Automatic Freestyle

“I can help, I have at least some combat experience,” offered Umi, lightly pressing the tip of her staff to her forehead, “and I can’t pass up the chance to see inside.”

Umi then glanced across to Tephra and wondered what she had retrieved and was now clinging onto. She smiled in the hope that it’d relax her or at least give the impression that she herself was not the stealing type.

*****

Currently out of sight and some distance away were four vehicles approaching the same ruins, two dirt-covered but sturdy-looking buggies, followed by two equally as filthy large personnel carriers…

Tephra noticed Umi curiously eyeing the object she held, and suppressed a laugh as, seemingly self-conscious, the girl forced a rather silly smile onto her face.

“The fragment I mentioned earlier,” Tephra unnecessarily explained. “I thought it could be useful, for reference you understand.

She gave the girl a brief smile, then looked to Edge, waiting for him to show her the way. The tingle of excitement caused her heart to thump in her throat. Nearly there, she thought, and then we’ll see if I’m any closer to finding the answers I seek.

As Edge guided the two women to the entrance memories of when he and Argan exploring these ruins came flooding back. This was the first time he would be leading people other than himself into the main area of these ruins.

As they approached the entrance they would see and notice various of debris that used to look like ornamental doors or pillars lying around the doorway. The entrance itself was just about accessible after many years of volcanic activity that would no doubt have caused damage.

Edge turned to face the two “ Ok as you can see there's just about enough space to get us through in to the corridors inside. I can't tell you how big it is inside but it does open up in to a large hall after a couple of feet. If you wish to proceed I'll go in front to make sure there's no problems.”

Tephra scowled. She was starting to get impatient. “You’re a cautious young man,” she noted of Edge. “Just lead the way, please. I’m anxious to be inside.

Apologetically, Edge followed the instruction. As they moved, Tephra studied her surroundings carefully. The narrow passageway would make the excavation of the site difficult. Perhaps the entrance could be widened a little, but that would have to be done very carefully to avoid the whole structure collapsing on top of them. Tephra noticed the debris, and guessed that it had, at one time, been a grand entrance, wide enough for a parade of horses if such things were desired. That boded well. The debris would be removed for closer examination. Such things often held important clues. But what Tephra was really interested in would most likely be found much deeper into the ruins. She urged Edge forward, and Umi followed closely behind, eyes darting around her, fascinated.

Umi couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh at the exchange between Tephra and Edge. She thought it was kind of cute that Edge was so cautious and constantly checking things with them both, but it did slow things down a bit and Tephra was obviously eager to investigate the ruins after waiting for so long. Umi herself didn’t mind too much, even though she was also very curious about what was inside. She had always taken her sightseeing slowly, often soaking in a landscape or unique buildings for several minutes before she travelled on. Even the history held within the corridors here caused much interest to her.

Umi’s staff made a satisfying dull echo sound each time she took a step and placed it on the stone ground. Soon her own amusement turned to puzzlement. Something felt strange to her and she then began to feel the sense of déjà vu.
They soon closed in on the large hall Edge spoke of.

"Right here we are. Ok as far as I'm aware the path infront of us leads to a series of tunnels and rooms that might interest you however some of those will have collapsed due to age and previous activity with the Volcano. The path to the left leads to some large rooms filled with murals and images and the one to the right is pretty much a dead end."

As Edge had indicated there were indeed three paths within the main hall area. Each one large enough to move various equipment through. As a teenager he had spent many weeks exploring and looking through the various areas of the ruins curious as to find clues to help him on his own little research.

He almost sighed when Tephra got a litte annoyed for being cautious. He didn't want a lady of her age to die from something and have to explain to everyone outside what had happened. For him it would be too much paperwork. As the guide he decided to let the two ladies decide where they wanted to go first since he still didn't quite know what Tephra wanted in her research and he guessed Umi was happy to follow where ever they went.

"Oh that reminds me the path infront of us at the very end of the series of corridors and rooms is one really large door. Its one of the only bits of these ruins I haven't been able to get inside."

“I see,” Tephra commented as she gazed around her surroundings. She felt a strange temptation to hide her interest in the door Edge mentioned, a result of too many expeditions where she had been forced to work alongside rival archaeologists. Of course, there was no reason to do this now. Tephra didn’t especially trust Edge and Umi, but she had no reason to mistrust them either, and she didn’t find them particularly threatening. “That’s something I’d like to have a look at.”

She strode forward, heading quickly but carefully towards the path that lay ahead. She didn’t wait to see if the others followed. The tunnel she stepped into was plain, and offered her nothing of interest, but as she moved along it, she noticed an opening to her left. It had been her intention to follow the passages to the door without stopping, but she couldn’t resist taking a peek inside. The opening led to a small room, seemingly a dwelling of some kind. She ran her fingers softly over the wall, feeling the smooth dimples left by the tools used to open out what had probably been a much smaller natural cave. The room was low, and she had to crouch. Thick soil coated the floor, burying whatever remnants may have been left behind when the room was abandoned long ago. She felt an excited urge to start digging right away, but forced herself return to the passageway. She tucked the fragment under her arm temporarily and pulled out a small notepad and pencil from the satchel she carried. Though there was little light, she managed to scribble a rough map of the ruins she had seen so far, marking an x on the room to her left to remind her to examine more closely later. She put it away and next pulled out a candle and matches, and illuminated the passageway, which grew darker as it stretched out ahead of her. Holding the candle in her left hand, and the fragment in her right, she continued along the tunnel.

“Tell me about the door.” She called to Edge as she walked, assuming, rather than checking, he could hear her. “Why weren’t you able to get past it?

While Tephra investigated one of the rooms on the left, Umi felt herself gradually drifting to the right and soon found a passage leading to a small room. It was dimly lit and empty except for some rubble, but upon entering and turning slightly on the spot, she could see something painted on the walls. It was an old mural, fairly faded but still clear enough to make out.
Umi calmly stood admiring the beautiful images, but then she noticed something. Her mouth hung open with her eyes unblinkingly fixed on various symbols within and around main image.
She quietly whispered to herself; “They’re just like the ones in…”
The girl glanced around the room as if checking for something…

A few moments later she returned to the main corridor as Tephra was asking about the door and excitedly chipped in with; “I’m really curious about this door too, if we can get it to open, we could be the first to ever explore what’s behind… maybe.”

Edge thought about the previous times he had attempted to go near the door and open it before answering Tefra. As a child he remembered Duncan, the man who raised him words. He had been told from an early age not to explore too deep in to the ruins until he was old enough to defend himself from the numerous threats around the volcano. He had respected his words and kept his word not to explore them until around the age of 15.

He was at that age where he was too curious for his own good and had to know what was there. To his surprise the threats of monsters were pretty much the same as anywhere else but he felt like there was something special about the place. When he had first discovered the door at the end he felt ill and sick from flashes. Argan had discovered him lying face down in the floor and dragged him back that time and since then hadn't so deep back since.

"Well it's weird when I tried to go and get near the door I started to feel sick like my head was spinning. I collasped there
for a few hours while a friend of mine moved me to a safer part of the ruins to wait till I woke up. I've tried a couple more times to go near it and felt better each time but I can't seem to get too near that. Most people haven't tried going near it so I couldn't tell you if it's just me though Argan must have been if he was able to move me away from it and as far as I can tell it's not affected anyone from the caravan."

He hoped that answered Tefra's question as to why they hadn't opened the door as of that time. "If we do go for that direction I'm pretty confident I'll be ok this time."

Outside the ruins still on the cliff side the figure was still keeping an interested look on the excavation party and it's movements in setting up camp. The figure had become very interested in the three people who had entered the ruins at the bottom and hopefully wouldn't be disappointed in the results of their discovery...