'The Missing Explorers'. An Essay for Joseph d'Azor: Chivalry Trial for Knight-hood.

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Karl’s Essay for Joseph d’Azor

 

On a cold, windy and dusky night, I, Karl Ruslan Amador, made my way through the sandy depths of Suitica, following the map that Joseph d’Azor had provided myself with. I have also brought along my trusted companion and back ride, Boris, the cow that acts like a horse! I stepped onto the stirrup that was attached to Boris’s saddle upon the Cow’s back as we settled downward towards the South West of the main channel of the Southern Continent. Boris and I went through Mountain terrains of the sort, white sand that covered old, green, dirted grass. Before Boris and I left, I made sure to keep myself fully supplied with daily dosages of food, water and of course, goats milk! In fact, I made sure that the satchel carried first aid, just in case my adventurous self - or Cow needed it. We were ready to embark on the journey as we drifted through the sandy depths, down towards the sandy ruins that were displayed on the map.

 

A few solid days later, I felt fully rested and Boris did too! If I ran out of water, I gathered up some cactus and sliced up part of the cactus. I skewered through the contents of the cactus for the water that would suffice both myself and Boris’s needs; worst case scenario I would need to boil into a kettle of water and eat it. Killing a variety of animals that were within the wildlife of the desert, we had reached a ravine in the desert for Boris that had greenish grass since Boris was a vegetarian! It was the best of both worlds! I gathered pieces of brownish wood from the trees that were implanted in the soil of the ravine, thus making a great place to stay for the night. The next morning, we were on our merry way towards the Ruins - upon the coords that were given to us on the map, we will be there by today.

 

The day when we arrived at the ruins, I was astonished by the remains of the Ruins itself. The ruins seemed very colorful with pale red terracotta, yellow terracotta and purple-ish terracotta filled up the depths of the Ruins with different assortment with color - covered in sand which was covered by possible frequent, regular sand storms? The place had an abandoned well in the center of it, crypts of some sort towards the left which displayed an old throne room. When I entered the throne room, it seemed the sand and the unknown material from the ceiling collapsed upon the throne room - it seemed that Pharaohs lived here - a King and a Queen perhaps - with people - just like Karosgrad is now - perhaps an old city at one point in time? The greyish pillars that were holding up the material and boulders from the above ceiling still remained intact - truly astounding from the looks of it. Showcasing intricates of fabulous assortment of textures and stone cuts within the ‘Unknown Palace’ at the top of the ceiling - it was purely dark. 

 

When I walked out towards the center of the ruins, I could feel the gusty wind going through my armor, wind blowing through my brownish locks. The sound of wind echoing throughout the vast depths of the Ruins were heard, whistles of gusts making a fine tune through my ears. As I made through the sandy center, I came across a staircase - covered from mounds of sand. When making footprints through the staircase itself, I was intrigued by how deep my foot went through the sand. Though, I was able to make it up the white, yellowish sand before me. As I made it up the staircase, I saw a room filled with the same yellowish sand that I found throughout the center near the well. I found something indeed quite odd about this sand.. Old maroon, red blood and old skeletons within the mounds of sand, and daggers with intricates displayed filled the hilt and also the same map that Joseph d’Azor had provided me with. There was another skeletal figure that had an artifact in his hand, it seemed to be some sort of old jewelry necklace from perhaps the Pharaoh Queen? It was still gold with five brown amulet gems with intricates in the middle - a brownish gem? It seems that Joseph d’Azor’s explorers were either caught in a really bad sand storm - or perhaps a creature with wicked strength had done this? A spirit of some sort? I decided to grab a hold of the amulet myself and place it into my satchel.. Something strange was just about to happen..

 

When I buried my leathered gauntlets through the sand, I noticed one of the explorers wielded his sword - same with the other explorer that still wielded his dagger in his white, skeletal hand. Why were they wielding swords and a dagger in the first place? When I kept on digging and digging, I heard a hissing sound from behind me. When I slowly turned my head around, armor clunking and creaking as I turned, mounds of snakes crept up through the huge cracks of the fallen, sand dune wall. Slithering things, Snakes, I believe they were called that were about twenty feet in length, had the red head of a cobra the size of my body- a Pharaoh headed looking snake, thick rounded black skin and huge fangs that were the size of my hands. Before they were able to get to my destination in the room, they slizzered their way towards me. When I made my way on the stirrup of the saddle that was strapped on Boris’s saddle - a loud boom was heard from the Throne Room. I took out my whip and slapped Boris on the behind as the Cow squirmed his way upward, A Large Pharaoh King peaked out of the Throne Room with immense aura around him. I kept drifting away and away, loud booms were still being heard from the cavern of the Ruins but Boris and I kept striding our way towards Oren.

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Joseph d'Azor finally received the report with a nod "This squire has the thanks of His Imperial Majesty and the Empire. These explorers might rest easy now..."