"How dare you trespass into my home ?" , the Lady who he assumed Lady Dali spoke in sweet voice but resonating in anger. Her face was still flushed red, hands bunches into the skirt. "Get out at once !"

The armoured woman took the Lady's hand and pressed a short kiss to her knuckles. "Don't worry, my Lady. I'll make certain that he is dealt with properly, as I always do". Her voice was proud and booming. It seemed like hundreds of quieter, tortured voices whispering the same words. After her promise, she turned her attention back to Fang.

Fang saw the woman's form flickered. For a moment, he saw the armoured woman's true sinister form revealed. Her eyes were glowing red. Black-feathered wings exploded from her back. And a halo of fire ignited around the top of her head.

"You heard the Lady, Begone, you fool of a mortal !", the terrifying being's many voices echoed. The portal flared with the arcane energy. The magical light changed from purple to deep crimson. The armoured woman raised her hand, and before Fang could say or do anything, she snapped her fingers. The red light flooded Fang's senses, forcing him to close his eyes. He felt like he was falling and falling and falling ...... until he could feel nothing at all .

After an uncertain period of time, Fang opened his eyes and found himself lying awkwardly on a pile of objects that were pressing sharply into his back. The area around him was gloomy and dark. There was one single torch quite away, glowing with a dim but pure white light which barely lit the area.

He struggled to push up to his feet. When his eyes were adjusted to the dark, he found himself in a large cave. Something cracked and groaned under his feet. And as he looked down, he noticed that he was standing on an ancient pile of brittle human bones.

He waded through the bones towards the dim white light at the other end of the cave. He was ready for the dead to rise at any moment and grasp him with skeletal fingers. He could see shadows dancing all around him with every crunch, every footfall. His heart was pounding against his chest - Where am I ? Am I still in the Cloakwood ? And how will I get out of the cave ?

Due to your intense fear to the skeletons , you acquired a trait Fear of Boney Things. You will take psychic damage whenever you are in similar situation.

Fang at last stood before the simple wooden torch without any events. The fire was cool and calming. He could feel his panic subsided when he came near it. The torch was attached to a simple iron frame on the obsidian wall. Next to it on the wall, he could see faint outline of what might have been a passage long ago. The indentation was filled now, sealing him inside the tomb, with the company of dead.

At the foot of the obsidian wall, he could see a small iron pedestal. The area around it was clear of skeleton and bones. On the pedestal, he could see 3 objects covered with dust and ashes - a small silver amulet carved into the shape of an eye, a sea green emerald glowing beneath the light, and a sharp but slightly bent copper spear. There were beautiful runes etched on the surface of the base of pedestal.

What are these items ? Are these somewhat related to my way to escape? Fang Thought. He picked up the spear fast nervously - thinking it might trigger something bad .

When he picked up the bent spear, it seemed to be nothing more than an old, broken and unremarkable spear. But a moment later, he could feel a crackle of energy trickling in his hand. He could hear a soft buzzing in his right ear. But he didn't put the spear down, rather gripped it strongly. His vision got blurred - he saw a lady with emerald eyes and crown throwing a javelin to a black storm. At the center of the storm, there was a lady - dark eyes, black attire shrouded with darkness - it was odd he could see her. Lightning was cracking along the body of the javelin . He couldn't see the end of the fight, the vision ended. He checked the stat of the Javelin:

Javelin of Lightning

Ranged Magic Weapon ( range 120ft)

Fragmented Legendary (Growth)

Current Tier : Uncommon

Damage : max 6 piercing damge

Fury of Talos : average 12, maximum 24, Lightning damage. When hurled and activated with command, a lightning bolt extended with 5 feet wide line, to the target, dealing damage to every creature that were in line . The skill can be used once daily.

Bond : returns back to hand after thrown .

And he lost a destiny point for taking the artifact from the tomb. Now he has only 3 destiny points .

Suddenly a thunderous rumble shook the cavern, and nearly rocked him off to his feet. Slowly the sealed exit rolled into the obsidian wall. It revealed a tunnel that seemed to lead out of this tomb. At the other end of the tunnel, he could see bright red light. He looked back at the pedestal, however, it and the other items on it were gone, like they never existed. Only the bent copper spear at his hand proved the existence of pedestal.

At that moment, a haunting wind whipped through the tunnel. It whispered to him in tortured voice -

"I remember the day when our host was defeated, when Mariel's sword lay shattered on the ashen plains ... I made this place my own, a shrine to remember those that we lost ... So I waited and waited, for Mariel to return and rescue me ... but instead she betrayed me, she betrayed us all ! ... Did you know that an angel could die of a broken heart ?"

Fang didn't dare to linger any more in that place. He entered the narrow tunnel and walked through. It was a short walk, soon he reached the other end of the tunnel. He emerged and found himself standing on a ridge. It was a lifeless canyon of obsidian rocks - the air was dry and hot, and he could see ruined scorched buildings.

To him, the landscape seemed hellish, everything looked dangerous and alien. The sky above him was blood red - there was no sun, not cloud or stars. Instead, he saw streaks of fire shooting across the horizon, blasting the wasteland wherever they fell.

He was so taken by the shock of what he was seeing, it took a moment to realize that there were voices coming from beyond the edges of the ridge.

"Nah nah, strip'em first, then ya drag'em, ya big oaf. Its too hot to lug around anythin' we can't barter. And we've gotta get this machine workin' if we wanna survive. To get back across the river before Mad Maggie and her gang catches us out'ere on her turf", he heard a nasally man bark with a voice cracking several times .

"Oi Bobb ! What you think we can get for their robes ? Might make for a good disguise" , a deep female voice bellowed back. The voice sounded merry despite of the oppressive surroundings.

"We'll get a big nothin' for these robes, 'cause they are covered in blood. I swear, Camelia, if ya weren't so good at murder ...", Bobb bemoans, his voice was cracking again at the end.

"Aw, Bobb, that's one of the nicest things you ever told me ."

Roktobiz

 

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