Chapter 26: Temple of Ancients
There's something eerie about this forest. Something about the way the wind whistles through the trees and how the canopy is so thick that it only letting in little beams of sunlight here and there, and that, coupled with greenish shadows behind every tree, is just making me more than a little uncomfortable. I glance over my shoulder, back down the path, expecting to see something that isn't there.
Why do I feel like we're being watched?
I glance over at Tseng. He's got a hand in his pocket and the other is holding his phone as he glances at it. "Bars are low…we might lose reception intermittently," he mutters.
Tseng hadn't uttered a word since we first stepped off the helicopter. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, and I decided not to bother him. I was too lost in my own anyway.
"Tseng?"
"Yes?" I feel his gaze on me, but I keep my eyes trained on the cluster of trees ahead of us. The last thing I want is to be distracted for a moment and then end up getting attacked.
"Do you get the feeling...that we….don't belong here?" I say, my voice quiet. For a crazy moment, I wonder if the animals are listening to us.
"What do you mean?" Tseng's stops. I stop, too. He lifts his gaze to the canopy above us. Another wind brushes past, rustling the leaves and his hair. I fight an urge to push it back for him.
"Um...just that this place...it seems forbidden...or...sacred or...something..." I shrug, wishing I could sound a little more eloquent. I never have been able to explain my thoughts properly. I guess that's why I'm a horrible speech giver.
Tseng opens his mouth to respond, but his cell phone rings. He glances at his phone and a slight frown creases his brow. He lifts the phone to his ear and starts walking again. I walk beside him, straining to hear what the other person is saying. "Okay," is all Tseng says after a while. I bet it is Rufus on the other end.
I stay silent, staring at the ground. Just knowing that Rufus is on the other end of that conversation makes me blush.
We keep walking until we come upon a jagged chasm in the ground that abruptly cuts off the forest path. Across it hangs an old, wooden footbridge. On the other side, sitting as clear as day, is the Temple of Ancients.
This seems too easy. I expected it to be more difficult to reach the temple, even if science teams had been scouring the planet for months looking for this place.
He starts across the bridge, and I follow. White smoke dances up from below us, covering our feet and wrapping around our legs like thousands of snakes that break away into nothing each time we move. Every time I move, I wince inwardly, feeling like my heels on my boots are making way too much noise.
Maybe I should request a flat pair like what the guys wear. Seems more practical.
I stay close behind Tseng. Our hands bump occasionally as they travel along the rough rope that keeps the bridge steady. Funny, just a few months ago, I would've had a fit from our hands accidentally touching. I'm not having a fit but…I'm not quite over Tseng, yet. Though each day is a lot easier than the last. Crushes die hard, they say. Even when you're involved in a who-knows-what with a handsome, powerful, young man who just so happens to be your boss and are rather enjoying that who-knows-what most of the time.
We make it across the bridge and onto stable ground. I glance behind me towards the forest one last time. It seems unreachable, even though it is just a minute's walk across the bridge. I turn from the forest, looking to the temple. We pass under a crumbling archway, our steps cautious and slow.
We enter an area that is surrounded by crumbling walls and broken statues and covered in vines. A few feet ahead of us is the base of some large, stone stairs that lead up to the entrance of the temple.
"Report to headquarters and tell them we've arrived."
I dig into my pocket and slip out my phone. I press a button; it lights up and automatically dials Rufus' direct line. I put it to my ear and wait.
"Yes?" Rufus' voice says. It feels like days since I last heard him.
"We've reached the Temple of Ancients."
No response. I look at the phone. The screen is dark.
"Hello?" I say. Nothing. After a moment, he says my name, questioning. "Sir?" I repeat. No response.
"….Elena?" Rufus says, his voice uncertain.
I can hear him, but he can't hear me.
"Sir? Can you hear me?"
"Now I can. What were you—"
His voice is cut off. "Sir?"
Nothing.
"Something wrong?" Tseng turns to me. I glance at my phone, shrugging hopelessly. I tap it, press some buttons, but the screen doesn't light up and the line is silent. "I think my phone just died."
"Did you charge it?" Tseng asks, his tone skeptical.
"Of course I did," I say, offended.
With a sigh, Tseng pulls out his own phone and tries it. After a moment, I see he's having the same problem. "He'll just have to wait."
"Guess so…" I press my teeth into my lip.
Tseng frowns slightly to himself and puts his useless phone away.
We make our way up the massive stone steps. They're so big that I have to take them one at a time, putting both feet on one step before I can move ahead. Tseng advises me to stay close because there are probably traps in a place like this. My stomach clenches and sweat pools in my palms. I rub my hands on my pants. I'm a Turk. I got this.
This assignment won't be too bad. I just have to not do anything stupid.
Finally, we reach the stop of the stairs, our breathing coming out in short, shallow bursts. I dare to look back down. The ground and the temple courtyard seem so far away. I tear my eyes away and follow Tseng.
Beneath the temple's awning is an altar decorated in indecipherable runes. In the middle of it are grooves for a key of some sort. Our only source of light comes from two sconces filled with fire dancing on the walls. I don't question how they're burning without someone to constantly refill them. We step on the platform, and Tseng produces the orb that is the key to the temple from a black bag slung over his shoulder.
What if I don't get this one right? What if something goes wrong? I can't get this one wrong like I did at the Mythril mines. Every time I think about how horribly my first assignment went, I want to ride myself off the 70th floor while riding a chocobo.
What happened in Wutai is worse though.
There is an almost inaudible click, the sound of stone shifting against stone, and the entire platform begins to sink slowly into the ground, and the light from outside begins to fade until we're cast into darkness—save for the light of flames dancing around us.
After a moment, the platform slows to a stop. Behind us is a stone wall and in front of us is a dark corridor. The only light comes from the flames dancing behind us. I swallow again, and the thought of ancient traps swirl in my mind.
"Here," Tseng says. I look to him to see a large flame dancing on a stick being held out to me. I wrap my hand around the pole, grazing his hand as he releases it. The warmth of the flame caresses my cheek.
"Thank you, sir."
Eager, I take a step forward towards the darkness only to be stopped by his arm stretched out in front of me. His brown eyes reflect the flame in his hand.
"You can't simply walk forward in a place like this."
Translation: Elena, you're an idiot.
I nod. Right right. Gotta stick with my partner… don't want to get ahead of myself like I did in Wutai.
Tseng raises his torch and examines the walls around us closely. Satisfied, Tseng straightens up and moves ahead into the wall of darkness. I follow the bobbing torch ahead of me closely. Against the limited range of our torches are slick, stone walls covered in a thin layer of cobwebs. This is just some old ruin, nothing to be afraid of, though I can take on a walking corpse if the occasion calls for it.
I'm a professional. And I should conduct myself in a professional manner—
WHAT JUST CRAWLED ON ME?
Tseng's torch stops. I almost run into him.
We've entered a new area. Small torches flare to life all around us. We are standing in the middle of a large room filled with interlocking stone arches, bridges and large staircases.
"Wow."
Tseng chuckles, "And here I was thinking this was going to be simple."
A grin tugs at my lips. A ghost of a smile graces his lips for a moment. I feel just a little warm all over. I look away.
We take the first set of stairs. At the top is an archway that leads us into a dimly lit corridor. I walk beside him, trying not to look at him. We fall into an easy stride, our flames dancing in front of us. "So can we talk? I can't take silence for too long."
"You? Not like silence? Who would've guessed it?"
I let out a harsh little throaty laugh. "Well, they say silence is golden, but I think that is a load of crap, sir."
"Feel free to call me by my actual name."
"Right, of course. Yes sir. It's difficult not to though. I mean, you're Tseng. Commander of the Turks. Surly, serious Tseng." I stop short of mocking his mannerisms and voice.
This gets a slight upturn in the corner of his mouth.
We turn a corner and continue. I could've sworn we already went down this corridor. Are we walking in circles?
"Can I ask you something?" I blurt after a lull in our conversation.
Tseng doesn't reply. I take this as permission.
"Do you think I'm too serious about stuff?"
After a thoughtful moment, he speaks. "It pays to be serious in this job. Not being serious can mean the difference between life and death."
"Thank you, sir."
"However, you sometimes are a bit too serious when it doesn't call for it. You could stand to relax a bit."
"You're not the first person to tell me that, sir. Reno says it all the time."
"I wouldn't suggest getting that relaxed," Tseng says with a slight chuckle.
We come face to face with a stone wall. A dead-end. Tseng turns around and I follow. We find an alternate route and find ourselves back in the room with all the stairs. Right back to where we started.
We start up another staircase and find ourselves at another dead-end. Finally, we manage to climb some stairs that put us on top of a small foot bridge high above the other stairs. Two archways on either end of the bridge lead down to different paths. Splitting up, we take both paths only to end up back on the first level before a random new entrance.
With a tired sigh, Tseng leads the way in. We find ourselves back where we started. My mouth is dry, my feet are aching, and I can feel hunger pangs beginning to claw at my stomach.
"Maybe the reason we've run across no traps is because the temple drives its victims crazy instead," I try to joke at some point as we hit what seems to be the 100th dead-end. In response, Tseng just sighs heavily and rakes his fingers through his hair, looking around the corridor. He slips his phone out of his inner jacket and looks at it.
"What time is it, sir?"
"No idea," he says, putting the phone away.
We continue on our search. As time slips away from us, our steps get slower, we take more breaks here and there, leaning against walls, sitting on floors. Every time we stop, I am less willing to stand back up. My stomach tightens and clenches from emptiness.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?"
My question echoes down a particularly cold, narrow, poorly lit corridor. We've been walking down this hallway for a while now, but at least we're not in the room with the stairs anymore.
"Of course we will," Tseng says beside me. He doesn't sound so sure himself.
"If not?" I ask, running my tongue across my dry lips, tasting dirt and sweat.
"They'll find our bodies. Or maybe just our bones. Or maybe they won't bother to look for us."
"That's not funny, sir."
Tseng lets out a tired laugh. "I suppose that was in poor taste."
I snicker. I think we're starting to feel a little loopy from lack of nutrition and sleep. I feel pinpricks and heaviness in my eyes.
We come upon a turn at the end of the hall and take it.
Back where we started, in the room with the stairs and broken statues. Tseng mutters what seems to be a swear in Wutainese.
My stomach gurgles from emptiness. I rest my free hand on it and wince. "We may have to start cannibalizing at some point," I remark.
"I don't think it'll come to that. Here," Tseng says, stopping and digging into the black bag slung across his shoulder where he'd produced the keystone earlier. He hands me something in a silver wrapper and a bottle of water. "We can't have you trying to gnaw off my arm."
"Oh crap, why didn't I think to bring something?"
"Once I was stuck in a desert with three other Turks for three days…you learn to bring supplies after that."
We continue on.
Everything is blending together. The balls of my feet are numb in these stupid heels, but my legs feel like they're on fire. My torch is getting dimmer with each turn.
We decide to take a break in the middle of some random corridor.
I lean against the wall and slide down into sitting position, drawing my knees to my chest and tearing open the bar Tseng gave me. It is crumbly and savory—some type of granola? I dunno, whatever it is, it is good. Or maybe I'm just hungry. I rest my head against the cool stone and stare across from me at an eyeless statue that is partially shrouded in shadow.
I steal a glance in Tseng's direction. The fire lights up his skin and casts shadows on his face at the same time, giving him an otherworldly glow. His long black hair hangs behind him and on his shoulders and eyes are focused on the statue whose eyeless face stares down at us. He's sipping a bottle of water.
I look back at the statue. Is she a great Ancient woman who deserved a statue? Perhaps she was a priest? Was she anything like that Aerith girl? One of those days in the office, I took the time to read up on all of Cloud's friends that had files, including her. I noticed that Tseng wrote most of those files. He'd been assigned personally to keep an eye on her. He's never talked about her though. Not to me at least.
"It's unlike you to be so quiet…"
"Um….I'm just thinking…about you…" I say, wincing at the way it sounds coming out.
"About me?" Tseng asks. Is he truly curious, or is he just making conversation?
I wish I could talk to him like how I talk to Reno and Rude.
"Just wondering about the Ancient…Aerith and you having to watch her."
"Ahh, I see," Tseng says. He shifts slightly in his spot and rests his head against the wall. He places his water on the floor. "Any question in particular?"
"Nope…just…" I begin, but a yawn escapes me. I put a hand over my mouth. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well last night. Too excited about this assignment."
"Still excited?" Tseng asks dryly.
"I think so," I say with a grin. "Ask me again in 2000 years when we're still stuck in here and our ghosts are roaming these halls. How long do you think we've been in here?"
"Too long. We should resume our search," Tseng says. He pulls himself up off the floor and comes over to me, holding out a hand.
I take his hand and he pulls me up.
-oooo-
If the grumble in my stomach is indication, hours have passed. The food and water gave me an energy boost, but I'm starting to go downhill. The heels on my boots feel like they're digging into my bones. I'd take them off, but that probably isn't a good idea. There is a throbbing at the base of my neck, a pain that is slowly seeping across my brain, making it hard to think straight or speak without my words slurring just a bit. I just want to sleep.
Why can't I sleep? Tseng doesn't seem bothered at all. Maybe he's part machine.
I watch him. Sometimes I feel like he sees me as a nuisance that he has to somehow mold into a real Turk. I wonder if he'd even bother about attempting conversation with me today if we weren't stuck in here together.
"Sir…?"
"Yes, Elena?" There is that leveled, patient way he talks to me when he's exasperated. I know he's not irritated with me but with the temple itself.
"Is there…something that I am doing wrong?"
"What do you mean?" He seems to be only half listening. He's looking around the corridor we've found ourselves in, his fingers grazing the walls as he examines them closely.
"Well not right now, but other times. Sometimes I feel like I've done something to I dunno…like perhaps you don't like me…or..…"
"What? Don't like you?" His tone says it all. I shouldn't have brought it up.
"Not…necessarily…'like' I guess….but yeah." My voice fades into darkness. I should keep my stupid thoughts to myself. Maybe the lack of sleep is starting to addle my brain.
"What would give you that idea?"
"Never mind. I guess I was just…thinking too hard," I say, closing my eyes for a moment. Pinpricks of fatigue poke against my eyelids.
Stupid. Why did I even say anything? Tseng has been nothing but nice to me, except when he's annoyed with me.
"Elena?"
Is he going to admit something? Some deep dark secret? Undying love for me?
"Sir?"
"Move to your left and hold out your light above your head."
My heart plummets down into my stomach.
He doesn't care. Why should he?
Tseng is examining a wall nearby covered in strange symbols. His back is turned to me. We haven't run across anything else like it. Most of the other walls in this hole were just bare.
"Elena."
"Sorry…" hastily, I back away towards the other side and raise my torch. I nearly trip over my own feet.
"A little more," Tseng says, his tone curt and exhausted.
Gah I'm so stupid. We were okay until I let my thoughts get the better of me. Now he thinks I'm crazy or something.
I continue to move backwards until my back grazes the wall behind me.
"Perfect."
I watch quietly as he traces the characters.
Suddenly, I tumble backwards as the wall behind me gives way. A scream bursts from my lips. I hear Tseng call out. Darkness overtakes me and presses down like a blanket.
I slam into the ground. Swearing, I sit up slowly and force my eyes open. My torch is flickering beside me.
"Tseng?"
No answer.
Great. Just great. It's bad enough that we're lost, but then I go and fall through some ancient trap door? I have to find my way out of here.
"Tseng?"
My voice echoes back at me, but it sounds distorted and foreign. I grab my torch and hold it ahead of me. The feeble light barely cuts through the darkness at all. I take a step forward and my feet bump something hard. I stumble, and the torch falls from my hands and I'm cast into darkness.
"Great..." I hiss. "Just great...I'm gonna die in here alone..."
Cautiously, I stand and move forward. Pushing the thought of using Materia aside, I pull out my gun, feeling a little safer already. With my free hand, I trace the bumpy stone walls. They crumble beneath my fingers, and the sound of the little bits of wall taps across the floor ahead of me.
"Tseng?" I call out.
I hit a curve and begin to move a little faster, calling out his name every few breaths.
"Sir?"
I stop abruptly and listen harder. The sound is light, but I hear unmistakable footfalls.
I follow the sound and call him again, ignoring the pulsing of blood against my skull with every movement I make.
The darkness seems to lighten a bit as I move forward. My chest is tight with anticipation. A flickering glow is coming from a nearby corridor. I start down that one and call out to Tseng again.
A shadow streaks across my vision. I stumble back.
"Sir?" I peer against the heavy darkness that is only pierced by one little flame flickering on the wall like a beacon.
Another shadow streaks past.
My heart thuds faster in my chest and my fists clench, my nerves shake violently under my skin. I move forward again towards evenly-spaced, heavy footfalls. I call out.
The steps stop, then start.
"Tseng? Sir I'm so sorry I got lost…"
The steps stop abruptly.
"Sir?"
I peer against the darkness and try to ignore the nagging feeling at the pit of my stomach. Tseng and I are the only people in here.
Right?
I call out again.
No answer. Air brushes against my left cheek. The footsteps seem to be retreating….in the opposite direction. Behind me.
That's weird…
"Tseng, sir?" Against my better judgment, I turn on my heel and follow. The person's steps are heavy, but they seem to be light on their feet.
"Sir I'm behind you…"
"Oof!"
Pain thrusts into my chest, and white bursts into my vision. I spin through the air and my back and elbow slam into the stone. My skull smashes on the floor, and the world goes white. Something clatters and slides out of my reach and thuds against the opposite wall. I groan softly. The pain dulls slightly as the sound of footsteps ebb away.
Ignoring the protests in my body, I crawl to my knees and feel around in the dark for my gun. The stone is cold under my shaking fingers until they reach something slick and warm.
The taste of copper laces my tongue. Blood. It oozes hot and sticky down my face from my nose. It trickles over my lips and splatters against the stone. I lean against the wall, tilt my head back, and pinch my nose. The blood pours backward, coating my throat. I close my eyes and swallow heavily.
There is silence except for my own breathing. I have to find him, but at the same time, what if I get up and just miss him by a few moments? We'll be running around in circles trying to find one another.
Slowly, the bleeding stops. I wipe my face as best I can and pull myself off the wall, crawling on my hands and knees for my gun.
Several anxious minutes later, my fingers graze something cold and metal. I swallow a whoop of victory and snatch it up. I pull myself to my feet slowly, using the wall as support. My head swims, and I feel like I will pass out any second now. The pain that had died comes back full force in my abdomen.
Gritting my teeth, I take a shaky step forward and then another, working through the pain. I can't let this get the best of me. Whatever, whoever, that was really strong. I inhale sharply as another sting of pain runs across my torso. I know that nothing's broken, but that doesn't stop it from hurting any more than it should.
I close my eyes and allow myself to be led by touch and hearing. I turn another corner into more darkness.
The sound of distant footsteps echo off the walls. I open my eyes against the darkness. I tighten my grip on my gun and continue down the corridor, walking a little faster.
The blackness around me is suddenly pierced by a dancing orange light.
"Tseng?" My voice comes out sounding unstable and shrill.
The flame stops. Then his voice rings out, calling my name.
Don't hug him don't hug him don't hug him…
"Tseng!" I meet him halfway. "I'm so happy to see you."
The firelight dances over his face. Apologies and explanations spring to my lips, but I falter, Tseng interrupting me.
"I believe I've found a path that will lead us closer to the materia. I would have went ahead, but I wanted to find you first—" He stops talking, his gaze sliding over my face, he frowns with concern. "What happened to you?"
"Something attacked me. We're not alone," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
Tseng's demeanor changes, grows tense. He glances furtively over my shoulder. "Let's go."
Biting back my questions, I follow him. He leads the way, with only the feeble light of his torch as a guide through endless winding corridors. We reach a passage that splits into two directions. Tseng pauses for a moment to think and then confidently chooses the one to the left. As we walk, the hall brightens as more little flames appear on the walls.
We take another turn and find ourselves back where we started. The room with the stairs.
"But sir…?" I look over at him.
"We're not lost this time."
"The path is a little precarious, so be careful..."
He walks across toward a steep, crumbling stone wall covered in thick vines. Effortlessly, he scales the wall, and then waits on top of it for me. I stuff my gun into its holster and begin the climb, holding the vines, ignoring the pain in my abdomen.
Tseng reaches down as I get closer to him, offering a hand. I reach up, and his larger hand takes mine, and he pulls me up. A sharp pain crosses my abdomen, and I almost lose his grip. He tightens it and doesn't release my hand until I'm on stable ground. He gives me a concerned look. Upright, I straighten up and dust myself off, just to have something to do to avoid looking him in the eyes.
"Are you ok?"
"I am...just a little banged up and sleep-deprived."
There is a wall of vines in front of us. Tseng steps forward, pushing them apart and leading the way inside.
We emerge at the base of large crumbling stone steps; I can't see anything past them in the dim lighting. Tseng is practically a shadow in front of me with his dark suit and with that long black hair.
I start up the stairs.
"Stop."
The sharpness of his tone halts me at the top of the stairs. A long bridge-like path lays out in front of me and extends to my right before ending abruptly. A strange blue glow dances on a wall farther down the path. Everything else is blanketed in impenetrable darkness. I whip around to question him only to find him already at my side.
"Look." He nods in the direction where I'd been looking a moment ago.
Suddenly a loud rumbling fills my ears. The ground vibrates beneath my boots and debris falls around us. A gigantic stone appears on the path out of nowhere. It rolls towards us, the sound grows deafening and the ground shakes violently. It passes harmlessly, but dangerously close.
"So…I guess this means we're on the right track," I say, weary, watching as another massive boulder comes barreling down the path. "Tseng, how are we supposed to…?"
"It's dangerous, but it is possible."
He explains to me what he'd observed when he first found this area. The stones move in a predictable pattern with six-second intervals. They're shaped like crescents, big enough to fit someone's body if they crouch.
"Simple enough?" Tseng asks, eyeing a boulder as it rumbles past.
"There isn't another way?"
"No, but be careful or you could get crushed to death," he says in a humorless tone. I feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder as he closes the space between us just a bit. He gives me a very serious look, and for a split second, my mind goes blank as I stare into his fatigued, sleep-deprived eyes.
"Sir?"
"I'd rather not have to scrape you up off the floor and send your remains home to your mother."
Ouch.
"Right. The same to you, sir," I manage.
"Good. Ladies first?" Tseng says, extending a hand toward the obstacle course head of us.
I can do this. It is just like those obstacle courses at the ShinRa Military Academy, right? No. Those didn't carry the very real threat of death.
"Yes sir!"
I take a deep breath and try to call up whatever energy I have left. Then I rush out.
Everything inside of me screams, telling me to get out of the way of the massive boulder staring down at me. My ankles quake violently, but I hold my ground. I fling myself to the ground as it gets close enough. The rumbling gets louder until it becomes deafening, and it shakes my core. I brace myself.
There's no pain, no sudden compression of my organs. I'm still alive.
I bend myself into a crouch and swing my head back to see a boulder rumbling behind me but no indication of Tseng. He can take care of himself. I swivel around just in time to see the next rushing for me. I stay in position, tucking my head into my chest. It too passes neatly over me. With a burst of energy I run forward, rolling through the next two obstacles easily. I keep up the pace and the pattern, ignoring the fatigue creeping up on my body.
The glowing light on the other side of the room is my target. I lunge beneath the next boulder and force myself in the opposite direction. I spin through the air for a second and my back slams into something hard and stationary. I lie there for a moment, out of harm's way. Every muscle relaxes. Do I have to get up? Can't I just sleep on the floor for a few minutes?
Taking in a few deep breaths, I let my heart rate slow. I sit up, reaching out to whatever I hit. My fingers curl around stone. I pull myself to my knees and find myself looking down into a large basin filled with purple, glowing liquid.
I reach toward it, intending to touch its smooth surface.
"Probably shouldn't touch that."
Tseng is walking towards me and smoothing his suit out. For the most part, he seems unruffled by the whole ordeal with the boulders. In fact, the boulders are no longer rolling past and there is a stark silence in their absence.
Heh. Now that we've made it, I guess the temple isn't going to bother trying to kill us again.
Tseng walks around the pool, studying it. I can see the wheels turning in his head. He kneels before the pool, reaches into that black bag, and produces a small vial. He takes up a sample for the ShinRa science team.
"Let's move on. We need to get out of here," Tseng says, capping the vial and putting it in the black bag. He stands up.
I pull myself up as well and instantly feel lightheaded, the world seems to slant. I wobble on my feet.
"Are you okay?"
Shaking the dizziness off, I nod, not looking at him directly. "Just a little banged up and sleep-deprived," I say, rubbing a hand over my face.
"You should probably go to the infirmary when we get back, just in case," Tseng says, waiting on me.
"I'll be fine," I say, stubborn, words slurring just a bit. "How are you not a sleepy wreck right now? Are you hoarding coffee in that bag and not sharing?"
"Sadly, no."
We move on. There is dimly lit, narrow staircase at the end of the path. Tseng goes down first, and I follow him closely, taking the stairs carefully. We stop at what seems to be a dead-end but what is really an entrance covered in small, easily movable stones.
Tseng presses forward and I follow. The slightest pain prickles across my abdomen as we move the final stones blocking our path. Before us is a short corridor, lined with flames dancing happily against the slick stone walls. At the end of the path is complete darkness.
Tseng goes forward, I follow. Darkness swallows us at the end of the hall. And then, slowly, little flames began to flicker to life. We were standing at the edge of a circular, black void; a few steps forward would send us plummeting into unknown depths. I inch forward and peer into the abyss. The tip of my boot touches a piece of loose stone. It rolls over and disappears into the darkness. I step back.
My gaze falls on what is directly across from us. An arched path, similar to the one we're standing in. The flames flicker on the letters above the entrance. There are rooms around the circle, all with different letters grouped systematically. One through twelve. Like a clock.
"Let's go," Tseng says beside me, letting out another tired sigh. He steps forward, crossing the beam first.
"Right." I follow.
I step onto the beam. One little slip and I could just fall into it. I force myself not to look down again, feeling lightheaded. I glance behind me and realize too late that this is a bad idea. My gaze connects with the chasm beneath us. A sharp pain shoots across abdomen. My right heel slips from under me.
It happens so quickly, almost falling, and Tseng catching me, pulling me close to his body to keep me steady. Warmth spreads through my body like wildfire. Short shallow breaths burst from my lips. The warmth of his breathing caresses the side of my face. I force down the lump—that I'm pretty sure is my actual heart—back down my throat.
"Are you okay?" The question comes out as pleasant warm bursts as he holds me in the firmness of his grip.
"I'm fine, just…felt a little lightheaded."
He doesn't seem to believe me, but he lets it go. "Okay. Let's get this over with then."
Tseng releases me without another word.
We make it over to the platform and barely fit on it together. The surface is clear and reveals clockwork. Tseng stoops down and examines it. He locates a tiny hatch and flips it open.
I offer to explore each room so he can focus on controlling the clock's hands. We'll do it together, as a team.
Tseng moves something around under the panel. A reverberation of metal and stone scraping fills the air; the hands of the big clock swivel smoothly over the darkness and stops neatly before two openings that are directly across from each other. Without having to be told, I step onto the arrow-shaped tip of the hand and brace myself.
Tseng won't be there to catch me, but this thing is wide enough that I shouldn't really have a reason to fall. Yes. Just walk. That's all. Just walk at a steady pace…
Creak.
With an eruption of energy, I race across the platform, arms flailing wildly. I jump off the beam at the entrance and land solidly on my feet.
There is the sound of clapping. I spin around. Tseng's watching and applauding. For a second, I think he's serious until I realize there's a slightly sarcastic pulse in his applause. My face burns, and a stupid grin tugs at my lips in spite of the situation. I take a sweeping bow.
I hear his chuckle from across the chasm.
Well, let's get this over with. The faster we find the right room, the faster we can get out of here.
-oooo-
"Only two more to go," Tseng says, encouraging though weary; he lets out a yawn.
The hands swivel into place. I hold in a sigh and cross over. Making it, I step off the hand and start down yet another identical corridor. The lighting at the end of this one is dim. I step out of the corridor and darkness closes around me. I retreat until I find a torch and go back into the darkness. The flames reveal several black passages.
Great. More mazes.
The modest blaze dances on a large stone pillar less than a few feet away from me. I take a cautious step forward, and then another. There are a set of stone steps that lead up to a large set of double doors made of rusting metal.
"Yes! This has to be it," I say with a woop.
"Good job."
"AHH! DAMN IT!" I spin around, fist raised.
"Remind me not to slip up on you again…" Tseng says behind me. He steps out of the way of my fist. He is holding a torch.
"Sir…I was…about to…tell you…what I found."
"You were back here a while, so I assumed you found something," Tseng says, shrugging.
I lead him over to the door and wait for his reasoning. I can't be smug until I know it's actually something.
"The question is, how to open it?" Tseng says to himself. Rocks crunch under his boots as he heads away from me. I watch his torchlight disappear for a moment and then he returns. "Another damn maze."
We start our search in silence, concentrating solely on getting to our goal. Our flames flicker with a little less life the longer we continue our search.
The concept of time is now completely lost on me. Shadows jump out and play on the crumbling stone walls. I can't seem to focus on any one thing for too long. I glance over at Tseng. He seems to have his usual demeanor about him, except for the yawning, permanent frown and slightly unfocused look in his eyes.
Maybe they will find our bones.
We exit onto another level.
The fire on my torch is dying. The shadows are beginning to close in. We've still found nothing. Tseng hasn't spoken a word since we ended up back where we started two times in a row now and I'm afraid to say anything just in case sleep-deprivation has loosened his tongue and shortened his temper. We're missing something. We have to be…but there are no levers or anything like that to pull. There was a keyhole though...but where is the key?
-oooo-
"….Tseng? Did you hear that?"
Swoosh. A shadow moves. My heart thuds faster. Tseng doesn't respond, but I feel him still beside me. Swoosh. Pieces of stone clatter and fall around us. A shadow hovers a few feet away from us. Slowly, a head and shoulders become visible.
A gunshot explodes, and there's a ringing in my ears. The shadow collapses with a soft thud. I look over at Tseng against the slowly dying firelight. The familiar glint of a black gun shines against the flames. He puts it away smoothly and approaches the unmoving figure.
He stoops over the body. A few moments later, he stands and returns to me.
"We have the key now," he says calmly. He walks past me as if he didn't just shoot some Ancient guard-person-thing in the back. Is it wrong to find that hot?
I glance over my shoulder at the body, but it has disappeared.
Ugh. Creepy temple.
We make our way back to the top level where the door is. Tseng slips the key into the keyhole. There is a resounding, satisfying click and the doors creak inward slowly. Bright golden light leaks out, stunning me for a second. I release my torch and let it die on the ground.
The walls are lined with gold and are covered in ancient symbols and hieroglyphs. Dozens of torches light up brightly colored murals. At the center of the room is a large gold-plated chest. I feel Tseng's hand rest on my shoulder.
"Paydirt," he says, looking pleased with himself, if not tired. "Good job, Elena."
In this brightly lit room, I can see the slightest hint of facial stubble growing back on Tseng's face.
"We'll be able to sleep again, sir," I say, grinning.
The chest gleams at us in the firelight, daring us to open it. Tseng moves away from me, going to the box and tracing the ancient letters on top of the chest. I watch him work. Floating above the chest is a flickering model of the temple.
Tseng is busy deciphering the chest. I move away from him, looking over the paint on the walls. It is smooth under my fingers. I trace a few carved ancient letters with my nails. What does all this mean?
A little bead of sweat trickles down my neck. The heat bounces back and forth off the golden walls and makes the paintings seem extremely bright. I stare at the mural. It features a bunch of crudely drawn stick people looking upward towards a sky, there is a huge ball of some sort—a rock, hurtling towards them.
Tseng sidles up next to me. I stare at the mural, fixated. "Do you think we can find the 'Promised Land' with this?"
The flames dance around us and hiss.
"I wonder," he says vaguely. "Elena, I need you to contact Rufus. Tell him what we've discovered. The Ancients let us get this close to the Black Materia. However, I believe the temple will crush us if we try to retrieve it."
"Seriously? Those Ancients thought of everything..."
Tseng gives me a grim smile and casts another glance at the mural. "Call Rufus about it. We'll need something mechanical perhaps to do it for us..."
Obeying, I remove my phone from my inner blazer pocket and hope that it comes on. The screen lights up and it says that I have weak signal strength. The phone dial's Rufus' number and I put him on speaker.
"Have you found something?" Rufus' voice fills the air over static and interference.
Suddenly, I feel oddly self-conscious conducting a conversation with Rufus while in Tseng's presence. I explain to him what Tseng said. When I'm done, Rufus doesn't respond.
"Sir? Did you get all that?"
No response.
I look at the screen. The phone call has ended. I give an apologetic wince to Tseng and try again. The line picks up, but I call Rufus' name twice without an answer. I run my fingers through my hair and look to Tseng. "Maybe we should leave the temple and talk to him there. Reception was better there."
"I'll stay, just to make sure we don't lose the room. You go contact him."
"Sir…you're going to ….stay in here by yourself?"
"Yes," he says, waving it off, "There is a lot in this room that needs to be understood. I'll still be here when you return. There is no reason for both of us to leave."
I nod. "Well…." I bite my lip and stuff my hands in my pockets. "Be careful, Tseng."
"Yeah. You as well." Tseng crosses his arms and looks away from me, back towards the murals. His gaze travels over the wall for a moment, he frowns. "Elena…" he says, he seems to be choosing his words with caution.
"Sir?"
"How about dinner after this job is over?"
I stare at him, open-mouthed. What does that even mean? Am I still conscious? I mean…there is no way. There is no way that Tseng is asking me out on a whatchamathing.
What does dinner mean?
It must be like a victory thing. A friendly thing. Yes. A business thing. Yes. Yes….that's what it is. Tseng thinks it'd be nice to let loose after suffering in this hole with me for hours, maybe even days. Yes. Tseng could never be attracted to me. I mean, pssssh, he thought I was seeing Rufus! Which I am! And I like seeing Rufus!
Tseng's watching me, waiting patiently for a response.
Words tumble out of my mouth.
"Um...I'll have to...um...thank you very much…sir…..if I may be excused…."
Tseng gives me an odd look, but I don't wait around. I turn away and quickly head toward the exit to this strange room.
-oooo-
I wince against the sunlight. The sun is high in a sky splashed with streaks of purple, gold and blue. It took less time finding my way out than it did for us to find our way in. It was as if the temple practically opened itself up to me as I looked for an exit.
I take the stairs three at a time, cross the bridge, and get back to the forest where reception is possible. I take out my phone and press a button, it lights up immediately.
It says I have received four missed calls and have a message waiting, all from the same number. From Rufus.
I lean against a tree. The leaves rustle gently, and thin beams of sunlight shine through them. I close my eyes for a second and take in a deep breath of delicious fresh air.
What did Tseng mean about dinner?
I force myself not to think about it. I can't answer that. What would I have said? Yes? Months ago, if he'd asked me, my answer would've been an easy, resounding yes. Now, I don't know. I just don't know. It doesn't make sense.
I don't know what to think.
Pushing the thoughts away, I make the call.
After the fifth ring, the line opens.
"What happened?" Is how he greets me. No sweet nothings, no declarations of worry. Just business.
I can see him sitting at his desk…or maybe walking around his office…or maybe standing at the window looking out while my voice talks to him on a speakerphone. He's looking over the city, his gaze not lingering on anything for too long.
"And where is Tseng?" he asks, his tone clipped. Does he know something? Maybe he knows something. No he can't possibly know something. Right? There's nothing to know. I didn't agree to dinner. I also didn't tell him no.
"Um…still inside of the temple, sir."
"And why is he not with you?"
An animal calls in the distance. The trees have disappeared into a foggy early morning haze. I can't see anything past a few feet because of the fog.
"He decided to stay behind. He is still gathering information in the room…we think we've found something about the Promised Land? And we think we've found a chest that contains the Black Materia but well…there's a problem. You see, the temple will kill us if we open that box."
A twig snaps nearby, and I hear voices, drowning out Rufus' response.
I duck behind the tree and press against it, while still holding the phone firmly. The voices get closer and nine figures are outlined in the fog. They emerge.
Avalanche. Dammit. Why now? Why here?
They are barely inches away as they pass by me, but they don't seem to notice. I release a sigh and receive a shock. One of them stops for a moment and looks around. The girl in the pink dress—Aerith. She's looking directly at me, though no one else in the party seems to notice, they just keep walking. Her eyes meet mine, and she looks at me oddly—I can't place it. My fingers graze my gun. She turns her back on me, catching up with the group.
"Elena did you hear anything I just said?"
His words don't register for a moment. I'm focused on Aerith's back, her brown braid dancing behind her.
"Rufus," I interrupt him. My brain is scattered. "Cloud and his friends have arrived. I have to go."
I don't want Tseng to have to face them alone. Then again, there is no way they can get inside of the temple without the key, so I don't have much to worry about? Right?
Rufus makes a light, irritated sound. "Contact me if anything changes," he says, and then after a moment of silence, "Be careful, Elena."
He hangs up before I can respond. I stare at the screen for a moment. I wasn't expecting him to tell me to be careful—that's refreshing. There was something else in his tone, but I can't worry about that right now.
I make it across the bridge and continue on without looking back. A feeling of urgency burns in my throat as the temple hovers over me, daring me to go back inside into its craziness. I continue up the stone staircase that will take me to the entrance room.
Maybe I'm being paranoid? What am I supposed to do if I get up there and Cloud and his friends are looking down at me? Shoot them in the face? Maybe they'll just ignore me. Usually, I'd be offended by them disregarding me, but right now, I don't have the energy for a fight. I just want to get the hell out of here.
At the entrance, near the altar, no one is there.
Something isn't right.
Where are they? Shouldn't they be up here? There is no way they got inside. The key into this place just seems like one of those things that would have 'do not duplicate' etched on it. Where are they then? What if—
Something moves in the corner of my eye.
I stop abruptly. Near the altar there is a figure slumped over against the wall, half hidden by the flames.
"Tseng?"
That can't be Tseng.
But it is.
Quickly, I'm on my knees beside him. His hair hangs freely down over his face, mostly obscuring it. His hands are protectively over his stomach. Scarlet gleams in the firelight over his fingers. Blood. No this doesn't make sense. This doesn't make any sense. Tseng was in the mural room. Why is he—why is he bleeding?
"S-sir?" My voice cracks pitifully. Why isn't he responding! "Tseng please…" I push the sheet of hair from his face and tuck it behind his ear. Shadows dance on his face; his skin is ashen and covered in a thin layer of sweat. "Tseng…"
What am I supposed to do? How bad is it? What should I do? What should I do? Where are Cloud and his friends? Did they somehow jump him, take the key from him and go inside leaving him here to die? Why is this happening—?
Tseng lifts his head slowly. His gaze meets mine through narrow slits. Sharp breaths come from between his lips.
"…Tseng…what's going on?" I whisper. "Did Cloud and his friends—I…I don't have any cure materia...I…" I look around. The black bag with the supplies isn't with him.
He shakes his head, grunting and clutching his chest. Blood leaks over his fingers. It trails down his hand and drops into a dark puddle pooling around him on the stone. This is bad. What am I supposed to—?
I have to snap out of it!
No one else can help him right now.
I manage to get him to lie down on his back. He opens his eyes, barely, and looks up at me. "Tseng, I got in contact with the president," I manage to say. Talking should help. My voice trembles. Why can't I be stronger than this?
My hands are shaking as I take his hands and move them to his sides. I quickly get sticky and wet with blood that I cannot see thanks to the darkness of his uniform. I feel his gaze on me.
My fingers curl around the zipper of his blazer. I tug it, pulling it down, revealing the white dress shirt beneath; it is soaked red. Desperate, my fingers work his tie off. I'm rambling, I'm not even sure what I'm saying now, but if I don't talk, I'll scream.
More blood. The fresh coppery smell fills my nose. The shirt is completely soaked in it. A weird noise meet my ears; I realized it is me whimpering. He's the one bleeding, and I'm about to fall apart.
He'll die without me.
I fumble with the buttons on his shirt, clumping the fabric in my fists. The weakened threads pull apart like paper, revealing the contours of a well-defined chest. I ignore the stupid blush on my cheeks and focus on the violent gash in his side. It makes a perfect slit—he's been stabbed.
His chest rises and falls sharply, his breathing labored. With each beat of his pulse, more blood seems to pool out of the wound, glistening in the firelight.
I press my left palm hard against it, applying pressure. With my free hand, I remove my own tie and shrug out of my jacket and make a wad out of it and press it hard against the wound.
Seconds tick by. I glance up at Tseng's face. I reach up and push his hair away, grazing his skin and smearing a thin line of blood across his cheek. His eyes are closed. He doesn't respond to my touch.
"Tseng?"