Of golden eye

And a certain disdain

The Bright Lord chases the emerald glow

In the land of the lost

Who remain as remains

The truth of Kandendra lie below…

Delphius steps cautiously down the lengthy staircase, dragging his hand across the dusty stone walls. As he enters the main antechamber of the catacombs, the musty scent of the dank halls fills his nostrils. The sprawling chambers twist, stretch, and turn before him, dimly lit by flickering torches on the walls. He takes his place against a wall at the bottom of the stairs and looks on as Tomi delivers his edict.

"Alright men, as you know, we've been contracted by the Prince of Kandendra to locate and recover an ancient family heirloom known as the Fang of the Greatwyrm. It's said to have been buried with the kid's grandfather. Now, while I'm not expecting any fierce opposition, I fear it would be reckless of me not to inform you all that these catacombs have a bit of a reputation..."

Tomi's mercenaries exchange worried glances with one another as Delphius leans against the cold stone wall, arms sternly crossed.

"Legend has it that the Greatwyrm itself still lurks deep within these fetid halls and preys on any unlucky delver who passes by its piercing emerald gaze. They say that anyone who's ever entered the catacombs is never to be seen or heard from again!"

Despite Tomi's foreboding words, his delivery is met with a resounding silence before being suddenly broken by a cacophony of laughter between him and his men. Delphius sighs at the sight and starts toward one of the many tunnels leading out of the antechamber, but is quickly stopped by Tomi.

"Now, my boys, it is also worth mentioning that we have a guest joining us on this frightful expedition. Men, this is Delphius, Knight of Maelaezel, from the outskirts of Kandendra. Delphius, these wretches are Keagan, Dullus, Thullivan, and Marquise."

Tomi points to each mercenary individually, and Delphius takes note of their rough and battle-worn appearances.

Keagan stands about Delphius’s height, a full foot above his boss. A thick brown beard covers most of his Eltian features, and his eyes suggest that he is no stranger to combat and death. A mighty warhammer sits on his back, secured tightly by a full rucksack firmly affixed to his shoulders.

Dullus gives Delphius a short but courteous bow. His gaunt figure and black hair suggest that he hails somewhere near or around Königsend, and this seems to be all but confirmed by the blackened sigils carved into his skin. A small black tome hangs from his belt loop, surrounded by knives of various shapes and make.

Thullivan’s unusually pale skin reminds Delphius of his own. Hailing from the mountain regions of Seltias, he stands just under Keagan, leather armor adorned with furs and various trinkets made of ice that emit a gentle frost. Next to his rapier is a spyglass with its brass worn down from use. Jutting out of his pack is an unorganized mess of parchments and scrolls.

Finally, Marquise gives Delphius a grisly grin. Most of his teeth have been replaced by gold and silver implants. He’s a portly man of Eltian descent, about half a foot shorter than Delphius, sporting predominantly leather gear and slippers that allow him to move silently within his surroundings.

"Great. I'll be going then," Delphius says, ready to make his exit.

But Tomi stops him once more. "Now just hold on a moment, Delphius. It might be in your best interest to stick with us. Wouldn't want to get eaten alive now, would you?"

Tomi's men chuckle, and Delphius's fists begin to ball in rage. "I jest, friend," Tomi reassures him. "Thullivan! Which way are we heading first?"

"Based on the history of the territory, we can assume that the royal family has been buried in the lower levels of the catacombs. We should make our way toward the nearest staircase, which should be due northeast."

"Lovely. Keagan and Thulli, you take point."

"Aye,"

"Dullus and Marq, you're in second strand. Delphius and I will bring up the rear."

"Yes, Captain,"

"Good. Let's move out, gents!"

Setting out from the main antechamber, Delphius and Tomi keep watch for potential threats as Keagan and Marquise disappear further and further into the darkness.The ancient stone walls of the graveyard surround them like a great, yawning maw.

Delphius regards Tomi, trying to relax by starting up a conversation.

"Seems like you run a tight ship," he says, trying to keep his tone neutral.

Tomi snorts, striking a flint and steel to light a torch. "Hardly. I met these idiots last week. I'm sure the minute this job is over they'll turn on me."

Delphius frowns, studying Tomi more closely. The Kytsune responds with a devilish grin, his fang-like teeth gleaming in the flickering light of the torch. " I jest! I jest." he laughs. "The boys and I have been through many a wayward adventure.” He pauses for a brief moment before continuing. “They know better than to cross me anyway..."

Delphius nods, his eyes following the silhouette of Keagan and Marquise as they disappear through a large stone archway adorned with intricate symbols and scenes of a man and serpent doing battle.

"They seem like a rowdy bunch," he remarks, turning back to Tomi.

Tomi chuckles. "You have no idea. But they're loyal, in their own way. And they're good in a fight."

Delphius grunts "I suppose that's all that matters, in the end."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Tomi gives him a shrewd look. "You really need to lighten up, my friend. All that anger isn't good for your health."

Delphius bristles, his hands immediately balling back up into fists of steel. "I'm fine," he snaps.

Tomi raises an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm quite sure of that. You highborns tend to live quite a bit longer than the average."

Delphius recoils at the reference to his status. "Everyone keeps calling me that, yet I have nary a clue whom it refers to. I was not born into favorable circumstances."

Tomi regards him thoughtfully. "Your armor and your aura speaks volumes, my friend. They see your fancy gold trim and think nothing but envy and malice. They see your eyes and think you believe that you're above them."

He smiles, his expression turning malicious. "And you are, aren't you, Delphius?"

Delphius suddenly stops moving. He assumes a battle-ready stance, sizing up the potential threat before him. "I never told you my name," he whispers angrily. "How exactly do you know who I am?"

Tomi gives him an off-putting shrug as he continues down the hall, the light of the torch casting strange shadows across his face. "A man's gotta have his secrets, yea?"

Delphius’s stance eases as Tomi disappears into the darkness of the depths. Cautiously, he follows behind.

The group of adventurers steps into another vast room, their nostrils inhaling the fetid airless scent of the deceased. Forlorn skeletons, remnants of those long gone, line the catacomb walls, some still clad in the rusted armor they wore in life. A chill runs down Dullus's spine as he takes in the macabre sight.

In the distance, a dim emerald twinkle catches his eye, passing leftward and briefly visible in the exit of the northernmost passageway of the chamber.

Marquise's eyes light up with greed as he addresses Tomi. "Well well, Boss, you didn't mention anything about spoils in your brief! Let's get after that trinket!"

He runs up to the tunnel’s entryway, hungrily whipping his head in either direction, trying to find the alluring glow. Tomi approaches him, placing a wary hand on his shoulder to pull him back toward the group. "I wouldn't trust anything down here that lurks under the guise of treasure, my friend."

Tomi turns to the group. "Looks like we have a few options here. What's it looking like Thulli? Left or forward?"

Thulli, the group's scout, steps forward. "We should head north through this corridor and then as eastward as possible. That should take us directly to the staircase."

Thulli rolls up his map and places it back into his pack, while Delphius's eyes finally pull away from Tomi and onto the withered bodies in the walls, landing on a skull emitting a faint amount of steam. He kneels down to inspect it, but as his gloved hand brushes up against the dilapidated bone, it immediately collapses into dust. Blowing the dust off his glove, Delphius’s attention is grabbed by Tomi's voice.

"Excellent. Men, let's get a move on. I'm beginning to pine for a pint."

Tomi and his men chuckle before he leads them into the tunnel and directs them toward the right. However, Delphius lags behind, his curiosity getting the better of him. He notices Marquise slinking off in the opposite direction of his companions. Catching Delphius's eye, Marquise holds a finger up to his lips before continuing on his way.

Quickly inspecting the rest of the room, Delphius heads toward the northernmost passage. As he's about to turn, he sees Tomi and his troupe heading back in his direction. He steps into the cramped corridor, adjusting his eyes to the dimly lit catacombs.

“What’s the issue?” Delphius asks the approaching group.

Keagan turns to face him, his face twisted with anger. “The way is blocked by large stones, and somehow Marquise got away from us,” he snarls.

“You wouldn’t happen to have seen him, would you, outsider?” Keagan gets right up in Delphius’s face, his breath hot and sour.

Delphius stands his ground, fists poised to strike at a moment's notice. Tomi steps in, placing a hand on Keagan’s shoulder. “Stand down, Keagan. I’m positive Delphius had nothing to do with Marquise’s disappearance. Right, Delphius?”

Delphius looks Keagan dead in the eyes before speaking. “He took off toward the left. Presumably after whatever he saw earlier.”

Hearing this, Keagan stands down. “That damn fool. His greed will be the death of him…” he mutters.

Tomi turns to the group. “There’s no time. Let’s get after the bastard so we can be on our way. Thullivan, Dullus, stay here and figure out where we need to go next. Keagan, you’re on me. Delphius, you’re free to do as you please.”

Delphius watches as Tomi and Keagan head left down the path. He briefly turns back to witness Thullivan take the map back out of his pack and begin scribbling on it accompanied by Dullus’s arbitrary pointing, before deciding to head after the Kytsune.

He catches up to the pair kneeling over something just out of eyeshot of the Sethirian. As he gets closer, he sees what remains of Marquise’s corpse. A majority of the right side has been melted away and a faint steam rises from his body.

“What happened to ‘everything down here is long since dead,’ Tomi? Marquise was a good man. He didn’t deserve this,” Keagan says, his voice thick with anger and grief.

“I suppose some of my intel must’ve been a bit off,” Tomi admits.

“A bit? Marquise is dead, Lords damn it! His body has been melted into the ground! Can’t even give the lad a proper burial,” Keagan says, his voice breaking.

Delphius interjects, “I suppose there are worse places to meet your end than in a catacomb.”

Keagan turns toward Delphius “What…did you just say?” he growls.

“Merely making an observation,” Delphius replies, his voice calm and measured.

“I should knock your highborn ass out,” Keagan snarls.

“You’re most certainly welcome to try it,” Delphius says, turning his cheek toward Keagan, egging him on.

Before Keagan can strike, Tomi pulls him away. “Now, now you two, let’s try to get along. I admit, I wasn’t expecting to encounter any lethal parties down here. But now that we know, we simply just need to move with more caution.”

“This asshole let Marquise die, Tomi. He saw him go off on his own, didn’t even bother to stop him! I should put this arseling down!” Keagan exclaims, words dripping with venom.

“That’s enough, Keagan! Marquise’s actions were his own. Let’s head back to the rest of the group so we can finish this job and get out of here,” Tomi projects, his voice harsh and stern.

Finally, Keagan relents, and the three of them make their way back to the previous chamber. As they enter, they see Dullus cowering in a corner, fearfully staring down the left passage. Tomi and Keagan rush over to him, their weapons at the ready.

"Dullus, are you alright? What happened? Where’s Thullivan?" Tomi asks

Dullus, in his stupor, is unable to answer until Keagan begins to shake him violently, screaming in his face.

"Dammit man! Where! Is! Thullivan!?" Keagan demands, his eyes wild with anger.

Dullus shakily points a finger down the ominous exit. Struggling to find his voice, he responds, "They…took…him…"

"Who?"

"The snakemen!" Dullus gasps, his eyes wide with terror.

Tomi and Keagan exchange a suspicious look before readdressing their companion. "The what now?" Tomi whispers.

Dullus continues, his voice trembling, "After you three left after Marquise, Thullivan and I heard a slithering sound from that corridor. He went to investigate and poked his head around the corner, and out of nowhere, a large scaly tail came out and grabbed him by the neck! We hacked it off together and retreated back into the room, but then four or five of these snake…things! They came in, snatched him up, and took off. There was nothing I could do…"

Tomi lets out a deep sigh, and his entire demeanor changes. He picks Dullus up and dusts him off. Keagan and Dullus exchange a glance after regarding their eerily stoic leader and compose themselves.

Tomi looks at Delphius, his eyes now a striking deep blue hue, and calmly barks. "Let’s go."