Here we go, the promised chapter 6 without an utterly massive delay. I hope you all enjoy it. Comments and criticisms are always welcome and are a great help. They let me know where I'm going wrong and when I'm doing something right.
Again, many thanks to KnightOfCerberus for doing the beta work for this chapter.
-Chapter Start-
It was some days later when the Librarian and the Knight finally placed their feet upon the land; a land which had not entertained settlers upon its surface for millennia. Beyond the large clearing where they were to make camp stood all manner of alien vegetation, vast mountain ranges, cliffs and hills in the distance. The humid air clung to their skin.
Not twenty meters from the clearing was the opening to a massive cave. The entry stood like a gaping maw, a mouth leading to the belly of the rock and looking as though it may lunge up to devour them whole. Lining the entrance like shining fangs was an array of torches which had been placed by the survey team, fueled by mana cells. Upon a closer glance, they could see the torches leading further into the cave. It was the throat of the land they would traverse until they reached the darkest depths of it, and the ruins which lay deep within, undisturbed until now.
The clearing itself was not without its own furnishings provided by the hands of man. Myriad crates of numerous sizes, some empty and others filled with supplies, lay stacked about in easily accessible arrangements. Their dull, plastic gray surfaces matched the sizable, prefabricated domicile in the center of the clearing. It would be both their home and workstation. Yuuno had used such shelters numerous times on other digs when able, and appreciated their convenience.
He was grateful he could avoid using a tent to do his work and rest. While he did not mind such arrangements, the current one was a most welcome alternative.
Glancing a look to his companion, Yuuno thought back to the past few days leading up to their arrival on Bael-5. Things had been... eventful to say the least.
The revelation of Signum's warped machinations involving her Mistress and shipping the brunette off to what amounted to boot camp had gone over about as well as could be expected. Granted, he'd only made the discovery owing to the swordswoman's slightly flushed face when she had rendezvoused with him for their own trip. The data file she had given him from Hayate and the note to not examine its contents unless Signum began acting up had resulted in a fair number of questions, questions answered in a clipped and embarrassed tone which provided no real answers. Yuuno could only begin to wonder just what Hayate and the remaining Wolkenritter had done in retribution.
Under normal circumstances, his departure to another archeological escapade would entail little to no fanfare. This time, however, Nanoha and Reinforce Zwei had seen fit to see them off at the last moment with what little time they had before clocking in for the day. Fortunately, Signum's demeanor had returned to its stoic and controlled norm by the time the White Devil and the Unison Device had arrived. Farewells and good lucks were exchanged, though a few pointed looks were granted to both himself and Signum from Zwei and Nanoha respectively.
He swore the powder blue-haired young woman had given him a thumbs up before they boarded their shuttle.
The trip itself had been taken on a Bureau-provided transport shuttle. Large enough to hold a fair number of artifacts, should any be recovered, but small enough to be flown by one person. Yuuno had spent much of the trip going over some of the ins and outs of archaeological work with his companion. Though he tried to keep a level head, Signum had been forced to pull his head from the clouds more than once when he began rambling. It was difficult to not be enthusiastic when speaking of his first passion. He would admit, though, it had been rather amusing to see Signum balk at some of his instructions and tales.
He had stepped into her world of death and war. Now she was venturing into his world of history and research. It made it all the more difficult to maintain his composure.
Shaking his head to return his thoughts to the present, Yuuno turned to Signum, adjusting one of the many duffel bags resting on his shoulders as he did so. "Let's get settled in. We've got a long day ahead of us." His stomach growled as he finished. "...Some dinner wouldn't hurt either."
"Indeed it would not." Signum's agreement was coupled with a look of amusement. They had only partaken of rather tasteless Meals Ready to Eat on the trip here, the shuttle not having the systems or space to prepare a proper one. She was rather pleased they would not be forced to eat such fare once they arrived planet-side. While perfectly fine with military-esque rations, she would rather avoid it when able.
Signum would freely admit she had been spoiled by Hayate's scrumptious cooking, though never aloud.
Together they set about preparing the domicile for their short time living there. It was a rather unusual scene, quite domestic if one were to look at it from the proper angle. Signum set about stowing away their clothing and what supplies she had brought under Yuuno's directions, though he had been a bit too late in informing her of which duffel contained his undergarments. It had been a very awkward moment when she held up a pair of boxers which had "Starlight Breaker" emblazoned across the crotch. Understanding dawned when Yuuno had spoken the name of a certain Admiral, though it did not alleviate their mutual embarrassment.
Yuuno busied himself with preparing the equipment for the dig and daily life. Signum had found it rather amusing when a misplaced footstep had landed his head in a waste bin. He had shot her a bland look in return.
Eventually they had their gear and supplies prepared for the next day, along with their "home" for the remainder of the stay. Not long after, the growling of demanding stomachs turned their attention to dinner. Yuuno took it upon himself to cook something up and bade Signum to take a seat.
As Yuuno set about making something filling and relatively quick to make, soup to be accurate, Signum stared at the man's back. She had never truly had the chance to simply sit down and look at him. Whenever they met by themselves, it was almost always for work or, more recently, for heated battles. Heated battles which often seemed to leave them clad in... very little. She shoved aside the heat growing within her and upon her cheeks. Now was not the time for fantasy.
Yuuno Scrya, Head of the Infinity Library. His passion for knowledge and the past was second to no-one she knew, and he was loyal to his friends on a level which many would find surprising. The man's skill with defensive magics was impressive, to say the least. A walking fortress. Yet, she could always recall he seemed so... small.
Now, as she watched him in silence, something seemed to have changed. Their fevered exchanges had shown the Scrya in a violent, vicious light. A light she found... attractive. Desirable.
Signum blinked as she took in the sight of Yuuno Scrya, her mind awash with all she had discovered about him. Things known to all and things unknown even to his closest friends.
Was he always so tall? His back so broad?
"-num. Signum." Yuuno's voice managed to breach the haze through which her mind had enveloped itself in. She looked up, wondering when exactly he had stopped cooking. "I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. Dinner's ready." To accentuate his point, he set down a steaming bowl of what appeared to be noodle soup in a thick broth before her.
"Ah. My thanks, Scrya." Her voice was a slight off, primarily owing to having been caught unawares by the subject of her thoughts. An odd expression crossed Yuuno's face after she thanked him, prompting a raised eyebrow from the pink haired woman. "Is something wrong?"
Yuuno took his seat opposite Signum. "If it's alright, would you mind addressing me by my given name?" He paused to scratch his cheek. "We've known each other for over ten years now, and..." His voice trailed off, not entirely certain how to word their recent interactions. It just seemed rather impersonal at this point.
She had not been expecting the man to make such a request, nor was she aware it bothered him. It was how she addressed everyone she knew, with the obvious exception of her family. One might say it was a wall of formality she kept around herself rather than her standard manner of speech. Considering their previous bouts, bouts which had drawn them closer in ways she could never have anticipated, Signum decided she could allow such an exception. "I do not mind... Yuuno."
The name felt unfamiliar to her lips, but not unpleasant.
As the blonde man smiled, she gave an amused grin. "Though I recall you never did ask permission to use my given name, did you." The embarrassment on Yuuno's face was well worth the lighthearted jab.
His eyes widened in realization. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't..." Yuuno's attempts at an apology were halted when Signum raised a hand.
"I do not mind. Simply be more thoughtful in the future." Despite her rebuke, Signum understood why he hadn't thought to ask. When you knew someone for well over a decade, it stood to reason you might begin referring to them in a certain way without their permission. Such were the bonds between people.
Yuuno nodded. "I'll be more careful in the future." He coughed to clear his throat. "I actually wanted to go over a few things with you while we eat, if it's alright." There were indeed a great many things he wished to speak with the Knight of the Sword about. However a fair number of them were not relevant to the situation at hand. "Mostly involving what we'll be doing when we reach the ruins."
Signum nodded as she picked up a spoon for her meal. "I do not mind. Rather, I expected you would bring it up sooner than later." She took a spoonful of her meal and blew on the hot soup to cool it. With a tentative sip, she tasted it to check its temperature. Finding it to be acceptable, the Knight finished her spoonful and nodded. "This is quite good."
"Thanks," he replied simply whilst scratching his cheek. Living by himself had meant learning how to cook so as to avoid reliance on takeout and instant meals. Still, it wasn't much in his opinion. Not compared to Hayate's legendary fare. Yuuno shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be debating his culinary capabilities.
After swallowing another mouthful of his soup, Yuuno set his spoon down and began to explain. "The ruins are approximately two-hundred meters below the surface. We'll be taking an ATV down the first time to get exact coordinates and set up some safety measures. We could easily teleport in, but I don't want to run the risk of the magic destabilizing anything. The initial team didn't leave us anything usable, unfortunately."
"You mentioned they were looking for suitable areas for colonization," interjected Signum briefly.
He nods. "Scans detected significant metal deposits below the surface and when they went to further investigate, they found the temple. They weren't exactly amused when they found out, to be honest." There was an amused look on Yuuno's face. The team leader had been rather vocal in his bemoaning about his hopes being dashed.
He continued with the occasional pause to eat his dinner. "When we get down there, we'll be mapping out the site and looking for a viable entry into the temple. The entry shouldn't take too long; it's the cartography which will probably take most of our time. Since this is a virgin site, there's likely going to be defenses or other hazards which are usually set off by raiders or previous explorers." There was affection in his voice as he spoke.
Signum shifted in her seat as the blonde continued to explain. The manner in which Yuuno was speaking made her all the more curious to see what he was like in the throes of his passion rather than exploring her own. She was also a little curious as to what this temple contained. History was not one of her interests, but the proximity to a relic of her past had sparked an interest.
Heedless of the pinkette's musings, Yuuno continued on. His voice becoming more and more enthused as the words left his mouth. "Once the mapping is done, we'll start looking for artifacts, relics, really anything to tell us what manner of place it was; who used it; why. Something like this is bound to contain invaluable information."
There was a nod of agreement from Signum as she processed what she had been told. While sounding simple in explanation, she did not entertain the possibility of it being so in reality. She raised an eyebrow as Yuuno began to ramble about the possibilities of what they might find. Eventually, she interrupted his musings, "Scry-Yuuno, you are doing it again."
A sheepish look crossed his features and he gave a chuckle of embarrassment, "Aha... Sorry. I'll try to tone it down."
"Do not worry." Signum smiled with amusement. "Simply try to keep your head about you when we are underground. Our roles of master and novice are reversed after all."
Yuuno scratched his cheek as he replied, "This is true."
"Still..." The Knight trailed off, an odd look in her crystal eyes. "It is good to see you so passionate about your work." He was quite passionate about other things as well, a corner of her mind commented. Signum roughly shoved the voice aside. It was then another thought occurred to her. "You made mention of needing sleeping bags. If we have a base of operations such as this, why would we need them?"
The blonde blinked before remembering. It was common sense to him, but not so to one with no experience in this field. "They're good to have on hand when you're not up to teleporting back to base, which happens far more often than you'd think. Plus, sometimes you end up running out of places to store things and have to sleep outside."
Signum raised an eyebrow. "I can understand the former, but the latter? You have had a lack of storage even with accommodations such as these and the multitude of crates outside?" She received an embarrassed look from Yuuno in reply. She could have sworn she had heard him mumble a 'maybe?' as well. This would prove to be an interesting venture to say the least.
As Yuuno began cleaning up after dinner, Signum made a short trip to the restroom to wash up. She may not have taken notice prior to her visitation of the facilities, but she did notice afterwards. She called out to Yuuno in a flat tone which lacked any amusement, and without taking her eyes away from the sight, "Scrya, I would very much appreciate an explanation." Her shift in mood had led her back to her original form of addressing him.
He came as requested. "What's wro…ng...?" The blonde's question trailed off as he took in the scene which seemed to be so affronting to the Blazing General. There, as though mocking him, were the sleeping arrangements provided. A single, standardized TSAB-issue bed for two. Sterile white sheets atop a relatively thin mattress and headed by a pair of matching pillows.
They stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments before Yuuno shattered it. "I'll be getting more use out of my sleeping bag than I thought..." He glanced over to Signum with an apologetic look and an uncomfortable tone in his voice. "Sorry about this, I thought we'd each have a bed to ourselves."
"It is not your fault. I was simply... surprised." Signum's admission held the same tone as Yuuno's. Though she was appreciative of his decision to grant her the bed, such an arrangement would not be fair to the man. She was the one who had tagged along on his expedition, after all. "I would not be opposed to taking turns. You may have the bed one night and I the next. Would that be acceptable?"
"Are you certain?" Yuuno confirmed. He honestly didn't mind using the sleeping bag the entire time. He'd done it numerous times before, but he wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to have a real bed to sleep in, even if it was only every other night.
Signum shook her head. "I would not have offered otherwise." She smirked at her roommate for the days to come. "Now, how would you like to decide which of us will sleep in it tonight?" There was an undertone to her voice which made the blonde swallow as though the room had become a slight more warm than he would have liked. She may have accepted his reasoning behind not having any of their usual matches when requesting permission to join him, but there had been no mention of a simple spar.
"...What did you have in mind?" His words were laced with anticipation and hesitation. There was but one thing which came to mind with the voice Signum used: battle. But why? They were here for an archeological dig of such rarity as never experienced before, not for a slugging match which would leave them... Yuuno cast aside such hedonistic thoughts before they could devolve any further.
The Knight's eyes danced with fire. "A sparring match. No magic, no weapons. Merely our bare hands until one of us submits."
"Oh." Realization filled his mind. A sparring match. He could manage such a thing, though part of him lamented at the lack of a chance to entwine himself in proper battle with the stunning woman as he had done in previous bouts. "That would work. No more than five minutes though. I don't want either of us to be too exhausted for tomorrow."
Signum nodded. "Five minutes should be plenty." She would take what she could get, and she would savor it.
-Scene Break-
The morning after was a bustle of activity for Yuuno Scrya after he crawled out of his sleeping bag. He could scarcely wait a moment longer to venture into the depths and lay his hands on the untouched ruin. His exuberant state led him to be ready far more quickly than one might expect a person to be capable of. Signum's early morning demeanor was hardly a hindrance either. With their supplies loaded into the ATV and hungering bellies sated with a quick breakfast, the pair began making the journey beneath the surface.
It was a rather uneventful, yet slow, drive. Two hundred meters below the surface did not necessarily mean in a straight, comfortable line. What did not help was the rather rough terrain they had to traverse at times. At least the light provided by their lamps was sufficient enough to make it seem as though daylight reached inside the cavern. Conversation was relatively minimal, mostly consisting of Yuuno pointing out and explaining various geological features to a curious Signum or Signum commenting about his performance on their brief sparring match the night prior.
He couldn't help but notice she seemed much more well-rested than he did. Was the bed really so comfortable?
"We're almost there..." Yuuno commented when the surroundings began to change. The fragments of long destroyed buildings began to dot the subterranean landscape. A pillar here, a collapsed wall there, fragmented and worn stone off to the corner. The metallic components of the structures had survived the ravages of time rather well. While time was indeed a harsh mistress, she was far more merciful than the hands of man.
"You say this is an untouched ruin... then all of this is from the passage of time?" Signum's eyes scanned the landscape as yet more and more of broken structures came into view. It was... quite the amazing sight.
A nod of confirmation. "In some cases, even a few hundred years is more than enough to do far worse. That these ruins are in as good condition as they are after thousands and underground, no less... It's practically a miracle."
"Even more so it has been untouched by human hands in all that time, correct?" A part of Signum's mind began to realize just how significant a discovery this was. And to an archaeologist... her companion's zeal was all the more understandable.
"Even once in a lifetime is too often compared to this." Yuuno's eyes shone with anticipation. Signum would swear they glowed when the sight of the ruins came into view.
Illuminated by the lamps of their vehicle, the decaying structure was still mostly intact. Rather, as intact as a thousands of years-old building crafted of stone and metal could be. It was rather massive at first glance, with some sections having been crushed or devoured by the cavern and the inevitable seismic activity of the planet. As they drew ever closer, yet more detail could be made out. Faint smatterings of color adorned the walls while worn down elevations on the surface began to stick out, likely preserved as well as it was by some manner of lingering spellwork.
The ATV came to a slow stop a few meters from the ruin and both its riders disembarked. Signum grasped two of the lamps while Yuuno help up his hands, a myriad of green hued magical screens appearing before him.
As information scrolled by his eyes, a few things began to stand out from his scans. "Hmm... This is strange. Fortunate, but strange..."
"What is?" queried Signum as she looked over one of the nearby walls, the faded and damaged markings barely legible. Even if she could read, write, and speak in the Ancient Belkan language, these marking were so far gone no amount of talent would grant her their meanings.
"There's very little I can detect which would cause problems with transport. Though I'm honestly surprised there's so little magical residue here. A temple should be giving off a much stronger signature, especially if it were sealed up." A frown crossed Yuuno's features as he attempted to discern the meaning behind such a revelation. There were a few possible reasons, one being this site wasn't as untouched as he'd been led to believe. Another was the possibility of something far more advanced evading his preliminary scans, "Or maybe..."
"Perhaps this is not a temple at all," voiced the Knight, her opinion meshing with Yuuno's thoughts perfectly.
The blonde nodded. "That's looking like a strong possibility, but we won't know for certain until we get inside and start mapping the place out." He looked up at Signum, who was still carefully examining the walls before her. It was plain to him her powers of observation were lending themselves well to their task. It brought a smile to his face. "Have you found anything?"
Aiming one of the two lamps towards a far more intact wall section, the distinct outline of some manner of entrance could be seen under Signum's light. "An entrance, it seems. Should we enter here or look elsewhere?" She handed the second lamp to the approaching Yuuno, who took it with a word of thanks.
"This would be good, actually." He turned a grin to Signum, "Good find." The entrance she had found was partially collapsed by a fallen chunk of stone, but still sturdy and wide enough to allow access with minimal effort. He took a deep breath as he prepared to set foot inside a structure which none had entered in thousands of years.
Signum found the sight of Yuuno's nerves rather amusing. In the past, she would have prodded him on. Considering the importance and rarity of the find, however, she would let him have his moment. He had indulged her passion, so it was only fair she do the same for him. She could not help but feel a twinge of anticipation at stepping into the unknown. It was a far cry from the thrill of battle, but it was hardly unpleasant either.
"Here goes..." Yuuno whispered.
He took a single footstep into the ruin. It resounded like a thunderclap, filling his body with a rush of adrenaline he'd not felt since he last exchanged blows with Signum.
Beyond the entrance, now illuminated by the lamplight, lay a long hallway. It was decrepit and decaying, yet still serviceable. Branching corridors could be seen and what appeared to be some manner of fixtures adorned the ceiling in some places. Perhaps a form of lighting? More and more thoughts began to spiral about Yuuno's mind as he stood in the hallway. What manner of place was this? It certainly did not seem to be a temple. At least, not one of any design he'd ever seen or read about. Perhaps this was the remains of a military complex or housing? At the very least, there were no indications of any religious practices thus far.
A tap on his shoulder brought him back to the present with a jump. The blonde whirled about to see Signum standing behind him with a raised eyebrow.
"I wouldn't think it to be wise to get lost in your thoughts here," quipped Signum with a somewhat amused tone.
Shaking his head, the blonde chuckled as he turned back to the hallway. "It wouldn't. Sorry about that." He raised the lamp as a soft green magical array sprung to life in front of him, slowly filling in details about their immediate surroundings. Yuuno glanced back to the swordswoman and grinned. "Shall we?"
Signum nodded and the two began carefully making their way through the ruins.
It did not take long for either to notice there was not a single trap or man-made hazard to be found. In fact, it was rather difficult to maintain the thought there were any present elsewhere either. Not to mention there hadn't been a single hint of Lost Logia thus far. No surges of magical power or strange concentrations of mana. Not even a remotely suspicious wall or bleached bone. It was beginning to make the archaeologist more than a little jumpy.
Even Signum was more than a little wary. She'd been expecting more trouble than they'd found. Rather, she'd been expecting some form of trouble. Not empty hallways and decaying down rooms of comparable occupancy.
Only the sound of their breathing and the occasional crunch of their boots against the floor broke the total silence of their dark surroundings.
"Yuuno." Signum's deep, feminine tone shattered the silence. Even she was unnerved by the absolute lack of sound or sign of inhabitance. Unconsciously, she reached for Laevatein's sealed form around her neck.
"Y-Yes?" Yuuno was a little startled, admittedly. He didn't like this, not one bit. It felt too unnatural.
"This is... not normal, is it?" It was a statement, not a question. She may be the novice, but even a novice could tell this was unexpected.
Shaking his head, the blonde continued his scanning. "No… It's really not... If someone had come here beforehand, we'd have seen signs of it. And there's absolutely no sign of former habitation. It's like... someone just built this place and that was it."
Just as Signum was about to comment, something caught her eye in the distance. "Perhaps not." She tapped Yuuno's shoulder and gestured towards where her lamp was aimed. "Look over there."
Casting his eyes where directed, Yuuno took in the sight of the anomaly. Indeed, breaking the near perpetual and grim monotony of bland hallways, empty rooms, and wrecked walls, was what appeared to be a... book? A book laying just beyond another doorframe. Had they finally found something? "That's..." His voice was cautious, curious, and anxious. A smile broke out on his face. "It... looks like a book. Lets have a look..."
Their footsteps hastened as they drew closer to the item. The closer they came, the more of the ruins became visible. Bland and unadorned gave way to what looked like picture frames and message boards. Though worn and damaged by time, they were still recognizable as such. Reflective surfaces covered in dust. Some had even fallen to the ground under the weight of it and broken.
As he kneeled down next to the fallen tome, his attention was drawn into the room the doorframe led to. Much had fallen into disrepair, but there were... shelves. Shelves, desks, counters, and bookcases... One such bookcase, still laden with much of its bounty, had fallen to the ground near the doorway. Its contents were spilled out across the floor and left to gather dust.
So much knowledge... It threatened to drive Yuuno into hysterics.
Barely managing to hold himself together, Yuuno carefully leaned over to the nearest book and examined it closely. The layer of dirt atop it was gingerly blown aside and a mostly intact cover was revealed to him. His eyes widened in abject shock as he slowly deciphered the indentations pressed into the hard surface. "Signum... You know Ancient Belkan, right? Please tell me what this says, so I know I'm not hallucinating..."
Signum obliged her companion, though as she did so, her own voice became tinged with shock. "Anthology of... Literature..." She turned her crystal blue eyes to Yuuno, astonishment on her face and in her voice. "This is-!"
Yuuno nodded hesitantly as he crept over to more of the fallen tomes, deciphering their covers with more and more awe creeping into his voice, "'Arithmetic'… 'A History of the... Empire'… 'Belkan Linguistics'..." He swallowed and looked over to Signum. "Textbooks... This place was a school. An Ancient Belkan School."