“I changed my mind,” maybe another time

“What do you mean changed your mind?

It has only been a few hours since you said you were going to show us the artifact room, Giichi sir” Pinoki complains

“Ahh well, for an old chap like me a few hours is really long especially when it comes to decision making,”

“What you just said makes no sense

Is this some kind of joke?” Apollo says frustratedly,

“Of course, not Raguel” I see a slight smirk on Giichi’s face which he quickly rubs off,

“It’s Apollo don’t act like you’ve forgotten my name”

“My mistake,

But it’s not like I won’t show the artifacts ever again,

Just not now,”

“Ok when then!?” Lyra demands bossily

“Hmm, I’m thinking, maybee~

In four months’, time”

“Four months?

Now I know you’re doing this on purpose,”

Giichi can’t help but let out a devious smile this time,

“I am too old for games like this, see how my lips just moved on its own,”

“Don’t try that-“Lyra starts

“-I have to go get checked for this,

We’ll talk more about this later ‘Liar’,” Giichi already walking off,

……

“Maybe those hunters were right about him being and old fool” Lyra fumes,

“You’re just mad he called you Liar,” Karina teases

“He called me Raguel too, which does not sound at all like my name,” Apollo inputs

“Isn’t that your supposed fathers name though” Pinoki replies

“Yes, but I’m saying I would have appreciated the false name calling if he picked one that rhymed with my name like Ogogo or something, instead of one that doesn’t sound similar,”

“Why?

That is in no way important Apollo”

“I know, but I appreciate consistency,”

“Then you must hate Kage” Pinoki jokes,

(-_-)

“I think Giichi sir is challenging us,” I say ignoring Pinoki,

“In what way Kage?” Apollo inquiries

“I feel like he wants us to break into the artifact room ourselves.”

Pinoki eyes light up at sound of those words.

“Mmm, yes you could be right,

By telling us that he was finally ready to show us then changing his mind last minute,

He most likely dd it to boost our intrigue, subsequently increasing motive to want to go,” the little man theorizes

“How sure are you about this Kage?” Lyra looking skeptical

“Well for one,

He left us alone,

In his office-”

“-Found it.” Karina producing a circular emblem with the now usual spiral insignia I see on everything magic-seal related,

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“We thought the same thing Kage,” Karina says,

“What are we standing about here for, then?” Pinoki getting excited,

“Let’s rob this place and leave,” Karina suggests mischievously,

“What, no, Karina, we are not robbing anyone,

We’ll just take a look,

They are our accommodators after all,” Apollo lectures,

“Just a suggestion Mr. angel,” Karina jokes……

****

Click!

The first door of the artifact room unlocks,

Pinoki’s shadows slips out from behind the door, he smiles expecting us be marveled,

No says anything.

….

“Wait!” Karina cautions before any of us could move, “I hear footsteps”

….

The five of us crouch down in the shadows cautiously watching as a person passes through the clustered hallway,

“Giichi Sir!” the person calls,

“That’s weird, I swore I saw someone come down here,”

The footsteps retreat back out the dimly lit corridor.

…….

“If he only made a few steps closer, we would have been noticed!” Pinoki sounding exhilarated,

“This is the type of thrill I live for!”

“Its good idea we listened to Karina and waited till night to come,” I mention,

“Don’t kiss my ass too much Kage the night is still young~” she crows back

“….”

Crrrrr!

The door squeaks loudly as Lyra turns it open,

“Stop flirting and hurry inside!” she hisses,

“We don’t know if someone else might pass….”

……

“You’ve been here before, right?” I ask Pinoki,

Looking around the dim room, it seems to be just regular storage, big wooden boxes scatter the floor, their contents being magic gems and such, some have old portraits and cutlery, along with the boxes, rusted amour stands, and sword racks also fill this section of the room...

“I investigated by myself if that’s what you mean,” Pinoki replies,

“Eckhem! Eckhem!” I cough removing the lid off a box, peering at the contents inside:

(Wires?

A lot of wires?-)

“-As I said before Kage, there is nothing in this part of the room that suspicious,” Pinoki looking over my shoulder

(Not to you at least)

“I found the light-diamond,” Lyra calls from a corner of the room,

She sends a surge of magic through a lime green-painted diamond lodged in the wall,

Upon receiving charge, crystals on ceiling illuminate the room,

“You idiot!” Karina harshens

“If you turn on the lights someone might see it coming from under the door!”

“Well, I didn’t put much magic in, it shall run out quickly” Lyra replies indignantly

“I was trying to get a good look at everything you can barely see anything here”

“….”.

Karina opens her mouth to say something, but the room goes dim once more, making her hold back her statement .

“Over here, Kage, Karina!” Apollo whispers

He stands in front of a wall to back of the room,

On it are curious swirling lines and designs, the lines cut off at exactly even distances apart forming a vertical rectangle from the ceiling to the ground, the rest of the wall isn’t marked, only this part,

(This must be the other door)

………

Grrrrrrr, grrrrrrrr

I hear faint humming from behind it

(That has to be the ‘audio projector’)

“This is it,

Open it.” I nudge Karina who has the seal,

….

She places it in a convenient circular indent in the wall, and a weird chiming sound rings off,

A swirl of light appears on the ‘doors face’, that begins unraveling itself ,

Click!

The door unlocks.

The atmosphere begins feeling thick, as the wall slowly slides open

Feels almost as if we just released an evil spirt,

(Or maybe I’m overexaggerating this)

“Did we just release a ghost?” Lyra says as though she read my mind,

(Maybe not)

I can hear Pinoki’s excited breathing coming up behind me,

…….

The room is much smaller than I’d imagined,

“This reminds me of the walk-in closet Omari had back at the castle,” Apollo comments

Looking around the-

(-What the hell is that?)

At the head of the room, stands a chair,

(No, I’m not doing it justice calling it a chair)

At the head to the back of the enclosure stands what looks like a throne,

Leathery-looking spikes jut out from it, two red gems sit firmly in the arm tips, like blood thirsty eyes they stare at me,

Stare at us,

(That’s what it feels like at least)

I stare back entranced in them,

Entranced in it,

I don’t even notice the little machine in a corner making the humming anymore,

I don’t even notice a single stand that contains a curious looking scroll

I don’t even notice a crouched shadow behind the,

The...

My attention encapsulated by the throne,

It looks like it was made of scales

The spikes protrude from the back, up from the seat, from the arms, the legs, every corner of it,

(It looks like death itself)

The spikes curve at the top-back of the throne forming a crown,

Not one that a king would wear,

One a corpse would.

“Is this some kind of torture room?” Lyra says in disgust,

“I don’t think we should be in here” Apollo awestruck at the sight

(Why is it watching me like that?)

“Kage?

Are you good?” Karina inquires

“Yeah, I just….”

(I have to sit on it)

……

“Kage?” Pinoki calls

………

“Move a step further and you will die”

A thunderous voice booms from behind the throne.