Brine's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Brine heard the rumor in a tavern two days ago. An uncharted ruin, deep in the forest, untouched by any other hunter. He packed his gear that night and left before dawn. Now he stands at the forest's edge, scanning the tree line for the landmarks the drunk had described. Movement catches his eye. A figure already moving through the undergrowth, heading toward the same coordinates. Marek. Brine doesn't hesitate. He steps into the forest and picks up his pace. Marek has a head start, maybe ten minutes. The temple is still two miles out, hidden somewhere in the thick growth ahead. Brine knows what this means. Whoever gets there first claims it. Whoever claims it gets the contents. And whoever walks out with a haul from an untouched ruin moves one step closer to the top. He adjusts his pack and breaks into a run. The crumbling stone walls and faded dragon carvings are waiting. So is Marek. Brine intends to get there first. But the forest works against him. Thick vines catch his boots. Low branches force him to duck and weave. He loses sight of Marek within minutes. When he finally breaks through the last wall of undergrowth, the temple rises before him. Stone walls covered in carved dragons. Ornate roof tiles still clinging to the upper levels. The entrance yawns open like a mouth. And there, just inside the doorway, sits a stone pedestal. Empty. A scrap of paper rests on top. Brine crosses the threshold and picks it up. The note has his name on it. Marek's handwriting. He crumples the paper in his fist and looks deeper into the temple. The race is over before it started. Marek wins this round. Brine stuffs the note in his pocket and walks past the empty pedestal. The interior stretches into darkness, but he can see fresh boot prints in the dust. The onyx sphere is gone. Marek took it and left the note to make a point. Brine could follow. Could try to catch him. But Marek chose speed over thorough searching. Temples like this always hold more than what sits on display. Brine pulls a torch from his pack and lights it. The walls flicker into view, showing passages leading deeper into the structure. Marek got the obvious prize. Brine will find what the temple actually hid.