This is my first paired-up story. I'm not really good at disclaimers but the spotlight for this story also goes to Leviathan 666.
Enjoy and please R&R!
The Sacred Island of Delos
The Sacred Island of Delos is considered as one of the most important Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries of Greece. According to the Greek mythology, Delos was the birth place of Apollo, the god of light and maybe of Artemis, the twin-sister of Apollo, goddess of hunting. Delos was also a sacred place in the ancient times. It worked both as a religious and trade centre. The excavations on Delos started in 1873 by the French School of Archaeology. Now included in the World Heritage Monuments protected by the UNESCO, it is a small islet situated a few miles from the famous island of Mykonos, in the centre of the Cyclades.
It is also a popular tourist site. The Mediterranean bustled with activities as ferry boats carried passengers in and out from Mykonos. An archaeological site had been set aside from the tourist areas. Workers went about as they excavated the ancient ruins. Observing the scene, Dr. Demetrio watched as the staff carefully analyzed each artifact. Having hailed from the University of Western Greece, the young Italian developed a passion for archaeology for as long as he could remember.
A radio boomed out, playing one of the heavy rock albums of "Pain". Demetrio returned his attention to the geographical map he had been studying. Across the table, his colleague, Dr. Lee was busily marking off some of the landmarks that had been excavated.
"Did you ever notice a pattern here?"
Lee paused and gazed out from behind the shades of his polarized lenses. "What do you mean?"
"Take a look at the map. All those sites you marked- they're forming into some kind of letter."
Lee studied the readings of the map. He then chuckled. "Hmph, now that you mention it it does kind of look like a letter."
There was a strong gust, followed by the sound of chopping blades of a helicopter. Looking up, he saw it was a navy blue and gold BELL 430 helicopter-the type of aircraft used by wealthier people-descending from the sky. A large "A" logo was stamped on its side, indicating it belonged to the Whitmore Company. Everyone stopped in the middle of their works as they gazed at the helicopter, entranced by it's luxurious appearance.
Demetrio joined with his fellow colleague, Dr. Lee as they approached the landing zone. "Well look who's here," he said.
"Did the president just arrive?" Lee muttered.
Immediately after the chopper landed, its side door swung open.
"This is the doctor?" Lee whispered.
Demetrio smiled. "Not a bad sight for sore eyes."
The doctor was a young woman- quite the opposite of what the archaeologists expected. In contrast to the chopper's luxurious appearance, her clothes were normal non-synthetic. She wore plain blue jeans and a white t-shirt. She also carried a large duffle bag around her shoulders.
"Demetrio approached the woman. "You must be Dr. Maria Yurieva," he extended his hand. "Welcome to the Sacred Island of Delos. I trust your trip went well?"
Maria seemed to relax as she shook his hand. "Yes, it did. Thank you. And you must be Dr. Demetrio. It is an honor to meet you. I've heard so much about your works." She brushed back a streak of her long brown hair. Upclose, Demetrio noticed that her hair had red shades.
Demetrio smiled back. "At least someone shows some appreciation." He introduced Lee and the other colleagues.
Mr. Whitmore always
Shall we have some refreshments before we show you around?"
Lee went back to finish his excavations with his team. Demetrio and Maria were sitting in a makeshift recreational area that had been set up in the middle of a ruined foundation. Maria gratefully accepted the vodka despite the fact that she had not reached her matured age. She wasn't much of a drinker nor could she come to understand how people could be so fond of the bitter taste. A row of ruined columns jutted out, giving a window-like appearance of the torquiose colored Mediterranean that matched the sky above it.
"It's very beautiful around this part of the island," said Maria.
"Yes, it is. I grew up around here where my father worked as a tourist guide," said Demetrio. "The ruins had always fascinated me from my childhood which is how I came to be here today."
Maria took a sip of her vodka. "You had me called in for assistance. As I can recall, was it because there was a particular language you were not able to decrypt?"
"As a matter of fact, there is." Demetrio drained his glass. "There's something I want to show you."
He showed her inside of a large recreational home, which had been made into rooms for tables filled with different artifacts from the dig sites. Each of the artifacts were marked and labeled according to their locations when they were found. One particular area caught her attention. Strewn across a table were pieces of stone tablets. Judging from the smoothness around the edges, they must have dated far before these ruins were even built.
"This one here is among our recent finds," said Demetrio. "None of the writings matched any of the languages from our records. With your expertise in linguistics, we were hoping that you might be able to decipher it."
Maria moved around the table to get a better look. She then frowned. "I'm not fond of this language. It's not Latin nor Cycladic. I may, I would like to send one to my university. They might be able to verify it."
They were suddenly interrupted when Demetrio's walkie-talkie crackled on. It was Lee. He couldn't contain the excitement in his voice. "Demetrio, get over here right now. I think we've made another discovery!"
A large rectangular slab of marble laid partially buried in the dirt. Engraved on its surface Maria saw markings similar to the lores Demetrio had shown her earlier. From the handholds at its side, she could tell that the marble slab was actually a door.
"So what do you think? A vault or maybe a tomb?" asked Lee.
A crane truck pulled in. After carefully digging away the dirt, the archaeologists winched the crane to the door's handholds. Slowly but carefully, the door lifted from its place, revealing steps leading into an abyss.
"Probably a tomb," said Maria.
Having prepared their packs, Demetrio and Lee were already up to explore the new site. With flashlights in hands, they entered the dark tunnel. They later reemerged through the opening, confirming that it was safe enough to venture through.
"You won't believe this," Demetrio breathed. "Writings and murals and they're all over walls! Maria, you've got to come with us."
"Here," Lee handed Maria a radio. "Use this to keep in touch with everyone around here." He smiled and gave her a wink.
Maria was at a loss for words. Finally, something she had been yearning. Adventure, excitement, and a new doorway to discoveries. This definitely beats her dull life back at the university. She double-checked her pack, and found that it had everything she would need.
The team were wished good luck. Demetrio promised that the team would keep in contact through their radios.
Maria saw that Demetrio and Lee were both waiting at the entrance. "You ready?"
She took a deep breath and nodded. Together they descended down the stone steps before stepping into the darkness.
Already the place was pitch dark. Maria was glad she brought her own flashlight as a spare. Shining her light against a wall, she saw rows of columns that lined the tunnel. More of the writings dotted the surface along with colorful murals, each of them still in pristine condition.
Demetrio examined one of the columns. "It dates way back before the rise of the Greeks and even the first Pan-Hellenic people."
"But that's impossible! The techniques of these architectures surpasses even the Romans during their golden age," said Lee.
"Are you saying we stumbled onto a lost civilization?" Maria asked.
Demetrio scoffed. "I wouldn't count on it. Probably a historical gap that went lost. We're right near the shore." He motioned towards a particular area. "See? You can tell from the erosion of the sediments that this place was covered in water. That's probably why you assumed they dated from a much older period."
Maria looked at one of the murals. "They each tell a story. Long ago a meteorite struck the earth. The people forged it into an armor with each piece containing its own mythical powers- almost like a talisman. If a warrior was to put them on, he would become nearly undefeatable against his enemies."
"That's a scary thought," said Lee. He then started taking pictures with his camera.
Demetrio reported their finds through his radio. "Come on. Let's get moving."
The team continued venturing through the tunnel, analyzing and recording along the way until they came across a fork. Picking one tunnel, they folowed it until they found themselves inside of a large chamber with massive rows of columns.
"No one's been in here for at least a thousand years," said Demetrio.
At the other end of the room was a large altar. On top of it was a stone chest with four large, round golden shields leaning against it.
"Come on! I want to see what's in that chest!" said Demetrio.
Opening the chest, they found that it contained a small sword. Its sheath was embroidered with silver with gold coiling around it.
"It's beautiful!" Maria commented.
Demetrio picked up the weapon and found it was surprisingly light. Its hilt had a slot carved into it- as if it was meant to fit in a gemstone. He removed the blade from its sheath. It was still in such a pristine condition that it looked as if it had just been forged from a blacksmith.
"I wonder who made this," said Lee.
A soft rumble sounded.
"You hear that?"
Demetrio slipped the weapon back into its scabbard. "Yeah, I heard it." He tucked the sword into his pack. "Let's get out of here. I'm starting to not like this place."
The entire room suddenly shook.
"Wh-what's happening?" said Maria.
"Earthquake! We have to get out of here!" said Demetrio.
They all quickly made their way towards the exit- only to find the doorway blocked off by a large pile of debris.
"We're trapped!" said Lee.
Chunks of debris began to fall around the room, forcing everyone to take shelter beneath a large arch that was carved against a wall.
"There's water coming through!" Lee yelled.
"What do we do?" Maria cried.
Demetrio staggered towards the chest. "Give me a hand with this!"
Everyone helped him flip the chest off the altar.
"Get underneath it!"
It was suicide but it was their only chance.
The shaking grew worse. One of the columns fell with a cracking thud. Maria had to clamp her teeth to prevent them from clattering against each other.
Everyone tried using their radio but the only response they got was static. There was a loud groan as the entire ceiling gave way.