-1Sorry that the last chapter was so short. I wanted to do a quick update, but I also wanted to do something that would fit the storyline and not feel random or out of place.

Thanks to everyone who is following this story; I hope you're enjoying it. On that note, let's continue!

The flight had been uneventful, and at last we were at our designated port in Japan. My eyes darted up the side of the hull, studying its features carefully: the metal sheets, the rivets, the antennas. She looked like a very sturdy ship, one worthy of the name "Endurance." The huge research vessel not only looked strong, but it was well-equipped for discovering sunken wonders and relics. A slight grin took hold of my face as I pondered the kinds of new things we'd discover. Untold treasures would be ours in just a matter of days. Ancient artifacts, unseen by humans for centuries, were waiting for us down there - and we were coming for them.

"That hunk of metal is gonna have to 'endure' a lot of crap where we're going, if you know what I mean." I was startled out of my brief ship study session by Amanda, who joined me in looking the ship over. She stifled a small laugh. "Looks big enough, huh?"

Amanda almost jumped as she pointed off in the distance. "Oh my gosh, look! It's your boyfriend!" she said loudly.

I looked eager as I tried to find him, then hurriedly shushed her, "Oh, shut up!" I said in a whispery shout. I felt my face turning a color only a tomato would be happy to wear. "You know it's not like that, Amanda." Even though I was quick to dismiss it, there was no questioning that I did have my sights on him. His name was Thomas. He was quite a respectable person with a very respectable face, if I may say so. Of course, where I was headed now there would be no room for love or any of that, so I quickly dismissed the distraction.

Amanda merely giggled and sauntered away.

It wasn't long before yet another person interrupted my thoughts. "Pardon me," I began heatedly, "but I am try-…" I stopped before I dared to finish. I was met by a tall figure, wearing combat boots and clothing suited for adventure. I looked from his feet to his torso, and finally my eyes met his. "Oh, err, yes. Pardon me, sir." I felt embarrassed of my disrespectful gesture. "You must be…"

"Roth," he said, extending his right hand to shake mine. "You know my first name, but you can just call me Roth." His face looked old and tired, worn from years of grueling work. But at the same time he looked kind and generous, ready to teach with wisdom a rookie adventurer like myself.

I smiled as I shook his hand with confidence. "My grandfather sent you. What do you know about adventure and archaeology?" I was curious to know what qualified this man to act as my guide, as if I truly needed one.

"Oh, Lara," he almost laughed. "I spent years with the Royal Marine Commandos. It almost seems as if you don't trust me to help you."

Again, I wondered what required help from outsiders on this journey. I wondered, too, why so many people discussed the island as if it was some sort of nightmare. Am I missing a bit of information? I asked myself. Of course, my own grandfather documented the supposed supernatural elements of the island, and the dangers that were posed there, but I didn't understand how dangerous one ancient skull could be. I decided to hold my tongue and save my questions for later, for those could wait.

Roth turned his head at the sound of a whistle coming from my professor. "Yes!" I said in a muted shout. I grabbed my bags of luggage and walked briskly alongside Roth to the boarding dock.

My heart pounded with excitement; I wondered if people could hear its beating at the rate it was going. I treaded the ramp up to the entranceway of the ship, and again my eyes scanned her title: "Endurance." I felt confident that this ship would lead us to amazing, sensational things. My luggage in tow behind me, I reached the doorway leading into the ship where I was greeted by a crewmember. I gave him my boarding pass and stepped inside.

The ship was rustic, quite different from the lavish yachts and ocean liners I was accustomed to traveling on. I distinctly remembered those vomit-inducing, floating palaces that I would be trapped on for days at a time. Most common-people would likely give a fortune to spend time on one of those. Not me. And now, here I was, walking into a relatively rugged hunk of floating metal. I almost felt selfish to give up that life of glamour for something so simplistic in nature. No, I told myself. This is it. This is what must be done if you ever want to become something.

I felt the breeze wisp my hair and flutter my clothes around. I took in a deep breath through my nose, getting used to the salty air that I would be inhaling for the next few weeks. The railing of the upper deck supported my weight as I leaned over it. My eyes took in the landscape as the ship gently pulled away from it. I turned away from the Japanese mainland port, fixing my gaze on the vast ocean that sprawled before me.

Once more, I thought about what was out there for us, and what was out there for me.

"There you are," came a voice to my right. I looked up hopefully, wanting to see the person I was thinking about, but to my dismay, it was Roth. I tried with difficulty to not look disappointed.

"Hello," I sighed slightly, looking back again to the horizon. "What are you doing up here?"

"I can't enjoy the scenery as well?" he smiled, which was, I guessed, an attempt to lighten my mood. I supposed he could pick up on something troubling my mind. "Lara, I know this must be very difficult for you. It's hard for everyone at first. But I hope you'll trust me when I tell you that this is right for you. You're on your way."

"I know I am. I just want everyone to know that I don't need help to do it." I looked up at him, as he was the "help" I was implying.

"Lara," Roth began, "I don't think you understand what we're dealing with here."

"Of course I do," I said, trying to sustain a serious tone. "We're simply searching around Miyakejima island for ancient artifacts, and I'm setting off with you to uncover the secrets of the island. Sounds quite simple enough for me."

There was a pause. Roth seemed to be contemplating something; he was focusing intently on the distance. "Yes. It does sound like a simple and straightforward concept when you speak of it like that. But it really isn't as easy as that." He sighed and leaned back against the banister. "The reason your grandfather sent me with you is because I was with him when we originally trekked the island. This being your first expedition ever, we decided it was best that someone accompany you - someone who knows the island's peculiarities."

"And you know what these peculiarities are, of course," I butted in.

"Yes, I do," Roth countered. "We haven't discovered what makes the island do what it does, though." Roth waited, perhaps for questions, but walked away when I didn't give him any.

In truth there were many questions surging through my mind. The thing that disturbed me most, however, was Roth's mentioning of what the island does. Why are he and my grandfather so keen on solving the mystery? Since my grandfather studied this topic for 25 years - and never found an answer - it must be something immensely foreboding. I wondered, do I have what it takes to solve these mysteries? Can I do it alone?