Treasure Hunting 101

Chapter XXV

Sean

Music: Lucky Zone from Gradius III SNES

A nice-looking sunrise greets us when we arrive in front of Prince Kaori's temple in Mahajanga, Madagascar, a sight that Shanna takes pleasure in seeing. We don't have time to stand around and take it all in, though. I don't think we're really on any sort of time limit, but it's just better for us to get things over with then spend time procrastinating.

"Alright, gang. Let's roll!" Brea says enthusiastically. Her energy is enough to get us moving the moment Sam parks us. In front of the temple entrance is a pedestal containing a stack of maps showing the layout of the temple and where to go to get to the treasure, one of which Skylar picks up on her way inside.

This temple is a lot less typical-looking than the temples we've explored earlier in the day. Instead of the bricks being orange, rusted, and covered in sand, they're much more polished and it looks like they've been repainted semi-recently. It reminds me of the walls of our middle school. The exterior of the building was a mixture of an office building and the outside of an old synagogue.

Using the map as our guide, we speed-walk through a few turns in the hallways, and eventually we stop at an elevator. The elevator is barely large enough to fit all eleven of us. Heath presses a button to take us down to the basement floor. On the way down, I nudge Shanna in the elbow and share a look of excitement with her, then do the same with Mia. It's nice to know that in the end, this'll get to be something we can all share together, as a full group.

As soon as the elevator reaches the bottom floor, we waste no time in exiting. Skylar flips the map over to a side that shows the correct path through the temple ahead, and she, Heath, and Luke lead the way for us. This temple's bricks are grey and rusted, resembling the temple more than the previous one did. Small lamps line the walls on both sides.

When we're about halfway to our destination, Sam asks, "Before we get there, do we have everything?"

While still maintaining a brisk walking pace, Avery gets the bag of artifacts and checks it. Both jewels, the scepter, the necklace, the monkey statue, and the red cloth are still in there. "All the artifacts are still there," she replies.

"And I have the key," Heath adds, waving the key in the air. A few people look relieved to hear this. It would be a pain if we forgot something and had to go all the way back to get it.

Three minutes later, we arrive at the final room. It's a large, square room containing a dark brown treasure chest with a golden lock on it. Next to the treasure chest is a sign which I read aloud: "TO NOT RECEIVE KAORI'S CURSE, ONE MUST FIRST DEEM THEMSELVES WORTHY OF THE TREASURES INSIDE THIS CHEST BEFORE OPENING IT."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do this!" Brea says, jumping up and down in excitement. Right as she sets down the backpack, however, a small light appears in the wall behind the treasure chest. A door leading to another room has opened, and out from it emerges a black man who looks to be in his sixties. He looks rather fit for a man his age, though his hair is tussled up and mostly missing, and his skin has small wrinkles here and there. He walks with a cane and is wearing a grey robe with matching grey pajama pants. He looks impressed to see all of us here.

"Are you here for the treasure?" he asks.

We all nod, and Elle asks, "Are you Prince Kaori?"

"No. He died a very long time ago. I represent the generation five after his, and I have been left to guard the treasure until someone arrives," he replies. "Now, are you prepared for the ritual?"

Avery and Brea have gotten out all the items by the time he's asked this questions. He nods approvingly and murmurs, "Alright, then get on with it."