The map is an expensive thing, designed for hikers and surveyors from Driftveil City's city hall. As Montgomery mars it with a cheap pencil, Howard simply deflated, sighing as he did so. Yet it wasn't like Montgomery cared. If they needed another one, they'd snatch one.

"Yeah, I've heard of it. This is a step above plundering the Relic Castle. You're talking about raiding a cultural site." Howard peered at the map, silently grappling with the prospect for several moments. "No guards, though. It'll be doable."

If Unova valued the ruin so much, they would've put more into preserving it. As it was, it deserved to rot and go.

"If we alert one of the Sigilyth, we alert them all. They're like Claydol in that sense." Howard chewed his lip thoughtfully. "And by a lot, I mean a lot. More than your Skarmory can take alone."

On the admin's back, coiled around like a world serpent, Shirley glared at the gangster, her tongue flicking between serrated teeth.

---

Montgomery James

Three wasn't enough, but the archaeologist suspected that Montgomery would simply raise up the number until Howard was incapable of arguing. When that wasn't enough, the gangster always had the back of his hand to remind Howard that it wasn't a democracy.

Hell, he didn't even consider it an argument.

"No, it just means we'll have to sneak in." Howard grunted as he scratched his chin and rolled up the map. "And not bring everything down on top of us."

Those words stuck with Howard as they trekked across the mountain range near Chargestone Cave towards the ruin. His Aerodactyl glided on an updraft alongside Montgomery's Skarmory, and the archaeologist pulled out a pair of dingy binoculars to look down into the valley where the ruin was located.

"There." He pointed at the entrance. "Too dangerous."

He pointed further up and to the left, near a barren patch of land.

"There's our entrance."

---

Montgomery James

There were no arguments. No complaints. Nothing. It was just a day on the job. The two had no love for each other, but the archaeologist didn't point that out, lest the gangster leave him with a new set of bruises.

"When building something like this, ventilation is important. Otherwise, you're liable to cave-ins that suck the oxygen from the air or gas leaks that'll kill your laborers." Howard said as they picked their way to the place Howard noted. "The dirt here is loose, with a thin layer of dust and clay when you dig a few feet down. It's bad for tunneling."

Montgomery's Skarmory would find nothing more than a few dozing Pidoves. Shirley yapped at them, and they flew away.

"Which means the vents were small. Fortunately, they're also pretty obvious. If you know where to look..." Howard took a knee and brushed a large swath of dirt away with a hand spade. "...ah. There we go."

A shaft small enough for the duo to squeeze through, if they crawled and went one at a time.

"After you."

---

Montgomery James

Montgomery didn't cave, clearly. He was more used to shooting things that annoyed him with a gun and fighting drunken rivals outside of bars.

Howard, meanwhile, excelled. He wormed through the opening with remarkable ease on account of his height, exhaling as much as possible to collapse his chest in. The archaeologist wasn't physically strong or well-built, so he simply wormed forward as he easily followed Montgomery's slow pace through the tunnels.

When they dropped down, the admin pulled out a flashlight and looked around.

"Entrance should be about twenty meters behind us and about forty meters down..." He did some basic math in his head. "...forty five meters, roughly. We should hit the back of the ruin in about forty more meters, but I'll bet you money there's a secret chamber filled with rare artifacts. Maybe an account of the hero's journey."

He trembled at the prospect of such a discovery. He put a finger to his lips to communicate quietness. He pointed towards an open corridor.

"Listen for the flap of Sigilyth wings as we go. Check the corners of ceilings as well."

---

Montgomery James

"I do." The admin whispered, his eye peering into the illuminated space, as if it would magically reveal its secrets to Howard where Montgomery had failed. "Bad start."

A small part of him blamed his missing eye and the lack of depth perception that followed for his misfortune. The fact that half of his vision was simply gone and encased in a shadow that he'd never be able to pierce frustrated him to no end. Not knowing what was there frustrated him heavily.

Alas.

"But it's not there, so we might be okay." The admin cocked his head to the side and sniffed the air. "Something's messing with the air."

His other senses were honed to replace the lack of sight. Behind him, the silhouette of a Sigilyth fluttered.

---

Montgomery James

Montgomery disappeared into the darkness. Howard was alone.

"Fuck. Fuck." The archaeologist cursed as he picked up the gangster's flashlight and quickly shined it into the murky blackness. When nothing stared back, the admin's blood chilled. If the Sigilyph had taken him, then that meant that Howard was alone.

Damn. He hadn't felt like this since he had lost his eye.

"Ah... Ah..." He could still run, but if he did, the people Montgomery ran with wouldn't be happy. Team Rocket wouldn't be content, and they'd stalk the admin. He couldn't tolerate being chased by both loan sharks and Team Rocket. "Dammit, Montgomery."

He followed the Sigilyph deeper into the cave.

---

Montgomery James

He heard the fist coming, and he felt the air rushing as it flew through the air towards him. Yet Howard wasn't fast nor skilled. He took the fist with all the grace of a lumbering Cranidos. That was to say, face-first.

As Howard fell to the ground, he let out a low moan of pain as his nose started dripping like a sieve. He was lucky. If Montgomery could actually see, he could've crushed Howard's windpipe. As it was, the gangster had just beaten him like hell. Taking a few steps backwards, the archaeologist felt a woosh as Shirley flew over his head, serrated teeth lunging for the gangster.

"No! Don't attack him!" Howard hissed, but when faced with a threat, Shirley prioritized her trainer's survival over weak protests. "Where's that fucking Sigilyph?"

The admin's eye scanned the darkness, but he couldn't find it. Yet they were guardians of ancient cities, and their paths were pre-determined. If Howard defiled the ruin, then its protocol would force it to face him. Grunting, he ran towards an ornately carved wall and kicked it.

Too weak to damage history, but with enough force to draw a defender's attention.

---

Montgomery James