The Professor was back quickly enough with the dampened handkerchief, which was used then to clean Elaine's bullet wound before Descole wrapped another handkerchief around it. After that, with not much to lose, a truce was made between both the men. A strained one, but it could last until they stopped Bronev.
Going through the doorway that led towards the sanctuary, it just seemed like the rest of the cave up to that point though more Azran-like structure would possible appear further on.
Coming to a ledge, a gapping chasm between the continued path, they saw Luke sitting there on his own. Though once the boy noticed them, he quickly stood and yelled to them,
"Professoooor!"
"I don't see Bronev or the others. They must have left him and gone on ahead," Descole guessed. "I suppose you'll want to rescue the boy. Well, whatever we do, we'll need to cross this gap."
"That is true." If Professor Layton was bothered by Descole's uncaring attitude, he was doing an impressive job not showing it.
"I think this might be something," Elaine said as she walked over to a circular tablet with pieces. "I think we 'ave to move the pieces around to create a pathway."
"It shouldn't too long then," Descole muttered as he looked over Elaine's shoulder. "We just have to think carefully where each piece belongs."
The puzzle was easy enough once you got into it. Maybe a little difficult to understand, but not entirely impossible. Every correct piece led to flat rock with engravings on them to rise from the chasm, creating a path bit by bit. Upon the path's completion, Luke ran across and and nearly jumped onto the Professor as he gave him a brief hug. Startling the older man a little.
"Luke, I'm glad to see you safe."
"I could say the same, Professor," Luke sniffed.
"How did you end up here all alone, boy?" Elaine glared at Descole. "Did they leave you behind?"
"Descole! Professor, Elaine, why is Descole with you both?"
"So much resentment!" Descole sneered. "You'll be glad to know that we have forged a temporary alliance, I truce while we fight a common enemy."
"I wasn't talking to you!"
"Luke, calm down, please. I don't like it either, but Descole is right," the Professor admitted. "If Bronev unleashes the power of the Azran, the consequences may be disastrous. We must work together to stop him."
"Now, to ask what Descole asked in a more polite way, why did Bronev and Emmy leave you behind?" Elaine asked. The only reason she could see was that they didn't really have a need for their hostage anymore.
"Oh yes! I meant to tell you, Professor! Emmy is still on our side!
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Well, she let me go for a start. We were talking and she said I wouldn't understand, except that Bronev was apparently a good person but just let the Azran get to him. She was… She was hoping you might bring him back to his senses. When he called back, she said I hurt myself and that I should be left behind since I would only slow them down. After that, Emmy left."
"I see." The Professor looked a little relieved, but he was far from relaxed.
"So the young lady has a personal stake in this…" Descole mused,
"We can ponder Emmy's intentions later. For now, we must press on after Bronev."
Emmy's actions were… interesting. Elaine still felt that if any friendship continued between the two of them, Elaine wasn't just going to trust Emmy again in just a day. But, would that make her a hypocrite? No one held it against her when she posed as Madeline. The circumstances were different, maybe, but that doesn't necessarily mean Elaine had been completely entitled to forgiveness.
But Elaine's thoughts mattered little right now. They had to stop Bronev. Keep the world safe.
They met another door after they crossed the path. Further on, they found remains of ice that was still melting. Revealing bones remains of extinct creatures, such as a mammoth's skull. But the door at the end was their main interest. After a translation from Elaine of what the riddle written on the door on the door said, they worked on solving the puzzle and were able to open the door to continue on.
The sanctuary, while it had some slight rubble and a few crevices, it still looked amazing. Arches, stairs leading to chambers. Elaine desperately found herself wishing that this could have been a fun excavation. Discovering the secrets of the Azran and sharing it with the world. Instead, it would have to remain a secret for the better of the world. Once they stopped Bronev of course.
"Through every age of man it has been here, and here it is still, almost intact." Descole did sound mildly impressed. "The Azran were capable of great things."
"I suppose the ice seal would have provided some protection from the elements," Professor Layton commented. "But even so…"
"Layton! They kept a girl alive for a million years! Keeping this place standing would be a cinch in comparison!" Descole gave a short, sardonic laugh. "With their power, one could dominate the whole world if one wanted to. Imagine it in Bronev's hands…"
"Or in yours!" Luke countered, glaring up at Descole. "You're just as bad as he is!"
Is that what you think?"
"If you hadn't stolen the key from us, none of this would have happened!"
"Allow me to clarify something for you," drawled Descole. "The only reason I invited you to travel with me at all was so that I could take my revenge on Bronev. Not everything is about the Azran. In fact, they are a great annoyance to me. But you never considered this, did you?"
"Leave 'im alone, Descole," Elaine muttered towards said man, though his words were unexpected. Descole. Why would he a race that he doesn't even like? That had to have been difficult. Things were only easy to learn if there was interest.
There was more to this then just Johanna. Bronev and Targent did something more, Elaine knew that but what could have…
Did it have something to do with his birth parents?
"Shut up!" Luke all but snapped towards Descole, though he did look upset despite his angry tone. "I'll never believe you again! All those kind things you said to Aurora, and it was j-just an act…"
Descole didn't seem to care. Elaine would have liked to berate him, but it would have to wait until later. Though Descole seemed to paint a clear picture of his loathing of the Azran. Seeing them as puppeteers and manipulators.
The canal in the entrance of the sanctuary was low, but Luke was able to get to the other side to adjust the controls until the water rose, bringing up a boat big enough for all through of them to get across in.
Once across to the other side, they continued on. The air started to feel hotter as they moved further. Reaching its peak by the time they stopped in front of a pair of statues, holding their swords down, creating a small arch for them to get through. But their eyes seemed to suggest certain doom. More so from the slightly smaller statues past the two standing in front of them. Though their eyes seemed more troubling.
"I have a horrible feeling these fellows have been designed to shoot fire at intruders," the Professor said, looking at the statues with a little nervous glance.
"A rather nasty kind of Azran guardian, I see. Anyone without the key will get burned to ashes…" Descole remarked dryly.
"Well, the builder of this sanctuary certainly didn't wish for intruders to get through," Elaine said.
"Pitiful defences," Descole remarked as he drew his sword. "Stand back."
"Do you… Actually expect using that will work with… Whatever you 'ave in mind?" Elaine asked in some disbelief.
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing."
The statues could only see straight ahead, and they did shoot fire every few seconds as they care stayed out of every statues field of vision as Descole destroyed most of the statues to get them through.
Staring at one haunting statue head on the ground, Elaine felt her heart beat faster. They had to be close now. Close to the end.
"Those statues won't be causing us any more trouble!" Luke commented with a smile.
"Oui. They didn't do their job quite well," Elaine commented just before Luke began to walk past the statue.
But the statue's eyes began to glow then. It wasn't destroyed badly enough to not keep to its duty. Elaine's eyes widened in shock and she did the first thing she could think of and was prepared to push Luke out of the way. Instead though, she was pulled back, nearly shoved into Professor Layton (who had also been prepared to run). Descole, despite his insults towards the young boy, moved to take the fire to his back.
He gave a pain filled yell when he hit the ground, Luke looking at him in shock. Shaken by his near death experience.
"D-Descole!" Elaine cried, horrified by what just happened. "L-Luke, are you okay?" Elaine asked the young boy first as the Professor went to check on Descole. A quick look over him showed her looked physically fine, but she wanted to be sure. Luke gave a shaky nod.
"Y-yeah… But… Descole…"
Elaine looked back quickly to the masked man. He was cringing as the Professor held him and quickly moved to his side. She grasped onto his hand, giving a firm squeeze as she looked at him. Her heart racing as her free hand began to tremble. Descole had to be alright. He still had Johanna who was expecting him back and… And…
Elaine didn't want him to die.
"Descole, are you-?"
"Agh, save your concern, Layton," Descole spat. Even in pain, he refused any risk to damage his pride. "There's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?"
"You were too young," Descole muttered. "You probably don't remember."
"Remember what?" Professor Layton asked. Was this it? Was Descole finally going to reveal his past with the Professor?
"That day…" Descole frowned a little, but cringed again as some more pain hit him. "After our parents were abducted."
"P-parents…?" Elaine trailed off, as Layton looked only confused. But the truth here was… Were… Were Descole and Professor Layton brothers? Brothers? How was it Elaine never thought of how Descole knew Layton? Why did she never try to think of the possibilities?
But, what happened that led them all to this moment in time?
"I don't understand."
"It was years ago," Descole began explaining. His hold on Elaine's hand tightened. "I'll never forget. Our parents were gone. And we were left all alone. We had a house to live in but it was a sad and lonely time. Then one day, we were told that an adoption had been arranged. But only for one of us…
"The Laytons could only adopt one child. They had yet to meet us in person, but it was originally arranged that I would go with them. But, when the day came, I told them that you were Hershel. So that you could be with them instead. As far as they knew at the time, another family was going to look after me.
"The Sycamore's did eventually appear in the picture to adopt me. They couldn't have children of their own, and the one time my adoptive mother had been pregnant before taking me in had ended in miscarriage. They were planning to use the name Desmond then, so they let me take it."
Elaine blinked her eyes, trying to take everything in from Descole's story. He never liked pity, and now would be no exception. But knowing that all this time… Despite every insult, battle of wits, schemes and plots, and even near death experiences… Descole had cared for Professor Layton as an older brother. Well, she hoped so. Some of his schemes begged to differ.
"So you're…?" Professor Layton looked as though he was having a hard time accepting this.
"You took my name… and went to the Layton family in my stead."
"I remember now…" The Professor seemed a little spooked, but he continued. "Hershel was my brother's name, not mine," he said, mostly to himself. "But why didn't you say something sooner?"
"Why did I spend all my time getting in your way, you mean?"
"If you wish to put it like that."
"My goal was too important," Descole explained. "I had to unlock the secrets of the Azran before Targent did."
"But why was it so important?" Elaine asked. Voice slightly higher pitched then she would have liked. It didn't help that her eyes were starting to get wet. She… She wasn't starting to believe Descole was going to die, was she? He couldn't. No, he just couldn't. He was too stubborn to do that! She felt Descole's hand squeeze hers a little more before he answered in disdain,
"The Azran are to blame for what happened to us. We owe it all to that accursed civilisation!
"Our father was an archaeologist who stumbled upon remnants of the Azran. He discovered evidence of their legacy." Descole winced briefly before forcing himself to continue. "And had just made a breakthrough when he and our mother were kidnapped.
"It was Targent who took them, of course. Back then, they were a small group… A cult almost, obsessed with ancient civilisations.
"As for us? Well, with our parents gone, we found ourselves alone. From that moment, I threw myself into archaeology. I knew I wanted revenge on my two enemies: Targent… and the Azran.
"I wanted to get back at them for taking our parents from us, for ruining our lives… If I could single-handedly gain the power of the Azran before Targent… I would have my revenge."
"What happened to our parents after they were taken by Targent?" Professor Layton asked. "Are they still alive?"
"Our mother… died many years ago. Our father was forced to work for Targent… for so long that he eventually lost sight of his true self… and became one of them. He grew obsessed with the Azran… and began to use Targent's methods to further his goals."
That… That sounded like…
Elaine looked to the Professor. She could only imagine how he was feeling. The truth of everything being revealed in such a way.
"You don't mean…!"
"Yes… It is as it sounds. Our father… is Leon Bronev."
Hearing Descole confirm it made Elaine feel briefly light headed. It was impossible to fathom how Bronev could have caused some of the pain in Descole's life. Even kidnapping his… His granddaughter.
"I can't believe it…"
"Layton, I've failed," Descole grunted. "It falls to you to stop our father before he sees this madness through." He released a groan he'd been suppressing. He had to have been in worse pain then he let on.
"But if we leave you here, you-."
"What does it matter? If the power of the Azran is unleashed, we're all dead!"
"Professeur, you and Luke go on ahead. I'll stay 'ere for now," Elaine told him, moving an arm under Descole's back. Careful not to touch where he was injured.
"El… Elaine, are you sure?" The Professor didn't seem too sure. "You don't have to."
"But I want to. If I feel I 'ave to, I'll try to catch up."
"… Very well." The Professor nodded before he looked to Descole. "Rest now. We'll be back for you both." The Professor carefully let the rest of Descole's weight rest in Elaine's arm, before he stood up. Staying for only a moment longer, he left with Luke. Leaving them alone. Elaine closed her eyes for the moment after she saw their figures disappear. Nothing seemed to be going right since they discovered that one of their eggs was fake. It just seemed to steadily get worse and worse.
"Why… stay with me?" Elaine looked down to Descole and moved a hand to his cheek.
"I don't want to leave you right now."