01-05. Jungle Ruins: Part 1This story line features
CravenLestat's Jungle Ruins community lot.
Early one morning after breakfast, Keaunu and Maria started talking. They weren't getting any younger--well, ok, so they'd eaten a few Life Fruits, but those hardly counted. The point was, the two were anxious to tackle their Bucket Lists. It was a beautiful day in Sunlit Tides. No better time than now to start their quests!
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Maria: Why don't we begin by exploring that beach cave everyone's talking about? I heard they finally got the door unsealed, but the city council is telling folks to stay clear. What do you think?
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Keaunu: Those danger warnings are nonsense. The Power People just want all the treasures for themselves! I say we beat them to the punch! You game, girl?
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Maria: Always! Let me pack some food, and then I'm good to go.
Keaunu: And I'll get our first aid kit ready. ... Yahoo!
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Keaunu and Maria bicycled down the road to a hidden beach area. The ruins were just as intriguing as they anticipated. The place wasn't completed deserted either. A few brave souls had come out to take a look.
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But Maria and Keaunu were the first to step through the entrance. There were a few torches set up, but the room was dark and mysterious. Had this been an ancient temple once long ago?
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The first thing Maria wanted to check out was the strange well. She dove in without a thought to what lay below. Lucky for her, she came up with a nice collection of loot. Keaunu also found some loot in a nearby chest.
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After climbing down the ladder to an underground level, Maria worked at clearing a doorway while Keaunu practiced meditating. Maria knew he was just brooding, but she never corrected him about that.
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Excited to see what she could find in this new crypt area, Maria triggered a fire trap set in the floor!
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But her dear friend was prepared and pulled out the fire extinguisher he'd packed.
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Maria was saved from certain death, but she needed to cool down and wash off. She headed back upstairs for another dip in the well.
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By that time, Keaunu was hacking away at another blocked door. While a local teen sat at a nearby table and watched what they were doing, Maria took a break to eat and recover her strength.
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She needed it because as Keaunu ate his own dinner, Maria triggered yet another floor trap! This time it was electrical. Back to the well to heal her poor, tortured body!
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Meanwhile, long-buried crypt ants found their picnic, so they packed all their food away.
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This level offered a comfortable bed--perfect for a much-needed nap. So they didn't have to use sleeping bags.
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When they woke up, Keaunu and Maria tried to disarm the traps, but they couldn't figure out how to turn them off, even after listening to Logic podcasts on their MultiTabs.
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Giving up on the traps, the pair climbed down to the next level. Maria found a hidden switch and turned it. She didn't realize that it opened a mummy's sarcophagus!
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The Ancient Guardian fell instantly in love with Maria, but he still had a job to do--guard the crypt's treasure!
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Maria wasted no time. Catching the mummy by surprise, she lunged first!
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The battle was fierce!
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The outcome uncertain.
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But in the end, Maria prevailed ... this time.
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She watched in shock as the mummy disappeared into a whirlwind of dust.
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Maria wondered sadly if this romantic mummy had sacrificed himself to let her win. She would never know.
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