CHAPTER 9: Dust in the Wind…
Tomb Of Wind Part 1
I crossed under the arch following the path to a narrow stairway made of smooth but weathered sandstone, at the bottom of the stairs was an open room.
On one side, a wooden shelf hung on the wall with old tattered books. Older than time itself from the look of them, the only part of the books to stand the test of time were the vellum pages strewn about the shelf. To the other side, runes carved into the floor before a forked path.
“Guess I’m going down one of those dark hallways,” I said to myself thinking of what could possibly lie ahead.
I realized I had no way to see in the dark once I start down the halls of the tomb, so I ran outside before embarking to grab some branches and tinder.
While searching for a good branch I noticed some sap running down one of the trees that resembled a Pine and a light bulb appeared above my head, not really, I did get the idea from an old internet video I watched while doom scrolling.
I grabbed the old dried up vellum and tucked all but one shredded piece away into my inventory. I removed some of my destroyed clothes I stored away and tore them into strips, wrapping them around the end of the branch. I removed wire from the busted lamp and wrapped it tightly around the strips tying everything into place.
I used my ferro-rod to light the kindling on the ground before putting some dead branches on to keep the fire lit for a few minutes.
I removed the old plastic jug filled with the sap chunks I harvested. I held the chunks over the flame until they started bubbling and popping. I spread the sap along a clean spot until I had a good amount of sticky mess, then cleaned it all up with the clothed end of my “maybe torch.”
“Hopefully this sap is the same as pine resin and works as an accelerator. If not, I’m stuck or going in blind.” I leaned down and held my makeshift torch over the small fire before the last flame went out.
The flame took and the torch lit up the room with a blinding intensity, “Holy Shit! It worked!” I danced around like a goof holding my little flaming stick out straight and yelling in my best posh old-timey accent, “I HAVE CREATED FIYAAAH! WITH MY MAGICAL STICK OF THE FLAMES, ALL FEAR ME!”
After bouncing around giggling for a bit my mood soured as visions of the past days stabbed back into my brain shattering the mask, “Gaaah Fuck! Let’s get this over with and get back to Arthur.”
I looked around for any clues or obvious leads like I had on the outside but unfortunately, there was nothing to help discern which way to go.
So, I decided to revert back to 9 year old Rick.
“And my mama told me to pick the very best one and you, are, NOT, it.” Pointing and not waiting any longer to talk myself out of it, I took the left path.
The tunnel twisted for what felt like forever. By the time it widened enough to breathe comfortably, I hadn't realized how claustrophobic I'd become.
For a Wind Dungeon, tomb, or whatever the shit, the air sure is dead.
There wasn’t a breeze of any sort, even when I sped up my pace to a jog at times, it still felt as if I was standing still. It was starting to bug me the more I thought about it but I had more pressing issues at the moment. So, to the back of my mind it went.
I reached another small corridor in the cave, this time 3 routes to choose from. I took the center path, first marking the wall with my knife, I made a small circle with 2 dots in the top middle. I continued down the path and time seemed to drag on and on, the path grew wider the further I walked.
“GrrFffuck!” I growled in frustration coming to a dead end. I walked the border of the room keeping one hand against the wall as I looked at my surroundings making sure it was in fact, a dead end.
“Why put this here? Seriously, what is the fuckin’ point? I thought it was a tomb not a fuckin labyrinth,” Now annoyed and complaining to myself, I took another deep breath and turned to head back to the fork in the road.
My foot didn’t listen to my brain.
I saw it milliseconds before it happened, just long enough to realize how careless I was being.
My foot grazed a stone on the floor that was too obvious not to be a trap.
The second my foot hit the ground I tossed the torch and ran.
I had no clue what was going to happen but I’ve seen enough Tomb Raiding movies, television and have definitely played enough Skyrim to know what could happen when you step on an obvious pressure plate.
Falling boulders, flamethrowers, poison arrows, doors with spikes that flop toward you as your game is auto saving, ruining your save and wasting hours of your life.
As I took my third step, the one that really helps you dig in and get speed going, I realized, the floor was no longer there.
My face ate the wall below the exit but I managed to snag the ledge with one hand.
I quickly secured myself with both hands. Hanging on the side of this booby trap where I was sure to die.
The wind suddenly raged, pushing me side to side. I decided to do what no one in my predicament should ever do, I looked down.
Then I let go.
The floor was only inches away. I didn’t have my torch but it wasn’t far away, so I could see fine.
The wind came from nowhere, I walked around the hole smiling to still be alive in this poor attempt at a trap. The front and back walls had four openings carved on each side.
Inside all but two of the bottom most excavated areas were deteriorated remains of the Wind Mage’s followers, ivory skeletons with their arms crossed at the waste.
Not wanting to fight a clatter of reanimated bones I decided I had enough fun poking around. Plus, with the wind rushing, my torch was probably burning out fast.
I took a few quick steps and hopped to grab the ledge and pull myself out.
Almost half way out of the hole, I felt something pulling and pushing me at the same time, although there was nothing around.
With nothing to grab onto other than smooth stone floor, I was easily forced back into the hole.
I’m floating?
I raised higher into the air before suddenly blasting off like a cannonball at the center of the pit. My body and head left cracks in the smooth sandstone and covered it in the blood from my shattered face.
I hopped to my feet and raised my arms for a fight only to be hurled into the side wall, by nothing.
I hit hard, the crushing blow took a good chunk of my health bar, lowering it to 65%.
Cracks in the wall formed from the impact as more debris gathered in the air making it difficult to keep my eyes open.
I cast “Retaliating Wind” and my hunch was right. I was able to open my eyes without the wind and debris trying to force them closed.
At least I can see now...
I frantically looked around trying to make sense of what was happening but once again I was pulled into the air.
While suspended in midair, I noticed the outline of a small female and a slightly bigger male standing side by side at the back end.
The female figure had one arm outstretched in my direction, she brought the arm down.
I slammed to the ground kicking up more dust and looked around but didn’t see anything at first, until I stopped trying to focus on one area at a time and looked at the room as a whole. Just like those weird magic eye picture things, only I I could never see the goddamn dolphin before.
This time, I could see the dust and rocks avoiding their form as debris whipped through the air in a whirlwind.
“Invisibility. Cool.” I grunted as I removed my sledgehammer from my inventory and brought it overhead before smashing into the stone floor to send more debris through the air.
I swung again, but before I made contact with the skeletal remains in the front wall I was launched at the high ceiling. I brought the hammer up, bashing the ceiling before my body hit, knocking more rubble loose.
Rocks rained from the ceiling, along with myself. However, this time I managed to control my landing a bit as I pounded the ground once more.
Now I could clearly see the 2 attackers and identify them.
The smaller read,
[Wind Disciple Mage]
[Undead Revenant]
While the big guy was,
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
[Wind Disciple Sentinel]
[Undead Revenant]
As the mage reached her hand out I launched the sledge in an overhead toss.
It hit with a loud crunch.
Her health bar dropped more than half as she flew into the back wall stirring up more remains. Her invisibility faded with the strike and she was ugly as hell.
I mean, she was an undead abomination so, of course she isn’t going to be foine but, “Fuuuck. She gross.” I said out loud.
Her body and face were covered in decayed black spots. Worms of multiple shapes and sizes flowed from the necrotic sores on her face and arms. One of her eyes was missing, inside was a cluster of wriggling maggots, they were just chilling out in her fucking eye hole.
I seemed to set off the big guy who ran at me.
He threw an overhand right that I bobbed and countered with my own.
He grabbed on with both arms and pulled me closer. I’ve seen this before and I was not going to be eaten alive, by goddamn zombies of all things.
Nope, get out of here with that...
I head butt the fucker in the jaw, his health fell to 20%, so I repeated the process a few more times until we fell to the ground.
I continued to head butt him in the middle of the face until his health bar disappeared and my head cracked the stone where his head used to be.
Before I could get to my feet, I felt something stinging my back over and over.
I spun around seeing the dagger in the decrepit Mages hand. My eyes glued to the amount of blood running off of it.
I ran at the mage but she nonchalantly raised her hand and again, I flew across the pit slamming into the wall and falling to my knees.
My health was draining quickly and a new icon was displayed next to it.
The symbol that showed on my HUD was that of Three drops of blood. I knew exactly what that meant as I watched my health bar steadily fall.
I was bleeding out.
I went to my inventory, grabbing a health potion to drink. Panicking, I raised it to my mouth. Only to have her right in my face before I could drink.
She shattered the potion.
“Ahh! Fuck you man!” I said as I stood to my feet but she cast her hand out again.
A constant gust forced me against the wall, massive amounts of my blood pooled at my feet, as she walked toward me with one hand outstretched and the other gripping the dagger that she planned to kill me with.
As she closed on her prey to end the fight, some of the squirming maggots tumbled out of her eye hole before slapping the ground.
“HUUAARK! Fuck lady! Just hurry up and kill M—HUUUURRRGGH. You are FUCKING disgusting!” I shouted while gagging and trying not to vomit. She quirked her head causing more of the writhing mass of maggots to plop out, this time on my beat up slippers.
I had enough, I released Retaliating Wind in front of my body, forcing the disgusting rotting woman and all of her worms and shit as far away from me as possible.
She hit the wall with a loud thud. The wind was now just a slight breeze.
I covered the distance in an instant, lifting my foot up and slamming it down into the back of her head.
As soon as my foot passed through her head, the room went still.
The Mage and her burly man friend degraded into a body shaped pile of ash.
I removed a Health Potion and chugged it, my health was at 10% only a few dozen hit points left. I watched my health shoot up to 60%, then continue to fall. I waited and chugged another when it went down to 40%.
Although I felt better, the small wounds stung my back and I felt blood dripping from my back all the way into my moccasins.
The piles of ash caught my eye again as my HUD tossed a slight glint over them, letting me know its loot time.
Focusing on the big guy I said, “Loot.”
The grid popped up and he had one Health Potion which I removed and immediately gulped down, I was hoping more potions may resolve the bleeding debuff.
Of course not. Fuckin Noob.
Instead my health just raised back to full health again.
Ugh, what a fuckin’ waste...
I walked over to the Mage, praying for anything helpful.
With a mental command the grid came up.
[Dagger of Blood Lust—Rare—+14 Slashing / Piercing Damage, +3.50% Critical Hit Chance, 20% Chance to Inflict Hemorrhage on hit, +15% Backstab Damage]
Hemorrhage: Blood erupts from the wound, dealing heavy bleeding damage over time.
“Fuck yeah. Bout time I got something useful. Not what I need right now but it should help if I don’t bleed out.” Excited to be holding my first looted weapon not meant for the pup, I examined it closely.
The handle was beautiful, made from a smooth dark ebony wood that fit my grip perfectly.
I tested a few slashes and stabs then rolled the dagger over to examine the sharp blade. It was midnight black with red veins running under the metal of the ridiculously sharp blade.
I felt giddy like a little kid on Christmas. I stored the dagger in my inventory and pulled it back out. I did this over and over, repeating the process while changing the grip with each summon. There was an odd wait time whenever I summoned the blade from my inventory. Sometimes it was only a second, other times it felt closer to 3 seconds.
Once finished messing around, I pulled myself out of the pit.
I went back to the last corridor and carved a half circle under the 2 dots within my original circle, turning it into a frowny face.
I was absolutely exhausted after the last brawl and felt the punishment of sleep deprivation setting in. I decided to snuff out my torch and get some rest in the corner.
Not the best place to fall asleep but what are my choices?
I sat in the corner of the room watching as my health ticked down, taking another potion before the effect finally subsided and the bleeding symbol had disappeared.
I removed a blanket from storage. I rubbed it over the ground to beat it up a bit then pulled it over my head.
If anyone walks by maybe I’ll blend in like a Frodo rock?
I woke up dazed and weak but I slept long enough. The silence in the chasm was staunching. The only noises were the echoes of my shuffling feet.
Without a watch or being able to see night and day, I had no clue how long I really slept. I removed the bow drill I whipped up before entering the shit hole and got to spinning. After a few minutes my torch was roaring back to life.
I set off down the right fork, my feet moving of their own accord.
A coffee would be delightful right now...
Following the path, things grew even more silent somehow, even my own footsteps sounded far off. My torch seemingly still burning with the same intensity it had when I first lit it, but somehow the slender pocket of cave seemed darker.
I entered another open room with a split, this time 4 paths to choose from. I marked the wall furthest to the left to be safe, deciding to keep it left to right from now on.
The air felt dead. No breeze, no scent, I couldn’t tell how long I had been walking, it could have been minutes.
Or maybe a few hours?
I noticed the bleeding debuff stopped but I couldn’t remember when.
I followed the new path until I finally came upon a dead end. I held my torch up so I could see the wall better. I inspected it to make sure I didn’t miss any secret doors or whatever else. I ran my empty hand along the smooth wall not seeing anything, not even a crack.
I turned back, slapping my hand to the wall before leaving and realizing I also didn’t feel anything.
I punched the wall, dragging my knuckles across the smooth surface to tear the skin apart, still I felt nothing.
This wasn’t like having your leg fall asleep from sitting on the toilet too long or anything like that. I could somewhat feel the pressure as I pushed harder into the wall. I could still fully control my body and feel the amount of strength I put into every motion, but I couldn’t feel the smooth texture of the sandstone, the pain from my knuckles, or the trickle of blood that I watched run down my forearm.
I brought the torch closer to my hand. It didn’t feel hot, or even warm.
It was just nothing.
I sniffed the air, doing my best Arthur.
Nothing. Huh...
I took out my last food ration opening the can with Bells old style can opener then dumped the corn straight into my mouth. I couldn’t taste anything. I couldn’t even feel the kernels in my mouth. I tossed the can, yelling in frustration.
I ran over to pick the can up as it was the last bit of food I had that wasn’t some form of “beast meat”. Rather than return the open can of corn back to storage I decided to pound it down, then I plucked the rest of the kernels from the ground, straight into my mouth.
Need all the food I can get now. Plus, it tastes better this way.
After some time, I think only a minute or two, I jumped to my feet noticing the silence of the act.
I clapped my hands and waited. No sound returned.
Starting to freak out a bit I decided it was time to run back and try a new path.
I jogged back to the last corridor, keeping a decent pace. I don’t know how long I was running. I didn’t feel tired, but I’m not sure how long I can run before getting tired with this new upgraded body.
I’ll have to test myself if I ever get out of this nightmare...