"But I swear, it disappeared off the cliff! The only reason I didn't kill myself chasing after it is because I stopped running just in time!"
"Obviously you made a mistake," said Lawrence flatly, nonplussed.
"I'm telling you," insisted Domingo in exasperation, "I saw a - "
"I was talking about the fact that you stopped running," Lawrence overrode him with an evil grin, and crossing his arms he turned his back on the treasure hunter, telling Domingo in no uncertain terms that the discussion was over.
It was the next day, and Domingo had confessed what had happened the night previous while the four adventurers broke camp. Ilchymis insisted that Domingo had dreamt the entire encounter, and Lawrence just scoffed the story away with his typical skepticism, but when the treasure hunter showed them his hands (which still bore the scrapes from the rock face) none of them had an explanation. So it was with more than a little anxiety and suspicion that they pushed on through Rixis, a tense Domingo in the lead with an annoyed-looking Lawrence a step behind him.
Gradually the pillars and staircases of crumbling marble gave way to grassy slopes and open expanses dense with heavy mist; Domingo led them through a crevice between two massive columns, and then they saw it.
They were standing in a courtyard of pockmarked alabaster and surrounded by towering structures that almost resembled apartment complexes; Ilchymis recognized them as the ruins he had viewed at twilight on the previous day. There seemed to be several floors to each, but while the constructs to the east and west had entrances at their level, the one to the north boasted only a single passageway several hundred feet off the ground and not visibly accessible. After a moment's silent contemplation, Domingo seemed to make up his mind, leading them west.
"How will we reach the tower to the north?" Ilchymis asked him, studying the foreign symbols carved into the interior walls of the ruin as they passed.
"Well, I don't really know," admitted Domingo with a shrug of his slender shoulders. "If I can get up high enough, I'll take a look around, so help me find some stairs."
They trouped up a narrow staircase, marveling at how thin the air seemed, and when they had climbed to the next level Domingo studied the area meticulously with his precious spyglass while Lawrence and Centime had a look around. Ilchymis remained humbly silent so as not to disturb the treasure hunter's work, and after an extended silence Domingo lowered the spyglass.
"It's weird... there are little discs drifting between the upper levels. There's one we can use to get to the east side from here, and one on the east side that looks like it'll take us north. I don't see any other way..."
Lawrence and Centime returned then; the mercenary was gleefully examining an exquisite falchion, its keen edge glinting in the sunlight and its pommel encrusted with handsome emeralds, and Centime was inspecting a Valuan revolver with an elongated barrel. Domingo led them to a place where the wall had fallen away, and sure enough, floating serenely near the edge was a driftdisc with a soft blue tint to its surface. Bravely the treasure hunter stepped onto the disc and signaled the others to remain behind; after a moment of quiet humming the driftdisc set off across the open air, hundreds of feet above the courtyard, and hovered to a halt outside the eastern construct. Domingo glanced all around, and seeing no danger he turned back and motioned for the others to follow.
Impatient and curious as always, Domingo turned from the edge and set off into the construct to investigate. These ruins seemed just as mundane as the ones he had just left, with similar hieroglyphics adorning the walls, and just as the treasure hunter veered toward the staircase he saw it - a dusty treasure chest, barely visible in the shadows of a corner.
Gleefully Domingo pounced on it, and with a little effort he found the lock to be weakened with time and easily removed; lifting the lid he was awed to see the contents glittering gold, and carefully he cradled the magnificent golden mask to his chest. The treasure hunter in him understood somehow that this item was steeped in history and precious, and with great reverence he slipped it into his pack; footsteps scuffled behind him, and expecting to see his fellos adventurers he turned back.
It was not his friends, but a single masked figure confronting him. It was clad in deep brown-red garb and carried itself confidently, like a mighty ninja or some other stealthy fighter, but the short sword clenched threateningly in its hand revealed it as no friend. Indeed, Domingo had battled warriors of this caliber before, and with a dark chuckle he drew out both kukris, glittering an angry blue. "I was wondering when Lord Bane would send another one of you to tail me."
"Domingo! There you are! What - "
Ilchymis, Lawrence, and Centime hurried into the chamber, and seeing the silent, deadly warrior and Domingo with weapons beared they readied themselves for the battle.
Centime's revolver came up before Lawrence had even unsheathed his falchion, but his aim was high and zipped past their opponent's ear; even as the bullet flew wide Domingo leapt in, kukris leading. The fighter, which Domingo knew well as a Zivilyn Bane, was a seasoned rogue-warrior and easily parried the attack, though, and turned the parry into a thrust with his short sword. The strike was right on target, tearing into Doming's shoulder, and the treasure hunter stumbled back with a grunt.
Ilchymis had nearly finished casing when he interrupted himself, worried his spell would injure Domingo, and Lawrence darted past him, falchion leading. The arcing blade grazed the Zivilyn Bane's forearm but did little damage.
Snarling against the pain in his shoulder, Domingo stepped back in and jabbed with both curved knives, but the maneuver was slow and Zivilyn Bane batted it away. While their enemy was occupied Lawrence thrust with the falchion, but Zivilyn Bane merely dodged away and pivoted to counterattack the helmsman, who luckily executed the correct parry. Behind them, another of Ilchymis's spells fizzled and died, and this time, Centime's revolver jammed.
Then it jammed again. Centime cursed explicitly.
With equal quickness and ferocity, Zivilyn Bane and Domingo lunged at one another; the treasure hunter's blades found an opening and bit deeply into the ninja's side, but he sacrificed his flank and accepted a glancing blow for the opportunity. The two warriors were so close that Lawrence didn't dare wade in for a strike, nor did Ilchymis take a chance and fling a spell.
But when the two sprang apart, Lawrence was ready to rush in, falchion swinging for the Zivilyn Bane's head; with unearthly speed the ninja turned and intercepted the blade with a metal gauntlet.
It left him horribly vulnerable to the furiously-casting Ilchymis.
"Eterni!" The dangerous silver spell struck Zivilyn Bane like a bolt of silver lightning (and narrowly missed Lawrence), but though it had the potential to kill instantly the ninjalike warrior somehow survived. Centime followed up with a shot that again flew harmlessly wide, and Zivilyn Bane slashed a wicked gash across Lawrence's chest in fierce retaliation. Domingo lunged and twisted both kukris, cruelly widening the wound in their opponent's side, and for the first time since the battle had begun Zivilyn Bane let loose a howl of agony.
Lawrence's reflexes had slowed, and with blood staining his shirt his halfhearted swing was hardly a threat, but Domingo had fully succumbed to his battle-rage now and dug a blue-bladed kukri deep into their enemy's chest. Centime held his shot and immediately wished he hadn't when Domingo took a blow for his hesitation.
But it didn't matter.
"Eterni!"
Ilchymis's second spell killed Zivilyn Bane instantly.
Author's Note: Banter between Domingo and Lawrence to set off the chapter courtesy Derek Barona in a hilarious review that I just couldn't ignore.
Derek Barona: Thanks again, Derek.
Syek: Sankyuu! Always glad to see that I've been missed, tee hee.
Meowzy-chan: Thanks for the enthusiasm, dear... I suppose I love you too. Now quit with the yaoi comments or I'm putting you in time-out.
greekapino: I'm flattered that you've decided to stick around. Thank you, and I'll try not to disappoint.
Desert Lynx: Nice to have you aboard!