1.06 Compromise

Jungle Ruin
1.06: Compromise

“We started our third day as I took everyone to the Marketplace with me this morning after the team woke up. Not only were we getting bug repellent supplies, but I also wanted to get something for us to carry food in. This was going to be a long day’s journey into the temple.

“When we did arrive at the temple, my expedition team was quiet. I was wondering if they were in awe of what we were about to explore. After that moment had passed, they were back to their normal selves.

“We soon stumbled upon our first obstacle. Something was blocking our way further into the temple. As I was figuring out what to do, we had another scene but not exactly like we did yesterday with Marguerite and her wanting to excavate.

“Because I didn’t want to leave the temple at this point, to get a little; I had to give a little…”

We all wake up around six o’clock in the morning. We get dressed, have breakfast, and get prepared for our temple adventure today.

I’ll be buying a cooler from the table vendor so we can pack it with snacks and other food items that we can eat during our time at the temple. The one there last night said each vendor has bigger stock under the tables anyone can purchase if they ask about them. Coolers, tents, lanterns, and water.

Like the last two days, only one table vendor is open. There would be more business I gathered if they would open all three. But maybe that’s not how Selvadorada works.

I purchase all the available items and the cooler. Then I divvy up the gear I bought last night and the stuff I bought today amongst my crew. I’m glad that we had better luck yesterday than the day before with bug control. Some of us still got caught without some type of repellent. Maybe we’ll have even better luck today and hardly any will be in the temple when we go there. It’s just between here and there we will have to be careful.

We make our way to the Belomisia Trailhead. We follow the path we’ve done the past couple days. I have them each cross the bridge again making sure none of them look down over it.

And we finally arrive at the temple. And because we moved swiftly, none of us were attacked by any pesky bugs. Way to go team!

We begin our ascension of the temple stairs. The team is surprisingly quiet. Maybe they are just as anxious as I am to see what we’re going to find in this temple. I read up on some of these and were told that they hold many mysteries. Some folks have even been reported not returning from them.

After arriving at the top of the first set of steps, they started talking again. Antwan was talking to Misty something about the army. I’m not exactly sure what he was saying, but it was amusing her. So that was good.

Adrian was talking to Mindy and Vincent about a book she read with ghosts and skeletons. I think she was trying to scare the two.

Marguerite and Rickie decided to get some exercises in before we moved further.

As they’re all relaxing talking to each other, I make why way into this level of the temple. Something caught my eye. Down below I see a green cloudy mist in between a gateway. My heart is pumping …

… But is the team ready for this?

I ask then all to follow me and be careful. I tell them not to touch anything or go anywhere else inside the temple without us all going.

Examining the green mist further, I don’t trust walking through it. It makes me wonder if there is another way inside or a way to dissipate the mist.

And do any of them listen to me? …

… Only Misty and Antwan.

I whistle loudly and tell everyone to come back to my location. Everyone needs to follow what I say in this place. I am more experienced than any of them.

Vincent chimes in and says, “This is heartbreaking. We came to explore, why can’t we go explore? We can go in teams.” No Vincent. We are not going in teams. We are the team. One group. We can explore together. Then I ask the group if they saw anything like a panel or something out of the ordinary that might be worth investigating.

Mindy said she saw three skeletons holding spears. She said reading up and learning in her archaeology class that one of the spears might be a switch to something. Vincent said there’s more buried treasures. He found something that they could dig up. Rickie announced he found four bowls on pedestals and each bowl had different engravings.

Since Vincent was so unhappy at not being able to go out and explore in teams, I decide we’ll let him excavate what he thinks might be treasure.

I begin establishing the excavation site.

I tell Vincent a couple others besides myself and him can help excavate this site. Vincent asks Misty and Mindy if they’d like to help. And so we quickly dig up what we can find.

I could hear Antwan talking. He was saying something about everything is going to be okay. I look up to see who he’s talking to, but no one is there. I think he’s talking to himself. Either that or he’s talking to the archway.

We finish up excavating this spot.

The team looked like they were starting to get hungry. It’s close to one-thirty, so I could see why. We’ve been here close to five and a half hours already since we left the Marketplace. I go grab the cooler from outside the temple. Most of the team grabbed something from inside it.

After lunch, it was time to check out what Mindy was talking about. She escorted all of us to where she found the three skeletons with spears.

This was fascinating. I think she was onto something. I told the rest to keep back …

… And I pulled the spear on the right.

Author’s Note: In this chapter and upcoming ones, you will find more photos with thought bubbles and no content related to them than you have seen in past chapters. These are for you to make your own story of what they could possibly be thinking. I wanted to leave the imagination up to the readers for certain photos. Other photos, the thought bubbles will fit better when I tell a story.