grail knight monty but the Bugs won

The morning came far too fast for Capsize’s taste. The beauty of the stars faded from view as pinkish-orange light overtook the sky. The passing of time was a different kind of beautiful sight; one Capsize had taken in every moment of. Despite the looming dread it brought forth into her, and despite how she had seen a hundred different sunrises from so many different ports, she found herself paying such attention to the changing of the sky.

The slow turning of the sky from the inky depths of night, dusted with the shining lights of the stars, to the mixing of yellows, oranges, and pinks as the sun’s rays began to spread across the world. Those colours fading away until all that was left was a pleasant, familiar blue. She found herself completely enchanted by it despite how utterly ordinary it technically was.

She wished she could capture it somehow, bottle it to keep forever. This moment with Foxx lying beside her in a position that had somehow become comfortable after so many hours just felt right somehow. Her heart craved to stay in it. However, she knew that was just her attempt to find any reason to not do her duty as she should. Continuing to lay here pretending she was within some different world was letting herself live in a dream. It was time to wake up.

Despite desperately wishing for an excuse to keep staring at the sky, she knew what she had to do today. To keep Ianite at any sort of strength, she needed to retrieve her champion. Without his location or any good way of learning it, there was only one way for her to do that quickly. At least, if this went the worst way it could there was no risk of her losing her soul to the devil.

She rose to her feet, stretching her aching limbs. The pain of movement wasn’t nearly enough to make her regret her activity for the night. A night under the stars aboard a ship was a nice break from everything. A moment of peace that she had desperately needed after all she had faced since coming to this little realm. It hadn’t helped with the exhaustion with her – how could anything at this point – but it was nice to have a single night where she did nothing.

Now, though, she did have tasks that needed to be done. No more time for herself when her goddess awaited her action. Not that she held the right to complain about that. She had chosen this quest, after all.

Beside her, Foxx rose. Capsize could feel her eyes on her. Though she did her best not to react, the gaze set a guilt in her. She didn’t know why. She hardly knew Foxx, really. Yet the woman had stayed here with her all-night, laying in silence despite the mass of questions she must surely hold. She had been a desperately needed comforting presence.

How had the captain rewarded her? She had lied to her, said that she had nothing to worry about with the method she had to save Sparklez. It was a bold-faced deception that would be proven wrong the moment she attempted to use it. Another in a long line she had told in relation to this mission which had led her to this state of failure. Yet still, she kept telling them. What else could she do when she was in so deep?

She tried to just ignore how Foxx’s eyes were boring into the back of her head as she committed to moving. Whatever the woman wanted to say, it remained within her head. Capsize wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than her asking directly about the plan. At the very least, it didn’t slow her down, but was that a good thing?

Despite the early hour, none of those she went to collect were asleep. This was odd for all three. She had rarely seen the champions about before the sun was properly up, but she guessed that no one on the island had gotten any more sleep than she had. Tom certainly didn’t look to have gotten any.

Capsize felt for the lad. It didn’t seem natural for him to have dark circles under his eyes. Nor for him to be so lacking in energy. He was supposed to be a restless ball of chaotic activity, but instead he seemed barely holding together any more than he was the day prior.

Jericho was, at least, acting his usual self. He still had a look of tiredness about him, but overall, he didn’t appear off in the way that Foxx and Syndicate did. It was a normalcy Capsize appreciated, even if she somewhat doubted that he was okay as he was acting.

Then there was her brother…

Capsize hadn’t exactly wanted to go to the cove to retrieve him. As much as a part of herself knew she was being unfair to him, that didn’t mean she wanted to apologise. Maybe that was something he deserved, but a certain bitterness still sat upon her tongue. What they really needed was a long and complicated discussion about everything she had been hiding, but gods knows that she didn’t have the energy for that. Even if she did, it would only cause her to waver in her decision and truly, she couldn’t afford that.

However, she couldn’t just forget about him. That wasn’t actually a solution to anything. Even if it was, she needed Red to take back Sparklez’ soul for their Lady so she could damn well suck up her own feelings and retrieve her brother. Any conversation he wanted to have after last she’d just need to stomach.

She should’ve predicted he wouldn’t want anything of the sort. When had he been anything other than avoidant? She’d gotten to the cove expecting him to, at the very least, still be upset, but instead there Redbeard was acting as though everything was normal. It was frankly odd seeing that, even if she hadn’t exploded at him not that many hours ago, the situation they were stuck in was beyond dire. Yet he smiled when she appeared.

It knocked her sick to her stomach in a way worse than if he’d yelled at her. She had understood for quite some time that her brother had a gift for deception. A useful talent even if he would never allow anyone to say so. After all, she lacked such skill herself and now she felt as though she was spiralling into distrust with everyone around her. However, having it so clearly used against her made her wish that she didn’t know him a liar.

Maybe she could pretend he was being genuine. His smile looked so real and welcoming. But what she had said and thought last night kept repeating in her head. All her rage about everything had been directed towards him, there was no possible way he could be happy to see her. With that thought, another cloying question entered her mind and would not leave, no matter how she tried to push it away. If the only thing stopping Red from currently fooling her was concrete knowledge, how often had he fooled her in such a way in the past?

That question clawed at her, threatened to stop her in her tracks for how much she had failed him, yet she couldn’t dwell on it. No matter how much she wished to pick herself apart. She could handle it later, if indeed she had one. Right now, she had a duty and there was little point in putting it off.

So, she began the walk to Sparklez’ house. She was met with the same mild dread she typically had when approaching the man’s home, though from a different source given that its owner wasn’t about to make an appearance. Not until this was over, anyway.

The others trailed behind her, surprisingly quiet considering their general dispositions and the fact she hadn’t actually told the majority anything yet. It wasn’t until they entered the forest surrounding the house, the shadow of the great tree blocking out the morning light, that anyone thought to question what they were doing.

“Shouldn’t we be headed to the docks,” Jericho asked in a way that didn’t really sound like a question. Rather he was clearly attempting to correct their direction, as if she had come this way accidentally. Capsize couldn’t bring herself to be annoyed at the attempt. Frankly, she was too tired, stuck with the sort of weariness that made bones ache.

“No need. Ianite managed to make contact with me last night,” She replied simply, as if her goddess hadn’t been a crying mess that had barely had the strength to talk with her. It was just so much easier to keep it to the basics. She’d learned that lesson years ago. Everything went smoother if she pretended everything had come easily. Or maybe she was just searching for ways to not look incompetent. “There’s no need to go to Ianerea. With what she told me, I have a method to get Sparklez back today.”

Those words hung in the air. The sparse murmuring that had been happening behind her completely fell away leaving her stomach to become a pit. Her throat was already dry trying to think up a way to explain it without them figuring out the true risks. The precarious balance she was maintaining felt ready to topple.

She waited for their questions to begin, though they didn’t. Was the extra time to think that granted her a mercy? It certainly didn’t feel like one.

The rest of the short walk that left her on Sparklez’ porch looking down at the others felt like a trek to the gallows. She, the condemned, stood atop them alone, forced to face those she owed answers she couldn’t give. Unlike the day prior, Red remained standing with the champions rather than herself. Just another person she owed answers to.

She swallowed down the hurt it caused. She deserved his judgement. After what she had said yesterday, what she had thought, she didn’t deserve him to be stood by her.

She stood facing them all, still waiting for their questions. Surely one of them would have something to say, would spare her from having to break the silence herself.

“We can get Jordan back today?” The shaky voice of Tom didn’t give her the clarity of mind she had wished a question would. It just made the tightness in her throat worse. He shouldn’t sound like that, it didn’t feel at all natural. “Did she learn where the prison was?”

That became yet one more lump in her throat that she had to fight through to reply.

“No. Ianite remains unsure of where she’s imprisoned, but what she did know made me realise we had Sparklez’ whereabouts wrong,” She spoke as though her goddess had been intentionally giving this information rather than having it coaxed out of her in the middle of a devastated breakdown. That was something she was practised at from giving messages to the church, acting as though there had been no emotions in her conversations with Ianite because she wasn’t expected to act as anything other than a vessel for her words.

Still, despite her being well accustomed to this practice, she found herself avoiding Foxx’s eyes. Seeing them to remind her of the truth would break her resolve, she knew it would. “Furia was lying. Sparklez isn’t being held in the same place as she is. Ianite had no idea where he was.”

These words descended upon the group before her. She made herself watch as the faces of the three who didn’t already know turned to shock and confusion. She waited for their anger, tried to prepare to take it. That was what she needed to do, part of her job that she needed to just cope with. If she couldn’t stand strong, she wasn’t worth her title.

That anger did begin to crack through as Jericho stepped forward. There was danger in his eyes, his teeth bared. It was a look that she saw often upon the champions, one that reminded her that these people weren’t quite human. It would do her well to remember that.

However, she had been interacting with them for a while now. She had very little reason to fear them, even if Jericho did look ready to pounce.

“I’m sorry, is that supposed to be good news?” He growled.

She kept a level stare at him, trying to not rise to his aggression. She’d expected this reaction. She just needed to keep going.

“Maybe not on the surface of it, but it means—”

“It means that we have no way of finding him!” He cut through her, ignoring her stated reason for bringing them here. That did frustrate her, set her with a familiar bite between her teeth. She almost wanted to just physically fight him to get all the hatred out of her system. That was the way the champions settled their differences, so why shouldn’t she?

It would make the situation worse. She knew that. However, knowing did very little to stop the bubbling boil her thoughts were stewing within. She could sense the same from him, a want to make this physical to just release frustrations more than anything else. Maybe she should let him lunge so she could fight back.

“Our friend is gone and that’s somehow fine?!”

“For gods’ sake Tucker! Will you let her speak!” Instead, it was Foxx who cut through the air, sounding more annoyed than Capsize had ever heard her. Jericho seemed taken aback, looking ready to argue with her instead until she glared at him. Those green eyes hit him at full force, and the fight was gone from him for the moment. He simply folded his arms and turned his own glare away from both women.

Capsize gave a thankful smile to Foxx, trying to ignore how worried those eyes suddenly looked when they touched her.

“As I was saying,” She saw Jericho’s scowl deepen, but he remained silent. “The fact he’s not being kept in a prison designed to hold a goddess means I should be able to teleport him out.”

Those words jolted the man. That anger, the viciousness in his eyes, dropped immediately. She half-wondered if he even believed her despite knowing he’d experienced her gift in this magic just yesterday. She tried to shake away that thought. Where had all this self-doubt come from?

“Wait, are you serious?” His tone had entirely flipped. She tried to not be annoyed about that. It was, after all, good for her if he dropped the attitude. However, that didn’t budge that part of herself that felt offended.

She made herself breathe through it despite how little that did. She couldn’t let negative emotions control her. Not right now.

“Aye, I—” Again she forced a breath as this was proving far harder than she’d thought it would. She knew that she had no choice in what she had to do yet every moment it grew greater, her throat felt tighter. She wanted someone to stop this. However, she couldn't be that person. She forced herself to continue. “If I’d known yesterday that he was being kept in a different place to Ianite, I would’ve done this then.”

Was that a lie? It sat on her tongue like one, leaving that bitter taste. Would she be doing something so risky had Ia not made her need for Sparklez rescue clear? She didn’t know the answer for certain. She wanted to believe that she would’ve, that she wouldn’t have left the man in the clutches of the devil when she could free him, but there was such a tiredness within her at all of this. Maybe that belief was her just attempting to pretend this was the inevitable conclusion so she could stop feeling so nervous about it.

“Well, what are we waiting for then?” Jericho now wore a great smile on his face as if he hadn’t been questioning her half a minute ago. Of course, that was how the champions worked. One second, they were at each other’s throats, the next they were best friends. Maybe it was a compliment to be treated the same way.

“Just need a focus. Something that links me and Sparklez to represent him seeing that I don’t actually know where he is,” She replied despite how Jericho’s question had clearly been rhetorical. They’d quickly forget everything she’d been saying when she said why she’d brought them here. “We need to get into Sparklez’ vault.”

The glint that appeared in Jericho’s eyes was something wild. It was impossible to tell how dire a situation they were in from the look plastered upon him.

“Oh, we can do that,” He said, as if he had been waiting for this moment his entire life. He took a hold of Tom’s arm, half-dragging the zombie as he quickly headed inside. Though the undead champion didn’t hold quite the same excitement, he did appear less shaken. Nothing got the champions distracted like permission to steal from each other.

As her friends disappeared inside, Foxx remained hesitant. She was still worried, Capsize could tell that much, but she didn’t say anything. She looked as though she wished to, like there were words in her head just waiting to be said, but they didn’t emerge. She looked down at her feet and followed after her friends.

Capsize slumped, leaning on the railing, wishing her thoughts weren’t endlessly dwelling on every tiny little detail. Most of them were meaningless little details that she was making bigger than they really were. She ran a hand over her face. Why couldn’t she just shift this exhaustion?

“Captain?” Redbeard spoke for the first time that day. His voice was hoarse and unsure in a way that clawed at her. How badly had she fucked up everything that her own brother sounded like that when speaking with her? She barely conjured the energy to look up at him. His face was difficult to read. Maybe he was just scared to show concern after her reaction last night. She could hardly blame him if that was the case.

“Yes?” She prompted, trying to not sound snippy despite how goddamn tired she was. They didn’t have much time before the champions would realise they hadn’t followed. If he had something to say, it was best he did it quickly.

He swallowed, clearly scared she was going to bite his head off, but he did continue.

“Last time you teleported someone who you didn’t have an approximate location on, you broke multiple ribs,” He somehow managed to sound neutral when recounting that fact, as if he hadn’t realised she was desperately wishing to keep that secret. She should’ve counted on him to remember. He’d been very involved, after all. Yet still, she’d hoped he wouldn’t mention it, that her cruelty the day before had been enough to drain any concern he might’ve had for her.

The fact he had waited until the champions left was at least better than if he’d spoken up immediately, she supposed. “Rupert said the only reason it wasn’t worse was that you were teleporting me.”

The fact he wasn’t saying anything directly made it feel worse. Like pointing out a storm, the knowledge that it was about to hit didn’t leave just because no one acknowledged it. It just let the nervous anticipation build further.

She remembered, of course, the incident he was referring to. It was years ago now, back when they lived in relative normality. Back then, their biggest trouble had been rough seas and skyrites. The latter had been the cause of trouble that day.

She still didn’t know how it had happened. Something had gone unbelievably wrong and the end result was her brother taken prisoner. She hadn’t known at the time where they’d taken him. Red had recalled later being imprisoned upon an airship, but all she’d had to go off was the note left behind by his captors. Whatever fate they’d had planned for him, it was undoubtedly an unpleasant one.

So, she had acted. Ianite had given her the power to save people. Though that had mostly meant retrieving people who fell overboard, that use case clearly applied to such a kidnapping. She had done her usual action, finding his string was second nature, and teleported him back to her as she had so many others. The moment she had, she’d blacked out from the sudden and immediate backlash to her decision.

She’d ended up out of commission for a week after finally arriving home. It should’ve been much longer, but the decision was made to use some of Ianerea’s limited potions supplies to heal her. That week had been filled with so many lectures from officials about not using her powers impulsively, as if she would’ve made any other decision had she thought about it for longer. Only her crew had given her any sympathy.

Of course, the event had stuck within Red’s head. He’d gotten it in the neck just as much as her. Half the officials – arseholes that they were – had blamed him for her injuries because he’d been captured in the first place.

“The champions have potions coming out their arses. Long as I don’t instantly die, I’ll be fine,” She said as though she wasn’t half-convinced that would be the outcome of her action. Maybe she’d get lucky and just once more black out in immeasurable pain. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Red looked at her oddly, as though he didn’t understand her one bit.

“Bit of a risk, isn’t it? Do you really need Sparklez back that badly?” Capsize was sure he hadn’t meant anything by it. He was clearly attempting to express concern. But the way he said it, it made her tense. She tried to bite back the festering anger she had allowed to explode yesterday, pressing nails into her palm to give herself anything else to channel the rage towards.

“Do I need back the man who constantly harasses me with encouragement from half the people here?” No matter her attempt, she couldn’t shift the annoyance from her tone. Did she want the man dead with his soul in the clutches of Lord Dianite? No, that much she could admit. However, she couldn’t exactly say she missed him nor his constant attempts to get her to go out with him.

There was a flash across her brother’s face, as if he was considering for the first time that her interactions with Sparklez hadn’t been fun. Maybe he was considering his own part in it all, thinking about how he’d added to it. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to allow him to dwell on that. “No. I’d be fine never seeing him again.”

She let that confession sit for a moment before looking up.

“But Ianite needs her champion back if she’s ever to regain her strength, so what choice do I have?” She asked no one. Without waiting for any sort of answer, not allowing him the opportunity to talk her down from this self-immolation, she pushed off the railing and headed inside. Silently, her brother followed her, as much a comfort as not.

She heard the champions before she saw them, back to that noisy bickering that so defined them. It wasn’t long before she descended down the stairs to actually see the three. They stood among the shattered remains of the vault’s glass doors. No doubt when he returned, Sparklez would demand a trial for the damage done. That thought left her smiling at the idea of the chaos.

She strode past them, boots crunching across the glass shards. Normally, she might’ve allowed the messing around to continue for some time longer, but today? Today, she had no desire to drag anything out. She knew exactly what she needed. She walked through the cramped, chest-filled room to Sparklez’ bed. It was right where she had last seen it: the damn rose.

Frankly, she didn’t understand why Sparklez put so much focus on it. It was some random thing she’d picked up then gave him when prompted. He was the one that attributed meaning to it. He was the one who got weird about his name being misspelt or if it even was a rose as opposed to some other flower.

However, it was also the only thing that really linked her and Sparklez. Even if that felt a shaky description, she needed something to act as a focus. Gods, she hoped it would be good enough.

As she plucked the flower from its frame in the wall, the others filed in behind her. She tried to ignore the growing pit in her stomach. She walked to the centre of the room.

“So, I’ll get Sparklez here. Then I need you lot to do the next part,” She spoke as she should, like a captain in control, like there wasn’t a horrid dread building inside her. It was hard even now to surrender Ianite’s needs to other people. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them, but she still held that desperate want to be her goddess’ only hero. “Do whatever the hell it is you guys do to make Sparklez respawn here rather than back in Dianite’s clutches. Then take him to the temple he built in the End. When you’re there, Skipper, you kill Sparklez’ in Ianite’s name and then it’s as if none of this happened.”

It wasn’t overly complicated. There might be resistance from the devil himself which in turn could take Tom’s support away from them, but still, what choice did she have but to entrust the task to them all?

“Why won’t you be coming?” Foxx asked the question Capsize had been hoping to avoid having to answer. It might’ve been manageable had Jericho been asking. Not that she disliked that lad, but his tone wasn’t generally concerned. Foxx, though, she sounded beyond worried.

It was odd how much the pirate had been hearing such a tone directed towards herself since last night. She hadn’t heard it in years before now. Was it supposed to be comforting?

She gave an attempt at a smile to the lass.

“This power is a gift from Ianite which means it has balance to account for. It lashes back at me. Usually, no worse than an ender pearl, but this is a fair bit more complex a job than I normally use it for,” She felt like she was utterly failing to be convincing. Her nerves were leaking through. Was that normal? Even if the result wasn’t bound to be as dire as she suspected, it was still reasonable she would hold nerves about using an ability that would injure her. Right?

Still, she couldn’t let them reject the plan. “I’ll be wiped out for a few hours. Nothing potions can’t fix, but it’ll be better for you lot to move without me before Dianite can attempt to get Sparklez back.”

She didn’t see sureness in any of them, which just made her feel more like she was gargling glass. She was betraying them, she knew. It was so wrong to lie to them to trick them in this way, but really it was just rebalancing everything to the way it was supposed to be. She was meant to have died. Retrieving Sparklez was just restoring the scales she’d inadvertently shifted.

“But, if we leave you alone, what if he comes after you?”

“I’ll be fine. Focus on Sparklez,” She managed a smile.

Despite how Foxx didn’t seem all that convinced, she raised no more objections.

Capsize took a breath. Her gaze drifted down to the fragile flower currently resting between her fingers. It’d probably end up just as broken as she did after this. For now though, it remained just as pristine as it should.

She allowed the world around her to blur, focusing only on the red petals. The strings of those around her appeared at the edge of her vision, reminding her of those depending on her, of those who were going to watch her break. Detractions, she had to remind herself. Her only focus had to be Sparklez.

Each second that passed, a pain grew in her chest. It was like she had been forced underwater, that same burning in her lungs. She was drowning, except she didn’t have the option of coming up for air. Sparklez’ string, unlike what she had expected, hadn’t made itself clear alongside the others.

Why was she meeting such resistance? She knew this would be painful, deadly even, but she’d thought she could at least complete the task quickly. She chastised herself for that naivety. Why didn’t she expect the devil to have set up precautions to stop her?

Still, this wasn’t impossible, she reminded herself. It might take longer than she thought, but this was a task she could complete. She had to, for Ia’s sake. No matter what it cost, she would get it done.

She forced her focus to narrow to only the magic she was performing. Ignore the pain. Ignore the growing noise around her. Ignore the way the petals were beginning to smoke. Just find the damn string.

As she fought through a new wave of pain, something cracking as this power did its best to crush her chest, she saw it. Hazy and blinking, there was the braided purple twine she knew to be Sparklez. She could’ve sighed in relief if her lungs had the room to function.

She locked her eyes upon it, forcing it to be the only thing at all in her mind. The more she focused, the more the pain in her chest grew, the more solid the soul thread became.

It looked wrong. Certainly, it was Sparklez’ she was sure of that. But the perfect braids were fraying, the purple forced away, red strands haphazardly knotted in. This was what the devil had done in a day?

It’d be fixed. That’s all she could think to keep herself on task. The damage would be fixed. She just needed to get a hold and pull.

Her fingernails grazed the string, not getting a grip, but managing to tempt it closer to her. Close enough now for her to wrap a finger around it. Finally, she began to pull.

It disappeared. The very instant she tried to do what she had been fighting to, the string disappeared.

All her focus dropped at the shock of it, allowing her to breathe. Every sensation she had been ignoring returned at once, an overwhelming crash of a great wave. All the pain began to consume her, but before she could buckle, a force hit her square in the stomach.

For a moment, she flew backwards. Then she hit the back wall. A great pain in her head joined so many others. The world went dark.

There was a splash. Then everything faded.

⚖ ⚖ ⚖

It all happened so quickly.

Capsize had begun her task, her gaze becoming far off as if she was suddenly lost in another world. It didn’t seem to be anything to worry about. The tears forming in her eyes and the odd pattern her breathing started to take could’ve been ignored. Until the rose began to catch alight.

At first, it was just the tiniest ember, but far too quickly for it to be in any way natural, the entire flower was engulfed. The flames, hungry still, latched upon the captain’s sleeve. Just as they had consumed the flower, they crept far too fast up the fabric.

That was enough for Sonja. This wasn’t going on any longer. She made a grab for the rose, intending to just stop this before any real damage was done. Her arm was caught by Tucker.

“Jordan’s not back! If we stop now, we won’t be able to try again!”

“What the hell does that matter?! She’s going to die!” She couldn’t wrench herself free of him. The fire was nearing the pirate’s elbow, all the while Capsize appeared oblivious, reaching towards something unseen. How were they all okay with watching her become a human candle? “Skipper!”

The man didn’t acknowledge her. He appeared frozen in place, staring at his sister in horror but making no move to aid her.

The fox turned her gaze towards the other man in the room.

“Tom!” She begged. He’d saved her yesterday. Surely, he didn’t want this.

For a moment, the zombie seemed lost. He blinked and Sonja almost lost faith. Then he lunged for the flower, tearing it from the captain’s grip.

Capsize’s eyes came back to focus in an instant, looking bewildered. Then, without warning, she flew backwards. There was a thump as she hit the wall. Her eyes once more lost focus as she slumped and fell into the water basin.

“Capsize!” The shock allowed her to escape Tucker’s grip, rushing to pull the unconscious woman from the water. Fingers fumbled for a potion to fix the damage. She was breathing. The water had extinguished the flames. So, this would be fixable – right?

Sonja knew the only way to guarantee that was acting fast. The liquid would’ve already been down her throat had the booming laughter not began to echo through the room. The last person any of them wanted to see had manifested within the vault with them.

“Now what are you all doing down here, hiding out of my sight?” Lord Dianite asked as he appeared where Capsize had been in the middle of the room. He didn’t fit at all within the cramped space, horns scraping across the ceiling. Still, he stood with the knowledge that he owned the place. “Surely not robbing your dear missing friend.”

“He’s not missing! You kidnapped him!” Tucker yelled, having no hesitation in pulling out his sword and pointing it squarely at the god. He didn’t care at all if threats were meaningless to a deity, he’d make the devil’s smiting look like a joke if their friend wasn’t returned safe and sound. “Give him back now.”

Of course, Dianite just laughed.

“No, I think I’ll be keeping my new champion to myself for a few days longer,” He said with a smile that showed all his jagged teeth. He knew precisely what effect his words would have and took joy in drinking in the reactions.

“Wait, what?” Tom asked in genuine confusion. The entire glare of the devil landed upon him.

“Oh Thomas,” He cooed as he encroached on his space. There wasn’t room for the zombie to back away, instead leaving him forced to be pressed into a corner as the devil loomed over him. “You’ve made your loyalties quite clear.”

The dark pit eyes glanced over to the unconscious woman, resting upon the lap of the fox that threatened to pounce upon him. Tom wasn’t so oblivious as to miss the meaning.

“No, that’s—We’re just—”

“You want to play ship with the enemy? Fine. You can keep her… Though I suppose, her injuries might be a bit much for her to be any fun anymore,” He laughed, enjoying how scared his traitorous thrall appeared. If he wasn’t still potentially useful, he’d smite him where he stood. “If you come begging on your knees, I might consider taking you back with a demotion, but I have no need for a disloyal champion.”

He took the charred remains of the rose from the now shaking hand.

“But thankfully, I have a new, far better follower to replace you.”

In the early days of the realm, it was said that the Northern kingdom was largely inhabited by mechanists, magicians and artificers alike, all of whom relied heavily on the crimson ores that littered the rocky countryside as the power source behind their creations. Eventually, the process of collecting enough redstone to sustain them became too arduous to the point of it impeding on innovation; so some artificers took it upon themselves to find a better solution.

While resource gathering in swamps, artificers noticed a magical aura exuding from the blue orchids that painted its landscape, curiously in the same way the ore emitted electrical particles. Experimenting with petals and copper vessels, they discovered a magical essence that could be drawn and conducted from the flowers, drawing from the natural world in harmony w itself, containing a special affinity. In combinations with one another, they found this essence was capable of powering machines just as well as the ore could. Some would say their commitment to this methodology put them behind the technological advancements of neighboring settlements, but it never seemed to bother them all that much.

From a foundation of copper and blossom, the artificers created a guild that rooted itself in the Voltelia, a kingdom ran on this very magic. Most of its citizens become apart of this guild, dedicating their lives to that same discovery and innovation- some choosing to focus more the spiritual magic side of things, others the attunement of magic and machinery. Many of these engineers, artificers and mechanists would also come to find great companionship in their copper golem assistants, powered by the same magic that beats through the kingdom and its citizens. Folks hailing from their say that if you walk upon its grounds, through the fragrant flowers and clank of machinery, you can hear it for yourself in your own heart.

[ Voltelia's banner colors are red and eggshell white, and bear blue orchids on their coat of arms, the flower that had begun it all ]

~~~~~~🌹~~~~~~~~~~~~🪻~~~~~~~~~~~~🌸~~~~~~

Bdubs:

Noble distantly related to the royal family trained in the artificer arts (the more magical side of attuning magic and machinery through different techniques). Most of his work focused on building machines in a more unconventional way that always ended up having an effectiveness not many expected xD

Easily irritated by the copper golems who enjoyed his presence over many of his colleagues. He does not understand why (its the niceness to the stable horses, they see him as very kind)

In his early days studying in the guild, he was known to be underestimated by peers, who could recognize his affinity to the natural world, just not the mechanical side of things. Aside, of course, from one-

Ethoslab

Talented mechanist who was more interested in the mechanic side of Voltelia's teaching, but nonetheless found a strong companionship with Bdubs from when they had first met. Both saw the value in each other's work and over time began to work collaboratively on a lot of things together

Before joining the guild, Etho was the apprentice of the blacksmith Odell, a jolly old man who had a fascination with immortality, and was always surrounded by many, many copper golems. While Etho had left by then, Bdubs was around to see Odell go through a transformation that left him without any memory of any of his life before that, and a much more copper-y appearance.

At a point, Etho's sights began to reach beyond Voltelia, and he sought to bring his talents to the neighboring settlement (Etho's cyberpunk city), hoping to encourage their innovation to take a different turn. Despite Bdubs' protests, he eventually leaves the guild to work his way up and become "king" of that other city.

But, Bdubs never forgets about Etho, nor holds much of a grudge (most uncharacteristic for how he typically can get) and when he gets the chance, he leaves the comfort of Voltelia's streets behind to set up base at an old outpost near a forest, hoping that whatever Etho got up to, he can find him again.

(bonus side note: I also imagine that Joel's lore could connect to this a little as well, w horseheads (thing from the natural world) powering his rainbow generator 👀 Joel isnt from Voltelia, but he heard about Bdubs and his origins, and was like hehehe i think ill pester you a little because we are the same :]c We are both normal and happy rainbows yay yay yay)

What had started as a half-jog had quickly become a mad dash through the tunnels, Capsize taking the lead with a confidence that was perhaps unearned but one so natural that those following her saw no reason to question. Perhaps they ought to have done with how quickly she had changed her position in letting their dig site be taken, but when she clearly had a plan, it was hard to want to slow her down. They just hoped she had an idea of where she was going.

There hadn’t for a moment been so much of a lick of intent in Capsize to give up the Book of Amun-Ra. That was her relic to find. A relic she had been told the stories of by her aunt. She was not allowing it to be shipped off out of the country where she’d never get to see it.

However, she wasn’t so foolish as to let them start a firefight over it. While she admired Foxx and Red’s confidence for believing themselves capable of taking all of the other lot by themselves, she rather preferred them not riddled with bullets. As such, a less confrontational method for acquiring the book was necessary. Thankfully, she had an inkling that just such a method might be possible.

That inkling, which she had been increasingly scared was a ridiculous long shot, had proven to be correct.

The little group now found themselves deeper in the depths of the ruins within another chamber smaller than the previous ones they had been in. Perhaps another preparation chamber given the stone altar in the centre but not even Capsize cared about such things at this moment. The altar – if indeed it was one – currently only served the purpose of being a place for her companions to stand as they carved away at the ceiling. The only importance to the room was it hopefully being in the right location.

Capsize quickly scanned her eyes across the engravings on the walls, reading through the ancient writings as fast as she could. It was hard to focus on translating when her heart was beating in her ears, but she could force herself to. This was necessary and it wasn’t as though she was in any danger, so she just needed to manage and focus. She just needed confirmation that they were in the right place. If they weren’t, they still had plenty of time to move.

Finally, she found the symbols that confirmed her hunch right. It was as though a weight was lifted from her chest.

“Yes! I was right! These hieroglyphics say we’re right under the statue,” She exclaimed with a beaming smile. They were in the right place. Not all was lost. “You two should come up right through its legs.”

The two she was referring to were, of course, Foxx and Redbeard who were currently wielding pickaxes, working away at the ceiling to break down the stone between them and the statue in its chamber above. Thank God they were in the right place. She would’ve felt awful destroying any more of this place than absolutely required for this plan.

Sonja nearly laughed both at the phrasing and this whole ridiculous plan. Perhaps she should’ve realised the woman would be a sneak. Her brother was, after all. Why assume anything different of her? Except, she had seemed so prim and proper. Sure, she had caused a scene at the prison, knew how to be mouthy and stand her ground, but still the soldier had thought her above tricks. How wonderful it was to be proven wrong, even if it was getting her covered in stone dust.

Red too was impressed by his sister’s little plan. He could’ve done with less physical labour being a part of it. He wasn’t built for this sort of thing, his arms already felt like rubber and they’d barely made progress yet, but imagining the look on those prick’s faces made the exertion mostly worth it.

“Good. When those damn foreign asses go to sleep—” He paused, giving a halfway glance to Foxx. “—No offense.”

“None taken,” She replied with the smallest hint of amusement.

“We’ll be able to sneak our way up and take the book from right under their noses!” He finished. He was absolutely thrilled at this development. While it might’ve been a shock to have Capsize come up with such an idea, it was a completely welcome one. He couldn’t think of a better way for them to get the book than screwing over that lot at the same time. It was the least they deserved after having the nerve to point a gun at his sister. He only wished he'd be able to see the look on their faces when they realised what they were looking for was already gone.

Sonja gave a glance over to the woman who seemed to almost be vibrating with anticipation. If they had another pick, she had no doubt that she’d be helping bring down the ceiling alongside them. Hell, she might take a pick off one of them if they weren’t careful.

To try and keep her grounded, the soldier gave her a look.

“You’re sure you’ll be able to find this secret compartment?” She asked. She did her best not to sound doubting as that was in no way her intent. She just knew this was something they’d need to be quick about. She wanted to make sure they were prepared.

Her smile somehow became even brighter.

“I’m positive. Just as long as they don’t find it first,” She said with absolute certainty.

Her sureness was so clear, so obvious. That alone was enough to fuel the soldier. She didn’t really care what treasure she got out of this trip. Her greatest desire was to be away from this place. If she got some money too that’d be a nice bonus. But with how much this book seemed to matter to this woman, if they took any treasures away from this trip, it was going to be the Book of Amun-Ra.

The room became awash with noise. The destruction of a centuries old ceiling wasn’t precisely quiet work. Yet it still occurred to Redbeard that the room was strangely quiet. He paused in his action for a brief moment. He looked around to confirm his observations and, indeed, it was undeniable. Their little group had lost a number.

“Say, where’s our unwanted tagalong gotten to?”

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

Alister wandered the empty tunnels alone, torch in hand lighting his way. Most would suppose that anyone wandering such ruins separate from the group they’d entered with was hopelessly lost, but there was nothing unintentional about his current situation. He had a plan quite cemented in his head.

He couldn’t stand staying with those imbeciles any longer. They had already been trying his patience before, then that girl had proven to be a bigger idiot than he had thought possible. All the withering talk of the importance of finding that damn relic for what? To surrender it the moment she was asked to? Now because of her he was out twenty-five percent of the selling price of a solid gold book. Like hell was he going to keep following her lead after that. He’d been a fool to do that in the first place.

Now though, he’d formed his own plan. It hadn’t been hard to split away from the three morons he’d been forced to tag along with, too busy with their own walk of shame to keep an eye on him. Given how little they paid attention to him, he’d likely have an hour before they came looking for him. Even if they noticed he was gone in a timely manner, this place was large enough he’d have enough time to find himself something worthwhile. Let them fruitlessly dig around for ‘history’. He was in the greatest treasure trove in this country. He was going to find himself some damn riches.

He wasn’t going to be picky about this. It didn’t have to be anything extravagant. In fact, it was probably better if it wasn’t. If it was just some loose jewels or gold, it’d be small enough to shove into his bag. Anything he could hide away couldn’t be counted by the prissy thing as part of his measly twenty-five percent. What did it matter if he got himself a little bonus? The annoying girl was rich anyway. It wasn’t as though she needed the money.

All he needed to do in this little alone time he’d won for himself was find that prize before Foxx came looking for him. Then, when she did, he’d simply blame her for losing him in the tunnels in the first place. That’d wipe the smug look off her face too. That’d be as satisfying as any treasures he found down here. After all, where did that damn murderer get off acting as though she was better than him?

Despite being alone in these ruins that apparently swallowed all their seekers alive, he felt completely relaxed. Sure, he wasn’t a particular fan of the noise of his surroundings, the echoing chitters of pests in the walls. He wasn’t in any way fond of bugs. He dealt with enough pests in his day to day life, he could do without the literal ones. However, at this particular moment, he didn’t care. This was his first peace away from those idiots in days. Anything was a refreshing experience at this point.

What he wouldn’t do to be rid of all three of them. Dealing with them was worth the riches, of course, but all of them acted so incredibly out of turn treating him the way they did. It would be a great time to remind them of his rightful position over them.

He couldn’t wait until they were back in the city. With her purpose spent, he could throw Foxx back to the gallows where she belonged. That would remind the lot of them where they stood. He could just hear the girl begging as she had the first time, but now without the treasure trove to fall back on, she could do nothing but watch Foxx slowly lose her fight against gravity and die.

Though that was a wondrous fantasy, one that truly kept him going through all this humiliation, the joy he gained from it was quickly overshadowed by that caused by the sight before him.

He had managed to stumble upon a dead end. The arch where the tunnel was supposed to turn had collapsed completely into rubble that blocked any further progress. That could’ve been a disappointing annoyance after the effort he’d gone through thus far to get this far. Except, right there was precisely what he had been looking for.

On the wall he found himself facing was a mural. Some artistic depiction of a long dead king, not that Al gave any sort of a damn about that. The only part of the display he cared at all about were the spots glimmering in his torch light.

He strode over, a grin only growing on his face as he got closer and saw the things more clearly. Embedded into the wall decorating the image were dozens of blue gold ornaments shaped into scarabs. Each one was small enough to fit into his head but whether they were real precious metal or simply painted stones, he knew each one would be worth a small fortune.

As he pulled a knife from his bag to pry the things free, he couldn’t help laughing to himself. Yes, this little solo excursion was certainly going to be more than worth it.

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

The foreign crew’s efforts were not making nearly as much progress as an onlooker might expect given the number of them. Most of them were not doing anything beyond standing around in wait, including the diggers who had been solely hired to do work. It seemed quite ridiculous how little work had been started and yet that didn’t change the reality of it.

Admittedly, it had taken longer than strictly necessary for them to get started at all. The lot of them had been celebrating their claiming of the site so they had gotten distracted from actually setting up the dig. Who could blame them for that? They’d managed to get the place without so much as a contest, that deserved a little time to congratulate themselves. It wasn’t as though they needed to rush when they had the place to themselves.

Still, their little party had to eventually end. While they certainly didn’t need to rush, they still needed to start eventually. Ever focused, Wag had been the one to actually get down to work, walking over to the base of the statue while his friends still talked among themselves. He hadn’t intended to stop them from their distractions but slowly, they had all fallen silent as he read along the hieroglyphics, watching and waiting.

There was a certain tension in the air now as the eyes rested on him. There was still some quiet chatter, but it was safe to say that nerves were beginning to fester. It wasn’t a lack of trust in Wag. If anyone in their group was capable of finding the compartment, it was going to be him. However, if he didn’t find it, if the translations they were following were wrong, then it would mean the effort put forth in getting this dig site had been wasted.

What if there had been a reason for the woman suddenly agreeing to leave? What if she knew something they didn’t? As much as that was a ridiculous notion, it was still one they found themselves pondering.

Waglington was acutely aware of the fact he was being stared at. Though they were attempting to hide it, to distract themselves with continued conversation, his friends were far quieter than they ever normally would be. He did his best to ignore them, to just focus on the work he was to do as if they weren’t actively anticipating his eureka. It was, however, quite the task to do so when with each passing second, they risked growing bored if he didn’t locate their treasure.

Thankfully for his friend’s waning patience, their decision to claim this spot finally proved fruitful. A grin grew upon his face as, between lines of text, he found a seam.

“It’s here,” He announced, running his finger across it to be sure. Sand was displaced, making the tiny gap between the base of the statue and the slab hiding the treasure just that bit more obvious. Satisfied with being able to relocate it should he move his eyes away; he straightened up and turned back to his friends.

Once more the excitement rippled through the crew. It was real. A book made of solid gold was waiting for them just behind that thin wall of stone. The riches of their dreams within spitting distance. Just the thought was enough to get them slobbering.

Unable to wait a moment longer, Tom rose to his feet, shovel in hand and a grin on his face. In just a few minutes he was going to be one of the richest men on the planet. Well, they’d need to sell the book for the money, but that was a technicality. Just owning the thing was enough to have wealth beyond kings. He was going to be the first person to hold it.

Now they knew where it was, it’d be so easy. All he had to do was jam a shovel in and pry open the compartment. Then he’d have the damn thing, he could tease Sparklez about what he was going to make him do for his share, and they could all celebrate. When the other lot came back up this evening, they’d be able to show off their findings, probably impress the girl enough to have a proper conversation.

His fantasies were rudely interrupted by Wag sticking an arm out to stop him in his tracks. His friend was glaring at him with a look as if he was being a complete idiot.

“Tom, Athar wasn’t a fool,” He said, as if the name was meant to mean something to him. To be fair, it was probably someone he’d mentioned several times before now, but all his history lectures went right over Tom’s head. What did he need to know about history besides the treasure? Who it used to belong to and who had hidden the best bits away hardly mattered.

He could, however, understand the point that was being made. The chamber was almost certainly trapped and forcing it open would trigger it. Doing so would likely be dangerous and an altogether stupid idea for him to attempt. Despite all of this, he still found himself rolling his eyes.

“One of us has to open it,” He stated the obvious. He could obviously acknowledge the danger, but he didn’t see what difference it made. If they wanted the book – which they obviously all did – they had to get in there.

Wag looked almost charmed by his words, as if the man was being cute rather than serious. Tom found himself struggling to not be offended by the reaction. However, before he could spit any part of that offense out, his friend pointed behind him.

“That’s what they’re for.”

Tom followed the point of his friend’s finger, turning around to see it land upon the diggers. Somehow the hired men looked even more nervous than they already had. None went to move, not wishing to do the job clearly signalled as a danger to those who had hired them. However, they had little choice in the matter. Having gotten the message, Tucker grabbed one of them by the scuff of their collar and begun shoving them forward.

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

Sonja was the only one left chipping away at the ceiling. Unlike most times she was left working alone, it was by her own choice as the work already done had left a sizable dent in the stone. As much as they all wanted this done fast, she’d prefer not to have her charges crushed if the whole thing caved in.

Redbeard hadn’t needed much persuasion to stop helping. He’d done the bare minimum of pretending to argue before quickly sauntering off to the other side of the room. Despite how he seemed like the sort to spend a great deal of time idle, he didn’t seem to know what to do with himself now that he was. He stood about, fiddling with his pick as if it was a toy to distract himself with rather than a mining tool.

He was grateful at least that he had something to listen to beyond just the continued breaking of the ceiling. Foxx had made the foolish decision to ask Capsize about history. That was the only opening she’d needed to start rambling. There she sat on the altar, talking away to her heart’s content. He’d heard it all so many times that he really couldn’t remember where she had started, but quickly the conversation had turned to mummies which was where it had very much stuck.

“So, let me get this straight,” Sonja began in a moment where Capsize had paused for breath. She had avoided interrupting with her questions for a short while now. Instead, she just focused on how nice it was to hear the passionate words as she continued in her own work. She found herself listening to every word. However, with the number of questions in her head ramping up, she had to ask some of them before the topic was done with. “They ripped out your guts and shoved them in a jar?”

At first, Capsize had been talking so passionately, so happily, that her tone had disguised the actual details. Then Sonja’s mind had caught onto the words actually being said, processed the gory details joyfully being recalled. The moment it did, she found herself in utter disbelief. She knew that history was full of barbaric practises, but the idea seemed completely out of left field, especially with how the woman speaking seemed to see nothing wrong with it.

“Yes! Not just the intestines, but the lungs, liver, and stomach,” Capsize confirmed with the same level of joy. Her shining passion seemed beyond strange when talking on such a topic, but when her excitement got the better of her, she became quite oblivious to tone. There was far too much fun in actually getting to share the knowledge she had on the topic.

In a sudden burst of excitement, she lent closer to Foxx. “Do you know how they’d take your brains out?”

“I don’t think she needs to know that,” Red half-warned, knowing damn well his words would do nothing to stop her. He had never once had the ability to stop his sister from doing something, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now. There was, however, amusement for him in giving the warning knowing it wouldn’t be heeded as he, unlike his sister, could see the soldier's face turning a slight tint of green. He almost laughed at the image, though thought better of actually doing so. Who would have thought that his sister could scare a rough and tumble type so easily?

“They’d take a hook, stick it up your nose, scramble things about, then rip it all out through your nostrils,” She explained. As she did, she gestured in the air with a chisel from her kit, almost demonstrating the required action. She had such a smile on her face as she did, excited despite the morbid nature of what she was discussing. She couldn’t hide it. There was just so much excitement within her for this topic.

Sonja cringed slightly as she held that image in her head. She wrinkled her nose, attempting to stop the phantom pains her imagination had conjured up.

“That’s gotta hurt…” She muttered.

Capsize jolted. Had she somehow forgotten to mention…?

“Oh, you’d be dead when they did this. It’s called mummification,” She attempted to assure as though there was any possibility of this actually being done to the soldier. She must’ve neglected to mention it in her excitement at being able to talk about all this at all.

Sonja tried to not look too embarrassed at having not made that obvious assumption, hoping to God that her cheeks didn’t flush as she thought they did. How many times was she going to make herself look like an idiot in front of this girl?

“Huh. Was there any part of your corpse that they let you keep?” She attempted to cover by sounding entertained, as if she had known all along.

“Oh yes. They left the heart,” Capsize replied, her smile turning almost wistful. “You see, they believed that it contained all of a person’s being and intelligence so that was left in its place for when a person made their way to the afterlife, which I think is rather romantic when you think about it.”

“Oh yes, very romantic,” Red muttered, swinging his pick like a golf club. Really, he loved her, but she was quite ridiculous sometimes. If that’s what she thought romance was, he dreaded to think of her idea of a date.

Sonja gave the smallest of huffed laughs at their antics. At times, she felt like she barely understood the two. Then there were moments like these where it all seemed so simple and she desperately craved to be a part of it. How long had she been alone for? Why did that question suddenly shake her?

Before she could properly consider that, her attention was taken by a far more pressing matter. Her eyes traced along the ceiling that was quite suddenly beginning to crack. Far too large and dramatic a reaction to just be more loose chips. Something large was coming down.

She barely had time to grab Capsize and throw the both of them out of the way before something heavy crashed down from above, filling the entire room with dust.

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

A shallow thump could be heard within the statue chamber. It was so sudden and unexpected that a few of the foreign crew jumped before craning their necks to attempt to figure out the source. It was a rather pointless endeavour as it was immediately obvious that the source hadn’t been within the room they were in.

Despite them not seeming in immediate danger, the noise still very much set them on edge. The sound of something falling was never good, especially not when they were down in the depths of the earth and any blockage could trap them within the ruins.

“The hell was that?” Jordan questioned. It was a rhetorical one as he didn’t expect any of his friends to have an answer for him., but still one he thought necessary to voice.

“Something below us. So nothing for us to be concerned with,” Wag dismissed. Even if it was something blocking their path, they could deal with it later.

His words did reassure his fellows. If the smartest of them wasn’t concerned, why should they be? This was an old place. It was probably full of noises that sounded bad but in reality were little to worry about. If they kept jumping at every single one, they’d be trapped down here for the rest of eternity without being physically stuck.

Though some still held nerves, they turned their attention back to their treasure extraction rather than whatever might be happening below their feet. Their focus should be on their rightful riches, the receiving of which was being slowed by work still not proceeding.

Tucker had dragged three of the diggers over to the box of the statue. Though they all had the tools and position to be set with their task, none of them had actually started. Instead, they were looking towards their employers with desperate eyes.

They weren’t stupid. They fully understood that they were only being made to do this task because it was too dangerous for their employers to do so. Had it been outside of their job description, they would’ve refused, but this very much was the sort of job they had been paid for. Still, none of them were exactly keen to begin.

As the moments pressed on with them all just stood there, tension began to seep in. Annoyance was beginning to fester within the treasure hunters. They had paid these damn layabouts for one job. If they weren’t going to do it then what the hell was all that money given to them for? It certainly wasn’t to stand about looking scared.

“Can they get on with it?” Tom muttered, already beyond bored. He could’ve had this over and done with minutes ago if Wag wasn’t so damn cautious. Seriously, what the hell were they all so afraid of? Just shove a tool in there and get the thing open. It might not even be trapped for all they knew.

He shifted on the spot, itching to do anything even if it meant doing this damn job himself.

The movement only spurned on the frustrations of the others in the group, their impatience becoming increasingly obvious. In turn, the diggers grew ever more nervous, knowing their inaction couldn’t last much longer. What could they even do?

The moments dragged on, the tension getting thicker. Then finally, there were a couple of loud claps.

“Get on with it!” Waglington yelled, startling the hired men.

They still considered refusing. If they could just wait until they had to be physically forced, one of their employers might get frustrated enough to do the task themselves. That outcome seemed the safer one for their health. However, behind them, their employers’ hands rested upon guns. While none of the three wished to do this, it was better to risk an uncertain death than a certain one.

Shovels were forced into the thin seam of the stone, the hafts held close to the head for better leverage against the stone. The sounds of grunts and metal straining against stone began to infect the air. Though neither noise began as particularly loud, they might as well have been a cacophonous din as everyone fell silent, watching with bated breath from either anticipation or fear.

A crack sounded as the stone began to give. The treasure hunters who were all cautiously standing back began to lean forward. They could practically taste the riches now.

Finally, the stone shielding the compartment fell and what should’ve been a celebration turned to absolute horror. As the cracked stone fell, a horrid sound erupted throughout the chamber. From the opening, a liquid burst forth. The geyser-like noise of its escape wouldn’t have caused anything more than a brief flinch but mixed with the screams of the three souls unlucky enough to have triggered its exit made a horrifying harmony.

The others in the chamber stumbled back. The sight of the screaming men was one more horrific than any of them had witnessed before. What flesh hadn’t melted away completely was a horrid blistering mess. It seemed a mercy when they finally lost whatever strength had been keeping them clinging to life.

The three men dropped to the floor in a shaking pile. The onlookers remained in silence as the reality of what they had just witnessed sunk in.

Tom could only let out a shaky breath as he found himself eternally glad that he had listened to Wag and that that hadn’t been him.

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

“Everyone alright?” Sonja asked as the dust began to clear and the ringing finally began to quiet and allow her to hear. That had been way too close for her liking. She didn’t know what the hell had fallen but she’d be frankly quite thankful if the worst they’d suffered was irritated lungs.

“Yes, I’m fine. No need to worry,” Redbeard answered between spluttering coughs that only slightly undermined his words. He hadn’t been in the line of danger at all, really. From where he’d been standing, he would’ve had to move into the path of disaster rather than out of it. Still, his confirmation was relieving for the soldier.

“What about you, Cap—” She began to ask the woman she was holding before the position they were in properly clicked. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the other woman, their bodies pressed close. It had been necessary in the moment, a split-second decision to make sure she could pull her out the way. Except now that the danger had passed, she suddenly became aware how improper this was.

Quickly, she untangled herself from the vice grip she had them locked in. She took a sheepish step back. As she straightened herself up and cleared her throat, she swore to God that she caught Redbeard rolling his eyes. She elected to believe she was making that reaction up as her focus once more fell upon Capsize. “Are you alright?”

“Yes. Thank you, Miss Foxx. Just a bit of a scare, that’s all,” She said as she dusted herself off, just about managing to sound convincing in her assurances. The entire time she was avoiding the soldier’s eyes as her cheeks were completely flushed. Despite how she was obviously embarrassed, she didn’t look hurt in any way. That just had to be good enough for the moment.

Capsize was just about catching her breath, feeling frightfully embarrassed despite there being no reason to be so. Why did she have to keep having such ridiculous thoughts? There was nothing even remotely to think upon regarding how close they had just been standing. It had been a decision made out of pure need and professionalism. Yet here her traitorous thoughts were again, stuck on how nice though strong arms had felt wrapped around her.

Good God, she needed to pull her thoughts from the gutter they were currently trudging through. She needed some distraction – any distraction – to stop herself from creating an actual reason to be embarrassed.

“Now what was it that tried to crush us?” She questioned aloud before turning back to where they had been standing. Suddenly she didn’t need to pretend to be distracted any more as every thought she had been holding dropped from her mind at the sight of it.

She took a few steps forward as if she was within a trance. Not a single part of her had expected for this to have been what fell from above. She could hardly believe the sight of it. She knew what it was, of course, she saw enough of them in the museum to know when she was looking at one. Still, that didn’t quell her disbelief.

“It’s a sarcophagus,” She breathed, carefully brushing a hand over the top, pushing away some of the sand. Though there was nothing unique about the feel, her fingers still tingled as her touch made it real. “A sarcophagus buried right under the feet of Anubis.”

She had never heard of such a thing nor anything similar. Not for any of the mummies currently housed at the museum nor within any of her readings on the topic. This was something new. Her heart beat faster at the thought.

Sonja walked up behind her, surprised at just how taken in by the coffin the woman was. Had it been buried in a ceiling that’d be one thing, but surely it couldn’t be all that unusual to be buried underneath a statue.

“Is that not common?”

“No, it certainly isn’t,” She was barely managing to speak as so many of her thoughts focused on just trying to process the discovery before her.

She traced her hand over the top of the sarcophagus. What kind of a person would be buried under the god of the dead? What soul would need to be hidden beneath the guide to the underworld with no worldly goods about them? “Whoever this was, they were either incredibly important… Or they did something horrifically bad.”

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

Alister dropped another blue gold scarab into his bag, unable to wipe the smile from his face. It was already growing heavy from the amount within, and a good dozen more still waited for him to pry them from their decorative prisons. He was going to be a very wealthy man when he returned to the city.

He had started to worry this whole journey would be a waste. He hadn’t had a choice but to come, of course. Had he left the stuck-up girl and her two idiot followers to their own devices he never would’ve actually gotten his share. He could just hear that haughty superior voice smiling the moment she had left the prison with Foxx.

‘Well, we got what we needed. No need to pay him what he’s owed.’ She probably said to the laughter and wholehearted agreement of the other two.

So, he’d had little choice but to come along. It was the only way to ensure he wasn’t cut out of his rightful share of Hamunaptra’s fortune. While the end goal was worth it – in theory, at least – the journey had been a mess from the beginning. Even beyond the attack that had driven them off the boat.

Not one of the three showed him the respect he was rightfully owed. He shouldn’t have expected anything less really. Even back in the prison, when she should’ve known she was little more than the dirt beneath his feet, Foxx had been a problem. She would sooner bite at him like a wild animal than speak to him like the superior to her he was. It would’ve been lunacy to expect her to act any better now she was armed and thought she’d gotten one over on him by escaping execution.

The girl too he had expected to be a problem. She had shown no regard for her own place at the prison. While she might have the appearance of a polite, up-standing young woman, she was beyond rude. He had hardly expected her to be any more polite outside of the view of polite society.

For some reason, he’d held some expectations that the man would have some sense. A foolish set of expectations in retrospect as he was as rude as the other two. The charm he’d shown in their initial meeting had completely disappeared, replaced with insolent snideness. He clearly held no interest in controlling his sister despite it being his job to do so. Rather he seemed quite happy to encourage her worst behaviours.

It had been truly hellish having to travel with the three of them. The man and Foxx appeared to have some kind of competition going regarding who could infuriate him more. They jumped upon him every time he so much as breathed, prodding him with unreasonable complaints about everything he did. Yet somehow, worse than the two of them was the girl.

She just loved acting so high and mighty, completely forgetting her place in the world and acting as though she ought to be in charge as if that idea wasn’t completely ridiculous. Of course, the other two encouraged her delusions, allowing her to stride around the place making decisions. While that might be expected from her brother, lazy men often did allow the women in their lives to take charge to not need to lift a finger themselves, there was no reasonable explanation for how she had Foxx eating out of her hand. Though, that relationship didn’t precisely seem one sided.

Oh yes, he had noticed the way the girl was throwing herself at the criminal. What a scandal waiting to happen that budding relationship was. He might’ve been tempted to expose it once they were back in the city, laugh at the resulting fall from grace it caused, but he had a far sweeter idea for his deserved revenge.

The moment they were back in society where the world made sense, he’d be enacting his plan. He still had some plotting to do to figure out the logistics of managing it all, but that could wait until later. At the very least, he was sure the profits from the scarabs would aid with it.

He pried another off the wall. He used a little too much force, sending the little thing flying off behind him. It mattered little. He could pick it up on his way out of here. It wouldn’t lose value from being on the floor a little while. Nor would he really lose value on his fortune from losing just one if it was now lost to the sand dusting the floors.

There was a certain providence to him finding this mural. Even if the girl’s clear incompetence led to the rest of them finding nothing of value, he would still walk out of here with a treasure horde. That meant just more power for him.

Wealth was precisely what he needed for his plan, to put himself on the same level as the siblings. Foxx he could easily ruin once they were back in the city. Those two, however, had money which meant the ability to worm their way out of his typical method of punishing people. It wasn’t hard to buy your way out of a criminal accusation which was the last thing he wanted when he attempted his revenge. It was just as easy, though, to buy a person’s guilt. Should he gain a fortune himself, all he’d need to do was outbid them.

He’d have fun when he finally got to put those—

There was what he swore was a crack behind him. He whipped around, eyes scouring the darkness for its source. Nothing greeted him but the passageway, empty as it should be. He could’ve sworn…

He shook his head. What was he doing acting as though he was a jumpy girl? No one knew he’d come down this way. When they did come looking for it, it would be loud and obvious, not a sneak attack. If for some unexplained reason someone was looking to attack him, he had a knife in hand and a gun on his belt. He would be able to swiftly defend himself and be well within his rights to do so. But there really was no one there and it was silly of him to act as though there might be.

Satisfied with his assessment, he turned back to his work, preparing his knife to pry another glimmering insect free.

Then he stopped. His knife was dropped to the ground, the handle bouncing on the stone. A sharp pain stabbed through his foot.

It was by far the worst pain he had ever felt. As though his flesh was being torn through and crawled into. A horrific, painful nightmare on its own, made worse as the source of pain began crawling up his leg.

Something was burrowing under his flesh. Higher and higher by the second. Further and further the pain travelled through his body.

In a fit of desperation, he tore open his shirt. It let him see it; the lump moving under his skin. Up from his stomach to his chest. He scratched at it, willing his nails to tear open his own skin. Anything to get this thing out of him.

Nothing he did stopped its ascent.

All there was left for the warden to do was scream as the lump crawled up his neck towards his head.

𓂀 𓂀 𓂀

Red drummed his fingers against his leg impatiently as Capsize read along the inscription of the sarcophagus. She was reading slower than normal, he was sure of that fact. He swore that she was going along the same section multiple times as if she was unsure of herself for the first time in her life. She almost certainly had good reasoning for that but even acknowledging that didn’t stop his growing impatience.

If Capsize was right, which she typically was, this was something new. It might not be gold or jewels, but discoveries of new parts of history had their worth if one knew who to go to about them. He and Capsize certainly did know people they could go to with this knowledge for it to be profitable. They just needed to be sure.

So, he tried to bite back his numerous questions to just allow his sister to work. Answers would only come slower if he interrupted. As such, he held his tongue, managing despite the struggle to stop himself from speaking until, finally, his sister raised her head up.

“Well, who is it?” He asked, restless. He didn’t quite know what he was hoping to hear. Some name he vaguely recognised followed by some ramble about their importance in history would be ideal, he supposed. The burial sites of kings and queens were always worth a pretty penny for the original discoverer. However, excitement wasn’t precisely the expression his sister was wearing.

“She who must be forgotten,” Capsize quoted, hardly able to understand it. The look of the sarcophagus and the location they had found it implied that this woman – whoever she was – was of some importance. Perhaps not a pharaoh, but not just anyone would be buried within the city of the dead.

Yet where a name should be upon their coffin, the bare minimum of information to denote who this soul was in life, instead engraved was a label insisting she be lost to history. It unsettled her. The logical conclusion was that this was the coffin of a criminal of some kind, but for her entire identity to have been stripped away from her, it left Capsize with a rather hollow feeling in her chest.

She swallowed, trying to steady her nerves. Whoever this soul was, her story was quite literally ancient history. Not only was getting upset over the potential reasons for the state of her burial rather pointless, it would also only prevent her from figuring out the actual facts of the matter. There would be answers to what happened to this woman, they just had to dig deeper. “By the size of it, I think there’s a second coffin within this one. That should have more engravings which will hopefully be less cryptic.”

That was really all she could think of to get further information. Normally, they’d be able to gather assumptions from things buried with the deceased, but well, that wasn’t really an option in this circumstance.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think it’ll be that simple,” Foxx spoke up. She hated to say so as her words gave Capsize a look of disappointment that caused a pang in her chest. However, she was fairly certain of her judgement. “Looks like the thing’s locked.”

Capsize looked in confusion towards the point Foxx was examining. She did hold an objection about it as she couldn’t fathom a reason for the soldier’s words being true. Yet, matching with the general oddities about this burial, the claim was indeed the truth.

Had she just been giving it a cursory glance, she would’ve assumed the odd star indent to be purely decorative. Even now, she wanted to believe that idea as it felt the far more logical conclusion, but she couldn’t deny Foxx’s conclusion. It was hard to see in the dim light, but she was just able to see the mechanisms within. The shape itself looked familiar to Capsize which was odd as she hadn’t seen nor so much as heard of a locked sarcophagus before.

“It doesn’t make sense…” She muttered, tracing a finger within it as she attempted to figure out any reason for this. There obviously had to be one, else there wouldn’t be all these peculiarities. However, she was left without any easy way to access the answers. It made her quiet. “It’s like they were trying to stop whoever’s in here from getting out.”

That seemed a preposterous idea, but perhaps it was meant to be a spiritual punishment. Perhaps the intention had been to stop the soul from moving on so they had locked up the body. She wasn’t sure that entirely made sense, but with no further information, she could only work on theories.

Red lent forward, resting his elbows atop the coffin.

“Can’t we just crack it open with the picks?” He questioned, immediately receiving a pained look from his sister. He had expected that. She was never going to like the idea of damaging something with historical value. He didn’t love the idea either but needs must. “Yes, yes Ize, I know. The history. But if the thing’s locked surely, it’s better to get in there than not.”

Capsize slumped, knowing that he was indeed right. As much as it absolutely pained her, her brother had a point.

“Something locked this tight won’t be that easy to force open. Probably lined with something we can’t just smash through,” Sonja spoke up. Even if she’d only felt the need to do so because of how dejected the woman looked, she was speaking from experience. Only idiots would put a heavy lock on something flimsy enough to completely ignore it. Given that the thing hadn’t shattered the moment it hit the ground, she doubted it was made by idiots. “Prefer not to break the tools if we can help it.”

“Well, what choice do we have? Unless we somehow find the key that lock will take months to crack,” Red found himself exasperated. It wasn’t as though they could spend a month here. They didn’t have the supplies for that. Nor could they lug the bloody thing back. They needed to get into it here and they needed to do so quickly.

“A key?” Capsize quietly questioned, thoughts beginning to turn. She kept staring at the star indent. She had definitely seen the shape before. It was so freshly familiar to her, but why? Where had she seen it? “A key!”

She perked up suddenly.

“That’s what that bastard on the boat was looking for!” She exclaimed. Everything clicked. The words that had been said with a knife pressed against her throat suddenly made sense. The object he had been willing to kill her over had been closer to hand than she had ever imagined.

The others looked at her rather baffled. However, she wasn’t about to stop for an explanation. She all but lunged towards her brother, rifling through his pockets to find what she needed.

“Oh, Jesus, you know you could just ask,” He complained, though it had no effect on her action. He barely had time to get through it before she had pulled the puzzle box from his jacket and was already hurrying back to the lock.

The grin on her face was wild, near manic, yet it was alluring. It was impossible to not be drawn in as she opened the box in a now well-practised manner. An excited laugh escaped her as she placed the unfurled box into the indent, its opened panels creating a star that fit perfectly within the lock. Somehow, her smile grew wider.

“Seems we have our way in.”

“Well, don’t leave us waiting. Let’s crack it open!” Red replied, his smile turning as wild as his sister’s. She could maybe learn a thing or two about verbalising her thoughts, but there was something both intoxicating and frightening about when her intelligence showed its potential.

Capsize took a breath. Whatever they found, it was going to be a discovery that would finally give her some credit within the academic world. That was as exciting as it was frankly terrifying. Her hands were shaking at the thought, but she didn’t want to put it off for even a moment.

She began to twist the key.

A scream filled the air

All three were stuck frozen by the sudden noise. It didn’t fade, instead growing just louder, clearer, closer. The longer it drew on, the longer they were forced to listen for, the more obvious it became who the source was.

“Shit!” Sonja drew her pistols and turned on a dime, sprinting into the tunnels towards the source. She might not like the warden, but the man was supposed to be under her protection. She couldn’t just leave him to die.

Capsize followed right after despite what an ill idea that might be. Had the soldier had a spare second, she certainly would’ve told the siblings to stay put. Not that Capsize would’ve done so regardless. She didn’t know what danger Alister had gotten himself into, but she knew the safest place to be in these ruins was by Foxx’s side.

Red only paused for a moment, remaining only a few seconds longer than his sister to grab the puzzle box back from the sarcophagus. He had no idea if any of their fellows would find this chamber, but on the off chance they did, he wasn’t risking losing the damn thing now he knew how important it was.

The corridors’ maze-like winding was far more stressful with a soundtrack of pained screams echoing through them. However horrid a man the warden was, not a soul deserved whatever torturous experience could be causing such a reaction. Though that fuelled their speed, it made the labyrinth no easier to navigate.

When they finally caught sight of him, it was as horrific a one as the noises escaping him implied. The man who throughout the entire journey had remained the buttoned-up image of a professional despite lacking the personality of one, was a ragged mess. His shirt was torn open, scratches and cuts littering his stomach, chest, and neck. Chunks of his hair had been torn out, his scalp too left bloody at certain points.

Yet worse, there was no sign of any attacker. It was just the man himself with a crazed look in his eyes as he flailed wildly with bloodied hands. Still, he howled in pain, hardly sounding human.

Sonja took a cautious step towards him. She had no idea why the hell he might be doing this to himself, but she needed to stop him before it got any worse. It shouldn’t be too hard to restrain him. God knows how she’d calm him down afterwards, but that was a task for once he was properly prevented from harming himself.

She took another, more decisive step towards him, confident in her ability to do something to stop him, when the man let out a guttural wail. There was something different about this one, something that triggered Sonja to sprint to try and stop what was to happen next.

But she was too late.

Alister, without any hesitation, turned to the closest wall and bashed his own head against it.

Capsize gasped at the sight of it. Red stepped forward and attempted to turn her away, but he couldn’t budge her. She was locked, frozen, staring at the nauseating sight.

Sonja made a grab for the man, but he somehow held enough strength to shove her off him. As she was pushed back, he once more thrust his head towards ancient stone.

There was a crack. A squelch.

The man fell silent. He slumped to the ground.

The horrid noise was replaced by ragged breath as all three stood staring at the bloodied mess on the ground. They didn’t need Foxx to check his pulse, the result of what they had just watched was obvious, but she did anyway. Her hand came back bloodied from the mess of a corpse they were left with.