Working together, Maelyn would carry the blocks that joseph would break free up to the wheelbarrow and be able to come back down to the area they were clearing just as he got the next one free. They continued for the next bit until Abjul told them that the Prime Minister was just then leaving the capital and heading towards the palace. Looking at their progress as she relaxed her sore arms, Maelyn concluded, "Looks like we made a good bit of progress using Allison's method instead of just taking wild swings and having to carry anything from the size of a boulder to the size of a marble!"
"I agree!" Joseph told her, "In fact, it was so much easier that I feel like I could have done the breaking and then carrying it up all day and still not gotten tired!"
"Speaking of Allison!" Maelyn exclaimed and then hurried over to the gate area they had been working on clearing earlier and shouted down to warn her, "Allison! We've got some big eyes on the way so go back to helping Greg clear that path to that pond until tomorrow! We can't afford to piss him off today!"
"Right on boss!" Allison responded and then hurried over to where David was working on scratching out the lines she would need to start clearing the ground level path to their site.
Arriving back to where the rooftop site Maelyn looked at how much more they had to clear before being at the same level as the floor of the gazebo and told Joseph, "As much as I've been enjoying this break, I think we need to get bac at it so we can be at least close to done by the time Anton gets up here to us."
"Since we're on a bit of a countdown, how about we do this a little differently." Joseph suggested, "How about you work on scratching out the lines for the next block while I break the first block. That way we can get it all broke free before he gets here and then both of us can carry the blocks up faster. That way you can give him a rundown of what's going on with this scene while I finish carrying the blocks up."
"I would also suggest that instead of taking the time to stack them in the wheelbarrow you just set them next to it right now." Abjul offered, "That way you could work faster and not have to worry about clearing the blocks up here until the end of the day."
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Maelyn stated in agreement and they both then got to work clearing as much of the few feet remaining to clear before Prime Minister Anton arrived.
When he did arrive he walked up to Abjul and asked, "Has your father tasked you with observing this site instead of observing it himself on days he doesn't want to show?"
"No Sir!" Abjul confessed, "Father usually doesn't get here until after lunchtime each day. SO, instead of leaving the most important site unable to proceed each day, I observe up here while the team working the site I am assigned to help clear the loose basalt the other teams are able to break free each morning and take it up to the caldera until father arrives and we are able to resume work on our site."
"Well you do know that only me and Harmon are allowed to observe these two when they do sites inside the palace?" Anton asked, "And who is working the site at the front gate of this cube? Plus, how do you observe BOTH sites at the same time?!"
"Joseph right there along with a girl named Allison are the ones working the front area." Abjul explained, "And they just started on that project this morning while Miss Khadim was picking up the deeds father has had to hand over and to let you know about them being able to access the gazebo and Queen Ielania's body when you or father arrived today."
"Well it sounds to me like you and this Joseph boy are more efficient and less afraid of breaking a sweat as Harmon is." Anton grumbled, "Anyways, congratulations to you for volunteering to do the work your father was tasked with so that this project could proceed in a timely manner."
"Thank you sir!" Abjul responded with a bow to his head to hide the blush he had from getting the rare praise from his grandfather then informed him, "I will help Joseph clear those loose blocks while you talk to Miss Khadim to get up to date on the progress and on what they are planning to do when exploring the gazebo and it's clues to what happened the day the lava engulfed the palace." He then hurried down to the bottom of the pit and told Maelyn, "Tag. You're it! Grandfather is here and I told him you would give him a run down of what you have already found and what you expect to find today."
"Thank you Abjul!" Maelyn replied as she picked up one of the loose blocks, "I'll fill him in as I'm clearing these blocks."
"No you won't!" Abjul stressed then informed her, "I volunteered to help Joseph clear the blocks while you rested and informed him of what he wanted to know! So I will carry that while you rest and fill grandpa in on things!"
Walking up the crude stairs to Anton she greeted, "Morning Prime Minister. I'm glad to see you this early today Anton. I was half expecting to have to continue waiting on Harmon's lazy self to get here!"
"yes. Abjul informed of the extra work he has been dedicating to this project so that Harmon's laziness wouldn't continue to hold you back!" Anton informed her, "In fact, if he continues this persistent lateness, let Bree know when you come to pick up the next set of deeds! Because if he truly wants to find the crystal dragon that I will have to have in my possession when I announce the King our nation requires before it can move forward he will quickly learn how to show up at a proper time!"
"Well, I've been trying to teach him a lesson by him having to transfer more properties to me each hour he is late, but it apparently hasn't hurt his checkbook enough yet!" Maelyn conspired, "But , either way, today's case deserves your presence here for two reasons! Because not only is this going to be the first entrance into the palace and should therefore have the Prime Minister's presence for it, but we also have what appears to be Queen Ielania's body in our first site as well! And, with the combination of the two important finds in our first entrance, I felt you deserved the honor of observing us today!"
"Thank you for the heads up in enough time to get here before you were ready to enter cause I would have hated making you wait half the day like Harmon has a habit of doing!" Anton thanked her along with not being able to resist expressing his aggravation with Harmon, "Hopefully we will discover the crystal dragon in her hand today too!"
"Sorry but I don't think we will." Maelyn informed him, "According to Harmon, this crystal dragon is like a clear diamond talisman and the only talisman that is near the Queen is an Onyx talisman similar to the Jade, Andara, and Blue Obsidian talismans we have seen at three of the four other sites we have been able to see the bodies at."
"Oh really?!" Anton gasped in surprise, 'I am DEFINITELY going to have to have a talk with my son today! He has only told me you had discovered 'some jewelry' at the sites instead of reporting them as dragon talismans!"
"We thought they looked unique but Harmon didn't indicate anything special about them. He just said that it was popular jewelry back then that symbolized the crystal dragon that remains beside the King's throne." Maelyn shared then asked, "So what makes these talismans so special and why did Harmon dismiss them as costume jewelry if they were so special?"
"They are special because they were symbols that legend says denotes someone who was dragonborn or had attained dragonhood!" Anton educated her, "Legend says that they would keep the talisman hidden away and were to pass it down to a descendant that they deemed worthy of carrying on their clan's dragonborn acclaim!"
"Well if they were so important, why doesn't Harmon care anything about them?" Maelyn wondered, "Or is he only gonna care about them after you find that crystal dragon?"
"Harmon never realized their importance because he has always regarded the legend about the dragonborn and our kingdom's close ties to dragon legend as myths propagated by con men to be able to sell the talismans at a higher price so they could enjoy the wealth the story would buy them!" Anton growled, "So he's always regarded them as cheap jewelry instead of at the very least recognizing the delicate artwork and the rare crystals some of the are made out of!"
"Well would it be ok if I took the Queen's talisman back to the tents to run tests on and see if I could find any DNA history of who had possessed it and such" Maelyn asked, "Cause I had the local jeweler make a specially padded box capable of holding like a dozen or so talismans and keep them from getting stolen or damaged and such."
"That would be fine!" Anton agreed then stipulated, "But the old legends say that they are only to be passed down to descendants so I'm gonna have to ask that, like with the exploration of the palace, that only you two touch the Queen's talisman."
"And what about the other's?" Maelyn asked, "Same rules for them too?"
"For the others I will allow the team that discovers them to handle them." Anton stipulated, "But others will have to wear gloves when touching them so that they remain in the shape they were discovered."
"We can work with that." Maelyn agreed then informed Anton, "And speaking of work, the boys have just got done carrying the last of the blocks out of the pit. So looks like it's our turn to shine!"