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The small audience chamber of the Museum of Natural and Cultural History was mostly full. A half circle of stadium like seats all circumvented a round platform topped with a simple desk and projector. In the chamber sat scholars and students of different races from all across the world of Terrarexia. The majority of them were the fox people, Vulpkin, their fur a multitude of colors with large ears and bushy tails, all discussing the latest gossip in the city of Brooktown. Some were Omokin, or humans as they liked to be called now, with dark skin and almond eyes all keeping to themselves and writing notes in their massive journals. Lastly, there were the few Giakin, a relatively rare people who look identical to the Omokin, but possess vast amounts of knowledge of the world of Terrarexia and live for hundreds of years. The Giakin were either making small talk with each other or the Vulpkin. Only two sat quietly, with disinterested looks on their faces.

Everyone here was waiting for one Giakin who said he had made the greatest discovery the world will ever know. Most who had heard this news would not believe it, and passed it off as some self important scholar with another eccentric claim. However, those who were truly academics of the world knew that this was news to take very seriously, for this Giakin was one Doctor Arvanis Arul, known famously for teaching students the mastery of Augury and being the paragon of all archaeologists. Of all the peoples in the room, two young Vulpkin sitting closest to the platform were especially anxious for the Giakin to make his presentation.

"Where is he Ferne?" whined the younger of the two. He was a scrawny Vulpkin of eleven years, easily the youngest of the small crowd in the chamber. His fur was a solid gray all over, with highlights of black on his hands, feet, ears, underside and tip of his tail. His tail twitched with impatience.

"I'm sure Dr Arul will be here soon Darwyn." answered the older Vulpkin patiently. She was the older sister of the young Darwyn at sixteen years of age. She had black fur all over, with highlights of white in the same pattern as her brother. "Maybe he's just getting some notes together or-"

The dull murmur of the audience chamber was now gone. Into the chamber came the single Giakin, with a muscular build, skin the color of copper and long black curly hair. He was wearing a formal dark brown coat with a green waistcoat and brown trousers. He walked casually up to the platform, his polished leather shoes lightly clacking on the granite marble floor. Carrying several folders with him he neatly placed them on the desk in the center of the chamber paying no mind to the silent audience. Opening one folder with clean and deft fingers, he spread some papers across the desk along with some small rectangular slides and looked them over briefly. He then turned his head upward, with a smile that exhibited confidence, to greet the audience.

"Good afternoon everyone, thank you for being patient and for joining me here today at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History here in Brooktown. I have come here today to share with you something that might very well change the way we think about each of our race's histories, the world itself and the future that we have yet to encounter." A small round of applause came from the audience, mostly from the Vulpkin and the majority of the Giakin, the rest watched in silence. "Every year, during the spring and summer months, I take expeditions across the known world to discover what I can about the primeval world we all originated from. This planet we coexist on is old, so old in fact that you need only to walk down the hall to see the exhibits of fossilized creatures that existed eons ago, some of which resemble ourselves in a... more feral state of being. While studying these fossils I found myself asking, if there is evidence of feral creatures that lived so many ages ago, could there not be remains somewhere on this planet of a civilization that thrived in that same era?"

A small murmur came from the audience. Ferne could hear some of it, mostly remarks of disbelief. A human scholar called out, his accent thick and strange to Ferne, "Doctor Arul, surely if there was a civilization of ancient beings that lived those millions of years ago, wouldn't the evidence of said beings have been found already?"

Another smile crept upon the Giakin's face as he answered. "A good question." He began to walk across the platform slowly and deliberately. "Archeology is a relatively new field of study in academia, at least in regards to how each of our race's now value it. I remember a little over a hundred years ago, colonization and the dominion of the Orchid Isles was all that the majority of the races cared about and very little interest was taken into education and understanding how the world worked..." He paused, gazing across the many faces that listened to him. "...unless it made the art of war more terrible. I don't think I need to remind anyone here about the way firearms have been drastically improved for the worst."

The Giakin looked back down at his notes on the desk. Ferne knew that Dr Arvanis Arul was close to two hundred and seventy eight years old, middle aged for Giakin standards, but that didn't stop him from often speaking like an old cautionary parent to his colleagues and students. Arul turned his head back up, "Colonization inevitably lead to small conflicts between the Vulpkin, Leokin and Omokin, seeing who could establish a larger presence in the Orchid Isles. Then all out war began between the Leokin and the Omokin and everyone was preoccupied with the rumors and the suspected outcomes of that war. Few individuals, save for a few Giakin like myself could do much to study in the field. War makes all nations suspicious, even to the point of doubting the good intentions of scientific expeditions." Arvanis began to slowly pace the platform again, hands folded behind his back. "It was only after the war had ended thirty years ago that there was a renewed interest in the study of the world, even more so in the study of the relics of the ancient past. Even today we are still discovering new antiquities going back thousands of years for each race, each relic speaking many tales, from old mythologies to the rise and fall of empires."

Arvanis then walked behind the desk, pulled out the leather lined chair and sat in it, it squeaked lightly in the silent chamber. He then looked at the papers he spread across the desk and continued his lecture. "This now leads me to discuss my most recent expedition this year, where I went into the Frozen Wastelands of the North." He then twisted a couple levers on the projector, and with a few mechanical clicks, a square of brass light shone on the bare wall behind him. Then he raised his hands to the walls of the audience chamber, flicked his wrists in a quick circular motion and the lights above the room became dark with only the brass square as a source of light. Everyone's attention was on the light and soon a coffee colored image was projected onto the wall. It roughly depicted a smiling Arvanis standing next to a large bear, an Ursakin, both were thickly bundled in warm clothing. They were in an icy field backed by massive mountains that went so far into the sky they disappeared into the clouds above.

"With help from a local family of Ursakin who knew the lay of the land, a team of colleagues and I were able to successfully move inland over inhospitable terrain in search of ancient ruins that I had heard were rumored to be in the region. Sadly our journey was not without several casualties. Many died from the cold, including our beasts of burden, making the passage between these mountains all the more difficult. Morale was very low, we were facing sheer cliffs and were buffeted by arctic winds, but on the eighth day of our long and arduous trek we happened upon this sight."

The picture on the wall changed from Arvanis and the Ursakin to a picture of a mixed group of Vulpkin, Giakin and Ursakin all looking at a massive stone spire piercing the sky. It was situated in a small valley amidst massive mountains covered in ice, their peaks well above the clouds. This caused a buzz in the audience, but Arvanis continued speaking above the chatter. "This spire was so alien in design that when we found it we all questioned whether or not we were hallucinating from the cold. Coming closer to the spire we were shocked to find that is was so flawless in its construction. Every surface was smooth and it seemed that there was little to no damage from the elements. Even more puzzling was the fact that not even snow or ice covered it."

A new projection showed a stone wall with shapes carved into it. "Inside the spire we found these hieroglyphs engraved onto every wall we came across." Arvanis then began changing the projections more frequently, showing the different rooms the expedition had explored in the spire. "Every room we entered was empty, no furniture, no bodily remains, no relics, nothing except for the shapes that were carved into each wall. There was something so... fascinating about these carvings, it felt as though they were trying to tell a story that I could not understand."

Ferne looked at the shapes that were being projected. She could understand what Dr Arul meant, for as foreign and strange the shapes were, they were so intriguing to stare at. Shapes both rigged and jagged intertwined with shapes that flowed and curved like the rivers near her home. The projection changed again to Arvanis standing in front of a wall up close, "I had spent many days trying to decipher the meaning of the hieroglyphs to little effect. Eventually through some odd compulsion of mine, I drew my finger across one of the shapes in the wall and it began to glow. After a short moment an entire line of shapes began to glow in a silver light, trailing out from the room I was studying in. I followed the glowing trail by myself up the stairs that coiled inside the spire, all the way to a massive chamber at the top. It was only after I entered the room that I noticed I was alone, save for a large obsidian statue in the center of the chamber standing on a ornately carved dais, I was quick to take a picture of this... statue."

A new projection showed the statue that Arvanis was talking about, and the murmur in the chamber returned. The statue was grotesque with proportions that Ferne had never seen before. What looked like arms crossed and appeared as if they fused with each other, with lengthy fingers slithering down the sides of a slender and knobby frame. The legs too looked like they crossed and they were fused at the joints, ending in two hooked points on the dais. A segmented tail wrapped around the waist and tied around the legs and ended like a third hook between the two foot hooks. Bat like wings spread wide and reached upward ending in points looking more like the antlers of an elk. Worst of all was the head. Fastened to the body on a thin neck, the lower jaw was open, needle like teeth curved out and downward, a thick tongue curled in the air, again ending in a hooked point. Above the jaws a bizarre skull seemed to split in two directions, revealing a singular eye, staring directly into the camera... staring directly at Ferne. It was making Ferne uncomfortable to look at something so... alien. No doubt that was how the rest of the audience was feeling.

"Dr Arul... what in the world is that thing?" called out a Vulpkin in the audience.

Arvanis turned the projector off, stood up and with the faint twisting of his wrists light came back to the chamber. He began to pace the platform again, "To be honest, I'm not too sure what that statue represents. It could be anything really, a mythological creature of some old story perhaps or maybe its an interpretation of a God of some kind. Judging by the looks of it, it could be a God of death or something of that nature. We might learn the answer to that question, and many more about the creators of that statue and structure in due time. It would be foolish _not_to investigate further into the understanding of this great civilization, especially since their technology is far beyond our own at this point in time."

That caught everyone in the room, including Ferne, off guard. The room was alive with everyone turning to each other and pondering out loud what Arvanis had meant by that statement. All the while the Doctor was leaning casually backwards and grinning. A loud and commanding voice echoed from the audience, another Giakin, bald and gray bearded. "Do you care to tell us what you mean Dr Arul, I would like for you to get to the point rather than stand there grinning whilst making outlandish claims." Ferne knew the Giakin who silenced the clamor in the audience chamber. His name was Juliantis Jaruk, who was a scholar like Arvanis and had eyes that could cut into you like sharp knives. He was much older than Arvanis and had little patience for the younger Giakin's casualness.

Arvanis chuckled a bit, "I'm glad to see that you are on the edge of your seat Juliantis." Some in the audience chuckled with Arvanis, but then he continued on, still smiling. "The point, as Juliantis desires, is that there was one relic I managed to obtain and bring back with me from the spire in the Frozen Wastelands. As I approached the horrific statue, I felt just the slightest pulse in the stone underneath my boots and a compartment beneath the statue revealed itself to me, as if it was anticipating someone would discover it. And what I found in that compartment took me by surprise, as it no doubt will surprise everyone here in this audience chamber."

Arvanis then reached into his left trouser pocket and pulled out a little orb no larger than a marble and clicked a small button on it. Immediately, to the disbelief of everyone in the audience chamber, a large silver light was cast from the orb and it formed the shape of a sphere large enough for everyone to see. It did not take long before Ferne could see the details in the light. It was a projection of the planet, Terrarexia. This was too much for the members of the audience, and everyone was shouting trying to have their question answered all at once.

"How does it work!?!" cried a Vulpkin.

"Is it an accurate projection!?!" shouted another.

"What else can it do!?!" yelled an Omokin.

With another click of the orb, a flashing red light appeared to contrast the silver orb. It was small as a pinpoint compared to the globe and it rotated with the glowing planet in the Southern Hemisphere, this curiosity calmed the ruckus in the chamber. "Now, can any observant scholar in this chamber tell me where that red dot is pointing us to?" asked the Doctor.

Ferne turned to see her younger brother call out: "That's Reliloess Dr Arul!"

Arvanis gave both Ferne and Darwyn an endearing smile. "Our youngest scholar here is correct! This light indeed is pointing to the land of the dinosaur people, Reliloess. It is telling us to go and see what other mysteries we might discover."

The audience chamber went eerily quiet. Juliantis spoke out, "Dr Arul you cannot be serious!" his voice had a hint of irritation to it. "Nobody other than the Saurkin themselves are allowed to go inland onto Reliloess. You of all people should know of the xenophobic nature of the Saurkin. They hate outsiders."

Arvanis clicked the small orb, the planet disappeared and he put the orb back in his pocket, then he turned his chin upwards at Juliantis, "Have you ever met a Saurkin before Juliantis?"

"Of course I have." sneered the older Giakin, by now everyone in the audience chamber was listening to the debate.

"How many times was that, and were you in Reliloess at the time?"

Juliantis took a moment to eye the younger smug Giakin with cold eyes. "Twice, and no, it was at the ports of Ji'quar."

Another grin crept onto Arvanis' mouth, "So you're telling me that in the four hundred odd years you have been living, you only met two Saurkin in the ports of Ji'quar? This is precisely why I believe now is the perfect time to initiate an expedition into Reliloess. We know so little about the Saurkin and even less about this ancient civilization. As this world grows smaller and smaller with the newfound technologies we create, why don't we seek to break down the cultural barriers between our races? Learn more about a people who know just as little about us as we know about them?"

"Because your idealistic vision of cooperating with the Saurkin is naïve of the fact that the dinosaur people are vastly different from the rest of the world. However, that argument is irrelevant compared to the true issue at hand." Juliantis stood up, inviting the rest of the audience to focus on him "As Dr Arul has discovered, there was once an ancient civilization that had technology that may very well outclass our own at this point. The device that Dr Arul brought back shows us that there might be another ruin for us to excavate, but what concerns me the most, is that there is advance technology that we know little about at this point, in the very heartland of a race who's very nature is self destructive and warlike. Who is to say that they would not take this technology, whether we tell them about it or they have found it already, and use it to devastating effect. Who is to say that the technology in Reliloess could be weapons that the Saurkin could use against each other, or even the other races?"

The audience chamber was alive with chatter again, everyone including Ferne were considering both perspectives, Darwyn just looked confused. Arvanis spoke up, "An interesting point Juliantis, a little xenophobic in itself, but something to consider. Tell me then, are you against going and finding out what lies in Reliloess?"

"Do not mishear me Arvanis." Juliantis seemed to be less irritated now that he was receiving some of the focus from the audience. "An expedition should be made, but it would require more subtlety than what you believe we should act with. The Saurkin might be off put by the arrival of a large force proclaiming to have found ruins of unimaginable technology, but a small team there to just 'survey the geography' would guarantee better results."

"There is truth in what you say Juliantis." Arvanis relented, "Is this your strange way of asking to be part of such a team?"

A sly grin then appeared on Juliantis' face. "I suppose it is Dr Arul, were we to work together as partners on this expedition."

"I would be honored." Juliantis then sat down and Arvanis turned to the rest of the audience. "Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a time of discovery. The world is waking into a new era, an era defined by those who discover, innovate, create, lead and conquer the resisting forces of ignorance, greed and violence. Within this new era, we shall all benefit from the secrets of an ancient civilization and with that, create a lasting era of peace and prosperity. Juliantis and I shall put together a team to go into the heart of Reliloess and be the first ones to discover more about this ancient civilization, and hopefully bring good tidings from the rest of the world to the Saurkin. Should any of you have questions for me, or wish to join us on this expedition please see me in my office down the hall. With all that said, thank you all for joining me here today." With that, the audience chamber erupted in applause as Arvanis gathered his notes and slides and made his exit.

...

It had been almost an hour since Arvanis had finished his presentation, and since then both Ferne and Darwyn were waiting in line with the other scholars to see the Giakin in his office. The idea of going on an expedition to Reliloess with Arvanis was exciting to Ferne, but Darwyn had his mind elsewhere.

"Common Ferne I want to see the fossils." Darwyn moaned. "You know we're going to have to leave when Dr Arul says so."

"We can look at the fossils later Darwyn, we need to tell Dr Arul we need to go with him." Ferne replied.

"He's not going to let us go with, you know." Darwyn looked away at a massive tapestry on the wall of the museum, an ancient thing that roughly depicted the continents of Terrarexia.

"We've been Dr Arul's students for six years now, I'm sure he'll let us go with him this time." Ferne explained. Ferne and Darwyn had always wanted to go with Arvanis when he traveled abroad during the spring and summer seasons, but the reason was always that they were too young to go with him. Ferne especially wanted to go because she had always wanted to discover new ruins and visit exotic locales. Her dreams were inspired by Arvanis' journals and lectures, vast desserts in the Leokin Kingdom of Javaad, the tropics of the Orchid Isles, even the mysterious conifer forests of Reliloess. To be a part of something bigger than her, to contribute to the discovery of an ancient race was too enticing for her not to try and convince Arvanis to let them go. "Besides, I think that Juliantis is bad news."

"How come?" asked Darwyn.

"He's jealous of Arvanis." Ferne said without a doubt. She looked around the museum hall, careful not to let anyone hear her. "He and Arvanis have always had some sort of rivalry between them, one trying to outdo the other. I wouldn't put it past him to do anything he could to take all the credit for this expedition."

"You think he'd kill Dr Arul?" Darwyn turned to look at Ferne, concerned with his ears down and back against his head.

"Think about it." Ferne said in an even more hushed tone. "Why else would he advocate for a small team and to be partners on this trip. Reliloess might be a very dangerous place and it wouldn't be hard to say he was killed by some disease or attacked by beasts. Plus, with a small team comes a smaller price for silence, they might even help-" Ferne caught herself as the door to Arvanis' office opened, and Juliantis himself walked out. His face was like stone and he gave the two Vulpkin a cold look for a brief moment before he walked down the hall. "You see what I mean, he's not one _I_would trust as a partner."

They walked into Arvanis' office and closed the door behind them. The office was small, but neat and organized. Two windows on the far side of the room offered a view of the capital city of Brooktown, a massive city that was built on both sides of the river Thorpe, linking the two nations of the Mulobos Empire and the Sovereign Lands. The light that poured in was a warm orange from the setting sun. In front of the windows was Arvanis, sitting at a large oak desk where he was writing in a large book. Arvanis looked up at the sound of the door latching and quickly smiled seeing the Vulpkin. "Kids! Have a seat." He gestured to the two plush leather chairs in front of his desk.

Ferne and Darwyn took their seats, Darwyn looked out at the city while Ferne looked Arvanis in the eyes. "That was a very nice lecture Doctor Arul." Ferne said sweetly.

Arvanis rested his chin on his hand and furrowed his brow. "Ferne?" he intoned.

"Sorry Doctor A-, Arvanis." Ferne turned her eyes away shyly.

The Giakin chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "Aw, you kids are too well-mannered. We've known each other too long for formality, plus I'm sick of people calling me Doctor." Arvanis leaned forward and went back to writing in his book. "So what are you two doing here, I thought you'd want to see the fossil exhibits before we went home."

"We want to go to Reliloess with you Arvanis." Darwyn blurted out.

Ferne turned her head sharply, "Darwyn!" she chided. She faced Arvanis again, "Please Doc- Arvanis, we could help you on this expedition, we aren't little children anymore. We can help you catalog your findings, carry your tools, cook your food-"

"We can protect you!" Darwyn shouted.

"Darwyn!"

Arvanis looked up from his book with a confused look. "Protect me? What from?"

"From Juliantis!" Darwyn shouted again.

"Darwyn!"

Arvanis looked from Darwyn to Ferne and smiled. "Juliantis?"

Ferne sat straight, doing her best to look professional. "We- I don't trust him Arvanis, I don't think he means to share the glory of this expedition with you. With the way he looks at everyone, you especially, I think he would be willing to kill you and make it look like an accident just to gain all the fame from your discovery."

Arvanis couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Juliantis is not the nicest looking Giakin, I know, but to kill me? Ha! He doesn't have it in him."

"But why would he want to go with a small team?" Ferne urged, trying to make Arvanis take their concerns seriously. "He could easily pay all the other members to keep quiet or to even kill you in your sleep. Please let us go with you, you've taught us so much in the use of Augury, we could protect you."

"Please Arvanis" Darwyn echoed. Both the Vulpkin were looking at Arvanis with a longing but defeated look in their eyes.

Arvanis sighed, closed his book and stood up. He then beckoned the Vulpkin to stand up as well and started walking them towards the door. "Look, you know I appreciate your guys' concern, but I will be fine, really. I've been halfway around Terrarexia and have met many more threatening forces than Juliantis. If I was so naïve as Juliantis thinks I am, I wouldn't be as old as I am now." They were at the door now. "We will talk about this more on our ride home, but until then don't worry about me and go have fun in the museum, okay?" Arvanis gave both Ferne and her brother a tight hug and opened the door for them. With a gentle nudge they were out of the office, "I'll come find you when it's time to go." and Arvanis closed the door.

Ferne looked at her brother, he was obviously upset and trying to not let it show. His ears were down low. Ferne herself was disappointed too, but she didn't want Darwyn to feel any worse. She then forced a smile, "Hey, you want to go see those fossils?"

That immediately started to cheer Darwyn up, which made Ferne feel much better. "Heck yes!"

Ferne then ruffled the top of her little brother's gray head and teased "Race you." They then ran off down the hallway to look at the fossil exhibits.