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Description
The ancient stone construction stood silently amidst the starlight, ancient walls and statues lay in crumbling ruin, testament to the passage of time and the harsh desert environment in which the once mighty city now lay. Beyond the occasional lonely utterance of the wind's passage the only other noise was the soft crunch-crunch of boots as Juno walked between the fallen stone walls and shattered statues carrying the oil lamp ahead of her. She was covered in sand and dust from the day's wanderings through the ruins and aside from new transcriptions from a few walls that still bore legible writings. It wasn't the biggest haul she'd ever made to be sure but in this case anything was something.
This city had been lost to the desert sands millennia ago and relegated largely to myth so when Juno had been offered a random map to said city she'd just laughed it off. However her seller had insisted it was legitimate and as proof they'd offered to guide her to the location on the map before receiving payment. Still skeptical but willing to indulge the seller Juno had accompanied them into the desert, hardly the first time she'd done something reckless like following a stranger out into the sands, and after a fortnight they'd come across the ruins nestled between the dunes. Juno had paid the man on the spot triple of what he'd asked just to keep his mouth shut and take possession of what she hoped was the only map and he'd happily obliged.
It had taken her two years to make a return trip to the ruins but now here she was and she had no intention of leaving until she found something worthwhile. Approaching the crumbling temple or palace structure in which she'd made her base of operations she let out a sigh of relief. The city could be quite maze-like and while she was committing her paths to memory there was always that worry that she'd find herself lost or wandering around in circles before she could again find her base camp. The temple or palace was fairly recognizable with the statue of a kneeling man holding up the portion of the wall facing the thoroughfare which she walked down each morning and evening to come and go.
“Evening Brutus.” she greeted the statue as she walked past it to the collapsed corner of the structure.
The statue didn't respond, but that wasn't really the point. Juno had taken to naming several of the intact statues scattered about the city, those that hadn't been claimed by the grinding forces of wind and sand or simply shattered during whatever event had destroyed this city. According to legend a religious leader had called down the wrath of Heaven upon this once great place to make them pay for their lack respect to some prophet or another and subsequently the desert had consumed its walls and scattered its peoples to the four winds. How much of that religious aspect of the city's fall was open to discussion as far as Juno was concerned but there was no doubt that the desert had done its job.
Taking a seat at her little table beside her sleeping bag she laid out the map she'd been sold. It didn't give a good representation of the city but she'd been penciling in bits and pieces as she went as well as areas she assumed existed but were simply covered by the endless shifting sands. Taking up her pencil she marked out the area that she'd visited today, including a few submerged areas she was unable to reach. When she was happy with her mapping she'd go find backers to sponsor a proper expedition to this place with her map to tell them where to look but until then this was her little secret and she was perfectly happy to allow it to remain that way.
The radio sitting upon the table squawked and Juno frowned as she reached over and picked up the phone.
“Mack?”
“Where have ye been girl?” her supplier snapped angrily in his heavy accent. “Ah've been tryin' ta reach ye fer the past hoor!”
“Sorry.” she replied absently as she continued her sketching on the map. “Got a little turned around.”
“Well ye be careful then.” Mack muttered. “Ah've got yer next shipment ready ta go if yer ready fer it.”
“Yep, same plan as always. A quick flyby and just throw it out the back, I'll collect it as usual.”
“Ye know, it'd be easier on me mind if Ah could land the damned blimp and just have a look around ta make sure ye're alright doon there by yerself.”
“The only thing I've got to worry about here Mack are the scorpions and spiders, promise.” Juno repeated for at least the dozenth time. “I swear the cemetery's back home are more haunted than these old ruins.”
“Don't go tempting anything girl.” Mack cautioned her. “Ah'll be overhead tomorrow mornin'.”
Juno nodded, not that it mattered for Mack's sake.
“Night Mack, try and remember that ghosts aren't real.”
“Aye, so say you.” the supplier muttered as the radio clacked off.
The conversation over Juno let out a shiver as the night's chill began to creep in amongst the ruins. The stones did not hold heat very well and the temperature dropped rapidly after sunlight faded from the last of the city's walls. Extinguishing her lamp she slipped the map into her sleeping bag's pocket and tucked herself inside of it as well. She'd woken up twice now to scorpions crawling over her in the night but nothing unexpected. If there was something haunting this place it didn't seem to care enough about her to make itself known. Not that she believed Mack's superstitious nonsense for a moment.

“She's asleep.” hissed the four-armed serpent as it watched over the slumbering woman.
“What do we do now?” inquired the bipedal black jackal as it looked around at its fellows. “This cannot continue.”
“We could always kill her.” suggested a massive scorpion with the upper torso of a man and the eyes of the scorpion his body resembled. “A swift strike in her slumber is all it will take.”
“That is not permissible.” the jackal man said grimly. “We cannot draw attention to this place.” his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the scorpion. “And it was you that allowed the map maker to escape in the first place.”
“And it is I that is offering a solution.” the scorpion replied. “What is a death compared to our continued peace?”
“Imprisonment.” the serpent hissed as it descended the wall of the temple to stand amidst her fellows. “That is what this is and you know it.”
“We are not prisoners.” the scorpion returned. “We are custodians.”
“Custodians of what?” the serpent hissed as it coiled to raise itself to equal height with the scorpion's human torso. “Sand? Stone?”
“Quiet both of you.” the jackal snapped as the pair faced off yet again. “This bickering is pointless. So long as she doesn't disturb the tomb we are safe as is she.”
“She walked right over it today.” the serpent hissed in irritation. “She's mapping the city. Sooner or later she will find it.”
“And when she does,” the scorpion said as his many-eyed face turned to the jackal. “What will you do then?”
The jackal stood in silence for a moment as his companions gazed at him expectantly.
“We are not murdering an innocent whose only crime is curiosity.” he said yet again.
The snake hissed in aggravation.
“If your father was here—“
“—he isn't.” the jackal snapped with a growl. “I am and I speak for this city in his absence.”
The snake bristled, a scaled hood spreading out along her neck and above her arms, displaying ornately spiraling patterns.
“Mind your tongue boy.” she hissed menacingly.
The scorpion moved to the jackal's side, his pincers snapping warningly as his human arms stretched out as if he meant to grapple with the serpent.
“He is our lord. We obey him.”
The serpent bristled as it swayed back and forth for a moment before its hood deflated and it lowered itself in submission.
“This cannot continue.” she hissed in defeat. “Either we must find a solution or we must accept that the world will see the return of the scarab.”
The trio said nothing more at this, each of them regarding the other in silence as they considered the implications of what lay before them.
“It cannot continue.” the serpent hissed again as she turned and slithered silently away into the darkness.
The jackal turned to look at the scorpion once more as the many-eyed man flattened his articulated legs to lower his body in a bow.
“We will do as you wish.” he said simply before rising and skittering off into the sand covered city.
The jackal, now alone, gazed up at the moon hanging overhead somberly. It's silvery gaze reflected in his eyes as he watched its progress for a time before he shook his head in apparent frustration or defeat before he too stalked off into the city with a snarl stretched across his canine features.

The light awoke Juno with its glare as she was roused from her sleep. She did a quick check of her surroundings and frowned at the little scorpion standing in raised posture next to her sleeping bag.
“Good morning to you too.” she muttered sleepily, sitting up and watching as the little creature reared up. “Oh calm down.” she grumbled, swatting it away with her hand. “I haven't stepped on you yet.”
Gathering her things for breakfast Juno paused for a moment as she spied what appeared to be dog prints mixed in with the slithering tracks of a very large snake. Frowning slightly she shook her head for a moment at the sight and looked again. The tracks were gone. Sighing she scowled at her own imagination. The snake's tracks had been as wide as her body.
Of course she'd been seeing things. She was out here by herself, she'd just woken up, and had once again swatted aside a scorpion. There was no one else out here. She looked up at the walls of the palatial temple at the carved figures. It wasn't like they crawled down off the walls at night and danced about her or anything.

Description
The ancient stone construction stood silently amidst the starlight, ancient walls and statues lay in crumbling ruin, testament to the passage of time and the harsh desert environment in which the once mighty city now lay. Beyond the occasional lonely utterance of the wind's passage the only other noise was the soft crunch-crunch of boots as Juno walked between the fallen stone walls and shattered statues carrying the oil lamp ahead of her. She was covered in sand and dust from the day's wanderings through the ruins and aside from new transcriptions from a few walls that still bore legible writings. It wasn't the biggest haul she'd ever made to be sure but in this case anything was something.
This city had been lost to the desert sands millennia ago and relegated largely to myth so when Juno had been offered a random map to said city she'd just laughed it off. However her seller had insisted it was legitimate and as proof they'd offered to guide her to the location on the map before receiving payment. Still skeptical but willing to indulge the seller Juno had accompanied them into the desert, hardly the first time she'd done something reckless like following a stranger out into the sands, and after a fortnight they'd come across the ruins nestled between the dunes. Juno had paid the man on the spot triple of what he'd asked just to keep his mouth shut and take possession of what she hoped was the only map and he'd happily obliged.
It had taken her two years to make a return trip to the ruins but now here she was and she had no intention of leaving until she found something worthwhile. Approaching the crumbling temple or palace structure in which she'd made her base of operations she let out a sigh of relief. The city could be quite maze-like and while she was committing her paths to memory there was always that worry that she'd find herself lost or wandering around in circles before she could again find her base camp. The temple or palace was fairly recognizable with the statue of a kneeling man holding up the portion of the wall facing the thoroughfare which she walked down each morning and evening to come and go.
“Evening Brutus.” she greeted the statue as she walked past it to the collapsed corner of the structure.
The statue didn't respond, but that wasn't really the point. Juno had taken to naming several of the intact statues scattered about the city, those that hadn't been claimed by the grinding forces of wind and sand or simply shattered during whatever event had destroyed this city. According to legend a religious leader had called down the wrath of Heaven upon this once great place to make them pay for their lack respect to some prophet or another and subsequently the desert had consumed its walls and scattered its peoples to the four winds. How much of that religious aspect of the city's fall was open to discussion as far as Juno was concerned but there was no doubt that the desert had done its job.
Taking a seat at her little table beside her sleeping bag she laid out the map she'd been sold. It didn't give a good representation of the city but she'd been penciling in bits and pieces as she went as well as areas she assumed existed but were simply covered by the endless shifting sands. Taking up her pencil she marked out the area that she'd visited today, including a few submerged areas she was unable to reach. When she was happy with her mapping she'd go find backers to sponsor a proper expedition to this place with her map to tell them where to look but until then this was her little secret and she was perfectly happy to allow it to remain that way.
The radio sitting upon the table squawked and Juno frowned as she reached over and picked up the phone.
“Mack?”
“Where have ye been girl?” her supplier snapped angrily in his heavy accent. “Ah've been tryin' ta reach ye fer the past hoor!”
“Sorry.” she replied absently as she continued her sketching on the map. “Got a little turned around.”
“Well ye be careful then.” Mack muttered. “Ah've got yer next shipment ready ta go if yer ready fer it.”
“Yep, same plan as always. A quick flyby and just throw it out the back, I'll collect it as usual.”
“Ye know, it'd be easier on me mind if Ah could land the damned blimp and just have a look around ta make sure ye're alright doon there by yerself.”
“The only thing I've got to worry about here Mack are the scorpions and spiders, promise.” Juno repeated for at least the dozenth time. “I swear the cemetery's back home are more haunted than these old ruins.”
“Don't go tempting anything girl.” Mack cautioned her. “Ah'll be overhead tomorrow mornin'.”
Juno nodded, not that it mattered for Mack's sake.
“Night Mack, try and remember that ghosts aren't real.”
“Aye, so say you.” the supplier muttered as the radio clacked off.
The conversation over Juno let out a shiver as the night's chill began to creep in amongst the ruins. The stones did not hold heat very well and the temperature dropped rapidly after sunlight faded from the last of the city's walls. Extinguishing her lamp she slipped the map into her sleeping bag's pocket and tucked herself inside of it as well. She'd woken up twice now to scorpions crawling over her in the night but nothing unexpected. If there was something haunting this place it didn't seem to care enough about her to make itself known. Not that she believed Mack's superstitious nonsense for a moment.

“She's asleep.” hissed the four-armed serpent as it watched over the slumbering woman.
“What do we do now?” inquired the bipedal black jackal as it looked around at its fellows. “This cannot continue.”
“We could always kill her.” suggested a massive scorpion with the upper torso of a man and the eyes of the scorpion his body resembled. “A swift strike in her slumber is all it will take.”
“That is not permissible.” the jackal man said grimly. “We cannot draw attention to this place.” his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the scorpion. “And it was you that allowed the map maker to escape in the first place.”
“And it is I that is offering a solution.” the scorpion replied. “What is a death compared to our continued peace?”
“Imprisonment.” the serpent hissed as it descended the wall of the temple to stand amidst her fellows. “That is what this is and you know it.”
“We are not prisoners.” the scorpion returned. “We are custodians.”
“Custodians of what?” the serpent hissed as it coiled to raise itself to equal height with the scorpion's human torso. “Sand? Stone?”
“Quiet both of you.” the jackal snapped as the pair faced off yet again. “This bickering is pointless. So long as she doesn't disturb the tomb we are safe as is she.”
“She walked right over it today.” the serpent hissed in irritation. “She's mapping the city. Sooner or later she will find it.”
“And when she does,” the scorpion said as his many-eyed face turned to the jackal. “What will you do then?”
The jackal stood in silence for a moment as his companions gazed at him expectantly.
“We are not murdering an innocent whose only crime is curiosity.” he said yet again.
The snake hissed in aggravation.
“If your father was here—“
“—he isn't.” the jackal snapped with a growl. “I am and I speak for this city in his absence.”
The snake bristled, a scaled hood spreading out along her neck and above her arms, displaying ornately spiraling patterns.
“Mind your tongue boy.” she hissed menacingly.
The scorpion moved to the jackal's side, his pincers snapping warningly as his human arms stretched out as if he meant to grapple with the serpent.
“He is our lord. We obey him.”
The serpent bristled as it swayed back and forth for a moment before its hood deflated and it lowered itself in submission.
“This cannot continue.” she hissed in defeat. “Either we must find a solution or we must accept that the world will see the return of the scarab.”
The trio said nothing more at this, each of them regarding the other in silence as they considered the implications of what lay before them.
“It cannot continue.” the serpent hissed again as she turned and slithered silently away into the darkness.
The jackal turned to look at the scorpion once more as the many-eyed man flattened his articulated legs to lower his body in a bow.
“We will do as you wish.” he said simply before rising and skittering off into the sand covered city.
The jackal, now alone, gazed up at the moon hanging overhead somberly. It's silvery gaze reflected in his eyes as he watched its progress for a time before he shook his head in apparent frustration or defeat before he too stalked off into the city with a snarl stretched across his canine features.

The light awoke Juno with its glare as she was roused from her sleep. She did a quick check of her surroundings and frowned at the little scorpion standing in raised posture next to her sleeping bag.
“Good morning to you too.” she muttered sleepily, sitting up and watching as the little creature reared up. “Oh calm down.” she grumbled, swatting it away with her hand. “I haven't stepped on you yet.”
Gathering her things for breakfast Juno paused for a moment as she spied what appeared to be dog prints mixed in with the slithering tracks of a very large snake. Frowning slightly she shook her head for a moment at the sight and looked again. The tracks were gone. Sighing she scowled at her own imagination. The snake's tracks had been as wide as her body.
Of course she'd been seeing things. She was out here by herself, she'd just woken up, and had once again swatted aside a scorpion. There was no one else out here. She looked up at the walls of the palatial temple at the carved figures. It wasn't like they crawled down off the walls at night and danced about her or anything.