Victoria O'Connell

I had joined Alex in China, ditching school to excavate and attempt to find the Dragon Emperor's tomb. My mum used to read me stories all about it, she had left when I was younger to go persue more adventure, I can't say I blamed her. Of course when I was younger I used to dream of adventure and now I was living it!! I couldn't believe it, of course when my parents find out they will be mad that I dropped out of college for this find, but I wanted my name on something just like theirs. I had propped myself up on a post near where Alex was thumbing through my Aunt Evy's old book that contained legends of the Dragon Emperor. I was beginning to think this was a lost cause and we should just get back to England before our parents found out about where we were. A couple semesters wouldn't be too terrible to make up, just kidding, yes it would, I rolled my eyes just thinking of the indescribable work.

"Don't worry, we'll find the entrance today." Alex told me looking over to me smiling reassuringly.

"Li Tung, what's for lunch?" He asked walking over to the older Chinese man.

"Noodle soup." The man answered in Chinese.

"Very good." Alex replied after he had tasted the soup. I followed him with my arms crossed not happy at all, we had made very little progress here and I just wanted to find something interesting for once, of course we'd found small artifacts but nothing concrete to suggest the existence, so far there was a whole lot of sand and nothing.

"Good, Professor Wilson's back." Alex mumbled looking through his binoculars stopping just short of where our professor was getting off his horse.

"You're a couple of days late, Professor." He smiled at the old man getting settled back on the ground from a supposedly long ride.

"What's new Alex? He's always been late." I told him sarcastically but with a smile on my face so it didn't look like I was insulting the man who was funding this. He laughed a little.

"I was beginning to think you'd run into bandits." Alex told him. As he shook the professors hand.

"Oh, my dear fellow, thank you for your concern." The man smiled back at Alex and I.

"You thirsty?" Alex asked him removing his water from his waistband and handing it to the man.

"Oh yes, please, thank you." He guzzled the water happily. I rolled my eyes, can we just get on with it. I followed a little behind them as we walked toward the excavation sight.

"You really are Rick and Josephine O'Connell's daughter." He looked behind himself to me. I stifled a laugh I had definitely picked up a bit of their personalities as I grew up.

"Yeah, well, hopefully after today... They'll be known as Victoria O'Connell's parents." Alex spoke up from beside me. I rolled my eyes, I wasn't trying to upstage them like he was. He really had some sort of disdain for his parents. His dad had left them multiple times to go back to Egypt to do whatever he did, and his mother was... well she was Aunt Evy. I don't know why he felt the need to cut them out of his life he really hadn't had a bad life at all. I was just happy having someone take me in like the O'Connell's had. Don't get me wrong I loved Alex but he could be a lot of ego and an obnoxious know it all.

"What a powerful face! When I told my colleagues', at the Museum that you two had discovered the Colossus, they were thrilled. Yeah, however..." The old professor trailed off as we reached our overlook.

"I know, when am I gonna get in that Tomb?" Alex said his smile leaving his face.

"Ah... don't let the buggers get you down." He told him reassuringly.

"It was you who discovered the Bembridge journal and with it, you discover the Emperor." He looked to me applauding my actions.

"Aunt Evy's journal, don't forget she helped us whether she knew it or not." I said in a sing-song voice.

"I have complete faith in you two." He continued.

"Thank you, Professor. Thanks, for believing in us." Alex said for the both of us giving me a look as if to shut it. I can't say I'd even said anything, it was like he could read my thoughts. Ugh, that boy.

"We found it!" We started to hear people shouting.

"I think they found it!" I whispered, unbelievably. I didn't think we would find it today.

"We found it! We found the door!" Alex shouted grabbing me in a hug happily. My smile didn't leave my face, I had faith, but not that much faith that we would find it. We had been at this for a month. We quickly walked down to the entrance grabbing a couple flashlights, a gun and a couple of my knifes on the way. We walked down the desolate steps that nobody had probably entered in a couple thousand years. I looked around the dust covered kingdom happily. As I was caught up in my awe, I heard Alex shout,

"Watch out!" He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out of the way from getting crushed by some ancient booby trap.

"I guess he didn't want any houseguests." I mumbled under my breath annoyed brushing dust off myself.

"No." Alex said laughing at my words. We walked further into the tomb our crew slowly creeping up with us.

"Oh my god look at the dragons!! They're absolutely beautiful." I smiled dusting off one of them and examining it.

"Tori we can examine later just stay with us." Alex told me as I stepped away from the sculpture and joined Wilson and Alex again. Alex got out his gun, spotting a figure leant up against a column in front of us.

"Alex he's dead no need to pull out the weapons just yet." I said walking forwards as an evil idea popped into my head. I got in front of the dead guy and screamed at the top of my lungs then started laughing as I saw their faces flood with fear. I couldn't help myself as I saw the guy's reaction, Alex ran forwards ready to fight whatever it was.

"Toriiii, god damn it, don't do that!!" He said gasping for breath after the scare.

"It's Colin Bembridge." I breathed out about to hug the now skeletal version of him. I decided against it and grabbed Alex's arm out of excitement instead. Alex took the skeletons helmet off rather abruptly and those skeletal eyes looked right back at him as his head rolled off his body.

"Alex!" I shouted at him releasing his arm and smacking him instead. "Dumb ass, have some respect. He went searching for this Tomb, 70 years ago. It's left here as a warning." I told my audience. Alex winced but it was only noticeable to me.

"Unfortunately, this is not the dead man that's gonna make us famous. Let's keep moving." Wilson spoke. He was starting to get on my nerves.

"You know... Fame isn't everything or something like that.. This in itself is a great find for the world of archeology." I snapped at him. He rolled his eyes at me and started walking down another set of stairs. The ceiling opened suddenly, sand was pouring through it at different intervals down the corridor as I stood still near the body. Alex was on the stairs with our idiot professor. Suddenly, light was shown on thousands of sculptured warriors of the emperor. They were there for him to command when he awakened. I walked down the stairs meeting my cousin and the professor.

"Look at it, Alex. It's amazing!" The professor breathed out happily, he was finding something he actually wanted to find.

"Holy shit." I smiled. Damn, if my parents could see me now. I started to move down through the length of the army, admiring the fallen soldiers in all their glory. "Look at this, not one the same, this is incredible." I whispered to Alex who was in front of me.

"Are you happy now?" Alex asked me smirking back at me. I looked at him unable to say words as I was too awestruck by our most recent find. Suddenly, I heard a scream from beside me. One of our crew stepped on a booby-trap releasing some dust, that appeared to be laced, into his face. It started to... Melt.

"Chu Wah!" Alex yelled as he raced to the mans side to try to help, but we all knew it was no use. As he kneeled down I heard some gauges click into place.

"Alex... Something's happening." I spoke aloud to warn him. I noticed some arrows move out of the walls and start shooting. I quickly started running, one of our crew members right behind me. Everyone followed me as they realized what was happening. I sprinted as fast I could, I knew some of us would not make it out of here but I was not planning on being one of those fateful few. I picked up my pace as the arrows were at my heels. I didn't want to look back but I knew other things were happening too.

"DUCK!!" I heard Alex yell as he was behind me by a couple lengths. I did so, just as I did, a steel blade flew by my head decapitating an army member next to me. There were no more noises. I slowed my pace as Alex grabbed my coat pulling me next to a horse. I stumbled back into his chest. I turned back seeing our last crew member had been decapitated by one of the flying blades. Shit. We'd lost too many already.

"Alex, maybe we should go back." I whispered to him as he wasn't that far from me.

"No, Tori we already made it this far, we can't go back." He looked into my blue eyes pushing my blonde hair behind my ear. He noticed what I was looking at behind him and turned. Just as he was about to go running towards the decapitated friend, I grabbed the back of his coat as Wilson came up and grabbed his shoulders.

"No! Alex." The professor spoke trying to stop him.

"We'll mourn them later. We can't do this right now." I said struggling with his strength.

"No, no, don't! Stop! Alex, stay here! Come on! Danger comes with the territory, you know that better than anyone. Alex!" He tried again as we fought against Alex.

"Alex as much as I hate to admit, he's right, we knew this when we signed on, so did they. They were my friends too." I told him.

"Alright. Alright." He stopped fighting and relaxed.

"That's a good chap." The professor said as he moved us forwards into the tomb. We walked further towards the middle.

"All the warriors are facing into this point." Alex started talking to distract himself.

"They're still waiting to get orders from the Emperor." I cut him off amazed.

"Then where is he?" Wilson asked impatiently. "You don't think some bloody grave robbers, have beaten us to the prize, do you?" The ignorant professor asked.

"No, he's still here, let's see.." Alex started to look around the place. I walked up to the center where this round table was. "This is the Feng Shui compass." Alex said what I was thinking. He started to pour his water into the gold basin. The arrowhead started to move. I got out my compass, Alex looked over my shoulder to take a glance at where North was. "Okay... now! This... this is true north." He moved around the table to where my compass was pointing.

"The Feng Shui compass is set the opposite direction. Alright, we need to realign it." I smiled, he was starting to sound just like his mother.

"Right." The professor happily smiled as he grabbed one end of the movable table. Alex and him both realigned it while I was busy just watching. Suddenly, the ground caved from beneath me.

"AGH!!" I yelled out unexpectedly both Alex and I fell through the crack. All the way... To the bottom. Fuck. I landed hard on some more bones.

"Alex!... Tori, speak to me! You alright? Alex!" Our professor yelled for us. Good to know the bastard cared a little.

"You okay Tors?" Alex asked me before I jumped up from seeing a rat, oh my god.

"Yeah I'm alright." I looked up at him and shivered. I fucking hate rats.

"We're fine!" Alex yelled back up to him as he threw a flashlight my way and turned his own on. I fumbled with mine for a second but got it working. I saw more horses. I walked near Alex to the side of the horses and carriage.

"Tell me, have we found the Emperor? Alex? What is it?" The obnoxious motherfucker up top would not quit. I wish he would just shut up!

"We've got one of the greatest finds since King Tut." Alex yelled up to him laughing, you could really hear his British side coming out now. I dusted off the side of the carriage and crouched down to read the inscription.

"He is awakening. All mortals will despair..." I started to read off the side.

"It's definitely him!" Alex yelled up once again.

"Do we really have to put Wilson's name on the find??" I asked him.

"Wow... He had his concubines buried alive with him. Egotistical bastard." Alex said looking behind me to the bodies on the floor ignoring my question, I rolled my eyes. "Hey, Professor Wilson, you wanna come down and take a look? Or you, huh... so overwhelmed, you can't talk." I turned around suddenly aware of a presence near us.

"ALEX!" I yelled. He spun around and ducked under the mystery person's knife with ease as they started to attack him. I started to get out my gun shooting around her to scare her off hopefully. Alex tried to get his gun out but got it kicked away. I shot more around the person. Alex I swear to god if you die and I have to explain this... I started to think. She ran off into the shadows as she realized there were two people to fight off. Alex grabbed his gun off the ground and shot at her with me. He ended up shooting a rope that most likely held the doors open.

"God damn it Alex!! You probably trapped us in here!" I spoke as he backed up towards me and looked off into the direction of where the mystery woman ran off to.

"Wilson!" Alex shouted, not helpful. This is the one time I would want Wilson to speak, c'mon. Then out of no where she reappeared still going after Alex. She jumped off multiple fine artifacts and finally had him pinned down near the door. I didn't feel like saving him just yet so I just stood back and let him handle her as I put my gun away. She jumped on top of him and pushed him to where the door was closing. She was going to decapitate him. What is with these people and decapitation? I pulled out my knives ready to help him.

"Tori, a little help!" He shouted to me as he was getting strangled. As the door was a few feet above him I quietly came up behind the mystery woman and wrapped my arm around her neck, my blade against the skin.

"Leave us alone and I won't slit your throat." I told her. She stopped what she was doing immediately and moved off of Alex. He got out of the way and nodded at me as I pushed her in a direction away from us. Just as she looked at the both of us standing side by side with her own blade poised to throw, Wilson started shooting at her. She hoisted herself up the crevasse and ran off through the soldiers. Jesus fuck. Who was that?? Alex climbed up and helped me out when he could.

"Let's go, Professor. We've got a lot a work to do." Alex said patting the old man on the shoulder. He smiled and we walked ourselves out of the tomb. Damn, today was a lot. Time for a nap.