Drip...Drip...Drip...Drip...

      Drip...drip...drip.. drip… The cold, unrelenting stone on which he laid sapped all warmth and cut a chill to his bones. Exhaustion ravaged his mind and body. Was this it? Was this the end?

      Drip...drip...drip...drip… His lantern had long since run dry and with it the last vestiges of hope. Hope? The word no longer had meaning. All that was left was the slow, agonising wait.

      Drip...drip...drip...drip… Shifting his weary body, he jostled the canteen resting at his foot. Long bereft of any life-giving liquid, the metal container scraped along the uneven floor. "Skrrrrrt!" The piercing sound cut to his core as it echoed through the passageway. As the ringing subsided, the silence enveloped him once again. Silence. Silence, except for that constant repeat. This incessant and cruel tease to his parched maw was slowly aiding his descent into despair.

      Drip...drip...drip...drip… How long before he could no longer fight off the urge to drink the tainted effluent? Foolish though it may be. Foolish? Foolish? How foolish they had been. The lure of treasure vast and wealth untold would be their demise. Five they had been when the journey began. Now he was all that was left. Alone. Was he lucky or cursed? It certainly felt like the latter.

      Drip...drip...drip...drip… All had heard tell of the legend of the deserted tomb at the heart of the lost city. Though few had dared trespass among the ruins and fewer still had returned. Their reckless bravado had trumped their fear, and caution was thrown to the wind. Oh, what fools we were, he now lamented.

      Drip...drip...drip...drip… Geraptiku. Even the name was enough to elicit nervous chills in most folk. From giant snakes to ghostly apparitions, there was no shortage of tales linked to this mysterious lair. Who would have thought its true danger lay in the mundane.

      Drip...drip...drip...drip… In the end, it was neither ethereal spectre nor corporeal monster that had been their undoing. It was the tangled labyrinth. A spider's web of catacombs. Each passageway seemingly identical, no discernible difference from the last.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… All for nought, his rumination began anew. A life dedicated to this endeavour, uncounted years spent in pursuit of its secrets. He had delved among the stacks of the greatest libraries of Neopia. He had petitioned collectors of all descriptions and devoured the volumes within their hidden troves.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… Be it book, tome or scroll, his relentless pursuit had known no bounds. Sadly this voracious consumption had borne more than just knowledge. Arrogance. That callous deceiver of even the most learned. Its poisonous roots had grown deep within.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… Only now, shrouded in this tomb of murk, did he realise the extent to which he had been compromised. Rash decisions had precipitated questionable actions whose consequences were now coming to fruition. I am the architect of my own demise, he mused.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… He cursed himself. All the knowledge in the world could not save him from his plight. This unbridled hubris had cost him his life and more than likely the lives of his companions as well. He could not decide if it was better or worse that he did not know their true fates. Though not related, they were the closest thing to a family he had. A tear formed on his eye's edge.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… A motley crew they were. A pompous scholar, two ferocious mercenaries, a wizened cook and a shady antiquities dealer. From the outside, they may not have appeared to be beacons of virtue and righteousness, but as they say, looks can be deceiving.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… They were brave and noble and generous, and above all else, they were loyal. Through thick and thin, this ragtag bunch had stuck together. Although never having had a real kin for comparison, he knew in his heart what this bond was. A dull ache now ate at his chest as he imagined their smiling faces. The pain of loss. An avoidable loss and the guilt of responsibility. Perhaps this ending was the universe getting retribution for his carelessness. Perhaps he deserved it.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… Gloom permeated his thoughts now. Darker than even the pitched nothingness that surrounded him. Had I not been so cavalier, none of this would have transpired. Foolhardy was my belief that I was superior to those who had come before. Foolhardy? No, ignorant. Ignorant like a child who does not understand their choices. No, not like a child. Like a buffoon who truly believes their own delusions of grandeur. Tears flowed freely now. Sobs racked his taxed frame. I'm sorry, he thought. I'm so sorry.

      Drip…drip…drip…drip… Time slid past as his mind wandered in and out of consciousness. Terrible nightmares filled with unspeakable horrors assailed him. He could hear someone screaming in the distance as the ghastly visions flooded past one by one. "I'm here", he yelled, "I'm sorry". But not a sound was heard. Faster and faster, these manifestations whirled as he sank further and further into the void. Drip…drip…drip…Eep!..

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!... A jolt of pain split the dark miasma. Another, sharper this time. And again. Waves like electricity rolled over him. Awareness began to cascade back. Form and feeling rose up to greet his previously empty mind. With a sudden explosion, all cognition returned. Eyelids fluttered as pain, exhaustion, thirst, hunger, and despair all alighted anew. Slowly his swollen eyes cracked. Darkness, depthless as before and yet…he sensed something different. Breath steadying, his raw hands pushed his frail frame upwards. Braced against the unforgiving passage wall, he tried to place this subtle change.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. The same maddening trickle as before. Why was he still here? Why? Why?....Wait? He strained his hearing. Heartbeat pounding in his ears, seconds passed like small eternities. He dare not draw breath for fear of missing it. It? What was it? Did he imagine something? Had he descended into madness? No, it was real. It had to be, right? His chest screamed for reprieve. Wait. Wait. Wait.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. Instantly he froze. It was real! Not dream or illusion or fabrication of a broken mind. He was no longer alone. Someone or something was present. Slowly turning his trembling head, he scanned the blackness. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. His breath caught. There in the distance, a flickering of yellow. Latern? he thought. Had one of the others found him?

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. He sat rooted, transfixed on the far-away gleam, when suddenly it disappeared and then just as quickly reappeared. Only one had now become two. What? A tendril of anticipation crept into his being. Could it be? Had they come to rescue him? As each agonising second stretched on, the luminous pools drew closer. Occasionally they would flicker but return just as fast as they had been extinguished.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. There was that strange noise again. Was it coming from the same source as the lights? For the life of him, he could not work out which friend of his could make such a noise. Puzzled, he stared on. While the glows seem to be getting closer, strangely, they did not seem to be getting that much larger. Hmm, he thought. And to him, they also looked as if they were hovering fairly low to the ground. A pang of panic touched him. Maybe these weren't his compatriots.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. Suspended, he waited until finally, the illuminations were almost upon him. A faint scraping had arisen as they had drawn closer, which had intensified his feeling of unease. No matter. At this point, his ability to defend himself was limited at best, so there wasn't much he could do anyways. He steeled whatever resolve he had left as It neared.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!. Another shrill squeak. This one the loudest yet. The lights flickered again as It drew level. No, not lights. Eyes. Glowing yellow eyes. And they weren't flickering. Whatever this unknown was, it was blinking. Minutes, years, aeons could have come and gone as the thing surveyed him. "Hello", he uttered breathlessly. Silence. Nothing but deafening silence.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. The sudden break caused him to jump. Nervously, he extended an unsteady hand towards the mysterious It. Blink. His trembling paw brushed a hard surface. It was smooth but with no give. Curious. As he slowly explored the mysterious thing. He realised it was a fairly small thing. Along the smooth surface, he noted hairline cracks, shallow but pronounced. Suddenly his hand was swatted away by what felt like scales.

      Drip…drip…drip…Eep!.. Ouch!. The little thing must have claws, he thought as he nursed a small cut. Claws, scales, hardened head? Hold on. Hold on. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the thing in front of him was a Lizark. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He had seen more than a few mentions of these creatures in scrolls and tomes he had read. They were feared, unjustly so, because of their ferocious look. But most annotations about them had indicated a placid demeanour. Borderline friendly even. They were said to wander the tomb, and some even considered them a sign of good luck. He wondered if the writings were more myth than fact.

      Eep!..Eep!..Eep!..Eep!.. Four exclamations in rapid succession. The creature's eyes blinked twice and then turned away. His vision was nothing but darkness again. Faint clicks echoed as the Lizark's claws struck the floor in movement. Slowly it started to move away. Wait.

      Eep!..Eep!..Eep!..Eep!.. Do I follow? What other choice do I have? Can it be trusted? Again, what other choice do I have? Mustering what little strength he had left, he staggered to his feet.

      Eep!..Eep!..Eep!..Eep!.. Using the Lizark's calls as a guide, he fell into line behind. A familiar sensation sparked into existence within him. He knew it must be tempered, but that was easier said than done. Hope. A single grain of hope. A sliver so small as to be almost unnoticeable. Almost. He would cling to it, for what else was there? Darkness, nothingness, the void? No, this is what he had, and it was enough. It had to be enough. And so he limped on.

      Eep!..Eep!..Eep!..Eep!.. Lead the way my new friend. For where you go, my hope follows.