Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 2: The Expedition

Losain

The Shain towered above the others, giving him ample room to study those under his charge. First, there were the other members of Razor Company. Nine men and women trained in the arts of warfare. He was the only alien among them, but as a Shain, he commanded their respect. Finnick was his second in command, his right hand. The Sanctuary native never stood far, awaiting his every order.

Below, the ship vibrated. It was an odd sensation, as the Unbroken Curiosity had never done so before. The ship was slowly making its descent towards the planet's surface. Losain quickly glanced over the explorers. They were more varied than his soldiers, even if they were all humanoids. Among them, there was a Dwarf and Half-man, both nearly a third of the Shain's length. The Dwarf had a massive dark beard covering most of his face, while the Half-man looked like a child, lost in a sea of adults.

The radiant Lady Lillias joined the group last. She smiled at Losain, making the giant blush. Then, avoiding eye contact with the witch, his eyes fell on the Elf, Donathiel Al'Varon. Most called him Donny. He was tall and skinny, with long white hair that fell to his waist. His eyes were dark, too dark, staring at something far away, unaware of the others in the room—Donny's presence spelt trouble.

There was a thin line between tolerance and respect towards the Wanderer and his allies, and Donny counted among them. He was of the Undying, a rare group of individuals who would be reborn upon death, waking in a different place and time. While others, like the Wanderer, used this power to further his own goals, Donny used it to gather knowledge. Who knows what the elf knew about the past or even the future? His reluctance to talk about it just fueled the mistrust Losain had towards him and his kin.

Donny did not notice the Shain staring at him. The elf was somewhere far away, deep in thought. Behind him stood Lord Cobalt. He started to talk to Lady Lillias. Lord Cobalt was not that well known, but he had some credits. Credits he used to fund this expedition and the soldiers who would serve onboard. Cobalt selected Losain and the other Company leaders, even if they had to serve under the Orc. The vibrations stopped. They have arrived. The Captain's voice boomed over the intercom.

"We have reached the landing site. Landing Party, you have been briefed. Make your way to the ruins and retrieve anything of import. We will meet back here in 48 hours. If there should be any resistance along the way, defend yourselves. May the Creator protect you on this journey." The last sentence sounded off. The Captain is no believer, Losain thought.

Behind him, a large ramp lowered. Suddenly, the cargo hold was filled with the smells of Gaill Prime. The air tasted almost sweet, much cleaner than onboard the ship. Losain took in a deep breath, filling his lungs. "Landing party, move out!" He yelled. His voice boomed over the excited chattering of the party. They all became quiet. Finnick fell in behind Losain as the rest of Razor Company formed a circle around the explorers. In unison, they departed the ship, moving down the ramp before their feet touched the rough surface of sand.

When the last of the landing party stood on the planet's surface, the ramp slowly retracted, and the Curiosity rose until it vanished above the clouds. They found themselves on a beach; waves moved towards the shore: ripples left behind by the ship's imposing mass. Water splashed against Losain's feet as he waited for the others to make their way inland. A gathering mass of trees awaited them ahead, an overgrown jungle packed with foreign flora and possibly dangerous fauna. Behind the jungle, mountains stood steadfast, snow at their tops. Breaking the serene sight was the broken black towers, ruins that had withstood the test of time for near on 12000 years.

"There it is. The city of my ancestors..." Cobalt's excitement was shared among most of the other explorers. However, the witch was the first sceptic.

"It is too quiet." She observed. Behind them, the waves were beating against the beach, sloshing and foaming. The wind ruffled the leaves of the giant trees, whistling between the gaps. Yet, she was right. The sounds of nature were off. There were no birds chirping or insects squirming, no animals calling or screaming.