Pirates; Road to El Dorado

Tomb of Don Rafael

You grumbled hearing a knock on the door. "I thought we agreed to sleep in today." You groaned.  "It's still dark outside." Faith grumbled getting up to open the door. She checked the peep hole, "unbelievable." She joked opening it. "Kai Ramone. It is nearly 5am, what're you doing." Faith lectured placing her hands on her hips as he walked in. "Couldn't sleep, thought I'd hang out with you guys." He mentioned laying on faith's bed. You closed you eyes trying to sleep again. "Where's Felix?" Faith asked "Snoring like a grandpa" Kai laughed adjusting his pillow. "If you guys would kindly shut up... I'd like another hour of sleep." You spoke annoyed placing a pillow over your head.

The 6 of you met up at the tavern eating some breakfast. "So what's our first move." Josh spoke eating some bacon. "I think we hit up the library, maybe ask around see if anyone can lead us in the right direction." Kai exclaimed tiredly. "I think I'm gonna make a quick pit stop, my uncle lives on the other side of town." Ryan explained finishing his drink. "Want me to go with you?" Josh asked finishing his breakfast. "Alright, we'll Felix and I will go to the library. Kai and Faith maybe entertain some of the locals." You spoke.  They nodded the pairs heading in different directions. You entered the western library.  It had been about 30 minutes, your eyes scanning the endless shelves. "Hey, I think I found something." You spoke up. Felix walked over with the book he'd been studying. There was a paper wedged into the ancient text. "Oh yay, another map." Felix joked. "Yeah, but look." You noticed the port in which you stayed, lines heading further down the skyway, "that looks like a water fall." You began. Felix laughed, "then this should be easy to find, I doubt there's many waterfalls here in Cool Ranch." He explained looking at the map. He pointed to the corner. "Looks like we head west, ha ironic." He spoke. "Give me sec." You spoke, you folded the map placing it in your satchel. You walked over to the front desk, the librarian sat checking and stamping returned books. "How can I help you young wiz-" he paused himself. "Sorry, old habits die hard. Anyway, how can I help young pirate?"  "Hello, Mr.. -you squinted trying to read his name tag. - Arglestein." you struggled. "I was wondering if you know of any waterfalls around these parts?" He stopped what he was doing, looking at you. "There's only one here on this side of town. There is also one by grand junction." He stated, doodling directions. "The waterfall here in town, you leave port taking a slight eastward turn, you'll sail past the county jail,  you'll notice a few palm trees that some gypsies brought from Kroktopia when they migrated here. Adds a beautiful green presence." He gleamed handing you the parchment. "Thank you, this means more than you think." You smiled. "I know more than most think." He smiled winking at you.

Continuing his business.  You motioned for Felix, the two of you exiting the library. "So? Any luck?" He asked. "There's two, let's look at the map again and see if  either of Mr. Arglesteins drawings match." You spoke. The two of you held the map in the brightn sunlight. You pointed, "look, those wood pieces, definitely are the entrance to a mine, no palm trees or caravans." You thought aloud. "Awesome, that really was easy enough." Felix spoke. "Don't jinx us." You laughed. The two of you began walking back to the main part of town. The other groups already waiting by the horse stables. "About time, whatd you guys do, read every book on the first floor." Kai mocked. "Haha, oh no we didn't find anything." The others frowned. "Jeez, I was just kidding." You grumbled. Josh rolled his eyes,"I didn't laugh." "I dIdNt lAuGh, hush, whatd you find?" Faith gleamed. "Oh only the location of the next map piece, nothing major." Felix spoke pretending to look at his finger nails. "Well let's see it!" Ryan spoke standing up. You pulled out the second map you'd found. "Oh yay, another map." Josh spoke rolling his eyes again. "What was that. Do that again. I'll make sure they stay like that." Faith stated pointing at his eyes, then to hers And back to his.  "Anyway... our next map piece is hidden in a mine, behind a waterfall." You claimed. "Cool Ranch has waterfalls." Kai asked scratching his head. "Hey! Cool Ranch is the best." Ryan joked, pretending to be hurt. "Okay, so how do we find out where the ONLY waterfall in all of cool ranch is." Josh dramatically stated. You held up the librarians doodle. "Also have it covered." Kai fist bumped you, you smiled. "The librarian was really helpful, it was weird though he started to call me a wizard?" You questioned. "What's a wizard?" Faith asked confused. "o! While in Kroktopia, there was a whole hieroglyph dedicated to the wizards of the spiral. Their race died out long before us. Tragic really. A group of really powerful sorcerers saved the spiral, not once but I think around 12 times?" Felix stated excitedly. "Hmm they seem pretty bada*s."  Josh nodded.
"Okay, so let's go to this waterfall and get this map piece. It's nice here but this air is so dry." Faith groaned touching her dehydrated skin. "Here," you spoke handing her some cream. "Protects from the suns rays." You grinned. "Oh nice, where'd you get this?" She asked massaging her skin. "Ryan's bag." You smirked. "Hey! That's mine, you bloody thief." He snatched the spf tucking it back in. "I like to not be red thank you very much." He stated harshly zipping his bag throwing it on his back. "Shall we?" He asked beginning to head to the ship. You and Faith giggled, mocking him as he walked away.

"Okay, now turn the wheel East, look for the giant-" Felix was cut off by Faith. "We're here!" she yelled; the ship haulting to a stop. "Yeah, best sailor around.", Ryan groaned rubbing his head he'd just smacked on the rail. Josh and you laughed at him. You anchored the ship, the 6 of you admiring the beautiful river. "Hey, does that rock look like a scorpion." Kai stated pointing up the precipice.  "It kinda does." Josh spoke up. "I see it." You stated. You have made it halfway up the river. "I think if one more lizard runs past me, I'll piss myself." Kai joked. Felix glanced at the map, "the waterfall should be right up here." He spoke. "There!" Ryan shouted . You glanced admiring the rushing streams. "Okay, so we just swim or?" Josh asked. You crouched examine the land. Faith and climbed a tree next to you. "Yeah, it's hollow past the waterfall, an opening right behind it." You stated standing up. You grabbed the lasso on your hip.throwing it, wedging it on a rock on the other side. "There's a path just on the other side!" Faith grinned sliding down from the tree. She helped you anchor the side of the lasso you held, to the tree she just stood on. "Okay, I'm sure this is a lesson somewhere... oh like walking the plank!" Felix spoke up. "Yeah, bc pirates plan for walking the plank." Josh grumbled. "Hey, piss baby, what's with the attitude." Kai joked, he leaned forward throwing his legs in the air, he began walking on his hands across the rope.

"Show off." Faith yelled. You laughed, stepping back and running forward doing a handstand landing in the middle of the rope, continuing in a front flip. When you reached the other side Kai grinned fist bumping you. Faith cheered from the other side. She stepped back, crouching placing her hands on the dirt. She began sprinting at full speed. It looked as if she'd just ran on the water. You smiled. "Okay Weenies, let's get a move on!" Kai yelled. Felix held his staff straight in front of him, holding it to balance himself. Kai high fived him.  Felix peered into the line entrance. Widening his eyes in awe. Josh and Ryan successfully made it over the river the group lighting a few branches they found on the ground, using them to light the way. "You know, we asked around. Some locals said that most of these mines have been abandoned ever since the armada invaded." Ryan spoke up. "that's crazy, look at all the equipment they just left." Faith stated glancing around. You walked for about 10 minutes, you ended up in front of a sealed door. "Okay... Now what." You pointed to the sconces on the wall, the 6 of you placing your torches on the wall to see better  &with free hands.
"Seems we have to solve a riddle, to enter." Felix stated examining the ancient runes. "I wonder what's so important that they'd need to seal the room this well." You claimed examining the architecture. You noticed the symbols on the wall. "Hey check this out." You pointed."I've seen that before, Vadima says it shows that a warrior or hero is buried there." Felix gleamed. "A hero.. or a warrior. Well let's hope they are long deceased." Kai joked. Everyone laughing in aggreance. "Okay, so what's the riddle then?" Josh spoke moving next to Felix.
"I am always around,
But never seen.
I am often avoided,
But never outrun.
I might find you at the end of the road
Or around the next corner.
What am I?"
Felix translated. "Im always around? And often avoided?" Faith questioned. "Ryan?!" Kai gasped laughing. You and josh chuckled as Ryan rolled his eyes. "Haha, funny, end of the road could mean a few things." You thought hard, your eyes widened as the answer became evident. You walked up to the sealed tomb, placing your hand on the skull rune, you lightly pressed as it began to glow. Dust spattered as the door slowly lowered. The ancient stone rumbling. You smiled. "Nice one Rena!" Faith cheered. The 6 of you stepped into the catacomb. "So what was it?" Kai asked examine the sarcophagus. The coffin adorned with some dead, yet some still  freshly picked roses 🌹. You grabbed one, rotating it in your hand. "Death."