Of course, the native guide had a gun in his back pocket and was planning to kill the two foreigners and make off with any treasure uncovered. It happened with a sad frequency and was generally not reported in the major news media.
The Outrider was old. Predated the Earth Kingdom, the Moon Kingdom, maybe the Sailor Wars. Someone who had been journeying before any of their kingdoms had begun and had come to rest here. All they knew about him was some basic data they'd worked out from observation and a recording device they'd figured out.
A wanderer, though whether it was universes or merely through space was unclear. The traveler was a ____________. Setsuna looked over the remains of the word, part of which was cracked and part of which was simply missing. Exile? Fugitive? The ending in Lunarian denoted one parted from the society of origin, so refugee might be accurate too. Outrider would be the best translation of the remainder, but without more information she couldn't tell.
Power too. Lots of power. That was what had frightened the Earth Kingdom and what had originally drawn the Moon Kingdom to this system. Power enough that the Earth Kingdom and Moon Kingdom had cooperated in sealing this away. Power enough that access to it had become a source of distrust between the Silver Millenium and the Earth Kingdom, which had eventually escalated. Power enough that Metal'la had come here seeking that.
Which hadn't been originally the case, though now everything fit together much neater.
That power had been steadily declining over the millenia.
Hotaru, the Guide, and Professor Tomoe entered the chamber. The foxfire came to full brightness as the presence of these newcomers registered.
Professor Tomoe glanced at the pillar, the dias, and finally concentrated his attention on the walls just as Setsuna had done.
Hotaru was curious about the balls of blue flame hanging unsupported in midair, particularly after determining that they were cool to the touch.
The Guide was looking nervously at the lights himself. Treasure was one thing, but something that didn't quite fit into normal treasure-hunting experience was another thing altogether.
Shifting her view outside revealed accomplices. Not that this was unusual. Drug traffickers in this part of the world often branched out into black market sales of historical artifacts as well as the occasional slave trafficking.
Ba-dumf
The sound reverberated through the ground, the air, even the sunlight seemed to shift in a pulse.
Setsuna twisted her gaze back to the chamber. It had apparently all come to this.
The Guide smiled and waved his pistol, indicating that the two foreigners ought to take positions against the altar. His eyes were on what appeared to be a large emerald that the girl had found for him.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Professor Tomoe.
"You scientist types should know the deal by now," said the Guide. "You find. We keep. You brought your daughter, which is very foolish. I know where she'd fetch quite a nice price. Not as much as this, maybe."
"I brought Hotaru because she's the key to opening the vault," said the Professor. "Otherwise I wouldn't have brought her here."
"I don't know what you mean, unless it is the light here," said the Guide, still a bit nervous by the odd lights.
"Think about it," said the Professor, smirking. "How many people have been past this area without finding the door? How many times have the visitors to these caves never noticed that section of wall? How many -"
"SHUT UP!" shouted the Guide. He looked thoughtful though, considering it. Yeah, this was all pretty damn strange. He believed in money though, not miracles. "She can open the vault, eh? Prove it. I don't even see a vault."
"Hotaru?" asked the Professor, silently praying he'd guessed correctly. "Touch these three symbols."
"Poppa?" asked Hotaru, uncertain to say the least. Nonetheless she pressed the three symbols indicated.
Ba-dumf
"There's that weird sound again," said the Guide. "So where's this vault?"
Pshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The pillar began unfolding. A humanoid figure moved within.
"AGGGGGGGH!" said the Guide, firing repeatedly as a MUMMY came out of the pillar. He didn't know much about vaults and such, or enough to question why a hidden pre-Sumerian vault would have a mummy.
The mummy raised its head to regard the Guide. It saw the Guide switch targets to the little girl, threatening to shoot if the monster moved towards him. The eyes glowed abruptly, a deep blue coloration.
Setsuna stared at the image as:
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(Posted Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:48)
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