All that is gold does not glitter [Treasure hunt]

[Joseph Alvarez]

POKEMON

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'Why in Arceus are we coming down here again? Why? Wasn't this idiot halfway killing himself one time enough?'

Siegfried lamented as Jaeger barked at him in annoyance. 

'Dude, I wasn't half dead, c'mon! Now you're just playin' dramatics!' 

There was a sharp jerk which silenced both of them as Joseph jumped down the last couple of feet to kick up a cloud of dust, and when it had finally receeded, they were treated to the sight of the underground system's vast network of tunnels which were eyed with trepidation and curiosity both. 

"Don't suppose they had a city built down here eh?" 

The ex-con said to no one in particular as he set down the Growlithe and the Ralts before stripping off his jacket and tying it around his waist. Digging was doing to be messy bussiness, and this time he was a little better prepared as he thumbed the edge of a small pick and shovel which were attached to the loops of his belt. 

"Fuck knows what they got waiting tobe uncovered, but we're gonna find out. I know it ain't training, homies but---" 

He knelt down to their level, drawing a set of precious stones out of the satchel tied to his waist which he revealed to the motley group of Pokemon who gathered around bright-eyed with interest. Each one had been carefully looped in wire and attached to thin leather straps to make pendants which gleamed in the darkness of dusk.

"---If it buys me these, and I know the kind of power they wield to make the lot of you stronger, it's worth the time and the risk. There's one for each of you. Dusk--" 

He slung the first one, a deep purple stone around Gambit's neck as the Murkrow kraaah'ed in gratitude, pecking experimentally on the mineral's smooth surface. 

"Fire---" 

The second was wrapped around Jaeger's neck and he made sure the knot was tied firm given how rambunctious the Growlithe was. 

"Shiny---" 

Adirael's chest fluff almost engulfed the stone which was placed upon her chest, yet in the midst of pristine white feathers it shone like a small star. 

"And Dawn."

At this the Ralts blinked confusedly and pointed at himself in question, more so when he saw the jade-like stone in rich green hues that was held out to him and Joseph was silent as he crept a bit closer so he could wrap it around the fairykitten's neck. 

The alarmed bristling of the creature's fur finally relaxed as the ex-con finally stood up and dusted his hands, giving the four Pokemon time to study the stones before speaking up. 

"Consider 'em team gifts. I started out with the four of you, be nice to have a little reminder where we came from on bad days. If you're lookin' for hugs and kisses and sweet nothings in comfort, this ain't the place but if you're lookin' for some place you can belong, maybe a second chance at some old demons, we're all in the same ship here, damaged goods and all."

The Murkrow was quiet as he flapped up to Joseph's shoulder to perch there, nibbling affectionately at the man's ear as rough hands scooped up the hooting owl chick who was still too young to fly and found herself tucked down the front of the black tanktop he man wore.
Jaeger had already darted ahead into one of the tunnels, excitedly yarking for them to follow in his stead. 

In their shadows as they disappeared after the energetic pup however was the Ralts who was slow, absentmindedly so in his paces as he held the Dawn stone in his paws and examined it closer. 
The former criminal had given him a gift. 
The former criminal whom he had been assigned to watch, who he had been told explicitly to not trust because you didn't have the luxury of fully  trusting people who had skeletons in their closets like this one. 

Why was this given to him? What was the man playing at? 
The kitten's eyes grew hard as he dropped the stone and allowed it to lazily hang off his neck once more like a collar, his footsteps quickening to catch up with the group just as the tunnels came to life with light from a torch that Jaeger had helped ignite, throwing stark shadows across old walls adorned with mosaics from an age long forgotten.

What, did the ex-criminal think that his trust could be bought? 
That was it, wasn't it? Of course, it made perfect sense. 

'You really think I'm that naive?'
Siegfried spat out quietly as the Dawn stone swung gently back and forth from the string. 

'I won't play your games, conman.'

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[Lich]

Dig Dig Dig . . .  What's this?!
Congratulations, You've found RELIC CROWN!
A crown made in a civilization about 3,000 years ago. A maniac will buy it for a high price or you could crown yourself king.

( Post a Mod Summons to exchange this for •30 )

[Joseph Alvarez]

Curse of the ancients

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The walls shook for a bit, dust falling from the ceiling as Adirael's eyes glowed a bright blue and several chunks of masonry were telepathically torn out from the tunnel, revealing what looked like an array of broken pottery pieces which jutted out from the dirt and it was here that the ex-con got to work, heaving a pick-axe to pull back a section of weather mosaic with hieroglyphs vaguely similar to Unowns. 

The thought that there might be such creatures haunting these tunnels had occurred to him yet were blithely pushed to a side from sheer determination to unearth whatever was down here that relic hunters might now have made away with just yet. 

"Aight Jaeger, put those paws to work and see if you can dig me out somethin' good eh?"

With the torch safely tethered to a section of wall adjacent to the one they were digging through, the grunts and growls of work began to echo through the caverns as the Togepi hooted lightly and sat down to catch a nap next to the bag off supplies that Joseph had cast aside to get down and dirty in soil and grime layered over centuries. This was certainly better than the smokey, questionable atmosphere of the bar her master frequented even if it was tiring work. 

There was a pause and a moment of silence however as the metal tip of the pickaxe struck something hard which didn't sound like metal or rock and Jaeger's ears perked up as the pup pawed insistently at the spot, digging harder and harder as though possessed. 

"What you got there boy? Another one o' those pretty stones maybe?" 

Joseph inquire eagerly, using his hands to filter through the dirt when Jaeger snapped his teeth around something and determinedly dragged it to where the light was and immediately the ex-con felt his blood go cold. 

It was the bottom half of a jaw. A human jaw. Had they accidentally unearthed part of a burial ground?

"Fuckin' Arceus---" 

There was a loud caw from the Murkrow who fluttered down and scratched at the soil as well, beak dislodging what looked to be an old crown of some sort which would have been an excellent find and a perfect gift for his daughter had it not also been for the fact that the same movement shook loose an entire skull which ominously rolled towards his feet, coming to a gentle stop at his boots to grin wickedly at him with lidless eyes. This was no doubt the former owner of said crown and certainly less charming than the little lady he'd hoped to give it to. 

Not a second passed when the torch suddenly went out, plunging them all into darkness as Adirael cried out in fear and the Ralts screeched noisily somewhere in their vicinity.
For a moment none of them stirred and Joseph could feel something gently blowing in his locks---how was there wind down here?--almost like the tender caress of ghostly fingers on the nape of his neck and he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath to regulate his heartbeat---he'd read about the curses in old tombs, oh god oh god----before gritting his teeth and flashing them open again. 

Ghosts could fuck off and stay dead. He was a single father and a trainer looking to make a living. 

"Jaeger, mind givin' us some light man?" 

The glow of embers was faint at first within the fire sac of the pup who'd taken in a deep breath and seemed to be holding it, and it went out every time he exhaled but the more he inhaled, the brighter the pit of embers grew, so much so that Joseph could see his internal organs and ribs warmly lit by it and it was just enough for him to dash for the torch and not a moment too soon; The Growlithe looked ready to explode with his effort at holding in his breath. 

"Let it all out buddy. Like blowin' out ninety-nine candles on a cake." 

FWAAAHHHHHH!
A violent jetstream of flames burnt the tip of the torch, turning the sand underneath it to glass from the sheer intensity of the heat and once more shadows flickered on the walls, dancing a strange, grotesque dance with each flicker. 
The skull was still at his feet and Joseph defiantly smirked back at it before kicking it aside like a football....right where Gambit had been five minutes ago. 
He's been right there. 

"Gambit? You down there?" 
The man's deep baritone reverberated deeper into the caves, and he swore he could have heard the whisper of something in the distance. Primal instincts send off red flags that following the sound wasn't the wisest idea when it came to self-preservation, but the Murkrow had gone somewhere and it certainly wasn't back. 

The apprehensive stares of his team told him they shared the same reservations though Jaeger at least shared his foolhardy nature as well as he saw the Growlithe bark into the darkness, seemingly calling out for the Krow as well. Fear was natural, but that was their comrade and he wasn't about to leave the avian's fate to chance after speaking of how they were supposed to act as a unit less than half an hour ago.

"C'mon." 
He picked up the torch and heaved up his bagpack, taking Addie into the crook of an arm, noticing the Ralts clinging like a child at his feet but making nothing of it. 

"Picked a strange time and a bad place to disappear on us, the old fuck, but we're gonna find him aight?" 

The skull and crown were abandoned in their wake; For now, more pressing matters were at hand. 
Wherever the bird was, hopefully he was out of harm's way. 

"If Indy Jones is anythin' to go by watch where you step---could be traps around here and when I say what's in here could be worth an arm and a leg, best bear in mind I ain't mean that literally." 

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[Hanelli]

Dig Dig Dig . . .  What's this?!
Congratulations, You've found Sablenite!
Turn that hoarder into a stalwart defender.

[Joseph Alvarez]

Last Rites

[/i]and clacked his beak shut, ruby-red eyes peering around in the darkness for the presence of something unwanted.
His kind could sense them. Ghosts. Restless spirits.
He'd sensed it since they first stepped into the tunnels yet the most that had manifested were small, childlike whispers in a language long extinct while he couldn't understand, yet they weren't malevolent.
Curious, annoyed at the disturbances and made of mischief perhaps, but none with the red flag of being particularly murderous though that one of them had plunged the entire tunnel into darkness made him wonder if his previous judgement had been correct.

'We mean you no harm.'
He cautiously cawed out further into the tunnel where the presence seem to become stronger.

'Is there something you wish to tell us?'

There was something there---something calling out to him and he found himself drawn to it like a moth to a flame as the soft clatter of claws took flight and he spread his wings to gently soar towards it.
It didn't seem dangerous. Lonely perhaps.
Joseph's voice seemed so faraway, and he could vaguely make out that the man was calling out for him but he was....so close...

The tromping of boots and paws down the tunnel and flickering light from the torch filled the narrowing corridor as Jaeger's barking echoed into the deep recesses of the underground system that led to places unknown, and Joseph took in a deep breath as he looked behind for a moment to see if they were being followed before pressing on.

"Shoulda' bought a ball o' yarn with me. Ever heard of the story of Perseus and the MinoTauros?"
The ex-con casually jibed, attempting to bring some levity to the situation as Siegfried and Adirael peered up at him curiously.

"Great old Sootopolisian hero from a time long gone. He had ta hunt down this monster they kept feeding people to. Head of Tauros. Body of a dude about ten feet tall and jacked up on steroids. The king kept it locked up in a labyrinth. Huge-ass maze you could get lost in for days. Weeks maybe. And no one was able to find their way out. Enter this motherfucker, Perseus."

There was a soft hissssssss as groundwater from above dripped onto the torch and Joseph stopped for a moment to mark an arrow in the dirt pointing to the tunnel behind them as they approached a crossroads before looping the end of a rope around a jagged piece of stalagmite and securing it. 

"Did the obvious no one ever thought about. Got him some string, tied one end to the entrance, then kept laying it down further and further he went in towards the lair'o the beast so he wouldn't get lost. Figured that once he killed the sumbitch, ain't no dyin' because he starved to death not findin' his way out y'know?" 

Siegfried raise both eyebrows and tilted his head to a side in a reluctant show of approval as he held n to the rope that trailed Joseph down to the second tunnel where Jaeger had barreled down into seconds ago. 

"Man, slow the fuck down you ain't carrying supplies on your back!" 
Joseph called out after him exasperatedly as he quickened his pace before the tunnels rang with him calling the Murkrow's name once more. 

"Gambit! You goddamned featherduster you better be down here or it's nothing but crackers for a week you hear me?!"

KRAAAAHHHHH

For a second, the whole team stopped in their tracks as Joseph licked his lips in trepidation and Jaeger's cropped ears swiveled sharply to the front to ensure they were hearing what they were hearing. 

"4-1-9"

 The clicks and craws all but confirmed it and Joseph's mad dash further down into the darkness was hastened by the series of numbers the Krow had spelled out. He'd been against the force and on the force long enough to know what they meant and it wasn't long before they came across a chamber, and at the very end of it, a familiar feathery shadow with blood-red eyes who peered at them through the darkness intelligently. 

'You old moron! The hell possessed you to go out on your own like that, coulda gotten yourself hurt!' 
Jaeger snapped at the Murkrow even as he bounded over to lick the avian's crest as Gambit's head all but disappeared into his neckfeathers in an attempt to back away from the dog's slobbering show of affection. 

'I wasn't possessed you idiot. I was called here.' 
said the bird frankly as he hopped over to what looked like the desiccated, mummified remains of a man, around the same age as the raven-haired one who looked over the jutting rib bones with a combination of dread and wonderment both. Next to him were the bones of something that bore long claws and a gremlin-like physiology with eyesockets the size of tennis balls which were far too large for the skill. 

'By them.'

He turned his attention to Joseph, flapping onto the man's shoulder as he held out something in the clutches of a foot which he dropped into the man's open hand when prompted. 
It was a stone. Similar to the ones they'd found before, but dusty and aged though that did nothing to hide the rich, smoky gleam within. 

"....You found this on 'em?" 

There was a nod from the bird as the clicks and dashes spouted out of his throat once more. 

"T-A-K-E"

"You sure I ain't gonna be cursed or summat?" 

'P-R-E-S-E-N-T." 

This made his eyes grow wide as he looked at the stone, the creature who was beginning to resemble a dead Sableye in his mind and the Krow once more. 

"....Why?" 

The Murkrow's gaze grew melancholy as he fluttered off to perch on the dead man's remains and bobbed his head. 

"T-A-K-E H-O-M-E."
Came the simple reply as realization began to dawn on the ex-con's features. 

"W-A-N-T G-O H-O-M-E." 

He finally shifted, though his treatment of the skeleton was far gentler than the lone grinning skull he'd kicked aside before as he pulled out a travelling blanket from inside his bag to wrap around the remains, noticing something that resembled locket held tight in the grip of one bony hand. 
Whispering his apologies, he managed to pry it open to reveal a family; A husband with the Sableye perched mischievously on one shoulder, a wife and a child held tenderly between them. 
Whenever it was that he died, the thought had suddenly occurred to him, he could only hope that he'd be found and laid to rest rather than have his child wonder in anguish and cling to false hope for years rather than move on. 

The Sablenite was pocketed without a second thought as he heaved the man's skeleton into his arms and whistled for Siegfried and Jaeger's attention. 

"You two, help me carry that one out." 
He gestured towards the Sableye's bones as Siegfried wordlessly whipped up a telekinetic wave to pick up what he could in the jumble and the Growlithe carefully fit whatever he could in his jaws. 

"Search's done for the night. Let's get these guys home." 

Taking the Sablenite! Thank you!

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