Trying not to ruin the Ruins

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After a little time spent searching in the meadow like area held within the dark Shadowhue Forest, Brian and Ares had finally found the ruins that they were looking for. As he did with all other new areas, Brian began to look around and analyze his surrounding. He could see strange inscriptions of the walls of the ruins, written in some weird language that he couldn't make out, though they still looked cool and added some flare to the fairly normal looking walls of the ruins. While there wasn't really much else to look at, Brian was still becoming very interested in these ruins. They seemed to give off a mysterious vibe about them for some reason. Maybe it was the inscriptions on the walls of the seeming emptiness of the ruins, who knows.

"Hmm, this place definitely looks mysterious. Wonder what else is inside here." Brian said, interested to see what lied with the ruins.

The Charmander would nod in approval, obviously quite pleased with the way Brian felt. It was good to have someone respect his opinion and desire to do what they could to earn his respect, and thus Ares could not help but feel - for but a brief moment - quite enthralled. There was something quite special about this kid, and it made him feel alive. As he began to walk down the hallway into parts unknown, he would allow his gaze to settle upon the Chimchar. If fighting thrilled him, then he most certainly possessed the strength and spirit possessed by many admirable warriors. This was most certainly a good indicator as to the potential that he had to become a brawler worth praise and song.

"Certainly," he would agree, taking point as he began to walk down the hallway, "I feel like we're getting closer to the end; I'm positive this place will reward those who pursue its treasures admirably."

"Ah man, this is just too exciting! We're gonna find us some awesome treasure!" Brian said before his walk turned into a mad dash as he continued down the hallway. His mind went into overdrive as Ares said that they might be close to finding the treasure of these ruins. Curious and excited thoughts entered Brian's mind as he kept running, wanting to finally see whatever this glorious treasre was. Eventually, the duo emerged out of the long hallway into a gargantuan room, easily two times as large as the other rooms they had encountered. Looking at the walls, Brian could see more writings in the same style as the ones on the walls in the hallways before, but on a much larger scale. He still couldn't tell what they said due to them being written in some ancient language, but they did seem to give off some sort of mysterious vibe to him.

"Wow, this is a really big room. It sees important too. Maybe the treasure is in here. Let's look around!" Brian said as he ran off into one of the corners of the room, looking for some kind of clue that would lead them to the treasure.

Once more, it appeared that Brian was exceedingly enthusiastic about traveling. With an amused expression as he heard the clattering of the Chimchar's footsteps fade off into the distance and observed the sight of his tail's flame disintegrating as it was absorbed by the darkness, Ares would quicken his step and hurry to meet up with his apprentice. The sound of his feet crossing the cobblestone floor echoed as he traveled swiftly, and his tail flame streaked through the air behind him as he ran. He was not a particularly speedy specimen thanks to his stout appendages and his less than ideal running posture, but he was able to catch up with his apprentice when the hallway expanded into a glorious chamber.

It was not what he had first anticipated - he had expected the tunnel to go from room to room until the statue had completed itself as a signal of their progression - and was quite a fabulous discovery. Ancient mosaics and frescoes adorned the walls with glorious splendor. Vibrant colors of splintered glass had been embedded into the walls to depict ancient scenes, and it was highly evident that they expanded upon the lore and mythos that had been illustrated in the hallways. An old, most likely deceased tongue was expressed upon the wall that probably elaborated upon what was being shown. Ares, being the curious lizard that he was, slowly processed towards the wall and elevated his tail using his hand to further examine it. He allow a 'hm' noise to be produced as he examined the ancient mosaic.

"Careful, Brian," he warned, his eyes narrowing in concentration, "if there is treasure in here, there will most certainly be guards or traps."

"Yeah, I know but that's part of why I'm excited. It wouldn't be any fun if we could just come in here and run off with the treasure with no issues in between. The extra challenge of potential traps or guards just makes this whole thing more exciting!" Brian said as he kept running around the gargantuan room, searching for any signs of this allusive treasure. The flame on his tail was flickering fiercely as his excitement levels rose more and more as he searched. Brian felt like he was in some kind of story that had reached it's climax. He felt like something was about to happen soon, most likely related to the treasure in some way that would end with the conclusion of his and Area's adventures in the ruins. This fact excited him, but also slightly disappointed that the ruins adventure might be coming to a close soon. Regardless, Brian kept searching around for the treasure, wondering what it may be and what would be protecting it.

It appeared once more that the two goliath-sized creatures from the hallway mural were duking it out. This time, as Ares would note, they appeared to have more detail about them, and were even colored in bright, rich colors. The pattern that they were in was repeated in tiny reliefs until the far-side of the room, in which it expanded upon the notion of the colossal fight and chose to display the two opposing legendary beasts in magnificent detail. The Charmander moved slowly towards the flattened reliefs and allowed his clawed hands to support his chin in one and his tail in another. There was no question about it: this was the throne room or some especially important location. He would look towards the far off mosaic and recognize that two statues that had the same features as the partial statues that they had come across earlier. They were minuscule in proportion to the giant reliefs above, but their gaping jaws indicated that their purpose was great.

The serpentine body of the statue, with hands planted firmly upon the statue's base, seemed to resemble some sort of legendary beast.

"Hey Brian," he would pipe up, "did you come across any orbs or spheres in this room?"

"Hmm, orbs and spheres? No, I don't think so. Haven't seen any orbs or spheres yet. Why do you ask Ares?" Brian said, stopping for a second to answer Ares' s question before starting his search around the room again. Maybe Ares was into something. Maybe the treasure could have been in the shape of and orb or something like that. Maybe the treasure was a giant pearl of some sort. Brian's curious thoughts went on a rampage in his mind again, thinking of several different scenarios that could involve and orb of some some kind. However, he didn't ha e any signs that this could be the case, which is why he asked Ares why he wondered if he saw orbs or spheres in the first place.

Ares looked at the gaping jaws of the serpent statues and allowed his hand to drop his tail and chin so that he might see if there were any switches in its mouth. His claws scraped the outer edge of the ornately green-painted mouth, and he noticed that the throat of the statue was hollow and tube like. It suddenly made sense: some sort of object - presumably an orb or sphere - would be placed in the jaws and it would slide down and complete the puzzle. Beyond this wall, he could only assume, was where his prize lingered. The problem was simply identifying the object and putting it in. If Brian hadn't identified anything here, then they might have passed it.

He figured it would be best to explain, "These statues are most likely triggers or levers in some fashion. We need an object that is round or sphere-like to put here so that it activates this device and we can move on to what I presume will be the treasure room. Did we come across anything that might fit in these statues' mouths during our journey here?"

"So like a puzzle or something huh? Hmm, let me think." Brian said as he stopped running around the gargantuan room and started to think about if they two had encountered any orbs or something along this lines during their travels through the ruins. He thought back to all of the previous rooms and hallways that the duo had traveled through, trying to remember if there was any kind of orb or sphere like object in those areas. Brian remembered several of the different patterns and writings on the walls and how cool they looked to him, despite not knowing what they depicted. Then Brian remembered one particular pattern on the wall that had two giant spheres on them. This then gave Brian the thought that those might be what they need.

"Wait a second, I remember now. In that first room we were in, there were two giant spheres in there. That might be just what we need!" Brian said before he began dashing back down the hallway they had come through before to get to this room. All that was on his mind at the moment was going to find those orbs and bring them back to this room so that he and Ares could solve this puzzle and get the treasure.

Of course! The very first room! How could he be so oblivious? Ares gave an approving nod as Brian's memory was jogged and he successfully identified the location of where the two puzzle-completing spheres were. It made complete sense that the puzzle could be solved with objects found along the way, and it was pure genius to put them in the very first place an explorer would enter. Brian, once more dashing down the hallway and using his speed to its best utility, was gone by the time the Charmander was even able to move a single step. It was amazing how much burst acceleration his understudy got - particularly when considering how Ares was more of an endurance oriented runner - and he would do his best to catch up. Hopefully the tunnels wouldn't shift as it seemed they were prone to do. The thought of that sent a shiver down his spine, as he was not inclined to get separated from someone he had absentmindedly decided should tag along - what experience did Brian have with ruins? He could only assume very little.

"Careful!" he would once more warn, his voice using an imperative tone, "Don't get too far ahead!"

"Don't worry, we've been able to take care of all of the problems that got in our way up till now, so we should be fine! Besides, I thought that someone like you wouldn't be scared of a potential battle or challenge" Brian said as he continued running down the hallway, speeding up after a little while so that he could get to the room faster. He could feel a breeze run through his short fur as he ran at fast speeds, loving the feeling of going this fast. Brian could see Ares trying to keep up with him and smiled slyly, still loving the fact that he had the edge over Ares when it came to speed....even if Ares beat him out in most other categories. He thought of other battling scenarios that would allow the two to use their abilities to their fullest potential together. Brian thought that with his speed, he could out maneuver and opponent and confuse them, which would give Ares the right moment to strike with a powerful, well timed attack. The flame on Brian's tail flickered slightly faster as his thoughts went on a rampage again, but he eventually stopped thinking of this and focused his mind back on getting the orbs.

Perhaps there was truth in those words: why would Ares be frightened off by the potential of encountering difficult circumstances or opponents? It wasn't that he couldn't handle such situations - frankly, he might be the only one who might maintain his cool and level head if such an occasion should arise - but it might more so have to do with a paternal like aura consuming his usual battle-hungry self. He was now entrusted by the universe a young soul, and it was one that he was charged to care and nurture. Brian, though perhaps old enough to care for and manage himself, could still be determined as careless and cursory. If there was one thing that might spell catastrophe, it would be if both mentor and apprentice proved reckless; the Charmander had to grow up and become meticulous so that his young study might adopt the trait. Through appearance and exposure, behavior is often adopted.

Darting down the hallway, it was uncertain to him how he should respond. Could he possibly chide or scold the Chimchar for his fiery disposition? He figured he could not, simply because it was something that was desirable in a warrior from his homeland. Charging in without hesitation or fear was necessary for obtaining a berserker's might, and rallying one's body and will to a particular cause was mandated. His heavy footfalls echoed down the hall as he chased after the light of Brian's tail-flame, and soon they would wind their way back to the desired location. The epic mural once more expanded before them as the chiseled features grew dark from exposure to light, and the ancient rock most certainly seemed to contain some sort of secret. Ares would slow to a stop as he moved closer towards the wall, and he would attempt to piece it together. The keys to the final room and the treasure had to be here somewhere... but where?

After a long time of dashing through these dark hallways of the Ruins, the duo had finally gotten back to the first room they had discovered in this exploration. Brian immediately looked at the large structure that he was thinking of before and saw the orbs that in his mind were the key to obtaining this treasure.

"Oh, there they are! Right there on that wall! Those orbs are what we're looking for! We gotta get them back to that other room so that we can get this treasure!" Brian said as he dashed towards the orbs as fast as he could. The excitement and anticipation within his mind was blocking out any other thoughts that his conscience was trying to pummel into him. There could've been potential enemies or traps that could be dangerous to him and Ares but at the moment Brian didn't care to think about these things. He was too focused on having the time of his life to care about anything like that. Whether this was false courage or dangerous obviousness was yet to be seen.

It was upon viewing the orbs that something within the Charmander sparked. Whether it was a flashback to his old, unsavory habits, or merely the thought of treasure, he couldn't help but experience a sudden draw towards the precious orbs. He was, after all, a drake at heart: he had a weakness for treasure. Perhaps, in his eagerness, Ares had been blinded and had forgotten the cardinal rule of ruin exploration: never rush into things without properly analyzing the scene. His arms had been extended before him as he seemed to slither fluidly towards the elevated orbs. His legs, moving without his control, carried him swiftly towards the base of the wall in which the keys were located; undoubtedly, he was once more locked in autopilot.

That was when something clicked beneath his foot.

The juvenile lizard's had had both his hands and a single foot placed upon the wall in preparation to scale it when the noise triggered something within him. The initial spark - the thing that had prevented him from resisting the most alluring and sparkly of treasures - was instantly drowned in a wave of foreboding as his head pivoted upon its axis to look about. He surrendered his position momentarily so that both feet might be firmly planted upon the ground and so that his back might face the large structure. In the ominous darkness, there had obviously been a change, for something stirred and a great sense of dread consumed him. Confound it! Why was he so hypnotized by treasure?

ares carried out 1 launched of one Monochrome Ruins :

Brian wasn't paying any attention to Ares's autopilot like actions or the noise of some sort of trigger. He was too focused on the orbs and the excitement of this whole exploration to care about any of it. While his mind was trapped by all of these thoughts, a nearby Zubat was watching from the shadows of the dark ruins. After locking it's sights onto it's target, the Zubat then spread it's wings and swooped down towards Brian. Being too caught up in his excitement, Brian didn't notice the Zubat flying towards him and ended up getting knocked back by the bat pokemon slamming into him. Brian was knocked onto the ground by the force of the impact and then snapped out of his excited trance, realizing the current situation.

"Hmm, I guess this bat thing is guarding those orbs. Hehe, this will be fun." Brian said as he got up and got into a fighting stance, keeping his eyes on the bat pokemon. He was eager to face this new opponent, thinking that it must be pretty strong to be here apparently guarding the orbs.

The instant that Brian was attacked by the Zubat, Ares became fully intertwined into the moment. His heart was filled with a warrior's courage and a berserker's fury, and he became aloof and ignorant to any notion of peace. His clawed-fingers curled outwards prior to his entirety fluidly shifting into a fighting stance. Although he was quite content with generally sitting back upon his heels and shrugging off blows while returning them in full, he instead for the moment opted to place his weight upon the balls of his feet and more towards the toes. This was more so to accommodate the fast-paced fighting style of their flying adversary, and less so to experiment with something new - he anticipated that this particular specimen might prove agile through the darkness that was barely illuminated solely by their tails' flame.

Brian was already on the offensive by the time that Ares had slithered by his side. He spoke of the status of this presumed guardian and how entertaining this encounter might prove. The Charmander couldn't help but agree: though it was a rather pitiful guardian for a precious prize, it was a position that had to be filled by someone. He was admittedly quite curious as to whether or not the creature would be folly in its tactics and strategy, and allowed a slight hiss of pleasure to let his face melt into the expressions of an amused deity gazing down upon a peasant. With fangs protruding from his slitted mouth and the ends of his lips already curling into a pitying, superior grin, he allowed his sentiment to be voiced. "Then let us toy with it," he mused, "at least for a little while. It would make sense to make it think that it at least has a little bit of a chance."