Preface:

This story is of unknown origin, told by word of mouth.

A single candle dimly lights a table in the corner of a tavern, we all sit drinking. They wait for opportunity to show its generosity upon them. A young red fox sits slowly drinking his tankard, a cloud of gloom over his eyes. An old great horned owl sits to his right smoking a pipe. Scout the calico cat slightly older then the fox is sitting to his left tapping his finger on the table. Here our story begins.

Chapter one: We Are in Then We Are Out.

“Come now pup, enough with this miserable look.” Old Bird says to me, flicking his finger lighting a small piece of wood on fire, using the flaming wood he lights his pipe. “If I know Chief, which I very well do. He will waltz right through the doors, a gleam in his eyes and fortune on his tongue.” Just as Old Bird blows the honey scented smoke from his beak, I look over to see the doors to the tavern open as Chief walks in.

The sky is turning orange as the sunsets, I can see the market stalls closing for the night. Chief is clad in his usual coat of plates covered with a deep red surcoat. He is large even for a brown bear, shoulders as wide as a single door and a gut big enough to sleep on. With a smile on his face, eyes filled with an aura of excitement he comes to our table.

“My companions I have the opportunity we have been praying for!” he shouts loud enough for the gods to hear.

“Well then sit down and get to it Chief, not like we can survive off charity, and our tabs through the winter!” Scout shouts back with sarcasm as subtle as a fire in the night. I take a moment to look around at the rest of the tables to see if the usual crowd is in.

Two older souls sit in the far corner across from the Tavernkeepers table. The only other table is the town drunk his usual impaired self. The Tavernkeeper himself a young black cat. The single Tavern maid a young buxom heifer. I look over in a far-off corner and notice another maid. She however has her head down preventing me from seeing her. Just as Chief is about to talk the tavern maid walks by, Scout leans over to her and ask for a drink. As she walks away Scout’s attention stays on her.

“Scout!” Chief snaps, smacks him hand down on the table. Scout turns back around and looks right at Chief holding his head in his hand.

“Well I cannot listen to a good story without a cold drink, now can I?” Scout says with a smirk. Just as Chief is about to talk the maid returns with a tankard.

“What I have here is a map to an old tomb, up in the hills just north of Nelavi” Chief says in a hushed tone hunching over the map and his tankard. The maid’s ears perk up and she looks over to Chief who glances right at her, I also look her way. “We will have another round as well.” Pointing down at the table he spins his finger in a small circle. The maid stands up and walks over to the Tavernkeeper. Again, Scouts attention goes elsewhere. I look at the maid and the Tavernkeeper who are whispering to each other.

Chief changes the subject as he leans back in his chair. “Scout your attention seems to be focused so much on her, yet that mouth you so eagerly flaunt is silent.” We all give a chuckle.

Scout’s eyes dart at all of us. “Fine when she gets back I’ll show you all. There is not a single soul in all of Dul who have not heard of my skill with a female.”

“It is quite a shame you are never able to finish what you started.” Old Bird retorts, pointing his talon down at Scout. Scout merely waves his hand away. In the middle of the conversation I notice the other maid walk by our table. A thin cat, with dark fur that slightly changes color when light shines across, she is covered with deep purple spots. Her ears slightly different from normal cats, a finer point at the tip of her ears, with a patch of long fur at the tips. There is no fur around her neck, a former slave, maybe she still is? She must be a Lutanite.

I lean over to Old Bird who is emptying his pipe. “Do you see that girl?” I point to the Lutanite.

“Yes, she is definitely foreigner.” He says still cleaning out his pipe. “Also, how has your reading been?” He asks me.

“I have been able to make out a few words. Some of the God’s names.”

“Good, hopefully when we return I can show you more advanced words, possibly runes.”

Before I can respond our conversation is interrupted by the town drunk falling from his seat. Flinging his food crumbs, candles, and pottery to the floor smashing most of the pottery.

“How much have you had already?!” The Tavernkeeper shouts over to the drunk.

“Not enough” he slurs “I still got feelin inside.”

The Tavernkeeper snaps his fingers a few times at the Lutanite and points to the drunk. She nods and sets the broom down. The Tavernkeeper slams his hand down and points to the broom. She picks it back up and walks over to the drunk and sweep up the mess.

“Damn Looter foreigners” The Tavernkeeper says grumbling. Now the maid returns with three tankards, standing by Scout she passes the one tankard to me, Chief and Old Bird. Scout leans into her.

“I must say you have quite the figure my dear. How is it you are working here and not on the stage or being lavishly catered too?” The maid rolls her eyes at the comment. I look right at her eyes and she gives not a look of disgust, but of sorrow. She opens her mouth like she is about to say something, but Scout moves his hands around her to her back. Her eyes go to anger she backs up and takes her hand bringing her fingers together and smacks Scout in the back of the head with her strong hooved hand.

“You keep your hands off of me you hear me Scout! I am through with your games!” She shouts right at him, we all let out a laugh. She turns to the rest of us “You are all a Bunch of Idiots you hear.” She leaves us and returns to the tavernkeeper brushing against the Lutanite girl. The laughter stops, and we are left in the silence of the tavern.

“Stupid cow.” Scout says quietly, rubbing the back of his head. Chief takes a gulp of his drink and hunches over the map again. He clears is throat letting us know he is about to start. Myself and the rest are all fully focused on Chief’s words. To me nothing exists outside of our table.

“I managed to convince a merchant to give me the map. Out of the kindness of his heart of course.” Chief gives a chuckle and so do me and the others. “Well what do you all think shall we go and find some fortune or sit here and wither away?” Scout and Old bird agree, but I can’t help but disagree, with a concern look in my face.

“What is it pup?” Chief says sincerely.

“I think we should stay. I mean the harvest festival has not ended yet. We have plenty of food and coin to hold us for now.” I preach to the group with the same cloud of gloom in my eyes, it comes through more with each passing word. I know they can feel it.

“Yes, until we run out of food and coin. This winter is going to be a bitter one, I know it” Old Bird says scoffing at my remark.

“Yea what is the matter going soft? Afraid of some dusty old bones. Or are you too lazy to hike all the way for your pay?” Scout says with sarcasm returning to his mouth.

“No!” I shoot up from my seat slamming my fist on the table. “I mean I just… eh…” I say reluctantly muttering after that outburst.

“Speak your mind pup, do it quickly.” Chief says with a stern sincerity only that of a true leader could have.

“I have a bad feeling about this I have also heard stories of the old tombs how they are cursed by the ones who once lived there, the dead humans. I don’t think this is such a good idea.” Scout and Old Bird laugh at my little remark.

Chief raises his hand to quiet everyone down “Well come with us or you can stay here, you will lose out on the riches and never join us again. I have no time for scared pups, here or elsewhere”

Losing the woe in my face I replace it with a fire “fine! I will come with you, curse or no curse!” we all give a cheer, pay the Tavernkeeper not forgetting to apologize and tip the maid. Scout moves quickly past her. As I am leaving the door the Lutanite girl whispers to me

“Don’t” with a heavy accent, Lutanites have a hissing sound to many words.

I turn to look at her. She keeps her head low continuing to sweep in the same spot. She speaks again.

“Many Danger, don’t.”

Before I can say anything the Tavernkeeper snaps his fingers “No talking to customers!” He points down in front of him. The girl nods and walks over. I turn and exit the tavern. Together we walk into the cold air of a late autumn afternoon, down the street and out the town gates. We leave the glow of the town and into the dark cold wilds.

The sounds of civilization grow ever distant as we move towards the tomb. As we approach the tombs entrance a cold wind blows our way. For the first time, I feel a strange unease as if the gust of wind carried with it a warning, I look around and everyone had frozen. Chief break the silence

“Come now we have, stormed the camps of warriors, robbed the homes of aristocrats and raided caravans for the king.” He says boisterously. “Some old tomb should be no more challenge than stealing from the blind.” Chief storms to the entrance and tries to pry the doors latch with all his strength. The dust burst off and floats to the ground, the door itself does not move an inch. Chief grips his hands and punches the door. “Does anyone know how to unlock these doors?” before I can speak Scout interrupts me.

“I have this door in my pocket Chief just give me a moment.” Scout says casually walking to the door. With all the subtlety of an expert burglar Scout reaches for a hammer in his satchel and bashes at the latch of the door.

“Come now Scout! Do you honestly think this is going to work? These doors are made from most likely harden…” Before Old Bird can finish his sentence, Scout removes the latch from the door, he pushes the two doors open. I pass by getting a closer look at the door. Multi colored, but mostly brown from the years of weathering. I tap it to hear the rasp of the metal.

As we enter the undisturbed tomb, everyone takes a moment to gather their senses. Old Bird reaches into is satchel and pulls out a crystal. Cupping it in his hands he puts his beak over the opening and blows into the crystal. A yellow light appears, the light is first dim but soon becomes bright as a torch. Now the immediate area is light up. I can make out the room.

The entrance is defiantly from another time. No large or grand heraldry to the family that would be buried here. Instead only a plain room with nothing in it to identify who is buried here or their status in life. The walls are over grown with vegetation the only color in the room as far as I can see. They are rough as sand and of the same color, this is very old or had no craftsmanship involved with its creation. No stones for the wall, it is all one solid piece.

The room while having nothing overtly wrong with it, makes the fur on the back of my neck stand. The tension is broken when the door behind us slides shut with a defining crash. Old Bird drops the crystal leaving us in complete darkness. Startled we all run to open the door. The corner that was caved in is no longer working, it will not even shake, the door is now apparently one with the walls. It budges no more, I panic as do the rest of us.

“This is what I warned you all about.” I say in a hushed and frantic tone.

“This is unnatural magic!” Old Bird shouts.

Scout simply bashes the door again. Chief gathers all of us.

“It is of no concern to us right now. we will find what we came here for.”

“And what is this treasure we are so desperately trying to retrieve?” Old Bird says as he is trying to light his pipe. Fumbling with another piece of wood he rubs his talons against it. A spark comes from his hands and the piece of woods lights up, giving us a few moments of light, he takes a puff from his pipe, the familiar honey sent fills the room with a sweet aroma calming our skittering nerves. He throws the burning wood to the floor leaving us again in darkness.

“Old Bird we are going to find gold and personal trinkets, hidden away by the humans, most likely by a great army. It is possibly from the last great human kingdom. They will sell for so much coin that we can forget all about this place. Only when we have what we are looking for.” We all nod, Old Bird takes out a smaller crystal again he lights it. The light is not as bright only enough for Old Bird and the immediate area to be light. Still we all venture into the hallway, further into the darkness of the tomb.

Chapter two: The Point of No Return

We walk through the cold, narrow hallway and stop before a door. An inscription hangs just over it, I can just make out the difference between the wall and inscription. We all stop and sit for a moment and rest, the hall seems long and never-ending. Endless, nothing but cold stone. Chief stands by the door, sword at the ready until he waves for Old Bird to come and examines the ancient door.

“Old Bird what does the inscription read?” Chief asks Old Bird who is finishing his pipe.

Old Bird walks to the door holding up the small crystal, he examines the strange etchings. “It is human civilization all right. Fascinating, it is not etched into the wall, it is very dull.” He says in a slow methodical voice.

“Fascinating but what does it say?” Scout says rolling his eyes, I can make out the shine in his eyes from the light.

“I can only make out a few words, from what I have studied. It says enter or welcome, pilgrim, possibly person? A word meaning one’s soul. Something about a fiefdom or possibly a town, another word about your step...”

“Does it tell us where we can find some gold!?” Scout says interrupting Old Bird, his sarcasm fusses with annoyance.

“No Scout. But it is telling me that you should keep your thoughts to yourself.” Old Bird says annoyed and tired. “It does tell us to be careful. I am not sure what from.” Old Bird replies keeping his scholarly composure. Chief gestures Old Bird to move and tries to open the door. Straining to move the old metal door even an inch. With a grunt and a screech, the door slides to reveal a great hall.

We all walk inside to see a great hall in shambles, my eyes finally adjust to the darkness allowing me to make out the room in great detail. Chains hang from the tops of the ceiling. A deep moat or perhaps a long pit separates the hall in half, metal scattered throughout the room. Furthermore, the remains of what looks to be a great battle. Human bones litter the great hall, I remember the stories mentioning humans and what they looked like. Some with rusted spears or maybe swords, it is hard to make out what they carry. Some with clubs and others with daggers. Tables and large rectangular pieces of metal used as shields, some cratering smaller skeletons.

“It was a slaughter.” Chief says in a cold and distant voice. “Many here did not have anything to defend themselves with. Whatever happened must have had some bad blood in it.”

We split up to search the room. Damaged and rusted jewelry, trinkets, and broken weapons. The weapons are strange. Short pieces of rusted metal, too short to be a spear but it is entirely metal. The size of a war arrow. Strange the weapon would be too heavy to throw. They must have had a lot of smelters for these. No armor either, at least none that I am aware of. Some have helmet caps, or perhaps a small bascinet but not much else. However, with all the rust and vegetation it is hard to make out any details.

“Well where is the gold, the treasure, anything worth the time?!” Scout sounding evermore livid as he throws the old bones around. Chief allows Scout to throw his tantrum as he sees more bodies heading out to another hallway, down the moat in the middle of the great hall. Chief motions to the rest of us. I quickly get to Chief who is pointing down in the pit.

“Looks like our invaders went this way. Our treasure must surely be somewhere in this direction.” As we drop down in the moat I hear a faint sound.

“What was that?” I say quickly, turning around before the others can even answer my question. The sound repeats. A faint but definite scream as if someone was crying bloody murder or a feral animal snared in a trap.

“We will not wait to see. Hurry all of you, let us find what we came here for and go!” Chief commands us back into shape and we hurry down the moat, now turning into a tunnel. A strange way to build a fort. Perhaps they managed to build everything underground. This is much like the halls of a castle. Long narrow and purposely confusing for the enemy. Plenty of spots to hide and attack from. That last though makes me fidget with my hands uncontrollably, out of pure fear. But what of this tunnel. Perhaps wood was meant to be over this moat. Sewage or water would run under the boards, but no remains left. Strange way to build a castle.

Continuing straight onto the next room we find another large hall. this one with multiple tunnel entrances, very drab for a great hall but most likely due to the decay. No heraldry only more rust, and vegetation. But in the center a few old chests. Rusted, covered in moss and flowers. We all rush over almost tripping on the pieces of rusted metal scattered all over the great hall. Scout rushes past all of us and makes it to the first chest. He wildly rips off the moss and bashes the lock until it crumbles after the repeated hits from his heel. Opening it we found everything we are looking for. Under old pieces of paper and tattered books we find gold, trinkets, a dagger, and a crown.

The crown is odd though. It has gold on the front. A simple heraldry of a bird over top a star, or possibly a sun. The rest is rusted away. Pieces of leather on the inside barely visible. None of us can wear it to small, but it will sell for a high price. A message has been carved on the inside. Strange it looks fresh.

“Hey, Old Bird, can you read this?” Scout asks. Flipping over the crown.

Old Bird grabs the crown. “Yes, I can.” he replies in a confused tone tilting his head. “It reads, even the dead deserve a legacy to hold onto for eternity. I believe we are not meant to take anything.” He says woefully.

“What are a couple of dried bones going to do kill us?!” Scout says laughing loud enough for to echo for a minute straight. When the echo died down we hear the same scream. Louder than before.

We move apart from each other until we hear footsteps behind us, only not from anything alive. The steps have no volume and no impact. We hear it, but we cannot feel it’s weight. We all turn at once to see the creature that had made that horrible sound. It’s eyes a piercing blue aura that does not appear to move yet you feel it’s gaze once it hits you. It appears to be a skeleton with some rotted flesh hanging on like old rags. It wears no clothing only the old tattered skin of what once was living. It moves slowly towards us to size us up for the kill. Chief has none of it and attacks with his claymore in hand he swings for the creatures long lanky legs. It appears that Chief has hit the creature’s legs, yet he hits only air. Again, he swings and again nothing happens. Old Bird takes out a wooden stick, creating a small flame he flings it at the creature, only to have it pass right through it. We try arrows, swords, and spells, one after another. Yet nothing works, the creature is not fazed.

Before anyone could move the creature lunges at Chief and breaks his claymore in two, using only its teeth. with no effort on the creature’s part. Chief is now defenseless as a new born cub; the creature takes ahold of his arm. Before we can free him, the creature rips off the arm with the same effort it took to break the sword. We could hear his scream echo off the walls, amplifying to the point of pain. It them bites, rips, and tears him to the bone and eats his heart still beating in its clawed hand. We all scatter in any direction we can find. I see Old Bird and Scout run the way we came. I ran further into the tomb to find a way out.

As I am running I find myself feeling more alone than before. The thought had not crossed my mind before. I feel like I have been running for a long time. The lack of light in this tomb is beginning to make me go mad. Time becomes loose with every step. Before I lose myself even more I hear panting and I see Old Bird running towards me. He is out of breath and looking paranoid with each breath.

“Have you seen Scout by any chance?!” I try to not yell to loud at him, yet my nerves do not allow me to whisper.

“No! I have been wandering around here for what feels like an eternity. But worst of all I know you ran opposite of me and yet I had not returned to the great hall.” He catches his breath, but the paranoia has not left him. “Which means this place is more labyrinth than tomb.”

“How did you lose Scout? You ran with him.”

“The darkness was so bad I suppose we eventually went different ways.” He says. His whole body shaking out of fear and fatigue.

I try to calm him, before I can even say another word the creature is right behind him. With one swipe, Old Bird’s legs are cut in two. He falls to the ground screaming, the creature takes Old Bird’s head and crushes it in his jaws. Slashing blood all over myself and scattering pieces of skull all over the place.

I run faster than before, the creature does not try to follow. I find myself in another hall, well lit. A child is crouching at the end of a long table weeping. My gut tells me to run away, my head says run very far away and my heart is screaming run you idiot. Yet I go and investigate. The child has no fur and no tail when she turns I see what looks to be a human, at least as far as I could tell from the paintings. No pointed ears, no rotten skin. The only issue is the arrow through her eye. Before I say a word, she speaks to me in a strange but familiar tongue.

“Even the dead deserve their legacy, in the cold and mold, in rust and dust.” She says calmly, tilting her head as if confused. “Yet you deserve none of this only the cold floor and your hot blood spilling out of you, this will serve as your legacy.” She gets up and walks into the darkness of another hallway. But out of the very same darkness comes Scout, running faster than I have ever seen him before. He runs in the direction I came in from never stopping to look at me. Before I can run after him he returns sluggishly with an arrow in his back he looks at me and can muster only a few words

“Guess the easy life is waiting for me on the other side.” He gurgles, blood pouring out of his mouth, he falls and the creature now holding a bow draws on me. I dart towards the same darkness the girl went into.

I run and run until I see a beam of light shining through the ceiling. Its orange glow appears heavenly and I feel it enticing me to embrace its warmth. The girl is climbing through the hole, beckoning me in a playful manner to come with her. I run towards the light feeling the cold right behind me. I climb up to the light the cold trying to pull me back down. I reach for the sky and get my hand out. feeling the wind and grass of the valley above. But I feel the sharp cold pain hitting my back. The wind dies down and the grass fades. I only feel the rough cold rock of the tomb’s wall. I slide down onto the ground and turn on my side. Looking at the creature in the darkness. It’s cold blue eyes looking right back at me. It slowly moves towards me and I see it pull the rusty dagger from inside of itself. It speaks with a cold voice that could have fooled me into thinking it was normal.

“You have come to rob the dead of their last legacy. Now I shall rob you of everything attached to your bones boy.” It says in a sharp piercing voice.

I see only it’s eyes fading in and out as it plunges the dagger into my stomach. A cacophony of screams enters my ears. Now the pain drowns out all my senses. I try to scream yet no sounds come out I look down and my entrails are being pulled out. The last thing I see is the warm yellow lights fading, the night sky taking over the valley. The tomb grows ever darker as everything I can see goes black. I am now lost forever to the darkness.