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⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
STEVEN FELL ON THE GROUND next to Venus whilst she unlatched her harness from around her body, Layla having already done that and beginning to explore the cave nearby, waiting for Venus and Steven to join her. He groaned in pain whilst Venus glanced down at him, tilting her head slightly. He looked up at her, smiling sheepishly whilst his cheeks turned red.
Venus extended her hand out to him. Helping him up to his feet, "Are you okay?" She asked.
He nodded, "I'm aces, yeah."
Once he was standing upright, he brushed the sand from his body whilst Venus helped to unlatch his harness. She watched it fall to the floor whilst he still did his best to get rid of the sand on his body.
"I wish you hadn't seen that," Steven said, looking embarrassed.
She smiled at him, "Don't worry 'bout it. You can be the damsel in distress and I'll be your knight in shining armour," She winked and turned around, not spotting how Steven's eyes widened and his cheeks turned the deepest shade of red physically possible. A shit-eating grin on his face.
Venus turned on the torch that Layla had given her, using it to walk further into the cave, spotting Layla using her own torch to look at the markings on the wall of the cave. Her eyes staring in wonder, her hands reaching up to trace some of the markings.
"Oh, wow...Look at you," Steven muttered.
Venus glanced over her shoulder at him, spotting his eyes on something on the other side of her. She turned her head, watching large panther statues lit up by Layla's torch. The statues were beautiful even with the deterioration of time.
Layla nodded, "Yeah, they're gorgeous, aren't they? They're just like...Been standing guard for centuries."
Steven nodded, walking closer to the statues, "Right? Look, I can't even..." He said, looking like a happy puppy, "So if they just sprang to life right now and asked me a riddle for passage, I'd be thrilled. I'd shit myself, but I'd be thrilled."
Venus chuckled, walking over to the pair. A soft smile gracing her lips naturally as she listened to how excited Steven was.
"What's this?" Steven questioned, shining his torch on the paw of the panther.
Venus came to stand beside him, she looked down and saw a small drawing in the sand. Her head tilting as she looked at it, trying to decipher what it was and what it meant for the trio. Whether someone else was there and leaving markings to track their path.
It looked fresh, confusing her. So she glanced over her shoulder, "Did you do this?" She questioned.
Layla looked at what Steven and Venus were gesturing to, nodding "Oh, it's for my father," Layla explained, "He would've loved to be here."
Venus nodded understandingly.
"Oh, yeah? Big history buff, is he?" Steven asked.
Layla chuckled softly, "So much worse. Archaeologist on a mission," She said as she began to lead the way further into the cave.
"Cool," Steven breathed out.
Venus walked beside Steven, the two of them following Layla down the narrow corridor. Venus' shoulder brushing against Steven's arm. But she did her best to keep her attention on the markings on the walls of the cave. The only light was coming from their torches. With zero windows and the opening of the cave now too far behind them to offer no light or security. Making Venus feel like they were now trapped in there. She just hoped they wouldn't run into any trouble.
"Yeah," Layla nodded, "And to him it was a dream worth dying for. And he did."
They stopped dead in their tracks. Both Venus and Steven apologising.
Layla shook her head, "Yeah. No, it's fine, really. It's fine. Happens."
"I bet he'd be positively beaming right now," Steven said, "Seein' you standin' in the proof of it."
Venus smiled softly.
Layla's smile grew, "Yeah, I think so," She sighed, looking back down the corridor, "Well, it's not such a bad way to go, is it? Let's find out?"
