The Aisha Thieves
Stormydreamer
The pyramid had that horrible musty smell, the smell that is age-old dust and air trapped for millions of years. Lae raised an eyebrow at me and I could tell a sarcastic comment was up next.
"Smells like your bedroom," She commented, a ghost of a smile on her face.
"Oi!" I replied. "Remember who has opposable thumbs here!"
"Meh," Lae replied.
For a while, we wondered round the entrance, trying to find some way of entering the temple. It was a large room, with a small opening we had to crawl through to enter the pyramid itself. Inside, we had only flashlights, which I knew wouldn't last nearly long enough. Which is probably why we were using one flashlight.
"Sari, its possible for a passage to be . upwards?" Lae said eventually. I looked at her with confusion. "Like, in the ceiling or something? You know, to stop."
"Thieves?" I supplemented for her. Lae nodded sheepishly, a faint blush on her face. "Yeah, I guess. Otherwise the jewel would have been stolen before. Its possible, why?"
Lae pointed at the ceiling, a scared look on her face. I followed her paw and, to my amazement, saw a medium size hole in the ceiling. The remains of a rope hung through the hole, torn and ragged at the end. It was obvious you were expected to climb to this, judging by the rocks protruding from the sides of the wall.
"Give us a clue oh wise one," Lae said sarcastically.
"We've gotta climb up to it," I said, walking towards the wall. Grabbing a rock, I pulled myself upwards. I saw Lae start to climb next to me, and I stopped. "Lae, I dunno if the rope's safe. I can climb up and check."
Lae stopped. "But Sari, you're scared of heights. If you go, I go."
I sighed, hanging to the wall. "Lae, this isn't the time nor the place to argue."
Lae looked at me stubbornly. "Then it's settled, we both go."
"Why do you have to be so flipping stubborn?" I asked, glaring at Lae. She grinned at me, her eyes shining. Silently, we continued to climb the rocky wall face, rising slowly towards the ceiling, some 20 metres above. Finally, sweating with exhaustion, we reached the ceiling. Both of us went to grab the rope, and quickly fell back.
"Let me grab it," I said finally. "I'm heavier so if it can hold me, it'll hold you." Lae didn't refuse, seeing my logic instantly. She allowed me to grab the rope.
I winced, pulling the rope harder. By now, I had both my hands on the rope. If the rope broke, it was all over and I would land on the floor some 20 metres below.
"Wish me luck," I muttered to Lae and launched off the wall. Slowly, I climbed up the rope, wincing every time the rope moved or jolted. It was hard, and quickly my arms grew tired. I heard Lae yell from behind me as the cave slowly disappeared.
"Sari, I'm gonna start climbing," She yelled and then the pull of the rope as she grabbed it. I could see the tunnel I was now climbing up was thinning slightly. Then the start of a ridge formed. I was perhaps 25 centimetres from it now.
Finally, the ridge was in my eye line and I could see I was climbing up a medium sized gap in the wall. A resting place, I assumed. I wasn't complaining - my arms ached. I made my way towards it, and slowly swung onto the ridge. There was enough room for me to easily spread out and I slunk to the floor, throwing my rucksack off.
A few minutes passed and then Lae's earstalks appeared, followed by her face. She saw me and grinned, grabbing hold of the ledge. I hauled her into the alcove.
"We've got time for a nap." I yawned. Lae seemed to agree as she snuggled into my side. I wrapped an arm around her and curled up. For the first time in a day, I fell into a fitful sleep.
***
"Sari?" Someone was shaking me. Lazily, I swatted the hand away. "Sari!" The voice continued persistently. I opened one eye and saw Lae leaning over me, a nervous expression on her face.
"What?" I yawned.
"You were talking." Lae said, still holding the same nervous expression. "I just was just wondering . Who is Yanik?"
"No one," I said hurriedly. "Come on, we've got to carry on climbing." With that, I walked towards rope. Grabbing hold of it, I looked upwards at the never ending passage.
"It's gonna be a long climb," I yawned, grabbing my rucksack.
***
"How long?" Lae yelled. I stopped climbing to take another look upwards. For the last hour, we had been climbing, and I didn't think I could take more of it. However, perhaps 5 minute ago, I had seen light or at least, something that was passable as light.
"A few minutes maybe," I replied, panting as I pulled myself up the rope.
"Well don't slow down then!" Lae's huffing voice floated up towards me. I grinned and continued to climb. Not much further.
***
"Finally," Lae huffed as I pulled her over the edge of the ridge. The ridge was more like a tunnel to be frank, running deep into the pyramid. Lae groaned and started to pad off down the tunnel. She stopped abruptly and turned round.
"Sari?" She asked, her eyes darting between the walls and myself. "I don't wanna sound dumb, but where next?"
Our answer seemed to become apparent quickly as a dazzling white light engulfed us both, blinding us. As we collasped to the ground, screwing our eyes tight, I could hear Lae scream
"If we die Sari, I'll so never forgive you!"
To be continued.
Stormydreamer
The pyramid had that horrible musty smell, the smell that is age-old dust and air trapped for millions of years. Lae raised an eyebrow at me and I could tell a sarcastic comment was up next.
"Smells like your bedroom," She commented, a ghost of a smile on her face.
"Oi!" I replied. "Remember who has opposable thumbs here!"
"Meh," Lae replied.
For a while, we wondered round the entrance, trying to find some way of entering the temple. It was a large room, with a small opening we had to crawl through to enter the pyramid itself. Inside, we had only flashlights, which I knew wouldn't last nearly long enough. Which is probably why we were using one flashlight.
"Sari, its possible for a passage to be . upwards?" Lae said eventually. I looked at her with confusion. "Like, in the ceiling or something? You know, to stop."
"Thieves?" I supplemented for her. Lae nodded sheepishly, a faint blush on her face. "Yeah, I guess. Otherwise the jewel would have been stolen before. Its possible, why?"
Lae pointed at the ceiling, a scared look on her face. I followed her paw and, to my amazement, saw a medium size hole in the ceiling. The remains of a rope hung through the hole, torn and ragged at the end. It was obvious you were expected to climb to this, judging by the rocks protruding from the sides of the wall.
"Give us a clue oh wise one," Lae said sarcastically.
"We've gotta climb up to it," I said, walking towards the wall. Grabbing a rock, I pulled myself upwards. I saw Lae start to climb next to me, and I stopped. "Lae, I dunno if the rope's safe. I can climb up and check."
Lae stopped. "But Sari, you're scared of heights. If you go, I go."
I sighed, hanging to the wall. "Lae, this isn't the time nor the place to argue."
Lae looked at me stubbornly. "Then it's settled, we both go."
"Why do you have to be so flipping stubborn?" I asked, glaring at Lae. She grinned at me, her eyes shining. Silently, we continued to climb the rocky wall face, rising slowly towards the ceiling, some 20 metres above. Finally, sweating with exhaustion, we reached the ceiling. Both of us went to grab the rope, and quickly fell back.
"Let me grab it," I said finally. "I'm heavier so if it can hold me, it'll hold you." Lae didn't refuse, seeing my logic instantly. She allowed me to grab the rope.
I winced, pulling the rope harder. By now, I had both my hands on the rope. If the rope broke, it was all over and I would land on the floor some 20 metres below.
"Wish me luck," I muttered to Lae and launched off the wall. Slowly, I climbed up the rope, wincing every time the rope moved or jolted. It was hard, and quickly my arms grew tired. I heard Lae yell from behind me as the cave slowly disappeared.
"Sari, I'm gonna start climbing," She yelled and then the pull of the rope as she grabbed it. I could see the tunnel I was now climbing up was thinning slightly. Then the start of a ridge formed. I was perhaps 25 centimetres from it now.
Finally, the ridge was in my eye line and I could see I was climbing up a medium sized gap in the wall. A resting place, I assumed. I wasn't complaining - my arms ached. I made my way towards it, and slowly swung onto the ridge. There was enough room for me to easily spread out and I slunk to the floor, throwing my rucksack off.
A few minutes passed and then Lae's earstalks appeared, followed by her face. She saw me and grinned, grabbing hold of the ledge. I hauled her into the alcove.
"We've got time for a nap." I yawned. Lae seemed to agree as she snuggled into my side. I wrapped an arm around her and curled up. For the first time in a day, I fell into a fitful sleep.
***
"Sari?" Someone was shaking me. Lazily, I swatted the hand away. "Sari!" The voice continued persistently. I opened one eye and saw Lae leaning over me, a nervous expression on her face.
"What?" I yawned.
"You were talking." Lae said, still holding the same nervous expression. "I just was just wondering . Who is Yanik?"
"No one," I said hurriedly. "Come on, we've got to carry on climbing." With that, I walked towards rope. Grabbing hold of it, I looked upwards at the never ending passage.
"It's gonna be a long climb," I yawned, grabbing my rucksack.
***
"How long?" Lae yelled. I stopped climbing to take another look upwards. For the last hour, we had been climbing, and I didn't think I could take more of it. However, perhaps 5 minute ago, I had seen light or at least, something that was passable as light.
"A few minutes maybe," I replied, panting as I pulled myself up the rope.
"Well don't slow down then!" Lae's huffing voice floated up towards me. I grinned and continued to climb. Not much further.
***
"Finally," Lae huffed as I pulled her over the edge of the ridge. The ridge was more like a tunnel to be frank, running deep into the pyramid. Lae groaned and started to pad off down the tunnel. She stopped abruptly and turned round.
"Sari?" She asked, her eyes darting between the walls and myself. "I don't wanna sound dumb, but where next?"
Our answer seemed to become apparent quickly as a dazzling white light engulfed us both, blinding us. As we collasped to the ground, screwing our eyes tight, I could hear Lae scream
"If we die Sari, I'll so never forgive you!"
To be continued.
