Chapter 7

It wasn't necessary to Austin when he couldn't even see the guys as they had moved too fast before shooting at them. To Rakel it was easy but if they could only sit still before moving in front of the tree holding out her gun reloading it looking over at Austin who just seemed to hunch in the same way looking back at her. His hands went around his gun before he pulled away from the tree trying to get a good look at the guys that kept shooting before he grabbed his grenade pulling the stick and throwing it where the bad guys had moved as others flanked them from the other side.

" Move!" Yelling was heard as screams died out before the bomb went off a few others went off as well. " Get 'em! " It wasn't just heard but she could easily see them and where they were coming from as she grabbed Austin's attention pointing towards his left side. She ran towards him shooting at the other 4 as they quickly went to the ground in a heap. " It wasn't terrifying but my heart is racing." She said looking over at the guns beside the dead bodies before grabbing an Ak-47 along with the extra bullets and a grenade as Austin did the same with some things he saw that he might need. Austin never really cared for guns before all this but he was grateful he knew how to handle one. Austin grabbed a hand pistol from one guy and extra bullets along with a shotgun. " Do you know where you're going? I don't that's why I'm asking." He shrugged his shoulders as his holster held the shotgun as fiddled with the pistol.

" If we keep going I'm sure we'll find the alley. " She didn't seem sure but she looked determined before looking from where the bad guys had come from." Let's get to high ground. We'll find it better, hopefully." This time Rakel followed Austin up and over the rocks and then watched him jumped higher onto the rock wall. " Ugh, this is getting tiring. " Rakel did the same before he suddenly disappeared before looking over from where he was supposed to be. " Ugh, can't get any worse." She groaned almost losing her grip and she knew if she let go she'd plummet to her death. That's when she hated video games the most; clinging on for dear life, only in video games they had more lives she didn't. She grunted before laying on the ground underneath her breathing heavily. Rakel barely had to look to know that there was more climbing as she was already tired. " Ugh, why can't this be over with already." It wasn't more of a question but she was already sore and she could feel the pain just from the first jump and clinging on to the side of the cliff. She didn't have to look down after getting up from to the ground to know it was a long way down. " Austin Do you even know where you're going?" Rakel had to yell considering he was ahead of her and she didn't want to yell. She had to get a running start to get to the next cliff, upon doing that she wasn't expecting to actually land perfectly. " Aha. " She wasn't just proud of herself but she was even prouder that Austin was doing better than her. Looking down she felt bad laughing at herself when she felt the mound of rock and grass around her shaking before it split in the middle. " Oh crap. " She knew she wouldn't make it even if she jumped that when she felt like death was just calling her. " Freaking nuts." She threw her grappling hook hoping it'll latch onto any of the rocks above her as she fell several feet before it yanked her harder than she thought.

" Rakel!" His voice was laced with worry scared even as she could only breathe out shakingly as she was too close to death that wasn't supposed to happen just yet for her. She still swung without really swinging as she only yelled she was okay only she still felt like her heart was still beating out of her chest. She felt like her soul had left her body a long time ago but she wasn't sure as she felt worse than before. She knew these feelings all too well and it made her think back to when she tried to find her father. She tried to think of other things but everything seemed to make her think he was just there in plain sight and she couldn't see him. Sometimes things to her didn't make sense as she figured a lot of things out on her own. Growing up on her own wasn't even part of her plan it never was but none of her family wanted to raise her.

Austin didn't like how he had lost sight of her after he heard the commotion before fear and adrenaline swept through him. Rakel only swung towards the rocks and she gripped the edges as she climbed up towards where she had seen Austin before. " Give me your hand and I'll pull you up." She did just that after climbing up further breathing heavily before falling against him onto the ground. " Thanks. " She breathed out the words as she caught her breath before his hands moved around her waist and hips moving her to the ground as he lay more on his side facing her. " Quit scaring me. " Rakel only looked at him as she noticed how close they were as he seemed to be breathing easier than before. " I can't make promises, and you know that." Austin looked into her soft brown eyes wondering what exactly what she was thinking as he also noticed she was alert with the position they were in. Austin loved saving her but not the death drop in the pit of his stomach.

" There's a cave up ahead and I'm not sure if I even want to go in considering the last time. " He blinked hard saying it as he sit up letting her get the room she deserved. " We'll be fine. " Rakel didn't want a repeat of the last time and it was the one thing she knew she was praying about before they walked into the dark sad of a cave. It seemed to go on as she heard the distance dripping from the cave. It seemed too quiet for her taste then again she hoped they'd get in and out fast instead of being in a death trap like all the other times before. The ancient scrolls would have the map in them she only prayed it wouldn't be hard to find as she watched the slightest step and the walls as if they were taunting her. Rakel and Austin were already halfway into the cave and she was even wondering if they were in the right one. Usually, there were traps and other obstacles in they're way but so far she was just glad to enjoy just a little exploring in a cave that didn't seem so scary.

" This doesn't seem to be right. " They ended up at a dead end and it confused her greatly as it was starting to piss her off that everything was working well till now. " The ground is glowing, should It be doing that?" She looked at him then the floor as she stepped back before slamming her foot hard against the glowing cracks as more cracks appeared. " Help me with this." She said slamming her foot harder with more force only Austin didn't seem sure as it had given way before he could help. " Hm never mind. " She didn't have to look at him to know that he didn't like the glowing, but they had to keep moving. " You'll be fine. Come on." Austin didn't say anything to her other than mumbling to himself after she threw herself into the hole below them. " It's scary when she does it." He sat on the edge before closing his eyes thinking of happy thoughts before he pushed himself into the hole feet first only not the way Rakel had done it. " You good?" Rakel asked her worried lines showing as he didn't want her to lose focus because of him so he only nodded before forcing himself to act his age and get on with it. " You seriously need to go on vacation because you seem to know too much about exploration and well stuff. " The way he had said it made her think he really cared that she was too tense or really just needed a much-needed nap.

" Maybe after this adventure I will. " Rakel glanced at the huge grown tree ahead of them before staring at the creek that ran along through the right side of the bigger cave that stretched out past her through the open wall towards the unknown. She could see the tops of the building but not before she could've sworn she saw something move from around the back end of the tree as the masked figure ran towards where the building was. " Okay no, no. " Austin gripped his gun firmly moving back from where they had come before Rakel just rolled her eyes. " Austin really? Those are the people of the hidden City. Show respect. " Rakel only hoped that they could make peace before they made war, it was never hard for her but she wasn't Lara Croft and this wasn't a video game.

Austin facing the open wall looked at everything around them before thinking of what the bad guys would do if they ended up finding this place or the fountain that was well he wasn't even sure. " What about the bad guys? What if they find it? " Austin asked whimpering for no reason at all as he stared at everything around him. " I don't exactly want to imagine but if this were a video game they're ahead of us but hopeful for now we can rest...maybe." Austin didn't like how she had said maybe but he could only do so much as he just went with the flow. By the time they had gotten to the buildings a group of masked people had stood waiting patiently with their own sorts of weapons. " Oh, God." Austin didn't say it aloud but he knew only Rakel heard him as she only held out her hand as they had already lit their arrows. " I'm Rakel Joas. I'm an explorer and if I may i'm here to only pass through ? " Rakel knew she had asked politely but with the masks she really couldn't tell what they were thinking or what they were planning as the lit arrows were only making Austin antsy with worry. Rakel knew she didn't say anything about Austin but after seeing the masks figures part ways she figured that meant they could pass through only someone else came into view as she didn't understand yet before that person she didn't even know spoke. " Rakel Joas and? You come here for what exactly? " Rakel heard the deep voice but it also sounded old and frail and she suddenly felt bad as what they should've done was go around the city. Rakel didn't notice till now that it wasn't that big of a city but more of a colonie. " This is Austin. We're only trying to find a map that's hidden in the caves of a mountain. I promise you we mean no harm. "

She didn't want to say her real name to many people who already knew her and that said a lot They either hated her or felt bad and she didn't like how people felt bad but didn't do anything about it then again she didn't care. They didn't want to help her then and she didn't need their help now. She didn't think she'd grow up hating part of herself as she wondered every day what it would be like if she did grow up with her father and friends that actually liked her, she definitely wouldn't be the woman she was today and it made her feel a whole lot better thinking about it. Sometimes she felt like the stress was eating her alive and she had noticed the way Austin was since they had started and she wondered if she looked that way or if she look constipated more than half the time. She didn't want to add to the stress thinking about that either. Her and Austin watched the masked figure that was different from the rest in hushed whisper talking to some of his own people. She never expected it to work so easily before the masked figures moved across so they could follow after the leader of them all. Even from behind he was shielded as she couldn't even see the legs as they both continued to follow but not before long as they came to a rough stop and then entered a vast room that was beautiful in her eyes.

Austin didn't know what to think as he didn't want to believe this was the best they could do to a big room with other rooms that he could barely see into. Every building was made from wood and even though they could obviously build things he was curious to what they could really do if they needed to kill them. " The caves are up on the mountain on this left side. The ones on the right are the ones that will lead you astray. You'd die before you even get up to the mountain. Oh, and You Rakel right? I'd like to speak to you privately. " He didn't ask and he said it urgently as if something was wrong. " Um okay yeah. " Looking at Austin Rakel wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone with an elder person when she didn't even know him. Austin went outside doing what he was told to do even though he felt deep down that it wasn't what Rakel wanted. He stared out at the 3 mountains that just loomed over the colony only the people seemed very aware of their surroundings since they had gotten there. He felt the atmosphere changed and he knew just by looking at the masked people that they knew something they didn't. What he didn't know and not just the hidden city but everything terrified him.

Rakel on the other hand heard what the man named Tehama said about what the city had suffered already and some of the people were still in the dark about it as well. " There's a trust where you've been but you still seem ashamed of the past. There's going to be fear when they don't understand, but you need to do something about it and not hide from it. The map on the other hand others has tried within the past 50 years if you do get it bring it back. It would bring you more help if you knew what you were looking for. " He talked the entire time and not once did Rakel think she could trust him. but she wasn't so sure of the situation as he knew something she didn't and she wanted to know what he knew that she should know. When she left Tehima she wasn't sure if she would come back and she never gave him her word because something was definitely off about this small city. Austin however was being dressed by a kid with beads and two masked people that had two long robes that seemed more like dresses. She only saw the look on his face in a second change to help me before it switched back to a fake smile at the little boy maybe the girl with marks all over her face.

Getting Austin and hiking towards the left side Austin didn't hesitate after getting out of earshot and from prying eyes. He took off the Burgandy robe of a dress with the beads that held it at the waist. Austin felt like he had been violated and what was worse he heard about a Crystal Skull that could do the unspeakable only he wasn't sure of anything anymore and he figured once Rakel was in the office talking to the Leader of the people who seemed to be walking Zombies. Something was wrong with the entire town and he didn't just have a sickening feeling about it. " What did he want? " It wasn't the question Austin wanted to ask but he refrained from asking anyways. " He didn't exactly didn't say why but he wants us to come back. My guess is we do the hard work and we die in the end by him, If I'm being honest I don't think we should." She meant it and Austin hated that he couldn't just say that to Rakel about what he heard from the people that seemed to murmur to themselves.

" Okay, so what they're to lazy to do it themselves or is it just the " Leader" ." Austin wanted to laugh at the thought as he saw the small town from where they were and for some reason felt bad. Maybe they knew what they were or maybe it was just the Leader, but he was hoping he was wrong. The atmosphere had already changed back to what it was before but even then Austin didn't have his bearings still, he felt on edge, about what he didn't know. "There are 4 caves. Maybe if we split up?" Austin closed his eyes and breathed out loudly. " Please no, there's no telling what's in there. I'd rather not be by myself. " He wasn't lying but with the look on Rakel's face, he knew they should both split up. " Do we have to?" He didn't even need to ask but he had anyways with a dreading nagging heartbeat that was already hammering at his chest and he hadn't gone inside the cave in front of him. " Fine but how do I talk to you if I really need to? " That wasn't a stupid question and even she looked back at the caves that stood out all too well. She dug through her jeans pockets and pulled out what appeared to be Bluetooth headphones but ten times smaller. She pressed something on one and handed it to him like he was supposed to know everything.

Sticking it in his ear she didn't hesitate as she walked towards one cave sticking hers in her ear. She turned before walking into the cave at him as he could only see so far into the cave. " Be careful, Don't do anything I wouldn't. " Rakel was serious and Austin could tell she didn't want to split up but it would be faster as she immediately clung to herself mentally telling herself she'd be fine however Austin wasn't sure if he should've done exactly what they had planned as everything including his soul drifted further and further inside the mysterious cave that he wasn't sure was safe. " Austin you good?" Rakel asked in his ear as he wanted to so badly keep himself from screaming no he wasn't. The only thing he had was the flashlight that he had already turned on before entering the cave and everything that his light shined on was nothing to be afraid of. He didn't know what was worse feeling anything or the adrenaline he was supposed to feel as he felt he should've already run into something terrible. Austin didn't like that thought as he answered Rakel back with a whisper. He didn't hear anything back from her but he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the scream if she did scream. He didn't want to think on that either as he only thought about happier thoughts walking towards the edge of the bend that curved to the left. It made him think all the caves were connected before seeing water or so he thought as he never made contact. " Weird." He didn't think anything of it before he kept walking towards hopefully a 4 way that would lead to Rakel.

If anything he was greeted with something he couldn't see or think to put a name on other than the stench of something utterly terrible. He gagged getting deeper into the cave as he still could not see anything as his eyes started to burn. " Oh, God. " He coughed stopping as the inside of his elbow and his mouth came in contact before the coughing got worse. His light shined throughout the cave that went on for what looked like forever. Still coughing he forced his way through as the smell disappeared completely almost instantly. He thought that it was weird but he again didn't care at the moment as he stared at the wall that seemed too high to reach. " Okay, I'm seeing things now." When it shattered he felt like he was back in the maze and with the little boy which scared him to think about. It was another wall connected to the same wall but he could climb it, He wasn't sure what he should do but he didn't want to run to Rakel like a baby. He was thankful after climbing into the tunnel didn't smell anything but the bodies had already decayed long ago and he could tell that he didn't understand why they seemed to be almost lined up against the wall.

Austin didn't get a hard look at them and it said a lot he didn't even want to make contact with them. He didn't like killing people as it was and looking at dead bodies just made it worse for him. He moved around him and thankfully there was enough room for him to get by without even touching them. Most of the bodies had satchels and two of them didn't other than that he had gotten around them without digging through their belongings. It wasn't what he was expecting just yet or at all but a small opening he easily got through as his mouth only opened in awe. It wasn't a Temple but a huge Cross with a man that wasn't tied or nailed to it that stood to the side simply holding onto the cross as if he regretted something. " Hey, Rakel. I got something. Where are you? " He honestly didn't know what to do other than ask her or maybe he should just leave. " What is it? Right now I'm not sure, It's as if I'm somewhere else and not in a cave. " He heard her say something else but he couldn't make out what she had said in the first place. He became worried when the only thing he heard was some sort of static. " Rakel! Rakel! Sweet mother of God. What do I do?" He wasn't sure if he should even keep going or if he should just leave. He bugged him a lot until he heard back from Rakel not even two minutes later. " Sorry I'm fine, I think. What do you get? "

" A gigantic cross and a man standing beside it barely touching it. " He noticed getting closer the detail into the man and the simple tear that fell from the man's face. " Why?" He saw the lever above the cross before seeing clearly that he needed to climb and he didn't want to at all. " Sweet God don't kill me, not yet." It wasn't much of a prayer but he set to it and climbed anyways. Getting to the lever wasn't even that hard and he thought it would have been tough but it wasn't. Pushing the lever to the wall the first time was hard and since he was still getting his bearing on his breathing he didn't really have a choice he was a little weak. He looked at the stonework of the curve of the cross from where he was standing as it seemed sturdy before putting his right foot on top of it as his other foot was still on the edge of the wall from where his body was. Thinking it would hold him he pushed hard with both hands as it gradually moved toward the wall. A yell escaped him as not just the cross moved as he hit the hard surface of something else that wasn't the ground. " Austin! Are you okay? " the only thing that he could do was breathe out shakingly before trying to even open his eyes. " It caught me. The Man caught me." He didn't say it loud enough but it wasn't a whisper he knew she heard him perfectly. He laughed thinking back as he could see himself through the man's point of view.

"You were supposed to catch me. Ha. it was scary, that was scary." His laugh echoed as he was immediately surrounded by the eerie quiet that was followed by a weird thought. Something was watching him but he didn't know what. " Who's there? " He pulled his gun out and didn't know what to expect before looking at how far of a drop it was to get down. " You're not going to let me down are you?" Even though it was a question he knew if the man answered he would shit himself. " Please don't answer, I didn't say anything."