Atlas threw pulses of dark energy at the wall, which was beginning to break. Cracks lengthened across the plaster. "Almost there." he grunted, beads of sweat rolling down his face. He released one last blast of energy and the wall crumbled, reduced to dust. Behind the rubble, a winding staircase twisted into the darkness. Runes stretched across the walls, etched in a red paint that Atlas hoped was not blood. Atlas turned to face his client, a young Sandslash named Amy. She grinned, white teeth flashing in the harsh sunlight. "Thanks, Krokorok."
"My name's Atlas."
Amy shrugged. "Ok, then. Thanks, Atlas." she said. She shuffled forward, checking tentatively for traps. Atlas watched her uneasily. He was new to exploring. unused to the danger it entailed. At just thirteen years old, he was the youngest recruit of the guild. This was the first time his guildmaster, Arcanine, had let him explore alone.
Amy wandered down the staircase. the shadows seemed to swallow her whole as she descended, her spiny figure disappearing from Atlas's vision.
"Hey, wait for me!" the Korokorok shouted, hurrying down the stairs. Suddenly, he heard a loud snapping sound. There was a brief rush of air as a boom sounded below, reverberating through the steps. "Amy?" Atlas whispered, his heart thumping in his chest. He raised his voice, "Amy!" he called. There was no answer. Atlas crept down the steps, a slideshow of scenarios racing across his mind. When he had scuttled past the last step, he paused, panting. A room lay before him, the doorway covered in dusty drawings and ancient runes. He stopped just outside and breathed heavily, trying to compose himself. He gritted his teeth and jumped into the room, his eyes still closed. Slowly, he opened them.
The room was covered in a fine layer of dust. Blazing torches lined the walls, casting an eerie glow across the room. A single ancient pillar stood in the middle of the floor. More runes were sketched onto its rough surface. Atlas's eyes drifted towards a corner of the room, and he gasped. Beneath another set of runes lay a single massive emerald that glittered in the torchlight. His eyes shone as he stared at it. If he went back to the guild with a gem like that...
"Atlas!"
He turned around to find Amy trapped beneath a small pillar. Her leg had bent into a V shape. A bone stuck out of her calf, and crimson blood pooled around the wound. Half of her spines had been crushed and twisted into awkward shapes, and some had even snapped off.
"There was a trap on the staircase." She said, grimacing. "I should have known, i should have seen it-"
"Amy, shh, it's OK," Atlas whispered, shuffling towards her. Her eyes were wide, and it was obvious she was going into shock. "You're going to be fine. I'm going to get that pillar off you, and then we'll go find the nearest village."
"The-the nearest village?" Amy stuttered, shivers creeping up her half-crushed spine. "B-but we're in the middle of the desert."
"Don't worry. I'll figure something out." Atlas murmured, gingerly placing his hands on Amy's broken leg. He'd never seen these sort of injuries before. His guildmaster had only ever sent him on gathering missions, and they were nothing like this. His brain and heart screamed at him to run, and his stomach told him to throw up, but he had to be strong. Not only for Amy, but for himself. Because he was sure that if he gave in to any of those temptations, he wouldn't be able to live with it. "Now hold still, this is gonna hurt." he said, and yanked Amy's foot. The Sandslash screamed and writhed as the bones slotted back into place, tears streaming from her eyes. Atlas stared at the emerald, trying to avoid Amy's sorrowful gaze. It was so beautiful, and it was just sitting there, ripe for the taking. He glanced back at Amy. If the emerald was so vulnerable, then why would a trap designed to catch those who might take it lead here? He gasped as it suddenly hit him.
The room was another trap.
And he'd walked right into it.