Forgotten City

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 FORGOTTEN CITY - THE NOVEL - COMING SOON - SPRING! - OF 2007! - CONSULT YOUR LOCAL BISHOP

Victor was slightly overwhelmed as he walked through the oversized, solid, oak door. This was the largest gothic style mansion he had ever been in. He was used to visiting wealthy patrons before going on an expedition. But it wasn’t a frequent thing that he visited such a colossal estate. The butler ushered him into the library and disappeared into the dark hallway leaving him alone.

It wasn’t often Victor wished Kuzco would visit their patrons with him, but he did now. Kuzco had a way of being a little rough around the edges and even a bit uncouth at times, but he still was good for company. And that’s exactly what Victor wished he had right then. There was something about this place that reminded him of some of the tombs they had explored. Of all times Kuzco decided to back out and get ready for their next trip. He usually waited till it was time to leave before showing up just in time to catch their plane. It drove Victor crazy, but Kuzco was his best friend and there was no changing him. That’s something Victor could live with, though he couldn’t see how anyone could live with this eerie place as a home.

It was then he heard the echo of footsteps just beyond the frame of the door. That had to be the owner of the mansion. He would finally get to learn who this mysterious man was and what he and Kuzco would be going after. All he had been told was to pack for South America and be at this mansion the day before leaving. Victor was so lost in thought wondering about all these questions he almost didn’t realize the figure standing in the doorway. -Cassie

.. behind him. Victor spun around violently, once the back of his neck had percieved the stranger's prickling presence. A perfectly circular little room, the curved walls of the library loomed above them, meeting at the doorway where the figure stood. The bookshelves seemed to groan and, ever so slightly, shifted to greet him. Victor squinted, but could not see his host clearly; as in response, light fixtures in the domed ceiling slowly brightened, and soft shadows seemed to fade away into the floorboards.

The man was tall and thin, but swathed in large, dark coats. He was young, but his hair was pale and grey. His eyes gazed ahead listlessly, but there was the definite hint of a smile across his face. For one clear second, Victor saw behind those eyes there danced blazes of red fire.

'Hello...' Victor offered.

'Good morning', the man replied, his voice soft and baritone. 'Do you know who I am?'.

Victor's eyebrows raised unconciously, considering to himself under what circumstances these two men could have possibly met before. Besides Kuzco, Victor had very few friends and aquaintances. Besides their work, neither one of them had much of a social life.

'No', Victor decided. 'I don't'. He paused for a moment, and considered the stranger. 'Do you know me?'

An subtle, but equal look of surprise came over the man. He seemed to genuinely think for a moment, and as he did a wide, slow smile creeped across face.

'Oh, yes. We know about you'.

-Alex

'Who is we' said Victor. He was now becoming more and more terrified wishing he hadn't let Kuzco talk him into seeing a that horror flick the other night. Victor could just see the man bringing out a knife at any second, when suddenly the man interjected,

Ignoring the first question the man calmy answered 'Victor I am your father.'

Victor, now feeling like he had just walked into a Stars Wars movie began to feel queasy. He went back in time, remembering the night his father left his house. It was so clear. It had been raining and his father was going on another mission looking for some extravagant artifact. He never saw his father after that night. It was always a mystery that he couldn't figure out. It was probably why he loved solving mysteries and finding longlost artifacts. These were unsolved mysteries that he could figure out, mysteries that wouldn't kill his insides if he didn't find them. His dad was the only mystery he had never solved.

'No' Victor shouted in unbelief.

'No'? His father shouted right back proving that they already had something in common.

'You heard me, I won't believe it!'

His father looked at him with hurting eyes, 'My name is James Bowden and I am your father. Years ago I went away on a mission and found something so amazing that no one else knows about. I've come back for you.'

Again in disbelief Victor mumbled to himself, 'nice timing.' He began to think to himself, 'how could he do this to me. I haven't seen him in years and now he wants to go on an adventure?' Victor looked away for a moment then glared back at his father, ' if you think I would go anywhere with you, you are sadly mistaken. You should just go back to where ever the heck it is you came from and leave me alone.'

-Brittany (next week - QV)

‘I can see you’re a shrewd person. Good, you’re going to need your wits about you where you are going.’

‘Haven’t you been listening? I’m not going anywhere for you. And you want to know why,’ Victor gruffly said to his so called father. ‘Because despite your claim, you can’t be my father; my father would be at least fifty years old by now.”

‘Bravo, Mr. Bowden.’

Victor was shocked to hear the new voice from behind him. There weren’t any other entrances to that room. How could he have missed someone who possessed the kind of presence he now felt. The sense of dread he had been feeling for the last two minutes was growing again. But some how he managed to turn to face the other man that had just inspired so much fear within him.

‘Who are you,’ Victor said struggling to keep his voice calm.

‘I am the reason you were asked to come here today,’ the man said stepping out from a hidden corridor. ‘And you are correct he is not your father. He is my assistant Jonathan Rothschild, and I, well that’s not important now. The important thing is we discuss what I’m paying you for.’

Victor was still in a slight state of shock but his curiosity was getting the better of him. ‘What exactly might that be then? Are we talking Aztec ruins, hidden tombs, long lost treasure, what?’

‘Nothing so tacky as that Mr. Bowden. I have plenty of these kinds of artifacts; I’m a… collector of sorts you might say. What I want is more valuable, more… historic, if you will,’ he said as motioned Victor to take a seat.

‘I’m not sure I completely understand. What am I being hired to find? And how do you know so much about me?’

‘All in due time, Victor, All in due time,’ he said as he shot a smirk in Jonathan’s direction.

-Cassie

'All in due time, Victor. All in due time', Jonathan repeated. Both men walked in rhythmic unison from the edges of the room, to stand before Victor in the center. Victor had just taken the time to look at his feet and notice three small chairs with red cushions, which the older man now beckoned to once more, with a low sweep of his arm.

'Some tea, Mr. Bowden?' he asked. The three men slowly sat.

From their seats in the library, Victor now had a better look at his employers. Up close, Jonathan was even thinner than he had appeared across the room. His hair was in shades of grey, and his clothing in shades of black and brown; long sweeping trenchcoats and massive animal furs gave him the semblance of a broad-shouldered figure, some backwards hint of authority and power.

'Tea, Mr. Bowden?' Jonathan snorted. His eyes stared straight ahead, and held their steady glow.

'Surrre', Victor said, uneasily. The old man beckoned with his arm again, and now to Victor's left he noticed a small table which he had earlier overlooked. On it, sat a white porcelain teapot and three small white cups, already filled with steaming hot tea. 'Oh. Lovely' he muttered, and accepted his cup with outstretched arms as it was passed to him.

They sipped their tea in unison. Lowering his cup, the old man pinched it between two fingers to point at Victor with his other hand. 'We have many things to discuss, we three' he said, and slowly nodded his head up and down as if to agree with himself.

'Yes!' Jonathan challenged, never averting his gaze. 'We have a great many things to discuss, you know'.

'Shut it Sheldon', the old man replied, and slapped the back of Jonathan's head into his teacup, sending splashes of Earl Grey across the floor.

Victor snorted tea through his nose, and his hand instinctively flew to his face. "Sheldon?"

Little Jonathan stared at the ground to his left and rubbed his head with one hand. "Jonathan's my middle name, really. But usually no one calls me that... other thing" he muttered, and sank deeper into his bed of bushy coats.

'My name is Damian Rothschild, Mr. Bowden' the old man explained. 'This is Sheldon Jonathan Rothschild, my assistant. I am his father'. He smiled broadly, and the scorned Sheldon shifted his gaze to another section of floor.

Victor managed a smile at this and had another sip of his tea. He was beginning to feel that for the moment, he may as well make himself at home. -Alex

"Do you have an imagination Mr. Bowden?" Victor thought long and hard trying to find where the conversation was going and trying to figure out what was it was that they needed him to find.

"Ya sure, I also have a meeting with the Easter Bunny in an hour so if can we quicken this up a little bit that'd be great." At this point, Damian was no longer in the mood to play games. He stood up and walked over to a small painting of what looked like another world. Victor remembered the painting, it was just like the one his dad had brought home one night after one of his extravagant trips. Victor soon began to wonder what they wanted with him.

" Mr. Bowden, I don't think you take me seriously. I have called for you to take on this mission, either you want it or you don't." Victor stared him down, frustrated and tired of playing games.

"You have stalled long enough, what do you want and how much are you paying me?"

"Ahh so you agree, great. But let me warn you...though your payment is high the cost is your life." Victor closed his eyes and shook his head. He was baffled and speechless. He had never wanted Kuzco there so badly in his life until now. Kuzco would have known what to say.

"What do you mean it will cost me my life? I've been on dangerous missions before and I am still here aren't I?"

"This may be the case but where you are going will most likely strip away your identity. Do you understand what I am telling you? Your not coming back to the world you are familiar with." -Brittany (next week QV)

The lights did dim and the floor did shake. Damian grined, whilst Victor quaked.

'SWEET GRAVY!', Victor cried out. 'WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN MEEEEE?!'

The lights came on, the thunder stopped, and Damian raised his eyebrows. Though not in that order.

'Well,' he replied, 'you are rather good at finding things.'

Standing now at a small window overlooking the garden, Jonathan turned and nodded vigorously in agreement.

'You and your partner Kuzco: you are well accomplished within the small niche of renegade freelance artifact and treasure hunters who laugh at danger and deep down inside, believe that they're the second coming of Indiana Jones'. Staring out the window, Jonathan whistled the first 7 notes of the movie's theme music, and Damian waited for him to finish before proceeding.

'It is not so much the act of finding and retrieving my artifact which worries me, Mr Bowden. You are well prepared for the likes of crushing boulders, and the pointy-arrow boobytraps, and fire-breathing snake-fish-things and such: essentially anything that might stand in your path. But brave men such as yourself have instead had their wills broken by.. this". Wish a twist of his hand, like a magician's trick, the elder Rothschild unrolled a scroll of parchment in front of him. Victor leaned in closely to view the image printed upon it. A plain glass ball, pure and glistening red hovered there in front of him. Damian set the parchment in Victor's hands and paced about the floor.

'It does not look like much, believe me. I know. It lies deep in the Amazon, in a place well hidden from human eyes. For a valuable and rather rare artifact, it isn't even particularly well-guarded. But it has a very profound, and very peculiar influence upon the minds of those who possess it. Many explorers have I hired in the past, and to the best of my knowledge, every one of them reached their goal. But none have returned with it. A scarce few return at all.' Damian continued his pacing while Victor chewed his lip. 'Spooky, no?'

Jonathan and Victor both slowly nodded in agreement.

'I can no longer afford the help of amateurs' Damian sighed. 'Any man who would find and successfully retrieve my treasure, must be free to focus all of his mind on the task. Because "adventuring", if you will, comes second nature to you and your partner, I feel you will be able to devote your concentration thusly'.

Victor stared into space, considering all the possibilities of so vague a tale as Mr Rothschild's, who now stood before him. Victor looked up, startled.

'I have maps, I have guides, I have an helicopter transport to the edge of the jungle'. Damian paused. 'I have a great deal of cash for you both, should you succeed'.

'I see', Victor said. 'What usefulness does the globe hold for you?' he asked. 'Some power? Or just another piece for the collection?', he thought.

'I have my reasons', Damian replied.

'I see', Victor repeated. He looked up to his new employer. 'Well.. does this globe have a name?'

Once more, Damian's eyebrows jumped. His eyes flashed with mischief. -Alex

‘Like so many other things of value the name is unimportant,’ Damian said. But upon seeing the skeptical and suspicious look on Victor’s face he figured it was just as well that he tell him then. ‘Well if you must know…’

‘Yes, I must know! I’m only going to be risking life and limb for you! And to retrieve something you say is ultimately going to change me! I think I’m entitled to a name at least,’ Victor exploded more out of frustration than anything.

‘Temper, temper, Mr. Bowden, I must admit for such a great adventuring man as your self your patience are a bit short. Now as I was going to say before your little outburst the name of this object, or should I say one of its names, is the “esfera encima el mente,” but as I said before that is only one of it names.”

‘Mr. Rothschild, what does that mean?’

‘Sphere over the mind.’

Victor wasn’t quite sure what to say to this. ‘Why did they call it this?’

‘It’s just an Amazon legend. You’ve heard of Amazon warriors I presume?’

‘Uhh, yeah, but they were part of Greek mythology not the Amazon.’

‘That’s where you are slightly mistaken, Victor. Legend has it that there was a rebel faction that was banished from the Amazon queendom and they ended up in Portugal where they were later run out of the country. With no where else to turn to they ventured out into the unknown seas. They settled in the Amazon, and though they disappeared long ago their legend and artifacts still remain.’

‘You don’t really expect me to believe that this red orb is an Amazon warrior artifact, do you?’

‘I don’t expect you to believe anything Mr. Bowden. I just expect you to find the object of my interest and bring it to me. Do we have a deal,’ Damian Rothschild said holding out his hand.

‘I’ll find your little orb,’ Victor said rising to face his employer. ‘And I’ll bring it back,’ he decalred as he thrust his hand into Damian’s.

‘very good then. Our butler, William, will show you out,’ as Damian said this William materialized in the doorway. ‘See Mr. Bowden out, William.’

‘Yes sir,’ he said ushering Victor out.

Damian walked over to the window by Sheldon, reaching it just in time to see Victor exiting the house. ‘Well Sheldon, I think he bought it.’

-Cassie

Victor left Damien’s mansion with an uneasy feeling as if he got himself into more than he bargained for. It was now about 9 0’clock and Victor decided to go back to his hotel and give debrief Kuzco with the information he learned. He and Kuzco came up with a plan and decided to pack the next day. The next day, after they gathered up all the tools they would be taking with them, Victor booked two tickets on the first flight to Brazil. The trip from England to Brazil was nearly 12hrs and in their idle time Victor and Kuzco meticulously organized their objectives for this endeavor. Everything they couldn’t pack would be shipped to them in Brazil.

They arrived in Carajas, one of the cities near the Amazon, on a hot humid summer day. A man with a beat up taxicab was waiting for them when they got off the plain. Victor gave the driver an address of an old friend and they began their quest. They rode through a thick tropical forest, over streams, and under the canopy of trees. They pulled up to a boat yard located on the mighty Amazon and paid the taxi driver for his service. The rest of the journey would have to be made by boat. The boat ride to Victor’s old friend Raúl’s house took an additional 45 min. Night was beginning to fall and the mosquitoes were beginning to descend. They were quite antagonizing and would take some time to get used to. The boat dropped them off in Santarém and Raúl was waiting on them.

-Jason

Raul looked different then usual. He seemed more mature as if he knew more than he would let on. His eyes were concerned and focused, never wavering left or right. As Victor and Kuzco walked out of the boat, Raul nodded to the boat driver. There was an awkward connection between the two and Victor began to wonder if his friend had been taken over by some alien from another world.

"Raul, its so good to see ya...how've ya been?" Raul stared at him shook off whatever it was that was possessing him and firmly shook Victor's out stretched hand.

"I'm good, tired, but good." Raul's brief answer concerned Victor even more than his earlier expression. Raul had been the type of guy that welcomed a friend with a hug and kiss. He usually had coffee brewing so thick that the smell reached other continents. "Are you ready to begin your new adventure?"

"Oh, definetley. Hey, are you alright? You seem spooked or something." Raul stepped back and stared down at the floor.

"I know where your going...and I highly reccomend you back out now. I'm being serious, you don't have any idea of the freakish animals and danger that lie ahead."

"Not you too? Come on man, it's just another adventure. How do you know about this assignment anyways? It's not like you've been there... have you?" Raul looked at Victor for a brief moment before he turned to walk back to his house. As Raul reached the door he turned around.

"We have much to talk about." With that he opened the door and left Victor and Kuzco to their thoughts. -Brittany

Victor and Kuzco exchanged concerned but curious looks with one another. Both men wondered could have affected their once jovial friend so much. There was only one way to find out though, and with a slight nod from Kuzco, Victor led the way into Raul’s small shack.

Raul was sitting at a tiny wooden table by the far wall, but he didn’t bother to look up. He just sat there holding his cup of Brazilian coffee and starring at the same unusual painting that Victor remembered form his youth, which had also been in Damian Rothschild’s study. ‘That’s strange,’ Victor said leaning over to Kuzco. ‘Why would Raul have this painting or any painting for that matter out here in the middle of the Amazon?’

‘I dunno. Maybe he’d developed a deep love of art.’

‘Out in the Amazon jungle? I’m sure he visits the local art museum all the time,’ Victor said giving Kuzco a look to match the sarcasm in his voice.

‘Alright, alright, you don’t need to get your hiking boots all knotted up over it. I was merely trying to relax us a little bit, because I don’t know about you Vic, but uhh… well to be quite honest Raul’s condition is a bit shocking.’

‘You two know I can hear you,’ said a far away voice. ‘I am sorry you are concerned over me, but you should be more concerned with your own well beings, my friends. The place you are going to is,’ Raul shuddered violently, ‘is… the giant man eating water lilies…it’s… they took her form me,’ he began to howl. ‘And the dolphin was no help!’

Kuzco and Victor were now severely alarmed at Raul’s present condition. ‘Raul! Raul! Get a hold of yourself,’ Victor said gripping his shoulders tightly. And it was then he realized that Raul was delirious with fever.

‘Kuzco, I think we have a problem. Our guide is in no condition to lead anyone in conversation let alone the jungle right now.’

-Cassie

Kuzco nodded, but didn't say a word. His gaze remained firmly fixed on Victor. They paused a moment and then stood up and walked over to Raul, and helped him up. Raul had fallen to the floor; his face was flushed, his eyes had rolled back into his head. He was muttering softly under his breath.

'The lillies.. the lillies.. you damned dolphins..' he cried softly.

'Grab his legs' Kuzco said, and Victor nodded to confirm his grip. They lifted Raul between them and carried him to the sofa nearby. Kuzco ran off to find a cloth to soak in water. Victor kneeled next to Raul until his muttering stopped and he seemed to sleep.

Victor rose and went back to the picture on the wall, that alien landscape from his father's study, so long ago. He stared at it closely. Yes... it seemed to be the exact same painting. The green and blue sky, mottled with clouds. The small creatures hidden in the background behind the fog; they flew through the air, painted in dashes of purple and black. It was indeed the same landscape as in the Rothschilds' library. And now here, in Raul's living room in the Amazon. Strange? Victor didn't know what was strange anymore. It wasn't even so much the painting that was giving him the proverbial willies which he felt now. The whole job reeked of strange. Raul, a once solid guide and companion was quivering on the couch behind him. The Rothschilds were beyond weird. And well.. his dad..

He hadn't expected to think of his dad again after so many years. But that painting... everytime he saw it he remembered the day his dad came back, shaking and distant. Back from another adventure, in another far off country, working for another rich collector. He had come home and Victor, though twelve or thirteen at the time, had immediately felt something was wrong. Maybe it was because he was so young that he just felt it instinctively.. adults had a tendancy to forget some ways of communication which children felt naturally.

A few days after he returned, Victor's dad was still not the same. The only souvenier he had returned with was that small framed painting. It was hung on a bare wall in their living room.

Days, and even weeks later, Victor would occasionally stumble across his dad sitting on the floor. He would be leaning against the opposite wall, looking up at the painting. His eyes had that far away look Raul's did now.

At night, Victor thought he could hear his father sobbing. He could never be sure though. He had been too afriad to get up and see. He didn't want to have to ask why, if it were true.

Kuzco had put a wet cloth across Raul's forehead, who was sleeping soundly now. Victor and Kuzco blew out the lights in the house and showed themselves to the spare room facing the river, where they would spend the next couple nights before the journey ahead.

Kuzco fell asleep quickly. Victor lay in the dark, his eyes darting back and forth to the strange sounds which came up from the water outside their windows. Finally, his eyes became heavy. The strange sounds became background noise, and no longer startled him.

Victor fell into a strange slumber.-Alex

"Aghhh" Victor fell off his bed startled and screaming. He thought to himself, 'its just a dream.'

"Ya I'd say...it may have been a dream for you but it was a nightmare for me." Kuzco was rubbing his left arm and leg in agony."While you were sleeping I was being kicked, punched and occasionally hugged...you are weird in your sleep and I pity whoever you marry."

"Oh wow, I'm sorry I did't realize. This happens every once in a long while. I don't even know why I have the dream."

"Well, would you mind telling me what it was it's not fun getting beat up for no reason at all." Victor looked down at the tosseled bed. This whole moment was awkward and he wasn't about to tell his friend the horrible dream he occasionally had. It was bad enough reliving it in nightmares.

"Listen don't worry about it. It won't happen again."

"You can say that again, thats the last time we share a bed together." Kuzco and Victor had not been happy that the second guest bedroom was not fixed up yet. After such a hectic night with Raul they had just forgotten about the awkward rooming arrangement and went on to sleep.

"Look, I'll sleep on the hammock outside alright?"

"Ya, ok. Say can we get some breakfast in this joint or is lilly boy still sleeping?" Victor shrugged his shoulders and walked over to Raul's room. As he peered in the room someone shouted from behind him.

"Hey looking for me?" Raul walked over to Victor and Kuzco with two freshly brewed coffees in hand. The smell was almost heavenly.

"Now this is what I'm talking about." Kuzco grabbed his cup not realizing how hot it was and gulped down a third degree burn.

"Easy there Kuzco, he just made it." Victor said waiting patiently for the coffee to cool down.

"I'm sorry about last night you two. It was a horrible way to act and I feel embarassed. Its none of my business what adventure you take on. This is your deal, from now on I am simply your host." With that Raul took a sip of his coffee and walked out of the room.

"Weird man. One minute he his crying and having a panic attack then the next he is laughing and drinking coffee...its like living with a woman." Victor looked a Kuzco and shook his head.

"And you wonder why you are single? Come on man we got to get some things together and then I think we need to have a little talk with our friend Raul." Kuzco gazed at the coffee then at his friend.

"I don't know man if he doesn't want to talk about it...maybe we shouldn't. He could poison us or something if he gets too angry."

"Kuzco, this is Raul we are talking about. One of our closest Amigos. Come on, I'm sure he just needs time to calm down. No worries alright?"

"Ya, ok...but I'm still not sleeping with you." Victor laughed and walked back to his room. There was much to do and little time to do it in. Right when he was done going through his check list him and Raul were going to have a heart to heart, whether Raul wanted it or not. -Brittany

He just had to figure out how to get him to talk. That was the tricky part, but Victor had questions and he needed answers. He couldn’t worry about that now though. He and Kuzco were supposed to go into the nearby town to gather last minute supplies. ‘I have to stay focused,’ Victor thought to himself as he grabbed his backpack out of the corner and started pulling various items out in search of his small gun he carried when going in to small towns like this. It was exactly where he had left it.

He pulled the small cherry wood case from the pack and lifted the lid. The gun shown in the early morning light and glinted as he slid it into the holster he wore. The only reason he carried it was more from paranoia than anything. He had heard countless stories of adventures and archeologists being attacked while on an expedition. He often wondered if his father had met that fate in some forbidden mountain pass. That’s why this little beauty was his last line of defense if any such incident should occur. As he clipped the holster into place Victor’s thought began to drift back to his father once again.

All the question he was trying to keep bottled up began to bubble up to the surface of his brain. ‘where did that painting come from? Why did Dad have the same one before he disappeared? And why does Raul have it now?” his thoughts were interrupted though at the sound of Kuzco’s voice.

‘Here piggy, piggy, piggy, breakfast is served.’

-Cassie

After a quick breakfast Victor headed for the local market near by. He had to pick up food supplies to last them for two weeks. The market was rather busy this morning and was full of people selling and buying mostly handmade goods. There were plenty of fruit stands with tropical fruits like papaya, guava, and mango's. It was a nice change from the food he was used to eating back in Britain. Everything looked so ripe and fresh he had to stop and enjoy some of the food. Victor was able to negotiate prices with most of the merchants so he got all he needed for a reasonable price. It seemed like most of the people in the town were at the market today, this made it hard to walk around comfortably.

While he was searching for everything he needed, Victor noticed an attractive young lady about his age on the other side of the market. He was drawn by her beauty and decided he had to go and talk to her.

"What's your name?" Victor asked. She replied "Samya". Through some more small talk Victor learned that she was the daughter of the man who owned the market. She seemed like a nice girls so Victor decided to invite her to eat lunch with him.

Later that day the two met up at a fish shack by the river and had lunch. Victor started to get to know Samya and learned that she was the adventerous type. He explained to her what he did for a living and she was absolutely captivated. "Victor, I want to go with you" she said. "What," "this is far too dangerous and you dont have any kind of experience" he replied. "That may be true, but I do know this area far better than you do and I can help you navigate." "Well, give me some time to think about it and talk it over with my partner Kuzco and I will see what he wants to do." The two enjoyed the rest of there lunch and decided to head back to the market. "Well I guess I will be seeing you around" Victor remarked, "hopefully" she replied, and the two went their seperate ways.

-Jason

After parting company with Samya, Victor did a last minute check of everything he had purchased and was satisfied to see that he needed nothing more. Since he had already spent half the day in town, Victor started back to Raul’s with every intention of sitting Raul down and getting him to explain exactly what in the world had caused him to act so strangely since they arrived.

The question plagued his mind so much on the way back that he almost failed to notice the two men watching him near the edge of town. It wouldn’t have struck him as odd since a foreigner in a small Amazonian town often attracts a few stares, except that he had seen them both earlier that day in the market.

They were of middling height with fairly average features for such a place but what set them apart from everyone else, even from a distance, was the tattoo of a python encircling each of their necks. They looked away when it became apparent he had noticed them watching but it seemed more as if they were trying to avoid being rude than anything sinister. As he walked out of town and beyond their sight Victor decided he was just being a bit too paranoid with everything else going on. Of course, that wouldn’t stop him from keeping an eye out for those two again.

His paranoia kept him a bit more alert on the rest of the trek back to Raul’s and it was because of this that he was acutely aware of when the birds, normally a constant background noise in this area, went quiet. Before he had much time to ponder what could have caused this, he felt something strike him on the back of the head causing him to crumple to the ground. Victor only had enough time to think to himself how soft the jungle floor was before everything around him went black.

-Some Random Guy in Oregon

It was getting late and Kuzco knew Victor should be back by now. It wasn’t like him to be late, let alone hours late. Normally Kuzco wasn’t the type to worry but he had this funny feeling in the pit of stomach. Something was definitely wrong. He had just decided to go search for victor when he noticed something strange going on down by the river’s edge at Raul’s boat shack.

Kuzco spun away from the window and ran into the guest bedroom where he and Victor had slept the night before. There were things all over the room. It looked like it had been ransacked, then he heard a noise from the closet. Kuzco stopped for an instant, but that instant was enough to make him realize he need to get out of there, and fast. But it was too late.

As he turned to run a man with a python tattooed around his neck stepped in front of the door, and the closet flew open. He was boxed in by twin python goons.

“não mova ou serei forçado a attire. E eu não tenho nenhum problema matança você, Kuzco,” the Man from the closet said pointing a gun at him.

“Uhh… no speak Portuguese,” Kuzco said knowing full well the man had just told him ‘do not move or I will be forced to shoot. I have no problem killing you.’ He knew he had to get out. It was then that something caught his eye. He couldn’t look toward the window where whatever it was had just been, but with in seconds it didn’t matter. The room was filled with thick heavy smoke.

Kuzco began to choke and could feel himself starting to lose consciousness. He was fighting to stay alert when two strong hands grabbed his arm and helped him out of the suffocating room.

The setting suns rays were blinding to his already stinging eyes after being in such a dense cloud of smoke. “Thank…thank you,” he sputtered out between coughs. “I thought I was…” he broke off what he was saying as he looked up to see who had just saved him. “ This can’t… can’t be… can’t be real,” he stammered as he looked up at his rescuer.

-Cassie

It was Victor's father, James Bowden. He was an older man, probably in his late 50's but was still going strong due to a life of adventure. He had come to Brazil to help them with their mission. He knew what they were getting into and knew that they wouldn't be able to do it without him. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!" he exclaimed to Kuzco as he was gathering his breath. Kuzco and Victor have been lifelong friends since childhood and James was going to need Kuzco to help get Victor back. They ran off into the woods with the men chasing them. They ran under the shade of darkness with the moonlight being their only guide. They ran, over marshes ,under trees,and waded in murky streams until they could no longer hear the Python's chasing them and shouting at them in Portuguese. They had a good head start on the men and after about a mile they had evaded them. They were now deep in the jungle, but at least they were safe from their assailants.

"Those guys that were coming after you got Victor eariler today," "Who the hell were they!?" replied Kuzco. "They're known as the Python's of Doom and Destruction Inc., they're a gang that runs most of the Amazonian region" James said with a sound of discontent in his voice. "They got Victor?" Kuzco said with alarm, "What would they want with Victor?"..."I don't know but we better find him before it's too late" replied Victor's dad. "We can't go back to Raul's house, he's probably already dead. And they will-" Kuzco ended his sentence abruply at the sight of some image lurking behind James.

-Jason

Victor awoke to darkness. He felt the heaviness of chains around his wrists and neck, seated on a cold concrete floor. His eyes tried to adjust, but there was just no light anywhere to be found. Instead, images flickered in his mind. Kuzco, Raul, serpent tattoos... the painting, the girl in the market place... what the hell was going on? He couldn't make sense of it. His head throbbed dully behind his eyes.

He wasn't sure he was going to return home this time. He wondered where Kuzco was. Surely whoever had gotten to Victor had found him too? The two of them hadn't even had time to start searching for Damian's precious artifact.

'Someone knew we were coming', Victor reasoned. He muttered to himself: 'Long before we were even knew we were coming, our arrival was being planned'. Victor felt around for the presence of another person in the cell with him, but found nothing. Only cold concrete greeted him. 'There probably wasn't even an orb to begin with" he sighed bitterly, and slumped against the wall.

Many hours passed by and Victor sat in the darkness, waiting for whatever fate would present him with next. He guessed that whatever it was, it probably wouldn't be an explanation of any kind; he was losing patience with this entire mission. Nothing had been accomplished. Damian's cold smile flashed in Victor's mind before he fell back into a comfortless sleep. -Alex

Kuzco started to shake looking in the distant. "How could this day getting any worse?"

"You know for someone who goes on adventures you aren't really the adventurer type." It was Samya, the girl from the market place of course Kuzco had no previous knowledge of the rendevous that had taken place earlier.

"Why hello...and what is your name pretty lady?"

"Save it for someone who cares...Look your friend Victor is in trouble and we only have so much time so if you want to live and if you want to get Victor alive then you need to listen to everything I say." Kuzco looked at Samya astonished, James Bowden just smiled.

"You obviously haven't met Samya. She is a native to this land and will be leading us to a part of this land that is very intimidating." Kuzco glanced at Samya and then back at James and with a smile said well then pretty thang lead the way."

"Alright well we are first going to set up tent and sleep thru the day and then we are going to walk during the night. This way we will avoid all contact with mischevious characters and the night time will be on our side...oh and by the way if you call me 'pretty thang' one more time I'll feed you to an anaconda, got it?"

"yup got it" Kuzco said with a fear in his eyes as Samya walked ahead Kuzco looked at James, "Is she serious?"

James replied, "Ha you don't know the half of it." Brittany

Victor looked around. He had seen this place before, but how he had that could be he had no clue. He began to walk through the cold dark corridors. Every step he took he could hear the crunch of bones beneath his hiking boots. He shown his flash light down on to the floor trying to make out what the bones were from, as he realized that it was the bones of human being that were scattered all over the floor his flash light began to flicker.

“No, you can’t go out on me,” he said to the flashlight as he pounded it in his hand.

As Victor stood there trying to fix his slowly dying flashlight he realized he was wasting time. He didn’t have any extra batteries on him, and what was worse he could hear noises coming from behind him. They were the kind of noises that make the bravest of men worried of what’s around the next corner.

“I have to get out of here,” Victor thought, as two large thuds shook the corridor. The dragging crawling noise was getting closer. Victor had no choice. Whatever it was coming up behind him wasn’t a good thing and he had nothing else he could do. Ignoring the price of noise he bolted down the dark halls at full speed never once considering he could be walking into a dead end.

He rounded the corner to face a wall on all three sides. The noise was getting louder, and victor could feel the prickling sensation crawling down his back just as a giant snake rounded the corner. This was it for him. All he could do was face the snake, and with no weapons he could not expect to survive this. Then he hears a noise from his left.

“Great, as if one isn’t enough there’s another breaking through the wall,” Victor breathed through clenched teeth. But what he saw next surprised him even more; the wall itself was turning to reveal his father hidden behind it. His dad grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him through the already closing wall.

“You’re… you… but how?” Before anyone could say anything else the snake came barreling through the wall. James and Victor took their stances to fight the creature in any way possible. But before he could even take a step the giant creature had grabbed his father. All he could do was beat the snake with his fist and kick the snake as hard as he could. Rage began to fill him, but almost as suddenly as it had come it disappeared.

Victor stared around blurry eyed. It took him about thirty seconds to realize he was still in the confines of his cell. It was one of his many dreams that had been haunting him.

“You heard me Bowden! Get Up,” said a gruff voice outside of the cell bars. “There is someone who wants to speak with you.” -Cassie

"Hello Victor, it's been awhile." Victor gazed up at the dark figure that loomed over him.

"Damian? What are you doing here. Maybe you don't understand you pay the person to go and find the artifact you aren't suppose to tag along." Victor was astonished that he was looking up at Damian...he couldn't believe that he had shown up. Didn't he know how the process worked?

"Victor you know too much. The painting your father brought home on his last trip continues to give you a reoccuring dream. I want you to tell me exactly what it is that you see in that dream."

"I don't understand. How did you know about my reoccuring dreams and furthermore how did you know about my father's painting?"

"That painting is not your fathers, it is mine...all the paintings are mine. And I know of the reoccuring dreams because, well, I know everything about you."

"What makes you think that I would tell you anything of my father or my personal life?"

"Oh I am sure that you will tell me because I have the knowledge of something you have wanted to know for a long time."

"Oh and what is that? Who came up with the peanut butter jelly sandwich?"

"No. What is the one mystery that you have wanted to be answered and haven't found?" Victor glanced down at the floor. There was now light surrounding the room. Damian had with him the two men with python tatoos standing at his right and left. They were holding lanterns with whips wrapped around their bodies. The men stared at him with a gaze of death. If looks could kill he would be dead. He knew what mystery he hadn't ever figured out.

"You know about my father, don't you?"

"I know about your father. And I will help you...if you help me. Do we have an accord?" Brittany

Victor could feel his anger beginning to rise. This really was a game to Damian and he was tired of being the puppet. “Tell me what you know about my father,” he said clenching his fist at his side.

“Oh I would but look,” Damian said pulling out a gold pocket watch with a large red stone inlaid on the front. “It’s time for tea,” he said strolling out into the dark hall

Victor glared at the antagonizing face of the aging Englishman.

“Where are my manners? Gentleman we must invite Mr. Bowden to tea.”

Before Victor could object to being in the same room with him two men with pythons around their necks grabbed him by his arms and lifted him right off the floor. “Hey wait! Where are you taking me?” As the trio moved into the dark corridor Victor felt a chill run down his spine. This was the same corridor he had been running down in his dream. There were even bones scattered along the stone floor. Victor had the sudden urge to run in the opposite direction. “This isn’t the dream” he told himself, but that’s what worried him. “Ouch,” Victor said as they rounded the corner to face a room that flooded the dark walls with warm light. Before his eyes could even adjust he was in the room.

The room looked out of place in the old structure. It was filled with lights and an oversized desk that sat in the middle of the room. On the desk’s highly polished surface a laptop rested humming quietly. Damian was seated in an overstuffed arm chair watching victor as he was thrown into the room.

Damian sipped the steaming tea slowly then looked back up at Victor after taking a few moments to indulge. “I’ll gladly tell you what I know if you will only tell me what it is your reoccurring dream is about.”

“Why should I tell you? It’s just a dream. And you probably don’t even know my father. In fact I think you made this whole story about the orb up.

“oh no Mr. Bowden its real alright, but i want to know about the dreams,” Damian said with eyes gleaming.

“No. why should I? I don’t know why you are here and I am not getting that orb for you now.”

“You impertinent… I want that orb…I need that orb. It was once the foundation of a great city. The rulers began to manipulate the orb's great power and as a result the whole city disappeared. I want that power! Imagine what one could do with that power mr. Bowden."

“You’re mad Damien!”

“That could be, but I have to be going. Since you said you won’t be looking for the orb Sheldon and I will. Oh and Mr. Bowden," Damian said stopping in the doorway, "enjoy what’s left of your life. These pythons fellows do so love playing with their pets, but they tend to...get a little rough, although i suppose you know that from your dreams," he said with a malicious smile.

-Cassie

"So where are we going?" Kuzco looked concerned as Samya began jumping up and down over a clearing. " I just don't see how jumping up and down on the ground will help us find Victor."

"Do you always ask so many questions? Look we are looking for a lost city...a city that can't be found by the human eye. So excuse me if we aren't searching in the way that you see fit." Kuzco gazed at her in disgust.

"Your impossible! I ask a simple question, you should give me a simple answer. Don't give me sarcasm." Kuzco had been with Samya for two days straight now and it was apparent that they did not get along. At that moment Samya sank a little into the ground...

"Aha!! I found it." Samya dug into the ground and pulled out a rope. She gently pulled on the rope lifting a panel. Under the panel was a dark tunnel with some hissing noises.

"Those are snakes? Are you kidding me? No we are not walking down there." Kuzco leaned over the tunnel and yelled down into its gaping whole..."Good luck Victor, I'm peacing out."

"This is your friend Kuzco. Look I'll take care of the snakes, you just follow my steps and for God's sake stop complaining!"

"She's right you know. My wife didn't complain as much as you do." James laughed whole heartedly reminding Kuzco of his unfortunate friend.

"You guys are right. But can we please just get this over with?" Samya stared at Kuzco...

"Alright then, after you?" Kuzco made a nervous smile, looked again down into the tunnel and shuddered.

"Listen you have done such a great job leading thus far, why don't you just keep on leading...I'll be right behind you..."

"And I'll be right behind you Kuzco. We can't have you wandering off all in a panic." James smiled somewhat but behind his eyes was a sterness. Kuzco knew that the adventure they were about to embark on was dangerous and could possibly take their lives.

"Look, it's just that I have seen these types of movies everyone goes down to save someone but there is always one who doesn't come out...and usually its the best friend in the movie. Do you know who I am. I am the best friend in this real life movie and I am goin down first. I know it." James smiled again and grabbed Kuzco by the shoulders...

"Trust me I won't let anything happen to you. That isn't your fate..."

Brittany

They proceeded into the tunnel with Samiya leading the way. As soon as they closed the trap door behind them it seemed like they were in a whole different world. The tunnel was covered in ivy, which was a sign that it had been there for a while.

“Watch your step” warned Samiya as she stepped over a small python.

“The things I do for this guy!” replied Kuzco as he stepped over the snake. They walked for about twenty minutes down the tunnel, with their only light being a lantern held by their brave leader, they entered a huge opening larger than a football dome, to an underground oasis, and there was a lagoon surrounded by lush tropical plants. The whole place was lit by torchlight, hundreds of them. There was a camp of huts for about a half-mile, and in the distance a huge mansion.

“There” Samiya said as she pointed to the mansion, “He’s being held in there…”

“Well, what are we waiting for let’s get Victor back” said Kuzco with a sense of urgency.

“Don’t be foolish, we need a plan” said James.

This was where James would play a big part in the process of getting his son back. James was in the military for ten years as a young man and knew lots about strategy and hand-to-hand combat.

“The first thing we have to do is get out of sight” he knew that there would be members of the Python’s patrolling the city looking for anyone trying to escape. The thing about this place was that everyone was forced to stay, they all worked for Damien.

“What is this place?” asked Kuzco with a hint of fear in his voice. “Estômago do Inferno” is what it’s called by the people being held captive, replied Samiya. “ I heard tales about this place when I was a child but I had no idea that it was real.”

The trio ran off into the greenery and plotted a plan of action.

-Jason

Hidden away in a back ally, not far from the huge mansion like temple, James, Kuzco, and Samiya huddled together out of sight. The village seemed deserted as they crept around, but as they peered around every corner people seemed to appear out of no where. Every one of them walked as if they didn’t see where they were going. Kuzco and Samiya exchanged befuddled glances with one another.

“The orb has control over these people,” James said reading the questioning looks he had just seen on Kuzco’s and Samiya’s faces. “This race of people has been trapped under the orb’s power since it was manipulated by the ruler who controlled it over four thousand years ago. They don’t know what it is to actually feel, to actually think for themselves, to be free.”

Kuzco and Samiya stared in disbelief. There was definitely something that James wasn’t sharing with them.

“Mr. Bowden, how is it you know so much about this? And why we are on the topic of questions how is it you came to be here? The last time anyone heard from you was nearly twenty years ago and you all the sudden show up in the middle of the jungle rescuing me. What’s the deal?”

“I suppose I do owe you both an explanation, but especially you Kuzco. Many years ago when you and victor were still quite young a man named Damian Rothschild contacted me. His only request was that I search for a mysterious missing orb. The only problem was that it was only a myth, or so everyone thought. I traveled all over South America following the origin of the myth, and the more I traveled the bigger the myth grew. Finally the last clue led me to Brazil. By the time I had found it though I had been away for many months. So I decide to remember the whereabouts of the area I would paint a picture but disguise in such a way that it would only mean something to me.”

“Wait, the picture you came home with, the picture that’s in Raul’s house. That’s it isn’t it? But why did you do more than one? And how is it you know the orb is controlling them?”

“Patience Kuzco, I swear you haven’t changed a bit. I will tell you the answers to all these things, but you must let me speak.”

Kuzco nodded at James as Samiya motioned to go on with the story while she kept a close watch of the area.

“I came home with the painting, but not before Damian saw it. And yes this is the same Damian that Victor and you are currently employed by. He had many copies made, but I never told him of the exact location. After wrestling with the idea of going back I finally left but when I made it into this village I realized something was wrong. I wanted to find out more so I traveled deep into the village, but the longer I was here the more the orb began to control me, until finally I was trapped within my own mind, like the people you now see, I would still be in that trance had it not been for you and Victor.”

“Us,” Kuzco said slightly shocked. “What did Victor and I coming down here have to do with anything?”

“For years I had been fighting the power of the orb trying to break its hold. I wanted to see my son and his best friend grow into young men, but I could never do it alone. Then one day I got this sense that Victor was here. I don’t know if it came from the orb or if it was a paternal instinct, but I knew he was here. I had hope again. With this new found hope I knew I had to get out of here before it was too late, and lucky for you I wasn’t too late,” he said referring to the ambush that almost left Kuzco out of adventuring permanently.

“Now that you know it’s time we get down to business. Victor is in that temple. Yes I mean the one that looks like a mansion, and we need to save him before the python’s come out to play.

-Cassie

"Take him back to his cell. If he doesn't want to talk...we'll make him talk" Damien ordered with an evil hint of pleasure.

It seemed like the longest walk of his life. "Come on guys, do we really have to do this?" he said jovially, it was worth a shot.

"Shut up!" One of the Python's pushed him with the back of his rifle as he shouted at him. "Why can't we all just-” Before finishing his sentence, Victor punched the man to his left, and in one motion grabbed the man on the right and took his gun. He was in control now.

He took both of them to the cell that he had been locked in and told them to get in and lock themselves in. He took the key and ran for the nearest exit. The mansion was pretty big and confusing. He moved around with stealth and tried to stay out of the light, which wasn't too hard seeing as he was in the dungeon underneath the mansion. He ran down the hall and waited before he turned the corner.

He spotted two guards at the exit about five yards away from him. He squatted down and stayed low, as he was closing in on the men he grabbed his gun by the barrel got within striking distance and swung the rifle like a baseball bat. After knocking out the first guard, he turned to the other man and hit him with the butt of his rifle. One thing he had in common with his father was his instincts...as well as physical ability.

No one knew he had escaped yet, and Victor knew he had to keep it that way. He reached down and grabbed the one another riffle belonging to one of the guards, and put it around his back. Then he took the guards clothes and changed outfits so no one would recognize him at a glance. He couldn't open the door right away and risk being caught so he looked under the crack and watched for footsteps.

He waited until it was silent and the coast was clear. He entered the main part of the mansion and walked around trying to find his way out. Victor walks down the hall trying to act as normal as possible so he won’t stand out. He passes the kitchen and one of the entertainment rooms. Then he passes the office, he keeps walking with confidence not realizing Damien was in the room he just passed. The alarm goes off and victor takes off...The chase is on!

Jason

James, Samiya and Kuzco had just reached within 30 feet of the temple when they heard the alarm go off.

"Oh no!! They've spotted us, I'm def. going to die...what are we going to do?" Kuzco was shaking uncontrollably. He truly believed that this was the end for all three of them.

"Look no one is going to die. Just stay calm. That alarm sounded from within the temple...meaning something is going extremely wrong over there." James smiled to himself realizing that it must be his son escaping...

"I knew he had it in him. Come quick, we have to make sure he makes it out ok, these guards are hard to get pass and he will need all the help he can get." James took off like a bolt of lightning Samiya was far behind and Kuzco was wishing he had trained before the expedition.

"Hurry!! Samiya yelled back towards Kuzco. Kuzco kept stumbling over rocks and pebbles he was having trouble leaping over inanimate objects like James and Samiya. All of a sudden Kuzco let out a scream.

"Samiya are you ok?" James turned around to see Kuzco limp and fall quickly to the ground.

"That wasn't me, it was Kuzco." Samiya and James ran back to Kuzco.He had been shot with a tranquilzer and two men were hurrying after their him.

"Come on Kuzco wake up!!!!" James thrusted Kuzco over his shoulder and began to run towards the temple. He quickly spotted a tree and grabbed placed Kuzco under it.

"You wait here with Kuzco. I am going to get my son."With that James ran off determined to get his son out of the mess he started.

brittany

“Kuzco, Wake up! This is no time to be sleeping. It isn’t safe here, we need to move.”

Kuzco was out cold. There was no way of knowing what was in the dart they had hit him with. For all she knew it very well could have been a deadly poison, though if it had bee that he would have been dead minutes before. Samoa looked around, she could still see James. By now he had stopped running and was creeping into an entrance on the side of the temple.

“This is crazy. James is going to need help. Leave it to Kuzco to get into trouble,” she thought. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted though at the sound of guards searching fro them. Despite James’s effort their hiding place was exactly hidden. If only she could wake Kuzco up or hide him safely away somewhere. She began to look around; trying to think of something she could do with her surroundings. Then she saw them not even twenty feet from the tree were the most brilliant deep blue flowers. “The healing flower!”

Samiya ran to the flower but quickly stopped before reaching the beautiful bush. If she took one more step they would be spotted for sure, but if she waited James and Victor could be in over there heads. “Kuzco should regain consciousness after placing the petal in his mouth,” Samiya thought cringing a little about having to place the petals in his mouth herself. “That’s a chance I’m going to have to take,” she decided quickly. She ripped the flower from the bush and hastily pulled the petals from the stem. No one had seen her, but she couldn’t be sure, and time was ticking for James and Victor. “Come on Kuzco, open up,” Samiya said as she crammed the flower petals into his mouth.

As Kuzco started to move Samiya found herself thinking how glad she was she had always paid attention to the remedies and stories that her grandfather had taught her as a child. Her grandfather was the reason Samiya knew James Bowden. He had been adventuring in the region in search of this very city, and he was asking anyone he could about the legend of its existence. Her grandfather knew exactly what Mr. Bowden had been looking for, but was reluctant to tell him of the cities location.

“Mr. Bowden,” he had said in his soft deep voice. “The place you speak of finding is only a memory. It was long ago destroyed by its evil ruler and forced out of the world’s eye. All that is left is despair.”

It didn’t make sense to Mr. Bowden till Her grandfather explained further.

“You seek a city that was hidden from the world long ago, even before the Europeans came to this America. There is a legend in my family that we were the original ruling line, before they were over thrown and there power taken. The only truth I have to this is the location of this city. But please do not ask me to go myself. I have been before and it is not pleasant.”

“Where’s Raul?”

Samiya looked at Kuzco. “Kuzco, Raul isn’t here,” she said as if she were talking to a small child. Then a thought occurred to her. “How do you know my cousin Raul?”

Kuzco thought still groggy managed to respond. “Victor and I met him when we came to search for clues to what happened to Victor’s father. Ironic isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry, but what’s ironic,” Samiya asked slightly confused by Kuzco’s haphazard thought process he seemed to be thinking in.

“We searched this whole area for Mr. Bowden and never found anything at all, yet he was here the whole time. If only we had known to look here, though we didn’t know where here was or that here even existed at the time.”

“I think whatever was in that dart is still affecting you a little bit. Do you think you can walk?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. What happened to Raul,” Kuzco asked Samiya again.

“Kuzco you were probably dreaming. Come on we need to go help James and Victor,” she said helping Kuzco to his feet.

“Not a dream,” Kuzco said swaying slightly in the still air. “His house was ransacked and I was ambushed. After James rescued me he said things didn’t look god for Raul.” Had Kuzco been alert and heard Samiya say Raul was her cousin he would never had said that last part.

“What do you mean things didn’t look good? What do you mean didn’t look good,” she screamed at Kuzco, forgetting where she was. Before Kuzco could answer they heard the sound of thundering footsteps running in their direction. “We have to go now Kuzco,” she said frantically pulling him along at a run.

The only place to go was the temple. That was where they needed to go anyway, but they had just made things worse. Victor had guards after him; there were guards after them, and what problems James had run into Samiya could only guess. Things kept getting worse with every minute, but Kuzco was becoming more alert with every step. Samiya and Kuzco ran through the same side entrance James had gone through, with the sound of python guards coming closer.

“Quick in here Samiya,” Kuzco said pulling her into a side room to get out of the open hall way. “We should find some place to hide before…” Kuzco stopped talking as he watched a look of horror come over Samiya.

“No,” she screamed and ran over to the still form of her cousin Raul. “Raul! Raul! Please no… Raul!”

Kuzco rushed over to Samiya and Raul. As he crouched down to check Raul’s pulse he noticed he had been hit in the head. “Samiya…”

“No! This can’t be,” she said hysterically with tears running down her face.

-Cassie

Victor was running so hard that he felt he could no longer breathe. He was not about to stop now with two armed men coming after him. As he reached a curve in the cells looming hallway, Victor heard footsteps running...

"You've got to be kidding me. This just isn't my day." Victor was now stuck with potential enemies coming at him from every angle. Just as he began to slow down Victor felt a hard hit that threw him to the floor. He looked up panting from the 5 mile run he had just made. As his eyes focused in he saw the one mystery that had never been solved.

"Dad? Is that really you?" James was holding onto the side of the wall panting along with his son...

"I had forgotten how long these hallways were" he said jokingly...

"I hardly think this is the time to joke. You abandoned me when I was only eight how can you be so lighthearted?" Victor was disgusted and in shock all at one time. His insides were tossing around different feelings; happiness, dispair, disappointment, and relief.

"Son, you listen to me. I am not a particularly patient man so I will be brief and you will be understanding. This hidden world you are now trapped in trapped me also 20 years ago. I have been beaten, whipped, tortured and disallusioned for years and the only thing that has kept me alive is you." Victor stared at him overwhelmed and ashamed.He knew his dad loved him...it was all the time they had missed that frustrated him now.

"Dad I'm sor.." right at that moment the footsteps behind Victor became louder until the two guards were once again standing in front of their victims. James picked his son up off the ground and pushed him aside.

"Dad what are you doing? This is my battle to win."

"Victor you are still the little boy i left 20 years ago, stand aside I'm going to take this one." Just at that moment the two guards lunged at James holding him in choke holds while the other punched the breathe out of his body. Victor took his gun and shot the guard punching James. The guard doubled over to the ground in pain. The shot had went into his arm rather than his heart like Victor had hoped but at least it would give them more time. Victor jumped ontop of the guard and began to hit him just as he had seen in the movies. It wasn't the best time to be referring to James Bond but he had to go by something and experience wasn't one of them. As he continued to punch his gun slipped off his arm onto the floor. He went to reach for it but instead found a foot standing pressed down upon it. Victor looked up slowly and winced as the gun was aimed towards his chest...at that point in one just move, James threw his body over his sons taking the bullet right into his heart. With one soldier out cold the soldier with the gun pointed it yet again at Victor, at that moment a loud buzzer went off annoucing that there were new intruders in the cell.Seeing that Victor was beaten up badly and devasted that his father was dying, the armed soldier ran off to finish off the others.

"Dad...why did you do this."

"It was my destiny. You are what I survived for and you are what I am dying for. You must help save the others...go before it is too late."

"Dad I won't leave you. I'll find a doctor and we'll get you home. It will be just like old times...please don't go...hang on...please." Victor was sobbing just as he did the day he realized his dad wasn't coming home. This was the second time he was losing his father and his heart could not bare it.

"Son I have always loved you.And I did hang on. I hung on to be here in this exact moment to save you. You have a life to live...go live it.I'll be with you, just look in the picture." With that his dad took his last breathe and even in that moment of dispair his dad had the hint of a smile across his face as always. This was his destiny and he was at peace.

Brittany

Victor’s heart filled up quickly with anger. He set out to seek revenge for what happened to his father. Victor picked up the gun that the guard was stepping on and walked briskly through the house killing everything in sight, he was an excellent marksman. He started through the basement entrance and went through the kitchen. There were two armed men, one behind the refrigerator and one taking cover behind the stove. He got on one knee and waited for either of them to come out and meet their demise.

After finishing up in the kitchen, Victor triumphantly marched his way to the dinning area, which had a large table capable of seating 20 with ease. One of the pythons was at the entrance and Victor didn’t waste any time to club him with the butt of his rifle. Victor looked out the window to see if there were any more Pythons making their way to the mansion, at that moment he was Kuzco and Samiya running across the front lawn. He waited until the made it closer to the house and opened the front door. Upon the sight of Victor, Kuzco and Samiya ran to make sure he was all right.

“Let’s get out of here.” Samiya was definitely ready to return to safety. Victor wasn’t finished with what he had started. He knew he had to find the man responsible for all this and put an end to it.

“I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of”

“Are you crazy?” Kuzco was also ready to leave, not knowing that James had been killed. “They killed my father!” Victor shouted, with pain in his voice, “And Damien is the one behind all of this!” Kuzco and Samiya felt terrible for Victor.

“You guys should get out of here, I’ve got some business to take care of.” Like true friends, Kuzco and Samiya decided to stay.

Victor headed back the room where he had first talked to Damien. On the way there he ran into some resistance from the Pythons, he had his rifle so he just shot them and kept going. He was standing at the door of Damien Rothchild’s office ready for anything….”Damien”

Jason

The dark corrider was quiet and the only thing that could be heard was the shallow breathing of the trio. “Open up, Damian,” Victor shouted at the door. He had no patience for this. He wanted his revenge now, and he was going to have it no matter what the cost. As his anger began to peak Victor took aim at the door, causing Kuzco and Samiya to dive for cover. As the two hit the ground as Victor blasted the door knob sending small chunks of wood through the air. Before Samiya even had a chance to uncover her head Victor had kicked in the door and was storming in.

Already grief striken over the loss of her cousin, and now shocked at James’s death, she couldn’t bear to lose someone else. “Kuzco, we have to stop him! He’s going to get himself killed!”

Kuzco jumped to his feet and “No he won’t, but I’m not stopping him. In the short time James was in my life he was like a father to me. To have him taken away again I… I’m backing Victor on this one,” Kuzco said following the trail of door bits.

As he disappeared into the door Samiya stood in the still black hall by herself. Damien was the reason Raul was gone, he was the reason James was gone, and he was the reason this cursed forgotten city had been brought back to life. It was all his fault. With realization coming over her she knew she couldn’t let Victor and Kuzco finish this alone. She had to help them, it felt like something was calling her to do it. With her courage and anger melding together she took off after Kuzco and Victor.

As she ran through the broken door she crahed into the back of Kuzco who was standing there just staring at the wall with Victor. “What are you two doing we don’t have time to stare at the wa…” Samiya ahd just noticed the wide opening in the wall. She looked from Victor to Kuzco.

“that wasn’t hear earlier,” Victor breathed in a whisper.

“Wait, do you two hear voices,” Samiya asked nervously as a chill ran up her spine.

“yeah I do,” victor said getting his gun ready to fire. “Let’s go.”

They began the walk down the dark passageway. The floor was nothing but dirt and they could hear the walls groan as they walked along.

“This must be part of the original temple that Damian hid away when he came to the city. Maybe this is where that orb is hidden,” Kuzco whisphered.

“Shhh,” victor quieted him. They were getting closer to the voices and the tunnel was getting lighter. Victor looked to his best friend and Samiya. He could just see the slight nods of their heads saying that they were behind him. With the assurance of them being there victor rounded the corner.The three were standing in the doorway of a cavernous chamber, and in the center was a shining gold box. The only problem now was Damian and his incompetent son was in the way.

“That’s what you sent us after,” Victor shouted at Damian’s back.

“Wha…you aren’t dead yet, and who are these two?”

“That’s not important,” Victor yelled back. “You made me suffer enough, and now because of you my father is really dead, and in a few seconds you will be too,” Victor said raising his gun at Damian. He stared loathingly at Damian and squezzed the trigger, but his killing spree had left him with an unloaded gun.

Damian chuckled deeply. “It appears I have won Mr. Bowden. Sheldon hurry up and get the orb!”

Sheldon walked to the raised platform in the middle of the room and up the stone steps to a shining golden box with reflecting mirrors on each side. He could feel the power with every step. This was it. he reached out his hand to the ornately designed box and lifted the lid. There it was after all these years the orb, glowing with a pulsing red light. Sheldon gingerly picked the red sphere up and turned to the small crowd of people in the room

“Sheldon, bring me the orb,” Damian said with a look of triumph to the defeated Victor and friends.

“No.”

Damian looked dumbfounded. Sheldon had just told him no. his weak son had just told him no. after a moment he regained his composure and said “you’re telling me no? That is not acceptable Sheldon. Bring me the orb now!”

“No,” Sheldon said once again. “I will no longer play this belittling game. You don’t even know what this orb does. I’m running things, and always have been. I only needed you to find it.”

Victor, Kuzco and Samiya were shocked. They looked from one to another as Sheldon continued back down the stone steps. The threesome weren’t the only ones surprised. Damian was even more astounded by this than being told ‘no.’

“I knew you would never figure it out. Everyhting you did to get here was all part of my plan. From the moment that I saw that piece of orb in your collection I knew what it was. Years of observing your collection and reading the legends taught me more than you thought. I let you think I cared little for what you did but when did you decide to search for the orb?” Sheldon could see comprehension donning on his father.

“That’s right after I gave you the pocket watch with the piece of the orb from your collection on the lid. The more you kept it with you, the more curious you became. Eventually you sent his father down here,” he said referring to Victor. “He found out a little too much though. I knew if he was forced to stay within the orb’s presence it would drain him of his free will and thought just like it did to its people. So I kept questioning you about it and I even offered to help you my ‘dearly loved’ father. You sent him back and that’s exactly what happened, but you didn’t stop with James Bowden. No, I knew you wouldn’t after the piece of the orb was placed in your pocket. It drives men mad, and you became madly obsessed with finding the orb.”

“But how… why… you always…”

“Ironic isn’t it,” Sheldon said to The three bystanders. “he came doen here after you Victor. He was worried you would betray him, but in the end I’m the one that will be doing the betraying.”

Damian went white. “Sheldon I raised you, I took care of you. Sheld…”

"For the last time don’t call me Sheldon! I am Jonathan, and Jonathan does not need you anymore.” With the orb in one hand the now proclaimed Jonathan stretched out his other hand and the walls began to tremble. Samiya grabbed onto Victor for support, but the two of them were thrown off there feet and right into Kuzco. The trio scrambled to get up from the floor but as they did the inevitable happened. Chunks of the ceiling finally came tumbling donw landing on top of Damian. Samiya screamed and buried her head into Kuzco. Another person had lost their life. If only there was someway she could stop it.

The tremors continued for the next few seconds and as the last big one hit the massive room it threw Lonathan off his feet and onto the floor. He hit the ground hard and as he stuggled to pick him self up the orb rolled out of his hand, and began rolling tight towards Samiya. As the ball came closer to Samiya it began to turn to pink and was gradually getting lighter the closer it got to her.

“No,” raged Jonathan. “I worked to hard for this,” he said as he lunged for the orb reaching it before it could reach Samiya. The orb was in his hands again, and his attention was on Samiya now.

“You! You must be the rightful heir to the power. I can’t have that. I’m afraid you’ll have to go,” he said stretching his hand out to the pedestal the orb had rested on . From the center of the staff rose a solid gold scepter. “Once I place the orb on the staff I will have complete control” he said grasping the floating scepeter. His maniacal laugh began to fill the room.

“We don’t have a chance left,” Kuzco said

“Oh yes, we do. we’ll storm him.”

“Victor that wont work. You see the thing about secret plans is they have to stay secret,” Jonathan said stiffening their limbs with his awesome new orb given power. “I will be the most respected ruler the world has ever seen,” he said raising the orb to the top pf the scepter.

“You will be stopped,” Victor growled to Jonathan.

“I don’t think so vic…” at that moment Damian through him self on top of his son with evey last bit of strength he had left. It was enough o shake the orb and his control over Victor, Samiya, and Kuzco off.

"No one betrays Damain Rothschild and gets away with it," the dying Damian said in an audible whisper. Damian was finally free from the orb's horrible curse, but it had cost him his life.

“Samiya, get the orb” Victor yelled as Jonathan struggled to push the body of his dead father off himself. Samiya was still in shock over what had just happened.

“Samiya get the orb now!”

The orb rolled right to her feet.she lightly picked up the ball, changing its pulsing red light to a blinding white.

“No Jonathan said grabbing Samiya.

"what do we do," Kuzco asked. "If we try anything we culd hurt Samiya.

Victor knew he only had one choice to save Samiya. The tiny silver pistol that he kept with him for his last line of defense. He snatched the tiny gleaming gun out of his hidden holster. If his aim was straight he would free the struggling Samiya, if not Samiya would pay dearly, but it was a chance he had to take.Jonathan had to be stopped. His eyes met with Samiya's she was pleading for help, but she also understood the risk of what could happen. He aimed fo the center of the room were their fight was taking place and fired.

The bullet whizzed through the air and hit Jonathan square in his temple. He was dead before he even reach the ground. They were safe, the forgotten city was safe, and the world was safe from the puppet master Jonathan. Then Victor noticed Samiya standing and staring at the glass ball.

“Victor, Kuzco, I don’t think I should let this ball keep existing. It has caused too much damage.

“Victor, I think she is right. If we leave it intact people can one day use the orb to curse another unfortunate city. I say we destroy it," Kuzco said looking to Victor. Victor nodded in agreement, and with that Samiya lifted the orb high above her head and threw it to the ground. But instead of it shattering into pieces it separated into five separate parts. Each one displaying its own unique power. the three looked from one to another.

"Okay... that was a little weird," Kuzco said scrathing his head. "No what?"

“I wish we could split these pieces up from each other,” Samiya said feeling slightly drained. Before she could even finish her sentence the pieces of the orb flew into different directions and disappeared.

“Well thats that. Can we go home now,” Kuzco asked.

"Kuzco," Samiya chided. "Arent you the least bit concerend where those pieces went?"

"Not particularly," he said watching Samiya's aggitation toward him grow.

“That's enough you two. Do you want to go home or not Kuzco? Thats wht i thought," Victor said seeing the look on Kuzco's face. Samiya, you are more than welcome to come back to England with us if you like." With that the trio began to make thier way back to the surface, hopiing to leave all the terror of this frightful adventure right where they had found it: in the forgotten city.

-Cassie

"Victor i have an idea."

"Realy whats that Kuzco?"

"Let's never go on another adventrue again."

Samiya, who had joined them on their trip home chuckled jovially. "I agree lets not."

The Three of them were intereupted by the sound of the doorbell."I"ll get it," Victor said exscusing himself.

"I'm really glad that whole adventure is over and things are back to normal."

"I know what you mean Kuzco."

"You two better not get to used to it," Victor said walking in the room. "Someone is after the orb pieces,and it's our job to protect them.

-Cassie

                                       THE END


                                Epilogue

It had been 10 years since James Bowdens death and the orb was still being searched by different wealthy people who often came to Kuzco and Victor. Victor was now married to Samiya and their son Colby was turning 8. He had already shown interest in searching the unknown as he would constantly walk in the backyard digging for hidden treasures he knew were there. Everyday he would tell his father that he felt a presense under their house. Victor always smiled and laughed at the thought of his son becoming a wide eyed adventurer...but that was all soon to change. On a breezy Sunday morning as his parents slept Colby walked outside digging for the treasure he knew was under the house. As he began to dig fervently and with great passion is shovel made a bolting metal noise. Thrilled Colby thru the shovel in the air digging as fast as his little eight year olds could move. He picked up what looked to be a piece of something round. As he lifted it in the morning sun a small glisten of light struck from its beauty.

"I wonder what it does?" Colby jumped as he turned around to face a man dressed in a dark suit with dark eyes to match.

"I don't know it sure is pretty though isn't?"

"Hey you know what I think I may have another piece that looks just like that...you want to come match our findings...I bet it leads to something great" The mans eyes squinted with excitement and suspision.

"I don't know, I think I'd rather go show my dad he knows everything about this sort of thing...ya know?" Just at that moment Victor woke up in terrible sweats panting. He hadn't had that dream in a long time and was wondering why it came to him know. As turned over he saw Samiya laying there peaceful and calm. Victor didn't want to wake her but he knew something was wrong...his son. As the thought of his son entered his mind he ran down the stairs glancing every which way. He ran outside to the backyard to find colby sitting gazed up at the piece of orb he had just found. As Victor looked off in the distance he saw a man in a dark suit walk towards a car.

"What are you doing and what is that?" As Victor came closer he realized exactly what it was..."did that man give this to you?"

"No I found it...but he did talk to me about it...he said he had the other pieces, whatever that means. I think he's jealous because I found something cool." As Victor looked back over to the stranger he watched as he bent into the car. As the man lifted his arm to open the door the jacket pulled down further on his neck revealing the head of python tatooed across. Before Victor could do anything the man was in the car and whisked away. Victor looked at his son realizing what the dream had meant, all these years it didn't make sense until this moment in time. Just as his father was willing to give his life for Victor, so was Victor willing and prepared to do whatever it took to protect his son. "Brittany"