Unwanted Memories That Return To Haunt You
I hit the floor hard, as did we all. It was like going down a rolling stone slide, and it was a long way down. Now, to my horror, I can see the huge section slowly rising up and I can’t get up due to the pain. It rises up slowly grinding as it closes slowly turning everything to darkness. It all goes pitch black and all I can see is that stupid fucking vampire’s eyes glowing in the darkness along with Bastian’s. Mine in my real form would glow but they're suppressed which means they don’t and it takes them longer to adjust.
I pull myself up painfully, even with Paladin armour that can take impacts it still hurts. That is when I notice something is wrong, very wrong. The air down here feels stale, which means there might not be a set of veneration shafts going up to the surface to funnel the air. Keira pressed her glove watching as her glow stone started to let out dim light as Bastian got up shaking his head, his glow stone also working.
She looked around her in surprise, seeing all the beautiful coloured paintings and ancient writings and even the glossy black stone to protect from serious magic incidents still in place, the vampire was looking at it with extreme interest and awe. She could see her already casting some spell on the walls all around which was making copies of the images and dragging them back into her sword hilt in a flash of green smoke. “You fucking idiot!”
Keira raised a gloved hand. “There’s no air down here….we are going to suffocate.” Elysande breathed in deeply, she knew this was coming. She finished her work watching as her sword hilt started to glow with green light. “No, there is a way out. I read it’s very near the village of Ramstad.” Bastian turned sharply. “That’s closed, it's been closed forever, they’ve never been able to open it…” Elysande eyed him. “You pressed the puzzle block to make us all fall in here, not me, though I’m very grateful.”
Bastian raised a clawed finger to speak only to stop. “Yes I did…I just like my peoples designs.” Keira felt her teeth grind together. “Yes and now we are going to die down here. Thank you so much both of you!” Elysande hated to have to say this but she was very tired of this now. “Then stop your unnecessary bitching and conserve oxygen. I know what I’m doing and where I’m going.”
Keira felt a sneer form as she spoke under her breath. “It's fine for your undead; you won’t die from a lack of oxygen.” Elysande turned, giving her a wide smile as she started working, watching as they all picked up their pack along with the large fallen insect tail. “Yes I also have excellent hearing and can hear you perfectly.” She paused, speaking calmly. “Shame you can’t do magic, as you'd be able to make air bubbles or mimic a frog persons lungs to purify your air and your friends.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless in reality you can and you’re holding out on us.”
Keira eyed her in disgust. “I can’t do magic!” Elysande smiled walking forward ignoring Bastian’s confusion over that statement. “Well since you can’t let all hurry along before the air goes bad.” She carried on walking, seeing that there were no doors down here or rooms, just a very long corridor, with no animals as the she cast her copy spell, copying as many off the walls as possible as they walked forward slowly. “Also enjoy the view and take in the sights. I mean look at this place it was carved by our ancestors and it’s so intact and beautiful.”
She carried on moving, seeing that they were finally at the end as she looked at the stone wall, easing her hand up pressing the middle only to see the centre light up with beautiful blue stone, before it opened slowly, grinding open with more ease than the other ones revealing a huge room filled with chests of gold and gemstones. What she wanted had to be here; she didn’t care about the piles of gold, she moved forward only for Bastian’s clawed hand to grab her pushing her back. “Don’t! It’s not real.”
Bastian eyed the room watching as she stepped back while Keira's face turned from glee to utter disappointment. “You know the saying, too good to be true, it probably is.” He moved forward. “Let me turn off the illusion spell as it’s not a room.” He grabbed the wall in the room, climbing around it slowly, looking only to find what he was looking for, which was a blue stone turning wheel. “This is so impressive I have not seen one of these in years, very old work really hard to make.”
He moved his clawed hand, turning it. “Who ever lived here had talent, as trap illusion rooms you need so much skill to keep the magic going, and this has been going for seasons.” The wheel in his hand pulled out, clicking as he began to turn other way slowly. He carefully pushed it down. Only to watch as the magic started to fade slowly, the gold melted away like paint along with the room colours turning dark grey only for the floor to suddenly vanish. Except for a narrow bridge which led across to the real black stone door, under it was razor sharp spikes and a lot of bones and the skeletons from many other races who had fallen for it.
He moved over jumping back on to the bridge. “You both can come over now.” Keira breathed in as they made their way across slowly and carefully. “Why is it that all the copper, silver and gold I want are always fake why can’t it just be real for once?” She eyed the black door. “How does this open then as it’s made from stone to stop magic like in the tunnels?” Elysande breathed in looking at the door. “Must have a switch somewhere….”
Keira moved, putting her hand against the door. “Great…” The next moments turned to agony as a black clawed device shot out the door, grabbing her hand, slamming it into the door, causing intense pain as the others tried to force to let go only for Elysande to stop as a smile appeared on her face. “I know what to do.” She eased up her hand in the same way the other woman had only for it to be grabbed by another clawed device and pulled towards the door. “It needs two people to unlock it…it’s not a trap.”
Keira eyed the claws that were getting tighter. “Unlock it now!” Elysande ignored her, as she watched blue and yellow streams of light came out on her side lighting up the stone turning it to white. “You need to relax Keira…let it feel your soul.” She watched as the other woman stopped though not fully relaxed, as red and blue light came out turning the other side white, only for both claws to let go violently as the huge stone began to slowly creak open.
Bastian looked at the vampire. “Never seen one of these before, how did you know what to do?” Elysande looked at him, she could see Keira moving her fingers, painfully though, she could see wisps of red and blue light coming out of her fingers before they vanished. “They are still used where I live, to guard things they are called spirit doors, if you’re not true to them you lose your hand.” Keira sneered, shaking her gloved armoured hand. “Well I’m so flattered it made the choice to not rip mine off.”
She watched as a highly decorated room came into view, probably more decorated than any other room though there was nothing in it, just a huge highly decorated sarcophagus. “Are there any traps in here?” Bastian moved his whiskers forward. “None.” He moved inside. “Plus the door way out is over there, it’s a hidden switch you press it.” Elysande moved forward looking at the beautiful sarcophagus as she scanned everything in the room including it, it was so ancient a true ancient grave.
She put her sword away. “Help me get the lid off.” Keira raised her hands. “Look I’m happy to take old gold treasure but I don’t grave rob, that’s heresy!” Elysande breathed in deeply. “I need one single thing off this body, nothing more; I’m not here to desecrate graves.” She moved, pulling out a pendant from her armour which had a star symbol on top of the sun. “I would never do that. I have a dawn light trinket. I can see if they have crossed over to the great beyond, or are undead and sleeping.”
She put her hands on the heavy top. “So please help me move this.” She watched as they both helped her move the top which grinded echoing through the room as it slid off. She looked down, seeing a beautifully embalmed body come into view in wrapping and wearing a gold mask on its beast man head which had two sets of huge horns. There were ancient symbols all over the body. The mask was also beautiful pure gold plated with woven silver symbols; the horns also had silver and gold decorations. “This is amazing.”
She eased up her sword, scanning quickly before putting it away as she raised the dawn star trinket to the mouth watching it spin, as green smoke came out channelling through the body before coming back into the pendant as it went glowing white for an instant. “She’s passed over, and she’s not undead either.” Bastian eyed the horns. “Why does she have two sets of horns? Beast people only ever have one set and they're not this big?”
Keira eyed the old body, leaning closer eyeing the gold mask only to watch in surprise as the eyes suddenly started to glow white, only for the body to suddenly shoot up sitting up right looking at her directly, not flinching as the old clawed hands scratched the stone and hand raised pointing at her as the voice spoke darkly. “You dishonour yourself pretending to be this; it’s a dishonour to my memory.” She found herself stumbling back only to close her eyes painfully only to feel Bastian grab her. “Keira snap out of it!”
She opened her eyes and realized that nothing had pointed to her the body was still. Bastian spoke though he seemed confused and uncertain. “You phased out for a second there; your eyes were even glowing white in the pupils.” Keira looked at the body which had not moved at all which meant it was all an illusion. “I don’t feel so good.” Elysande watched as the other woman came forward putting hands on the coffin breathing in deeply. “Take it slowly, it might have been some sort of trap to keep people away and bewitch or charm them. Just take deep slow breaths and you'll feel better soon.”
Her hands moved to the body’s chest, as she started to slowly undo the wrappings. “Whoever she was, she was deeply respected and powerful. This is a very expensive tomb.” She eased the last bandage away seeing a piece of decorative metal near the chest bone, she took hold of it carefully pulling it back seeing what she came for glowing brightly. It was a combined red and yellow stone merged like crystal. She didn’t think of it as she grabbed Bastian clawed hand before he touched it. “Don’t handle it.”
She watched as all the colour seemed to drain from Keira's face in an instant as she just stood there staring at it. She slowly eased out a tool with clamps, seeing that the stone was going through the top breast bone section that was between the ribs the manubrium, it had dug a hole permanently placing itself inside that bone. “She died of old age, so I should be able to loosen this from her bone.”
Keira could feel her heart pounding in her ears and feel her-self sweating and panicking internally. Nothing was making sense to her right now and her whole brain was being filled with the bad memories of Magnus trying to pull out an identical stone from her chest. She could only freeze as she watched the vampire carefully clamp down on it slowly easing it out, not breaking the bone, looking at it glistening for a moment before carefully putting it in a special magic lock box.
Did this person know who she was? Was she one of the horrible mages making the stones? Nothing was making sense to her and it was horrible. Elysande carefully placed the chest plate back in place as she looked at the others. “Help me put the lid back in place; I got what I needed so we can leave.” Bastian eyed the stone holder as she put it away. “What is that I’ve never seen anything like it?”
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Elysande smiled as they both pushed the lid back in place, locking it closed. “It’s a very ancient magic gem stones, that’s why I needed to come here, I've been looking for them, but all the other finds I’ve found are cracked gems, this is the first intact one I’ve found.” She eyed Keira, who seemed to be completely phased out now in her own thoughts. “We can all go now, though we will need that insect’s tail for the next part.”
Keira snapped out of her thoughts, eyeing her rarely used curved dagger on her belt, which was mostly used for forest work and the camp, eyeing the vampire. If she was one of them, she would kill her outright. That fucking demon Mage… he had ruined her life. Maybe the vampire was a stupid fool who just liked to play with dangerous magic and had no idea what she really had in her hands. Either way she would wait till they got to the top side… since she was the only one who knew the way out of this place.
She breathed in deeply and slowly trying to calm herself down, Paladin code would say murder in cold blood was one of worst crimes, along with some others, but she was no longer any kind of Paladin of worth. She had stopped being that long ago. She moved forward watching as Bastian and Elysande pressing both sides of the hidden locks, watching as the door opened slowly, its stone grinding as it opened fully. Bastian looked up, eyeing Keira who was still deep in thoughts but looked slightly better. “Are you ready to go Keira?”
Keira looked at her dagger again, could she do it? Could she kill someone in cold blood? She had never killed anyone before, mostly just animals. Elysande, as much as she didn’t like the undead or Mages, had not shown her any harm. She was annoying and happy about everything and liked her stupid toys as well as looking at the Empires past. Yet she was so fascinated by the thing that had caused her so much pain and was so dangerous. She breathed in deeply, hating how frustrating this felt and how unwell she still felt since that vision as she slowly started walking forward. “I’m coming.”
8
Agomais slowly placed all the herbs on the desk as he started to carefully mix them. Eyeing the Orc in the corner who was smoking his pipe, which was letting off coloured smoke, those pipes could be used to channel magic and you could make images with them. The stronger the person’s magic the more amazing images they could make. Though the orc in question was a bard and just preferred to play on his Rebec which was a type of wooden violin that you needed a bow to play.
He’d always loved music and song, even though he couldn’t play, and was always attracted to people who could play them, as it warmed his soul deeply. This was their third meeting, they’d slept together a few times and he was hoping to take it further and show him to his parents. He finished his mixing, putting it into bags, watching as the young orc stood up removing his pipe looking at the bags. “Very nice work Agomais.”
Agomais smiled at him. “I do try Felix.” The orc picked up a bag looking at it. “Shame it is that I have to do this to you, but someone made me a much better offer going forward on handing this out to the village.” Agomais blinked in confusion. “Wait, what are you talking about?” The orc breathed in deeply, taking hold of his face. “You’re a naïve idiot Agomais; did you ever think we were a thing? I only cared about your spice and how you make it…you’re not even that good in bed.”
He pulled his hands over to the bags. “So I’ll be taking this now.” Agomais slammed his clawed hands down on the desk, the anger starting to boil. “No you won’t!” The orc smirked. “Rage isn’t going to help you here Agomais.” He smiled as the door opened and the four of the Paladin guard appeared along with a low rank Mage. “Time is up for you my friend, it's been fun, but all fun things come to an end, and you’re not even worthy of being partner material.”
Agomais watched as one of the armoured guards stepped inside he eyed Felix in utter disgust. “You’re a slimy betraying bastard and a dishonour to your race, orcs believe in honour, pride and good will.” Felix laughed as he eyed him. “That is true… I just prefer money more I always have.” Agomais breathed in feeling the cutting pain in his chest; he thought they were something that Felix maybe was in love with him.
He looked down sadly that was the story of his current life though and maybe why he’d always been slightly jealous of Keira and Bastian. They seemed to get good sex and partners even if it didn’t last and Keira had new vampire girlfriend, while he just ended up with the shit and people who left him or betrayed him. He hated this! He was worth more than this what was so wrong with him that this kept happening?
He felt the rage start to build up as he eyed his red glowing stone on his armoured hand and felt the red smoke start to come out of his nostrils he knew activating his rage spell was bad he knew it wasn’t allowed among Minotaurs and could be viewed as a criminal offence, when used badly but fuck Felix and fuck these shining armoured Paladins and there little belly crawler of a frog woman Mage. He felt a sadistic smile form as he looked at the Felix. “Well I hope it’s enough to fix your house…”
The orc looked up in shock as it suddenly dawned on him what was going to happen. Agomais turned running, full pelt feeling his magic take strength as he smashed through the wooden wall of the house, sending wood everywhere as he carried on running as the Paladin guard and the Mage turned in shock, running after him shouting loudly. He wasn’t going to go to prison, all he had to do was get to the villages hill and run towards the nearest spider's nest. They wouldn’t follow and there was one but he needed to get past the old door ruins which were closed.
8
Elysande walked slowly into the black stone room. Much further up she could see the huge stone door opening that led to the surface. “This is the last part; we should drop the tail of the insect here.” Keira breathed as she and Bastian threw the tail down. “Why?” Elysande looked around her. “Because feeding the guardian will appease it, and it will let us free.” Keira eyed her. “I really hope you're right.” She moved the tail end across the floor putting it in the centre of the room. “I do not want to get eaten because you’re wrong!”
Bastian moved forward, as he caught sight of something which was moving above, feeling his whiskers twitch. “You both need to be quiet, whatever it is, it’s big, and it’s coming down. It’s not magical but it is highly aggressive.” Keira breathed in, stepping back as a huge black form with shimming scales came into view in the low light. Its three eyes blinking on each side of its head as it came downwards like a snake, only to stop its huge head coming into view. Its massive mouth that could open wide came in to view, as well as a huge pouch like stomach that could extend.
She felt her heart start to beat faster as she realised half a huge centipede was sticking out of its mouth, its legs still moving and it was red and yellow in colour. Its huge mouth suddenly finished swallowing it down, much to her horror as its stomach extended fully. It turned eyeing them using its long fins on either side that had claws to crawl across the floor quickly, despite how full it was. “It’s a black finned gulper snake….”
She watched as it moved over, eyeing what they’d given it, flicking out its long tongue only for the razor sharp fins to come up along its back, as it hissed low and loud in anger. “And you just offered it the wrong type of centipede!” Her hand moved towards her weapons. “Which means it’s going to eat us instead!” Elysande breathed in. “No, that's not possible! I read the old scrolls that said this kind of centipede!”
Keira turned sharply as Bastian pulled out his axe. “Scrolls can be misleading!” Elysande eased out her weapons. “No! We just missed a step!” Keira felt her anger start to burn before she could stop it. “Well I hope you enjoy contemplating that inside its stomach… since that thing can eat anything living or dead!” The huge snake mouth opened wide as it screeched in anger, its eyes glowing as it looked at them all.
Bastian watched moving in closer. “Less talk both of you more killing!” The snake’s huge wide jaws opened again as its razor teeth flew down. “Unless you both want this thing to eat you!” The huge head came down, narrowly missing him, only to turn, striking the others who ran as fast as they could to get away. He smashed his axe down only to hit a thick hide, like that of any lizard person, as the scales were thick and heavy.
The next moments turned to pain, as he was smashed by the forked tail and sent flying enough to cause him to hit the wall and land hard. Its head turned, beginning to aim at his friends, moving them further and further up against the walls, trying to box them in striking violently. He got up painfully… one full strike head on and it was over, as that mouth would swallow you whole.
Keira smashed her sword against the face, as it came at her narrowly missing, only for the tail to knock Elysande flying as the other woman hit the floor hard, her sword leaving her grip as it slid along the floor. She breathed in, seeing the huge head rise as it turned in the other woman’s direction, the mouth opening wide as time starting to crawl painfully. If it eat her all her problems were gone, and yet even in this moment… Even when it was easy to just turn away, she found herself putting her weapons on her back, as she ran forward with all her might.
Each step grinding the stone as she watched the vampire get to her feet, as the gulpers mouth opened fully, only to shove her out of the way, watching as she was thrown clear. She breathed in, knowing this was the end… knowing her death would be horrible, but the truth that she couldn’t deny was that she was not a cold blooded murder. She was no Paladin, but she still swore that oath to protect others and she wanted to die knowing that.
Everything went black in an instant, as she felt the teeth grind on her armour and everything became wet… and cold… and dark… as she was thrown backwards down the throat, unable to stop herself from falling as the light from her glove lit up the insides horribly, only for her to fall landing painfully on top of something. Her gloves light brightened as the stale horrible air started to make her choke. She could see now that the only thing between her and the pool of acid was the slowly disintegrating centipede.
The air was hot, stale and it made her sweat, as her heart started to beat faster in pure panic which was made worse as the huge being moved around. She grabbed the dead centipede's head, which was out of the acid, clinging to it for dear life. She breathed in, already finding it harder to breathe, only to find herself suddenly throwing up as purple liquid spilled down her chin. Her head started to spin as blue and red light came out in streams across her chest.
Bastian grabbed his axe, watching the vampire do the same as the monster turned on them. It had killed his best friend. He was going to kill it or die trying! He ran forward only to watch the huge gulper snake stop dead in its tracks no longer moving, it was frozen like a statue, its six eyes going wide only for it to start choking much to his surprise. Elysande grabbed him, pulling him back. “You need to move! You don’t want to be close for what’s going to happen next!”
Bastian turned in confusion. “What do you even mean, what happens next?!” Elysande pushed him down, raising her shield as the green fire came out, creating a protective barrier around them both as she watched red and blue light fly out of the gulper’s huge mouth. Its whole stomach lit up with the same light only for its screech as its stomach was torn apart and blue and red light ripped through its body and its stomach went off like a bomb, with centipede parts and acid flying everywhere, raining down, only to be stopped by the shield.
He breathed in, watching as the gulper fell sideways, dying instantly, only for him to watch in utter shock as his friend walked out covered in purple light with her chest glowing like a star in the darkness, her body untouched by acid burns and weapons still in place on her back. Though her shoulder was bleeding from where the teeth had hooked into when eating her, and red blood was leaking out of the plate. It was clearly a very serious wound that would need healing.
Kiera carried on walking only for the light to fade slowly, as she threw up thick purple liquid which burnt through the acid around her, turning it into nothing but water. She seemed to be in a trance like state and unaware as her eyes glowed green before she hit the floor hard on her knees. Her long red hair spilling everywhere, as her hair tie had been lost. What in the fuck was going on?! Keira had no magic; she had always told him that!
He turned, seeing her spilt blood suddenly move on its own towards the stone doors, instantly causing them to flash with red light as the huge stone doors bolts moved on their own, unlocking slowly as they began to open for the first time in seasons. It pulled the vines and branches away, cracking them in two as it opened fully staying fully open. Elysande eased her shield down eyeing Bastian. “We need to get Keira and we need to leave now.”
Bastian turned to her in pure confusion. “Who the fuck are you? Also why does my best friend suddenly have magic?!” Elysande raised her hands. “I’ll explain everything when we get out but we have to leave now!” She ran over to Keira pulling her up as she watched him pick up the packs. “She needs to be healed quickly, or way worse than this is coming!” Bastian grabbed his injured friend, helping pull her up as they ran towards the entrance not stopping or looking back.
End of part 7
Silvermoonlight