The Apprentice of Marius
By ORM
Chapter 1- I Yell at a Magistrate.
I awoke in a lavishly decorated room with a silk red carpet, black drapes, a golden throne, and purple everything else. A man was sitting on the throne; he was tall and had slowly graying black hair. His tan skin was starting to wrinkle and his piercing green/gray eyes were staring daggers at me. The man wore a dark purple toga and a laurel wreath on his head. A short sword rested on the table next to the throne. The man cleared his throat, I looked up and he said, "Where is the Apprentice of the Consul?" I replied with a very intelligent response. "The what of whom in the where?" The man sighed, "Where is the Apprentice of Gaius Marius, he believes I have taken him, and if he is not returned soon, civil war will break out, Consul against Consul, and I do not want that. You see, he is a good general and his troops are loyal to him. Admirably loyal if you will, they will follow him no matter what. If he tries to attack me, his troops will too. I need to find his apprentice, or conquer him myself. I am hoping for the previous, as I do not want to fight, but I shall." "Okay," I replied. "Where are we?" "Rome." The man answered. "Rome," I thought, "How did I get from San Francisco to here?" I gathered my bearings and asked, "What year is it?" The anonymous man replied with something shocking, "88 BC."
"Oh, crap." I said. "How did I get here, where are my friends?" "I do not know how you got here young man," the Consul said. "As for your friends, here they are, unscathed and equipped." I turned as a door opened and my friends, Grace, Adrian, and Jason walked in with weapons and non-Roman clothes. Grace wore hiking boots, skinny jeans, and a black long-sleeve shirt. In her hands she held a spatha or cavalry sword, a bow, and on her back, a quiver full of arrows. "Victor!" she yelled. I nodded and looked at Adrian. He wore tattered jeans and a Tapout shirt and he held a trident, a pugio orRoman dagger, and a shield that was strapped to his arm. Jason came up and said, "Bout time you woke up!" I studied him carefully; he had on jeans and an Abercrombie hoodie. He held a gladius or Roman sword in both hands and gave me one. Now, I looked at myself. I wore a plain, red hoodie with the sleeves rolled up, skinny jeans, and black Converse. My dark, black hair was sticky to my face, "Oh yay, blood." I thought. I turned and looked at the man. "Who are you?" I asked in an accusatory tone. The man replied, "I am Lucius Cornelius Sulla and you should mind your tongue demigod."
"DEMIGOD?" I yelled back, "What was my dad some Roman god just like these guys, one of our parents has walked out on each of us and you're telling us they're gods!" "Yes," Sulla calmly replied. "Victor, you are a son of Neptune, god of the seas. Grace is a daughter of Minerva, goddess of wisdom. Adrian is a son of Mars, the war god. Jason is a son of Vulcan, god of fire and blacksmiths. You are being sent on a quest after a week of training, you must go find the Apprentice of Marius and bring him back, if not we will go to war. Also, the war has basically begun, it has not been announced. You will be attacked, so you will need protection. Amos, come." The man named Amos was a big, burly man in a toga. "Amos is a magician." Sulla said, "He will fend off enemies. "Now, off you go." Sulla waved. Amos grabbed us by the scruff of our necks and said. "Twelfth Legion!" Then, there was a loud bang, like gunshot and we all faded into the blackness.
Chapter 2- I Make an Enemy.
I awoke by a river. I knew that river, it was the Tiber. "How do we cross?" I asked. "You have to figure it out." Amos replied as he appeared on the other side, then he came back, and back, and back. This man was taunting us. Grace however grabbed him as he appeared on our side and used him to enter the legion. I jumped over the river and managed to not make it at all; I fell in and realized I can't fly. I'm just Neptune's kid. I stomped through the river, and realized I wasn't wet; I climbed out of the river and landed next to Grace. Adrian, being stubborn as he is plunged right into the river and forced his way through as did Jason, no points for creativity I guess. We walked into the legion, and everyone stopped and pointed their weapons at us. "Romans, stop!" a harsh voice said. Then, the owner of the voice walked through the clearing that the Romans made. He had sandy hair and green eyes. He wore a typical Roman soldier outfit of a red tunic, a gold helmet with a black plume, he had a brown leather belt in which his gladius was sheathed, and he held a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. "Hello," he spoke, his eyes studying us as if we were lab rats. "I am Cato."
I instantly hated him. He was so cocky, so arrogant, so smarmy, and also many other things. God, he's annoying. He's walking us around the legion like he owns the place. He happens to be general of the Twelfth Legion so he probably does. "You'll be staying here for a week." He said. "We're going to train you so you will succeed." "Okay," I replied. "Can we start?" Cato grinned and said, "I thought you'd never ask."
Our training was sword fighting, spear fighting, trident fighting, shooting, defense, and hand to hand fighting. I liked sword fighting and shooting, Adrian liked all of it, Grace liked shooting, and Jason liked hand to hand. Cato was a Son of Jupiter and was an amazing fighter. To go to our quest, we had to defeat a member of the legion in combat in the Arena. The Arena was a dome-like building modeled after the Coliseum, and legionnaires fought until one of them quit or died. I quickly found out that I would fight Cato. Grace would fight a girl named Amica, Daughter of Mercury. Adrian would fight Aquila, Son of Apollo. Jason would fight Antoninus, Son of Pluto. We had to beat these people to go on our quest. I wanted to beat Cato and prove how good I was. I spent the week learning the weapons and found I was pretty good with the weapons. I by far liked the gladius the best. Finally, it was time for the show. It was eat or be eaten, and I was starving.
Chapter 3- I Prove Myself
I entered the Arena last; Grace had vanquished Amica with her shooting skills and intelligence. Jason conquered Antoninus with his gladius. Adrian destroyed Aquila with his trident. It was my turn now, and Cato was ready to kill me. I entered dressed in my clothes that I arrived in with a bronze breastplate. Cato wore his armor and held a trident and a gladius. I held a gladius and a shield. There were more weapons in the center of the Arena. The official raised his hand, brought it down, and yelled. "Commence!"
We circled each other like wolves, he lunged out with his trident to test the waters, and I leapt back and continued to circle. I backed away, and he gave chase, I lunged at him, but he parried my blow and stabbed. I rolled and slashed. He brought down his blade and I held my shield up and his blade hit with a clang! I retreated to the center and grabbed a trident; Cato dropped his gladius and grabbed his trident. I swung my trident but he grabbed it with his. He jerked, and my trident flew out of my hands and hit the Arena floor. I charged him with nothing but a shield. He smirked and hit me with the handle of his trident. I doubled over and he punched me in the face. I yelled out in pain. He pinned me up against the wall and dug his knuckle into my temple and twisted. It was a sharp pain and I tried to kick him, but he caught my leg. I jumped; I flew over him and landed in the center of the Arena. I grabbed a gladius and charged Cato. I swung and cut the blade off his trident. I ran at him and tackled him to the ground and pointed my blade at his chin and dug it in a little. He gagged and tapped out. I won.
I raised my arms in celebration, when Cato lunged at me. I dodged to the side and backed up. Adrian stepped forward and shielded me, as did Grace and Jason. A man in a trench coat walked into the Arena. He dropped the coat revealing a pale, skinny kid in a toga. He had brown eyes and black hair. He raised his gladius and spoke. "Romans, I am Leontius, your augur. I speak prophecies and read the will of the gods. I have foreseen a prophecy for this quest." He cleared his throat, probably for dramatic effect.
"Quinque dietas ad terram ossa
In apprenticius est tumulatus intra lapidem,
Surget et invidiosa facere bellum
Proditor morientur Heros scriptor rugiet.
In oblitus Titan erit key,
Ad curare quidam victoria.
Quirites, intendite.
Proposito succedent in futurum.
Ad posuit ius,
Vulcani filius carendum."
I spoke. "In English please?" Grace obliged and said.
"Five shall journey to the Land of the Bones,
The Apprentice is there entombed within stone,
The jealous will rise and cause the war,
The traitor will die by the Hero's roar.
The forgotten Titan will be the key,
To ensure certain victory.
Fellow Romans, take heed.
Only in the future shall your plan succeed.
To set it right,
The Child of Vulcan must sacrifice."
I nodded and said. "Oh yay, sacrifice and waiting, my two favorite things." "Don't forget guidelines." Adrian smirked. Grace interrupted. "The Land of the Bones? Does he mean the Underworld?" "No." Leontius said. "We Romans refer to the land of Carthage as the Land of the Bones because of the Second Punic War in which Hannibal tried to seize Rome and our general Scipio led an attack on the city of Carthage. As you know, the Romans won and conquered the Phoenicians, but Hannibal fled to the Mid-Asia area and committed suicide so he would never be taken into Roman custody." Everyone nodded as if they remembered that war. I again spoke up, "Okay, five of us have to go, the four who won tonight and I'm guessing we get to pick the other." "Yes." Leontius said. "I chose Amos the magician." I spoke. Amos appeared and said. "Cato, we need our funding. We'll need denarii; they have weapons, a chariot, food, and water." Cato replied with a hope-crunching "No." Amos raised his hand and said. "I didn't want to do this, Obedire!" I recognized the Latin command for obey. Cato very plainly nodded and said. "You may have what you requested." Then he muttered rapid-fire curses in Latin including Son of a Gorgon and offering some choice suggestions as to where Amos could stick his hand. "Okay," I said. "Guys, let's get out of here." Together, my friends and I exited the Twelfth Legion and departed for the Land of the Bones.
Chapter 4- I Skewer a Monster with a Genetically Enhanced Butter Knife
After the legionnaires bade us farewell, we got in our chariot. The chariot was a typical Roman chariot from what I remembered from History class. It had two wheels, a handle for horses, and a medium sized front wall shaped like a sideways U. "Uh, Amos." I said. "How's this going to fit everyone?" "What?" he replied, "Oh, it's magically enhanced." I was skeptical until I entered. It was very roomy, so we set our weapons down. In hindsight, that wasn't wise. Jason was tinkering with something. I looked up and said. "Hey Jason, is that a butter knife?" "Yeah." He replied seriously. "I'm going to make it a weapon." "Okay." I said. Secretly, I was thinking that there was no way a butter knife was going to save me. There was something else bothering me, so I continued my spiel. "Jason," he nodded. "A child of Vulcan must sacrifice, but you're a child of Vulcan. Are you- are you gonna die?" "If it happens, it happens." He shrugged. I turned to protest, but I decided against it. Instead, I felt around in my pocket until I found what I was looking for. I just hoped it worked. I pulled from my pockets my iPhone 4S. I felt around for headphones and plugged them to the device. Grace came up and said, "Can I listen?" I nodded and gave her a headphone. She happily put one in, and then took the iPhone away from me. She maneuvered her way to her favorite song: What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction. I acted like I hated the song, when in actuality I thought it was decent, it just wasn't my Maroon 5. Eventually Grace started singing, then I started drumming on my lap and Jason started breakdancing in the chariot. He spun on his head and went up into the worm. Adrian was lip-synching mockingly, while Amos stared at us strangely. That was when the centaur attacked.
The thing was half guy half horse. He was wobbling and his breath reeked of wine. He was a normal guy from the waist up; he had a ponytail and a beard. From the waist down, he was a white stallion. He didn't hesitate to attack. He shot Amos in the head with an arrow so the magician couldn't intervene. I turned and chanced a glimpse of Amos. He was in bad shape. His head was gushing blood and was swelling. The arrow had neatly lodged itself in the right temple and came out of the left one. A clean shot, Amos was fading. I turned back to the battle and heard a scream. Grace had perched herself on the chariot and was shooting the centaur when he reared his legs and kicked the chariot. She tumbled to the ground headfirst and rolled before stopping. Adrian was lodged in a tree. (Don't ask.) Meanwhile, Jason was desperately working on his knife before chucking it to me. I caught it and the blade came to life in my hands. Sharp blades came out from the sides. The blade grew until it was as big as my sword. The blades had some green substance on it. I think it was poison. All I know is I charged the centaur.
I ran like a whirlwind, my arms free with my awesome weapon. The centaur shot volleys of arrows, I deflected them all. I tackled him and stabbed him with my weapon. The weapon was stuck in his neck, so I pulled it out. Then I raised my arms and suddenly, the ocean washed him away. It also cleared the bloodstains on the road and chariot. Suddenly twelve bright flashes of light came and took my friends and me to a strange place. The last thing I remember is blacking out. (That's a shocker.)
Chapter 5- I Discover My Parents' Identity.
When I came to, I was in a magnificent throne room that made Madison Square Garden look like a broom closet. It had twelve huge thrones with super natural beings on them. The gods, I saw Jupiter with his gray hair and beard. Neptune had black hair, and a beard. Pluto had a pale, sickly appearance, but I knew not to judge him. He was powerful. Mars was buff, and had a cruel face. Venus was beautiful. Vulcan was scraggly and ugly. Juno wore her goatskin cloak. Minerva had blonde hair and gray eyes. Mercury had curly hair and an elfish nose. Ceres had an ear of corn on her ear. Vesta was just chilling by the fire. Apollo and Diana were bickering. All that, until Jupiter yelled. "ENOUGH! We are here to discuss our little experiment." He jerked his head towards me. "Wait," I interjected. "Experiment?" "Umm… Yeah." Jupiter said. "We mixed our blood, all of us, and gave it to Neptune when he mated with your mother." "So, I'm all of your kids, each and every one?" "Yes," Neptune said. "Test it, call on water, lightning, and black rock at the same time." I obliged. It worked. "Holy, Jupiter." I said. "Ummm…Yes." Jupiter said. "Now, Apollo has healed everyone, so we'll take you to the Land of Bones, and bye." There was another flash, and we were in Carthage.
Chapter 6- I Display My Awesomeness
We arrived in a meadow like area. I saw a big rock that was moving. That was the Apprentice. I drew my blade and cut the rock open. A man squirmed out. He was scrawny like Leontius. He had red hair and freckles. He was slightly green. "Who did this?" he asked. "Maledicentibus vobis Sulla, quid non iustus palam committitur bellum? Ignavus!" The automatic translation popped in my head. I spoke softly. "Curse you Sulla, why don't you just openly start a war? Coward!" Grace staggered back, and said. "Sulla, did he do this?" The man nodded, "I am not even the Apprentice, there is no Apprentice. I am Cicero." "Ah," a familiar voice said. "So Marius leaked a rouse, I'll have to kill all of you. Cato, dispose of them." Two familiar people walked into the meadow, Cato and Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
"Traitor," I snarled at the approaching men. "You aren't true Romans; true Romans would be brave, bold, and honorable. This, this isn't honor, its cowardice." Sulla laughed, "Not true Romans, would you like to die in honor, or live in a new world, with us?" he paused, and then continued. "I know you come from the future, would you like to go back? Would you like to go to Camp Jupiter in San Francisco? You could train in your time, you know. All." He paused like a serpent, ready to lunge in for the kill, speaking in soft, dangerous voice, he finished the sentence. "Of. You."
This time I laughed, and said some swear words in Latin. Cato's face contorted as did Sulla's. They went from leisurely smiling, to Green Goblin evil. Cato stepped forward as if daring me to do it too. I didn't oblige. However, Amos stepped forward and said. "Moveretur!" I recognized the Latin command for Disarm, and Cato dropped his weapon. However, at that very moment a caduceus wacked Amos in the head, the magician crumpled to the ground. A man stepped into the clearing. He wore a winged helmet, had curly hair, and tan skin. "Hello, mortals. Come to die?" "Mercury," I spat. "We won't be dying today, but your associates will." Cato stepped forward with his trident and held at Cicero's throat. "Not so fast," he said. "Or he dies."
I instantly knew what to do. I beckoned to Adrian to come closer, he obliged. I grabbed him and sent him behind Cato with his trident. Adrian swung it like a baseball bat and Cato fell to the ground. "Cicero!" I called, running to the fallen orator. He rose groggily, and staggered over to me. "Go to Rome and get Marius here quickly. I can get you there, and Amos can get you back." He tried to interrupt, but I sauntered over to Amos and picked him up and explained the task. He nodded grimly, and grabbed Cicero, yelling. "The House of Marius!" They disappeared with a puff of smoke and a loud bang, leaving us virtually alone, with a corrupted god, evil Consul, and a vicious warrior. We all did the natural thing, Adrian charged Cato, Grace and Jason charged Sulla, and I charged Mercury.
I charged at him with my gladius and he laughed, freeing his arms, and growing in size, his caduceus also growing. I lunged at him, while he sidestepped and swung his caduceus. The staff hit me, and I plowed back into the meadow. I rose and slowly approached, my blade itching for some godly blood. I lunged again; he parried my thrust, and threw his caduceus at my chest. I sprawled to the ground. I swung my gladius at his feet; he leaped into the air, and hovered. I rose and jumped, flying higher than the god. He rose to meet me, and we fought in mid-air, sword on staff. He was somehow keeping me afloat; the fall would have killed me. I extended my foot and kicked him in the ribs. He doubled over and swung his caduceus at me. I ducked and landed next to Adrian and Cato who had been tearing up the area around them. Adrian swung his trident, Cato stabbed at Adrian who dodged. This seemed to be the pattern, until Adrian saw an opening; he swung his trident upward while Cato lunged. Adrian lowered his trident at the last second, and stabbed Cato straight through the stomach. Cato landed on his knees, "Any last words?" Adrian asked. "Go to Tartarus." Cato snarled. Then he managed to say, "The Titanoboa will have your head." Then Cato died.
Meanwhile, Grace and Jason were badly losing against Sulla, the guy was a natural swordsman. Grace was shooting arrows that kept missing. Jason was swinging his blade wildly. If that wasn't bad enough, Sulla called. "Hellhounds!" Then the hellhounds attacked. I'd like to say I killed them all, but Adrian did it. I was fighting Mercury, and holding my own. Grace and Jason were losing, when Marius came. It was a godsend.
Marius had curly, black hair and black beard. He drew his blade and lunged at Sulla, and the two engaged in a wicked swordfight. The sheer awe of the moment was stopped when Mercury clapped his hands and yelled. "Underworld!"
Chapter 7- We go to Tartarus.
We arrived near a cavern and a palace. The palace was huge, it was a big, black castle made of obsidian. Three bat-like creatures circled the parapets. "The Furies," I breathed. Then Mercury tackled me into the cavern. It was a simple cavern, but I knew there was a pit at the end of it, Tartarus. I knew that was where Mercury wanted me to go. I could never escape the pit. It was black, obsidian walls for miles, and then a small door where the monsters, Titans, and other evil things are. Things like the Titanoboa. One of the most vicious monsters of all time after Typhon, Mercury and Sulla wanted to raise it, and have complete control of the Ancient World, altering the present. They wanted to destroy civilization. I realized, only one of us was going to leave the cavern, so I tackled Mercury to the ground and started punching him in the face.
He shoved me off of him, and I started tumbling down the hill, into the pit where the Titanoboa would be waiting to devour me, and rise. "No!" I heard a voice scream, Grace stuck her hand at me, and I grabbed it. Then, she pulled me up. "Adrian," I said. "Give me your trident." "But," he began. "I need it," I said. "Take my gladius." We exchanged weapons as I charged Mercury. What I didn't see was Marius on the ground, his arm twisted at a sick angle, slowly rolling towards the pit, if I'd have stopped him, the world would be safer. But, I attacked Mercury. I stabbed with my trident, he blocked with his caduceus. He swung his caduceus; I swatted with my trident, and broke the caduceus in two. Mercury let out a scream of anguish, and tackled me to the ground. I bench-pressed him off of me, and flailed into him. I grabbed him by his hair, and started pummeling him; I unloaded on him with my forearms. About fifty forearm shots to the face later, he was on the edge of the pit. I approached him, about to throw him in, when a hissing sound escaped from the pit, and something was slithering up the walls. I cursed loudly, as Mercury flew towards Sulla and grabbed him. "Another time," Mercury snarled as blood splattered from his face.
I turned towards the pit; something was rising from it, a serpent so deadly, it makes the basilisk in Harry Potter look like an earth worm. It was huge, it was deadly, and it wanted to kill me. "You shall fall soon," it hissed. "I am only the beginning, Saturn, Oceanus, Atlas, Ops, Iapetus, and all the others shall rise soon. But, you Son of Neptune will be destroyed. Have you found out about the traitor yet?" "Traitor?" I asked. "Yesss, from the prophecy." It hissed. "Come forth, Jason. The Son of Vulcan will destroy you all. He was keeping track of your progress and informing Sulla, Cato, and I as well as the other Titans. I shall rise first, and destroy the Ancient World, damaging the present, and then the Titans shall storm the future world." Jason approached the beast and said, "Kill them."
We didn't realize, but Marius was dead. Sulla ruled Rome for a while, and Cicero became a gifted orator as well as philosopher who worked to benefit Rome. He called on upper class Romans to unite and help Rome prosper. Sorry I'm rambling, so anyways, Jason had just ordered the Titanoboa to kill us.
"A-ROOF!" a dog barked, I swore, more hellhounds. I spoke. "Adrian, attack Jason, maim but don't kill." He nodded and tackled Jason at the edge of the pit. The two friends rolled on the obsidian hill, throwing punches each one trying to get the upper hand. "Grace," I continued, oblivious to the fact that one of my friends was about to die. "Run to Pluto's palace and try to get him to help. Don't take no for an answer." "Okay," she complied. "But Victor, what are you going to do?" "Oh me," I casually replied. "I'm going to fight a Titan and a pack of hellhounds, thanks for asking." I charged into battle before she could argue.
Chapter 8- I Fight For My Life
"Veni et mihi te pulverulenta, senex Titan." I taunted the beast. I had counted on it being slow from millennia in the pit, boy was I wrong. It nearly killed me on the first lunge. I guess it didn't like being called dusty and old. The snake coiled, and lunged at me with its teeth barred. I leaped to the side, and poked its eye out with my trident. It hissed, and shot its tail up from the pit. The tail wrapped around me and started squeezing the life out of me. I squirmed and wriggled, but it did more harm than good. My trident fell to the ground with a loud noise. "HELP!" I screamed. Jason turned and lunged, but not at me.
He jumped up and his hands caught fire. He pressed them on the Titanoboa's eyes; the snake relinquished his grip, slamming me on to the cold, obsidian floor. Jason's fire spread, engulfing the beast; and Jason as well. He clambered onto the head of the Titanoboa and screamed "Mori!" He willed himself to keep pressing on the head. Soon the flames turned blue, and Jason fell into the pit screaming, "Sorry!" I found myself yelling, no roaring back. "It's cool bro."
The Titanoboa thrashed, I picked my trident up and skewered him, right there. It was the end of it. For now, I approached Adrian and helped him up. He was shocked. And together, we limped to find Grace almost being devoured by a hellhound.
Chapter 9- I Crave Falafel in a Life-Threatening Situation
I swore, I'd completely forgotten about them, and now Grace was gonna pay. I desperately threw my trident and it shish-kabobed five hounds. They looked kind of appetizing, like the shish- kabobs back home from Original Hayes and Kebab. God, I wanted some falafel. I retrieved my trident, and skewered some more hellhounds. Ok, my mouth was watering. I needed some falafel, nachos, a hamburger, a meatball sub, and a whole lot of other good things that didn't exist in this time period. Oh, and I wanted some Del Taco. I tackled another hellhound and killed it. Then the Furies stopped circling the parapets, and came and grabbed us. Great, we had an audience with Lord Pluto.
Pluto radiated death, which wasn't a good thing. "Explain," he said. We explained everything, when we got to the part about Mercury, Pluto swore loudly. We looked at him, and continued. Then, I stopped. "Lord Pluto, where's Amos?" "The magician?" Pluto quizzically raised an eyebrow. "He was caught trying to free souls from the Fields of Punishment, and was swiftly executed." Grace screamed in outrage and yelled curses at the dead Amos. I told her to calm down, and let's just say, my groin has been in better shape. "Can you get us home?" I wheezed. "Certainly." Pluto said. "You are annoying the Styx out of me." "Wait," I spoke. "Explain the prophecy." He nodded "You five, journeyed to Carthage, Cicero was in a rock there, but there wasn't an Apprentice which makes me think that Marius has leaked a double rouse. So anyways, the jealous rose, Sulla was jealous of Marius, Mercury was jealous of Neptune and all the other gods, Cato was jealous of Victor, and so was Jason. Jason died when Victor yelled, it's cool bro. The Titanoboa would ensure the Titan's certain victory, if he ever destroyed the Ancient World. The Romans should know that they, in the past can't stop the war, only the future generation of demigods can. Your generation." He added. He continued. "Jason sacrificed himself to stop the Titanoboa; he set it right, for now. He will end up in Elysium. Now, good day, I expect to see you in the future." He waved his hand, and we arrived on my mom's kitchen table.
END OF BOOK 1
BOOK 2- The Tunnels of Rome, coming soon.
Synopsis: Victor and his friends have returned to the present, but at what cost? Old enemies await him, but this time in modern day Rome. In the secret catacombs beneath the outskirts of Rome lie adventure, mystery, and a trap sure to end in death.