Chapter 14: The Mysterious Palace
The group had stopped to rest for the night, taking turns keeping watch. Adam was on duty when he saw a shadow move quickly past him. He called out to the others, and they gathered around him.
"I saw something over there," he said, pointing towards the direction in which the shadow had disappeared.
"We have to check it out," Allen said, his voice determined. "It could be one of our friends."
Maaya was praying silently to find Emi, Jia, and the others soon. The desert was already scary during the day, but at night, it was downright terrifying. The moon cast an eerie glow on the sand, casting long shadows that seemed to move on their own.
"It's so scary out here," Maaya said, her voice shaking.
Adam put his arm around her. "Don't worry, I'm here," he said, trying to comfort her. Maaya's hands were trembling, and her heart was racing as she looked out into the darkness.
Robin and Aster, on the other hand, were up to no good. They decided to pull a prank on Maaya to make her even more scared.
"Boo!" they shouted, jumping out from behind a sand dune.
Maaya screamed, and the others laughed. She felt a surge of anger and fear, wondering if they would ever take her seriously.
"That's not funny," Adam said, his voice angry. "Stop bullying her."
A fight broke out between Adam, Robin, and Aster, with punches and insults being thrown around. Maaya felt her heart sink as she watched them argue, wondering if they would ever be able to work together.
"Stop it!" Allen shouted, trying to break up the fight. "We have to focus on finding our friends, not fighting with each other."
But Robin and Aster still wanted to fight, and they continued to try and instigate each other.
"Come on, Adam, don't be such a wimp!" Robin taunted.
"Why don't you say that to my face?" Adam shot back.
Maaya tried to intervene again, but it seemed like the situation was only getting worse. She felt helpless, wondering if they would ever be able to put their differences aside.
"We have to stop this," Allen said firmly. "We need to work together if we want to get through this."
Finally, Allen managed to calm everyone down, and they continued on their way. The desert was still as creepy as before, with strange noises echoing in the distance. Suddenly, they saw something in the distance. It was a palace, standing alone in the middle of the desert.
The palace was beautiful, with intricate designs and architecture. But there was something ominous about it. On the gate, there was a crossed snake sign, and on top of the gate, a peacock was perched.
"Why would there be a palace in the middle of nowhere?" Robin asked, scratching his head.
Adam pointed at the symbols. "Aren't snakes and peacocks enemies? Why would they be together?"
Maaya's eyes widened. "Wait, I remember hearing about this at the Inkara site. The peacock is a royal sign of Queen Xiamen, isn't it?"
"But what about the snake sign?" asked Aster.
"Snakes are considered symbols of evil or danger, while peacocks are associated with beauty, royalty, and immortality. The combination of these two symbols could suggest that the palace belongs to a powerful ruler who is both beautiful and dangerous, or that it is a place of both beauty and peril. Don't these symbols perfectly symbolize Queen Xiamen?" said Allen, thoughtfully.
Robin said, "Have you all heard about the Egyptian god Ra? In ancient Egyptian mythology, the god Ra was often depicted with a serpent coiled around his head and a sun disc with a peacock feather on top. In this context, the serpent and the peacock feather may be seen as representing different aspects of Ra's power, such as his ability to both create and destroy."
"We're making theory after theory. What could be the relation between Queen Xiamen and God Ra?" Adam said nonchalantly, trying to lighten the mood.
"How would I know? Queen Xiamen was not my aunt," Robin replied, annoyance creeping into his voice.
"Just shake it off, you two. Should we enter it?" asked Aster, his voice trembling with fear.
"We have to. What if our friends went inside by mistake? We have searched for them for so long, yet we have gotten no clues. What if they are inside?" Allen said, determinedly.
The group exchanged worried glances. The contrast of the peacock and snake sign, the ominous feeling the palace was giving them, and the fact that it could be Queen Xiamen's palace all added up to a terrifying thought.
"Could they be walking straight into danger?" Allenthought to himself.
As they approached the palace gates, the group could feel their hearts pounding in their chests. They paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before pushing open the gate and entering the palace.