"Clear."

An anxious second passed before a low response came.

"Clear."

Adrenaline subdued the beauty of their surroundings. The cobbled and mossy stonework, broken and left to weather the elements was overgrown with weeds and vines. Ceramic terracotta tiles sitting in a haphazard pile were the only indication this structure's bones once had a roof. A warm sun dazzled overhead. The hastened squawks of birds fleeing echoed through the dense trees surrounding their landing sight.

Neither let their guard down as they walked the immediate perimeter. Their cache sat undisturbed, a strange contrast on the ancient-looking site. Moss covered most of the dilapidated flooring.

"Psst."

McGee's rifle went up, but Galligan was focused on the ground. She jerked her head in the direction of a metal ring lying suspiciously on the ground. He approached cautiously, noticing that the woodwork in this area was completely intact. A basement.

They communicated in chat for a few moments, fighting over who would open the door. Ultimately, McGee lost the fight when Galligan brought up her Ogre Physique. He wouldn't let her get away with that every time. A shotgun blast to the face wouldn't care what physique she had.

Grabbing the thick ring with both hands, he gauged Galligan's readiness. She flicked on her flashlight.

McGee threw open the door. It creaked and groaned before crashing to the ground with a raucous death-rattle. Galligan pivoted, searching below, the tension in her shoulders dissipating almost instantly. McGee searched the cellar and saw that most of it had caved in. The dust and cobwebs told a story that no one had been there for a very long time. All that remained in the dilapidated cellar were a few empty shelves and a pair of broken pots. The stairs couldn't bear the test of time, ending after the first step down.

"That's convenient."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"This place has been abandoned for a long time."

"Maybe we switched places with a pair of jackrabbits going at it. This is a good sign of civilization though. It looks like there are symbols on the pots. Looks almost like Chinese. Can you read it?"

Cooter received a quick jab to the arm. Luna was Korean. And not even true Korean. She had been adopted by a gay thruple. Her backstory was weird.

"I can actually. Not because I'm Asian... But I think that character means Grass."

"Huh. You know what. I think I understand it too."

Could it be a side effect that they understood this world's language? What kind of world was Auria, anyway?

Searching further didn't reveal anything mysterious or any ancient treasures or the like. They agreed stashing their gear in the cellar was better than leaving it outside for all eyes to see, but McGee wanted to do a little more recon before they started to relax. One of the foundation's pillars remained standing, and attached to it was enough floorboard for one of them to sit on. So, like a good Team Leader, he ordered Galligan to hop to it.

She grumbled something about midgets with straws in their mouth but got to climbing anyway. It'd be difficult for anything to sneak up on them through such dense foliage without making a whole lot of noise. Still, McGee's nerves hadn't calmed down since the fight on Earth. He idly thought to himself that Kensey was a badass.

"Oh Fucknuggets."

[ McGee: Use the Chat. What do you see? ]

[ Galligan: You won't believe this shit. ]

=

"A rooster."

"I think a proper term is cock."

"It's the size of a mountain."

Luna was snorting a laugh, holding a hand to her mouth, but Cooter couldn't close his. The giant cock was the size of a small mountain, roosting on the top a snowy peak. The scale of it was messing with McGee's mind. The mountain range was obviously very far away judging by the haziness in his binoculars, but the image of a sleeping red-plumed rooster was unmistakable. The rise and fall of its chest caused the air currents around its head to swirl.

Not even thirty minutes in this new world and McGee was already losing his mind.

"Hey, Scoots. There's more in the opposite direction."

"It better not be another chicken."

Swiveling around, it took some angling between the tree's to see anything. After a Galligan's forceful direction of the binoculars, he saw what she was getting at. In the distance, maybe three clicks to the Southwest was the roof of another structure. This one looked intact. Could it be civilization? Either way, it was a step in the right direction.

Handing the Binoculars back to Luna, Cooter began the arduous process of scooting back down the pillar.

"Let's get our gear stowed and come up with a game plan."