Kong told his mother that he might have found traces of his brother Pang and wanted to go look for him himself. He even didn't tell uncle Liu or anybody else, he only said that he want to take Arthit to ShanYang since that guy wishing to visit his hometown.
So he ask permission to his mother to leave for China and said that he could not come to visit her for some time, he wish that she could take care of herself until he comes back.
At first, uncle Liu didn't let him go, because it will be dangerous out there to travel by himself. However, Kong told him that Arthit could protect him, besides he is not only travel by himself, but Toey and the others will be go with him as well.
However, Kong lied.
Arthit and Kong sat in the airport waiting room, and Arthit eyes didn't move away from glass wall beside him, watching the airplane takeoff and landing process in astonishment, while Kong busy playing his phone.
How a big bird that looks like a car can fly into the sky, he thought. This world just so strange, and incredible, and unpredictable. Arthit feels so excited and disbelief at the same time.
As he entered the airport building which is very huge and crowded, Arthit kind of feels like enter another newly world. He saw many new things which he never seen at Kong's house, he also saw many strange people and talking in strange language and also a strange sounds that keep echoing throughout the room wherever he goes.
Though Kong already told him to ignore the announcement sound, but sometime he still be surprised by it and jumped. Kong couldn't help but feel embarrassed as people laugh while looking at their direction.
Arthit also remember the floor that moving by itself, so people only have to stand on it and no need to walk. Although he already know how the elevator work, but it was the first time he ever saw the escalator and he was amazed by it.
Next when passed through the security check gate, he was confused and froze when saw people put down all of their belongings and took off the jackets, put them into a box that is moving by itself before walk passed the empty door beside it, then being checked as a criminal.
At first, he doesn't bother to get through it but being pushed by Kong, and he almost punch the security officer if he doesn't immediately realized the person is a woman, so he just follow the order awkwardly and do nothing.
Arthit is still recollecting his conscious back while staring at the glass window and was startled by a voice.
"That's called airplane..." Kong whisper to him all of sudden while pointing at the plane that just landing.
"It function like a car, the different is, it able to cross the sky and ocean, and 4-5 times faster than the fastest car." Kong explained.
Arthit used to see airplanes passing through the sky from the window, but he did not expect that the original was very large than he imagined.
"Don't asked me how it can fly, sometime you don't need to know the detail, except you are the pilot, the person who fly that thing." Add Kong as if he could read Arthit mind.
"How big the world is?" Arthit asked another thing.
"Er..." Kong thought for moments. "World is small...compare to the universe...but if viewed from within our scope of view, the world is big..."
"But...no matter how small or big the world is, I feel like I don't belong to this world..." added Arthit as his expression turned sad.
"Don't be stupid! Except you're not born in this world, of course you're welcome, no matter what time you're live in, where you came from...this world also belong to you..."
"But I don't know this world...it kind like a dreams to me..."
Kong exhale heavily and feels tired. "Whatever...." He then ignore Arthit and shift his attention to the phone again.
Once boarding announcement echoing throughout the waiting room called all the passengers to board the plane. Kong shortly pull Arthit to follow him and joined with Toey who is waiting for them in the cabin.
Arthit sat in the middle between Toey and Kong.
He watches Arthit and Toey fasten the seatbelt, so he's copying them, he did it quite good but seemed has problem to fasten it, so Kong shove his hand impatiently and help him fasten.
After a while, the plane began to move slowly, turn around and get ready on the track, then the sound of engine become louder, Arthit reflexively pressed his ears as he felt uncomfortable and deaf.
Kong told him open his mouth as big as possible to release the air pressure.
Then the plane start to running even faster and ready to take off, Arthit eyes keep looking out the windows in curious.
Once the wheel left the ground and the cabin feels as tilted, Arthit's face become tense and feels as if his soul going to leave his body, his heart pounding so fast and start to sweating.
After a while he began to feels dizzy and immediately close his eyes. Arthit couldn't described how his feeling of first experience of fly.
His face turned pale, his whole body was stiff while gripped the armrest on the both side firmly and freeze.
Kong turned and looked at him, and furrowed his eyebrows in suspicious
"Don't tell me you want to throw up!" Kong glared at him and remembered what happened to his car some time ago. "I'll throw you out from the emergency window!" he threatened.
"Are you alright?" Toey asked him while stroking his back trying to calm the guy, then glared at Kong. "Don't you see he feels unwell?! Don't joke like that!"
Kong quickly searches the seat in front of him to looking for disposal bag, and open it in front of Arthit face.
Toey slowly release Arthit's grip from armrest, and hold it tight while giving a massages to make the guy relax, next he led Arthit head to rest on his shoulder.
Seeing that, Kong widened his eyes in disbelief, but he doesn't say anything. Kong feels his heart somehow become unease, he's accidentally glancing at Arthit's another hand that still gripped the armrest strongly.
Kong slowly move his hand and took Arhit hand, then crossing their finger together. Next he rest his body to backward and sleep.
Toey did not missed what he's doing and smiled.
Krist fall asleep after a while, and they finally arrived at Xi'an the capital of Shanxi around 1.30 PM then straightly book a hotel and have a lunch.
After lunch, Kong took Arthit to have a tour around the city and tell him that this place was capital city of Chang'an in the ancient time.
Arthit don't believe it eyes, the capital city of Chang'an where he been raised and live has changed instantly and became a completely different world from what he remembered.
From the city they visit Weiyang Palace Ruin Site from travel guide map and guidance by the local resident.
Arthit was stunned when saw the huge field which been told to be a largest palace ever built on Earth, located in China during Han dynasty and now it just looks like a hill plain with some of base structure and ruins.
"This is...Wei Yang Gong?" Arthit look shocked. "It can't be...I...don't believe it..."
"Well, I also wonder how the palace be looked like before it burnt down, unfortunately..." Kong sighed. "Hey, look at that structure!" Kong point at the distance, the construction that looked like an ancient city. "Is that part of palace that still stand till today?" he turned to Arthit.
The man stared at the distance and trying to recall his memory again and shook. "I don't think so...I don't recognized that place..." he turned his head again looking at the ruin in front of him. "But I know this place..." said Arthit then climbed up the staircase while closing his eyes and imagined of the stone gate structure in front of him, as if it still there.
Arthit reach out his hand to touch it as if there is a wooden gateway ahead, and his hand stop in the air for moments and he slowly open his eyes, realized that all that had gone now.
Arthit was crying, his heart feels suffocating as if it is going to explode, suddenly he fell to his knees and cried sorrowfully with his head pressed to the ground like he was saluting the emperor and ancestors.
Kong and Toey watching him from behind in surprised and also felt his sadness as well.
Toey wiped his tears and drag Kong to aside. "Now tell me honestly! Who is Arthit?" he glared at Kong. "Don't lie!"
Kong returned his glared and silent for moments. "What if I said...he is...a prince of the last Emperor of Han?"
"Don't be kidding me and don't trying to fool me, there is no such thing!"
"Well, you said it yourself ..." Kong laughed. "So, just think about what you believe, no need bother to asking! After all nothing will get into your understanding...he is just... Arthit, who is currently living in my house..." Kong smiled broadly.
"Oh, one more thing! The other reason I moved P'Pang memorial tablet to altar room is because I let Arthit to occupy his room, to prevent it turn into a poltergeist room..."
Toey can't believe it and look at him irritably. Suddenly he remember of something and grab Kong's hand make the guy jumped in surprised.
"What?!"
"I just remembered....where I ever saw Arthit face before this..."
Kong froze for moments and laughed. "You must be dreaming...don't tell me he is your lover from the past..." Kong trying to divert the subject.
"I saw it in my uncle study room, a painting of....whether a man or woman...I'm not sure, in ancient costume...which I remembered, really looks alike Arthit."
"Huh?" Kong blinked his eyes in surprised. "Where's the painting now? Is it still in your house?"
"Since...I moved out after the accident, I never had return home anymore...." Toey sighed. "I also heard from my aunt, a month after the funeral, the people from hospital came and took all of my uncle personal belongings..."
"It's strange, how did your aunt just let them to do that? That's robbery, you should have reported it!"
"Well, we were all mourning at that time..."
A painting?
Kong trying to analyzed, if what Toey's said was true, then how come his uncle could have Arthit painting stored in his house? Where did he got it, and was that mean his uncle has known about the mummy before they found it? Kong got a headache.
Another thing, his uncle was a doctor, and joined the expedition as medic team, could it be he probably knew about the syringe.
"Do you never heard uncle Tum mentioned anything related to any research?" he asked Toey.
Toey raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
Meanwhile, Arthit had finished and come to join them, so they immediately end the conversation and return to hotel.
The next day, three of them depart to Uighur Xin Jiang capital, Urumqi by train because Arthit still shock from flying with plane, next from Urumqi they continue the trip to Aksu Prefecture located in the south west of Urumqi.
Toey got the map location from P'Pang PC, and with the help of local resident they finally found a cavern location, on the halfway up to the mountain, though the land are quite wild and craggy, but there is newly-made path for car that directly head to the cavern entrance.
They arrived at afternoon, and Arthit feel familiar with the location, so once get out of the car, he quickly approaches the entrance that mostly covered by the rocks. However there is a small rift on the side left by the rescue team to get the body and survivors out.
The rift quite narrow, but they managed to get in by climbed, it quite dark inside though the sunlight come in between rocks. The condition of cavern are chaotic, full of rubbles and rocks, they also could hear the water dripping from distance, deep inside the cavern.
"Be careful, we don't know if there are a land slope or rock fall around!" Toey give the warning.
"It's cold inside..." Kong scrubs both of his palm and blows it.
"There is an ice pool full of nitrogen inside..."
They followed the tunnel, carefully avoiding debris blocking the road, by jumping or walking on its side, sometimes they had to crawl under the collapsing column, without realizing they entered deeper into the cave. After walking for about two hours along the tunnel, they finally arrived at a large area where the excavation camp was before.
There is a large pool in the middle of the cave with very high ceilings and narrow holes that lead to the surface above. So that they can see the starry night sky facing upwards, plus the view that was so beautiful.
Kong can't take his eyes off from the hole, does it because of the view or because the sky color told him that it is night and they're trapped in nowhere inside the cavern.
Meanwhile, Arthit stood in front of the pool, scanning around the cave as if it bring nostalgic feeling in his memory.
"You...ever been here before?" asked Toey to him.
Kong return to present and interrupt the question. "How can they found this place, and know there is a treasure inside?" he change the topic.
"Of course they're doing the survey first, or maybe it was told in the historical record or note, who knows?" said Toey.
"Though the world outside was changed, but this place doesn't changed even a bit...." Said Arthit with a smiled.
Kong squint his eyes and bite his lips and softly cursed Arthit slipping tongue. "Stupid!"
"So, you've really been here before?" Toey repeat his question.
"Er...actually he joined the excavation team..." said Kong.
Toey turned at Kong immediately and shouted. "Shut up!!!" then returned to Arthit. "Tell me who are you? How do you know this place?"
Arthit look at him straight and looks doubtful.
Suddenly Kong saw a shadow is moving in the distance, to the southeast from their position between the pillar, and it disappeared to another tunnel branch in the cave.
"We're not the only visitor here...I guess..." said Kong while point his flashlight toward the tunnel and walk over to investigate it.
Arthit and Toey are following behind him.
"You're not make an excuse, aren't you?" Toey protest. "Can't you just being honest to me and consider me as your friend or for P'Pang?!" Toey become emotional, but Kong just ignored him and was focus his attention at the target.
"Kong, do you even listening to me?!! Stop!!!" he impatiently pulled Kong shoulder and grabbed his collar make Kong accidentally drop his flashlight.
Arthit was shocked but doesn't interfere.
Kong close his eyes for moments and trying to hold his emotion. "Why do you think I lied to you? I also don't have any idea about what happened here...until you showed me P'Pang message..." he paused a second. ""And because I think of you as a friend, so I lie to Uncle Liu and come here as you ask, isn't that enough?"
Toey lightly let go of his hand.
Suddenly Arthit's eyes caught something that looked like a small piece of iron stick in a ditch near the cave wall, between the stalagmites. He then bent to pick it up, and examined it in confusion.
Kong then snatch it from his hand. "What is this thing?" he show it to Toey, the guy raises his shoulder and curved his mouth indicate he don't know as well.
Kong pick up a flashlight and point it at the dark tunnel again, but he found nothing. "Well, maybe I just saw it wrong..." he sighed and put the stick inside his pocket, "Let's go back to cave and build a camp, hope the sun will be rise soon, I don't want to be a midnight snack of unidentified creature..."
"This cave is near the desert anyway, probably it just a scorpion or snake..."
Kong glared at him immediately.
"Arthit, let me sleep with you tonight..." he pulled Arthit's arm to follow him and prepare a camp for stay a night.
to be continue....