Finding the Path

((This continues on directly from my sample roleplay))

The burning felt cleansing as she stepped into the scalding water. Larayna’s greyish brown eyes closed to the world as she felt the water touch her skin. A long breath escaped her as she let herself relax after the incident. She stepped fully under the shower, letting her long platinum hair, still slick with sweat feel the healing waters. She opened her eyes, staring off into the distance.

Shapes swam in the steam around her. It taunted her with half remembered visions from her dreams. It was strange. It had started so long ago; she wasn’t sure if she knew any different anymore. These visions and poltergeists had become as much a part of her life as her hobbies. She could never truly remember anything substantial and it infuriated her. It drove her to look for answers to questions she didn’t know she’d asked.

Usually, they were tame. She would simply wake up with a start in terror, anger, pain and occasionally sadness. But whenever they left civilisation, it was worse. Sometimes, in cases like this morning, it was a disaster. The dreams were somehow more intense. She would vividly remember the emotions this time. She would writhe in bed, mutter, scream and always wake in a cold sweat to the concerned faces of her closest friends. She could never tell them how thankful she was for that.

But it was never this bad. It was never this harrowing. When they had first heard about these newly uncovered ruins, she’d had awful dreams. They had been so bad; she hadn’t been able to sleep for two nights for fear of what waited her. But she knew then that she had to come. They briefly scouted the ruins out yesterday, high in the snow of the mountains. Now, she was here, desperately trying to wash away the night terrors.

Larayna had to put it to the back of her mind for now. There was nothing she could do until they were back at the cave anyway. She took another moment to enjoy the warmth of the water then did what she came here to do. She was proud of her hair but it took work to maintain, just like everything else. She enjoyed toying with it, running her hands through it and feeling it dance on the wind.

Nearly an hour after entering the bathroom, Larayna emerged ready for the day ahead. She had put on the underlayers they brought for climbing the mountain. She wore a light, white, tight fitting t-shirt under a thick fleece and walking trousers, over a thermal top and leggings. It wasn’t the most glamorous of her outfits but in this case, function was far superior. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail, tied with her white bow, just like her mother used to.

The room was still dark and it was still early, the others had gone back to sleep. She wasn’t sure she could face it again so quietly left the room and made her way down to the hotel lobby. She grabbed her boots on the way as well. They were her little indulgence in her outfit. Although they were still rugged and waterproof, they stretched most of the way up her calf for a more feminine look. But they were a pain to put on and at four in the morning, she didn’t want to wake the others up again. She closed the door as quietly as she could and let herself smile. She was very lucky to have friends like these.

She pulled on the boots, lacing them up tightly. They rubbed otherwise and caused blisters. Satisfied, she turned to head down the hallway. The smell of pastries been baked was already sitting temptingly in the air. The entire hotel was a massive wooden structure that had a warm, homely feel to everything inside. It was the kind of place you could spend hours simply being. The lights were dimmed behind fabric shades. The stunning oaken floorboards had warm, thick carpets over the top, muffling most of the noise. The walls had wooden panels but they were lightened by sections of cream plaster work and paintings of beautiful mountain scenes and frozen lakes. Every surface was adorned with small embellishments. Not even the wooden rafters that stretched across the ceilings and hung over the corridors were free from it. They were carved with deer and bears, wolves and birds. Larayna could spend hours wandering these halls and still find something new with each visit.

Her meandering soon took her to the lobby. She suspected her nose had a part to play in this as the smells of baked produce were far stronger here and her stomach growled in agreement. It was too early for any breakfast. She would just have to eat lunch earlier and then was a terrible slope to be sliding down. The lobby itself was small. Comprising of a slightly larger corridor to accommodate the reception desk and not much else. But it had several rooms leading off from it. The large restaurant where they had eaten last night with food so delicious they nearly had to roll Jason back to the room. But her favourite thing was the large communal area. Large sofas, comfy chairs, two open fireplaces and bookshelves lining the walls with one wall devoted to a massive window that opened on to a balcony. She could only imagine come spring that it would hold tables and chairs and offer beautiful views over the mountain valley.

The place was quiet. The lights were dimmed giving the room a romantic feel. She wrapped her arms around herself a moment, closing her eyes. She imagined what could be in this quiet serenity. She moved slowly across the room. Her footsteps light, sure and graceful. She crossed to the door to the balcony and pulled it open to the cold morning air. Even in winter, they did their best to keep it clear but mother nature is persistent. The snow crunched under her boot as she stepped out. She quickly zipped up her fleece as she went over the threshold to the world outside.

Each stepped creaked with the fresh fall. She moved to the balcony railings, once again, wooden and intricately carved with leaves and berries from the regions distinctive trees. She placed a hand on the edge as she leaned her small frame against one of the posts. The wind, gentle this morning, tossed her hair playfully as her eyes drank in the view. As the sun began to peep over the top of the mountains, it cast long mysterious shadows over the valley. Vast arrays of various conifer trees stood to attention, snow clinging desperately to the branches. Down the centre of the valley ran a river, although now frozen from the wrath of winter, as the light began to dance across it, the ice glittered.

“Is that you Miss Beroe?” came a friendly voice from the doorway. Larayna looked over her shoulder to the source. Stood, looking a little tired and concerned, was the receptionist who had booked them in a few nights ago. Jochen gestured for her to come to him, the warm glow on his face made him hard to refuse. “You should be wearing more than that, Miss, if you want to stand out here.”

“I’m sorry,” Larayna tilted her head, gauging the young man a moment. He was taller than her and much broader. He wore a well-groomed beard and looked rather dashing in his suit. “I just wanted to see the view.” He gestured for her to come inside, holding the door open despite the slight shiver he had already developed. She graciously accepted the offer and followed him over to a seat by the fireplace. She noticed it was one where he could still see the desk.

“There are plenty of beautiful sights in this world, but not all of them need you to go out unprepared to see them,” he caught her eye as he said this, a coy grin on his face. Larayna felt her cheeks flush with a bit of colour. She looked away into the fire as he began to stoke life back in to it. The wooden crackled in the heat as he placed another log. “Could you not sleep last night?”

Larayna stared into the new born flames for a few long moments before answering. “I just had some bad dreams, nothing to worry about,” the smile never quite reached her eyes as she looked at him. But there was a fire beginning to burn in them. “But I’m also very excited about today. We’re heading down in to the ruins proper today.”

“I’ve heard about those!” Jochen’s excitement seemed to fill the morning air in the room. The fatigue of the graveyard shift disappearing in an instant. “The one that was revealed where that pteras went down?”

“That’s the one,” Larayna wasn’t sure if it was his or her own excitement she was feeling. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation of the day ahead. These ruins were untouched. “We were lucky. We bumped into the pilot of the pteras on his way out of the hospital. We made a beeline straight here.”

“Why does that make you lucky?” She could see the same curiosity that she so often felt. It was like putting on your old hoodie. Comfortable and warm.

“Because other than the pilot who went in to survive, nobody will have been in yet.” Larayna couldn’t help but grin at the thought. “It will be fresh and new. Nothing will be charted, no maps to follow. The larger expeditions that look in to the ruins will take months to prepare. Especially with this one being so remote and difficult to reach. The logistics alone will be mid boggling. But we don’t have that problem with there being so few of us.”

“I see,” Jochen’s gaze hadn’t strayed from her face. Enraptured by the joy and wonder in her eyes. “What do you think is in there?” Larayna opened her mouth to answer. She felt the fire of the anger return. It flooded her veins, filling her with a restless energy like she had never felt. She let out a deep breath, trying to expel the feelings in to the air.

“We’re not sure,” Larayna replied after a few moments hesitation. “We don’t know anything about the ruins. Not the age, the layout, the language, nothing. It’s totally new. If we’re lucky, we might learn about what people of that did in their day to day lives. But there could be anything down that cave.” But hopefully there would answers, or even clues, for her. Something about that place had caused those dreams and all they had done was enter the cave to make sure it was safe for today.

“Were your dreams about the ruins?” It took him a moment to ask what he wanted to ask. He’d clearly been looking for the right words. She gave him a reassuring smile.

“No, there are just dreams I’ve had all my life,” she wasn’t lying. She just wasn’t telling the whole truth. But it seemed she hadn’t sold it either. He frowned and looked down, ashamed of himself.

“I’d better get back to work,” he looked up again, his smile seemed genuine enough. But Larayna suspected it wasn’t. “I hope you find something worth all this trouble, Miss Benoe.” He rose to his feet and bowed his head. Stunned, she could only smile back at him and watch as he went about his business, getting ready for the day ahead. After a few minutes, she sat back, losing herself in the fire. She watched as it grew with the fresh fuel. It consumed everything it touched, dancing seductively before her.

“Morning Lara!” Anna voice was sweet and cheerful as she wrapped her arms around her friend. Nothing was said but Larayna reached up, placing a hand on that her childhood friend’s. The slight squeeze of her hand and the tight embrace said everything the pair needed to say. “I’m excited for today!”

Lara got to her feet and turned to Anna. Anna’s emerald eyes were a stark contrast to auburn hair, even pulled back in a bun. They glittered like jewels set in the fine lines of her face. She had most of her underclothes on ready as well. “Yeah, it’s gonna be fun!” Larayna finally let herself relax, seeing her friend again. Her whole posture seemed to soften, she didn’t even realise she had been so tense. That must have been what put Jochen off.

“It’s been a long time since got our hands on some fresh ruins,” the pair started to make their way towards the restaurant. Larayna tried to catch Jochen’s eye but he was busy with another guest. “Oh, I see why you were up so early!” Anna giggled, nudging Larayna in the rubs. Larayna blushed, looking away and mouthing some form of curse at her friend. The jade eyes flashed with a mischievous glow.

As they opened the door to the restaurant, the smell rushed over them in a wave. It filled their nostrils with scents of spices, sweet crusted pastries, fresh meats and strong cheeses. The pair were stunned into silence once again. Something about the food of this place was intoxicating. If Larayna could afford a chef, she’d hire this one. The food was laid out on a long table across the left side of the room with tables scattered throughout. Like a siren’s call, they found themselves with plates full of food before they had even realised. The boys joined them not long after, still in their gym kits.

“You really should’ve got changed,” Larayna jibbed as they sat down with their own plates of heaven. She continuing buttering her toast, looking up to grin at them.

“It’s a good job the food smells so good!” Anna chimed in, laughing and they all joined in. Larayna looked at all her friends as they made small talk over breakfast. She couldn’t help but go back to thinking how lucky she was. Again, nothing was said openly. But in their unspoken codes they had said all that was needed. The briefest of glances, the quips and pokes that flew across the table, the glares and the smiles, all had other meanings, like any well-knit group. Eventually, as they finished up their meals, the conversation turned to the task at hand.

“So what is the plan?” Ander was always the first one to bring them back to earth. His no-nonsense approach to the world had been a boon, considering Jason and Anna were prone to flights of whimsy if left on their own too long. He wore a face pitted with worry that made him look nearly twice as old as he was. Eyes darted towards Larayna and she thought for a moment.

“I think we go in like we always do,” she spoke softly, in the calm tone that had earned her the respect of her betters at university. “We’ll get up there and unload our equipment inside the cave. But since we know so little about the place, scouting it out more before we decide what we need would be better. I doubt we’ll get interrupted before we’re done so I’m not worried about the gear.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jason nodded. “It’s my turn to take the lead.” He held Larayna’s gaze just long enough for it to make her a little uncomfortable. Jason had broad, strong shoulders and a big heart to fill his barrel chest. She wondered if this was what it was like having an older brother. “I think we should take as much food as we can before we go. Just in case we decide to stay overnight. I’m not going ruin delving on an empty stomach again tomorrow.” Now it was Anna’s turn to get the brotherly death stare and she smirked, avoiding his gaze.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say!” she managed through the giggles. “But let’s get going! It’s almost seven!”

The three grey command wolves made their way slowly up the mountain. They had been travelling for at least two hours and the path had disappeared almost half an hour ago. At this height, the snow came thick and fast. Great floes of white obscured even the zoid in front let alone the path ahead. If it hadn’t been for their trip up already, they would be hellishly lost in a forest of snow. As it was, Jason’s co-pilot, Ander, was using their route from yesterday to keep them on course.

The going was rough. The snow was falling fast, obscuring large rocks, removing landmarks and annihilating their own footprints moments after they had been made. Larayna was glad for all the extra layers she had on. She could see her breath in front of her even in the cockpit but the constant battle with the elements was taking a strain on her. Every step was difficult but she could feel something in the back of her mind. Like an itch she just couldn’t reach, it spurred her forwards.

The cockpit lurched sickeningly sideways. Larayna was pulled out of her reverie and gripped the controls with both hands. She took stock of the situation quickly. She’d lost focus. The path they had set veered around the patch of snow she had stepped on for this reason. It gave way beneath the weight that was the mass of metal of her wolf. It tumbled a short way as Larayna wrenched at the joysticks. Pulling it back in to more of a controlled slide, she pushed the wolf forwards as it attempted to stay above the tide of snow. Eventually, it managed to claw its way to solid ground before sliding to far down the mountain.

“You alright Lara?” Jason’s concern was evident across the communications line. She let out the breath she had been holding. Her head turned to look down below her. Nothing but white. She tried to puzzle which colour was worse. White or red? “Lara?”

“Sorry!” nothing felt completely real. “I’m fine!” It was almost like she was watching herself in her own movie. She rubbed her eyes with the gloved fingers of her hand.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Anna’s zoid looked down at her from higher up in a brief break in the snow. “You really don’t seem yourself. We’re only worried.” Larayna sighed. Anna had a point. They all did. But what choice did they have? What choice did she have?

“We’re almost there, aren’t we?” Larayna’s voice was shaky. Almost not her own. “It seems daft to turn back now.” She pushed the command wolf forwards. The lively movement felt much better than the slow crawl they had been taking. She couldn’t deny she enjoyed piloting zoids. It helped she was good at it. The wolf leapt nimbly like its namesake up the mountainside to join the others. “Come on, let’s go!”

The higher they climbed, the worse the wind got. It howled and whined between the metal monstrosities that made their way ever higher. There were a few more slips before they reached the cave but nothing serious. The cave was just large enough to fit the three wolves in, which was a boon as it meant they blocked the elements. Or at least, the worse of the elements. By lunch time, they had unpacked the small crate of gear and were sat around a small fire eating some of the food they had procured from the morning’s buffet.

Larayna nibbled away at some pastry while she wandered the nearby cave. Although the entrance was clearly a natural formation, the markings in the walls of rock told a different story. The large numbers of stalagmites nearly the entrance spoke of something that had been hear a millennia at least, probably several. But further in where the weather had not managed to reach, the walls were smooth with small ridges showing ancient drilling machines had been used. She ran a hand over the markings. They had still weathered, from the winds, if nothing else. But this had been put here on purpose. “Why?”

“Let’s find out,” Ander had moved over to her. A cup of something warm in his hands again. She took it graciously, grateful for the warmth. Anna had suspected he wanted to be more than friends with Larayna. She told her multiple times. But Larayna had never been interested. “Talk to me, Ray,” he said softly. She raised an eyebrow and titled her head. “It’s not like you do have slips like that. Especially not in a zoid. What did you see last night?”

“It wasn’t what I saw as such,” she looked down into the warm liquid she clasped. She couldn’t stand the worry in his eyes. She hated this. She loathed it almost as much as it seemed to loathe her. “It seemed to call me here,” she looked up with a pained smile. “I know it sounds crazy. I can only imagine how it looks and sounds to you. But I need to be here.”

He looked like he was trying to decide whether she was mad or stupid. “I was afraid of that,” Ander looked towards the cave entrance. “This is a bad idea, Ray.” His form seemed to shrink a little and Larayna was dismayed. “But we swore we’d help you. I can’t promise I’ll do it again if this is where it is going to lead.” He made his way back to the others, leaving her in stunned silence.

Larayna found herself watching him walk off. Her hands twitched, wanting to grab her friend. But she knew no matter what she said, it wouldn’t help. Maybe he was right? She thought back to a conversation they’d had not too long ago. She closed her eyes, feeling them well up with tears. She forced them back as her mind wandered away from here.

”I’m kind of jealous of you,” he gazed down into the cloudy depths of his pint.

“What do you mean by that?” Larayna laughed, sitting across the table from Ander. She took a small sip of the wine he’d brought her. It was fruity and sharp and caused her to lick her lips. The bar was noisy with thumping beats, constant chatter and clinking glasses. She looked over to Anna and Jason as they danced, watching the smiles on their faces.

“You have absolutely no idea how good you are in a zoid, do you?” Larayna looked back at Ander with a look of shock. “I’m serious, Ray.” He looked up at her, his travelling over her petite frame in her red dress and heels. She caught the glance and her cheeks gained a slightly pink hue.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Larayna forced herself to focus on his question, taking another sip of wine. “You know I hate the idea of zoid battles.”

“That doesn’t change how well you can pilot a zoid,” His eyes fixed with hers and she could see the sincerity there. She could barely believe what she was hearing. Was he comparing her to those brutes of pilots? “I’ve watched you. You’re good.” Larayna recoiled back a little in shock then laughed. It took Anders a moment before he realised. His ears turned red in embarrassment. “Erm, with a erm… Good at piloting your wolf I mean.” He stammered all at once. Larayna continued to giggle as he squirmed.

“I don’t understand,” she managed after a few moments, regaining her composure. “I can make it go from A to B if that’s what you mean?”

“It’s more than that, Ray,” Ander sighed. “It’s the way the wolf moves. It’s tough to explain.” He paused for a moment and took a swig of his own drink, thinking. Larayna stayed quiet, watching him intently, wanting to know what he meant. Surely there was only one way to pilot a zoid? “If you ever get chance to watch a battle, you’d see what I mean. The top pilots, the ones who fight in the ZBC’s top leagues, they make the zoid’s movements seem like a real animal’s movements. Like they are natural creatures. No jerking motions. If they want their zoid to move at full speed, it takes them but a thought. None of this steady acceleration rubbish we do.”

“I see,” Larayna was a bit lost for words. She took another drink from her glass.

“But you,” Ander hesitated a moment, looking for the words once more. “You can do the same thing. Your wolf moves with an easy gait. You can make it do things Jason and Anna can’t. I just think you shouldn’t knock the battling thing. Especially because I think you’d be good at it.”

“You’re joking?” Larayna sniggered. But the look on his face was deadly serious. “I’d be terrible. Could you imagine me in a high-performance thing like that sword tiger? I’d crash it into a building!”

“You mean a Blade Liger?” Ander grinned. For such a smart girl, she really did know nothing about zoids outsider of what she needed to. “Just, promise me you’ll try it one day.” Before Larayna could responded, Anna had rushed over and was dragging the pair of them to the dance floor.

Ander had always had so much faith in her. She was sorry sometimes that she wasn’t interested in a relationship. He was a good guy and would make a good husband to the right woman someday. She knew why he was like this, but she had to see it through to the end. She opened her eyes and turned towards the large stone doors at the back of the cave.

They weren’t immediately obvious as the symbols that adorned them had worn away. But the doors had been pushed open, just enough for a single person to get through. She had copied down what she could make of the symbols on the door but couldn’t make sense of them. They weren’t like any written language she had seen in her textbooks. But the information would be there somewhere. It had to be. She peered in through the gap but it was pitch black in there.

“I thought I was taking the lead on this?” Larayna jumped as Jason spoke. His mouth curled in to a grin. “You’ll need one of these.” He handed her a torch and flicked the switch on his own. “Ladies first.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” she smiled and squeezed her way through the gap.

Larayna breathed in the stale air of the hidden passage. It was cool and damp. Even through the layers of protection from the elements, the cold of this place permeated down to her bones. An involuntary shiver ran up her spine and along her arms. In the dim light from the gap in the door, she could see her breath in front of her face. Her fingers felt suddenly numb as she thumbed the switch for the torch. The beam scythed through the darkness but it appeared to be a struggle to keep it at bay.

Larayna frowned, moving forwards so her friends could make their way in. There was the hollow thud of boots on metal grating. She turned the torch to the floor. It was metal granting, but it soon became metal panels further in. Ice clung to the metal and it looked brittle. She swept the torch around to the doorway behind her. The mechanism was frozen tight. Ice had coalesced on all the cogs, preventing it from opening fully. Something about this just didn’t feel right. This was wrong. Very wrong. But what was it exactly?

“I don’t like this,” Anna voiced what everyone seemed to be thinking. “This seems, I don’t know, forced?” Larayna turned her attention to the walls. Although a lot of it was covered by a thin film of ice and frost, you could clearly make out the metal underneath. She pressed a gloved had to it, wiping some of the frost away.

“We need to be careful,” Jason spoke quietly, as if he was afraid someone would overhear them.

“Maybe this was designed to make people like us uncomfortable?” Ander didn’t seem to be taking his gaze away from Larayna. But she barely registered it. Her attention taken by their new surroundings. He wondered what was going through her head. He felt torn. Torn between his bonds of friendship and love for her whilst the logic engines in his brain screamed at him to leave her here. He knew she’d never do anything to hurt them but she was not herself anymore. She had proved that much last night. He looked over at Jason who shared a quick glance with him.

Jason watched Larayna for a moment. They had all spoken after she had left them, thinking them asleep. They were worried for her friend. This was not good for her. She had refused any medical help for her sleep. Although she hadn’t had the easiest life, Larayna had always seemed so calm and impassive in the face of adversity. Sometimes indecisive but she was focused on her tasks, much like now. But she wasn’t the same. She had a drive and will that she hadn’t ever shown before. She seemed to be driving towards a climb edge that they couldn’t follow her over. They had agreed if things got bad, they would convince her, plead with her to leave. They had even discussed subduing her.

“Looks like the passage splits in two up ahead,” Anna said, moving further ahead. She had found the conversation with the boys uncomfortable. Larayna was her oldest friend. They had been there for each other through all of the hard times they had shared. The truth was, Ray had suffered with these bad dreams a lot longer than Jason or Ander knew. If this was where Ray wanted to be, then she would support her.

“We always go left,” Larayna moved up next to Anna. The two smiled at each other. How could Anna deny the genuine warmth that Larayna always showed her. Sure, last night was a shock. But she would be there for her best friend. She had just acted in instinct after all. Jason stepped forward ahead of them, Ander stayed behind.

“Alright, we’ll take it steady,” Jason looked back at the party. “Keep your eyes open for anything. I don’t think we should trust anything here. Agreed?” They all nodded and began to make their way forward. The air seemed to be as thick as soup and it wasn’t just the tension that had them on tenterhooks. Flashlight illuminated the way ahead and the walls.

“There aren’t any markings,” Larayna broke the silence. She stopped and placed a hand against the wall again. “There aren’t any signs.”

“What do you mean?” Ander moved neck to her, looking at the same wall in confusion. “Like Ancient Zoidian code hidden in the walls? I doubt we would find that in the corridors.”

“No,” Larayna turned her gaze and his eyes meant her grey ones. They were fierce and determined, not the normal soft, warm eyes she normally had. “Look around you.” They all seemed to follow her instruction. “We’ve been walking around her for what, a quarter of an hour? Have you seen any signs pointing you in a direction? No department names?” The realisation slowly hit the rest of the group.

“Could it have been destroyed when they left this place?” Jason examined a separate part of the corridor.

“I can’t see any signs of damage,” Ander replied. “Wait, what’s this?”

A burst of light and noise shattered the darkness and silence.