《Hero Scout》Chapter 13 - Treasure Piles
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Step one, the moving platforms.
To either side was a sudden drop, the platforms each only barely big enough for one child. They moved in rigid patterns, and with his enhanced perception choosing the right moment to get across became easy.
What was not easy, was following through.
Kenji moved to run, stalled and slunk back behind the corner.
So scary, he could plunge to his death. Was treasure really worth all that?
The gold door glinted, the keyhole yearned to be reunited with its lover and Kenji was loathe to pull them apart. Fiddling with the jewelled key in his hands, Kenji secured it away and took off at a running start.
As an elf that was fast as the wind, with instincts ingrained over countless years. If only a frightened human soul wasn't the one in charge, things might have moved smoothly. Instead, Kenji slipped as he jumped on the first platform, and so relied on his instincts. Falling onto the second, Kenji rolled into the third, to then fling himself onto the fourth and step off on the other side.
In a daze, It took a few moments to realise he had survived at all. Peering down the darkness behind him, he could see no bottom. The pit just went on forever, and Kenji shivered to think what would have happened if he had not moved instinctually in that exact moment.
A sword swung, the artificial guards returning to Kenji's focus as he lithely rolled aside and jumped into a crouching position. One charged, two others stomped fiercely amidst a floor covered in pressure plates.
Rolling past the guard, Tenji leapt along the path, having already memorised the pattern- needles fired.
"AHH!" Kenji screamed, running mad as needles flew behind him. Stepping on every damn pressure plate in a row, Kenji outran the storm of needles, many hitting the artificial guards to ping off their armour.
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Kenji ducked, the artificial guard's mace splintering the stone wall behind him.
The guards shifted and yet were forced to march in their stiff patterns to reach him.
Tenji meanwhile arrived at the last trap. A stone tablet atop a pedestal. In front of the setup were long lines in the flooring, the golden door just behind.
Apparently, the elf had seen this trap before. Magic runes would send wind magic saw blades ripping along the lines in the floor to rip through those who put the wrong code into the tablet.
And while the elf didn't know any magic herself to help figure out the right code, she did know a trick to force it to deactivate. Following her knowledge, Kenji shifted to the boy knight, activated [Blessing-fire] and drove the flaming blade right down the tablet amidst a wild burst of rainbow coloured magic.
The three artificial guards had been about to club the brains out of Kenji before they too froze, becoming still as statues. Kenji sighed with relief, having to mop the sweat from his brow and pull back his flame-coloured hair. Heaving at his blade - it was stuck. Whatever magic had been in the stone had fused the steel with it, the whole blade now just stuck inside the stone tablet and the pedestal it had lain upon.
"Yeah, you rest easy buddy. You deserve it," Kenji left the sword behind, despite the weird ache he felt at doing so. Arthur's childhood memories with the blade pulled at his heartstrings. It had been his fathers, the symbol of his household.
"Damnit, fine! I'll come back for you somehow!" Kenji snapped and ran for the door.
Thrusting in the key, he turned it with a satisfying click. Yawning open, the huge golden door revealed a massive room filled with wealth, treasure chests, and weaponry of all kinds.
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The three gods of this Kingdom were everywhere. Symbols of an eye, a heart and food plastering ever cup and wall. Kenji first picked up a blue-steel dagger from a display case, then started putting the gold coins laying around in his pocket before he realised- what was he doing?
This was common grade loot. Here to buy time in case of theft for the guards to arrive.
The real loot would be deeper within.
Moving past the mounds of treasure it began to dawn on him.
This. could. not. be. real.
As much as he wanted it too, this much gold in a place like this would be absurd.
Removing the elf's head, he activated the blessing of [Sight] then morphed into her. The illusion was peeled away to reveal a faint gas in the air. A creature covered in glinting gold prowled around Kenji, a gigantic butcher's cleaver in hand, a purple tongue licking sharpened teeth clean.
Just in case, Kenji checked his pockets. He found only dirt, his precious gold gone.
Kenji sighed as the creature neared. Kenji turned around and ran.
Predictably, the thing gave chase. The ground shook as it charged, great gurgling laughter emanating from its golden maw as it's cleaver shrieked through the air. Just fast enough, Kenji rolled through the door.
The thing came soon after, staring right into Kenji's elvish eyes.
"You can see me, can you not, elf?" The monster roared, it's voice no doubt having alerted half the underground of the breakout. Kenji smiled brightly as he stepped back towards his blade, giving it a probing tug. Still stuck deep into the stone, it would not help him. Not yet.
The fool monster swung, Kenji grinned as he jumped high. Like a skipping rope, it sailed beneath him, smashing into the stone, the monster's strength sending shards blowing free. A cloud of dust filled the trapped hallway, shouting echoed along with the sounds of stamping feet.
When the monster could see again, it found Kenji had vanished. His sword too.
Turning the monster saw Kenji poke out his tongue as he pulled the vault door closed. Roaring in dismay he charged, only for the fire to wrap his body. Turning again, the monster found several of the red priests chanting in unison, summoning yet more fire to bind him.
"She is getting awa-AHHH!" The monster roared as the fire scorched its entire body.
***
Adrenaline pumped through Kenji has he hauled along his family sword, now coated in attached stone pieces. He grinned as he heard the monster's roar, the priests had come just in time.
Still, Kenji had taken the key and left the door slightly ajar so he might escape. Yet with the priests there, that was no a very unlikely eventuality.
Now to find what this Cathedral was hiding to need such defences.
At the empty treasure room's other side was a great cushion. Here is where Kenji assumed the monster had slept. Thinking this too easy - yes, having pulled the cushion aside Kenji discovered a trap-door.
Making sure to pull the bed over the trap door as he descended, Kenji couldn't wait.
Whatever was down here, it was rare.
He could practically taste it.
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