Pyramids

The area was huge, expansive. And in great and short distances, pyramids riddled the place.
One huge pyramid, not the tallest, but it was grand in itself, was visited thoroughly that night but without suspicion. The darkness eluding any movements.

-

Zane was grateful he didn't have to wear his uniform, that it was anything but that he should wear.
Though the desert's cold in the night, all the sand would've been an irate in that.

Hiding a distance, he watched as a few worked their way in the pyramid. But he had to wait.

Alessia trudged through the sand in silence with Anisette at her side and pulled her sweater tighter around herself to ward off the growing chill.

This could turn out badly...
But it was better not to think like that, right?? She wished she had a few more details about how tonight was supposed to proceed, but Anisette hadn't known much more, or if she had, she didn't feel like sharing the information.

Anisette walked to the best of her abilities to match up Alessia's pace. She truly haven't had the full details of the mission but she was hoping Zane knew what was truly up. After all, he was the one who informed her of this.

Zane waited patiently for Anisette to arrive - whatever she had planned, he'll have to put his trust on it.

He pocketed his right hand, feeling the pendant he recovered earlier.

Alessia stopped plodding forward for a small time to let them catch their breath before they got to their final destination. Anisette was keeping up suprisingly well and for that she was glad.

So far they hadn't needed anything in the pack she was readjusting on her shoulder.
"Where are we supposed to go??" she asked, settling a strap into place.

She thought for a while. "Uhm! Well, first, we should find Zane," she said. "Then we'll ask him that," she grinned sheepishly, as if to say sorry for not knowing. xD

He leaned on the pillar he was hiding behind from and thought. The general idea of what they had to do... it wasn't going to be exactly the easiest thing.

Where's Anisette?

Just find Zane, huh?? How hard could it actually be??

As it turned out it wasn't all that hard. The first corner the two women walked around revealed aview of a large pyramid with a sort of plaza beyond it. Pillars and the couple remaining obilisks studded the bricked ground of the area. Standing mostly hidden behind one of the large structures was a dark figure whom Alessia assumed to be Zane.

She thrust her arm out to the side to stop Anisette before they got any closer. "Do you think that's him??" she asked, pointing.

Anisette squinted and saw a faint outline of a dark figure. "I think so," she said. "I'll go look."

Walking nimbly, quiet as she could, she neared the man - now that she could distinguish the figure to be - and uttered a 'hey'.

Zane looked up after hearing a familiar voice. Moving forward to meet her, he saw Anisette and promptly bowed out of habit, more than anything.

"Anisette," he smiled. "Good to see you well. You're not alone, aren't you?"

"What gave it away??" Alessia asked as she walking into view.

She couldn't help but study her surroundings as she wondered where exactly, in this complex of structures they would be going. She kept her eyes open for entry points and possible escape routes. There didn't seem to be many of either.

She grinned. "Nope, Lady Alessia--," she swept a hand on the air, indicating towards Alessia whom have walked into view. "--is with me."

The moon was huge, and it provided ample luminosity. But the darkness sufficed to hide their shadows.

"I'm really, really glad you're safe. Do you have it?"

He nodded at Alessia. "Pleasant evening to you, Lady Alessia," he said before he could stop it. He was just used to it. "A wild guess, if you may," he smiled.

Zane looked at Anisette and nodded, fetching it in the depths of his inner pocket. In a second or two, in his hands dangled a necklace with an intricate black stone, woven amidst gold designs. "This is it, yes?"

"To you as well, goodsir," she replied formally with a small bow. "A wild guess?? You may be a mind reader - or perhaps you just noticed the odd clothes your ojou-sama is wearing." The tiniest hint if a smile graced her lips as she glanced at Anisette.

Then the necklace caught her attention. "That's an interesting pendant, isn't it??"

She smiled. "Yes! That's exactly it!" she exclaimed. "I'm amazed you were able to get it. But with it, if we aren't too late, we can save the children and retrieve the flower - that, by the way, I propose we leave with Lady Alessia."

He smiled. "I don't think I have enough skill to pass as a mind reader. At any rate," he looked over at Anisette. "Not quite. It's practical and if she's in a dress, it's a dead giveaway on who she is."

He nodded. "It wasn't easy to get it," he admitted, showing it to the both of them on a better view. "But this can substitute the ritual's sacrifices. I'm pretty sure they know that. But whoever's planning to do the ritual chose to sacrifice life than this."

Alessia looked closely at the pendant. It was jet black, like onyx or obsidian, but the inside almost looked as if it... swirled?? The gold worked around the stone was fine work, and looked like it was securely attatched. She wondered what sort of stone could take the place of human sacrifice.

"So, what's the plan??"

Anisette nodded, thinking carefully. "That's odd. But why... why would they prefer killing than using the pendant. It would be less problematic too, for them, if they did."

She looked at it again and decided to think about their intentions at a later time. Unless Zane knew the answer.

"For now, our main goal is to stop the ritual from happening!"

"That's the gist of it. How we do it," he looked at the general direction of where the entrance of the pyramid was and the people scouting."--is the much tougher question.

For now, there are guards scouting the entrance of the pyramid. Around ten of them. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Except, pyramids are known for their traps."

"Ten guards shouldn't be too much of a problem?? How do you propose we get around them?? Are we trying not to be seen or are we going for a more... direct approach??"

She hefted the pack on her shoulder, mentally going over it's contents. She was sure she had something useful in there for a trap or two.

"I think we shouldn't be seen," Anisette said. "We need to save the children, and if they decide to harm them earlier than planned because of our presence..." she shook her head. "We cannot risk it."

"If that's what you think is best, then all right," he said then looked at Alessia. "Sounds good to you?"

They probably wouldn't hurt the kids that they needed to have as a sacrifice. Probably. But you never could know, and she didn't really prefer one method over the other.

"It sounds fine to me," she looked around warily and continued, "It also sounds like a good idea to get out of the open, you know?? I'm a little jumpy for some reason."

"You want to do things both ways?" Anisette smiled. "I can sneak in and you two can act as diversions, if you wish."

"I have my hesitations on that," he said. "But I suppose that's a good idea as any. However, we'll have to be really good distractions then."