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The Vault appeared to be a large circular room, alcoves lined the walls, each with a pedestal displaying a myriad of items. The central walk had displays as well interrupting the path around, almost like a museum might, to encourage slow progress and thoughtful examination of each of the treasures. Glow spells illuminated each display and soft music played throughout the vaulted spaces.
“Listen, T,” she said softly, her eyes never leaving the enchanted room in front of her, "I know we are the world's most moral thieves, but please keep your hands tucked in. Every single one of these displays has heavy Akasic warding…super nasty and dangerous warding. Be careful." Her voice echoed lightly against the stone walls, mixing with the hypnotic tinkling of the music.
She gave Tiamat a wry smile, “Consider this a lesson in surviving. Things aren’t always what they seem and people... or dragons... don't always do what you think they will. We’re lucky that we made it past that Dragon. Let’s be super careful now. Okay?"
Tiamat huffed, curled tail flicking in irritation but didn't argue further. Instead, her eyes widened, captivated by the trove of artifacts ahead. Mira could feel the power radiating from the collection of magical treasures, but something beyond her line of sight stood out. A powerful source of divine Aether beckoned from deeper in the vault.
Mira cautiously began walking past the displays of weapons, armor, devices, and art. Each was tagged with a plaque providing details of their origins, powers, and value, but Mira couldn’t concentrate on them with the pull of the godly artifact nearby.
“Hey Mira,” Tiamat whispered, landing on her shoulder.
“What, brat?” Mira breathed out.
“Something’s been bugging me. What did that big bully mean about the powerful not staying dead?” Tiamat asked. Mira groaned.
“T. Gah! Knock on wood or something quick, that is not the type of question to ask in a treasure vault when surrounded by a powerful Fean tide.” Mira moaned.
Far down the hall, another moan answered. Mira shook her head with a grimace, either by Fae or the damn dungeon’s scriptwriters, this was almost too predictable. Mira’s mind raced, pulling the obvious clues together. Vercynath’s Bonded, his Dragon Rider, needed to be restored by the Grand Magister. The Hero Knight Borador of the Eldamire Empire, back in its historical heyday when it ruled the entire continent, had died and Vercynath had flown him to the Cloud Crypt.
Mira recalled her classes on “Life, Death, and Souls” at the Arcanum. Many cultures in the realms cremated the dead and those that didn't had cemeteries with powerful wards. The wards were not to protect the dead but to contain them. Like the Regent from her tower, a powerful person’s soul core left an image impressed upon the world’s energy fields. It was infrequent, but especially for powerful people, a revenant might rise days after their burial. Usually, they were mindless monsters, but sometimes they retained aspects of their previous life.
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“Son of a bitch! I knew I should have researched the legends of Borador.” Mira hissed, as an armored form came into view, staggering unsteadily down the center aisle of the large and vaulted room. Mira’s heart seized upon seeing the skeletal knight. His armor still gleamed, glowing with imbued Qi as powerful as the Dragon in the last room. The deathly knight held a wickedly ornate longsword that appeared to Mira’s mage sight like a void in space.
Mira only had time for one expletive before the undead hero roared and charged. Mira cast her [Multi-Missile] spell, and the colorful bolts spread out and zoomed toward the Knight. Mira cursed again as every missile either fizzled or bounced off the powerful armor.
“Shit! That armor must be a very pure magical alloy. Not fair!” Mira yelled. She cast one of Reggie’s favorite spells, [Spectral Chains]. She didn't need to hurt him, she just needed to hold him. Borador’s instincts were apparently still very sharp. He rolled to the side, slashing his deadly-looking sword through the luminous summoned shackles. His sword shattered the enchantment instantly, and the chains faded. Mira’s mage sight saw the Akasic energy be pulled into the sword as if it were hungry for power. The undead monster pivoted fluidly and resumed his charge.
Mira knew his armor would deflect harmful magics, but maybe an environmental attack might work. She cast [Quicksand]. The Death Knight skated over the top employing some form of Qigong, a Qi mastery technique that helped him execute a form of water-walking over the deadly trap.
“Ah! Take this then, you undead bastard!” Mira screamed and cast [Stone Wave]. The floor lifted and rolled in a crushing wave at the unstoppable approaching undead warrior. The Knight’s Qi-empowered punch blasted the wavefront to pieces, and the warrior waded forward even faster. The man must have been a juggernaut in life and had kept all that power in death.
Mira ducked around a large urn displayed in the center of the hall. The urn tipped as she passed, and the latched stopper popped free. A geyser of erupting smoke surged from the urn and a monstrously huge Ifrit emerged in the billowing cloud of ash. The desert Djinn was the equivalent Faen Spirit of her homeland, the Sidhe Lords that ruled the deep forests.
“Free at last! Foolish mortals, thinking to contain the unlimited cosmic power that is Shundat…urk!!”. The Ifrit’s angry monologue was interrupted. The Death Knight’s blade emerged from its chest, piercing him from behind. The Blade must have cleaved the monster’s core as it exploded in a violent burst of Qi, showering the room in fiery ash. The explosion reversed, at least partially, as the Sword greedily sucked in the power from the Ifrit’s death.
Tiamat used the explosion as cover to fly a strafing run, dousing the knight with flames from her enchanted ring. The Revenant’s armor shed the magical flames easily, barely slowing down its measured progress.
In horror, Mira saw the creature grab a throwing knife from a holster at its side. It was of a type she knew all too well from her adventuring days, a deadly Ilbarse Dueling knife. She cast a force shield upon Tiamat, deflecting the deadly missile just in time.
Unfortunately for Mira, now the Knight turned directly upon her.
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