Saying Goodbyes

Rith rushes forward first. Of corse, Bishop thinks.

She grabs a small pouch and fills it with gold coins. Everyone else follows. Lomilia does the same but never really gets too far from Merlin. Eventually he wakes and joins in.

Lomilia just hugs him as he starts to stir.

"I appreciate the concern for me, lass." He smiles brightly and hugs her back.

"It's nothing." Lomilia blushes and lightly kisses him on the cheek. They then began gathering again.

"What's that?" Rith walks up to a pedestal with a ring on it.

Chris joins her and picks it up. "Cool." He puts it in his pocket.

"Maybe I wanted it." Rith sneers.

"Don't worry I'm sure there are other rings around here."

"But-" The temple rumbles.

They all stop.

Debris falls from the ceiling.

"The ring was trapped!" Aiken shouts at them. "Get under cover!"

"And get buried in!?" Rith asks.

"I'm sure the elves never wanted their treasure to get buried, we just need to find cover. I doubt the debris is just from them digging and building, not even from the roof. GO, HIDE!"

Everyone scatters.

Bishop grabs Rith and runs over to the coffin. He pushes it open, throws a skeleton out, and jumps in with Rith.

Thrask runs by and pushes the cover back. "Stay safe, dove!" He says before it shuts.

The coffin has a faint stench of something that use to be worse. Rith squirms at the thought of them sitting on rotten flesh. They breath in each other, Rith laying on top of Bishop.

Rith put her nose to his. "I can think of a few things to do while waiting." She smiles and kisses his lips.

He takes her in gently and feels her with his hands, kissing her gently and sweetly.

"Too bad there's no room for sex." Bishop says in between kisses.

"I would never have sex with you in a coffin, that's gross."

Bishop shrugs. "I could care less."

Thrask heaves the coffin open, revealing Rith and Bishop on top of each other. Rith softly napping on his shoulder.

Bishop smirks and puts his finger to his lips in a silent shhh.

He gently lifts her up, accidently waking her in the process.

She jolts awake and rubs her eyes, sitting up.

"Is every one still alive now?" Chris looks around.

"MERLIN!" Lomilia shouts from the darkness.

"Shit." Aiken whispers and they rush towards the voice.

Merlin lies crumbled under a piles of rock. Lomilia holds his head.

"He was right behind me but I thought he found a place. I was wrong." Lomilia's voice made Rith want to secretly cry.

Her shoulders sob in a silent cry, tears stream down her face.

Rith slowly puts her arm around Bishop's waist and leans on him, a sick feeling in her heart.

He doesn't do anything, but instead stay at Merlin's dead body with a strait face.

They sit there in silence, all mourning their dead friend.

The sunlight burns Rith's eyes. They found an exit, a stair case that seemed to go on forever and exited out the back.

"That was small for a temple." Chris pointed out.

"It was more of a shrine." Rith answered. "Not a city."

Chris shrugged. "True enough."

Lomilia starts walking away. They don't question it, they know she's leaving.

Rith rushes up to her.

"You loved him, didn't you?" She asks, walking in step with her. She looks back as the others watch.

Lomilia turns and looks at Rith. "I did, but we would have made a strange couple. Plus it wouldn't have worked out." She grabs into her pack. "So I kept silent, but I think he knew." She pulls out a necklace. "He once bought me a diamond necklace." The necklace was gold chain with a diamond amulet attached to it. "I loved the thought but I never liked jewelry. Why don't you have it?"

Rith looked taken aback. "I could never…"

"It's fine just take it and Rith…" Lomilia smiles sadly. "Take care of each other, you and Bishop, as stubborn as you both are, you're in love, and don't let it go to waste. For me?"

Rith grabs the necklace, holding her hand at the same time. "I will…. for you."

Lomilia smiles a little bigger, kisses her gently on the cheek, and walks away. "I'll see you soon, Rith."

Rith nods and looks back at Bishop. Handsome, stubborn Bishop…

*Don't worry I'm not done with this story…. Yet! (One/two more chaps to go!) Just to sum it up and another unexpected thing!*