Careful, padded footsteps sound outside the weathered doors of the tomb, the faint glimmer of torchlight spilling into the cavern through the sliver of an opening where the doors meet the dust-covered floor. A moment of silent anticipation, before the explorer's voice can be heard as he softly mouths the inscription upon the doors to himself..."In my time of need: Kematu or Saadia?" Another pause before he utters, more audibly this time, "Exactly what I was looking for!"
Load thuds sound as he struggles with the mechanism of the doors, followed by frantic coughing as the explorer inadvertently inhales clouds of dust and soot kicked up by his effort to dislodge the heavy gates to the tomb. But he succeeds, and the doors swing open, the cavernous interior at once flooded by his torchlight.
Immediately the explorer's eyes widen, his gaze falling on stacks upon stacks of scrolls, all with the promise to give him the answer he has sought for nearly a decade, and he wastes no more time to pour through them.
As he continues to read, his expression grows ever more weary. At times he perks up when reading something that might finally sway him in one direction of the ages old conundrum, only for his forehead to collapse again mere seconds later into deep furrows of confusion and frustration.
One particular author's expositions piqued his interest more than the others, as she seemed substantially more knowledgeable on the subject than most. And yet, for all the clear wisdom she commanded, her writings seemed only to compound his confusion on the topic, giving no clear indication of any possible conclusion he might gain that would sway him to either the suave Alik'r warriors' side, or that of the sultry, seductive tavern wench. This, despite the efforts of several other authors making clear attempts to both substantiate and refute this paragon of knowledge.
As he paged through the scrolls, it became clear to him that he was in fact no closer to finding the answer than if he had never found this tomb in the first place.
As dread at the prospect of ultimately having to follow only his gut in this decision, a frustrated hand slid through his thick, black locks of hair. "No... No! It doesn't make sense! The answer has to be here! They can't BOTH be lying, surely!?", he exclaims to himself, his voice echoing through the deathly stillness of the cavern.
Long moments of stillness pass as he opens a new scroll. This time, the furrows on his forehead are joined by raised eyebrows, and widened eyes, in an expression of utter dumbfoundedness. "What's this guy talking about? It's like he addresses the topic, but also not, instead opting for a direct confrontation with a fellow scholar? What does this have to do with the question at all? Why say something at all if it's not useful or constructive, or in the very least, entertaining?"
The explorer shakes his head, continues to read further in the anxious hope that his quest would finally be over, and he would finally know who to side with: Kematu, or Saadia?
"That's it? This is where it ends?"
The explorer stands in silence. Utterly dumbstruck. Several moments pass.
"No...It can't be it! I have to find the answer, I...I just have to!"
The explorer frantically scours several other scrolls, coughing loudly for all the dust and soot billowing about him for his disturbance of the tomb...a tomb that clearly has laid undisturbed for many years...until finally he throws down the last of the scrolls, finding no more - exhausted, frustrated, and utterly disappointed.
"It's all for naught," he sighs, as the deep and overwhelming sadness grips him. He failed to find the answer. "Nine long years...still nothing."
Long moments pass, the explorer remaining motionless in his melancholy, as the dust around him slowly begins to settle again, the only audible sound being the soft crackle of his linen-wrapped torch.
Suddenly he perks up, "What was that?"
He lifts the torch to peer into the darkness beyond, certain that he heard a faint, shuffling sound from further within the old crypt.
"I'm sure I heard something..." he whispers.
Long silence.
"Hello...? Hello!? Is someone there!?" he calls out...
The silence is deafening as he stands waiting...motionless.