Finding Paititi

[basil]

Date: April 2010
Time Frame: Mid morning.
Place: Peruvian jungle.
Status: Open to all.

Panting, Basil hacked at a bush that stood in his way. They were walking down the side of the Andesian foothills, and the cool temperatures of the summits were quickly being replaced by the stifling heat of a tropical rainforest. Sweat was beginning to trickle down his face and body as the temprature and himidity rose, but he ignored those physical discomforts and focused on the task at hand: getting to the valley.

He and his team had left Cuzco several days ago, travelling by 4x4 through the winding, dirt roads of the Peruvian back country, and having to unexpectedly walk the last few miles due to a mudslide having cut off the road. They had then spent a night in a tiny village right on the edge of the huge swathe of rainforest near the Brazilian border, wild, untamed and mostly unexplored. Basil had been told by a few locals that the area was inhabited by several hostile tribes, and he had been aware of such a risk when he first set out: he had smuggled a stainless steel P228 pistol from France, a weapon that should provide good protection should they be threatened or attacked in any way.

The sound of the jungle seemed to wrap them up like a blanket of noise. Bird and ape cries and the steady jitter of insects as well as the crunching of dead leaves underfoot, all contributed to giving an incredible, almost overwhelming sense of isolation to the group of archeologists. Some time later, as they had aalmost reached the bottom of the valley, Basil called for a quick break. They would rest for a few minutes before setting off again, walking along the middle of the slope they were on and heading in a North-Westerly direction, towards the place where Basil had found the mysterious sculpture.

As the group rested, some pulling out their gourd for a refreshing drink of water or a hunk of break to eat, Basil went off to the side. He was perfectly aware when he set off a few days earlier that he had not precisely recorded the area where the statue was. Besides, even if he did find it again, maybe Paititi was nowhere near it.
So, as a precaution, he had gone searching for something to help him, finally acquiring a strange relic from a private collector. The thing was made of gold and silver and looked like an astrolab, but similarities ended here. Basil lifted the thing up towards the sun and watched as the hand on the strange object turned towards a precise, North-West direction. Basil smiled and quickly put the object back into his backpack. He had no idea who could have made it, or how it worked, although he did know when it had been made...9000 years before the advent of civilization.

Basil had found it hard to believe the object was so ancient, but it seemed to fit with Plato's description of Atlantis, which had apparently flourished 9000 years before the earliest known civilizations. What bothered him was the object's intricacy: it was finely, even masterfully crafted. Who had made it? The Atlanteans? Some other advanced, prehistoric civilization?

These questions gnawed away at him incessantly. He would not rest until he had the answers to such questions, and he was sure he would find answers in the ancient city of Paititi.

[seyennaathenial]

Seyénna wasn’t sure what she was doing, to be honest. She was along on the trip because she was good in languages, and she also had an extensive knowledge of plants and how they could be used to help people if no medical doctor was around. Other than that, she wasn’t sure why she was wanted. She did not question it however. It felt nice to go on an adventure. She hadn’t traveled really since she was a child and she missed it greatly.

And what did the trip offer her, other than the chance to discover a lost city possibly? (Which was always of interest to her, because if there was one thing Seyénna adored, it was learning and discovering.) Well for one thing, it gave her a chance to observe people from all over the world. Her sketchpad now had several interesting drawings from when they were in Cuzco, and even though the trip was difficult, and they had to hack their way through, she did not mind, for she was sure there would be many things to make up for the frightening bugs or tiresome walks. At night she had drawn in the dark, the moon her only companion, the faces of her comrades on this trip. All of these faces had a story to tell, after all, and she intended to capture them all somehow.

She watched their leader, Basil, and wondered what kind of man he was. She did not know him supremely well before going on the journey, and she certainly did not tell him that she was half elf, but she sensed no direct evil in his heart, and so she came along. The sounds of creatures in the canopies above unnerved the quiet half-blood for a moment, and she sincerely wished she could have taken her wolf, Souka, along.

That would certainly raise suspicions, however, which was the last thing she wanted, so she had told him she would be back soon, and then kissed him on the nose and left. Her father had been an explorer, and knew it was strong in her blood, and yet he was not overly fond of having her leave for an extended period of time and go off with people he did not know. She had had to remind him she was not a young woman, but almost two hundred and twenty one now.

Sighing as she kept these things in her head, Ennya wiped her sweaty brow. She always wore hats, because her fair skin burned easily, but somehow she still turned pink anyways. She placed her hand on the ground, and looked to see if anyone was looking. Carefully she pressed to the earth, and concentrated. A small light encased her hand, and within moments a small plant bloomed before her. Inside it, there was water.

“Thank you, friend.” She murmured to it, and smiled. She took her hand and cupped the petals, tipping it so water spilled forth from it into her pale hand. She drank and sighed. Ah. Much better. Walking onward, she saw Basil go off to the side. She approached him tentatively.

“Is everything alright, Basil Glidewell?” She asked him, tipping her head slightly. “You seem lost in thought.” She did not wish to bother him, only to help. After all, if a leader was lost, so the rest of them could be, or so went her belief.

[antonarkins]

Shiny and sticky with sweat, Arkins moved quietly though the brush. He had left his fellow scout up ahead and he could hear her softly clear her throat through his headset. He had handed out throat mikes and headsets to the people on the team, one of his only requests when he joined up.
His other?
"When I tell you to hold position, move, or get down...you do it."
He didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed. And with the people he was with...well he couldn't guarantee all of their survival.

He sighed to himself.
God this sucked. It was hot and awful out and his gear did nothing to shield him from it.
He was wearing a light setup. Pretty standard OD Jungle gear except he had his tactical vest over a tanktop, and a camo ballistic mask. His HK416 hung loose on his chest harness (though his hands still gripped it), the AA12 strapped to his back and Gloc on his upper thigh. His knife, of course, sat in it's sheath on his right collarbone.

He always came equipped like this, but the mission had been incredibly light so far. He was hoping to do some work, but it was beginning to look more and more like they wouldn't have any problems at all.

In fact, there wasn't a thing in sight for the next few clicks.
Scouting had been a boring, thankless affair.
All of this, just so he could recruit some girl? She was the other scout, and damn fine at her job, but then, this area was native to her.
He needed to see her under stress before he offered up the job, and so far they had hardly spoken.
The two of them had been focused on the mission at hand, working largely in silence. Perhaps now, four days in with nothing to do, they might pick up some conversation.

He emerged from the dense brush quietly, on the small trail the Professor and the other girl were making.
The Professor was staring off, lost in thought perhaps. He was a quirky man, but Arkins understood him. A wannabe Indiana Jones only...with more clout. Serious about his business, better at playing the part more than most.

The second girl though, Arkins didn't get.
She was like a dainty delicate flower in the middle of the hot steaming jungle. She shouldn't be there, moreover, she was a danger to the safety of the crew. The Professor and the Scout, they could take care of themselves for the most part...but this last girl? She was trouble.

He lifted his mask from his face, revealing a slight scowl.
"Break time's over," He said loudly, announcing his presence, "It's clear up Professor. We should keep moving, we wanna hit this place before the week's out."
He paused shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"Scout's up ahead, I'll take you to 'em. Bit of a walk. We didn't cut the underbrush either, so it may take a bit of doing."

[basil]

“Is everything alright, Basil Glidewell?”

Basil hastily stuffed the object he was using into his trouser pocket and turned to face the delicate young woman who had joined his team before Peru. When had she joined? Was it when the were still in Marseille? His memory was sketchy when it came to team mates, especially with Paititi so close.

“You seem lost in thought.”

"-Nothing to worry about, dear", said Basil with a smile, "everything is going very well, in fact, this is probably the smoothest expedition I've ever been on...we got lost, attacked by hostile guerrillas in Africa and drug dealers in South-East Asia, we got malaria...this is quite peaceful."

Basil was not making any of it up. Back in Congo he and his team had been attacked by a local war lord who had suddenly changed his mind about having a group of European scientists cross his territory. Basil had paid him off handsomely to get safe passage, but the slimy bastard had broken his word and turned one part of the expedition into a manhunt in the middle of the Central African jungle...Basil's P228 had seen a bit of action then.

South-East Asia had been pretty similar, only with Opium and Marijuana dealers who wanted to protect their plantations in the upper reaches of Thailand. The business had been quicker and bloodier, and once again, Basil's P228 had taken a few lives.

Not the the IRAF knew about this. Basil had only told them half of the story.

"The place where I saw that statue should be a few miles away now, not too much of a trip. The walk should be very shady too, as the tree cover is going to get a lot thicker", he said, looking out at the heavily forested valley around them.

The young woman, whose name he suddenly remembered, seemed quite out of place in the jungle. Her delicate appearance, frame and expression all clashed with the sweaty, tired men around her, the cries of the jungle animals, the heat and humidity and the luxuriant, almost overbearing vegetation around them.

"-Break time's over. It's clear up Professor. We should keep moving, we wanna hit this place before the week's out. Scout's up ahead, I'll take you to 'em. Bit of a walk. We didn't cut the underbrush either, so it may take a bit of doing"

Basil saw one of the scouts standing at the edge of the tiny clearing they were resting in. He was slick with sweat, but did not seem to be suffering from the exertion...a good recruit, but still rather dodgy.
Basil did not really trust the man and the other scout. They seemed to be the type that got on board a scientific expedition and later used their military experience to get their own way, a great danger if the legends about Incan gold in Paititi were true.

"-Good, let's get going lads, we still have several miles to go, and I don't want to hang around till nightfall."

The expedition got moving again, slugging their way through the undergrowth which was getting denser and denser with every step. Three hours went by as the team went along the slope and downwards into the valley's mouth, a light green river opening up into the huge dark green sprawl of vegetation that was the Amazon.

As they proceeded down into the valley, walking across the valley's mouth, Basil suddenly came upon something that almost made his heart leap out of his chest. It was a paved road, mostly overgrown by moss, ferns and other plants, but it was there, and they had been about to walk straight over it.

"Stop!", he said before pointing at his feet, "look. This is a road, a paved one, and where there's such a road, there's civilization nearby..."

He walked off down the old road, which was barely visible beneath its thick blanket of dead leaves and plants, and took out his "magic compass". The man who had sold it to him said it showed the way to the "world's lost civilizations through forgotten technological or magical means", and so far, it was working perfectly. He had little doubt that the object would be worth billions in a museum or a private collection.

As he aligned the object with the sun, the arrow shuddered and swung along its disc-like frame, finally aiming towards a small range of lower mountains up North, below the Andes. Something told Basil that was where Paititi lay.

"Okay, let's move", he said, putting the object into his backpack again, "we'll follow this road."

The road went West at first, back towards where they came, but as Basil expected, it took a sharp turn East and moved in a zig zag up the valley's Northern slope. Basil couldn't help but note how well the ancient road was constructed.

Suddenly, he heard a snap somewhere above them and he froze, instinctively reaching for his gun. The forest was perfectly quiet, no birds and no monkeys were shrieking...this was the obvious sign of a threatening presence nearby.

"-There's something in the undergrowth", said one man, Mario Iglesias, "it's close."

Basil scanned the jungle for any signs of a large predator nearby. Could it be a jaguar? No, jaguars were far more timid than this, and often went unnoticed by the jungle's denizens. A cougar maybe? Could be, these animals were great roamers and present in Central and South America.

Suddenly, there was a loud hissing roar, followed by something very large thundering through the jungle towards them at incredible speed.

"Nope, not a cougar!", said Basil, unholstering his gun. Judging by the noise the thing made, it was far bigger and nastier than a cougar or a jaguar.

The thing burst out of the undergrowth and onto the old road where the expedition was. It was so fast Basil barely caught a glimpse of a massive, black quadruped of sorts. Iglesias screamed as he brutally snatched off his feet and taken into the jungle.

Basil raised his pistol and fired a couple of shots after the beast before the accursed thing returned with no sign of Iglesias. Once again, the creature was too fast for the expedition's members to get a clear shot at it, and this time, it grabbed two other members.

"-Bloody hell, this thing is too fast! Move!", said Basil, but the group was already falling into confusion as some charged off into the jungle, screaming their lungs out and others still stood their ground and kept firing before eventually getting picked off.

Basil took off running, charging up hill, his machete banging against his thigh and his P228 still tightly clasped in his right hand. The climb was steep and slippery, and he was sprinting. Soon, he was too exhausted to move any further.

He heard some of the others running through the jungle nearby, as well as the agonised screams of those less fortunate to escape the beast's claws. Suddenly, he heard heavy, bestial panting nearby, and his heart lept in fear...the thing was coming for him.
Quickly he got up and ran up the slope again, slipping in the mud and falling a few times, but still he kept on. He was pretty sure he was leaving a nice, clear trail for the thing to follow him.

He got up to a flattish ledge in the steep valley slope, and saw it was filled with muddy water. Without a second thought, he stuffed his satellite phone, his pistol and his GPA into a plastic, waterproof pouch he had on his belt, tossed his backpack into a nearby bush and quietly slipped under the brackish water's surface.

He stayed underwater for a minute before resurfacing, hoping the creature had left. He looked around, his face coated with muddy water and algae as well as a little black something he knew was a leech. The creature had come and gone judging from a few fresh, non-human tracks in the damp earth nearby. The thing had apparently inspected his backpack before going away, having lost his trail.

Basil breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to pick three rather fat leeches from his face, arm and calf. He retrieved his old leather backpack and set off looking for the others. He wasn't too worried about the scouts, they had probably found a way to escape the beast's clutches, but he was more worried about Seyénna, who did not seem "jungle wise" as he would put it. He heard the braying of the team's pack mule nearby and was surprised the creature, or creatures had not offed the poor dumb animal too.

After a while, the jungle regained its normal animal concerto as monkeys, birds and insects emerged from hiding and took up their cacophony again. Basil estimated it was now safe to call for the others, as the animals wouldn't be so noisy if the "thing" or "things" were lurking nearby.

"Seyénna? Pablo? Arkins? Where are you?", he shouted above the jungle's din.

[antonarkins]

When things went to hell, they really went to hell.
This kind of thing was hardly a surprise to Arkins, though he admonished himself during the entire fight. He hadn't even heard the creatures, and they may as well have been mack trucks, the size of the damn things.

"Seyénna? Pablo? Arkins? Where are you?", Arkins could heard Basil shout back from the trail.

He dropped down from the tree he was in, motioning for the three people with him to follow him.
"Four days of nothing and then BAM monsters out of nowhere," he muttered to himself just before emerging onto the path.

"Keep your god damned voice down Professor. We just rose hell in here, we don't need to call them back," Arkins muttered, "Whatever they were."

He looked a right state, covered in mud, dirt, sweat, and splashes of blood.
"Pablo's dead, what's left of him is on me."

Arkins moved out onto the path, taking in the scene. Splatters of blood, some extremities, and all the pack animals?
"Don't know who's left, beyond the folks with me. Check the radio."

He pulled his mask up from his face, scowling already.
"You noticing anything here Professor? They left our animals, the gear, they were after us. Those things are here for us specifically. Might be guarding the area, explains why this area is so unknown eh?"

He sighed, pulling the empty clip from his rifle and slapping in a fresh one.
"Now I dumped a clip into one of those ugly things, pissed it off too, but it didn't look too hurt. Chased me awhile, they're quick, but too big for the dense foliage.

Got a good look too.

Giant goddamn panthers, only they looked wrong.
Like someone burnt their skin to them. Black and leathery and tight across the joints. There's some tears here and there, cracks in the things own flesh. Big claws, big teeth, and it's face is pulled tight, you can see everyone of it's sharp little fangs and see the pink of it's gums. And the eyes Professor, the eyes looked dead. Never heard of anything like this."

As he described it some of the people with him shuddered and recoiled, recalling their own sighting of the creatures, but Arkins was oddly cool, as though this were just another average sunny day.

"To be honest, I recommend we pull out of here before we loose too many people. But...color me curious, you want to keep at it, I'm not going to say no."

[seyennaathenial]

She was not particularly fond of Arkins. There was something about him the half-elf could not understand, and that bothered her. She was usually pretty good at reading people, but when she looked at him, she sensed nothing. It was as though he were as blank as a slate…and gruff too. That was the other thing that bothered her. Of course she knew that being on this adventure meant she was going to run into some unsavory characters, but on an expedition, she felt everyone should be respectful.

His exact words, “When I tell you to hold position, move, or get down...you do it," she was not fond of them. She liked to make her own decisions, not be under the command of others. Still he knew what he was going, along with Basil, so she did not complain, even though she knew both men probably looked at her as though she were some delicate flower who could not take care of herself: the opposite of the truth, but she wasn’t about to argue with them about it.

She asked Basil if he was alright, because she could sense he was in deep thought, and he replied "-Nothing to worry about, dear", said with a smile, "everything is going very well, in fact, this is probably the smoothest expedition I've ever been on...we got lost, attacked by hostile guerrillas in Africa and drug dealers in South-East Asia, we got malaria...this is quite peaceful."

She arched a brow at him, skeptical, and studied his features in Elven silence, but then she chose to believe him. “Very well. If you need any help, please inform me. I am very good with languages, I have been sketching the area as we have walked along, so we have a good map of where we are based on my sketches, and I am also good with languages. I just wanted to let you know…so you know I can my weight on this expedition.” She smiled at him, but the moment was ended as Arkins entered, scowling.

“Break time's over," He said loudly, and she sighed. Must he always be so rude? "It's clear up Professor. We should keep moving, we wanna hit this place before the week's out. Scout's up ahead, I'll take you to 'em. Bit of a walk. We didn't cut the underbrush either, so it may take a bit of doing."

"-Good, let's get going lads, we still have several miles to go, and I don't want to hang around till nightfall."

She nodded quietly, taking in the tangled trees around her. Animals hooted and squawked far above, and the air was hot, sweaty and heavy. In that moment she missed the cool sweet air of New Zealand and wondered what her father and Souka were doing. Father was probably reading by the fire, with Souka content to sit by his legs, and Father begrudgingly letting him snuggle into him.

“Might I inquire where you got such an interest in artifacts? You pursue them with such a hunger.” She said, walking next to Basil now, trying to start up conversation. “I too love history. I have many artifacts I have…studied.” She added studied because he did not know her to be an elf, or partly one, and also her age was greater than it seemed, and if she said she had the relics, then he would want to see them, and then she would have to explain, and that would be near impossible.

As they walked along, everything was going fine, but in a moment the tide turned. Something shot out of the darkness, carrying off one of their men. "-Bloody hell, this thing is too fast! Move!" Cried Basil, and she moved with a lightness and a speed that was inhuman. At the moment she was not thinking of blending in however. She was thinking about her life. Her heart raced in her chest, making an odd plunking sound in her ears, and she inhaled and exhaled deeply.

For a moment they heard no sound, and she feared the worst. “Basil? Basil Glidewell, are you ok?” She called out, her syllables sounding strange. She realized they were heavily accented by Elven tones, and stopped herself, cursing. Whenever she was frightened or emotional they came out.

"Seyénna? Pablo? Arkins? Where are you?"She heard now, and sighed a deep breath.

“I am alright! I know not where Arkins is!” She cried out, and smelled blood. Who was that in their team? She could not figure it out.

"Pablo's dead, what's left of him is on me." She heard Arkins now, and gulped. She hadn’t wanted Arkins to be killed, but if he was incapacitated for a few days, and unable to speak, she wouldn’t have been too unhappy. "You noticing anything here Professor? They left our animals, the gear, they were after us. Those things are here for us specifically. Might be guarding the area, explains why this area is so unknown eh?"

“You think they are following us because they know where the city is, and wish to protect it.” Seyénna said, and it was not a question but a statement. “The question is, how did they know we were coming? Certainly they must be quite advanced, to not be noticed by us. I sketched many times, and I did not see anyone.” She said, and it was true. She had spent hours sketching as they walked, and not once had she seen anything in the shadows of the trees.

[basil]

As Seyénna and Arkins stated their opnion on the mysterious attackers, Basil walked over to what remained of one of the people they had lost. It was an arm, severed at the shoulder and presenting nasty lacerations Basil recognised as bite marks. There was surprisingly little blood, a normal occurrence in wild animal attacks.

People often imagined animal attacks as gruesome displays of savage violence, with a bloody trail leading away from the camp and into the bushes or bloody paw marks and severed body parts everywhere. This was not true, as predators were surprisingly stealthy with killing, often resorting to snapping their prey's neck or choking it with their jaws.

Tossing the arm away (the flesh was already starting to decay in the humidity and heat) he turned to the other survivors and saw four other members of the team emerge from the forest nearby, which meant they had lost five men.

"Well", said Basil quietly, "it may seem foolish to say this, but we're going on. I've spent too much time and too much money, and I've risked too much in trying to reach such a city. It is my belief that that city holds the key to other lost civilizations, such as Atlantis or Hyperborea, and to turn back now would be to leave crucial parts of mankind's history rotting and forgotten in the Amazon. As to the beasts being guardians of sorts, it is possible. The Portugese manuscript that first mentioned Paititi also mentioned savage beasts guarding the place...but let us not jump to conclusions. This area has only been explored three times: once by a Portugese expedition, once by helicopter, and once by myself. Some undiscovered creatures could live here undisturbed."

With that, the team picked up whatever things they had dropped in the initial scramble and set off once more through the jungle, towards Paititi. As Basil walked along he fell in alongside Seyénna.

"To answer the question you asked before we were so rudely interrupted by those beasts, I hunt for the truth. Ever since I was 16 I got the feeling some things they said about mankind's origins weren't exactly right, and that there had to be something containing the truth hidden somewhere."

One section of the ancient road they were following had collapsed, and the group fell silent as they made their way across the muddy, slippery remnants. After getting across that section, Basil resumed his conversation with Seyénna.

"Are you an athlete of sorts? I saw you just before I left the road myself, and you were moving a lot faster than the others..."

[seyennaathenial]

Seyénna studied the bodies or what was left of them. They were not brutally attacked. The job had been swift and efficiant, just as she knew hunters were. How many times had Souka tried to share his breakfast of a rabbit, neck snapped with precision, with her? More times than she could count. Predators were just that: predators. They struck when the time was right, or they did not strike at all, and they rarely missed.

She was saddened by all the death around her, and looked down at the forest floor, wanting to get away from it again. A part of her, the part that drew life around her, was tempted to make a memorial of them on paper, but the other part thought it might not be wise. Her ways were not always human like, and right now, surrounded by humans, she had to think like them and blend in. She had already made herself stick out like a sore thumb with her agile running skills, when all of them had been in danger of attack.

Basil tossed the arm away and she winced a little. I pray whoever that limb belonged to, that their spirit flies to paradise. She thought to herself. I pray they find peace, that their killer was quick. I hope they did not suffer, and that they watch over us while we go forward...if we go forward. She added silently, because she had heard Arkins say that perhaps Basil wanted to stop. Now she turned her attention to her leader, and wondered if he would or not.

"Well", said Basil finally spoke, "it may seem foolish to say this, but we're going on. I've spent too much time and too much money, and I've risked too much in trying to reach such a city. It is my belief that that city holds the key to other lost civilizations, such as Atlantis or Hyperborea, and to turn back now would be to leave crucial parts of mankind's history rotting and forgotten in the Amazon. As to the beasts being guardians of sorts, it is possible. The Portugese manuscript that first mentioned Paititi also mentioned savage beasts guarding the place...but let us not jump to conclusions. This area has only been explored three times: once by a Portugese expedition, once by helicopter, and once by myself. Some undiscovered creatures could live here undisturbed."

"As long as you are going forward, I go with you." She murmured in agreement. For looking twenty one, her speach was quite archaeic, but it couldn't be helped. That is just how she was. Basil walked with her then, and they began to talk once more, to her delight.

"To answer the question you asked before we were so rudely interrupted by those beasts, I hunt for the truth. Ever since I was 16 I got the feeling some things they said about mankind's origins weren't exactly right, and that there had to be something containing the truth hidden somewhere."

"The truth...how will you know what it is when you find it? I have heard many say the truth is just a conception made by man to fit their ideals." She said thoughtfully, not to be mean, but to provoke thought.

He spoke then, and his words sent a chill down her spine. "Are you an athlete of sorts? I saw you just before I left the road myself, and you were moving a lot faster than the others..."

"Oh..." She said nervously. "You know how adreniline works. It propells you farther and faster than you thought possible. I was frightened - I will not lie - and so I just acted on human instint." Well, everything was true about that sentence except the human part...

[antonarkins]

The Professor announced they would continue on, which didn't much surprise Arkins. These types of fellows, they didn't care much if they lost half their men, just as long as they got what they wanted. He didn't like it. Reminded him too much of the IPD. Didn't matter really, not like he was relying on anyone here.
He helped some of the other men gather up what supplies they could find, an extra gun or two and a partially torn backpack. Better than nothing.

He had been wrong about Seyenna. He had seen her run, it reminded him of...nothing human. She too was undeterred by the creatures...there was more to her than she let on.
"At least she can take care of herself," he muttered to himself as he slung one of the extra AKs over his shoulder.

The quietly got back on the path and continued their march, though Arkins and several of the others were on high alert now. Behind him, he heard Basil and Seyenna jump back into conversation

"To answer the question you asked before we were so rudely interrupted by those beasts, I hunt for the truth. Ever since I was 16 I got the feeling some things they said about mankind's origins weren't exactly right, and that there had to be something containing the truth hidden somewhere." He said to the girl. She paused a moment and then responded to him with words Arkins did not expect.
"The truth...how will you know what it is when you find it? I have heard many say the truth is just a conception made by man to fit their ideals."

"There's a lot more to the world than we think Professor. Gigantic monsters not withstanding. I've dealt in ancient mystical artifacts and locations enough to know that sometimes it's best left alone," he said to them without turning around.
"There's enough in the present that's a mystery and now we start drudging up ancient evil out of story books..." he sighed, "Whatever, I hope you know what you're doing."

There was a cracking sound in the distance and Arkins lost his train of thought, gripping his rifle instinctively. The others must not have heard it, because the conversation continued.

"Are you an athlete of sorts? I saw you just before I left the road myself, and you were moving a lot faster than the others..." Basil began.

"Oh..." Seyenna replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice, "You know how adrenaline works. It propels you farther and faster than you thought possible. I was frightened - I will not lie - and so I just acted on human instinct."

"No need to be modest girl, " Arkins said back to them, smirking under his mask, "Got some legs on you. Or maybe you're just a freak, like me. Hey, we're running around an uncharted jungle getting killed by leathery super panthers, I think we can all be cool with it."

There was another rustling in the brush, and the forest had gone silent again. Arkins held up his fist, denoting everyone to get low, which most of the men did do.
"Keep it loose, don't stay too tight together. They're following us, but it's sloppy. I don't think they're - GET DOWN!" He shouted, and a black streak darted across the path ahead of them.
He stood up right away, his rifle pointed out into the jungle, presumably trailed on the creature.
"No, they're leaving us be for now, but I recommend we pick up the pace, we're sitting ducks on this trail."

[basil]

Basil was not pleased by the latest development. The damn creatures were hunting them like animals, and he was pretty sure they wouldn't stop until they were all dead. And what was this about Seyénna being a freak?

"Now, Arkins, I wouldn't start with all those rather tall stories of magic and demons. We have to think rationally here, and these enemies probably use the same senses as most wild animals: sight and scent. I know how we can escape the scent, but it involves lighting a fire and getting a little dirty."

As he spoke, he walked off again, more cautiously and with his pistol at the ready. If some ugly leathery beast was going to try and make Basil into breakfast or supper, Basil would make the task harder for it.

The group set off again, more on edge than before. Basil couldn't help but glance at Seyénna every now and then as he noticed something he hadn't noticed before. Her physical appearance wasn't quite right...

"Golly", said Basil as he suddenly turned around and laid eyes on a familiar sight, "we've found it."

In front of them was the statue and the wall he had discovered during his first expedition into the region. It sat there, unperturbed and undisturbed by time, with its robe of creepers and moss. It was about 6 meters in height, and was sculpted in typical Incan style, with a representation of the sun behind its head, which made it a representation of the Incan God king, the Inca.

"Paititi is close", said Basil, "it is definitely close. I can feel it."

[clarisse]

Clarisse was not a student. She was a well-trained killing machine. So exactly why she was following this group of mad fools, led by a learned professor or something, on a foolish quest for some probably-fake city in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, she wasn't sure. The pay seemed to be pretty good, she supposed, and she got to do a good deal of trekking through the forest, which she loved. She was dressed for a long journey; khaki shorts in camouflage print, an ivory tank-top, and a pair of sturdy hiking boots. Her beloved AK was draped across her back, and her multi-tool was extended before her, making swiping motions at vines that blocked her way.

She cleared her throat into the microphone that the pseudo-leader of this little expedition, a man known to her only as Arkins, had insisted that everybody wear. Personally, she felt the thing was a waste of time. If there were any animals within the area, or so-called primitive cultures anywhere in the woods, they wouldn't be fooled by the gadgets, and the entire party would be killed. But she did as she was told; after all, she was being paid for this. But just because she had the thing on, that didn't mean she intended to use it.

Listening to the others speak to one another while charging ahead, she noticed on the ground before her a cape gooseberry plant. Grinning, she knelt down and used the blade of her multi-tool to cut several of the sweet little fruits from the plant. She stuffed them into a small pouch she had at her side, keeping one out to peel the husks off of the round, yellow fruit. Grinning brightly, she took a bite of the fruit. It was sweet and juicy, just having come into ripeness. Amazingly, in the FARC, they had managed to have cape gooseberries, even though they were native to Peru. She'd spent eight years in the jungle now; she'd probably crossed the Colombian-Peruvian border a thousand times.

For some reason, this expedition was supposed to be different from the work she was used to doing. Clarisse had been a hired gun for two years, ever since the government of Colombia had ordered the FARC into a cease-fire and all of the young soldiers, herself included, had been reclaimed. Unfortunately for the government, she'd liked her work, even if she didn't like those who forced her to do it. So now she offered services to the highest bidder. The only problem she really had with this group was the fact that she was the only female but one. There was a girl in the group named Seyénna
that the young soldier found herself being rather fond of. Perhaps because of Seyénna's youthful face. Clarisse loved children, and while she was sure that the other was older, she seemed very innocent.

The men were experienced in their work, she was sure, but if any of them tried to touch her in any way that didn't seem professional, she would have no qualms about shooting them. No man touched her. She'd had too many bad experiences with that. She stuffed the rest of the gooseberry into her mouth and continued along, watching the path and paying little attention to what the others were saying in her ears. Something was suddenly wrong. The jungle, typically so full of sound, was still except for the sounds of her companions. And... what was that smell? She'd never smelled anything like it before.

Before she knew what she was doing, the AK was off of her back, and firing at a massive, quick-moving hulk. She'd never seen anything like it. From the brief look she'd gotten at it, it seemed to be a large hybrid animal; half cougar and half reptile. It charged into the jungle, chasing after fleeing members of the team, and she took off at a run in the opposite direction, trying to keep her eyes on the group that was still heading the way they had been. Before her was a steep cliff. Replacing her AK in its holster, she stuffed her multi-tool into the pouch the the gooseberries, and started the climb up the cliff. There were few footholds, but if there was anything that Clarisse could do, apart from fire a gun, it was climb. She was at the top within minutes, and charged down the path, following the sounds of her companions' voices.

They were still chatting, talking about the path, about people who had either died or run off, about Seyénna's ability to run, and Arkins rambling on about some kind of evil magic or some such garbage. Magic. Please. Hybrids weren't unusual in the jungle. Another creature jumped across the path in front of them, and she had to fight the urge to shoot it.

"No, they're leaving us be for now, but I recommend we pick up the pace, we're sitting ducks on this trail." Clarisse looked at Arkins. At least the man had sense. She nodded her agreement, and turned to the professor. He was probably the oldest of all of them, and it was natural that she should be worried about the man who supposed to pay her for coming on this crazy trip. “Everything's okay, Professor?” she asked. He was walking ahead, and she followed slowly, keeping her eyes on Arkins.

“They came on too fast,” she said to him, pulling out another gooseberry, shelling it, and taking about. She sucked out the juice, spitting the seeds onto the path as she moved. “I swear, I didn't see them until one was almost on top of me. Guns don't seem to do them much damage. D'you reckon maybe they were some sort of powerful jungle hybrid?”

“Golly, we've found it.” She heard the professor speak, and she stepped forward quickly. She was looking at a large statue. Had to been better than thirty-five feet high, and was definitely Incan. Clarisse felt her eyes widen as the professor continued to speak. “Paititi is close, it is definitely close. I can feel it.”

[seyennaathenial]

She knew he did not like her, and that was fine to her. She had done nothing to deserve his scorn, but she deserved her physical appearance was enough. Oh it wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty – perhaps that was the problem in fact. She looked too pretty, too delicate, too out of place. Wiping her pale brow as she walked along, she wished once more to grab her sketchpad, but knew with those creatures on the way, now was not the best time.
"At least she can take care of herself," Arkins muttered, and she chuckled.
“Were you worried about me, Arkins?” She said all too sweetly, amusement written in those bronze hues.

"There's a lot more to the world than we think Professor. Gigantic monsters not withstanding. I've dealt in ancient mystical artifacts and locations enough to know that sometimes it's best left alone," he said as the two of them had been talking. "There's enough in the present that's a mystery and now we start drudging up ancient evil out of story books..." he sighed, "Whatever, I hope you know what you're doing."
“Magic?” She said, tipping her head. “I tend not to believe in it. I prefer what is sound and logical…although if magic could be explained in a sound and logical way, I suppose I would believe it.” One might think her a hypocrite for saying such a thing, but really, she was covering her own butt by doing so. If they thought for one moment she wasn’t normal, things could get sticky. A cracking was heard and she shivered and tensed. She did not want to have to use her abilities to protect the group, because that would give herself away, but if she had to, she would.

"No need to be modest girl, " Arkins said then, "Got some legs on you. Or maybe you're just a freak, like me. Hey, we're running around an uncharted jungle getting killed by leathery super panthers, I think we can all be cool with it."

“Now, Arkins, I wouldn't start with all those rather tall stories of magic and demons. We have to think rationally here, and these enemies probably use the same senses as most wild animals: sight and scent. I know how we can escape the scent, but it involves lighting a fire and getting a little dirty." Basil said and she nodded to his earlier statement, but winced when it came to getting dirty. That did not sound fun.

"Keep it loose, don't stay too tight together. They're following us, but it's sloppy. I don't think they're - GET DOWN!" He shouted, and she obeyed without thinking. "No, they're leaving us be for now, but I recommend we pick up the pace, we're sitting ducks on this trail."
"Golly", said Basil, "we've found it." And her heart stopped. It was beautiful, whatever it was.

[antonarkins]

“Were you worried about me, Arkins?” Seyenna said in a sweet, mocking tone.
He paused in response, lifting up his mask and looking at her.
"Why Princess, you gonna give me a kiss if I said I was?" He said with a slight smirk before turning back around, "Hey you might get lucky, maybe I'll turn back into a prince."

To be honest, he was in some way worried about her. But he was also worried that her weakness would weaken the entire party. It pleased him to know that would not be the case. The less people on his side dying, the better.
There was something off about her though, that was obvious enough. Most of the crew were crapping their pants in fear, but Seyenna, the Scout and the Professor were all as cool as cucumbers.
It was foolish to let fear get the best of you, sure, but to loose it completely?
'These people are crazier than I am,' he thought to himself.

The Scout fell back, joining the conversation. They had talked briefly, and Arkins mentioned that darker shadier world he had been a part of for so long. Their responses were about right for people who had never seen what he had. All of them grumbling is disagreement.

“Now, Arkins, I wouldn't start with all those rather tall stories of magic and demons. We have to think rationally here, and these enemies probably use the same senses as most wild animals: sight and scent. I know how we can escape the scent, but it involves lighting a fire and getting a little dirty."

To this Arkins only laughed. Ancient mystical city? Giant monsters? This place reeked of magic, but Arkins was ready. Alert and observant, he was keenly aware of the three beasts still staking them, just off the trail in the thick jungle.
Basil suddenly spotted something and ran ahead, Arkins jogged just a little behind him, just in case.
"Paititi is close", said Basil, "it is definitely close. I can feel it."

Arkins nodded to him, looking briefly at the large statue he'd found. Things were going to get serious, more serious than giant panther monsters; he needed to organize. Arkins gathered the remaining men around him and began splitting those with guns up into teams of two.
"Keep an eye on your buddy and use a staggered withdrawl if we're under attack. These things we're fighting aren't going down easy, and it might be better to run instead of fight. Not the manliest of options, but more of you will live that way."

"More of us? What about you?" One of the men replied in a thick accent.

"Trust me, I'll be fine," Arkins said lifting up his mask and smiling.
They continued on again, the men reassured, and operating a little more efficiently. But it was not to last.

The forest was getting quiet again, and Arkins held up his fist. The other armed men got down one knee, making themselves smaller targets as they did their best to scan the forest.
There heard a rustling in the brush and Arkins shouted out to the men just before one of the cats darted across the field again.

The man who had spoken earlier stood up, "They're just trying to scare us agai-" before he could finish the black figure darted across, swiping it's claws through the man. He fell neatly into bisected pieces.

"They're hitting us! Move, move, move!" Arkins shouted, urging everyone to get running.

The familiar sound of gun fire once again filled the jungle as Arkins ushered the group further down the path. They made it a few feet before another one of the creatures came barreling out of the forest. Almost instinctively he felt time slow around him. The creature was hurtling toward Seyenna like a rocket, and Arkins casually pushed her out of the way. The damn thing was fast, and in that time it had come almost entirely upon him. He focused, allowing his body to be lighter for what would come next.
The cat leapt forward, claws outstretched, and Arkins jumped. It wasn't an extremely high jump, he'd done higher, but it was enough to just barely clear the monster. The claws came a little to close for comfort though, the sharp white blades mere inches from his face. The blades caught the AK dangling from Arkins, crushing it and splitting it in twain.

Arkins landed with a dull thud on the monsters back, time still slowed, and then stood, whipping around to face the creature's back much to his chagrin. But quickly he realized his opportunity. The creature was already attempting to dislodge Arkins as he drew his AA12 and leveled it at the monster.
In a flash Arkins dumped the clip into the creature, round after shotgun round slamming into it's neck. With a groan and a thud the monster collapsed in the middle of the trail. The shotgun rounds had nearly torn the massive creature's head off, it lay steaming on the dirt floor.

"Guess they're not so bulletproof," Arkins muttered, slightly out of breath.

[seyennaathenial]

Seyénna, who was usually shy around males, made a surprisingly flirty remark about him being worried for her. She knew he wasn't. He didn't seem to be the type that worried about anyone but himself, and she thought if she said such a thing, he would merely grumble about her...instead he lifted his mask and gave her an answer she didn't expect.

"Why Princess, you gonna give me a kiss if I said I was?" He smirking and she bit her lip, unsure of how to respond to that. "Hey you might get lucky, maybe I'll turn back into a prince."

"You couldn't turn into a prince if someone paid you to be one." She muttered then. She knew it was childish and immature but she didn't care. She hadn't thought it out when she talked to him, it just came out. Now she was paying the price of not knowing what to say or when.The professor said not to start on tall cities, and she smiled a bit, trying to shake herself out of what had happened moments ago between Arkins and her. "Well we've got to amuse ourselves somehow, Professor." She muttered softly, gentler with him than she was with Arkins.

Basil said the city was close and Arkins answered,"Keep an eye on your buddy and use a staggered withdrawl if we're under attack. These things we're fighting aren't going down easy, and it might be better to run instead of fight. Not the manliest of options, but more of you will live that way."

"More of us? What about you?"

"Trust me, I'll be fine," Arkins said smiling, and there was something about that smile that set her on edge.

He's like the snake in the garden of Eden. She thought to herself. He blends in, but one always has to be wary of him. Yet even as the thought crossed her mind, she thought that these hybrid-burned panthers were a greater danger to her, and so she let it go.

"They're just trying to scare us agai-" She heard and her heart raced. They were here. She sensed them before they landed. She opened her mouth to warn the others, but it was too late - he was dead.

"They're hitting us! Move, move, move!" Arkins shouted,and once more the elven part of Seyénna took over. One of them came at her, and to her surprise Arkins saved her, pushing her out of the way. She landed on the ground with a thud, and brushed herself off barely before another one was upon her. This one however, did not pounce right away. Instead it stared at her with it's great yellow eyes, licking it's lips.

Fear racked it's way through her body. Fear so great that she had no control over what happened next. She shut her eyes as it sprang, and without meaning to, she used her gift of telekinesis, knocking the animal so severly against a tree trunk that it's spine snapped with a resounding crack. Thankfully Arkins shot at another one at the same time, and said, "Guess they're not so bulletproof," so if anyone said anything, she would claim it was the sound of the gun that made that cracking sound, and not her abilities...

[antonarkins]

Arkins turned to to see another of the Panther monsters...though this one had been wrapped around a tree, it gurgled painfully, it's front claws pawing aimlessly in the air.

Arkins reloaded his shotgun as he walked casually toward Seyénna. She looked shocked, perhaps scared, huddled on the ground. Just as he reached her, he pumped a few rounds from his shotgun in the still squirming panther-creature, it cried loudly one last time and then moved no more. Arkins then reached down, lifting Seyénna up with one hand.

"You do that?" He asked her breathlessly, sliding his mask up. There was another burst of gunfire nearby, and Arkins could hear the men shouting.

"Doesn't matter, time to go!" He turned in the direction the men were firing, and noted the last of the beasts darting across the path back and forth, almost as if it was attempting to make the men waste their ammunition. He put himself in between the monster and the girl instinctually, fired off a few rounds at the creature and then looked back at her.

"Closer to a prince now eh?" He said laughing, and one could tell, even from the look in his eyes behind the mask, that he was weirdly enjoying the fight. "Now quit standing there and go!"

He gave her a slight nudge and began to back up, shooting at the monster as it darted back and forth across the path, closer and closer to their position.
With all the chaos, and being somewhat forced to cover the withdrawal of the crew, the creature reached Arkins. It barreled out of the trees towards him, claws out ahead of it.

Again time slowed, and Arkins fired three shots before the monster reached him, batting the gun from his hand and leaving a small gash across his right arm.

Arkins didn't make a noise, not a swear, not a yelp of pain. He stood his ground as the shotgun went clattering to the floor. Arkins tumbled right, just as the panther made another swipe, sliding the knife from his shoulder holster. The panther snapped at him and Arkins moved just in time, narrowly avoiding it, then jumping forward and buried his blade into the creature's neck. It growled and shook, attempting to dislodge him, but Arkins pulled down and away, leaving a thick gash into the monster's muscular neck.

It clawed at him again, and he managed to duck the first blow. The second one connected full force, the monster's paw batting him hard in the side and Arkins went tumbling into the forest out of sight.
The panther paused, about to follow, but the remaining men began to pepper it with gunfire, and it tore after them instead.

Arkins meanwhile tumbled head over feet for a few meters, before he slammed into a tree. He felt his shoulder pop out of socket. He gritted his teeth and grunted painfully, attempting to sit up. He was bruised, a bit beaten, and the wound on his arm would need bandaging...but he wasn't dead.