CHAPTER THREE: THE RUINS OF MESA VERSEE

“I still can’t believe you got us the chance to go to the ruins! Calin, you have to slap me, I must be dreaming.”

Calin just laughed at Jerry on the walk down to Dashwood Docks. He was just as excited as his best friend for going to the ruins. There were hardly any words to express the feeling. But then a thought popped up and he cocked his head to Jerry and asked,

“Hey buddy, uh did you go tell Miss Talsen that you are off on an important errant with me?”

Jerry stuck fast in the cobblestones. Immediately, the boy mumbled, “Um, yes... why?”

Calin stared at Jerry with suspicion and asked, “Directly, in person?”

No answer.

“Ugh!” Calin groaned, “Come on Jerry, you know what’s going to happen when you get home tonight. Man, I can’t believe you do these things to yourself.”

But Jerry pleaded, “I know, I know! But I couldn’t risk that she tell me I can’t come, it’s the ruins Calin! I’ll not miss it for anything.”

His friend had a point.

Calin could only shrug. In a sense he would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. But he would definitely have gone about it differently, so he looked pointedly at Jerry, and said, “So, did you at least leave word of this to someone at the Launders?”

“Yes, I did.” Jerry said with a beaming smile, like he was proud of himself.

A chuckle bubbled forth from Calin as he shook his head and continued down the main road of the town. His best friend never seized to amaze him.

Soon Jerry joined him in laughing out loud and chatting excitedly about going to the Ruins, though it wasn’t long before the start of the small trodden path that led from sea level into the cliffs to the west towards the Ruins, appeared.

Just before going up the trail a shout came from behind.

“Oi! Watch out!”

Calin spun around and was almost bowled over by a rushing scarlet haired girl. He braced himself, but thankfully the impact didn’t come as the girl stopped herself just short of him.

“Whoa there Kara!” Jerry exclaimed. “What’s the rush?”

“Whoops, sorry guys,” The girl said as she took big gulps of air while rushing her words. “I was running... flat out from the house. My Dad called... me on my phone, he found something shocking!” Kara looked at the boxes and smiled, “Those are the lights right? Good, it was hard working in the new chamber with just a flashlight. Oh, I’m so happy. I finally get to show you guys around. The place is amazing! And everybody who come here are sooo stuck up. I’m like the only truly passionate scientist.”

Again Jerry said, “Whoa there, take a breather, you don’t have to say everything in five seconds.”

Calin watched as Kara pulled a face at Jerry, but, she did stop to catch her breath before she finally said in a relaxed manner.

“Yeah, yeah, you are right. I was just so excited. But let’s get moving. You won’t believe what we found since yesterday in the inner sanctum!”

The grinning girl bounded forward up the small rocky path and Calin followed with Jerry close behind.

Calin always marvelled at Kara Getsamé. Beautiful and her dark red hair was full of the same life she showcased, but she had never been the type to acknowledge the fact; she was more the practical, outdoors and over-excited type than some of the other girls in the town; who liked staying clean and wearing layers of make-up. In a sense it made her perfect for the direction she was studying.

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And to be honest, it was certain for someone with a passion for Archaeology you couldn’t ask for a more extraordinary place than the Ruin city of Mesa Versee.

If her father was right, they might as well have stumbled onto an entirely new ancient civilization far more advance than the ones already known. The implications of that alone were enough to make anyone excited.

The path picked up into a steep climb. And the box became quite heavy after a while, and Jerry’s puffs for breath from behind mirrored his own. Though, the sound was slightly masked by the waves thundering against the base of the cliffs.

In front, a strong security gate, between the boulders made his heart beat pick up substantially. He was certain it wasn’t just because of the physical exertion.

Few people were ever allowed to see the still mostly unexplored city of Mesa Versee. It was still a young discovery. The scientists had too much to research before they could even begin to let the general public come to witness the massive Ruin city.

The click of the gate being opened startled Calin out of his musings. A burly man with a broad chest and slight grey streaks in his short beard stared at him with his deep set eyes, to the point of Calin shrinking back.

But a moment later he ushered them to enter through the portal with barely any words.

As Calin passed the man he couldn’t remember ever seeing the strange man, which was saying something, because every person living and working in Lamb’s Crest knew everybody else, it was a developing town, but still small enough for that.

This knowledge made him frown slightly and he hobbled forward to catch up to Kara as the gate was closed.

“Kara, who is that guy? I don’t think I know him.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Kara whispered when they were out of earshot. She was tugging at the edge of her green long-sleeved shirt over the leather of her deep brown leggings as if the look of the man unsettled her.

“He is from out of town. One of our scientists hired him when Henri just upped and left Lamb’s Crest without a word, two days ago. His name is Wanrey or something. He gives me the creeps. I can’t believe Henri left us like this.”

This was news. Calin knew Henri Baic quite well. The man was always happy to help out with the scientists where they needed the muscle or just a guard to keep an eye on the Ruins at night. It seemed almost like a passion for the man to help out the Getsamés. It was incredibly strange for him to have just left.

Calin glanced back at the muscled man who was the new security guard and just shrugged. Nothing could be done now. If Henri had left, there had to be a good reason for it. Though Calin couldn’t help but worry a bit about him. He really liked Henri over the years; the man had always been friendly towards him.

As he looked back at Kara, her shoulders were slightly tense under the dark green of her shirt.

But as the first showings of the worked stone of the Ruins peaked through the winding path through the boulders it was clear she was more relaxed.

His heart wanted to pop out of his chest. They were entering the Ruins!

“Best day ever, right?” Jerry said from behind.

Calin could only nod while walking into the first of the buildings of the Ruins of Mesa Versee. He had only seen pictures of the place even though he had lived within a couple of kilometres of it for the last seven years. It was unbelievable.

The stone that made up the buildings were as smooth as glass. Masterfully crafted.

He had heard that the Ruins dated back at least more than a millennium; some even say more than two. But Calin could see at a glance why the place was such a mystery. It was too precise. Everything looked like it was cut to the millimetre. Even modern twenty first century technology with laser tools would be hard pressed to achieve the precision showcased here.

He placed the box down and his hand almost involuntarily lifted to touch the smooth surface of the wall. As he did, Kara came from behind and said,

“Amazing isn’t it? Now you can understand why I always go on and on about the place. Nothing like it exists in the entire world.”

“Yeah, I see now. But Kara, how? How was this possible so long ago?”

The girl lifted her shoulders in a shrug and said, “Nobody knows. In a way, the probability of ever really understanding it is incredibly slim. That is why it is so exciting; an ancient people with the tools to create a city like this.”

Kara lifted her arms and spun a circle as she continued, “Man! I would give anything to have met them, to ask the thousand questions I have. And for certain ask about the carvings on the walls.”

“Carvings?” A voice came from behind.

Calin and Kara turned to Jerry walking through the doorway of the building they were in.

“Yes,” Kara said, “The carvings closer to the middle of the city. We can’t yet figure out the written language as I told you before, but there are carvings of things me and the other Archaeologists can’t even remotely explain—”

She paused and with a smile said, “Talking about the middle of the city, we should go there and while you guys set up the lights, I can show you things. Come come, let’s go!”

A laugh escaped from Calin and Jerry joined in while watching Kara hop forward out of the room. Calin just picked up his box and followed the energetic scarlet haired girl.