The Sandworm coiled its body and launched forward at Rashida in a full open bite, readying to devour her whole. Extended out both her hands with a voiceless magical incantation, Rashida began channeling a five meters long Earth elemental lance for a hasty counter aiming straight at the creature’s exposed throat. It was all but a fraction of a second too late however as the monster upon sensing the deadly magical anomalies, curled its body into a twisting protective ball and smashed through Rashida’s lackluster Earth spell that was still coming into shape.

Dodging head first and continuing to roll out of the creature’s initial frontal attack, she was violently knocked sideways by the worm’s spinning overlapped scales. Its body gleaming despite the limited light reflected off the nearby chamber’s braziers. With her left elbow bent backwards in the opposite direction and arm dangling uselessly, Rashida’s right hand had managed to shield her body from further damage as she was smashed against a cylindrical stoned column.

As an undead Rashida felt no physical pains associated with her damaged body and shrugged it off with a slight bit of annoyance. Without sufficient magical powers, mobility was an issue since her current body continuously drains on spiritual energies in order to be autonomous. Lifting up her undead carcass with a heavy grunt, she prepared to activate another projectile spell but changed her mind at the last second, deciding to save up a little bit more of her magical reserves for another chant instead. A persistent dilemma given the hostile sandworm rampaging nearby.

Shrieking as its body began to uncoil after missing the prey that got away, the sandworm turned its massive head toward Rashida’s new location and prepared for another charge.

In life she had been a powerful mage. Gifted elemental casters that utilize a different approach to traditional combat techniques. A scarcity in a society of predominant martial warriors who focused solely on physical skills and weapons finesse. It would take normal warriors just one third of the time to reach the same combat powers as mages who diligently practice their elemental powers. The slow results and intense dedications needed to become a decent mage have deterred most but those scholarly in nature who thirst to delve deeper into discovering more arcane knowledge. In a world plagued by perpetual violence and bloodshed, personal strength was all a person has to bargain with in order to protect themselves and their loved ones.

As the sandworm began to coil its body to strike out once again, Rashida silently cursed under her breath. She needed to use a bit of the newly gathered magical power to stall for more time. Touching the ground with her working arm, she casted an elemental spell of hardened Earth to restrict the creature’s movements. Upon successful activation, the shifting sands surrounding and within the overlapping layers of the worm’s carapace began to fossilized and stopped the monster in its track. Collapsing just fifteen paces away from her location, the sandworm began thrashing vigorously to free its body from the Earth entrapment spell.

Within every sentient soul lied dormant one or more of the five basic nature elements: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water and Lightning. With an additional Light or Shadow manifested in those who have transcended a certain skill cap within their respected nature talents. In other words, those who were classified as powerful Master class spellcasters.

Rashida was one of those famed Master mages. The decision to entomb her body after death was a given since only those gifted with large magical energies resulted from decades of arcane manipulations could hope to control and sustain their deceased bodies in undeath. A Shadow technique that was pioneered by the ‘Dark Lord’ himself after two centuries dedicated solely with experimentations and research in the arts of necromancy, the control of the dead and transcendent magical immortality.

The undeads who had once lived as Master mages are able to utilize the same magical properties in life as opposed to revived martial warriors who are cut off from ever calling forth their nature elements. As one of his most loyal followers she was blessed to witness first hand the raw powers and magical innovations of her beloved Master. A never before seen genius mage who was destined to upheave the arcane laws of the universe.

Having stopped thrashing its body around, the sandworm laid motionlessly still for mere seconds before opening its mouth for a blood-curdling screech.

Rashida’s two glowing orbs of eyes dimmed as she concentrated for a magical spell of great magnitude. Emptying the last of her power reserves, she screamed out a long incantation of immense potency. The words spoken are ancient, bringing forth an echoing winds of magic that vibrated outwards from the center of the burial chamber. She gave a silent prayer with all of her being that the defense mechanisms are still securely hidden away and that her spell had worked.

As one of the chief engineers of the necropolis, she played a pivotal role in designing most of the intricate layouts of each burial tombs before overseeing their eventual completions. Her blueprints and ideas were praised by the Dark Master himself after he mentioned to her the outlines that he had envisioned.

“I hope I’m not giving you too hard of a task? We must create a plan for unfavorable future contingencies as I have addressed yesterday to the group. Rashida...I trust in your abilities to come up with the solutions as needed. Bring the designs to me for the final approval, use the whatever resources available to you,” declared the Dark Lord.

“As you command my liege! It will be *sob* my greatest honor to be of service to you. I am so happy that *sob* you have trusted me over the others with this task! I am...I am-”

*Ahem* “Alright then...no need to be so dramatic over something like this. I expect great results from you. Just make sure that they are within specifications.” Her revered Dark Master had then allowed Rashida free reign to accomplish the assigned mission.

After spending many sleepless nights planning and weeks supervising the completed works. Rashida proudly declared during one of her annual reports, “My Lord I have completed the assignment that you had graciously bestowed upon me. Everything is in place for your final inspections and reviews. This is what I have written down for the archives. Thank you once again for giving me this opportunity. Please let me know if they are not to your likings!”

“Really? My my excellent work Rashida, your reputations as chief engineer are all well deserved. I am very pleased by the dedications that you have shown to our cause. With this task completed you have further fortified our great home against the ‘enemies’. This is a cause worthy of celebration yes?”

The memories gave her a renewed sense of purpose and determination. Her Master’s praises were what she had craved most in life and more so in undeath as he summoned her soul back from the abyss.

A distant rumbling noise could be heard in the direction of the collapsed entrance, igniting a sense of alarm in Rashida. As the incoming noise became increasingly louder with each passing seconds she realized with a sense of urgency that her current predicaments have become more worrisome.

Bursting forth from the underground depths in the same ferocious manner as her previous aggressor, a second identical sandworm appeared. As if knowing the current situation beforehands, the newly arrived monster completely ignored Rashida and instead headed straight towards the still immobilized worm.

Understanding occured on her as she realized what it is trying to do. The second worm has started to make circular motions while emitting its own elemental powers around the area of Rashida’s fossilized Earth spell, breaking apart the magical particles that are holding the conjuration together and aiming to free its comrade.

Using the precious time alloted to her Rashida began to replenish her depleted magical reserves, probing out her senses for any signs of her past designs activating in response to the previous magical spell.

Nothing.

Ironic as it sounds but her life was now in peril. Although being an undead spellcaster granted magical immortality and allows one’s soul to cheat death, it was useless without proper vessel bodies. If Rashida had been reincarnated back into the world of the livings without her original body, she would have lost all her arcane powers and instead just exist as a normal summoned undead.

Unforgivable for the sole purpose of angering her Master. He had summoned her back to life with a reason and that means her magical powers were needed in the days to come. How disappointed her Lord would be when he learned that she has failed to live up to his expectations.

“For I am useless without my magical powers,” hissed Rashida.

She startled at her own unrecognizable tone. Gone was the sweet charming voice that had allowed her to manipulate countless others in the past, now swiftly replaced by the current husky and gruffed soundings. She began to smile in satisfaction underneath the silverite reflective mask.

Intimidating with a little touch of regality just like how she had pictured it.

With the last of the Earth entrapments gone, the two sandworms turned their attentions back toward Rashida. Communicating with each other in forceful shrieks, they broke off and moved at her location at two different angles of attack.

Channeling for another spell, Rashida summoned forth an Earth barrier that formed a sizeable dome around her body. Her plan was to escape from beneath the ground out of the burial chamber while the sandworms are distracted with breaking apart the protective shell. She needed to relocate into an area with a wider open space for greater maneuverability and plan her next move from there.

Crashing in from both sides, the two monsters used their bodies and long fangs to pry open the erected dome in quake-shattering strikes. Determined to destroy their intended target who had since hidden inside.

As the outer layers of the Earth dome began to violently crumble away, Rashida whispered another curse underneath her breath. The monsters were making their ways through and she was not going to be able to gather enough energies for the escaping spell. All of her concentrations were used just to reinforce her collapsing barrier and hanging on to its magic.

Am I going to fail Him again in this newly given life like I did in the past? Rashida lamented to herself as she witnessed a large opening fracturing it way down in front. Racking her mind for a solution to her predicament, she contemplated on the loss of her current physical body. How was she to face her Master and bear his wrath? The thought terrified Rashida more than anything this world has to throw against her.

“My Lord please give me streng-”

Sounds of combat broke out from outside her barrier. No longer did Rashida have to withstand the constant bombardments against her protective Earth dome. Reaching out with her magical senses, she sighed in relief at the temporary break in between. Counting with bated breaths, she estimated the chaotic battle to last for about forty seconds before two piercing howls simultaneously echoed across the room.

As if returning to the serenity of hours past, complete silence followed if not for the light footsteps gradually approaching and stopped all together in front of Rashida’s obscuring dome.

“The threatsss are eliminated. We awaitsss your commandsss,” hissed the unseen entity.

Deactivating her protective construct, Rashida slowly stepped out to survey the aftermath of the bloody battle and smiled in acknowledgement. Her spell worked, the Tomb Guardians had successfully been awakened.