I had to be honest, I would have very much loved to go in and explore if I was alone. One of my flaws is an enjoyment of danger, and a curiosity. Deadly circumstances mean little to me and I'm fully willing to leap into it, but I had people I was responsible for and I was raised to do my best to help people. But even with my reservations, it seemed like they were interested in going in too. I wouldn't mind leaving the conquistadors to their fate, but I did take their money and we all needed a place to stay, and so the group inevitably went in. 

I walked in first, to make certain there was no danger. I was unsurprised to see there was, in fact, danger. 

I stepped closer...and closer... My dark eyes looking left and right and up, and then stepped again. 

The portcullis dropped like an anvil, the 'teeth' literal dagger blades that glinted in the sun. I threw my shoulder forward and rolled, stricken with a cold feeling in my chest as I expected to be skewered, but the Evergod was with me. I felt the [i]woosh[/i] flying past me, and it stabbed into the ground. Dust flew from when I skidded to a stop and looked back, nearly hitting a small pillar with an oblong shaped handle. I blinked, watching the portcullis raise back up again slowly from some mechanism. 

"Uh, no one cross the gateway yet." I deadpanned. 

I took a minute to look at the spine of the carving, trying to see the source of the gate's power. I hadn't been privvy to many dwarven engineering projects during my time with them, but I had picked up one or two things. Still, I couldn't find any sort of chain or mechanism, but my brain redirected its thoughts and I turned back to the pillar, which on closer inspection looked like a dias or some sort of control mechanism. I told everyone to back away, and once they did I pulled the oblong handle. It gave easy enough, and then I stepped back to the gate, on the balls of my feet, and then slid my leg under the gateway as I had earlier. 

Nothing happened. I breathed a sigh of relief, and the others filtered in with uncertainty. The gate did not act on its own again, and once they were inside the walls, they needed to decide where to go. The conquistadors seemed to eye the ziggurat to the east, but I didn't trust them obviously. Emmaline eyed the surroundings with interest, but didn't speak up. So I suggested we go to the nearest minaret. Once I started moving, the others followed like ripples in a stream. In my experience, as long as people had a direction, they could be led into hell and they would still follow. I hoped I wasn't doing that to them. 

There spire was made of tanned stone and brass linings that cascaded upwards into a mosiac of a serpent god's fall from grace, casted exquisitely in the light of the setting sun. Even dwarves would have a hard time making something so well crafted. Even Fletcher stopped and lifted his spectacles to give a 'my lord' in appreciation. I patted his shoulder and gestured for him to continue in under the large, open archway, shielded from the sun. 

Inside it was cool, the floors made of smooth stone, though small plants had managed to wring a bit of their slender stalks through. Tables made of some gilded steel had been flipped and chairs scattered, and vines lined up the walls with the energy of a jealous lover. Snaking around the base of the minaret was a long, sinuous stairway that winded up higher and higher until it likely reached the pinnacle. Across the breadth of the room was a small doorway that fed into a hall, darkened by shadow. 

"Ok, let's make camp here." I told everyone, and went over to pick up one of the heavy, overturned tables. With a grunt, I lifted the thing off the ground and set it right at the doorway to block the hall, being as careful as I could be. Callibel watched me move it appreciatively, as the table was about twice as heavy as a big man. Once I placed it down, I saw Fletcher and a conquistador rip off vines and place what small bits of kindling they could next to the archway in preparation for another fire. 

"I'm going upstairs to check what's up there. Anyone want to come with me?" I asked. 

"I'll go," Emmaline volunteered, sauntering over. My heartbeat quickened, and I remember at the time I felt she wanted to check things out as much as I did. Looking back, she probably didn't want to be left alone with the mercs. Either way, it was good she came with me and we started to ascend.