Lost Temple

I walked out of the starport and waved down a personal transport. I set my heavy bag on the other seat and sat back after telling the driver where to go. A life time ago, before I had made a name in the Space Marines I had studied to become an alien archeologist. When I walked into the small shop the Amer shopkeeper turned and hissed, “Tamerlin!”

I grinned and dropped the bag to catch him as he rushed across the shop to embrace me. I swung him around and set him down on his feet, “it has been awhile Hess.”

He turned and waved around the shop, “my shop is yours.”

I clapped his shoulder, “I am going out to look for Amerish.”

Hess turned to look at me, “Amerish is lost.”

I nodded, “that is what everyone thinks. I spent a few months on Rish studying the old temples.”

He looked into my face, “we do not worship anymore.”

I shook him, “I know my friend but your people once did.”

I looked around the shop, “did you get a large crate?”

Hess turned, “yesss. I was going to open it when I saw your Glyph.”

I looked towards the front of the shop as the door opened and two large furred Erusiods walked in. I absently used my foot to push my bag aside. Hess bowed, “I am sorry gently beings but I am just closing.”

The larger greyish one growled, “permanently.”

Hess hissed and seemed to shift away from me. I shook my head, “I think you should reconsider and leave before you are damaged.”

The younger Erusiod moved towards me and reached out. I moved to one side as I brushed his arm aside. I turned and kicked across to shatter his far knee and spun as the other one roared and rushed. I dropped onto my back and let the rushing Erusiod hit my cocked legs. My legs were slammed back and I grunted as the bearish being reached for me.

I rolled back as I kicked out and it went over me and I went with it. I came down straddling its chest and struck down into its throat. The other Erusiod screamed as Hess hit it with a shock stick. I rolled to the side and came to my feet as the larger one thrashed around choking. I kicked its leg, “calm down. I did not hit you hard enough to kill.”

It was a minute before it growled and started to move. I shook my head and snapped a kick down and out. The being roared as my kick broke its wrist. Hess hit it with his shock stick before dancing back. The other one was curled around itself as his body tried to recover from the induced trauma the stick had caused. A moment later several Amer males rushed into the shop and Hess turned to talk to them.

I relaxed and waited as they moved forward to grab the two Erusiods and pull them out. I moved over and bent to grab my bag, “my crate Hess?”

He grinned and I smiled even though the rows of sharp teeth always made me nervous. He turned to the back and gestured for me to follow. The crate was sitting beside a large back door in a room that was semi dark and cave like. I checked it before breaking the seal and opening it. I pulled out the large bore rail pistol and the thigh holster. I checked it carefully as always and then put the belt and holster on.

I pulled out the long energy knife before placing it on my left thigh. Next was the short elegant looking rifle. I checked it before reaching into the crate for the large pack. I attached the rifle to the pack before standing, “thanks Hess. May your nest hold and keep your eggs safe.”

He bowed, “hunt well Tamerlin.”

I slipped the pack over one shoulder before leaving. I took another personal transport and rented a small sturdy bush hover jeep. Most of the planet was overgrown jungle with scattered ruins to show where a once powerful race had once lived. I knew just as every alien archeologist knew that their empire had died over a civil war about hatching practices.

It took a month of traveling to reach what had been a huge city. Not much showed above ground but low crumbled stone buildings. I was not worried about what was above ground even though all of the experts said that was where everything was. I carefully drove through tall stone walls and into a seemingly empty area. This was the exact center of the city.

Other archeologist had been here and said there was nothing that told them the name of the city. Not far away was several intricate buildings that stretched into the sky. I knew they were call the singing towers and somehow still had power signatures, even after five thousand years.

If they followed the pattern I had seen on Rish they might be the royal quarters or the palace. I looked around carefully before pulling the rifle off the pack and putting the pack on. I turned at the rustle of under brush and lifted the rifle in time to kill a huge rushing king lizard. They were a five meters long and two wide with a mouth full of what looked like sharks teeth.

These had once been pets and now they were one of the most dangerous creatures on Amer. It thrashed around and convulsed as it died. I pulled out several large gourds filled with what archeologists call plasma juice. It was from the sap of a pungent tree and was extremely flammable. It burned at almost three thousand degrees but took extreme heat to light.

I shouldered the straps and started moving towards the center of the walled in area. I was very careful and had to move around several deadly snakes or seeming snakes. When I reached the area I wanted, I began to sprinkle the plasma juice around. I covered a wide area before pulling a flare from my pack. I moved back as I pulled the starter and tossed the flare.

At first nothing happened and I heard movement behind me. Another king lizard came out just as the plasma juice ignited and the whole area exploded in flame. There is not many fires in a thick jungle like this one but every animal feared fire and the huge lizard was no exception. It spun and fled as the flames leaped higher and the heat reached out.

I continued to move back as everything around where I had poured the plasma juice was reduced to ash. When the fire finally died I moved forward and started brushing several millennium of dirt away. It took several hours before I had a huge circle of stones with what looked like a square in the center. I pulled four tiny sonic charges from my pack and placed them on each corner.

I moved back into the jungle and waited. A few minutes later a shattering explosion rippled through the jungle and quieted everything. I walked back to the circle of stone and looked down a stairway littered with broken stones. I carefully moved over the shattered stones, (breaking a bone here could be fatal.) Once I was clear I pulled a head band out of my pack, it had a tiny but powerful light on the front.

I put it on and adjusted the light before moving down the stairs. When I stepped off the stairs I was surprised. Indirect lighting sprang up and a hissing voice demanded my name and family clan.