Dove groaned, his throat feeling as if something had scraped at it from the inside, as he opened his crust-covered eye, seeing a still empty room, not with sunlight shining through the window, small reflections of floating dust particles crossing the beams.
His bed creaking, Dove sat himself up, the blankets and sheets sliding down to his waist, revealing his winkled white shirt, and disheveled tie, while he rubbed his eyes free of the eye crust, hissing for when he had to forcibly pluck some of it from his eye lashes, blinking a few times to sooth his eyes after doing so. He looked around the room, finding the suits of Cardin, Russel, and Sky, scattered about the room, yet all three of his brothers appeared to be missing.
Yet Dove did not have to wonder of their whereabouts for long, when he spotted a note left on his nightstand, written by Sky.
"Dove, go shower and get your armor on. We're leaving for our mission today. If you need Russel and I, you can find us in RWBY's room-"
"-What?" A befuddled Dove went, quickly putting the note away and heading into the bathroom, just to put his under the shower to wet his hazel-brown hair. Stripping himself down, putting on deodorant, donning on his black underclothing, turtleneck, and bronze armor. Grabbing his scroll and sword, Dove left his team's dorm room, muttering to himself that they better be there, or else Sky will suffer.
When having reached the door of team RWBY, Dove pressed his ear up against it, listening, listening, hearing Yang's voice speaking, then Russel's voice. They were indeed in there, so Dove rapped on the door, silencing the talking as he watched it be flung open to reveal Sky in his grey-blue armor.
"Well hello there sleeping beauty, come on in-"
"-No." He cut of the coyly request.
"Oh..."
"I wanna get breakfast."
"Okay... go get breakfast."
"I want my brothers to eat breakfast with me though."
"Ohhhh, yeah... well, we really can't do that right now."
"Why not?"
"Why don't you just come on in Dove?"
"No! I don't come on in just so you try and get me into some morning orgy."
"Fucking- Dove, we're not having an orgy with RWBY!"
"Then why are you guys in their fucking room?!"
"Just come on in Dove and we can talk!"
"NO! I want waffles!"
"Then go eat your fucking waffles, tubby!" Dove clocked his brother in his furious, glasgow face, knocking him down onto the floor, as the bluenett covered his left eye, gritting his teeth while Dove finally came in, shutting the door behind, and sitting himself down, his back pressed against the door, all the while Weiss, Blake, and Yang, just stared down at the fallen, moaning halberdier, baffled by Bronzewing's cruelty for his own brother, bringing their attention to the scowling Dove, still looking down at Sky.
Russel was just sitting at the foot of Weiss' own bed, wearing his poker face well throughout the ordeal.
"What wrong with you? What kind brother just abuses his own family like that?!"
"Who told you that we were brothers?" Dove sternly shot back at Weiss, glowering the Schnee from her toes to her face. "I don't recall ever telling any of you about that."
"Uh, Cardin told me that," Yang answered him hesitantly, " when we started the tutoring sessions, then I... told my team about it. Oh and JNPR too."
"... Okay, cool, I see. So, why... why are we here, to begin with?"
"... Are you kidding me? You're not even going to apologize to Sk-"
"-Blake, Sky's a fucking masochist and you know it. Look at him." Sky at that moment, started to moan in pleasure, immediately bringing immense discomfort among the three huntresses-in-training. "He's a degenerate that enjoys pain."
"Mmph, hurt me more, d-daddy."
"... Later."
"What... what did you ju-"
"-Okay, Dove," Russel cut off Blake, earning himself a scornful gaze from the faunus as he ignored her, "we're... gathered here- I guess- because Cardin and Ruby followed someone all the way to Beacon Tower. When they got there, they found some Atlas guards knocked out, so they uh- got their weapons, went into the tower, and... well just found the assailant and tried to capture her."
"Did they capture her?"
"Nah. They were called this morning up to Oz's office to talk about it."
"Ah, okay, sounds all good then."
"..."
"... It's not all good, Dove." He stared up at Blake, atop her makeshift bunk.
"Well, hell, did this lady fuck up Cardin and Ruby?"
"No... not exactly.-"
"-Then there's nothing to worry about."
"There is something to worry about, though!" Blake was quick to exclaim, just to be met with Dove shaking his head, smiling, mockingly so, only to anger the faunus-in-disguise. "She might connected to a criminal syndicate, Dove!" That only got the brunette to laugh, brushing off the statement, prompting Blake to grip her sheets in spite. "And the White Fang!"
Now Sky and Russel joined their brother in joyous laughter; now Yang and Weiss joined their teammate in irritation.
"This is serious you three! How c-"
"W-White Fang?! Are you kidding me?" Sky overpowered her, still cackling. "Ha ha- the White Fang are an absolute joke where we come from! Back on Disown, we butcher more White Fang than we do Grimm. They're trying to take us down, take our family down, take out the towns and villages, but they always fucking fail. I can't tell you all how many times assassination attempts on our mom failed miserably for the White Fang! Oh the beatings we would watch just outside our house, as we looked out from our bedroom window..."
"Some times, the villagers will hunt down White Fang at night, nail them to a cross, and just... march them throughout the streets, make it a public festival, before burning them alive out on the outskirts. While cities, or towns, they'll just make it quick and send them to firing squads, or hang them at gallows."
"Sometimes though," Dove started, "if there are White Fang that surrender, the local law enforcement, or vigilantes, will cut off their ears, their tails, or replace their scales with human skin, then force them into low paying work. The process is basically our way of reintroducing faunus terrorists or criminals back into society. They either accept it, or end up as slaves until they agree to do so."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... You uh... you three okay?"
"Oh, we're fine," Weiss replied to Dove, sounding as nonchalant as she could be right now, utterly disgruntled. "It just makes sense now."
"... What makes sense?"
"You three, and Cardin, growing up on Disown. It makes sense now, why all of you are just... you. Why you're all... physically scarred, why you're all so callous, why you all... despise faunus.-"
"-Okay, Weiss," Russel, with haste interrupted the heiress, "first of all, not all children go through the shit we went through. We were just dealt a bad hand, that fucked us all over, and," gesturing to his burnt skin, "did this to us, okay? And second, we do not HATE faunus- Cardin hates them, though he has been better at... not discriminating against them so often. Instead, we all hate the White Fang, okay? They're the only things on Disown that are a constant threat to its people. They're the ones that did that," he pointed to Lark's face, "to him. And they are the ones did THIS to me. So just to reiterate: we don't hate faunus, we just the White Fang. Cardin's the one... that just loathes them both." He touched his malformed skin, gently rubbing it, while still staring at Weiss, who at this point resorted to staring at their floor, glumly so, as distraught sympathy took her over.
"... I understand."
CLICK!
Dove was quick to stand up when hearing the door unlock, getting out of the way when Cardin pushed the door open, Ruby by his side, his face emotionless, while Ruby eyes were brought down.
"Hey Cardin, how'd it go?"
"Good," he shut the door behind him, as Ruby went and sat by her partner on her bed, "Ozpin just wanted to talk to us more about the girl we fought last night."
"What did you tell him?" Yang would inquire, looking at her own little sister, Little Red still staring at the floor as she answered.
"I... we just told them about how she fought, and... about her being connected to Roman and the White Fang."
"We also brought up her mentioning a base, or hideout, southeast of Va..."
Sniff, sniff, Cardin went, his nostrils flaring like that of an enrage bull, as his golden orbs started to gaze about the room.
"... Do you... smell something, Cardin?"
"Yeah." All he said to Ruby. "I think... no- there's a dog in here."
"D-Dog?" Blake went, her faltering being unnoticed by everyone else.
"Yeah, I smell a dog," his eyes stopped upon a cylindrical box, pointing out from the bottom from Yang's bed. He automatically went for it, lifting it up to his face to further sniff at.
"H-Hey! Cardin!-"
"-It's in here!" Carding shouted, lifting it up beyond Yang's reach, much to her dismay as he opened it, and out came another cylindrical object, with black fur, landing strain onto his gloved palm. Wait, that's no cylinder. "A DAMN corgi?!"
The little thing barked at him, its brown eyes staring into his golden ones, as Ruby and Yang rushed to him, their expressions that of young children on Christmas morning, both shouting "ZWEI!" It was in reaction to hearing his name that Zwei jumped over to Ruby, whom with glee caught the corgi, squealing in delight as he started to lick her face. Meanwhile, Weiss, Russel, Dove, and Sky, were just standing back, in shock that someone sent a dog in the mail.
Blake took it the worst, having quickly rushed to her bed, staring down at the dog with the eyes of a frightened predator.
"Z-Zwei? This is your dog?"
"Hehe- yeah! Our dad does this stuff all the time!" Yang explained to Russel, as Ruby sat the dog down to let him run about, soon to bark at yang from her bunk, further agitating her.
"Your dad? You dad did this? That's just animal abuse! I mean just look at this package, he didn't even poke any holes in it! You dog, Zwei, he could've suffocated in here and it would have been the fault of your father! Your dad should know better!"
"Well... Cardin... I under... you know it's just... Zwei can..." Yang was starting to wish Cardin was not such a freak with superhuman senses, as he stood there, arms crossed, his face waiting for an explanation.
"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?" She silently thanked the deities above for Glynda's voice coming over the intercom, as Cardin eyes had wandered above, listening to her speak.
"All right, it's time to go, we'll see y'all another time. Come on fairies."
"Hey, don't call me that. I'm not gay."
"Yeah, sure."
"I believe you, Sky."
Dove was the last to leave, closing the door behind him for RWBY to stare at in silence, as Zwei trotted towards it and started to bark, his stubby tail wagging.
"... Those were the best we could get last night, huh?"
"I thought Cardin was fine last night..."
"Gather up your crap and let get outta here." CRDL followed the order with immense haste and focus, making sure to get everything they were going to need in their backpacks. Food, drinks, sleeping bags, electric lanterns given to them by Richard and Sure-Shank, no spare clothes because that's just how they do in life, and deodorant. "C'mon, c'mon, let's get going."
"Jeez Cardin, I'm pretty sure we have-"
"GOOOOO!"
"Ugh." Russel mumbled to himself as they left their own dorm room, already catching sight and following the students that were rushing over towards the amphitheater. They left the dorms, the sky sunny for their day of departure to the ruins of an ancient past. They made their way, with little stares of anger or spite, being more rather that of fear, with the students keeping their distance when seeing their familiar armor reflecting sunlight off into the corner of their eyes.
Unfortunately, they'd end up having to crowd up against one another, when having entered the auditorium. There, CRDL kept to themselves, hanging near the entrance, their eyes fixated on the stage, where they could see Ozpin and Glynda, discussing to one another about some subject that CRDL was sure would bore them if they could hear them.
"Hey, what are you all packed for?" The four ruffians collectively groaned when hearing Jaune's inquiry, not really bothering to turn around. Though it did not matter, as JNPR walked up stopped right next to CRDL, specifically with Jaune and Lark standing side by side. "We haven't even got to pick our missions yet."
Sky took the responsibility of answering the blond. "Well, Jaune, since we're such cool dudes, we already got our mission."
"W-What? How?"
"I'll never tell."
"Well... what is it then?" The bubbly Nora questioned the halberdier, prompting him and his whole brother to look at each other, their faces pouting in curiosity, before they decided and let Sky answer.
"Nnnnnah, nah, w-we'll tell you about it, when we come back."
"Aw, just tell us Sky."
"Nnnnnnooooo, I don't feeeeel like we're on good enough terms to tell you about it."
Nora scoffed. "Are you serious? It's been awhile since I threatened to break your legs, Sky! And also, Russel was the one that hooked up Jaune and Pyrrha for the dance night! Doesn't that put us on good terms?" Russel's brothers, and Pyrrha, all, shocked, baffled, stared at the Thrush boy, whom remained still as a statue, and as stoic as one.
"You what?"
"Heh heh, welllll, Sky, I uh... I may have talked with Jaune about going for Pyrrha, instead of choosing to go and beat himself over about not even getting to tell Weiss."
"... What?"
"Ugh- forget about it, just-just fuck it. Okay?"
"Jaune," Pyrrha would grab her leader by his arm, gently so, as she whispered, "why didn't you tell me this?"
"I-I-I'm sorry, I just didn't feel like you'd need to know about it."
"But you told Nora?"
"A-And Ren. But... you're not mad, are you?"
"No, no I'm not mad, Jaune, I'm just..." She looked back at Russel, now to his agitation, being further heckled by Sky. "I'm just... shocked, that he'd... talked to you about this."
Before Jaune could reply with anything more, the doors behind them opened, catching his eye when he noticed it to be none other than RWBY, as their leader quickly sat aside her backpack near the luggage of other students before rushing beside her team, to join the behind CRDL and JNPR, as Glynda stepped up to the mic to gather everyone's eyes.
"Quiet! Quiet please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." They did as they were told, patiently watching the headmaster as he came and took the stand for himself.
"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."
An irritated groan finally escaped Sky's fine lips, once everyone started to disperse in volume of sound and size. No one would have payed him no mind, save for JNPR and RWBY, who watched him as he made a gun gesture with his hand, pointing it to his temple and bringing his thumb down, for his brothers to grin and nod in agreement.
"I fucking know, right? That speech makes me wanna start another war against art and self-expression." Cardin expressed, nasally, as he caught Weiss looking over to her partner, a face of disappointment.
"That's the guy you went to the dance with, Ruby."
"I-I- He doesn't mean it, right Cardin?"
"... Yeah, I don't mean it." He lied. "But I would declare war, only those globalist scum."
"... Who?"
"I'll tell you about them when we come back from our mission."
"W-Wait, you already got your mission?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"I'll tell you about it when we get back!" Cardin shouted at her form the distance between them, with his team heading outside, for the airship to take them back home.
"You four ready to go back to Disown."
"Yep."
"Well, you're gonna have to wait for your huntsman to get here." The four brothers sighed, rubbing their eyes, their mouths, covering their ears in annoyance to Sure-Shank.
"Ah, just be patient you four, I'm sure it won't take too long for him to get here."
"Do you know who it is, Richard?"
"... Noooo, noooo..." The two men just left CRDL like that, heading back into their airship for the boys to just turn around, and sit in a circle, crosslegged, setting their packs down in joy of relaxing their shoulders.
"Welp, this is it guys. You're ready to see home again?" Cardin inquired of his brothers, getting a response from Russel, clamping down on his shoulder while stretching it.
"Yeah. Though I'm sure we won't get to go back to our ACTUAL home. I think we're just gonna be dropped off at the site, and explore immediately."
"Oh yeah, we're gonna go get to explore some primeval ruins to uncover secrets of humanity's past, and rewrite history as we all know it in our current era today."
"..."
"..."
"... You know, Sky, I don't what it is about you, but you're just... you're just like the fucking best at taking the piss out of serious shit, like our mission. I mean, don't get me wrong, all of us can do better than the average. But you, Sky, it's like your second semblance or something."
Sky smiled in a playful manner, though made hideous by his scars. "Seventeen years in the making, Russel, and it's only gonna get better." They shared a good laugh, a hardy laugh, as the three all punch Sky's shoulders in a more vicious fashion rather than playfully.
Though Sky did not mind. His brother did not mind either.
"Hey guys!" Their fun came to an abrupt, bitter end though, when hearing Ruby call out for them.
"Hooo- why are they talking to us so much, lately?"
"It's the price we pay for socializing, Dove." Cardin let his brother know. It was not that they did not hate RWBY, or JNPR, just for being themselves. Or at least not as of now. But it was more about them not being able to joke around the way they usually would, due to the two teams being of a more sensitive nature.
Yang would inquire of the boys, "You four waiting on your huntsman?"
And Russel would answer. "Mmhm, did you find yours?"
"Yeah, it... Oobleck."
"Nice," Cardin lied; he would have been demoralized to find out if it were Oobleck to be assigned to be shadowed by CRDL. "So, what mission did you nerds get?"
"Nerds?-"
Blake was cut off Ruby, giving the sitting brute the answer of, "We're gonna go save the world!" Before Cardin could doubt her- honestly, all four of the boys knew she was exaggeration- Nora spoke up.
"Save the world?!" It was there that CRDL just blanked out, silently listening as the two teams started to converse with each other; RWBY explaining their mission to be taking place outside of Vale, while JNPR proclaimed the same, stating that they are to shadow a sheriff of some village.
"We're setting out tomorrow." Ren claimed, getting himself a response of an approaching
Then Neptune and Sun came in. "Then you can party with us tonight! We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges."
Jaune was visibly wonderstruck, which for some reason he could not comprehend, triggered Dove. "God, Jaune, it's not as cool as it sounds. Back at home, citizen was a crime-specialist; we practically have to solve the crimes ourselves. Though, it was usually done with lynch-mobs." Sky chuckled a tad bit, as Dove was met with a look of doubt, etched on Sun.
"Oh, so you think it sounds boring? Well then what are you four doing?"
"Well, nerd, if you must know, we're gonna go explore recently uncovered ruins of a civilization that no one has ever heard or seen of, which is surely going to rewrite human history as you and I know it."
"..."
"..."
"... Oh, and it's also haunted, too."
"... W... why didn't you guys tell us this before?" Nora inquired of CRDL, her face being the most befuddled out of everyone else, to met with an answer from Cardin.
"We just felt like you guys didn't deserve to know about it."
"Pfft, fine, whatever. It sounds super boring anyways." Nora would inform the four brothers, letting herself be barraged by stares of doubt; the brother believed her to be a liar.
"Well, whatever you say, Nora. We're gonna go uncover the ancient past of humanity, while your team is just gonna go to some podunk village and follow a sheriff around, sounds super fun. Oh, and the ruins are haunted by ghosts, don't forget that."
"There's no such thing as ghosts, Cardin. Only superstitious children would believe in such concepts."
Weiss, instead of being met with a well-thought out response that would refute her statement, would only be mocked like a child by Sky. "Awww, is de wittle Ice Pwincess jeawous? You're just jeawous because you don get to expwore a wong, wost civiwization, and uncover the ancient secwets of our past as a species."
The CRDL brother all shared with one another bombastic guffaw, all four legitimately crying in laughter, having to wipe their joyous tears away. It really did wonders at agitating Weiss, making her blush in anger, as she expressed, "J-just like I said: nothing but little, superstitious children." She was met with the sound of mocking laughter ever so rising in volume. "S-Stop laughing!"
"HAHAHA- O-Oh!- I-I-I think she gonna cwy! He-heheh-"
"-Aha! There you are boys!" Just in a snap, the four brothers stopped their joyous fun with messing Weiss around, when they heard the booming tone of Port.
"Aw hell yeah!" Said Sky, the four standing to their feet, grabbing their backpacks, to be met with burly teacher, dressed in a brown leather jacket, plaid-button up shirt, exploration pants and sturdy, black boots, made to endure only the strongest that nature had to offer, while wielding his ever vicious blunderaxe in his hands.
"Are you four ready to uncover the ancient history of man?-"
"-Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah- Let's go already." Much to his surprise of their eagerness, Port would find himself being dragged into the airship by CRDL, leaving RWBY, JNPR, Sun and Neptune to just stare, as Sky popped his head.
Was it to say goodbye?
Nah, he just pulled one of his bottom eyelids down and blew a raspberry as them, as the mechanical beast sputtered, forcing him to pop back in with the doors shutting.
"... I could literally throttle those four right now." Weiss would let it be known, her icy gaze drilling holes into the ship as it took off, heading southeast of the land below.
"Well then, it is to be a trip, not too long, not too short, so let yourselves rest for your exploration." Richard would inform the five, as they sat themselves in their seats, backpacks laying down onto the metal surface.
"It's too sweet that we got you, Port. I was expecting Oobleck to be the guy we get, since he's, you know, a history teacher."
Peter, to Cardin and his brother, recalled his experience a few days ago. "Ah, yes, I can recall the exact moment when Ozpin confronted me about this mission. You should have see the Doctor Oobleck's reaction. His fist were write as snow, biting his lips, the man was using every fiber in his being not to give the slightest hint of jealousy. But I could tell, how he wanted to salivate at the thought of getting to explore such a site to begin with, that would most certainly shed light upon whom we once were."
"... Why didn't Ozpin give the mission to Oobleck, then?"
"Well, Dove, it's simple: once a hunter takes up a mission to be shadowed by students, they can't switch to another."
"Ohhhh."
"Yes, yes..."
"..."
"... So, this will be the first time you four will be returning home, as I understand."
"Yep," Sky replied, putting a bit of oomph on the 'p,' "we won't actually... be going to our exact home. We're going to just dropped off at the site, right?"
"Right." Sure-Shank confirmed.
"Yeah, so, we won't really get to visit our town, our friends, or our mom."
"I see. Well, I hope that... doesn't demoralize you four for the mission."
"Nah nah," Russel reassured the portly man, "we're fine with it. It's not like being demoralized will put us in much danger anyways. There's nothing to really threaten us at the ruins, except for... well-"
"-The ghosts?" Cardin inquired, knowing how stupid of a question it was, realizing that Russel may have meant to refer to the White Fang.
"... Yeah, the ghoooosts... they're probably the only things we gotta... hell- I don't know. Hey! Has anyone been... attacked by the ghosts, guys?"
Richard and Sure-Shank remained silent, their eyes looking towards one another, yet their heads stayed still, prompting Russel's blue eye to narrow; had they lied to them?
"Well, Russel... the workers had noticed that... the deeper they go, the stronger the activity is. The stronger it gets... the more restless the spirits become..."
"... And by restless, do you mea-"
"-Look," Richard, his hand being raised in front of him, as his pale eyes bored into the flesh of Thrush, "don't worry about it, okay? The four of you aren't going too deep to be exposed to... such... such madness. The worst that you five may experience is just... feeling someone touch you, when no one is near you."
That did nothing but shift the tone of the mission for CRDL. Of course they were still excited, for what else would be more worthy than being one of the men who are sent into ruins below of a civilization unknown to man today. Yet... now it was apparent, that Richard and Sure-Shank were most indeed withholding information of what the spirits are truly capable of. But it was just as Richard said: they weren't going down too deep to face such madness, whatever in the name of Remnant that meant.
With hours to come, the forests, fields, and seas to be passed below, the men watched, as soon as they spotted the familiar, grey beaches of Disown, desolate on such a misty day for the island. Watching cliff-sides, topped by brown grass, villages and towns, seemingly to be barely gotten past their times as being nothing more than colossal shanty-towns, having moved on with each building be replaced by one of consisted material, be it wood or concrete, all mostly topped with flat roofs, and roads betwixt the homes, smoothly paved, with dashes of white , yellow dashes, or double yellow lines down the middle.
They would too be left behind, with there coming to be the forests now, being trees of white bark and dark-gray leaves, the grass still brown as ever, as civilization became distant from the boys, giving them a fleeting look of their homeland, before the surface below became mostly of wet, reflective crags, among it a road, at the end of which was an immense area was fenced off, appearing to be heavily guards by soldiers, airships following along the line of separation, tanks covered in brush, sitting still in the sides of the roads, jeeps mounted with turrets, and huntsmen of Disown.
"We're here." All that was spoken by Shank, as CRDL, Port, Richard, stared out into the wilderness, witnessing as they stopped right over a massive sinkhole, unbelievable in it size.
It was not too deep, say to be about a hundred meters or so, but its own diameter was that of almost a whole mile. On the bottom, they clearly see the station that had been set up, crawling with hundreds of soldiers, near it being pads for landing, and not too far away, was a gargantuan, perfect, rectangular hole, led with a stairway, with two beastly, beautifully carved slabs, obviously decorated by reliefs, opened to the side; it was a door for giants, to enter into the crust of Disown, or at least that's how CRDL and Port saw it, their mouths agape, as the airship slowed itself down onto one of the pads below.
"That... that damn thing is huge!"
"Heh heh- do not be too taken aback, Sky. That is only the mere entrance for where your mission will begin." Sky honestly was too enamored with having just been given but a glimpse of the ruins, as was for his team, and even Port, grabbing their packs, hearing the mechanical doors groan, creak, revealing to them a short, old man- not aged as Richard, mind you. His skin of a yellowish tone, and his eyes, slanted and brown. On his head was a pith helmet, while he was covered in a vest, white-dirtied shirt, being tightened by his own backpack, slacks just as stained, and brown boots, lacing falling apart, as he stepped into the airship.
"Is this them? The students?" He inquired, in a voice that could be described as throaty, yet of a higher, but barely, pitch, than that of an average man his age.
"Yes, boys, this is Dr. Grun, he will be the archaeologist that you'll assist down into the construct." The five would quickly exchange hands with the doctor, as they left the airship, out into the crisp, nose-burning air of the sinkhole.
"I assume you all have been informed of... the going-ons of the ruins, yes?"
"If you are talking about the ghosts, then yeah, we heard of them. Don't worry about us being scared of them though" Russel confirmed, the group slowly walking their own way, among the dozens of soldiers, tents, parked vehicles holding equipment designed for exploring the depths.
"Good, good, now, the underground construct that we'll be going into is unique. When we head down those stairs, we'll find ourselves at an epicenter, with four passages leading deep beneath us; we've already gone into three of them, but for us, we will be heading into the fourth one, having been left alone completely until today. In there, we will go through hallways, each having ten rooms exactly, holding within pots, paintings, skeletons, and much more. Our job, for us, is to go through a hundred rooms, as we take count of what we find in each room, until we reach what we call landmark chambers, we will take count of what is in there as well, and then we will finally return to the surface. Does it sound simple enough?"
"..."
"..."
"... Y-Yeah," Cardin responded, his mind having been exhausted by listening to the man yap on and on about the details of their mission, "I think we understand."
The eight men stopped, once having reached the entrance, giving the boys a sense of how massive the doors were, being about as thick as three, maybe even four Cardins. As such, unfortunately, that meant they were too tall for them to examine the carvings. The stairs, led down into the past of man, lights hung by tethers, strewn onto the walls, being similar to the color of garnets, and seemingly, almost unbelievably smooth. Sky would touch a bit of it, feeling to him as if he had run his fingers over a window, covered in rain.
Down into the gargantuan stairway, seeing the diminutive exit from above, Richard said, "Welp... have fun down there, boys..."
