Secrets of the Past [Event][Private][Completed]

Conversation coursed throughout the rather small and rundown town as people were busy from going one place to another, not having the time to stop and listen to their own advice to calm down and stop acting so hastily. They were so caught up in their own little world that almost no one would consider looking out for people around them. A small child with a mechanical toy of sorts wandered by, their eyes fixed on the controls to move the toy. Unbeknownst to them, they were walking straight into the path of a monstrous delivery vehicle, but being deaf, the child wouldn’t be able to hear it. Their mother didn’t even notice that their child was missing; too busy haggling across with the lady in front of them to purchase a second toy for their child.

It was too late that the mother noticed their child, and cried out a warning which would literally fall on deaf ears. However, they were a lucky boy. The great black feonix grabbed the back of their shirt, pulling them out of the way of the automatic delivery truck. Their toy shattered beneath the wheels of the machine, and the boy cried out in fear from the touch of something which they couldn’t see. The crowd was too busy rushing over to the crying and deaf boy to notice the great wolf slinking back away and into the shade of the bar. Gently, the wolf pushed back through the door, which swung back into its place to cut off the commotion outside. It quietly walked to the back of the room, to a table in the far corner near an old and antique fireplace. It sat down near the warmth, its gaze towards their owner.

Their guardian bent down and, having noticed that the child was in danger, had send Nithya to race out and pull them away from harm. The silent observer had foreseen the child’s problem before it even came to pass and she praised her little foenix and, in return, he granted her slobbery licks. She groaned, clearing the slobber away from her face as she straightened herself in her chair again. Here, in the somewhat small, quiet and robust town, it was far from an ideal location due to the sheer amount of people in this particular bar. However, Lex praised her wolf, then giving a small word of thanks as a waitress delivered her long awaited drink. It wasn’t too expensive out in this town, and many sorts of people seemed to gather in the rather antique and somewhat ancient local bar. Only a few places showed the advance level of technology which other bars would often show off, only their lighting, tables and the bar stand itself seemed to show any forms of technology.

Sophisticated lights dangled from the ceiling which flickered many different coloured lights across the surface. It was under this light that, at the very least, the silent watcher had observed at least five different transactions, picked up on a few bounties which were being passed between another group three tables away, the bartender serving out twice as many drinks to a particular man in the corner opposite her and at least five different things which she was sure were illegal. Groups of three to seven were gathered around at least seven different tables, and a few scattered around the outside which only had a lone drinker or a pair. She considered herself to as one of the lone people, and her gaze travelled across the people standing near the beer taps, talking quietly with the bartender.

Taking a sip of her beer, she felt the bitter drink almost tear her throat out. I knew I should have paid for the better stuff... Lexia thought in annoyance before she set her glass down again. Her companion whined, and she raised her head again to see him look around at the different sites. Another table seemed to grab his attention, and a slight frown creased on her face. They were dressed rather raggedly, and seemed to all be eyeing off a few particular bounties... Nithya could almost sense the disgust from the people in the corner, which was why he alerted his owner to their distrust. A sudden outside breeze was thrown across the bar once again, a gruff figure striding in with a gun holstered loosely in their belt. Lexia tensed slightly at the sight of this, nervous about the gun, however she didn’t let it show on her face. Sensing her distress, her companion acted accordingly. Nithya flipped from being a happy companion and looked to be on guard, watching them closely as Lexia casually took a secondary long sip of her beverage. Over the top of the rim, she watched them as well, not trusting the sudden change of atmosphere in the air around the bar in the slightest.

Never had he thought he will be setting foot upon the outskirts of Cormere. After hours in the dark bus with neon blue lightings across the floor and roof, fiddling with his timepiece, his stop came and he hopped off with a nervous heart. The bus then departed around the corner along the dirt trail. And then it was quiet.

As far as he could see, this town sat in the middle of nowhere. Not a single building from the distance. Only one main road crossed through the centre, but it was unfortunate that his bus could not take him all the way down. It was well into the afternoon under the cloudless sky, and he could see the pink coming up behind him. Cormere was meant to be a wasteland of dust and bones, but such was not obvious when he found himself here. There were vast valleys of grass everywhere with a few bushes here and there. Along the road, there were paddocks on either side with herdable animals grazing on the grass. The day was still cold, the breeze starting to bite deep onto his bones as he pondered what to do next.

Sly was far away from home, far from any few friends he gathered. If anything happened to him here, he doubted any of them would ever know what happenes to him. He had to be careful. Sly was here for one purpose only, and that was to follow what Master Horus wrote in his will to Sly and complete his investigation of Temporal Ruins. He promised that whatever rewards and treasures he finds in there, he would keep the lot. Sly gritted his teeth, clenching a rolled-up parchment in his hand. He would need all the money he could get if he were to ever get the old man's estate back. There were not many leads, except the location of the ruins. It made him bite his bottom lip that Oak Hollow forces were surrounding the area. Perhaps they were looking for the treasure as well? They could not open the sealed gate to the treasury at least. Sly was only after one thing in particular, an item that Horus stated was linked to the mystery of Sly's timepiece. The timepiece. It was the only heirloom of Master Horus that Sly could sneak out of the estate before it was repossessed.

Adjusting his backpack, Sly marched down the trail and into the somewhat busy town. The people there were... not what he expected. It was like walking through the slums of his home city. The shops were rather run down and the workers very scruffy and informal with their customers. A trip to the market stalls and Sly was battered and swarmed with bellows of keepers trying to sell their fishes like Sly was deaf or something. Young children ran around the streets unattended and there were a lot of men hiding in the shadows. Sly tried not to look at any of them. He was a stranger in these parts but he should not make it obvious. Who knows what would happen? All he needed to do was find a hostel, rent a room for the night, and then he would be on his way tomorrow.

He was starting to miss home already...

It was not long until he found himself in the nearest bar. The lights in here were blaring like lasers, and the stools really seem to stood out from the traditional wooden atmosphere of the place. Naturally this would be something he would see in party junctions, but everyone knew to sit at their tables and be silent. Or that was what he thought. There was a muscular man with two pistols in their holsters marching his way to the bench and ordered the Cormere Traditional Tequila. The people around the bar had concerned looks on their faces when looking at this man. If Sly had examined the scene carefully, he would have known they were too shocked to even notice him. Sly sat on the stool beside the man and, after the bartender was done, spoke aloud. Excuse me. Do you have a room available?

The bartender only froze. Sly gave a small frown until a shadow was cast over him.

"Who d'ya think you are, kid? Strollin' in me bar and yappin' around me?" This same man said with a low but strong voice.

Sly just turned his head slightly, looking at the hairy arm that was easily twice the size of his own. He opened his mouth a bit, but decides not to speak to him. Sly turned back to the bartender. One room please. Oh! And I also am looking for a guide to-

"Ya have quite the nerve, kid! Donchya know it rude turn your back on me?" The sound of clicks and screeching of moving stools echoed the bar, followed by footsteps as more men approached Sly. Sly tapped his fingers on the ragged bench, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Am I intruding on something? Sly asked the man.

"Damn right you are! This is me bar, and damn no one open their yoddlers until I say they can. You a fore-nee aint ya?"

Fore-nee? My apologies. I am not here looking for trouble. I just want a room for the night and-

Sly stopped when this man and his gang started to laugh. He raised an eyebrow before huffing a sigh.

"Nah! If ya walk in my bar, ya gotta learn to respect whoever in charge. You... aint sleeping in nobody's room. You can sleep outside. Ya hear? Now beat it!"

This was getting nowhere. He was very tired and he needed to think some things over. It was not long ago that Sly's Master died, and very soon the estate was taken from him by Horus' disowned son. Sly rubbed his face in his palms before jumping onto his feet from the stool.

Fine. You win. Sly then reached for the man's shot of Tequila and skulked it, as a way to spite him. The thing tasted like petrol and seared his tongue so hard, he spat take it into the man's face. Keep your stinking spirits!

Face red and dripping wet, the man growled and charged forward. Sly dodged to the side, rather casually, and the man had tackled into another seated patron and knocked him over. Everyone else on the table hopped up and tried to pull the two apart, only to have the 'boss' punch one of them and knock his tooth out.

Sly turned to see the rest of the crooks converging on him, and he quickly jumped over the bench into the bartending area, grabbed a Mixer gun and sprayed it into the faces of three members before they started to pile on top of him.

The rather large figure who dominated the room all but flopped down on their seat with little regard of how they sat or did anything. No one dared to speak, aside from a single table who she guessed were in some way had connections with him. Had Lexia not been in the corner opposing the entrance, she would have missed the arrival of another guest. They were small, quite small compared to the giant that just blundered in, and his face showed no signs of concern or worry towards the giant. Curiously, Lexia watched him silently, her drink coming down so she had a better view.

Her companion itched to go forth and investigate the new person, and she could see that it was taking everything Nithya had not run over and greet the calm figure. Her hand ruffled his head, to which the creature nuzzled the hand back in affection. Lexia was taken aback by how casual he just sat there on the seat next to the giant, and didn't seem to be concerned about how worried everyone in the room seemed to be getting. A few couples left, not wanting to see how this would end for the poor soul.

A small frown creased on her face, and unconsciously, she raised from her chair and silently pushed it in. It's wasn't like she was going to be noticed anyway as all eyes were fixed on the foreigner. The guest continued to ask for a room, declaring he wouldn't cause any trouble.

That's when the scrawny, blonde haired person did something incredibly stupid. He seemed to get up to leave after being denied a bed, and then just.... STOLE the local gang lord's drink! Instantly, Lexia knew that this wasn't going to end well. The retaliation from being spat on was instant, however the scrawny figure dodged the larger mans blind assault before diving over the bar.

Deciding that he wouldn't be able to really stand up to himself, she knew that she needed to take a step in. No one had seemed notice her, so maybe she would have the element of surprise. After all, she was the best guide around that he had said he was looking for. Lexia grabbed her sturdy glass, before giving a rather quiet command to her little companion.

Nithya, attack. Get the three off from him. Lexia told the shape shifter, who immediately glazed into action. The large and dominating wolf bounded across from the far corner in a few seconds. He leapt upon the bench, his footing sure as he ran across it, his teeth showing in an angry snarl. However, not a single person seemed to notice, all eyes fixed on the person who was just shooting them in the face with liquid. Lexia almost laughed at this, but she had another target who she quietly made her way over to.

Just before the trio were about to make their way over to the crouched figure behind it, Nithya tackled into the man closest to him. None of them expected such a giant creature or the sudden extra weight against them. The three were pushed from the bench, one knocking over a few bar stools and the other two were sprawled across the floor. Nithyas shoulder slightly ached, but the wolf snarling viciously at the three.

Their seemingly leader threw off the hands trying to help him up. He threw away more hands, before stomping forward. At the sight of his men toppling to the ground, his hand went to his gun subconsciously as he draw a huge breath to shout at the creature. Sadly, none of his plans came to pass when a rather solid cup slammed into his temple. The glass cracked and broke in Lexia's hand from the impact and a few hundred pounds of lard and muscle crashed to the ground. It was almost a nice sound in comparison when the small shards of glass followed, sprinkling onto the wooden floor.

Shouts of warning and cries of horror rang through the bar. The silence broken by screams of surprise as the war lord was unconsciously sprawled against the ground. For now, the small figure behind the bar was forgotten, and all eyes were on the figure who not a single person had noticed.

Unfazed by the small nicks and cuts in her hand, she turned to the stunned barkeeper. Your guest asked for a room, is it not your place to make sure that they feel welcome? Lexia asked, reminding him of the small task that he had left unattended. Sadly, it didn't seem that he would comply just yet as the trio stood up, shakily climbing to their feet.

"Nah, this kid belongs on the streets! He dun deserve no room, especially seeming he drank our bosses tequila!" One of them shouted, almost tripping over the toppled stool at their feet. He, however, had forgotten a giant foenix standing behind them.

Lexia signed, knowing that the scrawny, white haired male didn't want any trouble. It seemed like this was the only way to deal with local thugs like these. She exhaled, slowly and deliberately to calm her racing pulse as she thought of what to do next. Have it your way then. Lexia spat, clicking a single time.

The man who spoke first went for his gun, the other two moving to flank Lexia. She hadn't really dealt with multiple people and was known for not having many personal items on her. Hastily, she looked around, her hand shooting out to grab an uncollected steak knife from a pile of dirty dishes. Lex hated close and personal fights, but thankfully it seemed that no one wanted to witness this as crowds began shoving their way from the building. They were probably thinking that there were a few dead people in this room.

It was better they don't see this. She thought to herself, passing the knife from her injured hand to her other one. Little did the remaining trio know, she was just the distraction. The real threat was behind them.

The one at the bar barely had unholstered his gun before Nithya's bulky form slammed into their back. Their hands flew open wide, flinging the gun away. Quickly, Nithya snatched from the air in his mouth, before mauling it. He tossed the broken gun away from the grunt, jumping off him as they wildly grabbed at the creature. Quickly, the foenix used his teeth to bite deep into his shoulder, aiming to at least cripple them. The grunt howled in pain, slightly gaining the attention of one of his comrades.

The comrade frowned, their attention drawn away for a few seconds as their eyes widened at the site of the foenix which they finally recognised. They were creatures known throughout the lands that lived here in the wastelands. They were the ones that attacked and raided villages in the night, carting off any and all livestock they could find, creatures that could easily kill a human if they wanted. Fear grew in their eyes, stumbling back into a table as the angry shape shifter slowly approached them, dominating their mind with its angry and deliberate snarls.

Seeing that they were stunned by their fear, Lexia opted to ignore the one coming from the left and deal with the paralysed grunt. She dove across the room towards them. The faintly clicking heels were the only warning he got before the hilt of the steak knife slammed twice in rapid succession against his temple. The dull sound rang through the empty bar, but Lexia could only hear her blood rushing to her head and the faint sound of someone screaming as their shoulder had been torn by Nithya. Her breathing was a bit hagged, having to run so fast to cover long distances drained her slightly.

A warning bark form Nithya ripped Lexa's attention back to the present, the third thug was almost upon her and he held some sort of device above them, aiming to try and to go for a wide swing at Lexia. She danced to the side dodging the attack. However, not everything goes to plan as her foot clipped a stool.

She was thrown from her feet, stumbling and hitting the ground hard. The knife had been thrown from her hand, flying across the room and embedding itself into a chair. To stop herself, she had to use her rather injured hand to take her weight from the awkward and unexpected fall. Lex bit her lip to bite back a cry of pain, feeling her skin tear and fresh blood forming underneath her hand. She pulled it back, swapping what hand was bracing her as the figure moved to stand over her. Her long, black hair covered part of her face as she looked down and away from him, her mind swimming as she tried to deal with the newfound pain. The last standing grunt noticed the blood, a sneer forming on his face.

"You deserve more then that for messing with us, ya stupid bit-Ooof!" The wind was thrown from his body as a ticked off Nithya tacked into his side. Razor teeth flashed, slashing through their clothing like cheese. Realising he didn't rip through their side, Nithya recoiled, then went for a second attack, which was only to be blocked. The foenix was held back by their hands, the grunt trying to keep the terroriser from ripping apart his chest. However, he wasn't able to stop his own device from flinging back and hitting him, too busy trying to shove the creature out of the road.

The second it hit his back, a jolt of electricity ran through him and he pulled away from Nithya to fall to his knees, his neck slightly bent as he tried not to lose grip on reality. Nithya, who had also received the same jolt through their contact was dazed, unsteady on their feet for a few moments. However, the final gang member wasn't able to make another move as Lexia lashed out her foot, her heel slamming into their head as hard as she could. Their lights went out, and they hit the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Lexia's foot ached, but with the help of her still conscious companion, she was able to get herself to her feet. Unaware of the stare that she was receiving, she casually tried to clear away some blood with a spare napkin. Blood welled up again as she quickly took a look at the numerous cuts, some which had been torn further open from the fall. Looking around, she found what she was after and she grabbed a glass containing a clear liquid. Lexia didn't even need to fully bring it to her nose to smell how much alcohol was in it. Deciding not to do that just yet, she walked over to the bar, the screams of the only conscious gang member had been silenced as the other people had been taken out seemingly with ease. But a swift kick from Lexia's shoe sent him unconscious once again.

Seeing that the work was done, Nithya went back to the playful puppy that he seemed to be like as he sniffed the walkway, searching for a specific scent. After finding it, Nithya followed it form the doorway, to the stool and to the bench, searching for the scrawny little figure that had dominated the scene earlier.

Lexia set the glass down on the bench, her hands shaking violently as she closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing pulse and the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She knew that she was pale, the fright from miscalculating the stool had given her a nasty reality shock. It was an awkward silence, until she raised her head to see the stunned bar tender. A small, nervous laugh of amusement coming from her as she saw his dumbfounded expression. Are you going to give him a room or not? Give him a room, and I'll fix you up for damage costs later.

Things happened so fast, yet he could not see what was going on thanks to this brute sitting on top of him. All he could do was raise his arms to his head to protect it the few punches this man was trying to throw. A few collided and bruised his arm before he heard a few grunts, and the light of the lamp flashed over his closed eyes. He rolled onto his feet amidst this chaos. Only a moment to spare to look at where the ‘boss’ was before three more thugs ran in his direction and hopped over the bench.

Sly looked around, and saw a tray of ice with a large metal scoop. He gathered a large shovel of it before hurling it at them. The handle slipped off his grip and struck one of them in the chest, before the ice cubes scattered all over the floor. One of them slipped and held onto another for support, only to be pushed away. Sly backed away from them, along the bar, as he looked at the spirits that lined across the shelves to his left. Some were very cheap and were close to empty, while others were pricey and considered valuable. Sly, using his prior knowledge on those cocktail ingredients, grabbed some of the bottles, prioritising the cheapest or close to empty ones. He started with the ones that were near empty and skulked it in his mouth. Having the spirit by itself tasted bland, if not horrible. Not to mention just one mug-full of some alcohol was enough to knock him out. But he cared not. After holding the remaining beverage in his mouth, he glassed the nearest man. Then he would find another beverage that could compliment what he was holding and repeat.

He must have drunk whiskey at some point. After a few near-empty bottles, he was feeling dizzy, but still capable of avoiding the men. Sly resorted to grabbing the leftover beer bottles from patrons that had abandoned it there when they escaped, and throwing them. His aim was pathetic, especially with his current state. Every three bottles he threw, probably only one of them found its target.

Sly eventually made it to the other end of the bartending area, and was cornered there. Of the three he was going against, only two remained, with the other one losing his footing and slumping over the ground. He placed a hand to his mouth to hold a burp, but noticed a few cuts on it. Looking around, he could make out a few dirty dishes and something hovering over the sink. Sly fumbled for it, the world nothing more than senseless muffles in his ears, before pressing the trigger and hosing the remaining two. They screamed, their silhouettes fading into the back, until Sly could not see anything beyond a spray of water. Still he kept the hose on for a few more moments…or maybe longer, before his body gave in momentarily and he slumped onto the floor.

His blurry hands met the floor before his head could, a powerful sting shooting up his arm as he did so, but it barely hurt. The alcohol numbed it a bit perhaps. When things went quiet, aside from a few groans, Sly slowly lifted his head and, using the bench, pulled himself back up on his feet. There, he was met with an elegantly shaped bottle with some unique style of text in its label. It seemed familiar to him, and for a moment, he was thinking clearly, only to grab the bottle and add She is paying for this too.

Sly doubled over a bit, but managed to hold onto his stomach. That was a lot to drink.

As I was… about to say… I am… looking for a gui… then the world tilted slightly to its side before fading into darkness as he fell asleep.

Lexia was borderline nauseous, but she forced the feeling away as she saw her wolf jumping up onto the counter and watching the blonde haired trouble maker. The bartender looked over to him as well, opening his mouth to scold the scrawny kid as they suddenly declared that Lexia (much to her annoyance) would pay for the last bottle of the bars most expensive alcohol. Lexia frozen in a partial shock from the declaration at the expense of the alcohol. That stuff was worth a fortune around here-and she was never going to be able to work that debt off.

The bartender had angrily folded their hairy arms, his foot tapping in annoyance on the wooden floors. Then, rather suddenly, the foreigner collapsed to the ground halfway through his sentence about a gui... Guild? Guide? Something that Lexia couldn't determine.

Lexa ran over to him as Nithya growled at the bartender to keep him back. After apologising for her Nithya's actions, Lexia's knelt down next to him, straight away checking for a pulse. Nithya stopped growling and jumped over to investigate the bodies. Lexia was about to check for the pulse, she realised she didn't need to as she saw the light rise and fall of his chest. She was slightly relieved with this and she sat back up straighter to take in what the mess behind the bar was. There were another three unconscious people behind the bar with smashed glass thrown everywhere. They were all taken out by this rather small man. For a moment, a Lex felt a small amount of sympathy for him, but it barely lasted as she realised she was going to have to pay for that as well.

Never mind about the room he can't even get up. He can stay with me for a few nights Greg, then I'll send him on his way... Lexia said, her arms carefully slipping underneath his chest to hurl the foreigner up slightly. She almost dropped him straight away, not expecting someone so seemingly small to weigh as much as they did. Or perhaps she was just weak. A quick few clicks, and her companion stopped sniffing the weird bodies and trotted over to them and left the bartender alone. After laying the unconscious figure over Nithya, she gestured to their current room. The foenix seemed to understand and, with a rather careful step to ensure that the thing on his back didn't fall off, he made his way to their room.

"Ye do remember that I know ya can't pay for all of this." The bartender stated, stopping Lexia in her tracks. Her had her back to him, but she could feel his cold glare against the back of her skull. Her heart pounded as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

I can, like I always have. I'll work for you an-

"Ney, that won't work dis time missy. Ya gotta pay me upfront, dis is more problems than anything else. Ya cost me part of ma business ya have. The crowds draw in from all 'round to come 'ere, cause dere is no one else." He demanded firmly, walking over to a few of the unconscious figures, "I could have ya imprisoned for dis. But ney, I shan't dis ti-"

Let me look after him, then I'll figure out a way to pay you... Alright? Lexia cut him off, slightly turning to face him. He saw the look of panic in her eyes, and he shook his head.

"Ya know the payment, what we agreed to on ya arrival... No trouble, and if ya cause any... Ya forfeit him or something equivalent to pay ya debts." He stated, and Lexia nodded curtly. She knew the price all too well.

Please, isn't there something else that we can arrange? Lexia inquired, but the bartender simply shook his head in denial.

"Ney Lass, ya agreed to ya terms. Ya wolf or equal value." He demanded, and he knew that Lexia had only one item that could even get close to the wolfs price...

No, you know that I didn't have anything else at the time! And he meant the world to me, choose something else, please, I beg you...

"Lexia, ya know I demand my terms to be answered. So ya gotta do what ya agreed to lass. I can't make exceptions, even if ya were my own daughter." He still denied her, and Lexia turned her panicked gaze to him, trying one more time.

You know he means everything to me! Please, don't take him away from me.. He is all I have left! Lexia pleaded, but it fell on a rather angry bartenders dead ears.

"NEY LEXA. YA AGREED TO YA TERMS. NOW YA DO AS YOU AFREED TA. UNDERSTAND?" The bartender shouted, scaring a waitress who scurried back to the kitchen with a pile of dirty dishes. Lexia could not even try to respond, her words failing her as she tried to talk, but her voice froze with horror. He pitied her for the moment and instead of keeping her there, the bartender shook his head and turned his gaze away from her, muttering as he began to clean up the giant mess. She had a huge decision to make.

Lexia didn't even remember the walk back, nor getting Nithya to help her lay this foreigner on her rather thin bed, the only thing she had had to sleep on for the past several months. Her mind was too taken in fear and trying to comprehend the consequences for her foolish and rash actions. While the figure was somewhat sprawled on his back across her hard bed, Lexia searched his pockets and removed anything solid as she was going to roll him onto his side and didn't want him to wake up with any more injuries. She took out a few coins, laying them on the edge of his bed. However, Lexia was intrigued by the other device that she had found in his pocket.

It was a rather weirdly designed pocket watch, the eye seemingly stared back at her. She frowned as she looked at it, wondering what on earth it was for. She was mildly tempted to open it, but decided against it. It was something Lex had never seen before and she had guessed it was a family heirloom or something similar, like her necklace... It was the only thing that could pay for the debt outside of her pet. A bitter thought of using his watch to pay for everything crossed her mind, but she knew that it was heartless and a cruel act if she did, so she threw that horrible thought away.

She placed the foreigners item on the corner chest of drawers, sharing the same place as her rather old hairbrush as she didn't really want to mess around with it too much. Lexia, with a bit of an effort, pushed Sly so that he lay on his side, that way if he couldn't keep himself from hauling like he did previously, it wouldn't choke him to death.

While Lex did this, Nithya wandered back into the bar, looking for the cup Lexia placed down earlier. After finding that, and a few clean rags and napkins, Nithya snatched them up in his mouth, making a few trips to transport everything across.

Night pulled in, and Lexia had bound her cut hand in the rags that Nithya had found, previously cleaning them out with the alcohol. She had taken a few chunks of glass out from her hand and thrown them away. The foreigners bag was cast upon her only chair in the room which was next to the wall with the window and set at an awkward angle away from the almost empty chest of drawers on the opposite side of the room to the bed, holding just a single change of clothes. The old wooden furniture was in dire need of replacement, as well as the tattered and torn curtains that did little to block out the freezing chill of the air that came through the open window. Lexia knew not to complain for what she had been given.

Nithya had curled up near the locked door, his form blocking the light from underneath the doorway. With her bound hand, she had stopped the bleeding and further injuries. She knelt down on the floor next to the scrawny figure, frowning to herself as she struggled to figure out why she decided to try and help. A shade of red caught her attention and she turned her gaze to it. Gently, she picked up the foreigners unconscious hand, looking at the cuts. They were shallow, not too deep...

Lexia had a partial curse, able to heal others but not herself. Thankfully, she already had her magic reserves half filled from her fight, but she demonstrated her curse as her magic flowed from her and wrapped around Sly's injured hand. Slowly but surely, his injuries knitted together once again to return his hand to a non damaged state. She picked up a rag, clearing away the old and dried blood. There were small white marks from where he was injured, but these would fade in time. There were faint bruises where Sly had been hit, but her magic seemed to have drastically reduced their size to virtually nothing.

Lexia allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. This guy had no idea what she had sacrificed to help him out.

She took the bag off from her chair, sitting on it as she searched it, trying to figure out who exactly this scrawny person was. A few books, clothing, letters... The stupid alcohol... Only two things really stood out to her, a rather used journal and a rather peculiar letter. She opened the letter, scanning through. Lexia frowned, noticing small names and details written in the letter. However, again only two things really stood out to her.

Temporal ruins, rather rundown and completely abandoned place, and for good reason. That place was a disaster zone, tragedy waiting to happen with the loose stones... She shook her head, having almost lost Nithya to those ruins, she didn't want to even consider go back there. However, the more she though, the more that she realised that this is exactly where the foreigner wanted to go. . . and then there was a name which stood out to her; Sly-who she assumed was the stranger on her bed.

She quickly folded the letter back, placing it back in his bag as this Sly character stirred on the bed. Lexia froze for a few moments, but as she realised he was still sound asleep she released her pent up breath. Quietly, she opened the journal. Writing covered the pages, detailing random events and different things which Lexia had no idea how to interpret. As she was silently flicking through the pages, a soft tap on the ground alerted her to the fact something hit the ground.

She snatched it from the ground, going to put it back where it fell from. But there was an old looking image there that didn't exactly look important, and on closer inspection, Lexia felt her heart skip a beat.

It was like a family photo.

The people seemed happy there, smiled were on their faces. The people there were both young and old, there were numerous amounts of people in that one photo, so many that Lexia thought that it was a joke at first. There was no way that many people would be able to be happy at the one time, not with what Lexia had experienced... But when she saw the familiar figure in the photo, Lexia slightly sighed, realising that she had been fooled.

Quickly, she slipped the photo back into the journal and closed it again, putting it back into his bag. She lifted it onto the seat, before moving to the window. Lexia felt tears sting at here eyes, much to her annoyance.

It reminded her too much of her father, the facial expressions if everyone in the photo, ranging from the figure on her bed to the old man there as well. They were all happy, just like her father use to be around her. She remembered on every single one of her birthdays, coming home and having her dad basically run up to her to give her a giant hug. His sweat covered brow and greasy hands had partially stained her clothing, but she treasured the memory.

Absentmindedly, her fingers brushed against her necklace. It was the last thing her dad had given her before... He was taken from her. She sighed quietly, glancing down at the gold and platinum chain necklace, the small medallion hanged from it easily and she didn't know what to do. She was going to have to give it up to pay for the scene at the bar as it was the only thing she had left aside from her beloved companion. She looked back to Sly, who still seemed to be deep in his sleep.

Damn it Sly... So that's why you wanted a guide, to take you to those damned ruins... The least you could have done was not started a scene. Lexia sighed, the sound causing even her wolf to look up from its slumber. It's bulky form wandered over go its companion again, looking up at Lexia. She smiled half heartedly at the sight of her younger foenix and she knelt down next to it, feeling tears drip down her face as she leant against his furry hide to hide her tears.

How can I give you up little Nithya? The damn deal I made was to ensure that I'd never cause a scene.. And I blew it. I only have you and my father's necklace left that mean anything to me anymore. You know I won't be able to give you to their filthy paws... Lexia mumbled, silently furious with herself, but she wouldn't take her anger out on the slumbering figure. It was her own deal that she broke without a second thought to help them.

Temporal ruins... I know you don't want to go back, but we need to take him there. Her wolf whined quietly, and Lexia gently patted the creatures neck. I know, I know... But he needs our help, and if we don't do it, then what do you think will happen aye? The forests and plains around the ruins are crawling with people, and you know it and what sorts of people seem to be around there... We need to do this ourselves and besides, who else is going to be able to take him?

The wolf, again, whimpered and Lexia shook her head, feeling Nithya's head turn towards the bed. Yes, that's right, no one can especially after what he did today. If you could read and saw what I saw... You'd know why I want to help him out. He had a family like I did, but. . . I have a feeling that they are still there, and he needs to get back to them after visiting those ruins. We can't let him get himself killed out there.

Lexia sighed, glancing back up at the figure. She felt blood partially drain from her face as his tired silver eyes stared back at her. She was surprised, fear gripping her heart as she wondered how much he had heard. You're finally awake... Are you alright Sly? I'm Lexia, and I heard you needed a guide.

He was not out for long. Having too much to drink would hurt his ability to sleep. Worst moment was when he woke up. The first thing he remembered was a huge headache that started to bite into his brain. He did not want to get up at all, but in the same he wanted to. The bed he was resting on was hard, making his spine a little stiff. His head or his back, he was not sure which one was more severe. The pain was so bad, he could hardly open his eyes. Even if he tried to get up, the world started to whirl around him and it made him sick. He had to stop a bit to let his stomach settle.

A voice spoke to him, and he looked up to see he was in a rather worn out bedroom. There were a few furniture but all they gathered was dust. The floor was a bit off balance. He could see how the wardrobe was almost leaning towards the wall. There was a window, permitting moonlight as well as the streetlights outside. It was still dark. Well it did not matter. Now that he had sobered up, he doubted he could get anymore sleep. After the female voice finished speaking, he took a long while before he could recollect his thoughts and put together what had happened. He walked into a bar, looking for a guide, and someone decided to pick a fight with him on a bad day.

Sitting before him was a black haired woman. He squinted at her, like someone just flicked open the lights in his bedroom in the middle of the night. She must had given him her name, but he did not listen amidst his recovery. All he picked up from her was knowing that Sly needed a guide. Sly rubbed and pressed his throbbing head, then stiffened when he saw his bag wide open. His journal and clothing were scattered a bit along the bed. Sly pat his pockets, and felt nothing but his thighs. His timepiece was missing!

Sly looked around for it, ignoring the woman and seemingly a large pet dog of hers before he saw the sapphire eyes of his device on one of the drawers. He shuffled across the bed and reached for the timepiece, grabbing it by the chains before clutching the thing close, being almost as desperate as someone due for their medicine. Then he looked up and realised he just caught a glimpse… of a giant dog? Sly looked at the beast next to her. It was not a dog. But a wolf? A wolf with feathers? Bah! Why should he even be surprised if the Beyond was full of them?

I have been worse, he answered, groaning a little. His heart jumped when he remembered seeing the red cuts on his hand and he quickly pulled it away from his head. No. It was gone. Perhaps he was remembering things wrongly. This woman probably picked him up after his little scene and dragged him to this place. He could hardly think clearly. Only a few bottles and already he was forgetting what happened afterwards. Perhaps some of them were whiskey, or vodka. He did not care anymore. Thanks… for dragging me in here. My apologies but… what is your name again?

Sly gave her a pause, enough time to let her repeat her name.

And yes, I need someone to take me to Temporal Ruins. He tried to shake off the headache but to no avail. Fighting through it, he rolled himself off the bed and recollected his possession. Look, my apologies for being a burden back there, and many thanks for your hospitality, but I think it is best I go and look for an inn to stay. After zipping his bag, he uttered a sigh. A second look at her and he could see the redness in her eyes. She was crying at some point, not too long ago as well. If Sly were to be extremely nosy, he would inquire her about it but knew it was none of his business anyways. What happened to that man? The one I spat at and started a fight with?

With another groan, he pushed himself off the bed. He stumbled a bit with his first step, but was still on his two feet. Almost like a cripple, he staggered to the window and leaned on it. He could see the tavern he had walked into from here, and he quickly knew he was not in a hotel room. I… caused a lot of trouble, did I not? He said as he noticed the same man just bursting out of the inn with his gang and looking around. Sly moved away from the window, and a second after he heard cursing. I probably would not find another place to rest in anyways, now that he knows what I had done. Sly cleared his throat, almost gagging at the lingering taste of alcohol on his tongue. He covered his mouth as he turned to the woman. How much are you willing to charge for me to stay here? I only need the one night and I will be on my way. Then he saw the familiar, unopened bottle of wine that he snagged from the inn. It was a rare beverage, made from a winery that was destroyed many years ago. Sly remembered wanting to start a collection from this particular bottle. It was crazy expensive as well. And here it was. Sly hissed, cursing himself. I am very sorry. I usually never do this but… I do not have a lot of money. But once I return from the Temporal Ruins, I will give you a share in its treasures. I will let you hold onto something of mine as a… bond… Sly pat on his clothing, then rummaged his bag, looking for something of value aside from his timepiece.

There was nothing else. The books he had were ancient and, unless this woman was a collector herself, they were of no value to her. Sly’s arms slumped to his side and he craned in his head, huffing a sigh. He really did not want to forfeit his timepiece. He needed it for the Temporal Ruins. I tell you what. You can follow me to the ruins. If we came out with nothing of value, then I can give you my timepiece. It was the only thing he could offer, and he silently prayed at the back of his head that she would accept the offer.

Lex closely watched the rather disorientated man on her bed, frowning as he seemed to be trying to regather his thoughts. For a few moments, she considered that he didn’t exactly know where he was or the alcohol was still painfully evident in his system. Lexia quietly cursed as she realised that she didn’t zip up his bag from putting his belongings back into them. However, he seemed to be panicked about something else. She went to tell him where his watch was, but he sluggishly slapped his hand over the chain to drag it to him. As Lexia had feared, the device seemed to be incredibly important to him, something that was precious. I wasn’t going to steal it... She said quietly, Nithya’s gaze locking intently with Sly as the man suddenly realised there was a giant wolf right next to him.

She smiled a little as he seemed to look to his hand in a sudden shock, then confusion seemed to be dancing in his eyes. I am sorry to hear that-but your hand doesn’t hurt anymore does it? She asked, then as he requested, she repeated her name to him. However, she stated that Lex would also be fine as in his current state she didn’t think that he would be able to remember anything longer.

Nithya’s form inched closer to Sly, his head resting on the bed near his leg.

I think you will find that there’s only a few people that would know the safe paths to the Temporal Ruins. That place is riddled with death traps, decaying bridges and false paths... She quickly realised that he wasn’t exactly paying attention to her, and she shut up, nervously fiddling with a few strands of her hair. As he gathered his items, she stood back up and crossed over to her chair again, slumping down onto it as it almost creaked in pain. She watched as he seemed too interested in throwing everything into his bag to pay attention to her moving. I’m sorry for going through your things... I just know that folk like you don’t come out here without a really good reason, so I’m sorry for being nosey and doing something like that.

Feeling her cheeks slightly flush in anger, Lexia looked away from Sly, her fingers twirling around with the ends of her extremely long midnight hair. As he asked what happened to the man, she didn’t have enough time to answer as he pushed himself to his feet. Straight away, Lexia crossed the room to help Sly stabilise himself but she was quick to realize that he was quite alright without her help, she quickly backed away.

No, you didn’t cause much trouble, She lied, Nithya and I took care of the three who were originally trying to attack you, and I...  literally smashed a glass on their boss’s head. They didn’t know what happened and don’t remember that I did that. But sadly, I was unable to heal my own wounds and injuries, so that's why your hand is healed and mine isn't. Lexia laughed nervously, her injured hand pushing her hair away from her face. You managed to break around three dozen bottles and glasses, knocked out another three guys AND made me pay for the most expensive alcohol that the bar had. She half spat the second part of her sentence out; clearly unimpressed that he forced her to take such an action.

Angrily, she reached out in front of Sly and ripped the curtains back in front of him to block out the window’s view. I won’t charge you anything. She snapped, her anger finally bubbling to the surface as she half glared at him. She was extremely tempted to force Sly to pay for the damage which he had done to not only the bar, but also to pay for the bottle as well. It was clear by the photo that he had more than she did, however, it wasn’t her place to force her to pay. He was in no state to, just like she was.  However, she couldn’t stay angry at him and Lexia quietly sighed. No, I won’t charge you anything... I managed to have this place for nothing, so I won’t charge you. Lexa stated, her hands crossing over her chest as she glanced back down to her little Nithya.

Nithya slowly crept towards Sly.

She listened to what else that he had left to say, and she watched as he rummaged around in his bag, clearly looking for anything of value to hold as a bond. However, he had nothing. Then he did something Lexia was never expecting and he offered up his timepiece. It took her a few moments to realize that it was his watch, the one which she had taken from his pocket and which he just snatched up earlier. Lexia had already decided that that device was more precious to him than Nithya was to her. Slowly, Lexia started to smile, a genuine smile that hadn’t touched her face in many years.

Don’t be silly. That means the world to you Sly. Forget the bonds. Forget money. Forget treasures. That’s not how I work. Lexia said with a grand smile, looking brightly up to Sly. Nithya chose this EXACT moment to pounce; trying to knock Sly half gently back onto the bed as the wolf went to leap on top of him. From there, if he managed to knock Sly back to the bed, the great feonix would lick Sly’s face, nuzzling him like a cat and covering him with licks. Lexia burst out in a quiet laugher, before looking back to Sly.

That’s Nithya by the way, he’s a shapeshifting foenix. Think of him as a giant tail-less wolf, but not exactly tail-less because he has his feathers there instead... Normally these little things run around terrorizing people in the plains around here, but I found him at death's door and nursed him back to health again. From there he... well, became rather attached. She grinned, sitting next to the two as she petted her foenix.

But he’s never been to the cities, not like I had been there once. It’s been almost three and a half years since I’ve been close to them... Lexia trailed off her voice catching in her throat as she remembered what had once happened.

I... I tell you what, i am the only guide around these parts to know the exact location of these Temporal Ruins. Not the fake ones people have made to draw in the foolish public, the real ones in the north east from here. I will take you there on two conditions. The first one being that you show me exactly why your little . . . timepiece is so special to you, and seco- A rough knock on the door caused Lexa to cut herself off, and the familiar voice of the bartender demanded her to come out in the same moment.

Excusing herself from Sly, she nervously pushed open the door, her face suddenly dropping to a downcast and saddened expression. Lex clicked a few times, Nithya flopped off the bed in response and wandered over to the door. She opened it and peeked through the door. Realizing that her fate was there, she nodded and opened the door to let Nithya and herself out. Lexia quickly shut the door as she raised her head up to the bartender, tears brimming in her eyes. He sighed, shaking his head.

“Ya agreed to it lass... And I just had to turn them away from ya room. Come on, ya know the deal.” He said, somewhat gently to her, a small lead hanging loosely from his hand.

Lexia felt numb, her hand ruffling through Nithya’s feathery fur as he whimpered, looking up to her with his wide and loving eyes. She bit her lip, silently sobbing as she half cursed the man in her room. It was his damn fault... Lexia should have left Sly for dead and just helped him out afterwards.

But no. The silly little girl had to actually show that she cared and help him out. She nodded, and the bartender began to put the lead around Nithya’s neck. The wolf whined loudly, confused by the thing on his neck and, when the bartender gently pulled on it, he thrashed wildly, pulling at the lead as Lexia had her back to them. She turned her back to her pets cries of confusion, her head resting against the door as she heard his claws drag at the wood to go back to Lexia. He howled, whined and thrashed against the lead that slowly dragged him away. But she couldn’t do it.

Wait! Take this instead! She shouted, her hand slipping around the back of her neck as she felt the heavy gold and platinum necklace fall from her neck as she caught it. The bartender raised an eyebrow, looking at her like she was insane as he swapped her, seeing that her hands were shaking violently. The trade didn’t make sense to him... as it was her father’s last gift for the creature that never had left her side.

She slipped back into the room, slumping back into it as her pet whined quietly, not understanding what had almost happened. Nithya wandered over to Sly again, jumping up on the bed as he went to sleep against the weird human. Lexia felt her hands shake uncontrollably, and she pressed her back against the wall, slowly sliding down to end up sitting against the hard wood as she silently cried. Her knees were pulled tightly against her chest, and she rested her head against them. She stayed like that for a little while, her heart thumping in her chest as she couldn’t come to terms with what just happened as silent sobs racked through her. Lexa slowly managed to look back up, her wolf whining quietly at them both. Nithya seemed to have taken a liking to the blonde haired man, and Lexia tried to quench her anger towards Sly to blot it out. And failed.

Sly... tell me exactly why you want to go to those ruins... And why stop in at my bar, did you know that I was one of the three people who knew the ways to the Temporal Ruins? Didn’t you know the man you spat on was the local warlord...? I... She trailed off, burying her face against her knees to hide the stinging tears that refused to stop falling from her eyes.

This was like losing her father all over again, the last piece she had left from him... It was completely gone and she had no hopes of ever being able to see it again.

He stiffened a bit when she told him that she was not going to steal it. Well, that was only a part of what he was worrying about. This was all he had left, the only memories of his old master since the estate that was rightfully his was repossessed. As he thought of this, he huffed a sigh and decided not to go to deep with this. At least he had it with him. But now he had to wager it just to repay his little scene at the bar. His hand may have been healed, but nothing would hurt more than to part from this device. Still he wanted to repay her and put his own timepiece on the line.

She apologised for going through his belongings. Sly absent-mindedly wavered his hand. As long as you were honest, don’t worry about it. Not that I have a lot anyways. Sly said the last line rather downheartedly. Her pet foenix was getting way too curious with him and, knowing their kind as well as their behaviour, Sly tried to keep himself a bit of distance from it. I know of the interiors of Temporal Ruins. What I am worried about were the soldiers that stand around it, looking for the same thing as I am. I need a guide who knows how to evade them, as well as adept in the traps and structure of the ruins.

Sly tried to listen as she detailed about the events in the bar. As the alcohol still did not leave his system, he already forgot the first bit. He doubted it was anything important, but was a bit shocked to hear that she chose to heal him over herself. Being an apothecary himself, Sly would have helped her in return, but he did not have the equipment or solutions he needed. He did not even have a first aid kit. She confirmed his fears that he had forced her into buying that beverage that sat on the bedside table, still unopened. At this point, he would have thought of returning that drink, but doubted an inn was fond of refunds. The woman, who gave her name as Lex, told him he did not need to pay for anything. Despite what she said, he could see the tensed expression on her eyebrows. She really did not forgive him for what he did. I am really sorry about this. I will make it up to you, I swear.

However, his offer was met with another refusal. Before he could say anything else, her foenix pounced on him. Sly’s instinct was to shield his head with both arms, but instead of sharp claws to them, he was met with several licks and nuzzles. Nithya was its name. After Lex’s explanation, it seemed that this was a trained foenix. He never thought one was able to train such a beast. Many had tried before but, in the end, they were considered very unruly and dangerous.

Then, she made her offer to be his guide. At least she seemed to be aware of the phony guides Sly had come across but never gave a single coin. She claimed she knew her way around the area, with the only price being information on the importance of the timepiece. Seemed simple enough, but she never got to her second condition when someone knocked on their door. That voice. It belonged to the bartender. He was calling out for Lex, or Lexia was her full name.

As for Lexia, she was not too happy with the new arrival. Immediately Sly picked up that she was looking downcast as she reached for the door and slowly closing it behind him. Now he was alone. Sly stagged onto the bottom end of the bed and sat there, still trying to recover. Sitting here, he could at least listen to the conversation behind that door. But a lot of it was just muffles. Despite how rundown the place was, this room provided the sound insulation. There was whimpering and squealing of a foenix, then Lexia’s yell as she told the bartender to take something else aside from her pet. As to what, he did not know.

Sly could only sit here, in confusion and guilt as she finally came back inside, but welling in tears. Her pet did not seem hurt, but decided to sleep next to him on the bed. Lexia only just rested her back against the door before slumping and curling on the floor below. Sly bit his thumb, looking towards the window. He wanted to say something, but he had already expressed his apology, and he could do nothing more than that. She lost something that was dear to her, and looking at her carefully now, he noticed something was missing. Her necklace. Now that he remembered, it stood out as something that did not fit with her financial state. It was a pricy item compared to a room that looked like it was to fall apart any minute. He wanted to get that necklace back for her, but how? They could collect whatever was in the treasury of the ruins and trade it back? That could work.

Either way, Sly would owe a huge debt to her from now on. Certainly what he needed a week after losing his master’s estate…

I stopped at your bar because it is the only place I can find and I am in desperate need for a room, Sly explained slowly, balling his hands into fists. Look. What I did is unforgivable, I know that, and I have no idea the man that picked on me was some warlord of who knows what. I just need to get to the Temporal Ruins, get whatever I need, and I will be on my way. There is gold and everything in the treasury, so I will let you take as much of the spoils as you want. He then frowned a bit when she mentioned that only three people, including herself, know their way around the Temporal Ruins. Only three? If she were one of them, and Master Horus was the other, then that meant there was a third. Whoever that would be, it concerned Sly that they could be captured and was forced to reveal the treasury by the soldiers there.

He had to hurry.

The reason I need to head over to the Ruins is this, Sly brandished his timepiece and held it up on its chains, the device swinging like a pendulum before them. Earlier you asked why this thing is important to me. It is the only thing that will remind me of Master Horus. I was entitled to his wealth and estate, until some money-hungry grudge-holding disowned son of his decided to repossess them. This is the only thing I can sneak out with. And… he just stopped there. Beyond this reason, he could not remember why he had this timepiece. It was just…there with him. It was more than just a weapon of his, but this device held many mysteries that he was all too curious to solve. Then he thought about why he was heading to the Ruins. And it is missing a key piece. The Ruins has it.

An hourglass.

Lexia was silent as she listened to him, her eyes stinging with the tears. As she listened to him speak, her thoughts began to wander, stray from what was really bothering her. She cared not a lot about Sly and his goals, but her mind kept trailing back to her necklace, the foenix...  The event was burning in her eyes, painfully. It was something that had just happened, the choice of her pet over the final gift of her father. Silently, she wondered if he had noticed the price that she had to pay for his idiocy. Somehow, she doubted that she would ever see her beloved necklace again.

Her teary eyes still noticed Sly’s hands balling into fists, and she looked up at him as he continued his story. At least he had apologised and realised how much she was hurting at that current time. However, at the mention of the apparent spoils there, Lexia’s mind again wandered. Maybe she could use that to pay back the bartender and claim her necklace back. Little did she know, Sly was thinking something rather similar to her.

She noticed Sly frowning as she had mentioned the three people knowing the ruins. Did something bother him? She knew that one of them was an elderly man, and the second was another man looking to make a reasonable profit for taking people to the ruins. Lexia frowned, now that she thought about it; she hadn’t seen him around for a while. The one she showed the ways to the ruins, the one she guided... The elderly man. Silently, she wondered what the old man was currently doing. It had been many months since she last had seen him, and he didn't fair too well in the ruins. He clearly wasn't up for the task of travelling through the perilous ruins. Could these two be related? However, for now, she kept her thoughts to herself, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt as she listened to Sly explain further.

She did feel incredibly bad that Sly only had the timepiece left of his former life... just like she only had her necklace. But that was stripped away from her. At least Sly still had his. She smiled silently at that, somewhat glad that he still had something to live with to remind him of his master. At the mention of what it was missing from his timepiece, Lexia became rather curious. But none of it really made much sense, an hourglass wouldn't be able to fit into a device that was so small... She frowned, wanting to know if he actually was telling the truth or not. She guessed time would tell.

She remained silent for a few more moments after he stopped speaking, unsure of the stability of her voice. Your timepiece needs the final piece? And that is an hourglass...? What does this hourglass do, do you have any idea?

However, I can see why all of this is rather important to you... And why you want to find the final piece. The final piece to finish the puzzle-that would be rather satisfying to complete. I would be driven mad if I didn't have a complete timepiece, so I understand this.

Not everything is fun and rainbows though... I think you should know this... When I have been in the ruins, I did not see the treasure which you speak of. I have scoured all of the areas of the ruins, as far and as fast as I could. The only place that I did not search was one which was incredibly hard to get to... But I didn't have the time, people were there. They were a few kilometers away from the outer edges of the ruins, but no one, no group that large had been there before. Not so close. No one thinks to go there, so why were they there?! I don't know how come there were so many there... But there were people that... that I just hadn't seen before. This was but a few days ago... I am unsure of what the ruins will look like now, if the men would have stayed, or if they have gone elsewhere. If they could raid them there or not... But, theoretically, they should have passed by though and gone elsewhere.

I am taking guesses because a fair few uncanny things have been happening around here lately. I would even start to guess that they have stayed... Thankfully though, they won't know where that entrance to the ruins is though. Only two of us did. Myself, and... an elderly gentleman. Lexia had a bit of a smug look in her eyes before she realised what she had mentioned. Quickly, Nithya went to lick Sly's face once again to show that he was still listening. Then, if Sly would allow it, Nithya would plop his head onto the newcomers lap and huff out a sigh.

Lexia, on the other hand, remained quiet for a few moments to recompose herself. I can get you to the ruins by noon tomorrow-if you agree to leave early with me in the morning. The only reason I am suggesting this is because with all the things going on outside, it's highly unlikely that you will be able to make it out of town. Especially if we went in broad daylight.

She half smiled up to him, slowly standing from her crouched position on the floor. Lexia brushed her skirt down again, then looked back to the rather tipsy Sly. So I have a suggestion... Seeming you are still a bit under the influence of the alcohol, maybe you should rest... Because if you rest now, we might be able to leave early enough in the morning to bypass the guards and the gangs who are after you. If we can do that, we can get out of here unseen by everyone. And if you need to rest... Use my bed tonight as well, you are going to need as much rest and energy as you can get.

One thing Lexia deliberately didn't say was that she would probably crash on the floor with her pet if Sly took the bed. But, even if he accepted her offer but tried to tell her otherwise and for her to use her own bed, she would stubbornly refuse. There was no way that she would let him sleep on the cold, hard floor. Another night for her sleeping there wouldn't kill her and she had done it so often in the past that it didn't bother her in the slightest.

He was able to absorb some of what Lexia was saying at least. Having spent too much time surrounded in alcohol somewhat built some tolerance in him. He could pick out that she was asking about the hourglass that he mentioned. Its function was unknown even to him or Master Horus. All the motivation he needed to drive him far from the safety of the city and into the middle of the unknown to seek the heavily guarded ruins, was that the hourglass was one of the missing pieces to the timepiece he carried.

That aside, he could also think a bit more clearly now. He had caused enough troubles for Lexia, and really did not wish to drag her further into this mess. Then again, who else could he ask to guide him into the ruins? If he had known the guide was in the bar that he wandered in, he would not have made such a first impression, let alone start things off with this sort of trouble.

No, Sly said, answering her when she asked if he had any ideas about what the hourglass does. But what I know is that not only is it a missing piece to my timepiece here, but forces of Oak Hollow are also looking for it. So it has to be something.

Lexia then explained that she had been to the ruins but did not see any treasury of sorts inside. Sly was about to reason that it could have been well hidden, until she admitted that she did not explore ALL of the ruins. So there was another part of it untouched, but festered with men. Sly predicted they were the Oak Hollow soldiers. If they were here, then this meant they had the third guide with them. They would have to leave quickly. What was more worrying is that the last she checked was a few days ago. Could they have found it already?

But then, he picked up something that sparked quite an interest in him. As well as a bit of hope. An entrance to the ruins? But only two of the three guides know of this. One being her, and the other 'an old man'. Before he could ponder this any further, her foenix leapt and licked Sly again, pinning him onto the bed. Sly closed his eyes as he tried to wrestle the foenix, until it decided to lie on his lap. He wiped off the bit of slob on his face before turning back to Lexia. His heart jumped at her offer, almost making him stand up forcefully. We have to get there now. Sly pat Nithya's side, indicating that he wanted to stand. As he did so, the world whirled a bit but he quickly found his footing. As if right on cue, Lexia commented about his current state. I am fine, he said. He checked his timepiece, the many gears glowing in an array of colours before him and images of dials burst from the device, some markings glowing on them as if they were to tell something.

Four hours until daybreak, Sly said, snapping it shut and pocketing it. We can rest later. He packed his belongings, strapped his bag and made his way to the door. If Lexia tried to oppose, Sly still insist on having to go now. Especially with the scene he had caused, he did not want to be out within the eyes of the town with the risk of causing another brawl or a lynch mob.

---

Soon enough, Sly found himself feeling the cold breeze against his face. As if his consciousness just woke, the sun streamed from the horizon in front of him and pierced the small tree. Squatting on the grass, that reached half his height, he peered over a small bluff to a few trucks on the dirt track below. He made sure he was well hidden, peaking only when no one below was looking up in his direction. Sure enough, the emblem of an oak tree on their shoulders indicated they were the Oak Hollow forces. If they were still here, this meant they have yet to find the treasury.

Sly spied on them a few more minutes. The men were carrying what looked like M16 rifles, but nothing much else on them. Opening their trucks, it looked as if they were loading supplies to take to the ruins. With how many boxes, Sly predicted it was enough to feed a small army, let alone their excavation group.

Too many men, Sly said to Lexia (if she is near him). We will have to take the long road around.

Lexia couldn’t help but be amused as she watched Sly cautiously look over to the forces down below. It was almost as if he didn’t really do it that often-or maybe it was her experience which made him look like a slight novice. Admittedly, Lex had been rather surprised when he was suddenly was up and ready to go that night. Even after drinking at least a litre of alcohol. From the small tavern, the two did manage to sneak out, however, it did cost a little bit of time. More than what she would have liked as she began to worry that there were far too many people there to waste time. Her fears were confirmed when they had looked over the ridge to see the forces. The area surrounding the ruins was crawling with them, however, as far as Lexia could tell, they hadn’t managed to breach the natural walls of the ancient ruins.

She didn’t recognise the boxes or knew what they were for as she had been cut off from society for so long. However, judging by Sly’s expression, she guessed that the answer wasn’t a positive one. Probably something which would most likely lead to their death if they tried anything rash in this current predicament.  Lexia continued her search, her focus drawn away from the major group as she scanned. They hadn’t made it there. With a small click of her fingers, Nithya made his way to her, nuzzling her upright hand as he then looked at her. She ruffled his feathery fur before Sly spoke. Lex looked back to the group and had to agree. If they wanted to go around the army, he was right. However, what they needed was only around fifty meters from the army. Lexia shook her head, before drawing her form away from the ledge and beckoning Sly to go to her.

If he would go to her, she would then speak quietly to him, still kneeling on the ground as she did so. ”The ruins secret entrance is around fifty meters away from the army. However, it’s too close, we will be spotted before we even reach there. So...” Lexia looked down to her little pet as the feonix looked up to her, its eyes almost glinting as it knew what she was about to ask. ”Little Nithya here can distract the army. He’s fast enough not to be hit, and he can still run around if he’s been hurt. . .” Lexia said, before trailing off. She gently rested her head against Nithyas mane as his chest rumbled softly. ”Please don’t question me on this Sly, I-I know you probably don’t think that it’s a good idea, but... it’s the only way into the ruins. As I have said as well, there aren’t many people which know their way around and into the ruins. So, I don’t trust anyone else but me to lead you into them. All you need to do is follow me. Go exactly where I go and we will be alright. Hopefully.” Lexia stated, almost daring Sly to question her with her decision.

Even though she really didn’t want to half sacrifice the last thing which she had in the world, Lexia really didn’t have a choice. It was either they turned back now and let the forces collapse into the ruins, or she took Sly in there now and trust that her brave pet would be able to fend for itself.

If Sly did agree to her terms, Lexia would kneel down, whispering quietly to Nithya before she would hug him. With a small yip, it would morph into something much smaller, before darting straight to the army. Watching him go, Lexia felt her heart swell in sadness, then looked up to Sly. ”Alright, let’s go.” She instructed, after hearing gunshots go off. They had only a few minutes before they would stop trying to chase her much smaller animal and Lexia would lead Sly through a thick tangle of vines and trees, the only thing which sheltered them and the ruins from the scorching morning sun. She pushed the vines away, silently slipping between them with ease due to her being around the trees for so long. Sly however, might have a bit more difficulty as the gaps were incredibly small and Lexia would step forward and snap the vines if he needed the help.

The doorway was normally a somewhat of a cluster of vines, branches, and stones which were able to be moved, but time was running short and Lexia could hear the gunshots and shouts becoming quiet again. She knew their attention would turn back to the ruins, and Sly and herself only had a few minutes before they would be upon them. Panic rose in her and she looked to him, ”The doorway is around here Sly, help me move this!" Lex would instruct, trying to lift a hatch made of the thick leaves and branches which looked identical to the grounds around it.

The entrance was incredibly well hidden, almost as if someone or something had gone to great lengths to keep everything hidden. Especially the ruins. It was almost to the point of being an incredible first layer of a natural defense. However, only if someone had known where the entrance was would anyone be able to find it and enter. Lexia was one of the luckier few which had found it.

This was where he rested the entire mission onto her hands. It was rather awkward for him, as he was used to completing missions on his own and ensuring that he pulled his weight for any party he was involved in. But this one seemed a little different. Now that they were in this deep within Oak Hollow territory and without any knowledge on the environment here, it was like his life is now chained to her trust. The very thought of this sent his heart straight to his throat, ramming against his chest like it turned into a drum for some heavy song. He took a deep breath. Of course he did this before, going into the heart of enemy territory. This was the first time where they hardly have any backup plans. He knew of some allies willing to assist him if he made the call, but they were at least an hour away. If they were compromised before then, they would be corpses in ten minutes. Such was one of the many reasons why Oak Hollow forces were one of the most feared groups to fight with. Strong and relentless.

Up the road, hidden behind the overgrowth and entangled with thick vines, were the worn bricks of what used to be the largest temple. A home to one of the most prosperous natives that had long ago been extinct or reformed into modern society. Much of that was already explored, but still there were men patrolling the area as well as the excavators they managed to buy to assist them. Sly gritted his teeth. There was a chance that the third guide had already shown them the hidden entrance, and in a few moments, they would have bombed their way through to the hidden treasury.

Lexia told him of the hidden entrance some distance from them, but enough to remain hidden. Sly looked back to her with wide eyes, stiffening at her suggestion to send her foenix into the enemy soldiers. There are only three of us against thousands of them. If anything happens to him... no. We have to stick together. However, his suggestion was quickly taken apart. The secret entrance was perhaps the only way into the ruins without alerting the soldiers. After a lengthy pause, Sly gave her a nod, but not before putting a hand on his back away from her sight and cupping it. His timepiece reacted to such gesture, a glowing blue and silver stream of many tiny gears pouring from the device and circling above his fingers. They condensed and merged, like some very intricate puzzle, until they made one large gear. It was no bigger than Sly's palm, the flat component dropping onto it. Different symbols were marked along the gear, glowing and fading independently like they were meant to tell something. This gear was filled with many gear pieces embedded with protective magic.

As Lexia gave her farewell to Nithya, Sly quietly slipped the gear within the thickest patch of his fur, the gear sticking to him as he then darted off. At least he would be safe, as long as he was not running through the enemies repeatedly. But then again, Sly had forfeited his greatest defence. If the two were spotted from now, he would be rather powerless to protect them both from their crude weapons.

The sudden pop and bang in the air snapped him back to reality, and Lexia used this moment as a signal to move. Sly followed closely behind her, taking some time to look towards the ruins. He could see some heads rushing off and yelling on top of the gunfire, as they were perhaps trying to chase off the foenix. Up ahead, he could not see anything beyond 5metres in front of him due to the dense trees and bushes. He had to be careful not to trip over the protruding roots or wring his neck over a hanging vine. Compared to Lexia, he had the most trouble trying to manoeuvre this jungle. At least it was deathly quiet. Still very easy to get lost.

She led him to what appeared to be a hatch on the ground, well covered in the fallen leaves or vines that anyone could miss it. Before Sly could ask anything, the distant gunfire had ceased and it was enough to make Lexia lose her calm. He did as he was told and helped Lexia pull the hatch open. It was stuck at first, rusted from years without use, but eventually it gave way. Sly could then hear the distant yelling of soldiers as they approached.

Quickly! Sly said, pulling the door wide open before jumping onto the steps. He waited for Lexia to descend further down before he would then close the door behind him. It was nearly pitch black in here saved for the bits of light that pierced the few gaps, the air very musty with who knows what. Sly froze, hearing the footsteps and commands above him. None of which seemed to be about seeing two people or seeing the ground opening at where they stood. Bits of dirt got into his eyes as they stood upon the door, talking about what to do with the large sum of money they would earn from this expedition.

Looks like we made it, Sly whispered, walking down the steps until they met a hallway. The air here was rather tight, but there was light along the way. Torches were lit and hung on the walls or stands that were centuries ahead of the people that resided the temple. We are not alone, Sly said. It looks like they managed to find their way in.

The hallway was only a straight path with a few bends until they encountered the first large room. It had long ago been emptied with whatever treasure previous excavators had found, leaving behind broken vases or statues. There were five soldiers here, equipped with what appeared to be M4 plasma rifles, standing in the centre as they chatted with one another. Beyond them, there were at least three different passageways for them to take, but this he had to leave it to Lexia.

We cannot fight them without any noises echoing across the ruins and alerting the others. But it will not be easy sneaking around them. Sly said, looking at the four broad columns that stood in a square formation in the centre. He crouched within the shadows, well away from the light of the torches. It was their only cover if they do, and they could not rely on the shadows due to the number of torches. If you have any ideas, I will follow up on them.

Lexia, as soon as she was able to, jumped down and into the dark, musky and damp smelling hallways. It must have rained recently, she mused for a few moments as she waited for Sly to pull the hatch shut. Pressing her back against the wall, she slid down it to sit for a few moments, her senses alerted. Her eyes were wide as she silently listened to the footsteps drawing closer, sure that her current expedition partner would be able to hear her heart thundering in her chest. It was not only due to her fear of being caught, but she had also lost the last thing which she had of her pet. The last part of her family.

Nithya...

Lexia gently bit her lip, forcing herself not to feel anything aside from a deep regret. His sacrifice would be in vain if she wasn't able to lead Sly down and further into the ruins. She forced herself to stay still for a few moments, listening to them yabber on about how much money they were going to get. That's all humans cared about. Money. Greed. Lexia waited until the characters had well and truly passed from overhead, their voices fading into the background. Her heart ached, and she kept looking to the hatch, her mind digging up memories and images of her pet. What didn't really help was that some of those images which she conjured were basically of him being riddled with bullet holes and laying dead on the ground in front of her. She shuddered at the mental image, forcing herself to slowly and quietly exhale through her mouth. This wasn't the time to panic, she needed to get Sly down to where she promised...

But was it worth her family?

Lexia shook her head, casting the thoughts from her mind. Now wasn't the time!

The gentle flames of the walls around them cast their glow against the cobblestone walls of the hall, causing Lexia to frown. This wasn't part of the plan. They weren't meant to be here just yet... Lexia would feel a small phantom nudge against her leg. She felt her panic flare again, and she instinctively went to attempt to pat the nudge which... She glanced down and felt herself catch in her throat. He wasn't there...

Lexia missed what Sly had said as she felt her anger and despair build in her. In that moment, her face blanked of all emotion. A mask. Glancing across at the five people looking through the vases and other old artifacts on the ground. Good cover. Four pillars. She smirked.

Pulling herself back into the darkness, she indicated with her hand two of the guards closest to their position and to the left of the room. She left the easy targets for Sly, choosing the three tricker ones for herself. Mentally, she mapped out the area in her mind, quickly determining the best places for her to duck into and hide. Lexia slowly exhaled, calming the last of her emotions to rid herself of them completely. Without a care, she ducked into the room, her form held low to the ground as she hid behind one of the large vases. Her symbols on her back and arms glowed softly as she continued to approach them.

Lexia held still for a moment as one of the guards turned towards her, and her smirk bacame a little larger. He leaned over to peer in one of the vases next to him. In a split second, Lexia lashed her foot out, catching the back of his knee. Her hand went to his throat, the tip of a flaming spear slashing through his windpipe. She quickly lowered the body to the ground, holding him there and still as the other two targets of her continued to talk. Once she was sure that he was dead, Lexia dragged him to the base of the vases which was was near the pillar to the right of the entrance.

Lexia frowned to herself, how was she going to get the other two apart...?

Her fingers curled around a small stone and she threw it to the base of one of the pillars, on which was around 7 feet to her left, while the pair stood a further 12 feet away from her. One of them would nod and raise their gun, the other making their way towards  the noise without a care in the world.

She grumbled quietly to herself, an inward grumble of annoyance before she would tighten her hold on one of her spears as she stayed crouched. With a dash, Lexia would lunge forward and, assuming that Sly had taken out the other two she told him to, would slam the spear straight through their head, her hand flicking out as she released a further volley of 3 flaming spears. However, the third target would roll forward to dodge the spears, ripping his gun from being hung around his neck. Lexia could see the anger in his eyes for killing his friend, which was why he hadn't called out or made a signal to send for reinforcements.

She spun around, slamming her back against the pillar to buy herself more time. Fire built in her hands as she conjured another few spears, her energy faltering. Lexia found herself not caring, if he shot her, she would be shot. There wasn't much she could do about it. With a small sigh, she waited until she could hear their footsteps coming around the side of the pillar closest to Sly. The pillar was at the far right of the room, incredibly far from where Sly stood and the two targets she sent him to take down were.

Lexia was alone. She smiled sadly, looking down to the rubble below her.

So this was it.

She used her fire once more as she went to slam the spears into their head and neck, aiming for an instant kill.

Their finger tightened around the trigger, aiming for her chest.

A single shot went off.

It did not take long before she decided on what to do. They were going to take down this group. Though it would be a miracle if they managed to do so without raising an alarm. Who knows how many were waiting beyond the corridors? The last thing he wanted was to fall before he could complete master Horus' wishes. Even with the two together, they were ill-equipped for infiltrating these ruins and leaving to tell the tale. But neither did he want them to get their hands on the artefacts.

Crouching, Sly crawled behind a vase on the left side of the room. Understanding what Lexia wanted, he eyed on the two targets without question. It was simple for him to get into position as he opened one of his hands, his timepiece reacting and pouring white glowing pieces all over it. They manifested into a dagger, but on the guard it contained a trigger mechanism. He could only take out two at the same time with confidence. Three was pushing it. He figured he should wait for Lexia to ready herself as well.

The two targets were roughly 3metres from the vase which Sly hid behind. From here, he saw one of the other three drop to the ground and into the shadows. No one seemed to have bat an eye. They were now really committed to taking them out before anyone else found the body. Sly rested his back against the heavy vase, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. It had been a long time since he was out in danger like this, but even rarer still that he participated in anything requiring such stealth. One slip up was all it took before they would be done in.

He snapped from his thoughts by the skidding rock across the room, the rattling echoing over the room. One of the soldiers, gun out and ready, walked towards it. The two which were Sly's targets had their backs turned to him as they also searched for the source.

Then Lexia emerged, her spear out, and stick her weapon through the man's skull.

Sly held the trigger, and the gears in his weapon spun eratically, emitting a low whirling noise. Standing up, he pointed the weapon towards the two and released the trigger. White marbles, which formed around him from his timepiece, sped towards the two, opening into miniature throwing knives. They dug into the back of their necks, forcing a bloodcurdling gargle as they gasped their last breath. The two slumped forward, their blood pooling onto the floor as they lay limp, the knives breaking apart and returning to Sly's device.

He looked up and stiffened. The last guard dodged Lexia's last attacks and had his gun out, aiming towards her. Damn it! They had to silence him now before he started yelling. He was too far from where Sly stood and he needed recharge his weapon before it could shoot anymore marbles. Having no other choice, he flipped the weapon until he held the flat sides of the blade between his thumb and finger. Pulling it back, he aimed and fling, the weapon spinning towards the soldier. He managed to fire one shot, the loud bang sounding throughout the ruins, before the dagger sunk into his temple and sprayed blood everywhere. Sly rushed up to him. It did not look like he was getting up after that, and he forcefully pulled the dagger out of his skull.

Lex! Sly said, a hand reaching to her as he stepped forward. The room echoed with another voice, followed by the drumming of footsteps. He hissed between his teeth. They were spotted before they could even lay eyes on the treasury. Sly grabbed one of the M4 plasma rifles before he ran up to Lexia to assess her wound. If she had any. Are you alright?

Sly whipped back to one of the corridors, where the noises were coming from and a lot louder than before. Carefully he carried her, putting her good arm over his shoulder before slowly pulling her up. We cannot stay here. Which way? We will lose them in the maze of this ruins.

Sly turned left and right, waiting for Lexia to speak. If she pointed him to one of the two remaining corridors, he would quickly stagger towards it. Any few guards they met on the way, Sly would raise the rifle and shoot them with his one hand.

The shot rang through her ears and a pain flared through her side. Her swing went wide and overshot her target. Instead, a dagger seemed to appear in his temple, crimson dancing across her arm. Lex's arm dropped to her side, feeling the warmth of blood freely run down her side and between her fingers. She pressed her hand into the wound, dropping down to the base of the pillar as she braced herself with her opposing hand. Her hand danced with flames and she grit her teeth. This was going to hurt. But she didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. Die of blood lose, or do it.

She heard Sly's footsteps as she pushed herself back onto her knees, her head spinning as she felt rather nauseous from the injury. She knew that she had to do this. It was either this way or she would greet her father. Lexia froze. Her dad... Why was she considering him at a time like this! She couldn't focus on the past, she had to keep going! But he was the only thing that she had left of her past life, the only one to give her the necklace. She felt the blood drain from her face like a tap,

For a few moments, Lexia didn't feel like that was a rather bad idea. She felt Sly's hand brush against her and she ignored it... Gritting her teeth, her palm ignited at her side. Almost instantly, her skin would react to the temperature violently. In a few seconds, she felt the skin melt and fuse, curling around itself to seal the wound. She slammed her fist into the ground, slashing it on a broken vase as she tried to keep herself from crying out in pain.

Damn this stupid Sly. First he cost her the tavern.

Then the necklace.

Then her pet.

And now she was suffering because of him.

Ergh, stupid human!

She felt him pull her to her feet, slinging her arm around his shoulder. Lexia missed what he had originally said, her mind clouded with pain that she felt. For a few moments, Lexia would somewhat stare into the two hallways, unable to keep herself focused on figuring out just which one was meant to take them further in.

Looking from left to right, Lexia couldn't recall the layouts of the ruins. Hell, she didn't even recognize what room or floor that they were on. Her mind simply blanked.

Her heart hammered as she felt panic build in her again as she became vaguely aware of the sound of feet. Shaking her head, she would indicate the right path. "It'll be clo...se... But... there's another trap door... it'll lead down to ... to... ummm... Another level. It's the best shot of getting out of this right now." Lexia instructed.

If he decided to follow what she had stated, the trap door would be a small pushable brick which would trigger the wall to open up by around 2 feet, enough for them to squeeze through. After they managed to get through, it would seal again behind them. The floor would then drop down in a steep angle, drastically leading them further and further down into the pit. The slope would lead to another wall and, 30 feet before they would touch it, the ground would flatten out and become carefully carved. There would be a stairway which would spiral down, only around 1 foot wide. Next to it would be a 15 feet drop.

At the bottom, there would be four entrances, but Lexia would beg him for a break, to rest for a few moments as she would feel incredibly faint. She would then ask if he remembered to bring any water with him, or if they were to die of thirst down there.

Then make the comment of the ruins being partially insane with their design.

Slowly he pulled her to where she pointed, keeping his eye on his back in case they were discovered. This hallway led to a sharp curve, lit by a single torch. Large silhouettes brushed past the illuminated walls, and he adjusted his grip, pointing the nozzle towards it. As he expected, more soldiers came around. A sudden series of bang echoed all over the hall, almost ringing in his ears as he squeezed the trigger. The gun recoiled hard, his aim flailing as it was unsteady from the one hand. He made sure to fire in short bursts, readjusting his aim to send a few rounds into their chests. The gun gave off a low booming noise, almost like a louder version of distant lightning strikes. It was also getting hot, a problem with integrating burning plasma into the bullets. Such thought made him wince at how Lexia cauterised herself, her flames searing into her flesh and leaving a nasty red burn scar all over her wound. If it were a normal bullet, the bild move would have been quite beneficial. But with plasma bullets, they were designed to break down the affected area and preventing it from healing properly. At least she forestalled that, but Sly had to treat her quickly.

Sly searched the walls for the brick she referred to. It was not much to go on. He figured to look for one that was slightly different. Maybe of a different colour? Or sticking out a little? It was quite impossible, not with how time had eroded and shifted the bricks disproportionately from their usual spot. After killing off perhaps the 8th soldier, Sly found one of them that did not seem to have been affected by agae at all. The cement around it was rather loose, almost as if it could be moved.

He pressed it. With a low grumble, the ground shook, and a portion of the wall next to it shifted and spun, revealing a new area enshrouded in darkness. Having nowhere else to run, he stepped in.

Only to find his foot inclined at an awkward angle and pulling his body forward. Instinctively he dropped his weapon and flailed, trying to grab hold of something, but he was too late. He landed hard on the ground, palm first before knocking his chin on the hard ground. The wind seemingly pulled him deeper, going faster, and Sly quickly realised he was sliding further into the ruins. He kept his hold on Lexia, but his weapon was lost in the darkness, clattering and skidding somewhere around him.

Eventually the sliding went to an abrupt halt. As if sensing presence of life, the room roared, and light filled the room from the torches. Bruised and shocked, Sly rolled and shifted onto his feet, carefully setting Lexia down. It was quiet down here, but no doubt the soldiers were alaerted of their presence. The air even more musty and smelt of old bones. It was filled some strange artefacts, never really seen with his own eyes before and glittering behind layers of dust. Sure enough, this area was undiscovered, but what anyone could retrieve here was nothing compared to much of the treasury discovered long ago. Perhaps it was a secret room to store items of sentimental value. There were four entrances here, along with a small staircase leading to at least one of them.

Sly rested Lexia on the wall, before he checked her arm. It looked like she stopped it from bleeding but the grotesque black and red pulp was heavily inflamed. Sly opened his bag and fished out some green ointment and bandages. He gently rubbed a generous amount over her, the cream giving off a fresh scent of herbs and mint, before he wrapped it over in bandages, only tight enough to hold onto her.

That should do for now, Sly said before he slumped next to her. He searched his bag and found a large silver canteen of cold water. Sly poured some of it on the lid, which acted as a small cup, and gave it to Lexia. He then carefully poured some from the container directly into his mouth, uttering a loud relieving sigh before setting it down. This place would have been enough to satisfy an archeologist. He commented before picking up his rifle. He jerked and pulled the magazine out, staring directly into the red glowing cartridges before discarding it off to the side. This place used to be a gold mine for those looking for glory. No one really knows how the temple came to be or why it exists. Some theorised it is built the moment time starts.

Sly rested his arm over his knee. They had a plan on how to get to the treasury and out alive, but now that they were discovered, it would be very difficult to even abandon their task and return to their ordinary lives. Even worse was that he did not have Mirage with him anymore to protect them. He still had seven other weapons at his disposal, but... Sly just glimpsed at Lexia's arm. Hey. In case I have yet to tell you before I sobred up, I am really sorry. I am sorry about your necklace, and dragging you into this. I did not want to, but you are the only one left I can count on to get the artefact off the hands of Oak Hollow. Perhaps I was not thinking straight back then. But you will get out of here alive. I will make sure of that.

Sly conjured his white gear once more, the body elegantly crafted with white rods twisting in an elegant pattern. Lesser versions of itself appeared and collected around it before Sly pushes it into the magazine slot of his rifle. The gun suddenly glowed white and changed shape a bit. The jarring protrusions smoothening, and appendages grew all around it. A pair of membranous wings sprouted near the scope and two pincers emerged bellow the nozzle. The glow died down quickly, but the weapon remained white with a few green features all over it, giving it a strange appearance of an insect.

When you are ready.

As soon as the wall was against Lexia's back, the adrenaline slowly began to fade from her as she tried to catch a few moments of rest. Almost instantly, she felt the pain of searing her own wound stab through the cloud of protection which she had given herself. Her arm ached, throbbing painfully as she rested her head against the stone walls. Why did she allow herself to get into this giant mess? The answer to that question would elude her, but she reminded herself that only a few knew of that entrance to the ruins. The other entrance... It must have been discovered, but she had been through every inch of the ruins and its surroundings to ensure that virtually nothing would be able to find it. Maybe she just wasn't good enough to think of all the pesky people who would try and find it.

Lexia would groan quietly as Sly prodded and poked her arm, giving him a partial glare as he touched it. She didn't know what he was doing, but he would rub some weird ointments which reminded her of a greenish colour onto the marks of red and black. However he would quickly cover the injury with a few bandages, tightly winding it around her arm to ensure that the wounds wouldn't reopen easily. She nodded her thanks, before wrapping her slender fingers around the steel flask. It was surprisingly cold still, and she would only take a small sip from it before passing it back to Sly. The water lasted barely long enough to ease the dryness in her throat for a few moments, before it flared once more with the dry air.

Lexia would watch Sly carefully as he picked the rifle up, making a comment about the architecture. It was one of the reasons why Lexia preferred this side of the ruins, it was more random, more scattered and had a sense of individuality and spontaneity. The other side was ordered, ensuring that everything would flow and fit perfectly together. She enjoyed how this side would end its walkways randomly in dead ends, or have the little trap doors everywhere. This side intrigued her much more. However, she had to agree with Sly, these ruins were incredibly old – and were older than anything which she had encountered. At Sly’s apology, Lexia would sigh.

“Thank you for your apology, but, if I am honest... I don’t care if I live or die, I have nothing left. The only thing I want is to get you to your treasury and then get you out safely.” She would say simply, her fingers grasping a small stone before forcing herself from her rest and onto her feet once more. Her arm flared at the movement and she would partially wince from the feeling. How she wasn’t forgetting everything was a miracle to her, however, she faced the wall and began to use the stone to drag it across the surface.

Humming quietly as she did so, Lexia would drag the stone in and through cracks in the wall. “There was a secondary entrance to the room where you wanted to go, if my memory serves me right. I just thinking that maybe the place I found a year ago would lead there. I just...” Her voice trailed off as she sighed. “Nithya was the one who found the original passage down here – I just need to find it again.” Lexia muttered.

Her fingers and the rock traced through the bluestone walls, frowning as she tried to find what she was looking for. With a smile, she would lower herself to her knees and use her fingers to brush away the dirt on the lowest stone. She would glance back at Sly, “Come next to me.” She would instruct. After waiting for Sly to come closer to her, she would push the rock forward. Where Sly was standing would slide to the side to reveal another passage down through the stones.

With a nod, she would quickly jump down a story and land gracefully on her feet. The shock from the ground stung her feet, but she ignored it. She looked up to Sly, wondering if the scrawny male would be able to follow suit or if he would need the help. If he needed it, she would give it to him, before turning right and taking that path down the halls.

Unlit torches either side of the small and close walls would ignite as they walked, illuminating their path. “The other entrance is just up ahead, however... there’s a catch. It’s in the middle of a wall in the treasury room. So... If we open it and they are near it, we could be in strife. So, I don’t know what you want to do here.” Lexia said quietly as they approached a dead end with a rather obvious lever.

“And don’t touch the lever. It’ll flood the hallway.”

He took back some of the water which Lexia left and drunk all of it before capping it. Though it did shock him with the way she accepted his apology. Her thought that she had nothing left and that she had no regard for what happens to her. He wanted to say it was not true, she still had her pet. At least he would be safe with Mirage, but he wondered where the foenix would be while the two were underground somewhere. If only he could sense where Mirage was. He uttered a deep sigh, looking out across the room once more. Maybe it would have been best if he were to ask Lexia to map out the directions he should take. That way, at least he could guarantee she would safely be with her foenix. He could grab a few coins from the treasury and may her back for her help and for the lost necklace.

But it was too late for that and the door behind them was closed far too long ago. Sly shook himself awake when Lexia groaned, pushing herself back onto her feet. He hovered his hands over her arm, careful not to touch her but ready if she were to fall. It turned out she did not need his help, and Sly just followed close behind her. She mentioned about another passage to the treasury and, thanks to her foenix, she found it here in this very room. Sly was not sure what he was meant to find but Lexia knew as she got onto her knees and searched the bricks. Sly packed the water canteen into his bag and did as Lexia told him to.

She pushed one of the bricks in, and immediately Sly felt the ground shook. It descended a bit, and Sly quickly sidestepped off the sliding door. Lexia quickly adjusted her legs into the gap and pushed herself into the depths. Sly listened carefully and, judging by the timing of her boots landing, it was quite a steep drop. The torches below flared, and he could see the bottom. Sly quickly followed after her and braced his legs, landing with nothing more than a mere sting across them before he got back up. They were standing in the middle of a long hallway, stretching to darkness on all sides. But from one side, Sly could hear the distant and muffled chatter.

Lexia headed towards the noise, claiming that the treasury was this way. But hearing how she described the attachment between this hallway and the treasury, it meant there was no way they could sneak around them without being seen. Not that they could anyways. As they got closer, the talking was more louder, more stressed. Orders were being yelled, telling them to be on their toes and not to let anyone near the treasury.

When they made it to the wall, all Sly could see was a lever. At first, he thought it would open the wall until Lexia warned him that it was a trap. With how well this place was unused and preserved, it was much more easier for him to spot a small brick protruding out of the same wall. Sly checked his gun before stacking on the wall, putting his ear to it. They were not talking as much, but he could hear footsteps and some whispering. At least three soldiers, but surely there would be a lot more guarding this place. They could not risk jumping out and recklessly attack them.

Sly thought of an idea, and he stepped towards the lever. We will probably have a whole platoon waiting for us on the other side. A wall opening from the middle would attract too much attention towards us. I am going to flood the treasury. At least we will keep the gold out of their hands. Once I open the wall, get ready to fight our way through. There should be a dias on one side of the treasury on top of a set of steps. Meet me up there.

He waited for Lexia to speak any complaints. If she had any, Sly would just tell her that it was the only way to get through with a chance that they could make it out in one piece. The sudden rush of water would provide enough of a distraction for them to make their first strikes and run for cover. He knew Lexia was wounded and may not be able to fight, but he would tell her to stick close to him if she needed. When he heard her approval of the plan, Sly would immediately push the lever down.

The whole hallway shook and groaned, and suddenly the roar of waters echoed and gushed onto their boots. Amidst the torrent of rushing water, Sly could hear the soldiers shouting frantically, as if they too could hear it. Once the water rose to their knees, he slammed his fist onto the brick, pushing it in, and the wall suddenly spun open, water leaving their feet as it rushed and swept the soldiers that stood too close.

Lets go, Sly said, pulling the trigger at the grounded soldiers. With Ephemeral inserted into the rifle, the marbles came out at bullet speed and did not need to open into knives to kill their targets. But Sly could only fire six at a time before needing to recover. He shot one at each of the four soldiers in the water, and two others standing upon the mound of gold. Sly jumped behind the nearest mound, waiting for his weapon to recharge on its own. To the right, he saw the steps to the dias. But in the same time, one of the soldiers raised an alarm. Through the portable megaphones they installed around the ruins, the siren blared.

While he moved to hide, he counted there were at least another five soldiers standing around alive. Their guns raised as they fired. The mound around him exploded. Gold cups and jewelry flew everywhere and rained over his head as he contemplated his next move. He needed to get to the dias quickly before the whole treasury went underwater.

Lexia felt the blood drain away from her face. He was going to do WHAT?! Straight away, Lexia shook her head, it may have been true that there was the ability to somewhat distract them with the raging waters, but there was no way that the water would stop flooding both the hall and the room. She somewhat gave her argument against it, but when Sly pointed out a few more details and the reason for actually flooding the place, she spun on her heels and walked off. He was insane! But there was a reason for her doing this. By the time she got back, her hands danced with the energy she needed to complete the task.

If Sly paid any attention, he would have noticed that she held her hand over her wound to heal some of the outer damage that she had sustained. By doing that, and walking the extra distance, she had gained the maximum amount of charge that she could have at any one time. She also had healed a small portion of her wound to allow her to move her arm more without the stabbing sensation of pain. She smiled a little at Sly. "If I had Nithya, I'd be able to electrocute the water that you're planning to flood the place with. It'd at least stun those guards for a few moments to give you a change to get a few shots off." Lexia said quietly, before nodding her head to the lever.

It didn't take too long for the water go be licking at their heels, and the sound of the incoming torrent of liquid made her slightly worried. The guards started shouting at the noise, and Lexia tapped her elbow with her finger as she crossed her arms. She hadn't been able to ever use electricity without Nithya present, so she wouldn't be able to do what would be most helpful. But what about the little daggers that she could form? They would explode after a few seconds, and given the weight of an average coin... Sly waited until the water reached their knees before pushing in the brick, the sound snapping her out of her thoughts.

The water immediately gushed out from the hall, the roar startling several guards while the force of it knocked them down onto their backs. It only lasted for a few moments before Sly's gun rang off four shots, then another two in rapid succession. Lexia winced at the sound, instinctively flinching away. She didn't know which way Sly had gone as he entered the room, and she ducked behind a ceramic vase with several small mounds of coins around her, praying that they didn't see her.

Her wish seemed to be granted when they open fired against the mound to her left, assuming that's where Sly had hidden. Lexia peered around the edge of the vase, attempting to find and count the remaining soldiers. Three were too far for Lexia to even reach with her abilities, standing behind and next to a small mound of sorted treasure, divided into piles according to what they were. Black, white, gold and silver gleamed in the low lights as they continued to fire at Sly. During the chaos, Lexia would form a small volley of her flaming daggers, hurling one into the water near Sly, and the others into piles of gold and silver about half way between the two opposing forces. It would take a few seconds before the daggers would explode, sending a sheet of gold, silver, white, green and bronze high into the sky.

Shouts from startled guardsman would cause them to stop firing for a few seconds, which would allow Sly to reposition and throw them of his tracks.

Taking the chance, Lexia would sneak close to the ground, wading through the rising water towards the five guards, before she would hold her breath and duck down into the water for a few moments as their gaze swept the room. Thanks to the low light and being half hidden from another pile of blue-WAIT BLUE? She couldn't help herself when she reached ahead of herself and carefully took away several of the gleaming sapphires, pocketing them straight away.

Painfully, Lexia would inch forward to the exploded treasure pile, the guards seemingly confused from what still had happened. However, Lexia couldn't throw from a position on the ground. Trying to avoid being spotted, her heart hammering in her chest, she slowly rose up behind a wide vase which was riddled with small cracks and an occasional bullet hole. Her flames danced between her fingers and she gave a small smile.

Picturing the layout of the room and the positionings of the guards, Lexia would stand out in the open for a few moments. She vaguely noted the stairs to the thing Sly spoke of, but she wasn't paying too much attention to that at the moment. Two guards standing on a pile. Three in front, two to the right of it and one to the left. Five remaining guards. Lexia threw four volleys of her daggers into the piles of gold around them, and a fifth aiming approximately for the heads of the two on top of the pile.

A cry of warning would signal that they had seen her and the glowing daggers, however they would be cut off from doing too much as the fifth volley almost struck their heads. The one to the left-and the one closest to Lexia, would fire several shots in her general direction, the coins being flung up around her. The vase behind her exploded from one last well placed shot, sending her and the ceramics into the water.

However, their vision would be impaired as Lexia's daggers exploded, throwing sheets of coins and gems into the air.

Now was Sly's chance.

He waited a while for the volley of bullets to stop whizzing by before he returned fire. There were six guards, and more were emerging from the entrance. The torrent of water masked any gunfire or any yelling, making it impossible for him to hear anything Lexia would try to say to him. He did spot her, and it seemed everyone's attention was towards Sly than her. The water was not rising fast enough, and he could see some soldiers scrambling to grab what they could when nothing was thrown in their way.

Daggers of flame shot into the backs of some soldiers and, every now and then, Lexia would throw some near Sly. He did not catch the purpose of it until he watched them explode. A gold eruption as coins clattered among one another rained upon the area, splashing back into the water, now up to his knees.

Sly aimed his rifle but could never seem to hit a single one of his marbles at targets further away. He was a swordsman, and his gun skills were equivalent to that of a rookie who just learned how to pull a trigger. Knowing it was useless, Sly withdrew Ephemeral from the gun, returning its shape and colour back to normal before tossing it into the water. He did not bother wasting his pieces in forging anything. Waiting for the next explosion, Sly ran from the mound, keeping his head low before skidding behind another. One soldier appeared around the bend. As his heart leapt, Sly instinctively sent an elbow into his stomach. When he doubled over, Sly grabbed his arm and flipped him over and onto his back on the mound, his upper body above water level, before planting a hard boot into his temple. He thought it gave way a little but the soldier gave his last grunt before drifting to unconsciousness. Sly grabbed his rifle and ran up the steps towards the dias. There was a throne sitting on top of it, and he used it to hide behind it from any gunfire. Immediately in front of him, behind the seat, was a round relief. The centre had a slit eye ingrained. It looked all too familiar to Sly as he compared it with his timepiece. So master Horus was right. This device was they key.

He wanted to explore the ruins further, hoping to uncover more of the mystery, but he knew the whole thing would be underwater by then. With very minimal hope for further excavation, being in the middle of nowhere and hallways only big enough for a human, he could only hope the artefact he was looking for contained everything he needed.

Without thinking, Sly inserted the device into the slot. The timepiece glowed, a soft hollow pitch emitting from within. But beyond that, nothing seemes to happen. He tried to conjure a rapier, but his timepiece was unresponsive. Then he tried to pull it out, but it remained stuck. Damn it! He thought before peering out behind the seat. Some soldiers were rushing up the stairs towards him.

Take a deep breath, Sly turned from hiding and fired. Red bullets sprayed over them, and just as they realised, one of them was shot in the shoulder and tumbled down into the water. They sprayed bullets back at him, one narrowly missing his head as he pulled back into cover and burned his scalp. Sly hissed, the burn searing into his head as he stared at his locked timepiece. Something was clearly happening. If only he knew what. Four soldiers were already on the steps and he was pinned behind the throne. He bit the bottom of his lip, hoping Lexia would know where he was and either hit them from behind or rush up to where he was.

Sly sat with his back against the seat, his grip on the gun trembling. Then he saw it. The wall behind him had a trail of glow, slowly drawing a rectangle in both directions as they just started to come down. If he had anything else to hope for, it was that this was a secret room that he could run in, and ge wanted the timepiece to hurry.

Shards of the ceramic vase slashed through Lexia's pale skin, leaving deep crimson marks. She was lucky, the bullet fired into what she hid behind missed, but it scared the living daylights out of her. Lex, to freign her own death, Lexia would give a short cry of pain as she then took a deep breath, hitting the water. It was much chillier than she anticipated and the cold, icy liquid causing her breath to catch in her throat. She would remain face down in the water for some time however she had her head tilted to the side, her ear just above the surface of the water.

Lexia had no idea what Sly was doing, but she had done her best to buy him as much time as she possibly could.

Slowly, she moved her head so her nose and eyes were out from the water, and she watched with stinging eyes as the scenes around her played out. It seemed they thought that they had been successful in taking her out. The water around her was tinged red from the scrapes across her back, but she bit the pain away as she tried to focus. Four people were left, and she frowned. Why were they advancing to the dias?

It only took a few moments for her to answer her own thoughts as she saw Sly peak around the edge to open fire against the guards. He missed.

Gritting her teeth, Lexia felt her heart hammer in her chest. Her fingers reached out, coiling around a rather heavy and gem encrusted stick. It seemed to weigh a significant amount, and had a bit of a sharp tip. The least she could do was buy Sly a little more time, if that was the last thing she was going to do. They began to rush up the stairs and Lexia forced her form out from the water, her fingers dancing with flames as she summoned her javelin. She ran forward, the rushing waters hiding the sounds her boots made as she pushed herself through the water. Lexia was quick, mere feet away before the closest one recognised the danger.

"Don't you turn your back on me!" Lexia would shout in an attempt to divert their attention to her. Assuming she had, Lexia would throw the javelin at the three furthest away from her. The heavy rod would slam into the closest guards stomach, before she would pull it down to throw him into the water.

The javelin erupted in flames, causing the other three to take a few steps back away from Sly, pulling their guns up to aim at Lexia. Her hands moved in a blur, calling upon her flames one more time as her chest heaved heavily, unable to keep up with the constant drain of her magic. She threw another two volleys of daggers in their direction, the sound of firing guns causing her heart to leap into her throat.

Hurry Sly...

Two men had three daggers latch into them, ripping them away before they would explode in their hands, causing significant burns and for them to drop their weapons. However, the third would take out a knife and lunge towards Lexia. She gritted her teeth, trying to summon her flames once more.

They fizzled out, a clear indication she had no magic left.

Awkwardly, Lexia would roll up the stairs to avoid the first slash, her foot lashing out towards their knees to try and unbalance them. However, they were quicker than she anticipated, and the dagger cutting the side of her plated shoes. She pulled them away, scrambling back onto her feet - only to feel a pair of arms wrap under her shoulders, a powerful knee pressing into her back.

"Lights out, princess."

The next thing she felt was an incredibly powerful blunt force to her temple. Her vision swam for a few moments, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Lexia's body slumped forward as her consciousness faded. They roughly bound her with tight cloth, cutting blood flow to her wrists due to how tightly they restrained her.

Sly was on his own.

There was yelling behind him, though it was heavily masked by the roaring waters. By this time, only half of the stairs and the tallest of gold mounds were poking out of the surface. Soldiers that did not follow them to the dias ran, but not before attempting to pocket whatever they could carry. Others remained and were swimming their way towards them. The entrance behind the throne was nearly complete, but at this rate he would be dead before he could even lay eyes on what awaits.

Then the gunfire ceased. If only for a moment, and instead they rang out in another direction. Sly peered out. Lexia. She was trying to rush for the steps, having taken out three of the soldiers already, that was until the other caught and pinned her down. He held his rifle up and sent the butt right into her cheek. Lex! Sly yelled, putting the nozzle of his rifle on top of the throne for some stability before he fired his rounds. Three bullets missed by a few inches, but the last burned a large hole into his back. The man froze, only a brief second, before he toppled down the steps and onto the feet of a few soldiers who just got to the stairs, their weapons pointing at Sly.

A sudden rattle boomed above the water, and he ducked. Sly hissed, placing a hand on his flaring cheek. A thin line of red crossed his palm and trickled down to his wrist. There were far too many of them. He thought of rushing down to drag her up, but that was definitely suicide. It did not sound like they were going to do anything more to her, as he heard the rushing footsteps. Either they were busy scrambling for some dry ground or they really wanted Sly dead next.

The timepiece stopped glowing and, like a loose bolt, it dropped to the floor, eye side up as it shifted to look at him. Sly grabbed and squeezed onto it, then he turned to the wall behind him. It had disappeared. Instead, there was a doorway, outlined by faint specks of gold light. Behind it, a statue worn from age. It sat in the middle of this empty room, upon a pedestal. It depicted a rather grotesque creature. Skinny and somewhat humanoid, large claws upon long limbs that were rather disproportionate from the whole body. But what disturbed him the most was the face. A wide grin that stretched almost half of its face, showing its row of fangs. Markings stuck out from its large slit eyes, but time had perhaps worn out much of its colour. Sly shook his head before scrambling into the room, keeping his head low as a few gunfire rung out, bullets sprayed within this room.

Upon the pedestal, nested in the monster's claws, were two small items. A black and red stone, no bigger than his palm, that was badly chipped and cracked. And an empty hourglass at roughly the same size. These were the items master Horus was seeking? But they looked like pieces of junk. But no matter. He hoped they would surprise him. Quickly he snatched the two pieces and hid behind the statue. From there, he fired his rifle just as the soldiers emerged. He probably shot two heads before the rifle uttered a metallic click and was silent. Sly stiffened. He tugged the trigger again, but it was empty.

Sly dropped the rifle. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand, manifesting Ephemeral's gundagger. As to what he was going to do with that, he was highly unsure. Was this really the furthest he could go? At least he would keep the secret away from Oak Hollow's grasp for good, but he did not plan to meet master Horus this early.

Suddenly, the wall before him open. Sly ramped his weapon and pointed it at the shadows, the wall spinning around to reveal two soldiers. They were unarmed and were covered in blood. One of them slumped down, much to the shock of the soldiers behind Sly, before a large canine leapt into the room and pounced upon them. A foenix, and Sly remembered the fur and feathers belonging to Nithya. He survived?

"Shoot it!" One of the soldiers yelled.

Sly immediately turned from cover and released the trigger, spraying a volley of marbles at the distracted group. A quick count indicated at least seven. Their attempt to shoot the foenix was met with a faint blue and silver barrier, consisting of three dials revolving around the beast, each ring with strange markings engraved in them. Mirage. It still had the pieces to protect him, but seeing how the glow was faint...

He rushed forward. His other hand open and he concentrated. This time, gold and red pieces emerged from the timepiece and circled his bare hand. It quickly manifested into a hilt with what appeared to be a red ribbon attached at the pommel. With a fiery burst, a blade shot out from the other end, long and very thin. The same fire receded into a pair of small wings attached to the guard. Sly positioned Nemesis and Ephemeral, and, with a swift thrust, sent both weapons into two of his closest enemies that remained standing. Sly easily shook the gundagger free but he had to push the other one off. Just as he got the last man's attention, the foenix leapt upon him from behind. Snarling, he feasted upon his neck.

Lex! Sly called again, descending down the steps. She was partially submerged in the water, unmoving. He dispersed Nemesis, the weapon exploding like the last flicker of flames before receding into his timepiece, and quickly dragged her up a bit, keeping her head on the surface, before cutting the cloth with Ephemeral. She was breathing at least.

Nithya whimpered next to Sly, his maw dripping with blood as he licked Lexia's hand. As he did so, Sly recovered Mirage from under the fur in his neck. The weapon was well spent after being away from the timepiece, but it had collected a large number of false pieces. Sly gritted his teeth. It must had been like an army out there.

The roof collapsed, a thunderous cry as the bricks above caved in and dropped into the water, pouring even more of it from above.

That is too much water is it not? Sly thought, carrying Lexia up. He carefully placed her over Nithya's back. Come Nithya, we got to move! Sly hurried up the steps again, running past the statue and past the open door. He hoped Nithya would follow suit, keeping Lexia stable on his back.

The hallways was covered in strange twists and turns, sometimes descending into the depths. He did not want to do it, especially with the water racing behind him and already started to fill the bottom, but Nithya got in here from outside somehow. Sly ran into some of the soldiers, stunned and surprised by the water, with only a handful decided to shoot at him. Having recovered, Mirage, Sly easily planted a barrier, protecting himself and Nithya before shooting it forward, knocking the guards back before he gutted them with Ephemeral. At least there were only a few of them, appearing in groups of no more than two.

The rushing water faded a little as he finally found the steps ascending closer to the surface. But then he froze as his ears picked the whipping blades of a propeller from a distance...

The only hint that Nithya originally had that something was protecting him was the small thing which he felt Sly press into his furry feathers. Since then, a small device would flicker, forming tiny shields which would block out the bullet shots for Nithya. Since the foenix found out about this, he dove head first into the ruins, barging his way past guards in an attempt to find Lexia.

When he did, the foenix whined quietly, the blood dripping from his fangs. Anxiously, he waited as the pale human by the name of Sly gently picked his career up to place her across his back. Nithya would shift slightly so that her weight was evenly spread across his back and shoulders, allowing for him to be able to carry her with greater ease. Nithya whined quietly at the unconscious figure, his form restless as he began to follow Sly.

Nithya was able to keep up with the slim figure with ease, his paws pushing against the cold stone beneath him. The halls twisted and turned, rose and sank, all the while gaining ground towards the surface.

The roof collapsed, water tumbling forth from its hidden places.

Nithya whined a little at the presence of the additional guards. However, Sly finally showed his strengths. The scrawny figure was able to easily take down the guards with his unusual device. A hand brushed against his pelt and he whined, nuzzling the pale hand that stroked him. It's strength quickly failed and Nithya would bark at Sly, trying to get his attention.

But the whirling blades of metal would silence his attempts of gathering his attention.

Growling, Nithya overtook Sly, before dashing down a secondary corridor. He would turn his head and bark serveral times, before continuing down it. At the end of the hall there would be a light and a courtyard, out in the open.

Organised pillars would strike high into the sky, intricate patterns carved onto them. The ground was marble, white red and black streaks crisscrossing it. However, Nithya didn't care about the looks of his surroundings. It was there that Nithya would bark again, looking towards a gap in the wall. He dropped down the stairs leading to the marble floor.

The footsteps against the ground would wake Lexia for a few moments, plus the deep thrumming of the helicopters blades. She groaned, the bright light striking her eyes as she would try to bury her head into her pets feathers to hide it. Why was it so bright? What is going on? Why was she outside?

She groaned, her black hair a mess across Nithya's shoulders. Lex forced her eyes open, before her throat caught. "Sly... What's going on?" She would ask, her voice horse and raspy. It was so faint she doubted Sly would hear.

However, Nithya did, and he turned back to the helicopters. He had never seen them before, and he gave a small and defensive growl, unsure of what to do. He had to protect Lexia, but against that... He had NO chance!!

If Sly were to go to the courtyard, the door would slam shut behind him to trap the remaining waters in the ruins. They were out in the open, right in line for the helicopters to see.

The ruins was a huge complex divided in two parts. They were in the underground portion of it, and it was just as huge as the above. Soon his legs were starting to give in and he leaned against the wall. His breath short and head spun. It was no good running on foot any further. He had to make a mount with his pieces. Preferably one that was large and quick, and he had enough false pieces to build. Mentally he assessed his false pieces. Ephemeral was too small to be used, despite the many pieces Sly had. Nemesis was only used once, and it would take more than one thrust to earn enough to construct a bird.

That left Mirage. Sly hoped Nithya had collected enough in his run through the enemy lines. Quickly concentrated, drawing out the blue and silver pieces from the device. They materialised next to Sly and on the rising waters of the ground. A large round base was formed, slowly tapering as it rose, until it formed a ring. Then a large sphere was created on top of it, along with a pair of pointed ears and a large tail behind it. It was up to Sly's shoulders.

With a quick flick of his arm, the structure shattered, the pieces sticking together and shifting. They glowed, sounding a hollow hum as four protrusions came from the mass, reaching the ground to form pawed legs. In a blink, the 'head' formed a tapering snout, along with a pair of silver eyes. A blue and silver clockwork wolf stood before him, swaying its tail as it focused at Sly. This was the spirit that possessed one of his weapons, named Mirage.

Sly hopped over her back, finding something near her neck to hold onto, before the clockwork animal dashed forward. At least he was able to catch up to Nithya and get out without much of an exhaustion. Wind roared against his ears, and he found himself leaning closer to the ticking gears that made Mirage.

The whirling blades grew louder, and suddenly the foenix dashed in front of him and took his sight to another path. He climbed the set of stairs, standing in the blinding light of the outside world. Sly nodded and led Mirage to follow him, holding her tight as she ascended. With a long leap, he burst out of the darkness. A low groan of old stones caught his attention, and he looked behind to see a large slab closing over the entrance.

Above it, a black silhouette floating in the air, the head glinting in the sunlight. From its mouth, a sharp hiss and then a small burst of light. The flare approached them but fell short behind Sly.

Mirage suddenly lost balance and Sly braced, the explosion knocking him forward and forming a scar upon the beautiful marble of the courtyard.

This way! He yelled to Nithya, seeing him growling at the helicopter. Sly pushed his mind to force Mirage to run faster, weaving through the columns. Above the whipping blades of its propeller, came the hissing of more missiles, exploding all around Sly and knocking off the columns. He had to sway left and right to avoid the columns toppling over him, racing for the doorway on the other end.

By the time he got there, two additional helicopters appeared alongside the first. He only lost them for a brief second before he found himself upon the second floor overwatching another courtyard. The helicopters were in pursuit, firing whenever they could get a clear sight of him and Nithya. Like mini volcanic eruptions, the floor before him popped and flew everywhere, and Sly had to either run through the cloud of dust or move around it. Keep moving or we are dead! He yelled to Nithya.

After running through another corridor, Sly weaved around the spiral staircase, the roof exploding and sending rocks onto his head, until he emerged upon a bridge. From here, he could see much of only a small portion of the ruins above ground. The complexity and sophistication of those who designed them. Though hoped they would not make a dead end.

The helicopter's blades grew louder, then his ears rung as they fired their guns upon the bridge. Bullets this time, pattering sharply against the bridge surface and forcing cracks out of them. They were going to destroy the bridge! Sly squinted his eyes forward, but the tower on the other end was too far. They could not make it. Just as he thought of such, the bridge groaned, as if woken from a deep slumber. Dust on the short railings flew everywhere, and the ground started to shift, turning slightly to the right.

Steady! Sly said to Nithya, hoping to calm him. He pushed as much weight as he could against the bridge, trying to help Mirage stick to it as much as possible. The second courtyard sped towards Sly and, after waiting until the bridge was halfway down, Mirage sprung forward, her paws outstretched for an abrupt landing. It was not a long drop. Nithya should be able to do the same without breaking his legs.

But just as Mirage's legs touched down, the momentum flung Sly off her, and he rolled several metres over the hard ground away from his mount. He grunted, his shoulders bruising and flaring, but he forced himself up. His pants were dirtied and torn around the kneecaps, revealing a few lines of red as he had grazed them.

Overwatching this courtyard was a large structure, perhaps a large throne room of some sort. He quickly think they could hide from the helicopters in there. Then he quickly turned to Nithya. If Lexia also rolled off, he would grab and hoist her arm over his shoulders before making a run for the building. There would be no time to put her on Nithya, not with a series of bullet runs whipping behind him. If Lexia was still on Nithya, he would just jog his way to the building. Come on, almost there.

Mirage stayed further back behind them, readying to throw her rectangular shield to block any bullets that would have seared through Sly and Lexia. She grunted and lowered her legs, as if she were exhausted from putting up her shield over and over again. That was until they made it into the shadows of the building, where a pair of helicopters fired their missiles and they exploded on both sides of Mirage. They blown her off her feet and she crashed into the wall inside the building, flying right past Sly. Mirage laid on her side, her body starting to disintegrate. Turning to Sly with her glinting eyes, she reared her head, a mournful howl escaping her, before she collapsed, unmoving. Then her body split apart into the individual pieces that made her, and they returned to Sly's timepiece.

Mirage... Sly said. Another explosion distracted him, shaking the building. Nithya! This way. He hurried deeper into the building.

Nithya gave a rather anxious whine as Sly shouted for him to follow. The foenix didn’t think that following the funny metallic clockwork wolf was such a good idea, however, when the missiles erupted around him, he gave a small grunt before launching himself forward to fall into suit behind Sly. He growled, jumping to the side as a series of broken and shattered shards of rock flew into his legs. This wasn’t so comfortable for him, and he gave a small growl to Sly. Why did the human insist on telling the foenix what to do. He wasn’t that incapable, or that’s what Nithya had always told himself.

A pillar of dust suddenly threw itself into the foenix’s face and he reeled away, unsure of the meaning of the brown haze. The sound of explosions rang in his ears as it detonated, feeling Lexia’s hand clasp tightly around his mane. How could these two legged things have so much destruction behind them! Nithya would skip the steps, leaping from one rock to another as he clambered up to the second story, then he froze.

As the dust clouds rose, and Nithya’s vision swam. He stood still, his head swinging around from side to side as he tried to figure out where he was. A voice rang from a rather far distance, and Nithya remade his way back to Sly, slowly lumbering through and between the pillars.

Lexia gently stroked his mane, trying to calm her pets racing heart. The last thing she needed was for him to drop her.

Nithya eventually caught up with Sly and Mirage, faltering at the sight of more of the giant metal machines. What on earth were they going to do? He continued to step forward as the first shots rang out around the ruins, the bullets colliding with the bridge. Instantly, Sly noticed, forcing Mirage further and further ahead. How was this mechanical wolf thing so fit! Nithya whined to himself, before pushing himself forward. His legs burned, and he forced himself to mimic Mirage.

That was before the bridge buckled beneath their paws. Nithya howled, rearing backwards as the bridge began to crumble, the railings flicking across and slamming into his chest. He grunted from the force, skidding a few centimetres as he forced himself to stay upright. Sly called out to him again, and he would give a rather vicious growl to him. Just how was Nithya meant to keep calm at a time like this! It was ridiculous!

With a whine, he would refuse to mimic Mirage. It was too dangerous-he couldn’t make the jump the mechanical beast could!

Nithya howled when Mirage leapt, the foenix completely freaked out. The bridge was collapsing under his feet, and he was getting further and further from safety. The so called friend just ditched them! How nice was that! Nithya would whine when he felt a small hand brush through his feathery mane and gently stroke down his side. Of course, he couldn’t freak out just yet.

Biting back his fear, the foenix would make a daring leap. The bridge would fall beyond halfway, and he would growl quietly to himself. Instead of aiming for where Mirage landed, his paws gripped onto the fragmenting bridge beneath his paws before he would launch himself from it. They met a small ledge, which he then would leap himself off again to gain distance and height. His paw went for the next ledge-but he slipped and tumbled several feet. He grunted as he landed, trotting slightly to slow his rather fast decent.

Thankfully, Nithya had felt Lexia grip around his feathers tightly, and had barely managed to stay on him through the transition. The last missile exploded beneath him, sending them forward with a shower of dust, shards and rather large rocks. Mirage instantly took up position behind them, her shields flickering as she summoned them to block the shots. Lexia felt Sly pull her up, to which she was rather grateful as Nithya was exhausted, unable to keep carrying her through the scorching sun and the raining missiles.

Lexia gave Sly a half nervous smile as they entered the building. It wasn't incredibly safe just yet, however, her eye caught the sign of movement through the window. Her eyes widened. Mirage had already collapsed. Nithya was ahead. But Lexia and Sly were still visible through the window.

Moving as quickly as she could, Lexia withdrew from her position next to Sly, before she slammed both her hands into him. She was hoping the force would be enough for him to get out of the range. She had seen on the opposite side of the wall a missile descending towards them. Thankfully, the low standing and basically useless wall took the majority of the force. However, the explosion would catch her off guard and send her tumbling away from them.

Her shoulder cracked against the wall, the stonework grazing across her shoulder and arm. She heard Nithya howl and yelp, making an attempt to run to her-but the ground erupted in puffs of dust as bullets hammered home. Lexia winced, ducking behind the wall and a rather convenient vase to shield herself from the dust.

But the wall hid any chances of her seeing any other explosive devices.