SWNOVELS Chapter Oct. 22: Heist
A shadowy figure lurks on the edge of a cave, observing the hoards of creatures roaming mindlessly in the cavern beneath. In a blur of black, they hop off the side of the ledge, landing softly on a protruding part of the wall without alerting any of the monsters. These jumps would’ve been terrifying enough for most to back out, but not for a renown treasure hunter, and especially not to this treasure hunter on the heist of a lifetime.
The (self-proclaimed) best Treasure Hunter in the continent, known as Orion, had been on a mission to find the Great Necromancer’s Tome of Spells, among other precious things, for several months now. After a few run-ins and brawls with other bandits and thieves who tried to leech off his clues and progress, Orion had now finally reached the necromancer’s lair, the tempting treasure just a few more tunnels and caves away. He didn’t rush things however, because as one of the most experienced treasure hunters there is, he knew that a burst of impatience could end his career, and life.
Orion stepped onto firm land again after crossing the small canyon of beasts and dusted himself off quickly before continuing down the tunnel again. After crossing a few more rooms and caverns filled with traps and all sorts of ominous symbols, a pair of large stone doors finally came into view. The burial chamber, aka the treasure vault for him. After carefully inspecting the doors and sibling 3 hidden mechanisms, he ultimately pushed them open, the heavy grinding of rock against rock filling the cavern. Soon, Orion was greeted by the sight of a dimly lit space, with a few magic stone powered lamps illuminating some spots and a couple of bats flying around.
He immediately walked over to the large altar-like box in the center of the room, avoiding a few more fake tiles along the way, and ran his hands along the top of the cover to clear the dust. He threw a quick glance over the superfluous threats carved in ancient languages and ignored them just as quickly, planting his feet behind him and pushed with all his might. With a deafening thud, the huge lid of the stone coffin fell to the side, revealing a mummified set of bones surrounded by jewels, charms, artifacts and scrolls. Funnily enough, despite all his exploits and efforts, the Great Necromancer wasn’t able to prevent his own death or resuscitate himself. Orion chuckled and flicked the corpse on the forehead, then reached for the precious tome it held in its grasp.
After a few minutes of prying the book from the former necromancer’s hands, paying a lot more attention to the volume than the crumbling fingers, he held up the priceless treasure in his hands, staring appreciatively at the large gems embedded in the covers. Orion grinned. After months of searching and tracking, it was finally his.
« What a nice artifact you’ve got there. » A cheery voice suddenly came from behind Orion, who immediately shoved the book into his bag and turned around, trusty daggers now in hand. It was a face he knew well and hated even more.
« Draven. » He huffed angrily. « You sure seem confident for someone who walked over the roads I paved. »
Draven shrugged, a smirk on his face. « How does that matter? I could just kill you and settle our score here and now. »
The two men circled each other threateningly, all the while throwing taunts and threats at each other. They both wield daggers and have a similar fighting style, something that horribly irritated Orion. Out of the two, Draven was actually a bit stronger (Orion would never admit this) while Orion was swifter and lighter, making them about an even match. Once they had gotten a bit away from the altar, as to not damage any of the objects inside during their fight, their blades soon met, a sharp sound of metal colliding joining to the echoes of their barked insults in the cavern. Soon afterward, the room became a chaotic arena, daggers glinting and knives flying all over the place.
Suddenly, a shrill scream interrupted their duel, catching both treasure hunter’s attention. One of the throwing knives had struck a bat near one of the corners of the room. It flapped its wings a few more times, before falling onto the ground with a thud. With a click, the tile the bat fell onto sunk into the ground and an ominous rumbling noise shook the cavern. Orion and Draven stared at the dead bat, then at each other, then finally at the back wall of the altar room where a hidden door was being opened. A pair of bright eyes peered at them from the darkness of the newly opened secret room, followed by a flash of sharp teeth and a deep growl.
In unison, the two enemies cursed together and bolted for the exit.