As the noise stopped, everything fell to a foreboding silence. However, it did not last long, not because of Carolyn, but because of the whistle of a breeze coming from behind the statue. Carried along with it was the putrid stench of stale air, salt, and decaying flesh.

Carolyn, Sharon, and Michael all turned to look at the statue, and then one by one looked back towards the Ancient standing nearby. They seemed just as surprised for a moment before composing themselves.

“I am not sure what you all expect me to say.”

“Like maybe start with what all that was?”

“Well, you see,” they kept rubbing their layered outfit between their fingers as they turned to look away. They kept looking like they were about to say something else, and then just coughed and avoided eye contact.

Michael sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “No, no need to say anything Sharon. I already understand.”

Sharon gleefully nodded as she held the apocryphal book against her chest.

“We’ve been talking a bit, but we never caught your name, did we?”

“I do not believe I have given it. Besides, only one of you have done me that honor so far.”

“Like yeah, haven’t you guys like ever been anywhere? Introductions are like so totally important! I know this one time I was like out with my bestie Chartreuse, and this totally hot guy was running down the sidewalk, well we didn’t really know he was as hot as he really was, because he like had a mask on and junk, but anyway…”

“I’m Michael, and that’s,” he cut off Carolyn before she could really get carried away and motioned for Sharon to introduce herself.

Sharon had a swirling mix of feelings on her face as she looked at the Ancient. Fear, greed, shame, frustration, embarrassment, reverence, all twisted onto her face for split seconds at a time before she finally settled into a look of almost apathy. “Sharon.”

“And once again, I’m like Carolyn, but a cutie like you can call me Carrie.”

Michael groaned and Sharon rolled her eyes as Carolyn winked at the Ancient.

“Quite curious indeed.” They tilted her head forwards towards each of the three of them. “I am known as Avialian, and I must say it is difficult to get a read on the three of you.”

“Like it’s hard to know what to expect when you meet someone who is so totally one of a kind!”

“More like so totally…stereotypically dumb blonde.”

“She is considered unintelligent to you?”

“Look, she’s just teasing her. Wait, I’ve got a question for you Avialian. Or I guess two actually.”

“Feel free to ask, but I will decide whether I answer once I know the questions.”

“Okay, well how are you speaking English right now? There’s no way this was the language of your people way back then.”

“Oh, I like totally thought that was just one of those like convenient things. Like to keep things rolling you know?”

“Is communication truly so difficult?” postulated Avialian. “We learn to do it when we are young children.”

“No, but like is this just what you all sound like, or I,”

As Michael struggled to articulate what he meant, Sharon cut in. “The words you…are speaking were…uniquely developed in the…last few thousand years…This can not be…the exact way you…communicate with one another…”

Avialian paused as they contorted their impossibly smooth face to make sense of everything. “I believe I understand you. No, we do not use these sounds to communicate. As we grow, we learn to feel the rhythm of the intent of sounds. You know, the underlying intent within them. It is not difficult to imitate the style of outsiders.”

“Like, Parlez-vous français.”

Avialian tilted their head at Carolyn, who started to rattle off introductory phrases and questions in dozens of other languages.

“I am sorry, but your style feels like it changes every few moments. A mere neonate like myself would need to hear such a…unique…style like that for much longer to be able to imitate much of anything.”

“Look, tons of insane stuff is happening. I’m not too worried about something like that.”

“But like why? Understanding language that way is like really interesting, and I totally want to try out a bunch of stuff on little Avy.”

“Avy?” they said with a quizzical look.

“Like yeah, short for Avialian! It’s like way cuter.”

They turned to Michael. “Cuter you say? But I thought you claimed this wasn’t your harem?”

Michael groaned as both Carolyn and Sharon giggled. “Look, just forget it for now. Let’s just get back to my other question. Do you know how to go in deeper? Like through whatever just opened up behind this statue?”

Avialian looked up at the massive statue and started to fiddle with their shirt again. “Well, I suppose I could go with you…”

“A local guide…would be rather…convenient.”

“Like O M G, we got a third gal pal for the group!”

Avialian looked slightly flustered as their cheeks turned darker green. “You must have quite the impressive intuition, as I am quite sure I never revealed my gender.”

“Like duh, you can’t hide something like that from the Golden Ducky harem!”

“Golden Ducky?”

Michael slid his face down into his hand. This felt more embarrassing than that time he was pantsed in front of his crush middle school. Even Sharon had betrayed him and was laughing.

“Look, can you get us past this statue or not?” Michael refused to look at any of them. No, his head was going to stay covered by his hand as he quickly died of embarrassment.

“Oh, that well…” It was Avialian’s turn to be embarrassed yet again it seemed. She slid one of her front leg stubs across the floor and looked away from the three of them. “That is something I do not think I can help you with.”

“Is it because…of some ancient rite…forbidding you from helping…outsiders in case…they have come to…rob your Ancient secrets?”

“Ooh, or like because we have to totally prove ourselves that we’re like totally worthy or something like that?”

Michael looked at Avialian, and then back towards the massive statue behind him. When he turned back to them, or her as it were, he could see a few subtle things. Under the strange, draping clothes there was a shapeliness to her. Maybe it was just his mind finding excuses now that he knew she was a girl, but she seemed more feminine than the androgynous she felt before. Or maybe it was because deep inside he knew she was about to be another complication thrown into his life, like the other two girls were.

“No, I am afraid it is nothing like all that.”

“Well then educate us…as to the reason…”

“Like yeah, we’re dying to know!”

“Yeah, why can’t you help us?”

“Oh, I can help with other things. It’s just, well,” she sucked in a deep breath of air. “I just can’t help with that gate because,” she paused again as Sharon, Carolyn, and Michael all leaned forward. “I forgot the key inside…”

There was a small pause as everyone soaked in what Avialian said. Then in unison Michael, Sharon, and Carolyn called out, “You what!?!”