...Heading To The Top...

The group started their journey to the top of the mountain where the ancient city was built. Gabrielle's father took them through a rough and long road. Aaron and Sarra tried their best to help the others without revealing themselves. No one could predict what will be the father and his two children's reactions when they know the truth.

They kept climbing until sunset.

- Gabrielle, Is the city still far from here?

- Yeah, we are in the middle of the road.

- Should we stop or keep going?

Sarra interfered:

- We can't climb in the darkness. we need to find a place to spend the night, then at dawn, we will continue.

- Alright, let's do it...We need some rest anyway. The father looks very tired.

Replied Dylan while looking around.

- Come on, Aaron, let's find a suitable place for tonight.

When they found a proper place, they set up a fire. Meanwhile, Sarra prepared some food and Laila took care of Mateo.

Gabrielle wanted to take care of her brother instead:

- Give him to me. I will feed him and put him to sleep.

Laila was surprised that Gabrielle was this responsible at that young age.

She patted her head while smiling:

- You are a very good girl, Your mother must be proud of you.

Gabrielle looked at the sky:

- She is watching us from the sky. I must take care of my brother so her soul rests in peace.

- H...How did she die?

- She died when she was giving birth to Mateo. She asked me to take care of him on her behalf...

Laila's heart ached when she heard that, she knows how painful to lose a parent at that young age. At that moment she hugged Gabrielle:

- You must have a hard time taking care of your little brother. You are such a good and brave girl. I'm sure that your mother's soul is already at peace so don't push yourself too hard.

Gabrielle's tears started falling, unconsciously. No one hugged her since her mother died.

The father was watching the scene. Despite not understanding their conversation, he started crying as well. He was aware of his daughter's suffering.

Laila wiped the little girl's tears:

- It's okay, I will take care of Mateo until we reach the city. Go and play with Annie.

Annie held Gabrielle's hand:

- Come on, let's play hide and seek.

Gabrielle felt so happy, especially when she realized that her brother was in good hands. She ran around, played, and laughed as much as she could.

Dylan sat beside Laila and kept staring at her:

- W...what's wrong? Do I have something on my face?

- No, I'm just impressed that my woman is very gentle and kind. Can I kiss you?

Laila blushed right away while Sarra and Aaron turned around.

- Tell us when you finish...

Laila pushed Dylan away:

- Don't you have any shame? There are children around us!

- Alright, I get it...I will steal one later.

- Shuu, the boy is sleepy.

After They put Mateo to sleep, they joined the rest around the fire. Everyone sat down and started eating. Dylan looked again at the clue, then he asked Gabrielle:

- Do you have any information about Machu Picchu? We didn't have enough time to research it.

- Of course, I do. That city was built by my ancestors, the Inca.

- The Inca?

- Yes, it is referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas". The Incas built the city around 1450 but abandoned it a century later, at the time of the Spanish conquest.

- What is this city exactly?

- Machu Picchu is roughly divided into an urban sector and an agricultural sector, and into an upper town and a lower town. The temples are in the upper town and the warehouses are in the lower. The buildings were built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls.

- Is there any main buildings?

- The city's three primary structures are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.

Dylan became interested in the temple of the sun:

" The temple of the sun! the clue said something about the sun..um..let me see...When the sun rises through the eye of the truth. the darkness will disappear, and the beloved son will give his oath.....Maybe that's the place where we should look for the last clue. "

- Gabrielle, can you tell us more information about the temple?

- Well, as far as I know, the Incas were worshipping Inti ( God sun) and they were giving sacrifices to it. During the Inti Raymi, which is a traditional ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti.

- What do they do exactly in this ceremony?

the Sapa Inca ( The emperor)  and curacas ( The magistrate) would proceed from the Haucaypata, where they greeted the rising June solstice sun, to the inner court of the Coricancha. On a bench in the "sun room", the Sapa Inca sat with the mummies of his ancestors. Focusing the sun's rays with a concave mirror, the Sapa Inca would light a fire for the burnt sacrifice of llamas. Children were also sacrificed in certain circumstances.

Dylan and the rest were surprised that Gabrielle was talking this calmly about children's sacrifices.

- Who told you about that?

- My father had plenty of time to tell me about the Incas history. It is our history as well.

- You surely felt scared when you heard that information.

- It is all in the past...I can't neglect my history just because it is scary...