Chapter 03

Chapter 03 – A little push is all one needs

 

The old tomb seemed ready to fall apart at any moment. Soil kept leaking from the cracks in the ceiling whenever something touched the walls. The moisture and the smell of the mold made the atmosphere inside unbearable. Not even monsters were foolish enough to tread to such a dangerous place. 

And yet the young treasure hunter persevered. The main chamber was just a few steps away. Holding the torch in her left hand she pushed forward in the narrow corridor.

“Just a little more.” she whispered to herself.

Finally her steps brought her in front of the stone door blocking the entrance to the main chamber. She started looking around for a way to open the door.

“Um, it has to be around here.”

She neared the walls near the door and started touching them in hopes of finding some kind of contraption that would allow her to reach her destination. After touching almost every stone near the door and getting her hands all dirty, the young treasure hunter found a stone that was different. She pushed it.

The whole tomb trembled and the cracks in the ceiling let out more soil than usual but the old stone door moved to unveil the main chamber.

“You did it Nessa!” the girl said to herself and, carefully, she passed through the door to find herself in a big room.

It was pitch dark around there. The girl, Nessa, sighed and put her torch up. She waved it around and said a spell. The torch let out four smaller flames that travelled around the room and set themselves into key positions, illuminating the whole chamber.

Nessa could see her aim in front of her. An old sarcophagus of a long forgotten king lay in front of her. Holding her breath, she came close to it. The stone lid of the sarcophagus looked too heavy for her to lift. But Nessa didn’t seem to bother at all. She touched the blue pendant hanging from her neck.

“May you rest in peace and excuse me for what I am going to do but I bet you don’t really need all that stuff do you?” she said.

With these words she threw her torch on the floor and put her hands on the stone lid. She pushed it but it didn’t barge. Not showing disappointment, she pushed again, harder. Again the lid didn’t move. She did it once more but this time her arm muscles became bigger, like she drank some kind of strengthening potion. The lid moved and fell to the ground with an awfully loud sound.

The mummy inside was adorned with all sorts of jewelry, yet Nessa ignored most of them and went for a big blue orb that the mummy had in its hands. But it was really hard to get it out.

“C’mon old man you’re not in dire need of this. Let… it… go…” said Nessa while fighting to get the orb from the mummy’s hands. It proved a task of its own.

In the end, Nessa put so much strength in pulling that both the orb and the mummy’s hands came off and it sent her flying across the room.

“Ouch! Geez you sure know how to put up a fight for a dead guy!”

Taking the orb, Nessa picked her torch again and rushed to leave the room. If her experiences as a treasure hunter were correct, this tomb would crumble any moment now. And, indeed, after she had taken a few steps in the corridor, the whole place started shaking violently. Nessa started to run to the exit.

“I hate it when I’m right! And what’s with all these tombs caving in once you get the treasure? Be a little more productive you old kings!” she shouted as she ran as fast as she could.

The tomb ceiling was crumbling behind her. Nessa saw the light from the exit at the end of the corridor and sprinted. She managed to get outside as the stones supporting the exit fell down in rubbles.

Nessa lay on the grass and looked at the sky. The light of the day blinded her but the fresh air made her feel so much better. The orb was safe in her backpack and she too was in one piece. She laughed and breathed a sigh in relief.

“It looks like you succeeded in getting it.” A deep voice cut her joy short.

“Yes…” she said in a serious tone as she rose and stood up, still shaken from the flight.

A short man, accompanied by two tall brutes came near her. He wore luxurious clothes and held a gem-crusted cane. He looked like a very rich and very cunning man. Without saying anything more, he opened his hand, waiting for Nessa to hand something over to him.

“You don’t waste any time, huh Rogers?” asked Nessa looking kind of disappointed.

“Of course. Don’t forget who’re you’re working for Nessa. Give me the orb.”

Nessa laughed. She touched her pendant again and stood silent for a brief moment. Then she finally spoke.

“How could I? But you know what Rogers? I decided I would be self-employed starting today.”

She had just spoken these words when she took a small bomb from her belt and threw it on the ground. It was a smoke bomb and it engulfed the place that was still dusty from the tomb collapse earlier. The man, Rogers, and his two sidekicks started coughing and tried to clear the smoke. When it went away, Nessa had disappeared.

“Damn her! I should have expected she’d do that!” he roared. “Men, we need to find her and fast. She’s got my orb!”

Meanwhile Nessa was running as fast as she could through the valley where she was. Even if monsters tried to chase her she would outrun them.

“Sorry folks. No time to slice you! I need to find a place to lay low for now!” she shouted.

The Grasslands were a vast area. Where could she go to escape her, now former, employer?