DARING DO AND THE COMPASS OF DISCORD

by De Writer

Chapter 17 Discordians Found

Daring Do halted the truck and swung out of the cab, ordering, “Everyone, we go on foot now, until we can be sure that the truck won't damage anything! We all take mirrors with us to get images of everything, just as we find it. We do not move anything yet, not even brush to get a better image.

“We will work our way from the western end of the complex to the eastern end. We want a total documentation of the whole complex, exactly as we have found it.

“Just in case of either dangerous wildlife or Zebras who don't want this find to get out, take the weapons of your choice with you. Withers, you take that high stone formation, not only for a full site survey, also watch for any problems.”

Turning to Meridian, who was looking at the site in awe, she asked quietly, “We may have to defend this site against other Discordians. Will that give you any problems?”

He turned to her, his long nearly vertical horns casting a V shaped shadow as he replied, “The Path of Chaos has brought me here to see that this truth is revealed. What is needed, that I will do.”

She smiled, “I had hoped that would be your answer. Besides what is here, we need to scout the whole area to see what else we may find. It is likely that there is more to find here than this complex.

“Finding the quarries where they cut the stone for the colored pillar plinths and capitals, or the pillars and such blocks as we see is important too. The shops and living quarters of the workers and the fields that supported them, these are all, in the end, vital parts of the whole complex.”

Meridian looked about, eyes opened to new possibilities. “So, this wonderful collection of structures did not spring up from nothing. We seek the whole of the place, for highborn and lowborn alike.

“Such a place as this, by its very existence, tells us that such a social separation had to exist. Doctor Do, I salute you that you see such things as valuable.”

“Meridian, they are vital. However much the temples and palaces may dominate the world's view, it is those who did the work to build and feed all the priests and nobles who are the root of the whole civilization. We are here for those palaces and temples yes, but what we really want is the whole of the civilization, those who directed it all and those that supported them.”

Withers commented, as he was finishing the loading and checking out of his rifle, “Doctor Do is infamous for her persnickety documentation. She has effectively ended the 'Neat Artifact! Grab it and Run!' style of Antiquities study.

“The odd part is, that on rare occasions, she has done just that!”

Daring Do shrugged her wings as she replied, “If you are talking about the Pyramid of Keychops and legendary golden necklace of Pharow Underrock, there were some other things to be considered, like the gang of eleven tomb robbers trying to steal it and the other artifacts for the black market!

“I used the tomb's traps and other devices to cut them down to only two by the time that we got out! The Matradin government of the Zebra Confederation would not allow me to carry firearms, so it was a two to one sword fight to get away at all! I did go back and make proper documentation of the pyramid later.”

That brought a snicker from Morail, “OTHER DEVICES? Like what?”

Daring Do gave a sideways smile as she recounted, “Like leading them to a pit full of deadly vipers that I avoided on the way in. I have wings. They did not. I kicked away some shoring that was supporting my expedition's access tunnel through the sand under the pyramid. Dropped some roof and caved in the sides of the shaft on them.”

Morail grinned, “You should have been a Diamond Dog! Now, when we take a mirror image, we make sure to get one of these meter long black and white sticks in the image too, to get proper scale?”

“Correct. The black and white spaces are ten centimeters long, making scale work easier. Wherever you can, set the mirror into one of these tripods to make it totally stable while getting the image. We are going to live by these sticks and the smaller ones done every centimeter.”

They all disbursed to the starting points that Daring Do showed them. Withers started to climb up to his high perch. He quietly turned back before he got to his planned location.

Taking Daring Do aside, he reported, “We are not alone. There are some well beaten tracks and a substantial camp area just over the rise. There were some folks there, but I could not make out who they are due to the distance.”

She cast a sad look to the wonderful ruins that had waited so long for her to find them. With a sigh, she called, “We must stop for now. There are others near here. We must see how they feel about our work before going on. Leave your measure sticks and tripods where they are and let us go to see these other folks. The ones who live here.”

They picked their way past thorny brush and stones upthrust by time and frost. Their way became somewhat easier and in places the stones seemed to have been laid.

Daring Do pointed out a section of ancient pavement and chuckled, “Look! This is what is left of a road! Since the complex is back in that canyon area, this was likely an important supply road. It may have carried more than simply supplies. When we know more, it will be interesting to know the relationship of this road and the temple complex.”

Pulling a springy branch aside to allow the others to pass, Meridian inquired, “How sure are you that these ruins were temples?”

“Thank you, Meridian. At this stage, I am guessing but the capitals on the standing pillars are of a style that the Nil Eya civilization used for religious structures.”

As they toiled up the low pass, Daring Do explained, “We know a good deal about the Nil Eya religions from their temples. What we do not know is what the rulers of that civilization looked like or what kind of beings they were.

“After the Zebra slave revolt, every inscription that mentioned them was defaced, every wall painting or fresco showing them was chiseled away to bare stone, and every statue or carved relief was destroyed.

“We know that the guiding genius of the masters was there. After the slave revolt, the whole civilization collapsed fairly swiftly without their control. Many of the slave races were literate and left us pretty accurate descriptions of the collapse and the many regional wars that finished it.”

They topped the rise and saw before them the land open up into a wide plain surrounded by old granite mountains. The plain was rich in a fine mixture of taller and shorter grasses, smaller flowering plants, some broad leaf plants of several sorts. It was a clear mix of pure wild prairie.

Not far from them, was a group of low stone ring walls, about a meter or so tall and each of a unique shape. Each one had an opening facing a central area that was carefully irregular, as was the fundamental shape of each of the whole group. Two of them had roofs of some sort of thick fabric with poles that supported it and a combination of stakes and weights securing the fabric over the wall top. A wisp of smoke arose from an opening in the top of one of the structures.

Meridian nodded with pleasure as he saw the place. He stepped to the fore of the group and greeted a stately eland who came from the structure that had smoke rising from it.

“In the name of Discord, may the paths of Chaos guide you well.”

Bobbing his horned head, the other replied, “Be welcome in the name and wisdom of Discord. The path of Chaos has led you strangely, Meridian Courser. We shall be most interested to hear of it.”