“We should split up and look around for a bit.
If anyone finds anything, we meet back here.” Rubio suggests.
They had finished breakfast, and the day was just starting to get hot.
It was that in-between time where it was warm, if not even a bit cool, before the sweltering heat blazed through.
“Alright, two of us take the edges, one goes through the middle?” Thalia questions.
“Sounds good to me; I call dibs on the left side.” Astra smirks.
That side of the island visibly has more trees and spots of shade.
“What!?
No fair, I’ll take the right side then.” Thalia cuts in swiftly.
“I’m starting to think you two want me to die.” Rubio deadpans.
The middle of the island was about as bare as it could get in a desert.
Filled with sand and little desert life, he could only barely spot some ruins poking up through the ground.
“Good luck!
Bring lots of water, and if you’re in danger, scream, and we’ll save you…maybe.” Thalia pats him on the shoulder, then grabs a few supplies and races off.
His gaze swings to Astra, already packing up his own supplies.
He doesn’t say anything, simply shrugs guiltily and stalks away.
Rubio lets out another long-suffering sigh; he’d been doing that a lot recently.
He grabs some of the dry food Laura packed, as well as a few waterskins.
He almost considered bringing his sleeping bag, just in case the worst happened.
But decided against the extra weight; it was already hot enough without it.
Although he hinted at annoyance at his banishment to the middle of the island, in truth, he was quite excited to check out some of the ruins he spotted in the distance.
This island seemed to be abandoned, and in many scholar circles, finding an abandoned island in the Ten Seas, and one with ruins on it, was at the very least guaranteed to get you funding and fame.
Especially in a Sea as well-documented as the Arid Sea.
Sadly, being a famous pirate meant he couldn’t actually turn his findings in, but he could at least do it for himself.
There’s no harm in investigating ancient ruins.
None at all.
Giddily, he approached the first ruin he saw, some sort of monolith sticking out of the sand at an angle.
It was half-buried, and any of the carvings that used to be on it were scraped away by dust, sand, and wind.
Moving further in, he found more ruins, some that looked like they could be buildings.
They were all rectangular angles and sharp edges.
It seemed that whatever kingdom this used to be had an eye for geometric symmetry.
Rubio didn’t mind it, but he much preferred the organic architecture of his hometown.
Buildings merging with surrounding bluffs and beaches.
Though he supposes there isn’t much they could’ve done out here.
His only way to truly know how the architecture thrived would be to see it in all its glory.
Unfortunately, something like that will never happen.
He wondered what happened to this place, how a great kingdom could be buried like this, with nobody the wiser.
The ruins spanned almost the entire island from what he could see, but there was no evidence to serve as proof for whatever happened to it.
He followed the streets, or at least, what he thought were streets based on the rubble.
Following it all the way to the only thing remaining of a once-great kingdom.
It was a giant stone statue.
The Being it depicts is a Goliath, her body covered in a grand, sweeping robe, with jewelry decorating her arms and neck.
Her headdress was reminiscent of a cat, and she held her arms out in welcome.
At the base of the statue lay an epitaph.
‘My name is Ankhsiris, Queen of Queens: look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!’
Looking upon the statue, the only thing to remain untouched in this once great kingdom, a strange feeling washed over Rubio.
It was a distinct sensation of the impermanence of time.
One day, he would fade from history, without a single person to remember him by.
The only thing hinting at his life would be whatever is left on his grave, if he even has one.
As he reads the epitaph again, he notices something below it.
Scrawled out in tiny letters and numbers is a Rune formula.
Bending down to read it, he finds that he doesn’t recognize the formula.
Whoever had carved this was clearly a master, someone who had studied Runes for years, perhaps even decades.
Compared to Rubio, who only knew the basics you were required to learn in school, he felt a distinct sense of awe looking at the formula.
He wondered what it did.
He opened his mouth to read it aloud, but before he could, an echoing voice pulled him away.
“Oi!
Rubio!
If you’re not dead!
Come back so we can eat some lunch!” It was Thalia, calling for him from their campsite.
Had it already gotten so late?
Glancing up, the sun was just above his head.
And all of a sudden, it was like he could feel the sweltering heat that he had been ignoring so far, engrossed in his investigation.
Downing a water skin, he trudged back to their camp.
Footsteps heavy with exhaustion he didn’t know was there.
“Oh?
Looks like you didn’t die.” Thalia hummed, punching him in the shoulder once he collapsed to the ground next to them.
“On the contrary, I found some ruins of a kingdom from times past.
If I had to hedge a guess, I’d say they existed around the year 3150; if I’m correct, it’s been exactly five hundred years since then.
Isn’t that fascinating?” He asks, eyes sparkling.
“You mean the only sign of civilization anyone has found on this island has been dead for five hundred years!?” Thalia screeches, fisting handfuls of hair.
“That means no supplies, no boats, and more weeks at Sea utterly lost until we starve to death.” Astra lists.
“Okay, yes, but think about how monumental this is!
It’s an ancient kingdom that clearly hasn’t been discovered before.
Plus, five hundred years ago was just before the first Great Piracy Era; there isn’t much documented history from those times, as most traditions were passed down orally and then lost once everything started mixing.
Imagine how much we could learn from these ruins!” He rants.
“…”
Astra and Thalia share a glance.
“You aren’t suggesting we stay to look at ruins, right?” Astra prods.
“We can’t stay on this island,” Thalia adds gently.
“I know that; I’m not a child.” He admonishes, and they look away guiltily.
“But there was a statue and a Rune formula just below.
I suggest we check it out first, and then we can leave.” He states.
“Do you have any idea what it does?” Astra questions.
“No clue.
That’s why I want to see.
Maybe certain Rune formulas were different back then; there were certainly fewer laws.” He answers flippantly.
“Uhm, isn’t that kind of dangerous?
Like I always feel like people told me not to mess with unknown Runes.” Thalia points out.
“How dangerous could it be?
Look, you guys don’t have to join me, but I’m going to check it out.
The academic in me would be remiss not to.” He explains.
“What academic?
Last I checked, you were a Pirate.” Thalia chuckles, ribbing him.
“Hey!
Pirates can be well educated.” He defends with a smile.
The rest of their lunch goes pleasantly enough, and when it’s over, Rubio leads them to the giant statue of Ankhsiris he saw before.
“Seeing it in person…it is a little impressive,” Astra admits, placing a hand up to gaze at the statue without interference from the sun.
“I wonder what happened to this place?”
“I have no idea.
If a team was sent out here to dig up the ruins, then maybe they’d come up with an idea.
But we don’t have that kind of manpower.
No map either; there’s a potential that when we leave, this island may not be found again for another five hundred years.” Rubio laments.
“That’s a shame; I’m sure all you history nerds would be foaming at the mouth over this place.” Thalia teases.
“Haha, very funny.
Now let’s check out this formula.” Rubio bounds over to the statue base, kneeling once again to read the tiny formula.
“I still don’t know about this.
Are you sure it’s a good idea?” Astra questions, worriedly shifting in place.
“I’m sure.” Rubio ignores the other man’s worries.
He reads the formula out softly, using what limited knowledge he has of the symbols.
For a second, nothing happens.
He assumes this means the formula is already active and doing something; he just doesn’t know what.
That is, until the sand starts moving.
It swirls and rushes away from the base of the statue, forcing Rubio and the others to back up or risk getting caught in…whatever was happening.
The mysterious wind creates a sand tornado in the air, and Rubio puts his arms up to block the sand from getting in his eyes.
When everything dies down again, he carefully opens them to find…
“Oh my Seas…oh my Seas!” He squeals.
A staircase.
It was a staircase leading below the statue.
“Is it a tomb?
Oh please tell me it’s a tomb!
Oh, I have to go investigate!” He exclaims, excitedly clapping his hands.
The stairs were made of stone, leading down into a dark hallway he couldn’t see the end of.
Lit torches lined the walls, and stone statues of different Goliaths sat against the walls every five steps.
“Wait!” A hand caught on his sleeve before he could run down.
“What is it?” He questioned Astra, practically vibrating as he fidgeted in place.
“Going down there seems like a really bad idea.
There could be traps or who knows what else.” He explains.
“I vote in favor of going down; maybe there’s money or supplies,” Thalia states, raising her hand.
“Not to mention the historical relevance this could have one day!” Rubio grins.
Astra glances between the two.
“…Fine, I’ll follow you two down, but if something happens, don’t come whining to me about it.” He sighs, letting go of Rubio’s shirt.
Within a second, he’s racing down the steps, Thalia quick at his heels, with Astra languidly bringing up the rear.
As they go further down the stairs, a rumbling sensation pauses them in place.
Rubio only realizes what’s happening when the light from the opening slowly begins to disappear.
Turning, he finds the entrance to the potential tomb closing, a giant stone slab sliding into place to block it.
By the time they reach it, it’s already closed.
Rubio winces.
“…Sorry?”
The phrase on the epitaph is based on the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley.