What if it is some kind of undead? We should have taken some scrolls with holy magic… but what if it is some cursed creature? I should have taken some binding scrolls, for my nature magic will be far less effective in mausoleum. Simply – no place to grow plants! What if it’s some monster?! Big and strong? Small and agile? Can it fly? Can it dig underground? How good can it see in the dark? Or maybe it’s not using eyes at all! I should have taken potions. I definitely should have taken potions, if not myself than for Gisele…

“You seem to be worried…” Dragoness pointed out “Really? What a coincidence… maybe because I AM FUCKING WORIED! It killed a whole fucking squad of city guards!” “Don’t compare some lazy guards to top level adventurers like us!” she tried to comfort me, on one hand it was sweet of her. On the other… “You forget that they probably were used to fight alongside each other and they were prepared to encounter…. Something. It didn’t take them by surprise. On equal ground it tore killed group o eight heavily armored fighters.” “You are exaggerating…” “No, you are not treating things seriously!” “Why are you such a pessimist!?” “It’s better to assume worst. In best case scenario, you will encounter what you thought that you would encounter, in best case scenario, you will be happily surprised…. How are YOU not worried at all!?” “It’s because you are with me!” she said with confidence

… fuck. She said that on purpose! Now I can’t complain! AND I LOVE COMPLAING! SHE COMPLETELY CUT ME OFF!

“Tsh.” “We should reach it in an hour, use this time to think about some strategy… or something. I leave thinking to you!” she chuckled after hearing my reaction “Sure, and what you would do?” “Me? What me like! Me smash!” “I am glad I have my eyes back. Now I can roll them all I want.”

Another giggle escaped escaped her mouth. Thinking about strategy? Without reconnaissance? Without not having any knowledge about enemy?! Gisele! It’s bloody logical process, not magic nor miracle making!

Whatever. Telling her this is pointless. She already set her mind. She will walk in there no matter what…. So, Mausoleum?

Either undead or scavenger type of monsters. Ogr-kin is out of question. Big one have terrible vision in the dark, small one wouldn’t get on roofs.

Ghouls? Yes…. Ghouls are quite fast, they move on all four, strong and definitely would leave such scratching.

But they are simply stronger and faster zombies. Definitely wouldn’t be sane enough to attack specific targets, they are moving in groups so would be noticed and they wouldn’t be any threat for heavily armored guards. Not in mausoleum – not enough space for monsters to maneuver. Halberds and tower shield would be ultimately effective.

FUCK! I have literally no idea. We don’t even have Loki to let him go first! As a rogue he could check safety of every next chamber, and if he would fail – nothing wasted! His screams would provide just enough data!

We reached our destination. Entrance to the mausoleum was barely seen from outside, it was more a small pit in the ground with stairs leading to actual tomb. Actually, great idea. It’s harder to be noticed, especially in then night, so potential grave robber could never find this place, also under ground the temperature was lower, reducing probability of plague spreading and…

DAMN! I HAVE NO TIME TO ADMIRE ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS FOR CORPSE STORAGE SYSTEM!

“So, such a smart individual as yourself should already have prepared at least dozens of plans, did ya? If not I will simply walk inside…” “SHUT YOUR TRAP! Lemme think… sense of smell will be useless. Dead bodies will mask every different scent, hearing may be tricky, in such corridors sound can travel quite the distance, which is good, but it may make an echo, which is bad… Eyes adapted to the dark… Ok. I got it.”

Shifting in processAvatar chosen: ...Bonuses will be added Reflex+ 10Dexterity+ 15Endurance+ 5SkillsNight Vision [Passive] [Level 4]

Echolocation [Passive] [Level 2]

Tail Whip [Active] [Level 5]

Scale armor [Passive] [Level 3]

Stealth [Passive] [Level 1]

My body got slightly smaller as I quickly designed myself a new form. My spine cracked loudly as I was partly forced to move on all four, my nail turned into short claws, body got covered in thin, elastic scales, huge bat ears sprouted from my head together with short, curved horn.

“The hell did you just turn yourself into?” “No idea. Probably some oversized gecko… why are you asking? Are you attracted to those scales? I am more into your liking? Hm? Should I start waving my tail in mating dance?” “Ew.”

… [Ew]. That’s really all you have to say?!

“Watashi no kokoro… Watashi no tamashi…” I yelled putting my head on my chest “Stop speaking nonsense. All you all right?” “Don’t mind me. I am always making stupid joke when I am stressed. OK. Follow me. And try not yelling. My hearing is bit oversensitive now.”

And I walked inside. Cold, smelly, quiet and dark. Your average tomb. I have been looking over walls and ceiling, checking if some creature wasn’t creeping there to jump on our heads.

We moved slowly, carefully. The scheme of this place was pretty simple, at least for now, one main corridor, pretty much empty, and every few dozen meters two doors in front of each other were placed leading to separate chambers in which dead were resting.

We had to investigate every single one of them as we didn’t want to be attacked from the back. But mausoleum was as dead quiet as its… locators? Wait. That’s what is wrong here!

“Noticed something?” I asked dragoness “No. And that’s frightening me.” “Look at coffins and bodies.” “They are… very damaged.” “And most of them are gone. More than half of the bodies are missing, and those which stayed have clearly visible bite marks. Thos are mostly damaged skeletons. Where are fresh bodies? Where are bodies from empty coffins?” “Eaten? Monster could ate all corpses from mausoleum and then started attacking town as there was no more food here.” “No. Why would it take some bodies with itself? Why not leave skeletons?” “… there are creatures that use bones to build their lairs. To make primitive bone totems to mark their territory… I am not sure, you are here to do the thinking!” Gisele became slightly irritated “If it would mark its territory it would place markings on the very entrance. Plus the number of missing bones would be sufficient to build a whole bloody town! Ok, I exaggerated now…”

And then I heard something. Something like combined moan and yell

“I think we should simply…” “Shush now!” “HEY! IT’S not very…” “SHUSH I SAID!”

Irritated I put my ear to the ground. We shouldn’t be yelling! The creature also can have great hearing. Then we would inform it that we a re coming.

“I heard something. Below us.” “Zari. There is nothing below us. I talked with guard officer. Mausoleum has only one floor.” “…Let’s investigate rest of the tomb for now. We have to eventually stumble on rest of the skeletons…”

… I shouldn’t have said that. I should have NOT said that. One of the bodies moved.

Lesser Skeleton [Undead]Level4Hp[40/40]Sp[Na]SkillsStabbing damage resistance [Passive]

Dark magic resistance [Passive]

Strike [Active] [Level 2]

Bite [Active] [Level 3]

Death regeneration [Passive]

Death Mark Spreader [Passive]Almost lowest within hierarchy of undead. Medicorate speed with almost not existing strenth.

Backbone of undeadarmy and canonfood. Can be ovewhelming in big numbers.

Still, everyone it kill shall become undead too and can recnstuct itself if given enought time.

“YOU SCARED ME YOU BASTARD!”

I hit the skeleton which flew toward the wall and crumbled. In same time few more of them got up cracking loudly.

Still, they proved almost no challenge. Gisele quickly did most of the job blowing them apart in few powerful swings, then she kicked bones in different direction on the floor. The greater is the distance between bones, the harder it will be for them to reattach themselves.

“So… undeads… something isn’t right.” I mumbled to myself “Indeed. Such low rank creature couldn’t kidnap those women… unless they are controlled…” “No, not even then. They are not capable to perform such complex tasks without constant supervision. Only general tasks, like: march and kill. On keep doing. But the further from task giver they move, and the harder is the task… let’s just say that they would simplify commands. If they were told to bring someone back to mausoleum, and kidnapped would cooperate, they would kill it and get back. And you ever saw skeleton getting on the roofs?” “I know it! I merely pointed out that if they are being controlled, necromancer could made more… intelligent… creation.” “More intelligent? Undead? Death Knights and Liches aren’t walking over the roofs!” “Ghouls?” “Have been thinking about them. No. Despite being physically capable of such thing… their intelligence is closer to the skeletons.” “Then I have an idea what to do!” Dragoness yelled “I am all ears.” “Let’s find something more intelligent than skeletons, beat the crap out of it, ask question, and beat it even more!” “…”

… This woman…

“No objections? GREAT! Let’s go then!” and she left the chamber, “The hell are you going? Just let me lead! I am seeing and hearing better than you d… Gisele. Come back.” “Oh come on! Just..” “Back I said.” “What’s wrong! We have to keep mo..” “Use your brain. How many chambers we entered?” “Quite few. Didn’t count.” “In how many were we attacked?” “Only in this one.” “In which chamber I heard weird noises?” “… in this one?” “Then! Your conclusion!” “This is… special chamber?” “Bingo. Keep looking.” “For what?” “A switch. Lose brick. Hidden door. I wouldn’t be surprised if more wealthy inhabitant of the city would prefer to be buried further from commoners. And to protect their wealth from possible robbers.”

And we started looking. Chamber was pretty big. In walls [beds] have been carved on which bodies were placed, but as everywhere on the world, people used to be more or less rich. Few of them had their very own coffins, few made of wood and few made of stone with heavy plates that supposed to cover the bodies, now laying aside.

There was also one open wooden coffin placed upright on the wall. I tired moving it to the side, but it didn’t move an inch, as if nailed to the very chamber.

“I think I found something..” Gisele said something from opposite side of the room “So do I. What do you have?” “An urn. But this one looks far more valuable and has something written on it…” “… fell free to read it for me” I urged her to share her knowledge with me “Weep not after me, my dearest child,

I am already there, where my brothers are piled,

One day we shall met, yet this is not this day,

For with the dead can talk, only the one who is dead,

To see my face my dearest child, rest long by my side,

Say goodbye to your life, from your loved face your hide,

The death shall embrace you, and bring you to me,

So you can see the time, that so rapidly flee.

… forget it. Just some rich asshole just wanted a bloody poem.”

“…or not. To see my face rest long by my side… Isn’t that some kind of clue?”

I once again stepped to the coffin placed on the wall… and walk into it

“Rest long by my side… Say goodbye to your life and… hide from you loved….” I grabbed the lid of the coffin that was swinging on hinges and shut it from inside.

In complete darkness the green words appeared on the inside of lid, more or less on eye level.

[Death is loving mistress. When you embrace her, she embrace you back]

… how pathetic. Someone who is making such silly word-games can’t be world class poet. Tsh. Shutting yourself in coffin as embracing the death. Truly pathe…

In that moment fall-trap-door opened behind me and I fell down, right on pile of bones.

CRAP! Someone’s tibia bone sting my back. I massaged hurting place. Then I heard a clicking sound from above. Apparently Gisele entered coffin too.

… Wait, that mean that…

I tired rolling to the side, but it was already too late. SOMETHING fell down on me pushing me even further into pile of bones.

“Oh. Soft landing. I thought it would be worse…” “Yu r sithin on mh!”

I mumbled from below

“huh?” “YOU ARE SITTING ON ME! UP! NOW!” “Upsie! Sorry! Here, grab my hand!”

At least she was decent enough to help me rise.

“You were right.” “Of course I was. Only two things are sure and never ending in this life of ours. Death and human’s arrogance. Well, I am not sure if first one is never ending… You could think that at least in death they shall be equal, but no! My grave must be bigger than your grave! My grave must be more shinny than your! My must be better protected and hidden. Humans…” “So… what now? We had no map of this place…” “Maybe, but we now one more thing about our opponent. He is fully intelligent. I simply can’t imagine ghoul that every two night is walking into a coffin and wait for trap doors to do the trick… Also… Gisele…” “Yes?” “I think we found city guards.”

I pointed with head in the direction of better equipped walking corpses. Full armored walking corpses. Their dead eyes were focused and because their bodies were in very good condition, they had almost no troubles with walking.

Also because of either higher tier necromancy or memory of their previous lives, they were holding a formation.

Unlike other undeads, they didn’t rush ay us from very stat. They simply stood there, protecting corridor leading deeper into mausoleum.

“Ok, let’s do th…” Gisele started. “Wait. I have better idea…” I smiled

It was more than obvious that if provoked they will attack. Still, they waited for us to either get closer or to perform an act of aggression. We had initiative. If we have to attack, why not to take down as many of them with one blow as possible?

I snapped my fingers making a lone flame start dancing on my finger.