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Chapter 4 - The surface

Behind those doors was yet another room, with the same dimensions and walls of the previous room whereas this room was also packed to the brim with paper and weapons and other tools.

This was a magnificent view. You could tell so much history was inside these four walls, all perfectly preserved. These scrolls and tools would help humanity, and if not in technology, then it would help fill some blanks in history. But perhaps the most astonishing relic of the past was the person in front of him.

The man just walked to one corner of the room and began putting some golden coins in a pouch around what looked to be a belt, which the man now wore. He was on his way to another set of doors on the other side of the room, and placed his hand on it to open it.

Arthur just now realised there is no mechanism on the door that can open it like a handle. He was wondering how it was possible and if the torches knew he was in the ravine with the same mechanism. Arthur was getting ready for the doors slamming again, but this time they opened slowly. The man went to the other side and began walking up the stairs.

'The way out.'

Arthur hurriedly walked after him, happy to return to the surface.

Two minutes of walking up the stairs later he was back on the surface, having emerged from a rocky patch that was different from where he fell. The rooms he was just in were deep underground, and how he fell such a distance in the ravine without any injury was a mystery to him. And he couldn't ask he man in front of him either, they obviously didn't speak the same language after all.

As Arthur was using his memory to remember where the camp was, he gave a quick glance to the man who was now just looking up at the stars. The guide Hamza did explain to him that some people of ancient civilisations used the stars to navigate, navigating with the stars was just as easy to them as humans now using maps online. But the man in front of him looked confused.

It has been at least two thousand years after all, the stars definetly changed positions, maybe not by much, but definitely enough.

Arthur was feeling bad for the man. He did after all take him back to the surface. Arthur got his attention and pointed North East, where the camp should've been. He remembered that he was walking in a straight line when going to the rocky patch that hid the ravine where he fell. And simply like that Arthur knew where to go. All because of his habit of keeping a mental track of where everything is, also because he could see the rocky patch a couple of miles North East of him.

He began walking towards his camp and the man behind seemingly understood that Arthur was telling him to follow him. A whole hour later, they reached the camp.

Before entering it though, Arthur pointed at a boulder and tried to signal the man to stay hidden there. Not much was needed for the man to understand, good thing he was smart enough. The man gave Arthur an agreeing look, making his way to the boulder without giving Arthur a nod or any other gesture. Smart, considering that their gestures were probably different, so both of them knew talking or anything like that which isn't basic was pointless. Arthur was still wondering why the man didn't bother talking to him or anything and how he knew that they were not from the same time, but wondering was pointless now. He was back.

As he was making his way to the tent, he saw Hamza rushing furiously at him.

'Ah sh*t'

He was definetly getting an earful.

"SIX WHOLE HOURS YOU WERE GONE! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU DISAPPEAR OFF TO?"

Arthur was thinking of an excuse on the spot the moment he saw Hamza, he knew he couldn't tell him the truth about what happened.

"I accidentally fell asleep when I was resting." Arthur had no idea if Hamza would believe him. He did say half the truth after all, he really did fall asleep.

Hamza looked straight back at him, and told him "You're a smart adult so I know treating you like a child wouldn't be right." He looked distressed. "But you gave all of us a massive scare. We were about to organise search parties. Go back to your tent."

He was in the right to get mad at Arthur, but he had bigger things to take care of.

"I've already slept. I plan on getting changed and going to the city, any way you could let the others know I'm okay?"

Hamza just looked at him, if with disbelief or whatever else, Arthur didn't know, it was too dark.

Looking defeated, Hamza stretched out his arm; "Fine. I'll tell them but you owe me one."

Smiling at his guide, Arthur thanked him and went to his tent, to get changed and bring some normal clothes and shoes that could fit the ancient man waiting outside his camp.

He was taking him to the city.