[MRP] Lost Stories CH1

[DKnight]

Lost Stories
Chapter 1: It belongs in a Museum


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It had been two days since they had seen another living person. This adventure through the desert had been a long one, but there were plenty of provisions in the wagon. It's canopy had given Remy and his three companions plenty of shade during the trip. The plants along the rocks held enough water to keep them well stocked.

The Red Desert was not as harsh as the name would imply. It was just vast and very easy to get lost in if you did not know how to navigate it. It was cluttered with large rocks; many of which were the size of a castle. These rock aloud Remy to guide his companions through to their destination.

The Tomb of the Forgotten King lay waiting for them among these rocks. Remy sat excited about what he might find. Why was this King hidden away from history but still held in such honor that he would be laid with what the scrolls describe as "the greatest treasure." There must be evidence in the tomb. The notion of this "greatest treasure" aloud him to pull a small group of adventurers on his little journey.

"We're here."

Remy Stopped the cart. This was the entrance to the tomb. It was just as the scrolls had suggested. A simple entrance just large enough for one person to walk through at a time. Anyone not looking for the tomb would have walked right by it. Of course no one beside his adventuring party had bothered walking through the Red Desert in years. Remy had been able to identify the entrance due to surrounding rocks that created four pathways shooting in each direction in the shape of a cross.

" 'X' marks the spot. Be careful when we go in. There are bound to be many traps."

 

[Exoskeleton]

Kurila sat daydreaming as the wagon steadily rocked back and forth as it had been for miles and miles of travel. The heat was not as intense as she'd imagined; the ice water they'd brought along had melted but still cooled her throat very once in a while. She thought of how simple, how easy this job must be. If she could protect herself from roadside smugglers then chaperoning a trip to some abandoned tomb couldn't be that bad, could it?

"We're here."

The cart's stopping snapped her out of her own thoughts for a second. "This is it? Are you sure?" she replied looking around.

The large rocks jutting out in every direction nearby looked like no tomb she had ever witnessed before. But she didn't question it, the large sum of spoils and coin she had been promised was good enough to get her going. She took up her gear in her bag and hopped out into the sweltering heat of the Red Desert. This Remy seemed to know what he was talking about. But the small entrance into the dark unknown had made her uncomfortable.

" 'X' marks the spot. Be careful when we go in. There are bound to be many traps."

"Sure thing, but are you sure this is the right entrance?"

She took a few steps forward into the dark tiny mass of an entrance. It couldn't possibly be too bad could it? It's just and empty tomb of some dead guy right? She asked herself. She swallowed her doubt and embraced the cool shade of the entrance as she made her way inside.

 

[DKnight]

"Sure thing, but are you sure this is the right entrance?"

"I'm positive," he responded. He could barely contain his excitement. "I've been researching this treasure for many years. The knowledge in this tomb could change how we view our history. An honored King intentionally forgotten. His grand tomb disguised as a simple cave."
Remy began to tremble as he held himself back from running into the cave.
Why did historians hide the knowledge of this King? Was he a Tyrant? Was he a known king who held many secrets? There was just too many questions that needed to be answered. This tomb held those answers.

Remy approached the cave entrance slowly, looking for any signs of immediate danger. The mouth of the cave showed no signs of traps; only the skeletons of a few small animals littered the ground. It was quite possible that the cave may have become a den to some predator at some time, but what ever it was, it was long gone now.
The cave itself was too dark to see inside from were he was. They would need something to light their way once they went inside.
"We'll need some torches," he called out to his companions. "Grab some from the wagon. We're going in."

 

[Exoskeleton]

The torch she got from the wagon was heavier than she expected. She could almost use it as a sort of weapon itself. She held it carefully in her left hand while standing in the tiny cave entrance. She took a few more steps inside before stopping and waiting for Remy. She had done a great deal of mapping uncharted places in her past but she figured it'd be best to let the man lead the way. This was his expertise, not hers.

A light gust ble through and a smell of dust and mold filled the air. She did not like it. She as not used to it. But she could bear with it for the money. "Are we all set then sir? Would you like me to lead the way?"

She was anxious, and ready to be in and out of this old tomb. Whatever mysteries they had come to solve about this forgotten king was only a minimal concern for her. But she would not discount the journey. She knew all too well that anything could happen...

 

[DKnight]

"No no. Just stay close and keep an eye out. This place is bound to have traps. And who knows what other dangers we might come across. The entrance is a cave after all. The rocks could be slippery, or there could be wild animals, or hundred meter drops."

Remy's voice was full of excitement. Nothing could discourage him. He was ready any outcome. He did have his mercenaries, so any type of adversary would be handled accordingly.
He reached to the side of his bag and grabbed one of his climbing picks before walking through the mouth of the cave. The atmosphere inside was drastically different than outside. It was much cooler and moist. The space was much smaller than he had expected. The cave was no bigger than a house with pillars of rock connecting the ground to the ceiling. It looked like a normal cave, but Remy knew otherwise.

The area looked safe. No creatures lurking around and no traps. This was the first puzzle of the tomb. Designed so that if anyone accidentally came across this place they would suspect nothing.
There had to be a trigger somewhere that would open a pathway into the actual tomb. The trick was to identify it, and then to figure out how to set it off.

"Everyone, split up. We need to find a way into the actual tomb."

 

[Exoskeleton]

Kurila walked slowly, breathing in the stale air. Some of the cave rocks were wet with moisture. Sometimes she could feel a slight breeze...But she could not see or find an entrance. It was all such a hassel. There was no way she would be able to find the entrance. She lurked around a large stone pillar and spotted a small mass deeper inside. She brought her torch closer and went towards the mass. It looked like something decayed, bits of cloth holding on to rusting poles.

It was a tent, but at least years and years and years old. Maybe it belonged to a traveler? As she got closer she could see nothing but an old book. left behind. "Just a cave where some travelers stopped by for a rest." She mumbled before heading back. "Find anything yet?"

 

[DKnight]

There was definitely signs of others in the cave, but they had been this cave's last visitors in at least two years. Everything they found showed signs of aging and deterioration due to the elements. So Many people had been here in the past century that had no idea of the riches below their feet.
Remy laughed at this thought. All the long dead rolling in their graves at missing out on such a find. Who knows how many still alive will hit themselves when he reveals his findings.


"Nothing found yet," he called out to Kurila. "We are close. I can smell it."

At that moment a unique sent reached his nose. It was very familiar to him. There was no mistaking the smell. Kerosene... Remy burned it almost very night in his study for light.

He began to take deep breaths through his nose. He needed to find the source of the kerosene. The smell led to a nearby wall. As he got closer his sniffs became more quick and shallow much like that of a little mouse.
His nose led him to a small puddle sitting in a cup sized hole about three feet from the ground. He reached up to it with his torch. It lit immediately. Moments later lights began to pop up throughout the cave.
Remy had started a chain reaction. Everything was now lit so well that the torches were no longer needed. Then there was the sound of stone grinding come from across the cave. Remy turned excited to find the pathway. The door stopped with a loud *thud*. They had found the entrance to the tomb.