Kamchatka
Russian Wilderness
1960
Night had fallen over the landscape. They'd driven the jeep as far north as they could. The gas tank had emptied around noon. Then they'd grabbed their packs and headed into the mountains... Emily leading the way, all of them in awe of the strange land.
They'd hiked all day without seeing or hearing another person. There were few animals or sign of them. The mountains were green with deep black stones and strange plants. Hot springs dotted the landscape, coloring it with more than the usual wild flowers. Sulfur tinged the air with sometimes bitter cold, and other times a sweltering humidity hung in the mountains despite their height. The only noise was the occasion rumble of an underground volcanic movement, bringing a force of steam to the air.
The sun was finally sinking over the mountains.
Indy looked around, then at the sky. They were slightly sheltered in the crook of a mountain valley. The hot springs were below them and the high grass would make good sleeping, with a slight ridge to protect them from the wind. They were also high enough to hopefully get a running start, should any volcano wake up and start erupting.
"We should stop," Indy announced.
"You feeling all right, Dad?"
"Yeah. I'm fine, Em - check the sky. We're not moving through another hot springs or volcanic valley before dark."
"Do we light a fire?" Shorty asked.
"No," Indy and Emily spoke together.
Shorty stared at them. "But won't we freeze?"
"No," Indy replied. "Not cold enough. We've got the sleeping bags - but one of us needs to stay awake with the rifle."
"We haven't seen anyone all day!" Shorty protested.
"Bears," Emily explained. "And we have food."
"We are food," Indy corrected. "And... there are... other things out there?"
"Apkallu?" Shorty wondered.
"Ever hear of the Dyatlov Pass Incident?" Emily asked.
"Em... you are not going to tell ghost stories. Not unsolved ones."
She looked at Indy. "You ruin so much fun, Dad."
"I had to listen to your nightmares, Em. There's enough out there that we don't know about tonight." He blinked. There were strange shadows on the land. It wasn't a landform feature, these figures seemed to guarding the horizon... watching them. Tall. Too tall to be human. He shuddered at the chill and checked his pistol.
Emily followed Indy's gaze. "Dad?"
"We're building a fire," Indy growled. "Gather all the wood you can."
"Dad... they'll see us."
"Someone or something already has."
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The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction Part 1
FanfictionIndiana Jones and his daughter Emily Ravenwood Jones are back in action! Seven missing Japanese swords which may have the power to open hell, unleashing monsters upon the earth are their quest. Along with them is a hotshot pilot who got his career s...
