It didn’t take long to catch their breath, but Michael insisted they focused on recovering any lost fluid from sweating. So slowly, Michael, Sharon, and Carolyn took sips from the water bottle, which, of course, led to Michael being teased about indirectly kissing them. As they were finishing the rest, Michael suddenly realized something.

“Avialian, you didn’t have a drink.” He held out the bottle towards her. “Are you thirsty?”

Her hand instinctually reached out, but then pulled back as she hesitated. “I don’t know…are you quite sure that it is alright?”

Hearing her apprehension made things clear in Michael’s mind. He stood up and forced the bottle into her hand. “Of course I’m sure. Now drink up, we’ve got to make sure we’re all ready.”

Avialian blinked as she looked at the bottle. She slowly turned it over in her hand before putting it up against her lips.

“Like don’t think we don’t know what your real plan totally is Michael. You totally just want to kiss her too!”

Michael groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. However, Avialian seemed too distracted to have noticed. She had a strange expression, like someone who has been given a newborn baby to hold for the first time and has never interacted with one before. The bottle was still down, just pursed against her lips. Then, she slowly and methodically raised the bottle until it was pointing straight up.

“Um, guys…I think you need…to pay a little…more attention to her…”

Carolyn was still giggling over her insinuation, while Michael hadn’t brought his head back up. Sharon, meanwhile, was staring as Avialian gulped down the rest of the bottle.

A small pop and a sigh of relief alerted Michael and Carolyn, as they saw Avialian with a look of innocent joy, wipe her face as she set the bottle on the ground. “I had forgotten how pleasurable that drinking could feel. Such an experience!”

Michael was stunned for a second as Sharon just rolled her eyes. “I guess you need more water with how tall you are, huh?”

“I’m sorry, I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding, need?”

“Like no, don’t tell me…”

“You are right…” sighed Sharon, “I believe she’s implying…that she does not…need water like we do…”

“What, how can something living not need water?”

“You know I am right here do you not?”

“Right! Sorry,” Michael sighed as he tried to process the loss of such a valuable resource. That had been all of the rainwater he brought after all. All he had left was a bottle of liquid squeezed from fish. “So Avialian, do you not need water to survive?”

“It seems there are far more differences between us than I first thought. As it seems obvious that of course I do not need drink for sustenance.”

“And food?”

“Alright, to cut off a potentially long line of questioning, I require nothing but healthy crystal around me to survive.”

Michael’s mind was reeling. Sure, he lost the bottle of water, but the potential she had was staggering. He had finally met someone that wouldn’t be a drain on their limited physical resources. Anything she did to help at all would be a net gain, but he realized he was getting ahead of himself. For all he knew, she would decide to stay here after they sort through whatever was happening.

“Wow, I am like so jealous Avy! Having to worry about getting enough calories and water is such a total pain! It’d be like so dreamy to just be able to sunbathe around some crystals and be fine!”

“It isn’t like you…have to figure that…out yourself though…Michael always did…all of that math…for you…”

Carolyn had a look of feigned shock on her face. “Like O M G, so rude!”

“Anyway,” said Michael as he cut their brewing storm of an argument short before it could really get going. “We need to focus, okay? Avialian, can you walk us through the way to the throne of heroes?”

Avialian nodded before glancing down at the now empty bottle and licking her lips. “Right, yes of course. The throne. Yes! There is a fairly short and direct path we could take, but I am worried that it will be filled with more of those people with more of those ominous devices they were carrying. There is a side entrance. It is a much longer path to take, but I doubt it will have many, if any people guarding it.”

“Like, I’m down for an adventure, but how will this throne thing, like help us out here?”

“The throne of heroes is where our people are led from. If anyone from the old society of my time has survived, that is where they will be.”

“Well, what if…they have not…survived these more…violent Ancients?”

“Anyone who uses violence to get their way, should have no use for such a sacred place. Trust me. Violence is unthinkable near that throne. Words are all that hold power there.”

“I’m not going to pretend I understand really anything you’re saying right now, but I trust you. You’ve come with us this far, and if you think this place is our best bet, then that’s what we’re doing.”

“Like duh! Come on Mikey, that’s like totally been obvious to the rest of us here. Though, it was sweet to like hear you actually say it out loud.”

Michael sighed and shook his head while Avialian smiled. After he was given a short time to refocus, Avialian walked them through the directions. It was another winding path that led through many back channels like this one, almost completely avoiding the wide-open upper area.

With the plan set, they began to head out. True to their plan, the four of them kept mostly quiet as they made their way. With only a couple close calls where Carolyn pulled them back just in time to avoid notice by a wayward Ancient armed with those two-pronged spears. But other than those instances, it was smooth sailing.

This was it, the final stretch. A narrow side chamber that led into the throne of heroes. The raw anticipation could be felt in the air as they inched closer and closer. Until finally, Sharon opened a formerly closed wall, revealing the fabled chamber. To put it simply, it was awe inspiring. An ornate domed room covered in carvings and massive, impressive pillars that grew wider as they got higher, seemingly defying the laws of physics. Even the room itself drew your eyes up towards the center of the dome, in a sort of pseudo spiral that looked almost like a snail’s shell. With its ribbed spiral leading ever upwards as it grew smaller and smaller, seeming to never actually stop moving up, just growing too small to see clearly.

“So, you are the intruders who desecrate my land.”