"Raiders Of The Lost Arc"
Three mountains, grey in the light, framed by bushes and branches.
Quiet chirping of distant crickets and frogs. Rustling of leaves, caused by an unknown source. The glare of the afternoon Sun reveals a dense, lush rain forest, in the eastern slopes of the Andes.
It is known as the "Eyebrow Of The Jungle."
Ragged, jutting canyon walls are half-hidden by the thick clouds of mist.
South America.
1936.
…
Fallen leaves are crushed under the weight of thick boots. A group of men trudge along a narrow trail along the green face of the canyon.
The head of the pack stands of the bank of the path, surveying the mountains a far.
Wind blows at his short brown leather jacket, and sweat mingles with the fabrics of his brimmed felt fedora.
Anguished whispers and frightened discussions bring up the rear, their owners clearly not pleased.
The group push the vegatation aside, treading through thick jungle.
A man with a coloured beanie walks a little away, muttering with a sullen face.
The out-of-doors was not his kind of thing, nor will it ever become his kind of thing, no matter how many of such situations he faced.
Yet, going on a safari with the Professor was unlike any other jungle trek he'd experienced.
The party fanned out to fight though the entwined trees that barred the way to their destination.
They broke through the flora, and met with a stone floor. Its cracked beyond repair, massive pieces eroded or missing. Above is a wall of tumbling water that fell down and swam beneath the floor and peaked through the crevices.
Stepping forward, the man with the hat reaches into a satchel on his belt, retrieving battered notes and maps, obversing closely. He looks up to feel the droplets of cool water splash onto his face.
Behind him, a pistol cocks.
A whip flashes out.
The sound of hard leather against skin rang out.
A stray bullet discharged off into the jungle, and the pistol clattered past the stone floor and into the channels of water.
The man clutched his broken hand and ran into the shadow, groaning in pain.
Stepping forward, Indiana Jaunes frowned and cracked his whip.
It snapped along the rock, shaking pebbles and sending them flying.
Finally reaching an arched entrance, Jaunes crounched and peered down the black passageway.
"This is it." He grimaced. "This is where Cardin went."
He examined the sand on the ground.
"A friend of yours, this Cardin?" A member of the pack asked.
"A competitor. He was good. Very, very good." Jaunes answered without looking at him.
"Please senor," The man said suddenly as Jaunes entered the temple. "No one's come out of there alive."
He got no response.
"Please…" He begged again, but his plea was lost to the ambience of the jungle.
Indiana stepped carefully through the circular cave, maintaing his balance so as to not fall into the large cobwebs that were strung from ceiling to floor. With a torch out, he ventured forth. The cave was reminicent of a one he went into before, when he was young. It was different back then, experience in adventuring was hardly what he was known for. He was in a cave in the Emerald Forest, with a soon to be team mate, Pyhrra Nikos. School had ended, they had graduated, and he never saw her again.
He used to be terrified of adventure back then.
But now, if adventure had a name, surely it must be Indiana Jaunes.
Indiana manuvered past the traps he knew so well, from past and in books, guiding the men behind him strictly. Every decoy, snare and dart cannon scared more away. It was fine. He was used to working alone.
Reaching a narrow corridor, he stopped suddenly. Open spaces were carved from the ceiling, letting panes of light shine past. He turned back to see the remnant of his team.
"Stay out of the light." He grunted.
He raised a hand. It quivered for a fraction of a second, and then made contact with the rays.
A mechanism activated and a rack of spikes shot out from the wall of the hall. A mauled skeleton was pierced on them.
Jaunes looked into the gaping eyes of the body.
"Cardin." He sighed.
He gave a nod of respect and moved to the next room.
The last remaining man was breathing heavily in the corner. He made up his mind. He'd have to make up his mind fast and get the hell out as fast as he could without the crazy dude finding out.