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The crypt's freezing air had a way of sapping even the most valiant of men's strength be it through muscle or heart, throwing about an icy mist with every breath of life that was brought in. The traps guarding the ancient halls each threatening to turn the pair of explorers into yet another number of the various bones strewn about as the tall elf slid his knife under the weighted floor plate with a satisfying click after a moment.

"Remind me to never buy my info on cheap. 'Some' traps my arse." His honeyed words while spoken with spite carried bemusement to the tone. Holding flickering torch aloft as his partner stepped into the pale light, a human man with no amusement in comparison, took the light source with a snatch.

Hovering right around six marks of height in imperial scale, sporting a few paled scars that crisscrossed over what might have once been a classically handsome, if not rugged, face. Hair was kept shaved down to the skull on either side, with the top light and airy, a sweat slicked back look for the moment to keep it from his hazel tinged eyes. Whereas his companions words carried a flourish, the man's own reply was gruff and throat dried. "Find me an alley scamp to tell me the sky is blue next time and it'll be more scout work that was put in on this place. You sure whatever is in here is worth it? Someone put up a whole lot of effort to keep folks like us out, which, does stink of treasure to be found yes.. I just can't shake a feeling in the air is all."

The delve had gone on for long enough as the pair spiked the torch into loose stone to catch their breath. A cold sweat, freezing and yet overworked at the same time, it was a miserable sensation to say the least as the pair wiped down, popped open water skins, and consulted the worst map either had seen in their life.

The elf squint down at the rough drawings with a mouthful of jerky and chewed it down. "The walking dead at the front was.. unaccounted for, aye, but nothing you couldn't handle. I think all that's left is this.. door here." He tapped finger down to a large blockage point on the parchment design. "Which is why I prepared ahead of time."

Fishing out a polished and cut ruby jewel, with only the torch light to reflect from it somehow seemed to carry an unearthly shine to it in that dark all the same, the elf tossed it from one hand to the other.

"Leave it to Taeln to be perfectly prepared for grave robbing or whoring." Taking a deep swig from a boot flask before he replaced it the man nod his head down that darkened hall beyond them as even the torch's pitiable light seemed to fail before the gloom now.

The elf's answer with a chuckle full of good cheer as he raised water skin like a mug of ale. "Now Enek, it aint grave robbing, these folks are longer dead and gone than any remember which makes it ruins diving. No angry relatives to pitchfork us.."

"Like that time in Meisturm?" A small smile crept across Enek's face as he asked the elf accusatorially, the other man held up his hands in defense or surrender perhaps. "You still owe me for bailing you out of that clusterfuck."

"As you'll never let me forget. After this score I promise I'll buy you the finest lady of the night. I promise you my friend you have not lived until you've tried a mousefolk or gnome. Small hands make everything seem bigger, everyth-."

The human interrupt him by shoving a gloved hand at his face on his way to move past. "Yes yes.. Let's hurry this up then, any longer in here and my bits might freeze completely off."

Taeln gave an informal two finger salute to his partner before stowing his goods to catch up.

===

The door had proved inconsequential under Talen's prized gem piece, whatever ancient locks held it shut bowed before the complex magical device as it was forced unlocked. The pair stood before it in silence as old stone shift, kicking ages of dirt from the surface. Sharing a quick look and nod one after another the pair gave a brief countdown before shouldering into the heavy stone doors. Haste and muscle overcame the stubborn thing, but it did so carrying the pair right into the awaiting arms of a cranky old tripwire. A quick snap sent a trio of elongated, sharpened spikes on a swinging arm down from the ceiling.

Enek escaped nearly losing an eye, nicking out a nice cut in the fleshy bits of his ear instead with a quick jerk of his head, Tael not as fortunate managed to get his arm up in time at the very least. A string of colorful words spilled from his mouth in elvish dialect as he pulled the sharpened trap from his impaled arm, dripping blood and holding the wound close as the two men assessed the room and their damage.

"Scale of one to ten Tae, how bad do you need the patch up kit?" The elf still groaning in pain flashed him a middle finger in response as both of them managed to laugh it off all the same. "One? Oh good you don't need help then." Pulling out the medic pack both explorers attention was pulled towards the back of the new room beyond as something inside moved. As light glint off the movement within, that healers kit was dropped to the elf's feet as Enek drew out the paired short swords of his slowly, the torch dropped and laying nearby. "Gonna have to handle it yourself pal, I've got a guest to entertain. Don't keep me waiting please."

Rising up to a ready posture as the man moved into the room he faced the heavy clanking of a suit of armor that moved with jerky, awkward motions. *A guard? No one could have survived in here living like this, a magical trap maybe?* The thoughts swirled about as Enek eyed over the strange figure and it's stranger motions. A sword graft into the suits gauntleted left hand was telling enough of attention however, raising the limb and swinging it down wildly in that advance. Conventions of dueling posture were right out the window as the figure lumbered in, throwing itself at the explorer making no noise other than the unhappy squealing of old metal in every motion.

A wild cross cut angled to slice from shoulder to hip caught the flat of Enek's blade and turned adroitly aside as the ambidextrous fighter plunged forward with the other blade, catching an open spot in the armor between breastplate and girdle finding a lack of resistance within. A soft but mostly hollow substance as he struck the back of the inside of the armor, no fleshy barrier of fat and muscle to meet the sword point. "Shit!" Quickly hurling himself into an evasive side roll as the wild swipe of the armor came in for his neck. "Tael! We've got a problem here!"

Crouched in the shadows of the door, biting off gauze and quickly stitching the fabric with needle, Taeln flicked his gaze from the battle to his patch job. "I'm working on it, please don't die I need your muscle to haul out treasure."

"Working on it here too!" Another split second parry, a cross block to follow the next swipe, Enek kept on his feet, encircling the suit of armor, putting himself on the things right side where the blade hand would have to reach across for a clean hit each time. What started as a simple back and forth had drawn sweat from the man's brow once more as his sword raked into seemingly nothing. Seeing his moment as that arm hauled back for another wild cut, Enek shoved the sole of his booted foot into the suit's knee, buckling it in and forcing the figure to collapse into a kneel. The angle and height were perfectly in line for the clean horizontal slice of his own to carry right under the neck guard and the helmet's bottom lip. There was minimal resistance once more as the blades metallic ringing sang out for them, added to by the helmet's clatter across the floor to reveal no head. In place instead were numerous tendrils, elongated and wriggling as the bobbed and flicked about in his direction with a clicking sound. "Taeln! Obsidian Dragon spitball!"

With arm hastily wrapped the elf was back in professional mode, fingers a blur as he flew through his bags of tricks and pulled out a sickly green solution sealed within vial. Shaking it violently for a moment, the thing transferred to his good hand as Taeln took aim. "One spitball, coming up!" The glass shattered neatly across the suit's presented back, painting the rusty metal in the substance. What looked like a horrible dye job quickly began to smoke and lightly smolder as the metal burned away in messy semi-liquid chunks. A god forsaken screech filled the chamber, splitting into the minds of both men as hands tried to block out the sound. Flailing and jerking about, it had effectively paralyzed the armor at that cost as Taeln motioned towards the new hole he'd opened up.

Blood streaming from the ears and dripping out of his nose Enek charged forward, bowling into the armor with another shoulder check like the door, throwing them both to the floor. That acid eaten exterior presented as the figure thrashed about, as did the mass of insectoid, centipede like thing within it. Coiled into the ancient armor, tucked down the arms and leg holes in the plate mail piece, the screeching hit a fever pitch as Enek's dual blades stabbed firmly down into the glossy carapace and found real purchase finally. The squirming continued however, threatening to rip away and begin the conflict anew despite the fresh wound. "Oh no you don't!" Dropping grip on one of the swords he plunged within, grasping at the wriggling thing instead and tugged, pulling it out through that opened hole.

"It's a corpse feeler! The middle! The brain is in the middle!" Talen shout out, rushing over to help idly stab and pull the beast out of it's shell. A veiny blue line was visible in between the multitude of legs, congregating at that nerve bundle as Enek raised blade and plunged it down firmly at that junction.

One stab, a second, then another, and another, each kiss of the blade slowed the things movements until finally with a wet squelch it fell silent and unmoving. Both men lay atop it, panting and heaving for breath as they stared at it then one another in silence for a moment before breaking into shared laughter. Even the horrid monsters legs had been sharp enough to open dozens of fresh new cuts and scrapes across the pair, giving the duo a look as if they'd climbed through the reject sharp bits in a blacksmith's outbound bin.

"So." The elf collapsed to the floor to catch the rest of his breath. "Any bets on how many unspoken sicknesses we just picked up?"

Climbing to his feet instead Enek sheathed the paired blades after a quick wipe down. "Hey the girls at that fancy elven bordello know cure disease. And we'll be able to hire them out for months straight and have enough to tour the continent too." With a nod of his chin towards the back of the hall he drew Taeln's attention there.

Fumbling for the torch and holding it up as the elf crawled onto his knees it illuminate a treasure hoard of glittering gold and gems. "Holy shit it's beautiful. I take back what I said about that info broker."

The rush of adrenaline was fading, replaced by the excitement of earned riches as the pair began to quickly sift and pocket the mountainous pile of coins and finery contained within. Visions of comfy beds, of lavish meals, the finest new equipment, earthly pleasures, the avarice and greed capable to them now was simply unlike any other they'd known.

Tucked in beneath it all as the team worked to empty the coffer was a more grisly sight however, as blackened skeleton still draped in burial shroud bore an elaborate crown atop it's head. That yellowed smile of old teeth still grinning out as it was uncovered, reminding the pair in a flash just where they were.

"Grab whatever you can carry and let's get the hells out of here." Enek spoke but his eyes felt glued to the testament to death before them. The longer and longer he stared into those empty socket the louder a previously unheard whispering seemed to rise all around him. The cold of the crypt, the jingle of the many coins about, all of it was slowly muting to the background as the uncomfortable stare down persist.

As quickly as it was coming, a firm hand on his shoulder snapped the man from the moment though as Taeln limped his way by. "Come on champ, time to follow your own words."

Enek's fear clenched as an icy knot in his gut. "Taeln maybe we leave it, something doesn't feel right.."

"What, smiley here? Come on, we're not about to leave such a fine piece. I'll carry it for you." Enek's hesitation continued as Taeln plucked the faded gold crown off the skeleton, popping it neatly atop his own head. "Ta-da." He wiggled his hands in fanfare before going back to shoving coins into an already overstuffed bag. "There's nothing.. nothing.." The good cheer worn on the elf's face drained away along with the color, gradually becoming pale and gaunt. "Buddy..?" His loot bag hit the old floor with a heavy drop, spilling it's contents out everywhere.

The outstretched hand reached towards Enek was heavily sunken in, boney and withered, as if he'd aged several decades in seconds. Enek's own gloved hand went for it, meeting him halfway. Instead of clasping onto those fingers, the elf's hand snaked past it, surging forward, wrapping firmly around Enek's throat. Batting at that grasp, trying to pry the fingers free, the man stared into the sunken in eyes of his close friend as words gurgled from his choked mouth. "Crown...!" Was all he could sputter out, reaching for it instead. The barbs of the jeweled piece were dug in beneath Taeln's flesh, unyielding to be removed despite the insistent pulling.

Taeln's mouth began to utter unknowable words, perhaps just sounds as that pressure clutched around Enek's neck made his vision grey out in the edges of sight. "Tae.." His words sputtered out as consciousness fade. The woes of that frozen tomb put behind him, floating on that river between life and death.

===

The stream of following water fell off the ugly roof shingles, flooding the dingy alley way where it was poorly sloped or the drains had simply given up trying. A mud patched boy sat elevated on an old wooden box, playing with the simple paring knife he stole from the butcher's kitchen earlier that day. Just another war orphan, one of many as that barely there flicker of life were left in those eyes. That hazel hued gaze flicked to the end of the alley when a large figured stepped into it, advancing down it with a clopping of boots through the rain water.

Stone still as those footfalls continued closer and closer, his chance never more present than now. Brandishing that knife, the boy flew from the crate, holding it towards the figure. "Gimme coin if you aint wanting to bleed." He put on his best imitation of the more seasoned muggers who passed through the area.

His mark however simply chuckled down at the kid, beckoning him to come closer with a leather gloves hand beneath a frilled sleeve. Face curling into a sneer, or a frown, or maybe just confusion the kid stomped forward with that knife point aimed to stab right into a thigh. He never got that far however, as arm was whipped up and out of the way, captured in a firm grasp and wrist twist as the pressure forced his little fingers open to drop the knife with a clatter. Tears mixed with rain water as he kicked his feet to plant one firmly in the figured groin when the man's other hand slammed down around the boy's throat instead.

With but a simple flex the street urchin was plucked from the dirty alley floor, held aloft as feet kicked the air in a choking. The spittle flew from his lip as he looked up beneath the cloaked hood to see an amused elf smiling back down at him as if this were just another afternoon event. Sharp ears, elongated out from the face to point like tips, high cheek bones with piercing cloudless blue eyes. "Feisty one aint cha? What's your name kid?"

"Piss off!" The young boy barely managed beneath that pressure around his neck as breathing got more difficult by the second.

Blinking down at him, the elf gave a small tilt of his head to the side with a curious humming. "Hmm, strange name. Must be regional. Let's try it again, but this time it's your last chance." The threat palpable as fingers threatened to simply snap him in half.

Gasping and sniffling as his efforts were bled out, the fight gone from those eyes as fingers couldn't even attempt to pry the man's off. "Enek..!" His reward for answering was suddenly crashing down to the alley once more as he coughed, rubbing at his throat and looking up in confusion.

Pulling back that hood to let the rain fall upon his silver haired head, the elf wore the length pulled back into a balled up knot. Extending down a gloved hand in offer to pick the boy up the child simply stared at it as if he'd been offered a snake instead. "This is a crossroad of fate young man, wanna squat in your shitty side alley, robbing random shitters, earning shit for the rest of your life or you want a warm meal and a chance at maybe making something of yourself?" That hand remained stretched out to him.

For a moment Enek considered grabbing the knife and plunging it into the palm with a colorful string of Common and more exotically, Draconic, curse words as he fled in the opposite direction... but instead grabbed onto it. That hand was a life line, a light in the dark, a chance.

"Atta boy." With a sweep of that cloak it encircled the young lads shoulders, shutting out the cold and rain, even warming him in a way that should have been impossible. It was his true and very first experience with magic, a topic he eagerly consumed in the years to follow. "Just stick with me kid, we're gonna do great things.."

===

A lofty dream with words far off, echoing around in his skull as a distant far off sound broke him from that reverie. Coughing as eyes blurred, gradually refocused under the sun high in the sky bathing him in it's warm rays. A rocky bank with a slow, but pleasantly clear water creek trickled down deeper towards a deep valley beyond filled with a blanketing of a forest trees. Enek's mind flashed with dozens of questions in that instant as he stood dumbstruck, catching sight of his reflection in the water before turning to study it closer.

He still looked like shit, the various cuts and bruises from the crypt's trials present across his body, that horrid place unfortunately not a nightmare conjured up by excessive drink. The memory of it of course turned his mind to the most immediate loss as he whip gaze all around him, not expecting to see the tall elf anywhere and rewarded for that confidence by indeed confirming that the man was alone. Thinking about him, about Taeln, it made Enek wince as he could still feel the pressure of those hands at his neck, he could feel his insides bunch and tighten in discomfort.

Losing people in their line of work was not unusual, nor the first, Taeln's would be another name to add to the list. *If Taeln was actually dead.* Fingers rubbed over that phantom pain at his throat as the human straightened to stand once more and cast his eyes once more to the vast forest ahead of him. Far from the most experienced survivalist, Enek knew at a glance anyway the position and tilt of the sun was alarmingly wrong.

"No.. no no, that's.. impossible." Muttering to himself had become habit that helped him focus in times of stress; with plenty of it rising up before his eyes. By all accounts of scholastic knowledge his position should be somewhere in the southern continent, far past the equatorial line and the farthest frontier towns of the imperial lands. The distance alone from the old tomb would have put him months out.

The musing were put to an end by that sound again, the same that broke his dream as Enek realized what he was both seeing and hearing. A voice, a woman's perhaps by the pitch and tone, but a scream at any rate as plumed, black smoke rose up and not far away either. His attention properly perked the man raced as best his still awakening legs could carry.

The worst of fears were realized when he crest the hill between him and a village beyond, tucked into the dense trees and woven into them too, many of the grass and tree homes were built through an interweaving lattice up high through the trees themselves, and it's residents? Humanoid, short, bodies covered head to toe in thick, bushy fur with near body sized tails. Realization hit him upon seeing the beastly people, The Kinlands! Gods he was so much further south than original thought. They scattered and ran about as Enek could hear more screams and shouts, a second and notable race of beings stomped into view, one he was far more familiar with, Orcs.

Pig headed, tusk boring, masses of fat and muscles wielding sharpened weapons stomped through the village, dragging some captors by the hair, leaving dead in their wake in others. Enek's body was already advancing before he could give it another moment of thought, Orcish raids were plentiful in the frontiers. Seeing them here, plying the same trade towards non-humans was almost comforting in a way, but no less stomach turning as he count the raiding parties numbers he could see. Seven, with no notable leader or magus among them. The worries of his own situation were pushed to the back for now to handle the more immediate threat as swords were drawn from their leather sheaths in his striding advance.