AM   Uh Oh.

AM   There’s Water Down There.

It must be a few feet deep. You take your walking stick and experimentally swirl it around the surface. Unknown goop circles with it, nearly making you gag.

CR   What's the hold-up?

Once your companion catches up, she glances forward, then back at you.

CR   X/ ?

You helpfully point to the water.

CR   Yeah, I see it, Mir-Mir

CR   So? What're we gonna do?

CR   Can we afford to back-track and try another way?

AM   That's Not Necessary.

AM   There's A Simple Solution.

CR   Of course there is!

CR   You always have a plan X)

AM   You Do It.

CR   What??

She gawks at you for some reason.

AM   You Handle The Water.

CR   What do you mean by handle?! X/

CR   We both have to get across, don't we?

AM   ...

AM   Alright. I Have Another Solution.

You readjust your backpack and methodically assume the piggy-back position (as the role of the pig).

AM   Carry Me.

Caroline kicks you, nearly knocking you into the water.

CR   Hell no!

CR   Do you know how heavy your little medallion things are?

AM   I Will Take Care Of Those.

CR   I'll be carrying them too by carrying you, dumbass!! XP

AM   I Will Be Carrying Them More Directly.

CR   Ughhh

CR   I don't want to ruin my boots either, but we've already come this far!

CR   If you really can't think of anything, then

CR   We'll both get through it like normal

CR   Just wading in it as quickly as we can

CR   So, get up! You look stupid crouched down like that

AM   No, I Insist.

AM   I'll Take Up The Mantle, For Both Of Us.

AM   I’ll Protect Us From Above While You Navigate Below.

The more you think about it, the more it makes sense. You find yourself nodding along with your explanation.

AM   Very Fortunate There Are Two Of Us To Watch Both Realms.

AM   A Trial Of Teamwork This Must Be.

CR   Teamwork, my butt!

CR   You just don't want to get dirty X(

AM   Didn't You Hear My Explanation?

CR   ...

You don't move from your position, even after she kicks you some more. Eventually, she heaves a big sigh.

CR   And what would you be protecting us from anyway?

AM   The Ceiling.

AM   And Bats.

AM   And Spiders, Potentially.

AM   Inconvenient To Get Tangled In Your Hair.

CR   …

She looks up, squinting at the dimly lit ceiling of the catacombs.

CR   You owe me

AM   Yes.

CR   At least two piggyback rides! Up a pyramid if I feel like it!

AM   I Promise.

CR   Okay

CR   Hop on up XP

The trek only takes a few minutes, with minimal splashing. You make sure to encourage Caroline along the way, explaining how water would get into routes like this and what kind of bacteria would likely be swimming around in it. She doesn't particularly appreciate the subject, so you start discussing the history of the area, instead. Eyes on the prize, as they say.

Tragedy almost strikes when a cobweb gets too close to you and you veer out of its path accordingly, nearly tilting the both of you into the water. Caroline gave you an earful for that, though you were only doing your job.

When the water comes to an end, the chamber comes into sight.

AM   Is That...?

It takes your breath away, seeing so many artifacts untouched, unmarred by filthy human hands. It's an encapsulation of a time and people - what they wanted to leave behind in this realm. Nothing is ever as glorious as a tomb.

AM   Beautiful…

AM   Just Marvelous.

Behind you, Caroline lets out a huff, kicking muck and grime off of her boots.

CR   It's okay, I guess

CR   But what's the point?

CR   The body is the best part

CR   Without it, this is just a fancy dusty old room

With her words in mind, you take in the scenery again.

AM   Yes, The Dust Is A Bit Much.

AM   But Look At How The Room Is Arranged In Perfect Balance.

AM   Artifacts And Ritual… All In Worship Of The Passage Towards Death.

You take a step forward, stretching out your hands as if trying to encapsulate the sight in your grasp.

AM   It’s Magnificent And Historically Potent And Worth A God Damn Shit Ton.

CR   Oh no, you don't!

Something tugs you back.

CR   This all will stay right here, and you're not taking a cent! XO

AM   Caroline.

AM   This Has To Be Recorded. And We Need More Than Just Our Word.

AM   I Don't Like Disrupting The Natural State Either, But...

AM   We Must Bring Back Some, For Study.

CR   Yeah, but…

CR   It feels wrong X/

AM   Weren’t You Saying That This Has Lost Its Ritualistic Significance?

AM   It's Not As If We're Desecrating An Occupied Room.

AM   Think Of It As Cleaning An Abandoned Home.

AM   No Spirits Have Been Here For A Long Time. They Won't Mind, Surely?

CR   ...

CR   That just makes it feel worse

Her eyes sweep the area.

CR   The nicer the room is, the more sad I get that someone was taken from here

CR   Like all this work couldn't protect them in the end

CR   Doesn't it make you sad?

CR   Someone was meant to be here, and now they're gone

CR   All your studying, and you don't even know where the body ended up

AM   Hm.

AM   It May Still Be Within The Catacombs.

CR   So, why don't we look for it instead?

AM   That Isn't What We're Here For.

CR   Well, it's what I'm here for!

You aren't too surprised. Caroline has always been drawn to that which decays more than what stands the test of time.

CR   Dead people are our most vulnerable population you know X(

AM   Because...

AM   They're Decomposing?

CR   Because they can't defend themselves!

AM   Spiritually, I've Heard Otherwise.

CR   But it matters a lot that the body is accounted for!

CR   So, we're leaving all this here and… and finding that mummy! XP

AM   Finding It?

CR   Yeah!

CR   That way, they can rest where they should be

CR   And we don't have to disturb them any further

CR   Maybe we'll be lucky and they'll haunt us for a little bit X)

CR   That'd be a souvenir I'd treasure forever XD

AM   ...

After some thought, you nod. Truth be told, you were a touch disappointed the sarcophagus was empty as well. Preservation extends to all remnants of history, including that of humanity itself.

AM   Yes.

AM   The Harmony Of The Chamber Does Require The Corpse.

AM   The Pieces Must Be Reunited.

AM   Then... The Studies Can Commence.

CR   Mummy time!

CR   Oh, look! There's another entrance here

CR   See? I told you there was another way

AM   No, That Merely Goes Deeper Into The Catacombs.

AM   It'll Be More Dangerous From Here.

AM   Are You Ready?

CR   For a good old-fashioned body hunt?

CR   Always XD