Chapter 103: Being chased by rock guardians(?)

The grinding of stone against stone echoed through the narrow passage, louder and more menacing with every step.

Seriously, where'd that come from? I'm sounding like those narrator's in stories. Anyway, Uno and the others are now running away from the very angry stone guardian behind us.

"Are we sure this was a good idea?" Uno called, ducking under another archway.

"Do I look sure?!" Dos snapped, nearly tripping as she glanced behind them.

"It was either this or get flattened back there!" Tres added, clutching the ribbon they'd just found as if her life depended on it.

That guardian is probably running after the ribbon Tres just took from there. Will I tell them? Nope! Okay, maybe later.(*^▽^*)

You know what? I'm bored so let's be the narrator today!

Behind them, the massive stone statue squeezed through the passage, its glowing eyes casting a very long, eerie shadows across the uneven walls.

"Why is it still following us?!" Uno demanded, throwing a glare over her shoulder.

"Maybe it liked the way you looked at it," Dos shot back, panting.

"Or maybe it's just doing its job," I chimed in through the link, suppressing a laugh. "You did steal the ribbon there you know?"

Uno growled under her breath but didn't slow down.

The passage suddenly opened into a wide, vaulted chamber. Rows of smaller stone statues stood in perfect formation, their heads bowed in silent reverence. The air felt thick, like the room itself was holding its breath.

"Oh, great," Tres whispered. "This is definitely not creepy at all. Fuck."

Uno shot her a look. "Let's just keep moving before—"

Before she could finish, one of the smaller statues stirred. Its head lifted with a faint cracking sound, the glow of its eyes flickering to life.

"Oh, come on," Uno groaned.

The statue took a wobbly step forward, its stone limbs grinding awkwardly.

Another statue followed, then another, until the chamber was alive with very, very unsteady movement.

"They're waking up," Tres said, her voice shaking.

"They're falling apart," Dos corrected, watching as one statue tripped over its own feet and shattered a chunk of itself on the floor.

Another statue raised a spear—only for it to slip from its grasp and clang uselessly to the ground.

Uno blinked. "Are they... malfunctioning?"

Another statue attempted to advance but caught its foot on a crack in the floor, sending it face-first into the ground with a resounding thud.

Dos snorted. "This is embarrassing to watch."

Uno's jaw tightened. "Let's not wait around to see if they get their act together."

The clones bolted toward a massive door on the far side of the chamber. The statues, despite their clumsy movements, were determined to give chase.

One particularly ambitious statue climbed onto a fallen comrade, raising its fist triumphantly—only to immediately fall over.

"Is it bad that I kind of feel sorry for them?" Dos asked, dodging a half-hearted swipe from another statue.

"Yes," Uno said flatly. "Now help Tres with that door."

Tres was already examining the glowing symbols on the door's surface. "I think this is a locking mechanism, but using symbols. I think I can solve it, but it'll take a minute."

"We don't have a minute!" Uno snapped, glancing back at the stumbling horde of statues.

Dude, calm down.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one being chased by giant creepy statues!" Uno yelled back.

One statue, perhaps thinking it was more competent than the rest, managed to throw a chunk of debris towards them. It sailed harmlessly above their heads, crashing into a nearby pillar and sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"Nice aim," Dos said with a smirk. "Real threatening."

"Less commentary, more solving!" Uno barked, drawing her sword.

Ever wondered why these guys haven't been using their magic?

Well, I couldn't handle how smug they were when they didn't even help me clean Leah's house so I told them if they use magic on this excursion their gold coins would reduce by one. I said it in a playful way but I guess they took it seriously ╮(─▽─)╭

"I'm working on it!" Tres said, her fingers flying over the symbols.

The statues, undeterred by their earlier failures, were regrouping. One of them picked up the fallen spear and hurled it with all its might. It missed by several feet, clattering uselessly to the ground. The statue froze for a moment, then lowered its head as if ashamed.

Uno let out a disbelieving laugh. "We're being chased by the world's least competent guardians."

"Got it!" Tres shouted as the door finally clicked open.

The clones rushed through the opening just as the statues reached the threshold. But instead of following, they froze. Their glowing eyes dimmed, and they returned to their original positions, motionless.

"They stopped?" Dos asked, peering back into the chamber.

"Looks like they're only programmed to guard that room," Tres said, leaning against the wall to catch her breath.

Uno shook her head. "Good. I was getting tired of watching them trip over each other."

The new chamber was far larger, its walls lined with intricate carvings depicting ancient battles and celebrations. At the center stood an ornate pedestal, a glowing crystal sphere resting on top.

"This looks important," Tres said, approaching cautiously.

"Or cursed," Uno muttered, eyeing the sphere warily.

As Tres examined the pedestal, Dos noticed a familiar crest carved into its base—the same design as the ribbon they'd found earlier.

"This belonged to the duke's daughter," she said, tracing the crest with her fingers. "She was definitely here."

"But where is she now?" Tres wondered aloud.

Before anyone could answer, the crystal sphere began to glow brighter. Light swirled within it, turning into the image of a young woman with elegant features and a tattered gown. Her voice echoed faintly as the projection played.

"If anyone finds this…" she began, her tone urgent. "I'm trapped deeper within the ruins. The guardians won't let me leave. Please… help me."

That's weird. Why do I feel like all this is not a coincidence?

Hm...

The image flickered and disappeared, leaving the clones in stunned silence.

"Well," Uno said after a moment. "Looks like we've got our next objective."

"And probably more rocks to deal with," Dos added.

"Fuck. This is annoying." Uno said as she motioned for them to keep moving.

Tres nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Then let's not waste any time."

The clones pressed onward, leaving the chaotic chamber behind. Meanwhile, back in the wagon, I couldn't help but smile. Their adventure was only just beginning—and it was already proving far more entertaining than I'd hoped.

Little Theater:

Uno: If one more rock moves, I'm smashing it.

Dos: Bold of you to assume you can.

Uno: "...."