Disclaimer: The characters of Sydney and Nigel are borrowed from the television show Relic Hunter. No copyright infringement intended story purely for entertainment purposes only.

"NIGEL!" Sydney stopped, shock quickly overtaking her. For what seemed like an eternity her body refused to move, her eyes fixated on the spot she had last seen Nigel.

Zach came up to her, he had managed to secure a now grieving Amy. His heart sank as he realized what happened, there was no way either one of the them could have survived the fall. In all his years of taking people into these mountains he had never lost anyone until now. He gently placed a hand on Sydney's shoulder not sure of what to say.

Sydney felt a hand touch her shoulder. For one brief moment she hoped it was Nigel, and what she had just seen was an illusion. As she turned and saw Zach, her hope shattered. She walked, as if in a dream toward the edge with Zach, not wanting to see what lay below. Syd closed her eyes briefly before glancing over the edge, she was barely able to see Mark's body, dried brush and stone obscured her view.

"I don't see him." she dropped to her knees looking down the cliffs wall, her heart racing madly, maybe he had been able to get a hand hold, or landed on a ledge. "Nigel, NIGEL! can you hear me." The only answer she received was the wind, he was nowhere to be seen. Her heart told her he was still alive, but her mind made her face the cold reality of the truth. Nigel was dead.

"I'm Sorry." was all Zach could say as he gently pulled her back from the edge.

"No...Nigel.....NOOOOO!" her voice ragged with pain as she succumbed to her grief in Zach's arms.

This was her nightmare come true, she had given into her feelings for Nigel and she was happier than she had ever been. They were opposites in many ways, but that's what made things fun. Nigel was sweet, funny, caring and she knew he would never hurt her. She couldn't bring herself to think of him in the past tense. It just couldn't end like this, not after everything they had shared.

Unbeknownst to Syd two other pairs of eyes had been watching the deadly events of the day unfold.

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Nigel had felt pain and warmth at the same time explode in his side quickly followed by the terrifying sensation of falling. Without warning he felt a jarring impact as he landed on a narrow ledge. Panic overtook him as he felt momentum of his fall start to roll him off his precarious perch.

From what appeared to be out of the rock face itself, two hands reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back towards safety. Startled, Nigel looked up and found himself staring into to face of an old man, who some reason looked vaguely familiar. The world began to spin around him as the older man pulled him into an irregular shaped crevice. Nigel thought he heard Sydney's voice crying out his name as his world faded to black.

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Sydney felt like she was seeing the world through someone elses eyes. Years of training kicked in and she was now functioning in what best could be described as auto pilot.

She and Zach still had two problems to deal with, the missing Lee, and the mysterious owner of the fourth set of footprints. They solved the first problem shortly after they had entered the mine. Lee was alive, but still unconscious. The second problem still refused to show it self.

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Slowly flickers of light started to penetrate Nigel's vision he heard a voice talking close by.

"Okay, I'll concede!, maybe placing the map out there for people to find was not such a good idea after all."

Instead of hearing a human voice reply he heard what sounded like a horse, as his eyes fluttered open, he saw the old man engaged in an animated conversation with a mule. Nigel tried to sit up, but collapsed quickly as piercing pain engulfed his left side.

"Whoa there young fella." The old man said as he rushed to Nigel's side. "Don't you be trying to get up now. You have a pretty nasty gunshot wound and you've lost a lot of blood."

As Nigel looked down he saw his tank top had been ripped open, as the old man gently lifted the bloodied cloth from his side. Nigel only looked at it for a few second, but it was more than enough to turn his stomach on end. At least he didn't have anything for lunch, so that was one thing in his favor.

"Good, now you lay still while I go and get some water." The old man said gently as he patted Nigel's shoulder

Nigel nodded his acknowledgment.

The old man returned with a tin cup full of water and helped him drink. After a few grateful sips Nigel finally found his voice. "Thank you."

"You have no need to thank me." The sorrow in his voice was only matched by the pain in his eyes.

"Who are you?" That and a dozen other questions now floated around in Nigel's foggy brain.
"Just call me Jay." The man looked over towards the mule. "And that flea bag over there is Ruth"

Nigel looked over and could have sworn the mule was giving Jay a dirty look. "Nigel."

"Nice to meet ya Nigel."

Nigel looked around, lifting his head up with Jay's assistance as his eyes adjusted to the dim lights from the lanterns hanging on the walls. He saw for the first time the dazzling splendor of the what only could be described as a cave. Veins of gold zigzagged in every direction throughout the walls of the cave, casting a beautiful golden glow throughout the chamber.

"Where am I?" Nigel asked in awe, still entranced by what he was seeing.

"My home." Jay replied as he removed the now soaked cloth and replaced it with another.

"Your Home?" His strength giving out, Nigel rested his head back down on the ground. The last thing he saw before passing out was Jay's smiling face.