. Plus this room, thanks to it being so well furnished, it now felt holy. Though there was no bed here. Was there another room? Or was there no bed because Vim didn't need sleep?

"No one does, Renn. The reason it's clean, and there are no bugs or anything, is because of the stones. They repels such things," Vim said calmly as he returned his attention to undressing himself.

Wait… undressing?

I hesitated as I watched Vim not just take off his bags and outer layers, but even his inner ones. He stripped naked, rather quickly, and nodded as he pointed to the hallway we'd just co from. "I'm going to take a bath, if you'd like you can join ," he said.

"Say so sooner…!" I shouted.

He laughed as I threw my bags and clothes off, hurrying to join him.

Sll or no, I'd not miss such an opportunity!