“Did the Ancients really have to set up house in such a miserable place?” Xio complained.

Her father simply looked amused at her ragged state, as she fended off swarms of insects and the sweltering heat. He looked unbothered by the elements, which he probably was considering she could see flies dying in the air whenever they got too close to him.

“You know as well as I these conditions have most likely changed since the days of the Ancients Xiomara. However, considering the proto-magic we’ve found traces of, the environment may well have shaped its use considering the biodiversity of the surrounding…”

Xio tuned out of the following monologue. As interesting as the things her father could tell her were at times, the sheer amount of information being dumped on her the last few days in addition to the appalling conditions made her less inclined to pay attention. The scene in front of her was more interesting anyways, as the two of them stood atop a deep ravine, ladders and ropes going the sheer stoney sides down to the work site below. Workers swarmed the area, clearing out brush and debris as the other nobles surveyed their work. She could even make out Yaotyl of House Tezcatli directing the workers, golden hair shining in the sun and bronzed skin with a faint sheen of sweat. He caught her looking and smiled and waved and she eagerly returned the gesture.

"Young Tezcatli stealing my daughter's attention already?" her father teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I am simply glad our House agreed to the proposal of a joint expedition," she lied.

"Well, I'm glad you two have been getting along. Having our house joined to one of the greater Houses would be quite the boon," Father mused with a twinkle in his eye.

"I am not even of age to manifest yet father, please keep your matchmaking to yourself you old codger."

He clutched his heart in mock pain, but Xio ignored him and went bounding towards a ladder. She slowed and descended, taking care not to catch her golden chains and jewelry on the way down, as the floor of the ravine was much too far to risk any accident. The air even seemed to get noticeably cooler as she went, with less biting swarms. By the time she reached the stone below she was certain that this time, her House had struck something golden indeed.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

###

The chamber excavated in the depths of the ravine was in much better condition than the runic symbols in evidence above. The ravine symbols were weather faded and damaged, but other than the ice and the ancient design, this chamber was in perfect condition. She looked to the three others of note in the room as workers chipped away at ice formations around them.

"Lord Mictlan? Young Lord Tezcatli? What do you think?”

Lord Tezcatli spoke up first. While she was unsure as to whether she truly wanted to join with the man, she certainly didn’t mind admiring his features as he took in the room. He was dressed in more practical clothing then her, eschewing the gold that she favored for leathers and linens. That said, it's not like he was the heir, being the thirdborn of House Tezcatli.

"It’s certainly reminiscent of our own system, though strangely they almost remind me of the

patterns of enchantments in the palace pantry of the Truelord."

Her father, or as she referred to him in formal contexts, Lord Mictlan, nods at his words. "An interesting comparison to make. It certainly confirms these ruins as coming from the venerable Ancients, though their purpose eludes me. Most sites uncovered have been beneath our own cities as well. The fact that this site is so remote even from the local settlements is ... strange."

Yaotl still smiles. "Well my lords, we still have plenty to uncover. However, let us not forget what we have just done! A successful find of an Ancients ruin with intact runes of a kind uncategorized! I believe we should celebrate before we go about the true business of slowly but surely uncovering its secrets.”

"You are correct of course young lord. Let us arrange a break for these hard working men," Mictlan gestures to the workers around them who had been studiously ignoring the nobles’ conversation, though Xio sees a few ears perk at his words, "and break out the casks. We shall celebrate tonight and get down to investigating this find come morning. I shall take a few more notes and then join you all for the festivities".

Xio, though fascinated by the ancient’s work, was only too eager to return to the surface. She hugged her father goodbye and raced up to help arrange the festivities before one of the other nobles did something terrible, like the time one of her brothers simply piled all the casks in the center of the gathering, and a brawl over them ended with bruises and mageburn. Coming out into the ravine she was hit by a wave of heat and humidity compared to the icy excavation, with the sounds of the jungle echoing down into the ravine. It was time to round up some workers and break open some casks of octli.

###

It was the scent of blood that woke her up. The screaming somehow hadn’t done it already, perhaps since at some point the loud singing had transitioned to the noises of the soon to be dead, but it was the tang of iron that truly woke her. She was slumped on a bench, a blanket around her shoulders that hadn't been there before, and by the flickering firelight she could see the glint of metal and polished bone. Shadows moved between the fires, and where they stepped the screaming stopped, silence following them like a cloak. One of the shadows stalked towards her, slowly resolving into a handsome golden face.

“Finally awake Xio?,” Yaotl asked.