#92 - Center - Lost Tomb -Tekia - original/Exalted

[tekia.livejournal.com]

Title: Lost Tomb
Fandom: original/Exalted
Prompt: #92 Center
Warnings: Oh my, I had to go through this and fix all my mistakes. Wow, that was a lot. This takes place in the middle of a role playing game with some of my friends. One had mentioned that he would like to see it written, and the story took place in the center of a temple, so there you go.
Rating: G
Summary: Two treasure hunters find themselves trapped.


The two treasure seekers carefully walked down the short hall, their eyes swinging back and forth as they kept an eye out for more traps. The first had left Red Macaw nearly limping, and they were both soaked from the water that had come from seemingly nowhere. Shadow Stalker reached the massive door blocking their path first and placed a hand on the carved black jade.
He frowned as he traced the ruins carved into the magical metal. They were many and left him with a sense of unease. The people around these parts had whispered of demon worshiping cults, and the past trap and made his nerves on edge. What had convinced him to take that woman up on this offer? His skills were better put to use on things which he knew he could steal, without his life hanging in the balance.
He really hoped there were no ghosts. With an arched brow, he turned to his companion. “I think this is your specialty.” She nodded and slunk up next to him, also tracing her fingers on the etchings. She frowned in concentration, then smiled at the wall.
Her smiles always send shivers down his spine. He was quickly learning that what others would consider dangerous or deadly, she finds exciting and fun. She looked up at him, that wicked grin firmly in place. “It looks like this will lead to the main antechamber of the temple. It was here that they held their rituals.” She did something with her fingers on the door, still grinning up at him. “There be ghosts here, I think.”
The door swung open on silent hinges and they both leaned forward to peer within without moving from their spot. Dust billowed out and covered them. Coughing, Red Macaw waved a hand before her face as Shadow took one tentative step forward, still ready for a trap. The room was dark, nearly no light making its way this deep into the temple. This center room had no windows, and only the little light they had brought with them by opening the main doors made the room glow eerily.
They glanced at each other, both having the same thought. Where were the ghosts?
He guessed the room to be smaller than it appeared, but tall portraits lined the walls and threadbare tapestries hid the stone from sight. The floor was dark, stone, but covered in something he really didn’t want to know more of. Sparsely scattered about the room were statues that still held some elegance from their prime. His eye lit upon one still baring its jewels.
Red Macaw followed him in, until her eyes settled upon the door set in the far wall, dark stains covering the designs. She assumed it to be blood, but felt it better not to inform her companion of this. Instead, she rushed to the door and propped it open and disappeared within. As she had suspected, it was the library that she had been seeking. It had been ransacked, but there were a few books still in order. Tuning out all thoughts, she set about searching.
Shadow walked around the statues, discovering that the jewels were too well embedded for him to take. The statues were far too large to remove from their standings, so he settled himself to exploring. After all, he had been paid in advance. As he walked, his eyes on the riches in the temple, he tripped.
Gasping at the shock, he turned to see that he had tripped on a bone. He reached out and lifted the piece, startled to find a hand still attached. It crumbled when he lifted it, shattering the rest of the way when he dropped it. His hand flew away and held himself upright, but he quickly removed it from the floor.
It was wet.
Pulling his hand close to his face, he peered at the substance coating his hand and sniffed. Blood. Fresh blood.
Quickly standing, he turned to call to Red Macaw, but she had already returned. Her bag budged as she held it tightly closed. Her eyes were lowered to the bag as she walked out of the far room, but then she froze.
Her gaze snapped to her foot, where he could clearly see a wire, pulled taunt. She paled and gave him a sheepish grin. “Oops.”
From their left, a harsh wind suddenly picked up, tasseling their hair and casting clouds of dust into the air. They both doubled over, coughing.
“It seems this place isn’t as abandoned as we had thought.” She made her way to his side, closer to the door, waving a hand before her face as she withdrew her short sword from the scabbard at her waist. “We may have company soon.”
He gave her a look, as if she were slow witted. “Do ya’ think?” He had to shout, just to be heard over the howling of the wind. Coughing from the dust was starting to hurt, but then, as suddenly as it had come, the wind died down and was gone.
Before them, a form began to appear. Shivers danced down his spine as he realized that he was about to see a ghost.
Suddenly, a rough, course voice sounded to their left. “Oh, I see you activated the wind tunnel.” The voice was dull, lifeless. “Thanks for saving me the trouble of having to dust this room.”
Red Macaw jumped, nearly dropping her sword. “What the hell?” She spun in place, trying to locate the voice. A small form emerges from the darkness, an aura surrounding her. She was horribly short and her skin was too white to be a human. Black spots were sprinkled over her body and she stared at the two intruders with eyes that held next to no expression. Red Macaw shifted her body, trying to hide her bag from the newcomer’s gaze. “This is your place?”
The small woman fingered her timeworn clothes. “No,” she answered in a flat voice. “This place belongs to my master.”
Blinking in confusion, Shadow eyed the girl. He’d been expecting a ghost, and he told them, but this girl appeared and now it was only them in the room. His eyes continued to search the room. He didn’t doubt for one moment that they were going to get out of here as easily as they had gotten in.
“Who’s your master? He’s not still here, is he?” Red Macaw tried to peer into the darkness behind the girl, but could not make out anything.
“No, he’s gone. There’s only ghosts now.”
Shadow frowned at the girl. “So, how come you’re still around this place if he’s long gone?”
Red Macaw allowed her grin to return. She pointed to the girl. “Are you a ghost? Are you here to trouble us?” She kept her hand on her sword, just incase.
The girl stepped forward, her bearing like a servant’s. The glow of her aura, they discovered, came from the necklace about her neck, a tiny charm suspended over her heart. “I was put here by my master to guard his treasure. I am not a ghost.” While she was talking, her hand had come up to the charm, holding tightly.
Shadow rubbed a hand over his brow. “Well, that’s good news.” His eyes found the charm before they quickly turned to the statues surrounding them. “What was his treasure that you were meant to guard?”
Red Macaw waved aside his question. “More importantly, who was your master?”
The girl suddenly dropped the charm, as if it had burnt her. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, well, when was the last time you saw him? Her?”
“Him. I don’t remember.” Her eyes turned dull, the small amount of light in the center chamber showing their emptiness.
It was all Shadow could do to keep his disbelief out of his voice. “How did you get in here?”
“My master put me here. It seems like I’ve always been here.” For the first time, the girl showed that she was aware of her surroundings as she looked around the now drab room.
The two watched her for a moment before a sound woke them from their stupefied state. Red Macaw’s grip on her bag resumes. “Are the ghosts here actively violent?”
The girl’s eyes flashed as they return to Red Macaw. “Oh yes, very much so. That’s why my master gave me this.” Her hand returned to her charm. “Their evil cannot enter the light.” Her eyes drifted over Red Macaw’s shoulder, growing distant. “Sometimes I can hear them following me. Their rattling breaths . . .” Her gaze sharpened and turned back to the two before her. “You must be careful.”
Suddenly Shadow moveed, his sharp gaze staring into the darkness. “I’m not sure, but I think I just saw something.”
Red Macaw clapped her hands, loud in the silent room. “All right, now is a good time to leave. I got what I came here for, so I’ll be off.” She nodded to the two of them and turned back to the door they had entered through. Then she froze in place. They were not alone.
The girl jumped into action, clutching onto Red Macaw’s sleeve. “Please,” she said, her voice now higher and filled with panic, “Take me with you.”
Shadow placed his hands on the two girls’ shoulders, nodding. “I think it’s a good time to high tail it out of here.”
“That would be a good idea, but what about that thing blocking the door?”
Beyond the aura of the charm, a form was barely visible, but quite obviously blocking their only escape route.