[Music: Hybrid's Marrakech

watch?v=tfoLzYJkr0I&list=PLF53468C1BF5D911A&index=3]

As they made their way downwards, Dmitri did his best not to grunt when his bandaged hands curled around the ladder's rungs. Peggy did not envy his plight.

At first, she was careful while going down the old wooden rungs, for surely they had rotted from all the centuries gone by. Yet, surprisingly, they were in pristine condition. "How is it possible that this ladder is in such great shape?" Peggy wondered aloud.

Zdenka's voice echoed up to her, and it sounded worried. "I don't know," the darkness admitted.

At one point during her descent, Peggy's curiosity had her touching the surrounding curved smooth wall. Her hand instantly recoiled from pain. The wall was freezing. It almost felt as if the tips of her fingers had gotten frostbite.

Though the walls were icy, the cool air surrounding her was pleasant. Amazingly, the lower she climbed, the odder the air felt, almost as if it was getting heavier due to the increasing cold. At least the chill was a welcome relief from the oppressive heat outside.

As they continued, the natural light from above lessened until it hardly made any difference.

Then the flashlight Zdenka held flared on, bright enough to illuminate the rungs.

It seemed to take forever, but they finally reached the bottom of the ladder. Following them out, Peggy looked around. She couldn't see much, only that their exit was tucked in the corner of a darkened chamber. There was also a slight covering of sand on the floor.

Oddly, Zdenka's flashlight beam was swallowed up by the vast blackness around them. The illumination continued to dim as if the darkness was absorbing the light.

The room also had a nagging chill, and Peggy rubbed her arms vigorously. The once welcoming coolness was now a painful numbing to her extremities.

Hearing a noise, Peggy turned and saw that Dmitri had found an unlit torch bracketed on the wall next to the ladder and was attempting to light it. With Zdenka's help, he was finally able to do so. Interestingly, the flickering flames were not affected in any way, and the heat was most welcoming.

In moments he had ignited another one that was nearby. After making a noise to alert Peggy, Dmitri tossed her the dying flashlight.

Snatching it from the air, Peggy saw that the waning beam was barely bright enough to make out her boots.

Once the flashlight completely died, Peggy grabbed one of the nearby lit torches. Besides providing illumination, there was the added bonus that fire could be an additional weapon.

Beyond curious, Zdenka wandered along the wall in amazement. Dmitri was following closely, the whole time making sure to light the torches bracketed behind her.

Soon the fires revealed multiple carved images interspersed throughout the smooth walls of this large gallery. Most depicted different cultures throughout the centuries in various death poses. Some even looked to be pleading. The nearby flames flickered, and the light made the intricate life-size figures look almost alive.

"These reliefs are so realistic," Zdenka breathed out in awe.

Among the horrifying images of the dead, Peggy noticed seven large bas reliefs of the different Wonders distributed on the walls. Each one was the height of a doorway.

With the Russians occupied elsewhere, Peggy veered toward the center of the room. In the middle was a large flat metal pan on a pedestal that had kindling stacked upon it.

Shrugging to herself, Peggy lit the wooden scraps with her torch, and the flames licked upwards. Holding a hand over the fire, she was grateful for the heat of it.

After a moment, there was a hiss, and Peggy watched amazed as a trail of flames traveled down the center of the pedestal and then underground. Suddenly there was a whoosh and smaller flat fire pans located throughout the room began to ignite in sequence until the entire chamber brightened.

After a quick mental count, Peggy realized that, including the large lit flat pan, there were a total of seven braziers around the room.

Smirking at the ingenuity, Peggy then grimaced when she heard a grating sound as the winged lion statue above began to slide closed. It seemed that her actions had sprung some sort of trap.

Peggy rushed back to the ladder and watched as the faint pinprick of daylight disappeared. In seconds it finished sealing shut with a resounding thud, and sand rained down on her head.

Zdenka called over to her, "That must be to prevent anyone else from coming down while we are being tested."

"Or of us making a quick escape if needs be," Peggy muttered as she shook out her hair. Bits of sand stayed tangled, and her scalp itched.

Without much choice now, Peggy investigated the rest of the room, hoping to figure out whatever they needed to do to get this all over with.

Unsurprisingly, the cool air was quickly warming up from the heat of the room's multiple fires. Wondering if the walls were just as icy as the ones leading down there were, Peggy touched the bare surface. Even with all the heat, it was still painfully cold, and she snatched her hand back quickly.

Shaking out her tingling fingers, Peggy walked in the opposite direction of the Russians.

As she approached the massive engraving of the Wonder of the Temple of Artemis, she quickly examined it. This amazing depiction was so intricate that she could make out the slightest detail.

Continuing, she neared the next carved image, which showed the Giza Pyramids. So far, both artworks have the same background. Though groups of people were gathered around the Wonder, they surprisingly were staring up at the heavens and not at the awe-inspiring structures themselves.

Peggy called out to Zdenka, "Doctor, what do you make of these reliefs regarding the Wonders?"

She heard Zdenka's wistful voice echo back, "Other than being incredible. They are in the Babylonian artistic style."

Nodding to herself, Peggy then continued onwards. That was when she nearly bumped into a large figure that partially hid in the shadows. Startled, the SSR Agent jumped back and drew her gun. She almost fired but then saw that it was a tall golden statue.

Exhaling, Peggy quickly surveyed the entire chamber. Due to the rising brightness from the braziers and torches, she saw that more of these statues were stationed throughout the room.

Though all varied in size and shape, most were thick in body size, and some were over 10 feet tall. Tucked in the corner was the leanest one, about seven feet in height. The similarities were that they had crimped beards and unnervingly huge eyes. The blue lapis stone within the white shell material stared ahead. Disquietingly, those same spooky eyes seemed to track her every move, almost as if it was alive.

Peggy shook her head to clear such a ridiculous notion. Frankly, with the way her luck had been, it was more likely to topple over and crush her than start attacking.

Curious, she tentatively ran her fingers down one of its massive arms. Though not freezing like the walls, she was not surprised to find that it was cool to the touch.

"And these creepy-eyed statues, are they Babylonian as well?" Peggy was thankful that her voice hardly quivered from the fright she had just had.

"Um, actually, they are Sumerian, whose civilization predated the Babylonians by a few years." With how intrigued she sounded, Zdenka must have started checking out these massive gilded statues herself.

Still disconcerted, Peggy stifled a shiver and continued to recon the large chamber. Finally, making it to the opposite end of the room, Peggy found herself in front of a tall royal throne. The ornate and intricate carvings of gold inlay twinkled in the firelight of her torch.

On it sat a tall figure that was perfectly still. He wore a mask that resembled the heads of the Sumerian statues and was dressed in burgundy robes. Two towering golden Sumerian guards stood sentry on either side of him.

After a quick mental calculation, Peggy realized that this made the count of seven giant statues. With the number seven being so prevalent throughout the room, she wondered about its significance in solving whatever test there was to be.

Peggy suddenly gasped. She couldn't be positive, but she swore that the seated person's index finger just twitched. But it was very subtle, so surely it must have been the trick of the flickering torches flame that she held.

In moments, Zdenka and Dmitri finished the loop of the room and joined her. The female Russian was practically bursting with delight. It was somewhat quelled when she and Dmitri stared amazed at the two Sumerian statues. "These pieces are astonishing," Zdenka breathed.

The Russian female then noticed the seated figure and moved toward it.

Peggy grabbed Zdenka's outstretched hand, "Caution, Doctor, I think it is moving."

"Nonsense, why it—" She shrieked when the seated figure suddenly righted itself.

The man's deep voice eerily echoed from within the Sumerian mask, "Who dares enter my sacred sanctum? Tell me now, or risk my wrath and die."

All three stared aghast at the seated figure as he waited expectantly for a reply.

Zdenka spoke up before Peggy could say anything, "We are only humble travelers seeking the final answer to the question of the ages."

The man laughed uproariously at her, and a surprised Zdenka took a step back from this effrontery.

He crowed, "You three? None of you are worthy of my time." He waved them off dismissively. When they did not move, he turned his attention back to Zdenka. His voice was full of menace, "Be gone before you are made to regret it."

There was one thing Peggy hated more than anything, and that was a bully. Thrusting her chin out in defiance, she growled, "If you want to threaten someone, try me instead."

The responding laughter was an echo of mockery.

Oh, that did it. She had put up with a lot during this 'little adventure,' and she had just about reached her limit. Curtly, Peggy demanded, "And take that ridiculous mask off so we can hear you properly. You sound like you are talking from inside a tin can."

The evil snicker ended abruptly, and the gilded head tilted to the side as if he was assessing Peggy for the first time. Then, without further ado, he tugged off his large encompassing mask. Placing the golden hollow facade onto his bent knee, he took in a deep lungful of air.

Amazingly he was not some older man but was young, possibly in his thirties. And for some reason, he wore an old lion's head as a cowl.

Underneath that, Peggy could see that he had dark curly hair and his grin was all confidence. To her, the man looked dashing, and he seemed to command the very air around him. But he also moved stiffly, as if he had been held in one place for a very long time.

Registering his slow reactions, Peggy wondered if the warming of the room had thawed him out of a frozen slumber.

Frowning, Zdenka looked at him askew as if she was trying to place his likeness.

A shocked Dmitri broke the silence when he exclaimed, "You are so young!"

Exhaling, the man explained, "And I will always be so thanks to my benefactors entombing me here to guard this chamber."

An incredulous Dmitri asked, "How can you survive here without food or drink?"

Nodding, Peggy answered, "Due to the room being so cold, it probably has kept him well-preserved. Much as a freezer does to a hunk of meat until it is defrosted for dinner. Isn't that right?"

The man's dark eyes focused on hers. Ignoring her trite observation, he made one of his own. "By your attire, it seems that I have been asleep for quite a while."

"So, how is it that you speak the Queen's English?" Peggy demanded belligerently. He will answer their questions if he knows what is good for him.

"Hum, I know of no Queen English. Is she a new monarch?" Before Peggy could snap out a response, he continued, "Besides, what makes you think I am speaking your native tongue? Perhaps you are speaking mine instead? My benefactors have always been very generous with their gifts."

All three gaped at his words. He chuckled at their baffled expressions, "Yes, otherwise, it would be an unfair challenge to any who dared enter." His grin grew when he crowed, "Oh, it feels like an eternity since I was last properly entertained."

"Alright, if you want entertainment, then shall we?" Raising her fists and setting her feet, Peggy gestured for him to stand.

He sneered, "My, it seems I am to be challenged by a mighty Amazonian warrior. I look forward to seeing your kind fight once again."

Growling, Peggy stated, "Before we fight, may I first know who I have the pleasure of knocking some manners into?"

The man grinned at her, "Though I am sure I would enjoy such a contest, it is not me you have to worry about."

As he sat back to watch, the two giant statues next to him suddenly came to life and attacked.

Peggy barely avoided the nearest statue's reach. She quickly backed away when it sluggishly lumbered after her.

Of course, it was giant golden statues that they now had to defeat, Peggy thought, teeth barred in defiance.

Thankfully, whatever they were made of kept them from being as fast and agile as her. They could not even bend at the waist. Regardless of their lack of speed, that still left the statue's size and perceived strength to contend with.

While Peggy sidestepped the giant statue's swung fist, Dmitri shoved the shocked Zdenka out of the way just as the other statue made a grab for her. But this put him in a vulnerable position, and he was seized by its golden hand instead.

The cursing Russian was raised over the tall statue's head and then was hurled across the room. Dmitri hit the ground hard, and his unmoving body rolled to a stop.

Peggy had just a moment to glance at his motionless form to make sure he was still breathing before she had to duck again.

Intent on survival, Peggy tried to ignore the other statue's shuffling sound as it menaced toward Dmitri's moaning body.

While Peggy dodged another swipe, Zdenka raced to Dmitri's side and helped him sit up as he slowly returned to his senses. But unfortunately, he was not recovering fast enough, and the hulking statue's shadow soon blanketed the crouching Russians.

Zdenka cried out, "How can they possibly move?"

An idea struck Peggy, and she yelled, "Perhaps they were frozen solid as their master had been." That was until her party came along to light the warming fires that had heated the room. "Maybe if we extinguished some of the braziers—"But before she could finish, the massive statue swung at her head.

"You have already awakened the sleeping giants, Amazon. It is too late for you now. They will not cease until the three of you are dead," the seated man shared ominously.

"Well, something must stop them," Peggy growled back. She spared a look and saw that Zdenka refused to leave Dmitri's side. The female Russian groped in her groggy friend's pocket and pulled out his gun.

Hands shaking, she fired the weapon at the approaching statue until the gun clicked empty. But where the bullets impacted, they only left tiny dents in the slightly pliable metal. She quickly checked for another clip of ammo, but there was none. Horrified, Zdenka continued to watch as the statue lumbered closer.

Peggy's attention was diverted when her statue tried to kick her. Avoiding its clumsily thrusted foot, she backpedaled.

Suddenly, the female Russian screamed when their statue raised its golden fist to pound the Russians into the ground.

Hearing Zdenka's shrieks of impending doom, Peggy dived under her statue's punch. Rolling to her feet, she bolted over to her friends.

In moments the SSR Agent was there. She slid in front of the statue, her gun instantly out. Just as fast, she fired point-blank at the creepy eyes of the statue that were made of shell and lapis.

Instantly, the bullets shattered this more fragile material. With its vision destroyed, the statue flung its arms out blindly as it tried to swat Peggy down.

Peggy's loud cheerful cry of triumph had the bonus of drawing it away from her Russian friends. As the blind statue honed in on her, she backpedaled out of its way and quickly reloaded her gun. Behind her, she heard the seated man gasp.

He mumbled, intrigued, "Such an amazing futuristic weapon."

"You should get out more," Peggy mocked and heard the gnashing of his teeth from where she was.

Her victory was short-lived, though. Turning, she suddenly found the other statue in front of her. It clumsily plucked the gun out of her hand and crushed it effortlessly in its grasp. As the pieces of her weapon dropped unceremoniously to the ground, she groaned. That had been her last gun, too.

The seated man snickered at her predicament. Once more, avoiding the statue's overextended reach, Peggy danced away, fists raised like a boxer's. At least the blind one was still too busy stumbling around behind her to pinpoint Dmitri's and Zdenka's location, she thought, relieved.

Angling away from both statues, Peggy quickly glanced over to check on her friends. When Dmitri nodded that he was better, Zdenka ceased dabbing her shirt sleeve across the gash above his eye. She then assisted him to his feet.

With them back in the fight, Peggy could now focus on stopping these statues and not just evading their relentless attacks.

Eyeing the two plodding statues that converged on her location, Peggy yelled to Zdenka, "These hulking brutes must have some weakness we can exploit. Any ideas, Doctor?"

"I-I wouldn't know where even to start," Zdenka stammered.

Peggy snapped, "Well then, is there anything more you can tell me about these Sumerian statues? What is the significance of those creepy big blue eyes of theirs?"

She ignored the seated man's chuckle regarding her description.

Reassured that Dmitri was alright, Zdenka could now work on the task. Though still shaky, she began to rattle off what she knew. "Um, well, the blue eyes are an odd choice for people that were described as having dark hair, eyes, and skin."

As she spoke, her answers became steadier, more focused. She was always more centered when in her element. But her voice also pulled the attention of the blind statue toward her whereabouts.

Dmitri pushed away from Zdenka and clumsily staggered closer to the sightless statue. Purposely placing himself in its path, he stamped his foot, hoping to divert the statue from her. His distraction worked, and the blind statue advanced toward him. From then on, he kept it trained on him at all times.

Now free and clear, Zdenka continued, "Some scholars proposed that the Sumerians believed the blue eyes belonged to the Gods. And that might explain why these statues are so tall. They are representations of the God-like giants that once ruled the planet."

Peggy ineffectively kicked her statue's shin and then ducked to the side when it swatted at her. Now at a crouch, Peggy sighed exasperatedly. How in the world were they supposed to battle Gods? Exhaling, she asked, "You had mentioned this before, Doctor. Are we sure that is what the Sumerians meant?"

She could hear the shrug in Zdenka's tone when the Russian replied, "Well, I am just stating what scholars had interpreted from what had been found. Besides the Enuma Elish tablets, multiple bas reliefs were discovered throughout the region. They often showed instances where man was made much smaller than these same taller-looking beings. Supposedly even King Gilgamesh was considered half God for he towered over his subjects."

Due to the rising temperature of the room, the statue was getting quicker, and it loomed over Peggy. Suddenly she had to throw herself onto the ground when it swung its foot at her stomach. The seated man chortled merrily at her plight. It became a full-on laugh when the statue raised its foot to step on Peggy's head. She rolled away just in time.

The lion-cowled man clapped loudly, "Bravo, Amazon."

Peggy bared her teeth in frustration, "Anything else, Zdenka?"

"Let me think a moment," was the timid reply.

Peggy knew that the Russian Doctor was trying her best, but even she understood that they would need more clues if they were to solve this test. She just did not know where to start looking for them.

Making sure to stay low enough so that the statue could not grab her, Peggy quickly crawled toward the largest brazier. She hoped that if she kept it between her and the determined statue, she would have time to figure things out.

As she did this, the irritating robed man continued to chuckle at her plight. As she turned to yell at him to be quiet so she could think, Peggy suddenly realized that she had been going about this all wrong.
They needed answers to solve this, and their means were seated not that far away from her.

Peggy doubted that threats would work. No, she would have to use finesse and a bit of psychology to find out what they needed. It was time to prod this proud lion.

Oh, she was going to enjoy this.

Even the calmest individuals made mistakes when nudged too far, and thankfully, the one seated had shown to have a rather short fuse. Perhaps he was so cranky after being awakened from such a long nap, she mused.

After ensuring that the statue was on the opposite side of the fiery brazier, Peggy strode toward the seated man.

Her defiant voice held that mocking British tone of superiority that usually brought out the unbridled fury in others. His eyes flared in rage as she spat out her questions, "So this is the big finish to all that we have gone through to get here? Just a bloody fight against giant statues to complete the last test?"

She waved her hand in the direction of the advancing effigy. Looking back to the seated man, she mocked, "Somehow, I expected better, something more challenging."

The lion-cowled man sneered, "Has it always been only fighting?"

A triumphant Peggy smiled, "Then there is more to this."

The man sighed and relented, "Yes, there is."

Smirking, she asked, "Another puzzle to solve, perchance?" Peggy saw his eyes briefly flick to one of the Seven Wonders bas reliefs. Nodding pleased, she now had a place for Zdenka to start from.

Noticing her smug expression, he admitted, "Perhaps." And then he grinned wildly at her when the giant statue was suddenly behind her. Peggy had run out of time.

Spinning around, she could not twist away from the full brunt of the statue's punch. She was tagged hard in the shoulder, and it went numb from the impact. Wincing from the painful pins and needles that instantly ran up and down her tingling arm, Peggy knew it was best to withdraw for the time being. Thankfully, Dmitri kept the blind one occupied because now she could barely deal with her own lumbering menace.

She swayed back from another hit. Rubbing her sore arm to work the feeling back into it, Peggy yelled, "Zdenka, we will keep them busy while you solve this thing! It has to do with those carvings of the Wonders. Maybe there is something of importance on them?"

The female Russian stuttered a nervous nod and grabbed the scanner from Dmitri. Swinging it about the room, she aimed it at the nearest bas relief. When she turned the machine on, nothing happened. The battery had been bled dry.

As she banged the side of the delicate instrument, the seated man stated, "Your tools of futuristic magic do not function here. You only have your knowledge and skill to fall back upon now."

Well, that explained the flashlight, Peggy thought as she shook out her aching arm. She then frowned and gazed over at the fragments of what used to be her gun. Unlike the scanner, she figured her weapon had only worked because it was made up of rudimentary parts. That or the rules could change at the whim of the seated man.

Dropping the scanner on the ground, a panicked Zdenka glanced around at the various bas reliefs, unable to figure out what she should do.

Seeing her alarm, Peggy asked the man, "Can you give us a clue as to what we should look for on those things?"

He enigmatically shrugged.

"Great, just great."

She felt like David vs. Goliath as she reeled clear from a golden fist and then had to dive between the statue's legs. "Zdenka, start at the first Wonder and work your way forward," she suggested.

The seated man snorted, then coughed to cover his amusement.

Following Peggy's advice, Zdenka rushed around the chamber, looking for the Giza Pyramids. "Um, this might take a moment," the frazzled Russian Doctor mumbled.

The statue stood over Peggy, and she barely scooted out of the way in time when it went to stomp on her. Scrambling to her feet, she growled in frustration.

Fed up with this game, Peggy had a sudden thought on how to stop something so tall and imposing. It was time to use their great height and rigid mobility against them.

Peggy yelled to Dmitri, "Frankly, I don't know about you, comrade, but I am sick of being on the defensive. I think it is time we take the fight to them."

The male Russian wiped away the trickle of blood leaking from the cut above his eye. He snarled for he was just as exasperated as she was, "Agreed, Peggy. We should work together."

Dmitri lurched around the blind statue and soon stood by Peggy's side.

Taking in his hunched posture, Peggy asked, concerned, "Are you up for this, Dmitri?"

"Yes," he assured determinedly and stood straighter.

She grinned and stated, "Alright, we need to knock them over. We'll start with yours first."

He nodded, and she ordered, "You kick left, I right. Aim for the gut."

Running full tilt, she and Dmitri then launched themselves at the blind statue's chest. Each used their strongest fighting attribute.

Dmitri went with the two-foot kick-out approach while Peggy used her bent knee, arms flung back to maximize its full effect. Both slammed hard into the giant's torso.

Their combined strengths worked. Off-balance, the blind statue teetered backward and fell over with a loud thud.

They both watched as the massive heavy statue fought to right itself, but like a turtle, it could not seem to get into a good enough position. While it struggled, Dmitri and Peggy turned their attention to the other statue.

As Peggy had hoped, it shuffled closer to them. She grinned and said to Dmitri, "Let's do it again."

Before the Russian could advance, Peggy gripped his arm and added, "Wait until it is in front of the blind one, facing it. If we time it right, we could knock it over its fallen friend."

Relishing the thought, Dmitri smirked, "I like how you think, Peggy."

When the mobile statue was almost upon them, they darted around until it was between them and the struggling blind statue. After a quick nod, the humans then sprinted over to topple it.

Even with it turned away, the upright statue must have heard them coming. Just as the humans hurtled themselves at its back, the effigy swept its golden arm outwards. Both Peggy and Dmitri were knocked effortlessly away.

The surprised duo went careening off in the opposite directions. The landing was painful as they slid a few feet across the sandy floor.

Stunned, Peggy lay panting on the gritty surface.

Her blurred vision watched the standing statue help its blind friend to its feet. With both human fighters temporarily out of commission, the effigies turned to menace their last conscious target, Zdenka.

The one statue that could still see reached the Russian Doctor first.

Zdenka retreated but was soon cornered by both of them. Staring in horror, she could do nothing as the terrifying statues lurched closer. In moments their massive forms blotted out all light.

She screamed.