Broken Heritage

Subject: Broken Heritage Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:04 pm

The Sandrunner ducked behind a small sand dune, holding his breath, praying that he had not been spotted by the three cloaked riders. Working up his courage, the small messanger peeked over the dune...

But the riders had passed him by, riding fast on their mounts, beautiful black stallions that were bred for Sandsea royalty. The Sandrunner looked beyond the riders, and gasped. To the distance, bathed in the silvery desert moonlight, was the ancient fabled tomb of the Sek-Duat dynasty. The pyramid was enormous, with two towering pharoh statues placed near the entrance, as a message and a warning to the people. It was sacred ground, that tomb, but the riders forged onward, passing the warning along and bringing their horses to a quick and quiet halt.

The first rider hopped off his horse, landing stealthily on the ground without so much as scattering dust. The second rider, who had a much more slender frame, mimicked the first, lowering herself quietly to the ground. The third rider, however, was not nearly as graceful as the other two. He swung himself off his mount and dropped to the ground, landing with a soft thud.

The first rider swung his head toward the third. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

The third rider shrugged. "I didn't make that much noise, did I?" he asked.

"It's not noise I'm worried about." the first rider whispered. "It's traps. These old ruins are sure to have them, to dissuade grave robbers. Try to be a little lighter on your feet."

The second rider moved ahead of the others, placing her hand on the door of the pyramid. She bent down, and examined the sand near the entry, noticing that something had disturbed it recently.

"Hey guys?" she whispered. "Someone's been here..pretty recently too."

"That has to be our man." the third rider said.

"Agreed." the first rider said. He slid his longbow from around his torso and knocked an arrow. He motioned to the second rider to open the door. She obeyed, sliding the door open as quietly as she could.

The first and third riders quietly slid inside, the darkness of the tomb crushing in on them. The third rider drew his trusted crimson longsword, which faintly glowed with a purple aura.

"I can't see a damn thing." the third rider mumbled. "Nami, did you bring that lamp?"

The second rider was beside the third in an instant, throwing off her hood and letting her hair fall.

"No worries, I got it." Nami said, pulling out a small match. She struck it, then grabbed the small lamp attached to her hip. Once the lamp was lit, the area was bathed in a soft, orange glow.

Bill threw back his hood, and sheathed his trusty blade, Mandurugo. "That's much better." the warrior said. "Hey, Frozen-"

"Shh!" came the ranger's response. "I thought I saw something moving in the shadows. I'm gonna check it out."

"We'll come with you." Nami said, stepping forward.

"No, you stay here." Frozen replied immediatly. "That light is like a beacon. It'll either drive the creature into hiding, or cause it to attack us. Look for more clues as to where our guy disappeared to. I'll be right back."

Frozen kept his bow taught and slipped into the shadows. Nami turned to Bill, who was examining some of the hieroglyphics on the walls.

Bill brushed the dust off the wall and furrowed his brow. "This picture..." he whispered. "What could it mean?"

Nami stepped next to Bill, carefully stepping over a small scarab beetle that was scuttling along the sandy floor of the tomb. She raised the lantern, to get a better look at the picture. On the right side of the picture, sat a Sek-Duat pharoh, surrounded by gold, women, glittering gems and Jackal-headed Anubis guards. On the left side, separated by a large, impenetrable door, was a horde of grave robbers that were pounding on the door with their bare fists, while armored soldiers dressed in fine gold plate cut through their lines.

Bill scratched his goatee, and placed his hand on the right side of the portrait. "This must be a representation of the afterlife." he said. "But...then why paint grave robbers trying to get into heaven?"

A low roar echoed from the darkened passages of the temple, causing Bill and Nami to spin toward the shadows. Bill immediatly drew Mandurugo, and Nami, with one hand holding the lantern, drew her father's katana.

Frozen slid into view, kicking up a small cloud of dust and rushing toward the two other knights.

"Frozen?" Bill asked, bewildered.

Frozen wasn't listening. He had an arrow knocked and aimed at the passage. "Just keep your light steady." he said.

Not even two seconds after he had said that, another figure came stumbling along the hallway. The creature was gaunt, and looked almost zombie-like, but it had the head of a Jackal, and wielded an odd, wicked looking polearm.

The creature's red eyes burned intensely at the sight of the two other heroes. It lowered it's weapon to raise it's head in a howl...

But it never got the chance.

Frozen let his arrow fly. The arrow smashed into the base of the creature's skull, throwing the monster to the floor and reducing it to ash.

"What was that thing?!" Nami asked, the shock evident in her voice.

"No clue." Frozen said. "But it was watching us as soon as we entered."

Bill looked back to the portrait, then to the pile of ash. "It's a Deathguard." he said, more to himself than to Frozen or Nami.

"Huh?" the other knights asked.

"Warriors who continue to serve their master, even in death." Bill explained. The warrior turned back to the picture, studying the golden warriors of Sek-Duat. There were four of them, each fighting the grave robbers with wicked looking polearms. Bill drew closer to the picture. Hanging off of the hips of each of the warriors, was an odd fragment. Bill looked to each of the warriors. Each fragment was different.

Bill stepped away from the picture and kneeled next to the remains of the Deathguard. He gingerly brushed aside the ash, his hand brushing against something metal. Bill's eyes widened in surprise. He brushed more of the ash aside, uncovering a small metal key fragment. The warrior turned back to the painting, grinning.

"The door's impenetrable." he said. "We could cast all the explosive spells we know at it, but it wouldn't budge. Meanwhile, while we did that, Sek-Duat's Deathguards would hunt us down, making sure we couldn't disturb his 'rest'."

Bill stood up. "Sek-Duat's hidng in his burial chamber." he said. "And the Deathguards have the key fragments that will let us in!"

Frozen smirked under his hood. "Nice detective work there, Billy." he said with a chuckle. "Now, let's see if we can 'convince' these dog-faces to give us the key fragments."

Frozen turned back to the dark corridor and stepped through. Nami looked back to Bill, who nodded reassuringly.

"I'm right behind you." the warrior said.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:02 pm

:O I am officially intrigued! I wonder what's going on :)

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:09 am

This story is off to an interesting start. I wonder what they want Sek-Duat for.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:13 am

Ooooh... sounds interesting Billy!

Subject: Chapter 1: A Friendly Warning Mon May 09, 2011 7:02 pm

The Twilight Gateway flashed, and the black cloaked figure rolled on the ground, nimbly coming to a halt on his feet. The man straightened himself, and brushed the dust off his cloak.

The hooded man blew out a small whistle as he gazed across the Twilight Plains.

"Quite the place, Azk." he said to himself. "But I wonder how it would look as a burning cinder?"

The man straightened his hood, then walked down the road, being careful to stay off the beaten path. The mysterious man crept by silently, unnoticed. Children, farmers, even soldiers didn't spot the agile thief and he slipped by. It wasn't too long before the thief had made it to the Twilit Castle's massive gate.

The thief grinned under his stark mask. Now, here was where things got fun.

*****

Azk glanced around inside the small tomb. The tomb was built in secret by the remaining Twilight Knights after the epic battle against the crazed lich, Anselm, to house the bodies of Rayzer, the Twilight mage, Slayer, the Twilight warrior, and Steel Fire, the Twilight Emperor.

Azk had remembered the day he and the others had constructed this tomb, with the help of several villagers, who had been sworn to secrecy, to never speak of the tomb and the beings who rested within. Yes, the day he had become the temporary leader of the Twilight...

Three years ago.

Azk blew out a small sigh. Three years, he had led the Twilight Knights, but he and the remaining knights had not found a suitable replacement for emperor. None of the knights believed themselves worthy enough to fill Steel's shoes, and anyone that the knights did pick, Shadikal rejected. Azk had wanted to try to search for an heir again, but then Drakath went back on the attack, unleashing his Chaos all across Lore.

Azk stepped next to the marble coffin of Steel Fire, and knelt beside it. Ever since Steel died, it seemed like everything had begun to slide downhill for the Twilight Knights. Drakath's grip around Lore was crumbling, the people of Mobius (and many parts of Lore now, it seemed) blamed the Twilight for Mobius' destruction, and perhaps worst of all, the Twilight was slowly beginning to unravel itself.

The assassin had noticed it just a few days ago. For a few weeks, the Twilight Realm had experienced slight, almost unnoticable tremors. At first, Azk had thought nothing of it. It was only when he witnessed a small chunk of Luc fall from the sky, had Azk finally realized what was happening.

The knights had no leader. The Twilight had no emperor.

The Twilight was beginning to fade.

Azk was immediately shaken from his thoughts when he heard the tomb's doorway open.

"Azk?" came a soft whisper.

The assassin smiled. "I'm down here, Selena." he replied.

Selena softly shut the door behind her (or as softly as she could) and reverently descended the steps to the burial chamber.

"What are you doing down here?" Selena asked. She whispered a small spell, and the area became bathed in a soft, green light.

"I'm...just reflecting." Azk said, standing up. "I come here to think, sometimes. I enjoy the quiet of this place, the eery reverence."

Selena looked around. Without her magical light, the place was dimly lit with a few burning braziers that shifted in color occasionally.

"Arata sent us a letter from the Sandsea." Selena said, presenting the parchment to the assassin. "They think they've found a lead on how to defeat Zahart and his Djinn. Bill, Nami, and Frozen have all ready set out to find it."

Azk glanced over the letter and nodded. "That's good news." Azk said, though to Selena, he sounded distant.

"Azk, what's wrong?" Selena asked.

Azk let out a small laugh. "A lot of things, actually. Things that we'll have to confront at some point."

Selena drew close and wrapped the assassin in a tight embrace. "Take it one at a time, Azk." she said. "We'll get through this."

Azk returned the hug, but he wasn't so sure about that.

"Come on, Azk." Selena said, grabbing the assassin by the hand. "You should get some rest."

"No, I'm all right, Se-"

"Azk, I know you haven't slept in several days." Selena interrupted. "You've been busy trying to improve relations with the people, and trying to determine where Drakath will strike next...you need some sleep."

Azk shrugged, and allowed himself to be dragged off.

*****

"Come on, Azk, we're almost there." Selena said. The Shadowmancer pushed the door open, revealing Azk's small sleeping quarters. The two moved toward the bed, with the assassin finally slumping across it.

"Now get some rest!" Selena said. "Drakath can wait for a few hours at least."

Azk mumbled something, but didn't object (at least, Selena didn't think he did). She quietly left and shut the door behind her.

The assassin closed his eyes. She was right. He needed some rest.

"Drakath can wait, yes," a deep voice suddenly spoke. "Can you wait, assassin?"

Azk's eyes shot open. He jumped out of bed and grabbed the dagger concealed in his boot. He turned and threw with expert accuracy, the dagger embedding itself just inches next to the thief's face.

But the masked thief hadn't even flinched. He casually looked to the dagger and chuckled.

"I see your aim has improved since I saw you last."

Azk rubbed his eyes. That couldn't be...

"Jack?" Azk asked. "Is that you?"

Jack chuckled and pulled the dagger out of the wall, tossing it to Azk.

"What?" he asked, feigning disappointment. "You don't remember your old Guildmaster?"

Azk was definetly surprised. Jack of Spades, the legendary leader of the Thieves' Guild, was said to be the greatest thief in the entire world. Rumor was, Jack had found a way into the realm of the Gods, and had stolen the mask that he wore from Hakama herself. It that was true, then Jack was either brave or foolish to enter Hakama's domain.

"Why are you here?" Azk asked, regaining some of his composure. "How did you get past the guards?"

Jack chuckled. "You seem somewhat unhappy to see me, Azk."

"Why would I be happy to see you?" Azk answered.

"Ah, I know what this is about." Jack thought aloud. "I told you my little secret-"

"How you force others into slavery for eternity." Azk interrupted. "Yes, that's the one."

"Yes, you never seemed to take my secret too well." Jack said. "But I hardly force them. They're just too greedy to resist."

"But enough of this." Jack said. "Don't you want to hear why I've come all this way for you?"

Azk snorted. "Probably to take me as well. What, your current slave is too flimsy or something?"

Jack laughed. "I never take innocents, Azk...or friends." he added. "I believe I've told you that before as well, yet you could never focus on anything other than the whole slave thing. The people whom I've taken have done far worse than I, and I have lived lifetimes longer than all of them. And I will continue to...such was Hakama's will."

Azk was silent. After he had learned of Jack's secret, he had never really trusted him after that.

"It's wrong you know." Azk said. "We were both thieves, but while I stole coins, you stole lives."

"I stole criminals and met out justice!" Jack growled, growing irritated. "Ironic, an assassin, a taker of life, so quick to judge one so similar, hm?"

"I don't believe you've said why you're here, Jack." Azk said.

"I'm just here to give you a friendly little warning." Jack said, regaining his composure. "And possibly a future career..."

Azk eyeballed the thief, suddenly curious now.

"Your realm is dying, Azk." Jack said. "You are without a leader. Drakath's grip tighten's around Lore's throat with each passing day, and the people no longer trust you after the little incident in Mobius..."

"What are you getting...how do you know this?" Azk asked, flustered.

"It's only a matter of time before the world you know comes crashing down around you, assassin." Jack continued. "The people will revolt, Gravelyn will comply with them, and Alteon will too, with time. Shadowfall, Swordhaven, and the people of Lore will be lined up at your doorway ready to tear this castle apart."

"What are you saying, Jack?" Azk asked.

"You're on borrowed time, my friend." Jack answered. "The Twilight will fall, unfortunately, that is inevitable, either through the will of the people, or the deterioration of your realm, it will happen."

Azk's eyes widened, suddenly catching on. "You want me to abandon the Twilight! Abandon everything and everyone within it!"

"No one is forcing you Azk, not right now, at least, but it will happen." Jack replied.

"We're not leaving here, not after everything we've done." Azk said, determination in his voice. "We'll fight off Alteon and Gravelyn both if we have to!"

"Don't be a fool, Azk." Jack said calmly. "If you were sitting in a home, and it started collapsing, you wouldn't wait to be crushed by the rubble. You would leave."

"We aren't leaving." Azk said again.

Jack chuckled. "Very well." he said. "I thought I could get you to see, but it seems you are just as stubborn as ever. When you finally see the light and need assistance, my friend, you can count on the Thieves' Guild to aid you."

"Why would you aid us?"

"We thieves look out for our own." Jack replied. "You were one of us once, Azk."

And with that, Jack moved toward the window. He opened it, then jumped out, vanishing insantly.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Mon May 09, 2011 8:08 pm

:O The Mask of Hakama? I'm not sure I like this Jack guy at all :P

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Mon May 09, 2011 8:18 pm

Hmmm, I find this Jack person intriguing.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Mon May 09, 2011 9:42 pm

Sounds like a new hand has come into play. This should be interesting :o

Subject: Chapter 2: The Night Angels Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:56 am

The nobleman staggered into the alleyway, holding his bleeding side. He had just barely managed to get away from his attacker, a man in a black hat and trenchcoat, wearing a beaked plague mask. The nobleman placed his hand on the alley wall, gulping large breaths of air. He lifted his head to the end of the alley and gasped.

The masked assassin was standing there, eyeing him.

"What do you want from me?!" the nobleman yelled. The man spun around, attempting to flee the dangerous masked man. Unfortunately, he never got the chance.

The masked man reached for his side, pulling out a rather cruel looking syringe from his coat. The assassin took aim, and pressed a small button on the syringe's finger grasps. The needle and vial suddenly shot forward, propelled by a cleverly hidden spring within the Syringe. The needle hit it's mark, embedding itself in the nobleman's shoulder blade. The dark yellow liquid in the vial begain to drain into the man's bloodstream.

The nobleman gasped out in pain, then suddenly staggered. He attempted to balance himself but failed, falling into a small puddle. The man turned himself around, his vision beginning to blur. He could make out the black shadow of his murderer moving towards him. The nobleman raised his hand, though why the assassin didn't know. The nobleman's hand suddenly fell to the ground, dead.

The masked assassin moved over to the body and gave it a quick kick. No movement. The assassin wasn't surprised. With the nobleman's increased heart rate, the poison had easily traveled from the blood stream into his heart, killing him in seconds.

"A good kill, Doc." a voice echoed from the rooftops.

The masked assassin, Doc, looked up. Standing on the edge of a rooftop was a man with short, messy black hair, dressed in a stone grey tunic and cloak. He had green eyes and a small patch of hair on his chin. The man had an impressive scar on his right cheek.

"Abel..." Doc said, his voice low and rumbly.

Abel leapt from the rooftop, landing directly in front of Doc.

"Have you been watching me this whole time?" Doc asked, though his voice sounded thoroughly uninterested.

"Only since your victim rushed out of the bar." Abel replied, scratching his chin. "What happened? I thought you were going to poison him. Make it look accidental."

Even with the mask on, Abel could sense Doc's anger. "I was!" he growled. "Bianca gave me away!"

"How exactly did I give you away?" A woman asked, stepping out of the shadows. The woman looked of Sandsea descent, with dark skin, raven black hair, and deep brown eyes. One of her eyes was covered with a magnificent jeweled eyepatch. She held a menacing crossbow in her hands.

"You were supposed to keep his attention on you while I slipped with poison in his drink!" Doc snarled. "You weren't supposed to keep glancing at me while I performed the deed!"

Abel smirked, holding back a chuckle. Doc was an effective assassin, but one that lacked any real emotion, especially humor.

"You know, it's not like you're very discreet." Bianca shot back. "Walking around all the time in that creepy mask and trenchcoat. What's up with that?"

"Enough." Abel said, silencing any forthcoming insult from Doc. "We got our man. We didn't get him like we planned, but things happen, plans don't always go accordingly. We are assassins. More importantly, we are Night Angels. We have the ability to adapt. To think on our feet. We got our man."

"People will begin to question his death." Doc muttered. "We promised our client we would remove any suspicion from his death."

"Yeah, but our client is a moron." Bianca laughed. Abel chuckled as well. They had been hired by the nobleman's disgruntled son, who had been cut out of his father's will. The kid had wanted his father dead, but all the Night Angels could tell, this kid had likely recieved the most basic of educations (Likely no formal schooling whatsoever). He had wanted his father "good and dead", and that it look accidental.

But in all likeliness, the kid would never even care to hear how his father was killed.

"Let's head home, my siblings." Abel said, placing his arms around Bianca and Doc. The three walked into the blackness of the night, and quickly vanished.

*****

"I wish I could've been the one to kill him." Cain muttered, leaning against the side of the Keel Haul, Bianca's shop in the Black Alley. Cain was a giant of a man, standing almost seven feet tall. His muscles were large and corded, and yet surprisingly, the man moved like a cat. "I can just imagine snapping his neck like a toothpick..."

Abel and Bianca chuckled. Cain's favorite means of killing someone was breaking their neck. His last kill had been splendid. He had grabbed the man's head, turned himself around, then pulled the man's head over his shoulder as hard as he could, snapping it like a twig.

"How much did we make this time?" Cain asked, eager for his share.

"We haven't collected yet." Doc answered.

Cain shrugged. "Better do it soon, before he tries to skip town on us."

Abel nodded, then looked around. "Where's Lia?" he asked.

"The graveyard." Cain answered. "Paying respects, probably."

Abel nodded. Lia was the youngest and newest member of the Night Angels, being only nineteen years old. Three years ago, a group of corrupt guardsmen began harrassing her parents. One thing led to another (Abel had never been able to hear the full story) and Lia's father was killed and robbed, while her mother had been mortally injured and...violated. When the Night Angels found her, she had single handedly slaughtered her parent's killers with her father's blade.

"Don't worry about her." Bianca said, eyeing Abel. "She's strong for her age. And a damn good assassin."

Abel nodded in agreement. Although young, Lia was definetly talented when it came to dealing death with a sword, or a dagger, or a wrist blade.

Abel looked to Bianca and Doc. "All right, you two, nice work tonight. Get some rest." The assassin leader looked to Cain. "And don't worry Cain, I'm sure we'll be getting some fresh contracts in soon. You'll have plenty of necks to snap."

Cain chuckled, then walked off. Doc and Bianca did the same. As Abel departed, he couldn't help but grin at his ragtag little family. His family of death dealers.

"The greatest assassins in all Lore." he whispered to himself as he disappeared into the darkness.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:17 am

Woot! Moar moar!

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:04 pm

Great chapter Bill, I can't wait to see where it goes from here. :D

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:35 pm

I'm liking this story :D
Now hurry up and update!

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:04 pm

Come on Bill! Almost 2 weeks with no update >:)

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:38 am

Yikes! Two weeks, really? Ok I'll update soon.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:56 pm

Yay! Updates! :D

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:48 am

Keen for updates :D

Subject: Chapter 3: Sek-Duat Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:46 am

Bill raised his lantern to the cobweb encrusted door that barred the entrace to the Sek-Duat burial chamber. The door had ornate decorations depicting a Sek-Duat pharoh in the afterlife, enjoying the company of gold, women, and wine, while being protected by the Anubis-headed guards of the Underworld. Next to each Anubis knight, however, were three distinct keyholes. The three keys of Death, held by the pharoh's most trusted guards.

Who had apparently decided to serve their master even in death.

After destroying the first deathguard, Bill, Nami, and Frozen had begun exploring the tomb of Sek-Duat with the intention of hunting down the pharoh's elite guard. That plan, however, quickly dissolved as the Death knights began to charge the three warriors in swarms. The three of them had taken down a great deal of them, and had to sift through large piles of ash and bone to find the other two keys to the burial chamber.

"Found it." Bill said.

The other two Twilight Knights approached from behind, Frozen glancing nervously about with his bowstring pulled taut.

"I don't like this." Frozen muttered. The darkness of the tomb was almost suffocating. Were it not for Nami's lamp, the three wouldn't be able to see a foot in front of their face.

"Neither do I." Nami added, a small shiver running through her. The death knights had stopped attacking them, after their last big assault. Surely they had lost many numbers, but the undead were mindless creatures (so Frozen had told her). Why then, hadn't they even attempted to finish them off?

Bill shared Nami's thoughts, but did not voice them. He had faced the undead once before, when he carried Talona's cursed artifact across Lore. Something had to be guiding them. Bill kept silent though. He didn't want to alarm his allies or throw them off their edge. He needed their minds in the present, not in the possible future.

"I don't either." Bill said. "But we're close, I know it." He turned to Frozen. "The keys, please."

Frozen grabbed the three keys in his pocket, and handed them over to Bill. Bill thanked him, then turned to the door. He inserted the three keys, then turned them. As he turned each one, the carvings of the Anubis soldiers began to kneel on the floor. As each one did, small clicks could be heard from within the stone door, the ancient cogs coming to life with each turned key.

As Bill turned the final key, a loud click could be heard, and the air rushed into the now open doorway. Bill nodded to the others and threw his shoulder into the heavy stone door, pushing it as hard as he could. Frozen sheathed his bow and did the same, telling Nami to keep an eye out for anything crawling in the shadows.

In a matter of seconds the tomb door was wide open, revealing a set of ascending stairs.

"Looks like we have a climb ahead of us." Frozen remarked.

"Agreed." Bill said with a small smirk. "Shall we?"

*****

The starcase leading to Sek-Duat's burial chamber was strangely quiet. Perhaps, not so strangely, Bill thought. After all, this part of the pyramid would be off limits to anyone who wasn't a priest. After the group had walked for a bit, Nami seemed to straighten up.

"I can see moonlight!" she whispered.

Frozen and Bill looked ahead. Indeed, it seemed that the silvery light of the moon was shining into the pyramid just around the next bend. They ascended the staircase and turned, to find a small, square window overlooking the desert. A gust of wind rushed through the window, causing the three to shiver. The air was cold, but it felt brisk as well, like a mountain gale.

"How high up are we climbing?" Nami asked, examining the desert out the window.

"Dunno." Frozen replied. "Why place a burial chamber at the top of a pyramid? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me."

The three continued their climb, eventually reaching what they believed to be the top of the pyramid. In the top chamber, lay a dragon's horde of gold and trinkets. Bill's, Frozen's, and Nami's eyes glowed from all the jewels and gems scattered about the room.

"You think Sek-Duat would mind if we took some of this gold for ourselves?" Asked Frozen, grinning ear to ear.

Bill chuckled in response and slowly entered the chamber, examining the gold and the statues. Their target had to be here. Though how he had bypassed the traps was beyond the warrior.

Nami began exploring the room as well, drawn to a large throne in the back of the chamber. On it sat the mummified remains of Sek-Duat, the first ruler of the Sandsea. He wore burial robes, and a brilliant golden mask. The eyes of the mask shone a bright blue, almost as if there were still some life in the ancient pharoh.

Nami turned to regroup with Frozen and Bill, when something cold grasped her arm.

"Now, now..." a hollow voice asked. "Where's the rush?"

*****

As Bill picked through the treasures of Sek-Duat, a sudden alertness washed over him. Something told the old warrior that they were not alone in here. Bill turned to find his teammates. He could see Frozen, holding still, the same feeling stamped on his face and posture.

"Where's Nami?" Frozen asked.

"Thought she was with you..." Bill replied, unsheathing Mandurugo as quietly as he could.

"You dare invade the tomb of Sek-Duat?!" a hollow voice pierced the air. "You dare challenge me in my home?!"

Stepping out of the shadows, gripping Nami like a vice, he appeared. Burial robes and bandages covered his body, a magnificient golden mask placed over his face.

"Hakama's dogs, sent to assassinate me!" the undead pharoh growled. "You truly have some nerve, thinking that I would not anticipate something like this!"

"Sek-Duat, I presume?" Bill asked.

"Lord Sek-Duat to you, hashishin!" Sek-Duat snarled. "First ruler of the Sandsea, unifier of the people, discoverer of the Orb of Light-"

"Traitor to the people." Frozen piped in. "Liar, falsifier, murderer, thief..."

"To keep the Sandsea in balance, certain acts must be carried out for the good of the people." the lich growled.

"You didn't want to keep the Sandsea in balance, you merely became power mad." Bill said. "Your rule was overthrown years ago, yet you still persist in attempting to blind the people and restore yourself somehow."

"Enough!" the pharoh shouted. "If you plan on ending me, Hashishins, you might want to think again. Your friend here isn't-"

Nami struggled and whirled about, smashing her head into Sek-Duat's dazing him. Frozen nocked an arrow and fired, his aim true, his arrow thudding into Sek-Duat's chest. The pharoh fell to the ground, attempting to crawl away. Bill, Frozen and Nami were there in an instant, pinning him down.

"You think yourselves mightier than me?" the pharoh cried. "I am Sek-Duat! God king of the Sandsea! I-"

Bill thrust Mandurugo at his throat. God King...the mention of it caused bad memories to surface in Bill's mind.

"Enough." the warrior said. "You have information we want."

"Ha!" Sek-Duat snorted. "What could the dogs of Hakama want from me?"

"Tibicenas." Nami said.

Sek-Duat turned toward her incredulously. "The Chaos Djinn?" he asked.

"What's it's weakness?" Frozen asked.

"Weakness?" Sek-Duat echoed, feigning ignorance.

Bill kicked the pharoh hard in the chest. "Hm, think I heard a rib break." Bill muttered. "Tell me, do you still feel pain, or could I just reduce you to a pile of mush for the hell of it?"

Sek-Duat growled. "A Djinn cannot be killed by physical means." he answered. "They have no weakness."

"What about spells? Enchantments?" Bill pressed.

"Again, no. It might slow them down, but Djinn cannot be destoryed through earthly means."

"So how do you beat a Djinn?" Nami asked.

Sek-Duat snorted. "With another Djinn, or with some kind of prison, like an oil lamp."

The three exchanged looks. They didn't have an enchanted prison like that, nor did they know where they could find a Djinn to battle Tibicenas.

"However..." Sek-Duat said slowly. "I do happen to know where a Djinn was rumored to rest..."

"Where?" Frozen asked.

"The Cave of Wonders." the lich said. "To the east."

"He could be lying." Nami said.

"I'll make you a deal, then." Sek-Duat said. "You let me go, and I'll lead you to the cave."

Bill, Nami, and Frozen all began chuckling simultaniously. "No, no..." Frozen said. "That's not how it works. See, you'll lead us to the cave. Then, once we reach the cave, you're going to show us where this Djinn is and how to get to it--There'll likely be traps, you see--and once that is done, and once we have the Djinn, then, we'll turn you loose."

"And what if I say no?" Sek-Duat said, challenging the ranger.

"Well, we could always use more firewood." Bill said. "I hear ancient corpses burn really well, though."

Sek-Duat growled in frustration. "Fine." he muttered.

As Frozen and Nami made sure Sek-Duat couldn't turn against them on the trip, Bill walked over to the square window and whistled. Minutes later, a small Twilight messanger bird landed on the window's edge, a piece of blank parchment tied around one leg. Bill took the parchment and scrawled a quick message on the paper, retying back to the bird once this was done.

"Take this back to Arata and the others." Bill whispered to the bird. The bird, as if understanding, gave a slight bob, then jumped and sailed out the window, into the starry, cloudless night.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:12 am

very nice chapter Billeh!

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:51 pm

Great chapter Bill. =)
Isn't "The Cave of Wonders" a place in Aladdin? xP

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:45 pm

It is. But the AQW version is the Cave of Wanders, and I thought that was just a little too silly. In any case, the cave will be different from the Aladdin version.

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Thu Sep 29, 2011 6:49 pm

Ohhh Exciting! :D

Next chapter next chapter! Lol, yeah Cave of Wonder made me think of Aladdin too xD

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Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:38 am

LOL

That is perfect. :D Aegis is made of win. And of goats. :P

Subject: Re: Broken Heritage Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:28 am

XD nice Aegis!