"this useless mog got himself lost in the tomb. We had to cut through the undead guardians protecting that cursed trinket ourselves" Ordin gave an angry gaze at Rook.
"I assume he found himself again; else he would not be here presently," Rickard said
"if mampai didn't drag me back there, I would if left the creep. we found him running his hands all over a sarcophagus, which disturbed the undead in it."
"Why did you do that, rook?"
He awkwardly answered, "heh- well, you see, there was this woman, and I was charmed by her-"
"a vampire!" Ordin interrupted "if mampai hadn't staked the thing, we would be one less" ordin took a long drag of wine from his goblet
Rickard looks at Rook with puzzlement."I thought you were scared of the undead."
"he is! as soon as he realised what she was, the bloody Bastard set half the tomb on fire. with me still in it."
"I'm sorry I thought you were behind mampai"
"wud yah set the place on fire if ordin was with you?"
"no way, your way too-" he paused, looking her over ", noticeable. I would have held fire if you weren't with us."
"yet you didn't check for me, eh cat?"
"I thought you were behind her!!"
"Okay, okay, enough! tell me how you found the artefact, please."
----
A stone altar untouched by weathering or time stood in the middle of a room. Around it, stone statues loomed over it, depicting warriors of old. Dishevelled husks of priests were poised in prayer over the altar, still holding on to prayer beads and golden symbols.
Beyond the room, sounds of fighting could be heard. The dead priests slowly came to life, eyes glowing red they turned towards the door where the sound could be heard getting closer.
The door buckled as someone tried to breach it, the sound echoed in the room.
Mampai kicked the door open and ordin threw an orb flask in. The globe shattered on the floor and exploded into flames engulfing the undead priests. Their dry robes caught instantly, quickly engulfing them in flames. They charged toward them with arms outstretched.
Mampai threw her javelins at the undead, impaling and slowing them down while adding more fuel to the fire. A majority would fall over, dried-up paper flesh entirely consumed by the immolation.
The rest were quickly cut down as ordin swang his long axe hewing them in two. Mampai used blunt force with her spear shattering their skulls into an explosion of dust, catching and blooming in flames.
"I think-" Ordin Stomped on a still moving hewed undead, crushing its skull. "-that's all of them."
The unmoving corpses burned. The flickering light illuminated the statues that filled the dark room.
Mampai surveyed the room as she looked towards the alter. "Mi tink eh deh." she pointed to the alter tinted by the fire. They move slowly towards it being careful of their footing.
The alter sides had carved depictions of winged beings in a battle with misshaped monsters. A cloth adorned the stone table which slowly disintegrated as the wind blew in. On it was a sizeable pendant made of silver. A white gold-streaked polished stone was socketed at its centre.
Mampai carefully examined the alter, looking for traps but could not see anything out of place. "tink eh safe tuh touch."
"be my guest," said ordin standing a good foot away from her.
Mampai thought a little and backed away; using her spear, she threaded it through the chain and lifted it carefully off the alter. Nothing happened. she raised her spear, sliding the pendant down the pole and into her hands.
The pendant glittered in the fire as she looked over it; there was no glow or feeling of power from holding it. It seemed non-magical. "Dis seems like ah nawmal trinket."
"could be cursed." Mampai shook her head and placed it back on the altar, showing ordin she could let go of it.
"All this for a pendant?" he looked visibly annoyed. "To hell with this place, let us just take it and get out." He kicked over a still burning corpse, looking for something valuable to take.
"Weh rook?" Mampai looked around "wasn't he backa us?"
"Did the coward runaway? The milksop might be back at the entrance."
----
Mampai emerged from the tomb, touching the warm sand beneath her unsandalled feet. It was mid-day, and the horses were waiting by the shade cast by the dune.
"Rook! where are you damn cat!" ordin marched out, looking around for him.
Mampai went to check the horses; Rooks mount was still there. "Rook still inna tomb."
"What??" Ordin notices the day is late "curse him, we'll freeze in the night if we stay any longer!"
"Wi needs tuh git him; mi nuh leave behind companions."
"Why? He's a useless bookkeeper; he can hardly swing a sword or hold a shield. He defiantly can't read a map or aim with a crossbow. He nearly shot me in the face once!"
"Wi guh git him", mampai marched back towards the tomb entrance.
"Also Mi hab dis", she gestured with the pendant in her hand "Eff mi nuh cum bac, Nuh one gets paid. Yuh undastan?." she descended into the tomb again. Ordin reluctantly followed her.
----
"Hmm, maybe the vampire was controlling the undead there." Rickard pondered
"they all collapsed into dust and bones once mampai steaked it." ordin bit into a piece of honeyed chicken. "I would assume so."
"you say the pendant had no visible or magical effects?"
"Nuh, mi did si ar feel nuh magic fram dis trinket.", Mampai opened the small chest and produced the pendant to Rickard.
He took the pendant and examined it. The silver glittered in the light; No erosion tarnished it even after it had been left undisturbed. For centuries? Aeons maybe? Rickard had no idea but knew it was 'Very' old. The pattern was highly and skillfully detailed; nothing could compare, nothing could and he knew that.
"by the way, did you make it to town before nightfall?"
Ordin and Mampai looked at each other; Rook avoided eye contact. "we didn't; we spent the night camped outside the tomb. Rook threw all the Drakefire in. It burned throughout the night. I don't know if anything survived the fire."
Rickard looked pained; all the architecture from thousand years could have been researched. was gone!
He signed and returned his composure.
"Well, at least you recovered the artefact; our employer will be pleased. However, there might be something to this pendent; we just need an expert in scrying."
he looked at Annabella "would you do the honours?"
he placed the pendant in the middle of the circular bed
Annabella stretched her fingers "well, it's been a while since I've identified something."
she shuffled to the artefact and sat cross-legged.
Closing her eyes, she began meditative preparation. She rhythmically breathed slowly while thinking of the spell in her mind.
she touched the pendant