Chrissie and Alessia walked slowly, their careful steps picking their path around the debris that filled the approach to the temple. Even when they reached the ambulatory, they did not quicken their pace, instead they remained slow and cautious, passing through the anta and into the main part of the shrine. Their guarded steps approached the adyton, where Blackwood"s exploration had clearly taken him.
The image of Gaea, who had once stood in this sacred place, had been toppled. Shattered and broken it lay across the floor, the pedestal on which she stood showing the secrets its form had once disguised, a long dark staircase that descended into the structure below. They progressed slowly, alert and watchful. Only at the base of the stairs, did Chrissie release both Alessia"s hand and the m
