~ For a moment all three members of Team 6 stared up the ramp in disbelief. Finally Jaden spoke.
"Couldn't be that easy could it?" Andrew shook his head in response.
"Seems doubtful. But then, I've been surprised by this race before, so who am I to talk."
Takyle placed a foot on the ramp experimentally. When nothing happened she continued several steps up, and with one last look around Jaden and Andrew followed her up towards the sunlight.
"Watch yourself, Ta," Andrew directed. "There could be someone waiting."
"Yes Andrew," Takyle whispered down. "I am fully aware that I might die any second now."
"Ok, just so you're looking out for it."
"Hell, I really hope Takyle doesn't die right now," thought Jaden. "That would be damn inconvenient for any number of people. And it would suck." Jaden realized that he had begun to like Takyle. He rather saw her as more his friend now, as opposed to just his boss. He couldn't say when it had happened, but the dynamic had changed somewhere along the way, and he was fairly sure that she felt the same. That being the case, he was rather resistant to the idea of watching her get shot down in cold blood, and hurried to draw even with her on the ramp. If Kathleen had given orders to shoot someone, he figured it would probably be him.
Jaden held his breath as they rose above ground level, having half convinced himself to expect a bullet through the temple at any moment. When nothing happened he glanced around for danger, then gave a sigh of relief and hopped up and off of the ramp to one side as Takyle did the same on the other. Andrew hurried off the ramp and knelt to take the third point of the triangle.
"Clear," Takyle called quietly and both Andrew and Jaden responded in kind. Andrew pointed off in the direction of the setting sun.
"I think that's the outcropping that we tried to get out of the rain under."
"Well that's almost poetic," said Takyle with a hint of bitterness. "We're literally right back to where we started."
"Well I do love me some friggin' poetry," Andrew replied.
"Don't we all Andy, don't we all," Takyle muttered. "We should get moving. I have no idea what we're supposed to do next and it's going to be dark very soon. I'd prefer not to be stumbling around blindly on a mountain top if I have a choice in the matter."
Jaden stood and adjusted the shoulder staps of his pack.
"Maybe that map had something to do with what we're supposed to do next."
Takyle shook her head. "Well if it did it's too late now. I wasn't lying when I told them that I'd lost it. I noticed it was gone just before we fell into that dungeon."
"Can you remember what was on the map?" asked Andrew.
"Yes, quite clearly. It wasn't detailed at all. It showed the foothills and the woods and this mountain. It had a path leading from where we came out of that quiz show thing to the point where we climbed the mountain. Everything other than that was pretty vague."
"That's not very helpful. Though I am glad that you remember it or we would be left wondering just exactly how helpful it would or would not have been," said Andrew. Takyle nodded absently.
"Yes well, now a plan would be good. I really would prefer not to stand here counting dust motes. I think maybe we should take a quick look around, make sure that we didn't miss anything in the rain, and then see if we can't find somewhere relatively secure to make camp."
"Good, yes, food, rest, good," Andrew grunted.
"Well then let's hop to it," Takyle ordered. "But keep a sharp eye out."
Jaden very much intended to keep a sharp eye out. He twisted his shoulders and heard his back pop loudly. The idea of taking yet another plummet into a rocky abyss was not at all tempting at the moment. ~
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