Tanya ran down the corridor as fast as her long legs could carry her slender frame. She didn’t have to look behind her to know that the mindless skeletons were close behind, desperate to claw the warmth from her body. The moment they swarmed her, she knew it would be over. She’d end up one of them, waiting for the next group of fools to seek out rumors of lost treasure in the depths.
Every few steps triggered the glass magelights, set to either side of the hall, alight with a sickly green glow of necromantic power. Rayburn had been fascinated with them, saying that they were powered by the foul energies lingering in this place. So preoccupied with them, he didn’t notice the skeletal remains nearby begin shuddering with life. By the time they got it off of him, he was bleeding pretty badly.
Tanya turned to fire off an arrow at the lead undead of the group. The broadheads did serious damage to flesh, but weren’t nearly as effective against solid bone. Still, her shot connected into the skull of the creature, sending bone fragments and green sparks flying back against the skeletal mob.
It looked like more had joined the ever growing horde.
Two more arrows went flying into the group, and twice more bone splinters went flying with motes of green energy. Yet they kept coming without fear. She’d only managed to slow a few of them, and those had been overtaken by others.
“By the damn gods of light and dark.” she muttered, turning back to flee.
After turning a corner she nearly ran over Rayburn laying upon the ground. Agrend and Darnel had just managed to get a large metal door open enough to get through.
“Hurry!” Darnel yelled. His normally deep baritone voice had a higher tone than usual, belying his fear and worry.
They grabbed hold of Rayburn, dragging him unceremoniously into the room beyond while Agrend strained against the door. His large muscles, bulging with adrenaline and fear coursing through them, went taut with the strain of moving the rusted metal. It moved slowly at first, but then slammed shut as the mass of many bones hit it from the other side. Their many sharp claws scratched loudly upon the iron and stone outside for only a few moments before going dreadfully silent.
Tanya immediately went to work on the mage, trying to bandage the multiple lacerations across his chest and stomach. Most were shallow, but there were a few deep and worrisome ones as well. He groaned in pain and misery as Darnel assisted her, lifting him slightly to get the cloth wrapped underneath.
“Is he going to make it?” Agrend said, the worry clear upon his face.
Tanya looked at the big man for a moment and shook her head. “For the moment, maybe. We’ll need an actual healer.”
“We first need to find a way out of here,” Darnel reminded them.
Tanya stood up, studying her surroundings for a moment. “We don’t even know where here is. For all we know, we went deeper into this place.”
It was a rather large room they found themselves in now. Off to either side, two braziers gave off a sickly looking flame, but no warmth could be felt from it. It was just another illusion, fueled by the dark energies flowing through this labyrinth. The only other object that could be seen was a single lone skull laying upon a stone pedestal, staring at them with its unceasing rictus grin.
Agrend pulled his massive battle axe from the holster and stepped towards it. “Maybe I should smash it.”
Darnel put a hand on the warrior's shoulder “I do not believe that will be necessary, my friend. It is only a skull, and it may be attached to a trap.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Tanya went to inspect the skull, but shook her head a moment later. “No trap. It’s all solid stone. We need to start looking for a way out of this place.”
“There is a way.” a hollow voice rang out. The sound sent shivers down the spines of each of them. Even Rayburn seemed to shudder slightly.
The three adventurers readied their weapons, preparing to defend themselves against the unseen threat. Nothing but motes of dust floating in the air seemed to move though.
“Show yourself coward!” Agrend yelled, his axe held high.
“I shall. Though I ask you to first put away your weapons. I mean you no harm, and I certainly do not wish for harm to come to me.”
Tanya lowered her bow and then Darnel followed by sheathing his sword into the scabbard. Agrend clung to his axe a moment longer, ready for battle. It took the combined stares of his companions to get him to lower his weapon.
“So be it,” he grumbled. “It will be within arms reach should I need it.”
“I do not wish harm upon you, nor could I do so even if I did wish.”
A green fog began to appear from the ceiling, coalescing into a thicker mass over the pedestal. Soon it poured into the skull, creating two glowing green orbs within it. The temperature of the room seemed to get colder suddenly and unexpectedly for only the briefest moment before returning to normal.
“More of them!” Agrend yelled, reaching for his weapon again.
Darnel again stopped him. “I do not like it, but I believe we should at least hear the creature out if it knows a way to escape.”
Tanya nodded her agreement to that. “As do I. This one isn’t like the others out there.”
“Poor wretches they are,” said the voice, coming from inside the skull now. “Trapped inside of an eternal nightmare, as am I. Yet I managed to retain some semblance of my humanity. Enough so that I can still remember who I truly am.”
Darnel stepped forward. “We do not wish to become a part of it as well. Tell us how to leave from here.”
The skull let out a hollow chuckle. “In time. I’ve watched you since you first stepped foot into this place. Did your mage friend here even tell you where you were going or why? Did he warn you that necromancy clung to these stones with an iron grip?”
Rayburn moaned quietly as one does in a fevered dream. Darnel knelt down to check on him while Agrend clenched his jaw, ready to spring into action.
“He told us of this place. There’s more gold buried in these catacombs than we could hope to carry out in a single trip.” Tanya walked forward slowly, getting a better look at the green glow within the skull. “We didn’t expect the dead to try and stop us from taking it.”
The spirit laughed more jovially this time. “Oh, he knew the moment you came underground. A mage can smell the stench of death magic long before they ever encounter its effects.”
Tanya bit her lip, unsure of if their host was telling the truth. “And the treasure?”
Its green eyes burned dimmer against the blackness, giving the impression as if it were thinking. “There’s a few golden trinkets nearby, but hardly the bounty you were promised.”
Agrend slammed a hand against the stone wall, his thunderous yell echoing through the chamber. “We went through all of this for nothing!”
Darnel looked up to the skull. “How do we leave this place though? Even if we leave with nothing else, we may yet leave with our lives.”
The green flames flared brightly. “I shall make you a deal. Listen well to my story and should you find me deserving of a second chance at life, I will see you home safely in exchange.”
Tanya looked down at the mage, still unsure if she should put the blame squarely upon his shoulders. “He’s stable enough for now I believe.”
Darnel nodded in agreement. “I believe he is as well. If the spirit wishes to regale us with a tale in exchange for our freedom, then so be it.”
They looked over to Agrend who just waved them off. He chose to sit against the wall away from his companions, but it wasn’t hard to read his emotions. He was clearly unhappy with the entire situation and would have gladly cleaved the skull down the middle before hearing another word.
Tanya shook her head, clearly frustrated by the lack of choice in the matter. “Well, do you have a name?”
A moment of silence. “It has been so long since I’ve spoken it aloud. In life I was known as Matteo, and I was an apprentice to a powerful mage who commanded the dead. Possibly one of the greatest necromancers to have ever lived.”
Tanya sat upon the cold stone and pulled a water skin from her pack. “Alright, Matteo. Tell us your story then.”