The Temple of Life Part 2

The night is turning cold in the desert again. In the long forgotten temple of Ibhar, the temple of life, something horrible had just happened. But it would not be the last of the small expedition group’s worries as in the distance the headlights of cars appear, and as they approach to the top of a dune, the lights suddenly shut off. But more urgently, inside the temple all hell has broken loose.

“Save me!!” Zou screams and runs the opposite way as the scorpion is crawling towards the petrified woman. “C-C-Connor!” She stammers and looks down as the scorpion climbs up her boot. The woman feels the blood escaping her head. She feels lightheaded and her legs feel weak. The creature touches her bare legs, it tickles.

Then there is a gunshot. In an instant the scorpion turns into nothing but a wet stain on the sand as Monica falls on her backside and groans in pain. The shooter, Connor hurries up to her and sees the small sting mark on her leg. The scorpion had managed to stick its tail on the girl’s leg. “Oh… oh no.” Nolan walks in and holds a hand over his mouth.

The man with a scruffy beard picks the woman up and carries her through the hallway to a bit of a supply station to the side Nolan and Monica had set up earlier. He lies her down and Monica looks at him afraid. Connor kneels down to her and looks at the hole on the girl’s leg closer. The others gather around and Connor places his lips over the hole, which makes the girl gasp. He sucks on the wound and turns away and spits on the sand and goes back to sucking. He does that a couple more times and then gets up and spits again and takes a sip from a water bottle.

“Are you ok? Gosh, I almost thought that was…” Nolan hurries to the woman who is sitting and looking at the stinger mark with color returning to her face. She nods and sighs deep and looks up at the man with the hat: “T-thank you. That was… correct procedure. I would’ve definitely… missed out on this project had you not been so… just thank you.” She hugs her legs and eventually the rest go back to work. Even Fathi and Zou are willing to work after the wake-up call and they go dig together. While those two go dig, Nolan goes finish up the archeological project he and Monica had been working on.

Connor sits with Monica a while as she is having a small fever. The venom didn’t all come out, but with Connor’s help, Monica doesn’t have to be transported to the hospital. Baya the angel flies by and stops at them and seems anxious: “Hey! I’m reporting Mr. Zou! He is not working as hard as he should! Back in the day workers worked, ugh. I mean, you two are preoccupied, so he shouldn’t be slacking off, right? We need to get down there, right? But all he tells me is to piss off…” Baya apparently took the role of the overseer. Of course he did.

“D-don’t bother him. Connor… you don’t have to look after me. Go help the rest.” Monica mutters and turns to the man who gives her a meaningful look. Baya seems annoyed and flies outside. He’s always on the move. Monica looks after him and sighs and looks back at Connor.

“I should tell you… he and I. We made a deal last night. That’s why we are here now. I was terribly excited and didn’t think explaining it was necessary….” She turns to the man and blushes: “He wanted a service from me. I gave it to him, and… I believe he expects me to give similar services later as well.” Connor had been keeping an eye on Monica’s rather weird behavior today. So that’s what it was. Truthfully Connor hadn't seen Monica as someone who would offer her body for compensation.

“I am just… I am afraid making the boy jealous of… us, would be detrimental to future discoveries.” She blushes and looks back towards the door Baya flew out of. Connor nods and smiles: “If you think that’s what’s most beneficial. I got it.” He gives the woman a warm smile and Monica nods awkwardly. The two spend more time together until they go to sleep and call off the expedition for the night. As they sleep they are completely oblivious of the dark figures scaling down the dunes around the ruined temple of life, approaching them.