Chapter 3
In a place where the sun never shines and the night never comes, a dark hooded creature stares at a black iron cauldron filled with dark water. It moves a fleshless hand over it and shapes form on the water surface. He sees a fierce battle on the mortal realm, and he laughs softly. At the sound of its laughter, the demons in Hell tremble and the angels in heaven weep. The ignorant mortals don't even notice it.
For better or worse, we cannot say...
Aurion waved his hands and the golem moved. It advanced to the attacking party, and with each move one dead body fell, only to rise again at the necromancer commands. Is seconds, they were circled by skeletons that did their best in keeping the enemies away. Meanwhile, the amazon grabbed her crossbow and bolts from the tent and attacked as well. Before launching her lethal bolts, she recited an incantation to her ancestors. The arcane forces laughed around her, and an eerie glow covered her hands. And as she begun shooting, each bolt split to many; and every single one of them was lethal.
The battle was over before it had already begun.
Aurion look at the amazon, who in turn looked at him waiting for an answer.
"All right", he said, "I think we can walk together... At least for a while". Something inside him told him he would regret this.
"Then, Summoner, I think we'd better start moving", she answered with a smile. "And you can call me Macha".
They packed their gear and started walking towards the cliffs to the North. Macha called on her Goddess and a Valkirie answered her summoning. Along with the golem, she walked ahead and cleared off the various encounters. They reached the end of the canyon without much trouble.
Before them there were the ruins of on of the Seven Tombs. Macha walked to the entrance, cleared up the dust from the marble and rose with disappointment in her face.
"No, this isn't the one. We'll have to walk more to the east and check the other tombs out as well", she said. "Unless you want to stop for the night".
"Young one, the night is my friend", replied Aurion with a cold smile that sent shivers down the amazon's spine.
They walked towards the next tomb. In the way, more Night Tigers attacked them. This time, instead of casually walk over the broken bodies, Aurion summoned a few mages. Better be prepared, he thought. He had heard rumors of an Ancient Foe that guarded Tal Rasha's tomb.
And now he stood before the Tomb.
He waved at his minions, and looked at the amazon. She looked back at him and grinned. She was focused, calm, but he knew that deep down inside she was scared.
And so was he.
With a nod, he commanded his golem to break the seal on the Tomb entrance. And as the door was opened, the stench of a million deaths was released upon the land.
They stepped into the darkness.
The dark corridors were filled with deadly creatures. In every turn, Undead Summoners would unleash skeletons on them. From dusty sarcophagi rotting creatures would reach out to grab them with their poisonous claws. Every shadow had eyes and fangs and things that should be dust long ago walked with broken limbs. And in this hellish place, the bolts from Macha's crossbow dispelled the darkness and her fire purified the abominations. She walked carefully, unleashing bolts to everything that moved and her fiery hair illuminated the Tomb. Aurion walked beside her, a shadow among shadows, his face a mask of death. He called upon his arcane powers and the remains of their enemies exploded, sending out waves of destruction. And with bolts of fire and spears of bone they reached the entrance of the burial chamber.
Aurion took out the Staff of Kings and placed it in the shaft. The ground shook and the power chained in the Staff was unleashed. A lightning was called down from the sky and brought down the western wall.
Macha walked to the hole and looked inside. The stale air coming from within made her back up, but she steadied herself and tried to see in the darkness.
"It's useless, I can't see anything. But I'm sure I can hear something. It reminds me of bugs crawling on a wet floor", she said.
"I don't like this. But I hope I can find something out", replied Aurion, and waved to one of his skeletons. The Skeleton obeyed and walked in the chamber. A second later, Aurion heard the bones fall down. She summoned another skeleton. And then a third. They were all destroyed in a matter of seconds.
"Not good, not good", he said. He walked around the room as if searching of something. He kneeled down and picked up a shattered bone from one of the creatures they had banished upon entering this room. Macha looked at him in shock as he placed it in his mouth.
His mind melted with whatever consciousness the dead creature had. He tried to see in the darkness ahead. A cold, wet room... Big, lethal claws... A creature from Hell... and then the bond broke. But know he had an idea of what was ahead.
"Get your fire bolts ready, and whatever protection from cold you have", he said to the amazon. And then he noticed the look on her face.
"What? You've never eaten drumsticks?" he said.
He tried hard not to laugh out loud as she run to a corner and puked.