Page 39 of Taurus's Quest
Off he went, hitting his room to bathe and get ready. By the time he returned, she sat on a chair to lace her boots, which, like everything else, fit her perfectly.
Taurus wore an outfit similar to hers, but with a few extras.
“That’s a lot of weapons,” she remarked, especially disturbed by the big sword hanging down his spine.
“Never know what you’ll need. This is for you.” He handed her a sheath with a knife.
“You can’t be serious. I thought you were going to handle the monsters.”
“I will, but better to have something than nothing,” he noted as he nimbly slotted it onto her belt.
Taurus shouldered a bulky pack as they went to leave her apartment, which was when she noticed a smaller one sitting by the door. Guess she really was doing this.
Breakfast proved quiet, with them being the only ones in the dining room. She ate but didn’t really taste anything, nerves rendering her numb. Once they’d finished their meal, she followed Taurus down to the main level, his long stride heading for the main doors, which led her to ask, “Where are we going? I thought we were beaming.”
“We are but not through a portal. To save time, we’re teleporting directly to the gorge, which means a slightly different method.”
A method that involved him sitting in an oversized sandbox, her in his lap, with her pack hugged to her chest as he copied lines from a piece of paper. Coordinates, apparently. She didn’t understand what dragging his finger in the fine grains accomplished, and yet, when he was done and his arms wrapped around her with a whispered, “Here we go,” she closed her eyes.
Deep cold enveloped her, along with disorientation. When warmth returned, she gasped for breath.
“We’re here,” he announced.
“Here” being amidst some ruins, apparently at the top of a cliff. She stood and glanced around, noting the sea lapping at a shore.
“I’m guessing we’re at the Minoan ruins by the gorge,” she murmured, still amazed at the ability the Zodiacs had to move around the world in practically a blink of the eyes.
“Yeah, Aquarius recommended against trying to land within the chasm, because one slight miscalculation and we could have ended up reassembling inside a rock.”
Her eyes widened. “You tell me this now!”
“Don’t worry. It rarely happens. I told you I am good at this. We’re even wearing all our gear.” He grinned.
Despite his cocky confidence, she couldn’t help the slight nausea as she realized how close she’d come to dying.
“Now that we’re here, we need to find a way down into the gorge and then, from there, try to figure out where our smuggler ascended to find the cave with the door.”
Taurus didn’t bother looking for a path but rather grabbed a coil of rope attached to his pack. He anchored it before tossing it over the edge.
“Um, I don’t think I can climb that,” she remarked.
“Don’t worry, honey. I got you. All you gotta do is hold on tight.”
“You’re joking.”
He winked. “Only partially. I’m gonna tether you to me just in case you decide to let go.”
Not reassuring, yet she’d come this far. Might as well trust him further.
He had her stand in front of him and looped a rope around her upper body and under her armpits before wrapping it around himself.
“Time for a hug.” He wouldn’t stop smiling, obviously enjoying himself. At least one of them was.
She tucked her face to his chest and looped her arms around his neck. She didn’t look as he grabbed the rope and walked them over the edge, barely dared breathe until an eternity later when he said, “We’re going to take a break on this ledge.”
He held on to her as she let her feet find solid purchase. Only when Taurus let go did she open her eyes. The view was quite incredible. The stone that formed the jagged rift displaying varying hues. From her bird’s-eye perch, she could see a path running along the bottom formed by travelers who hiked the gorge for fun. Psychos.
Hearing Taurus rummaging in his pack, she glanced to see him pulling out a pair of mini binoculars.
