Surprised that his guide would break the rule regarding moving at a steady pace, Schmendrick decided to follow the man's lead and jogged as well.
Kanorell jogged for the next five minutes until he judged they were a safe distance away from the carcass. "We can stop for a moment. Let's drink some water." He grabbed the canteen clipped to his belt and took a big gulp of water. The old man then passed his canteen to Schmendrick.
The boy wiped the opening of the container with his shirt sleeve and then drank as well. The water was soothing to his parched throat. Schmendrick wasn't aware of how thirsty he was until the water passed through his throat. He returned the canteen to Kanorell, who then said, "Let's continue."
By the time they returned to the base camp, it was mid-morning. The blazing sun was causing the temperature to rise rapidly.
Kanorell opened a box placed next to a standing wall. He pulled out some bandages and disinfectant. "Come here and get some supplies to treat your wounds," he told the boy.
Schmendrick walked over to the box and began to treat his puncture wounds while Kanorell did the same. The boy's arms were covered with bandages.
When each person was finished with his self-treatment, Kanorell said, "We're going to the pyramid now. We'll leave the bag of needles here. I'll fix the net when we return at dusk." The guide carefully refilled his canteen. He took a bag of dried fish and tied it to his belt. He grabbed another backpack which contained torches, rope, and brushes; a shovel was tied to the side of the pack. "Okay, let's go now. The pyramid is about a half mile away."
The old man turned to face west and started walking in that direction. He put on his gloves, mask, and hat as he walked, and Schmendrick copied him.
The wind blew across the sand, blinding the two and forcing them to stop momentarily. Once the windstorm had passed, they continued their journey.
Under the hazy sun, the landscape turned bright yellow. Schmendrick pulled his hat lower to shade his eyes. It was hard to make out the objects in the area due to the bright glare. But soon he noticed a pyramid looming nearby. It was made of large stones that somehow withstood the wind and sand. He was surprised he hadn't seen the tall structure from camp. But he remembered the swirling, blinding wind which apparently hid the presence of the pyramid until he had almost reached it.
Kanorell turned to his companion and asked, "What do you think?" The former archaeologist was curious about the boy's first impression.
"How tall is it? Why was it built?" Schmendrick asked.
"It's about 200 feet tall and maybe 240 feet wide. I can't answer why it was built because I wasn't around when it was built," the man joked, eliciting an eye roll from the young man. "I've managed to uncover the entrance but I haven't explored it too deeply yet."
"Why not?" the boy asked.
Kanorell grimaced. "I'll show you when we're inside."
3.5 - The Pyramid’s Entrance
The former archaeologist led his young companion to the entrance of the pyramid.
It turned out the entrance wasn't located at the base, as Schmendrick had expected. Instead, it was located a quarter of the way up the surface of the pyramid. Thus, he needed to climb the pyramid. Fortunately, the surface could be climbed without the aid of tools.
The two men reached the opening after a ten-minute climb.
Kanorell took a deep breath when he reached the entrance. It was ten feet by ten feet with no door to bar the entrance. Instead, the entrance was adorned with a column on the left and right. The ground was covered with sand. The guide took a moment to catch his breath. "Take a look outside and tell me what you see," he requested.
Schmendrick turned around and looked out the entrance of the pyramid. He saw the beach and the sea beyond it. "I only see the beach," he replied despite knowing it was unlikely the answer that Kanorell was seeking.
"Look at the sun," the old man hinted.
The teenager looked up and finally understood what his guide was suggesting. "The entrance of this pyramid is facing due east. You're thinking the construction of the pyramid and its location may be directly related to the sun," he replied.
"Correct," the former archaeologist nodded. "Normally, a pyramid is built as the final resting place for a deceased individual who was wealthy or powerful during his life. I'm hoping to find the tomb and learn more about the person and his culture."
"What if the pyramid was built for another reason?" the boy pointed out.
"Then we won't find the tomb," Kanorell replied. "But something has to be inside here," he argued.
"How far have you explored this pyramid?" Schmendrick asked. He wisely decided not to argue the issue of why the pyramid was built. Ultimately, it didn't matter to him. What mattered was exploring the pyramid fully and help Kanorell complete his mission. Once the man leaves on his sailboat to return to Rezdi City, Schmendrick will have repaid his debt to Kanorell.
"Not very far," the man admitted. "To be honest, my sailboat reached The Shar maybe a few days before you did. With my companions being killed by the dune worm, it was a tough ordeal for me to survive on my own. I'm glad I rescued you on the beach because you protected me many times already," he said.
"How come no other Reborn had visited this place before?" the teenager asked.
"The Shar is a large continent, much bigger than Rezdi City and the surrounding Recovered Land. Additionally, the sea is a fickle mistress and we don't know in advance what part of The Shar we will land via boat. Not many expeditions are successful," Kanorell explained. "But I do think we are the first Reborn to land on this beach and no one has investigated this pyramid before," he noted.
"Why did you join the expedition in the first place?" Schmendrick asked.
The man looked at the boy for a moment and took a deep breath. "When I began to recover fragments of my former life and I discovered that I was an archaeologist, I became intrigued by the notion of going to The Shar. Eventually, this turned into my goal."
"Since I'm a Powerless, I couldn't get permission to enter Rezdi City and dig around the older sections of the city. I'm sure there are many secrets the system is keeping from the Reborn. As the years passed by, I grew more and more frustrated because the answers to the history, the true history, of Rezdi City was so close. But my status as a Powerless prevented me from learning the truth."
"After graduating from The Noob Academy, I became a farmer. It took a long time for me to reach Level 10. After I went through my second Evaluation and failed to receive a magic power, I decided to quit farming and started an expedition to travel to The Shar instead. It took a while to find other Powerless willing to join my expedition. It took just as long to gather the supplies and make a sailboat for the journey," Kanorell recalled.
"We rested long enough. Let's continue our exploration." Kanorell turned around to face the long corridor. He removed his hat and mask. He took out a torch and lit it with flint. He also took out the rope and hung it around his left shoulder. Holding the torch high, the guide started walking through the corridor.
Schmendrick took out his daggers and walked next to him. Given the size of the tunnel, he would not be surprised if an animal decided to make its den in here. His caution proved accurate when they heard a loud rattling sound.
As the flickering light shone further into the tunnel, they saw a big rattlesnake blocking the tunnel! The snake had tan and brown pattern on its skin. Its head was some 8 inches wide. Its back was raised in a defensive-striking position while its head was slightly lower.
The old man immediately backed away, leaving the Assassin to deal with the snake.
Schmendrick stood his ground and watched the snake's movement carefully. The giant snake continued its rattling and refused to leave. "This is why you couldn't go beyond the tunnel?" he asked while keeping his eyes on the snake.
"Yup," Kanorell grinned. "I was hoping the rattlesnake left this tunnel to hunt. Unfortunately, it's sticking around for some reason. Be real careful in handling this rattlesnake; it is
venomous," he warned.
"Yeah, I figured as much," the teenager replied nonchalantly. "Please hold the torch high so that I can see its movements. I'm going to provoke it into attacking me." He took a step forward and then another. As he took his third step, the rattlesnake attacked!
The snake tried to bite him in the left thigh.
Schmendrick barely dodged its fangs in time. He immediately slammed its head with the pommel of his right dagger. The next second he stabbed his left dagger through its neck and pinned its head to the ground.
The snake thrashed its body, trying to dislodge the blade.
However, the Assassin leaned his chest against the pommel of his left dagger and kept its head pinned to the ground. He started stabbing its head with his right dagger until it finally stopped moving.
"Are you okay?" Kanorell asked.
Schmendrick took a deep breath. "I'm fine. It almost bit my leg," he admitted. "I was fortunate that my reflexes were a little quicker." The fighter pulled both blades out and carefully wiped his weapons clean with a rag. He then resheathed his weapons.
"If you ever return to the Recovered Lands and reconnect to the system, I'd love to know how much experience points you're getting while accompanying me," the old man remarked. He was beginning to appreciate how the boy was able to advance his character level so rapidly.
The teenager shrugged at the speculation. "Like that's ever going to happen. If I go back, I'm a dead man. I wouldn't be surprised if the system has put me on a Kill-on-Sight (KOS) list." He dragged the body of the dead rattlesnake, perhaps ten feet long, to the side of the tunnel. "Let's keep going." He turned to face the interior of the tunnel and continued walking.
The torch held high, his companion kept pace behind him.
Schmendrick walked slowly. While he was confident that there were no other monsters in the tunnel, he was worried about hidden traps. Thus, he kept vigilant as he walked; his head turned from side to side constantly, seeking to find tripwires or holes in the wall where projectiles could be released. Additionally, he looked at the ground to confirm it was clear before taking three steps forward. Thus, it took a good half-hour before the two men reached the end of the tunnel.
Kanorell saw a thick door blocking the tunnel. "Let's take a break now. Please drink some water to rehydrate." He unclipped the canteen from his belt and offered it to his companion.
3.6 - The Door
When Kanorell approached the door with his torch, he was shocked to discover that the torchlight was reflected back to him. Soon, he learned the reason: the door was made of metal! "What the?" he blurted out in surprise.
Schmendrick appeared behind him and asked, "What's wrong?"
The former archaeologist shook his head and pointed at the door. "This door is made of metal. It should have been made of stone, just like the exterior of this pyramid." Suddenly he felt a breeze from above. When the old man looked at the ceiling, he was surprised to find an opening. He peered up and saw that it was another tunnel which led to the surface of the pyramid. "There are two openings leading to this door. Why?" he asked rhetorically.
The teenager turned his head to examine the surrounding walls. He noticed writings to the left and right of the door. "Can you bring the torch closer? There's some sort of writing or drawing on the wall."
Kanorell saw the writings but it was in a language he did not know. However, he noticed a large gem embedded on each wall. The gem was the size of a fist. It was translucent on the exterior. Embedded at the center was a misshapen purple core. The man held his torch closer to the gem on the left wall and saw the torchlight reflected by the core. "This is a sunstone," he identified. He quickly walked over to the right wall and confirmed the other embedded stone was also a sunstone.
"What does this mean?" Schmendrick asked.
The former archaeologist ignored the question. On a hunch, he turned around and stood directly under the tunnel on the ceiling. He knelt on the ground and saw something sticking out. He drew his face closer to the object and examined it more closely. It was made of stone and the top was jagged as if it had been forcefully broken off. "What does this look like to you?" he asked aloud. The man pointed at the spot on the ground and backed away as his young companion approached.
The teenager got down on his hands and knees and examined the stone closely. It appeared to be a base for something which had been broken off. The base was a perfect circle. He slowly pulled himself back to his feet and looked at Kanorell. "I believe there was a pedestal here. And someone destroyed it," Schmendrick offered his best-educated guess.
The old man nodded. "That is my belief as well. Let's say this ancient civilization were sun worshippers." He pointed at the shaft above their heads. "They created this opening to bring sunlight directly into this room. The sunlight hits whatever was on the pedestal. And let's say the light then hits each sunstone on the wall. Where does the light end up? My guess is the door and that's how we open it." He smiled broadly.
Schmendrick pondered the man's theory carefully and decided to play the devil's advocate. "What if this is only an air shaft for ventilation? Its presence doesn't necessarily mean that the builders of this pyramid were sun worshippers," he argued.
"How would you explain the sunstones? And the pedestal?" Kanorell retorted.
"The stones could simply be decorations. The pedestal may have held a bowl to collect water. To bring some moisture into this tunnel and to prevent the stones from turning brittle or something," the teenager argued back. "I could also argue that the builders worshipped water and that's why this pyramid was built so close to the beach."
The old man chuckled. "Boy, you sure are stubborn!" he remarked. "It's very simple to prove my theory." He pointed at the ceiling. "The sun will soon hit the air shaft. We can use your daggers to reflect the sunlight on the sunstones and see what happens," he proposed.
Schmendrick frowned. "Let's say your theory is accurate. My question is why was the pedestal destroyed? Is there something buried inside this pyramid that should stay buried?"
Kanorell waved his hand dismissively. "They did it to prevent the tomb raiders from breaking in."
The boy's brows rose. "Are we any better?"
Kanorell's face hardened into a scowl. "Look, this has been my dream to explore ancient ruins. I wish to study and learn more about the ancient civilization that built this pyramid. We may find something that will benefit the Reborn. I don't understand why you can't see that."
Schmendrick looked at him directly in the eyes. "My gut instincts are telling me to leave this pyramid. Right now. Whatever was sealed here was sealed for a reason."
"You can leave if you want. I'm not forcing you to stay here," the old man replied harshly. "I don't want a coward to accompany me on this expedition. I will explore this pyramid by myself."
The boy folded his arms across his chest. "You need me. If there are traps or creatures inside, you need my help to defeat them," he pointed out.
The old man's face softened. "I know. But I can't abandon my dream. Not when I'm so close to fulfilling it. Please help me." He got down on his hands and knees and dipped his forehead until it touched the ground.
Schmendrick stared at the man who was begging him and sighed loudly. I'm going to regret this. "Okay, I will help you."
Kanorell smiled again as he got back to his feet and he patted the boy softly on the back. The old man turned his head toward the tunnel they had passed through. It was beginning to brighten outdoor. "Why don't we eat lunch now while we wait for the sun to reach the overhead shaft?" he suggested.
"That's fine," the boy agreed. He was feeling hungry already. The early rise in the morning, the trips, and the fighting had burned up a lot of energy.
The old man placed his backpack on the ground. He took out a bag full of nuts. He then took out a cloth with something wrapped inside. He wrapped the bundle, revealing two cooked fishes on sticks. Kanorell offered one stick to his companion. "Here."
Schmendrick acce
pted and started eating the fish. It was burned but crunchy when he took a bite. He also took a handful of nuts from the bag. When he was finished with his light meal, he took two gulps of water from the canteen.
Once the two finished their meals, they waited patiently for the sun to shine through the air shaft. When sunlight poured through the shaft and reached the former pedestal, Schmendrick pulled out both daggers and handed one to Kanorell, who extinguished his torch before taking the dagger.
They twisted the blades under the light and tried to direct the beam to the sunstones. When they finally accomplished this, the sunstones started glowing and then pink light slammed on the door. The door started bubbling on its surface. The door continued to absorb the light and became overheated, eventually melting into metal slabs which sloppily dripped down the walls and finally settled onto the ground.
Kanorell removed the blade from under the shaft and Schmendrick followed his lead. The boy resheathed his weapons while Kanorell relit his torch.
The two carefully stepped over the liquid metal on the ground and entered the interior of the pyramid.
3.7 - The Labyrinth
Beyond the door was another passage moving in only one direction. With no choice, the two men continued moving forward. The passage began to narrow until it was half the size of the entranceway. Additionally, the passage began to ascend. The passageway was dark; the only illumination came from the torch held by Kanorell.
Finally, the explorers reached a chamber. Approximately ten feet by ten feet, there was an opening on every wall. Kanorell and Schmendrick traded looks. This was totally unexpected.
The former archaeologist took out a piece of chalk. He turned around and drew a circle on the wall next to the opening the two had just gone through. "Let's go straight," he suggested. He crossed the chamber and stood in front of the opening on the opposite side. He marked the wall with a square and then stepped into the passageway.
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