The Temple of Ruin

[Sam]

The West Blue had much to offer... Jekyll had been to most of the noteworthy islands in the South Blue mostly peddling about. But never in his adventures had he heard of islands with mystical treasures in deep jungles. That was a marvel for the young man! He'd auction off anything he found in the Grand Toroa Auction which was to be held in a couple of weeks. Lost kingdoms where places to find treasure. A treasure that could be sold in the auction. For a moment Jekyll doubted himself. Was there a treasure in ruins? Of there was! He read it in a book! Ruined cities in Jungles always had treasure! Usually gold, silver, and jewels.

Although to be fair the only book he had ever read regarding a treasure in an island was Nolan the Liar... and clearly, that was lie despite being based in a true story. But no matter! Perhaps crazy old Nolan was on to something. After all, he remembered reading about ancient kings being buried with loads of gold! Gold, Jekyll could sell and become rich off of! Probably even get away with selling it for three times its worth by slapping on a Ratio island tag to it. Gold from the so-called ruined kingdom! He could imagine it already sitting amidst a crowd. "Get yer Ratio Island artifacts here folks! From the lost city!" As he swung about a baton to catch everyone's attention! Marvelous!

Good, all this excitement building up served to help him push through the jungle... which was hot. Not that it bothered Jekyll all too much anyway. He was from the South Blue and there where plenty of hot places there. Jekyll continued walking through the Jungle down a slightly cleared path being careful of avoiding ferns for they likely nested scorpions, spiders, snakes, and other baddies that would be no good. With a machete in hand, he cleared whatever branch was in the way. The jungle adventure had just begun! What would he find next? He had no idea but he sure hoped it was big, shiny, and with a massive market value. His next meal depended on it.

[Flame]

His arrival a few days ago on this the next of his islands to discover had lacked fanfare. From his short travels he'd heard tell of ancient civilizations to be learned about here on Raito Island. That was why despite his bouts of seasickness from travelling across waters much more in the past weeks than he had in the last forty years of his life he'd been excited to arrive at this new place. The older gentleman in his casual cloth shirt and tied up baggy pants had arrived on Raito Island not really knowing what to expect.

The heat didn't particularly bother him despite the tropical heat and sun beating down upon the island. No, not even the constant bugs and overgrown vegetation bothered him all too much. Though the former was starting to grow as he accumulated his fair share of bug bites, what bothered him was the humidity. Ideon groaned as he lay on a bench on the edge of Beacon Village. "Why is this place so humid!!! AHHHH" He yelled to no one in particular turning a few confused eyes. He'd put off exploring for a bit, but he was starting to realize if he was just sitting here and suffering that was a waste.

He needed to go out and actual do his adventuring to see this supposed ancient civilization. Sitting up the smith reached for the steel rod he'd laid beside him on the ground. An imposing figure himself Ideon stood up and glanced around. Spotting the nearest local he waved his arm. "Hey! I don't suppose you'd happen to know where the nearest ruins are?" He asked straight and up front. In the end it was his archaeological and anthropological hobbies that had brought him here. The local looked over pausing for a moment as they watched him approach.

Ideon smiled grinning in the friendliest look he was capable of. Which wasn't particularly difficult as a former salesman he had some notion of how to be receivable. "Uhh ..." They scratched their head in response. "Sorry not really sure." Ideon frowned but there was not much that could be done about that. "No matter, thanks anyways for stopping for me." He said with a smile.

In that case, he figured he should probably just choose a direction and go. Gripping the steel rod in one hand he grinned. Forge of Hephaestus. He thought and the steel rod morphed into a more key-like shape. He looked towards the undergrowth not too far away from where he stood. He was still on the edge of town, nothing else to do but to go looking for the ruins he supposed.

"Yosh! Let's go!"

[Sam]

An hour passed. Two hours. Three hours and Jekyll's excitement was dwindling and his willpower along with it. He had been super excited and thrilled to find a jungle ruin! But he had found absolutely nothing! Just tree after tree.. vine after vine! It was getting on his nerves! How could this be possible? How could he not run into ruin in a jungle that wasn't even that big!?! Heck! Ratio Island only took a week to navigate around fully! So it wasn't like there was that much Jungle to go around! He would most certainly believe he would have run into something by now! Oh, but it got worse... Jekyll was feeling hungry and he was starting to begin to believe he was lost. Maybe just a little lost...

In any case, Jekyll continued on his path... walking over the jungle's brown-red dirt. Could it get worse? Could it really? He thought to himself finally deciding pessimism was not going to help him out. That's when he was hit by a stroke of good fortune. As Jekyll crossed through the dense jungle cutting down branches and leaves he cut one final one... one that leads into a tiny clearing with a small waterfall and an even smaller pond.

"Water!"

Jekyll said running toward the pond touching its cool surface. He was about to drink when he remembered it was always best to distill and boil the water before drinking! You never knew what kind of dirty junk that water could come with especially in a rather unexplored jungle like this one. With that Jekyll set out to make a flame... maybe he could also find food in the pond. Frog legs didn't sound half bad.

[Flame]

A key-shaped piece of metal the length of the man's arm battered against the wood, leaves, and other foliage before it. Hmmm .... It was unfortunate but he did have to admit, a key was not the best replacement for a machete. Ideon let out a hearty chuckle at that thought. Of course that was the case, if one looked at the thick flat bottom of the key there was no chance it was going to tear through leaves. "Uggghh, well whatever ..."

Battering aside the next set of leaves Ideon took a few deep breaths. The thick air breathed in was still strange to him. He was used to the crisp air of his homeland, not this. The former smith slashed his key-weapon into the next set of branches and leaves. They crashed away as he slammed the key-weapon into the undergrowth before him. Stepping farther forward he pushed aside more rainforest and dove deeper into it.

Mmmmm, Ideon pursed his lips glancing about the undergrowth. Where would they set up a city ... The adventurer tumbled through trying to peer through the jungle for any signs of a former civilization. There was no way, there were too many trees in the way for him to see anything. Maybe if he climbed a tree, Ideon looked upwards. From up there I could probably see something ... He thought to himself as he looked towards the canopy.

But then, his eyes fell upon a tree. That was not going to happen, he was way too large to safely climb one of these thin-trunked trees before him. Maybe if he found a thicker tree. "Forward it is then, I'll find it eventually!" He told himself with a smile as he slowly steamrolled his way through the jungle.

[Sam]

"I remember now!"

Jekyll yelled to himself! At that moment an epiphany had come over him. He remembered how to create a proper fire. The long leg man dashed to the edges of the minor clearing seeking for dried out moss on the jungle floor. The job was tedious and slow! Very time consuming but he did find some dried out moss along with some dried out sticks. Jekyll placed them all in a pile surrounded by smooth stones he had found lying about near the pond. There was no way to start the fire... Jekyll had brought no matches or anything... honestly, this was on him. Not a surprising thing either the guy wasn't particularly known for having any sort of practicality!

Jekyll scratched his chin. Well if he had no matches how could he start the fire? Flint and steel? No... finding a piece of flint in these jungles would be insanely time-consuming! It would take even more time than the moss and sticks had taken to find. Then what? Friction? He didn't have a long large enough and none of the twigs he had gathered where thick enough for such a thing. The white-haired man looked at his machete for a moment. What could he use? As he played around with the machete in his hand he noticed the sun reflecting on it... Jekyll narrowed his eyes remembering a moment in his childhood when he used a mirror to burn paper... it had been a long tedious job but it had worked effectively.

"Eureka!"

He said to himself! Jekyll knelt down near the fireplace and positioned his machete in the right angle to catch the sun's light. This was his only chance... his one and only chance! If the sunset before he could finish his fire... it was going to be a long cold night. One where he could get infected by the night crawling mosquitoes! Or worse could fall potential prey to the predators stalking about.

[Flame]

His constant footfalls fell upon the jungle floor as the burly man bludgeoned his way through foliage. Glancing upwards he looked at the light as it broke through the canopy above him. How much more daylight did he have today? He hadn't really considered this when he'd entered the depths of the trees.

Ideon paused glancing backwards for a moment. The trail he carved was still visible for a bit behind him. The signs of human interaction, broken branches and leaves were somewhat noticeable. But quickly as he looked farther away they seemed to fade into the rough and tumble of the forest. Would he be able to find his way back? "What sort of thought is that?" He asked himself uncaring if anyone or anything was around to hear him. "There are ruins ahead." He told himself certainly pushing further forward. Deeper still into the depths of the jungle.

His heading ran true as he stumbled forward stopping for a moment as he noticed a tannish gray mass sitting up in the forest. It was covered in vines and leaves but he stepped towards it nonetheless. Stepping closer he found himself looking at cut stone, he moved closer and closer still. His hand reached forth towards the stone as he stepped onward. Beneath him his foot felt the presence of a more solid surface beneath it.

Ideon glanced down to turn his eyes upon what seemed to be stonework beneath his feet. His eyes widened "If this is here, then I'm definitely in the right area!" He told himself with a smile.

[Sam]

Seeing his fire made the middle-aged man proud of himself! Jekyll jumped up and began to dance around the flames clapping his hands cheering super loud. He had accomplished such a thing with little to experience on the subject but because of his near-boundless encyclopedia of a brain! Proof that intelligence trumps anything else!

Or at least that's what Jekyll thought. Now that he had made a fire it was time to boil water and find food for the night. The large man reached into his backpack pulling out a pot and filled it with the water of the nearby pond. He then began boiling for five minutes or so before setting it aside to cool off... during the time the water had been boiling he had been sharpening a stiff dried branch into a spear for hunting some of the fish within the pond. The small blue pond fish swam under the clear water. Jekyll's shadow covered them making them slow their movements a bit.

SPLASH

"DAMN!"

Jekyll struck the water with the spear and missed! The fish began to scatter about. This was his first-time spearfishing so he should be forgiven for not knowing how to do it. The white-haired man attempted his attack multiple times always with a fail. Finally after seeing his antics didn't work an exhausted Jekyll could be found panting. His hands-on his legs as his tongue stuck out. When out of the corner of his eye he spotted a bullfrog hop into the water.

"Frog legs... yes... people eat those! Especially in the north blue they're considered a delicacy."

He said dashing after the frog attempting to skewer the amphibian. Jekyll kept failing and the frog dodging within the water. Finally deciding to hop through the small waterfall that fed the pond. Jekyll ran after it being taken off guard when he noticed the cavern behind the rushing waterfall. The bullfrog continued hopping onward away from Jekyll. But it had no need to. The tall man was in awe... his mouth agape as he dropped the makeshift spear. Ahead, statues and moss-covered brick flooring lined with statues of jaguar faced men chiseled into the walls. All leading into a light far in the distance. Jekyll continued onward through the cavern and into the light being lead into a clearing one with a big pillar covered in moss and vines. Not only that. But a man with a giant key in his hands.

"I am not alone it seems..."

SPOILER: Click to show

Hey Flam! Super sorry for the late response! I'll be posting more often now. Just wanted to finish a few other threads out of the way first. Looking foward to this one.

[Flame]

The smile turning into a grin continued to grow as Ideon stepped forward feeling stonework beneath his feet. In one hand swung gleefully the large metal key he'd formed. With the other he allowed it to rock back and forth with a rhythm. The tall oaf was beginning to hum obviously happy with himself that he'd actually found what he'd been looking for. Or at least it definitely seemed as such. He shouldn't probably get too ahead of himself with his own happiness.

"Now then, if this is ... it should hopefully lead me to an ancient village at least." His voice was near giddy as he walked forward. He suspected himself to be on a, well perhaps paved was a strong word, a set road. A path which would have led into a village or town, or dare he guess city. Or perhaps, more? Ideon could hardly contain his giddiness at the possibility. Actually it'd have been rare for a paved area, as this stone seemed to be. It felt way too even to be a natural creation anyways. If it was paved as he suspected, then it'd have been more likely within a town or city or grand structure of some sort.

Dark blue eyes searched the forest about him. The trees had overgrown so much that they aimed to obscure any and every sign of what he looked for from his eyes. That was the case, he suspected. But not to worry, Ideon trusted himself. He - the man paused midstep. His foot hung in the air as he reacted to the crackle of a branch or something coming from somewhere behind him. Probably ... Ideon paused. An animal? Or perhaps ... what else could it be. The large man bit back on his lip. His grip on his lazily swinging key in one hand tightened significantly.

Ideon was changed in a moment from his giddy happiness he blinked tried to look towards his periphery. Each time his head turned, an unasked for change as he tried to scout to his sides what may be happening. The key man took a breath, if it was a large creature could he expect to fight it off with the key alone? Perhaps ... Ideon uncontrollably thought

What sohuld I do what should I do what should i do .... The thought consumed him freezing him in inaction.

SPOILER: Click to show

Sorry about the wait, took much longer than I expected with me getting distracted by life and other things ...

[Sam]

Pillars, statues of Jaguar faced men, and brick floors covered in moss. This was a sign that there had been human activity here at some point. Where had the people gone? That beat Jekyll, but at the very least he had found out that the old stories of this island were true and not just old wives tales.

This was all well and good but there seemed to still be two problems at hand. The first, he was still starving and the day was waning... which meant predators would start to come out. Not only that but mosquitoes would start to pick at him which was something exceedingly unpleasant.

The second problem was this new man with the big key. Jekyll wondered what the purpose of such a large key was... did it open a very big door? Or was it the key to a massive vault full of gold and jewels guarded by a dragon!? The possibilities his child-like imagination thought up were simply endless!

Watching from a distance the white-haired tried to gauge the odd key fellow... he seemed older than Jekyll by a couple of years. He was also fairly tall for a human and very bulky probably a sign he worked out. Judging by the way he turned about he was trying to figure out the sound that Jekyll in his own stupidity had made.

"He doesn't seem threatening..."

Jekyll whispered to himself as he looked quitely. Taking in a deep breath to muster his will to speak, Jekyll stepped forward trying to make himself visible... a feat that wasn't too difficult considering Jekyll was rather massive by Blue standards. A byproduct of his long leg ancestry... something that wouldn't be immediately obvious considering his cloak covered up his leg. A taboo thing by long leg standards but it wasn't like Jekyll cared... he was never one to uphold tradition. 'Out with the old and in with the new' he would always say.

"Greetings Traveler! My name is Jekyll Anubis! It's good to see a traveler! I... uh... I'm kind of lost."

He said, trying to make his monotone voice sound as enthusiastic as possible. Jekyll gave the key wielding man a wave with a big smile. The white-haired man flinched for a moment noticing he was still holding his makeshift wooden spear. Immediately Jekyll tossed it aside, the last thing he wanted was to seem like a threat to the 'key man' as he now referred to him in his head.

Probably a stupid idea considering the 'key man' had his big old key and the fact Jekyll wasn't a particularly good fighter despite his immense size. Jekyll was frankly banking on this older guy to be kind-hearted enough to not bang him over the head with a big key.

[Flame]

Ideon's eyes flickered about him wildly in response to the continued sound of footsteps. A creature? Some giant creature of some sort? All the wild things he'd read about, heard about in tales and stories came to life in his imagination. Ideon bit his lip, his fingers wrapped tightly about the grip of his key-club-weapon-thing. Did he dare face it, his breathing grew heavy as the sound of steps came closer.

Then it made a sound. It was close, close enough based on the sound of it. Ideon whirled about his key-weapon-club-thing raised above his head and beginning to swing down in a clumsy but powerful stroke. But his brain processed it and recognized the sounds as words. His eyes found the form of a white-haired man caught in their view and everything clicked just in time as he turned the trajectory of that key just away enough that his swung swiped through the air beside the newcomer who named himselff Jekyll.

The stroke of his arm alongside the sudden turn however through Ideon off balance and he began to tumble forward before he finally got a foot beneath him. Beside it the key crashed into the stone flooring beneath him lodging itself into the stone which actually helped mildly as it gave him another point of stability to lean upon as he clumsily regained his balance. Ideon breathed a sigh of relief and looked upon the man once more finally processing everything he'd said.

"hhh, hhhh, Jekyll huh " Ideon caught his breath as he stalled for words. This was when his instincts as a storekeep "Ideon, Ideon Ortus" He said with a smile as he stood up to his full height ,straightening out as best he could.

Standing before the man Ideon took a quick glance over them. "Lost huh? Well then its fortuntae that you found me. There should be a pretty visible path back to town, just follow my path, should be easy to find. Battered branches and trodden on grass." He said with a smile nodding back in the direction he thought he'd come from.