User blog:Redknight910/The Red Order: The Conqueror's Tomb

We were going on yet another artefact retrieval, myself and Thalia. We were considered an effective retrieval team, often gathering items from ruins or caves, especially since Thalia had become a cursed sword. We’d been sent after an ancient sword, once said to have been owned by a mighty conqueror who went mad. The story went he defeated a dragon, and instead of killing it, he bound it to guard his resting place until his return.

“I wonder what we’ll find inside…” Thalia mused, thinking about the things we might find.

“Don’t know, probably a lot of treasure, I mean, it was a dragons den after all.”

We easily spotted the entrance to the tomb, since it was apparently a huge cavern entrance, worked to look like a dragon of the previous era.

“Think he had insecurity issues?” I asked, getting a huff from Tal.

“Maybe, it was before everything got sexed up.” We reached the door, a mighty towering slab of iron standing a good ten meters tall, with no latch or keyholes.

“How thick do you think it is?” I asked, Thalia running her blade hand across its ornate surface.

“Too thick, I’d never be able to cut through this.” She looked at the bracing for the door. “Idea.” She started rifling through her pack, and eventually pulled a few vials from it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">She smeared the contents around the braces with her bladed hand, until the entire door fell backwards. The sound and cloud of dust it raised as it hit the ground could probably be heard across the entire mountainside. When the dust settled and we were done coughing it out of our lungs, we peered into the dark tomb.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">We could see all of five meters before another large iron door stood, this one significantly smaller though. Thalia sighed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“I hope I brought enough acid…” She sighed as she approached the second door. I grabbed her a moment before she walked into a tripwire.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“How about you watch where you’re going, instead of where you want to be?” A common phrase among the Order. Thalia nodded, lowering the tripwire and stepping over it. She then analysed the next door, smiling with satisfaction, and pulling a bundle of fire grains out of her pocket. She smeared them across the metal, and took a step back, letting the small crystals do their work.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Within moments the small grains had heated and melted through the iron door, leaving a hole where they had been spread. After waiting a moment for the crystals to finish their work, we carefully stepped through the once-door, making sure there wasn’t anything on the other side waiting for us.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">We landed on the other side of the door, where there was practically no light. Thalia Pulled a glowing lantern from her pack, illuminating a good few feet in front of us. We slowly made our way through a number of hallways, carefully avoiding the many traps strewn about the old tomb.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Why is it only the old tombs that have tons of traps?” Thalia wondered aloud, looking over the many battles carved into the walls.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Maybe the newer ones just can’t afford it?” I laughed, stepping around another pressure plate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Heh, yeah, maybe they jus- Don’t move!” I stopped, standing dead still.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“What?” I asked, looking around myself. I’d failed to notice something dark hovering over my head, and just as it dropped I was pulled back by Thalia.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Luckily for us, it wasn’t a monster, though there was clearly effort to make it look like one. It speared the ground, penetrating deep into the stone floor. The spike itself was a carved tail, with what appeared to be a roaring wurm atop it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Well, am I the only one seeing a theme here?” Thalia huffed, noticing that in pulling me back, she’d dropped the alchemic light. “Oh, it took me weeks to get those ingredients together...” I chuckled, pulling an oil lantern out and using that to light our way.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">The room on the other side of the wurm spike was a grand affair. Where the rest of the tomb had been caked in dust, this room was clean and lit by rows of braziers. It held a great golden dragon statue, with three spears embedded in its back and a man standing on its snout, holding what was clearly the real blade they were looking for. It outright oozed power, and sitting beneath it was a golden scaled dragon, eyes glaring at the two intruders.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Leave, now.” We looked at each other, then back to the dragon.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“We can’t do that until we get that sword.” I said, drawing my blades. It was Thalia’s job to grab the blade.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“That sword is cursed. To touch it is to invite madness. The one who conquered me learned this all too well.” I gave her a sceptical look.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“You really think we can’t tell a cursed sword when we see one?” She looked at Thalia.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Then you know the damage such a blade will cause if unleashed.” She said, raising her claws but not moving away from her place. I decided to make the first move, approaching the golden scaled woman.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">She stood firm as I approached, but when I got near she took a deep breath, then released a gout of mighty flame. I dodged to the side as Thalia threw a bottle of mist. The chilling fog gave me a chance to close in, and gave her cover to get to the sword. I started duelling with the dragon, though it would be more accurate to say I started blocking and dodging against them. There was very little striking on my part.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">As I was distracting the dragon Thalia was sneaking around behind us, and when she got the chance, she grabbed the blade with her own clawed hand. As she took the blade the dragon spun around, seeing the sword, now separated from the statue, her shining golden scales dulled slightly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“NO!” She screamed, before there was a great booming rumble throughout the tomb. She looked up in fear as the gilded sarcophagus was peeled open. When the lid fell to the side a hand reached out, wreathed in ghostly energy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“You. Have failed.” The body that emerged was nothing like the reliefs or the great statue. It was muscled, certainly, but in the place of the great barrel chest was a pair of breasts that would have fit better on a holstaur. The proud beard was gone, flawlessly smooth skin in its place.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">When she looked at herself, she was stunned. “Wha… what happened to me?” The dragon burst out into laughter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“My, lord conqueror, how you have grown in your sleep.” She gestured to the woman’s chest. The woman climbed out of her crypt in a rage, stalking up to the dragon.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“You forget you’re place, beast.” The woman moved into a fighting stance.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this after what you did to me…” The two began a battle of epic proportions. Sadly, the conclusion would remain a mystery, as we decided it was a good time to flee. We were gone before either combatant realised.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Well, that was different.” I said as we walked down the road. Thalia kept glancing back at the tomb.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Are you sure things will be okay? I mean, that was a dragon and a wight we left to fight each other back there…” I just laughed at her concern.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">“Exactly, they’ll be fighting for a while yet. I bet that wight’s going to need some adjustment though.” Thalia smiled at that, thinking of the legendary conqueror she’d heard of adjusting to the monstrous impulses and her new form.