The ruins were gorgeous, a remarkable find, but Valerie couldn't pause even for a moment to appreciate them. They ran and they ran, through the open streets and away from wherever they heard the echoes of the searching orcs. There hadn't been so much as a minute to rest after Markus had teleported them, and Valerie was really starting to feel the effects. Her legs burned, her breathing came fast, fatigue starting to set in. Something told her the orcs would not tire as quickly.

But they were lucky enough not to be forced into a confrontation just yet, and they made it inside the massive structure that seemed central to the ruins. Finally Valerie could slow to a stop, pushing sweaty strands of hair from her face and trying to catch her breath. The pool of water in the center of the courtyard was as beautiful as any she had seen, perhaps due to the circumstances, and she made her way to it, falling to her knees beside it to scoop her hand in.

She washed off the wound on her arm first, examining it through the tear in her shirt. It was bleeding slowly, but the cut was shallow, and the pain wasn't too bad. She didn't actually use her upper arms too much in fighting, so it wasn't a serious injury. Valerie scooped more water into her hands to wash her face, and take a bit to drink before she stood.

She had no more idea where they were than Markus did. It looked as though no one, or at least no one civilized, had been here in many years, judging by the way it was overgrown. She wished she could stay to find out, but the howls echoed in the halls again, dangerously close. Her heart sank.

They were running again, still with no chance to catch their breath. Valerie was starting to suspect the orcs could smell them. They weren't leaving much of a trail behind to follow. She realized as they ran what sort of structure they were in, the obvious hints being the rows of statues, likenesses of the highborn. A tomb, and a very large on at that. Valerie tried not to think about the ominous implications or ironies of that.

She let Markus take the lead on examining the magical runes, as it was beyond her scope of knowledge. Mostly she tried to use the moment as another brief chance to catch her breath, though the orcs were still searching loudly, somewhere in here. She thought they might be getting closer, but it was hard to tell. She leaned against one of the statues, wondering if Markus was as winded. Perhaps he was just better at concealing it.

"Do you know what it is? Its purpose?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know. Magic relating to tombs didn't strike as the kind likely to be pleasant.