The one advantage of having breathed in all that disgusting smoke back there is that now the rest of Tankenstein Graveyard smells positively rosy. The skyline has this pinkish hue from the fading funeral pyre behind us. The afternoon sun has begun to set, and I draw Mephis’s dagger, letting its comforting weight settle my apprehension. I notice that Perideen has returned his blade to his sheath. It makes it seem like he doesn’t have a care in the world, but now that I’ve spent a few days with him, I can sense the tension under his assassin’s calm. It’s all an act. The slightest sign that something’s wrong and he’ll draw and attack before I’ve even registered the danger.

We pace deeply into the loamy dirt, passing through each faded headstone and crumbling tomb without fanfare. Nothing comes out to bother us during the day. All is quiet, though the foul stench begins to return as we get farther from the Crypt Keeper’s dwelling. Now that we’re closer, I can smell it.

It really is foul.

I take it back.

I prefer the Asha Wood.

“What is that?” I can’t resist commenting and Perideen just chuckles under his breathe.

“Just imagine it, Kid.” He whispers back. I hate that even the assassin has begun to respect the silence of the graveyard. It speaks volumes that Perideen Darkblade feels the need to sneak around. Suddenly, I’m reminded of my time with Mephis. When I was with him, it was all just business as usual, even when assassins and monsters were attacking. However, when a real threat, entered the picture, suddenly everything changed. Perideen keeps his footsteps light, seeming like a ghost, a technique which Romy hasn’t managed to teach me yet. “Tosa’s been burying their dead here for generations. But no one’s paid a visit to the Mausoleum, except maybe the Crypt Keeper, in generations. Once the last member of a bloodline dies out, or the family stops visiting, that area is more or less left alone. What you’re smelling is the very bones and flesh which built the foundations that Tosa now stands on. Step quietly, I’d prefer not to meet the things which feed here.”

“But isn’t that why we’re here?” I ask, confused. Perideen looks back at me, as I try to understand. “To find what’s wrong with this graveyard, that’s our goal, right?”

“No. We’re here to investigate a potential Bloodfiend.” He shakes his head. “I’m not concerned about anything else that’s decided to spawn here. Though this place may look shabby, at one point, the Holy Order must have blessed the bedrock and set up a Wandering Soul Formation. No matter how low Tankenstein falls, it will at the very least, contain the vast majority of undead and other creatures which call it home. They aren’t a threat.”

“I see…” We fall into another uneasy silence as we progress further into the graveyard. Maybe half an hour later, as the sun continues to grow lower, we come across another building which looks like a bigger version of the Crypt Keeper’s dwelling. It’s plain, just worn gray stone walls shaped like into a box. If there was artwork on the sides once, it’s long gone now. The passage of time has eroded away all traces of what it used to be.

The Mausoleum.

“Come, Acolyte. Blade up, lips open. I want your magic at the ready, but make sure you keep in mind the situation. The Mausoleum may not be stable. And if you make too much noise, it will attract attention. Don’t cast anything too flashy.” Perideen instructs as he goes over to the entrance. He frowns with surprise. “It’s still locked. That’s…unexpected. Wait, do you see that?”

“Still locked?” I lean in closer. Unlike the Crypt Keeper’s house, the door to the Mausoleum is not just a slab of wood. It’s actually a thick tombstone-like block of smooth marble that has been roughened by the wind. Running across the center, there’s a solid iron bar, probably as thick as my thigh. The rusty metal bar is tightly down in the locked position. All in all, besides the edges of the door, which have been worn away to leave some small gaps, it should be an impenetrable setup from the inside. Nothing bigger than a rat is getting out of the Mausoleum through here. That being said, the bloody handprint smeared all over the deadbolt is a bit concerning. “I’m guessing the Crypt Keeper met some troubles inside.”

“So, it would seem.” Perideen points towards the pinky finger of the handprint. It’s hard to tell, but it seems like there’s a blurry section in the middle of the digit which could be where a metal band resided. “Definitely the Crypt Keeper. He wore his ring on that finger. The question is, what was he running from?”

“Whatever it was, he didn’t have time to make it to town. Maybe he built the fire hoping it would attract attention. But then…I guess he succumbed to his wounds after lighting it?” I try to find an explanation for the train of events. “Seems a bit convenient, but it makes sense?”

“Perhaps. There’s no way to know, any evidence is just ashes by now.” Perideen puts his hand on the thick rectangular deadbolt and starts to pull it up. “Our mission remains unchanged. Are you ready, Acolyte?”

“Yes.” I take a deep breath, preparing myself for what is to come. This is my first excursion into the darkness. Carefully, I pull on the future. Though I do not wish to waste mana, I’m worried about what could be behind the door. “Open it.” The tension builds, and Perideen strains his muscles to pull the hefty stone door open, even after the deadbolt is unlocked. The door squeals, making me wince in the present, but I keep my eyes open in the future, straining to see what lies beyond.

*Screeech*

Darkness and shadows.

It seems there’s nothing waiting for us.

As I predicted, the entrance is not guarded. Perideen lets go of the door once there’s room enough for both of us to enter. Reaching into his pocket, he withdraws a bright blue stone out of a little black bag, about the size of his palm. It begins to glow with a soft sapphire light and he steps forwards, one hand on his blade, the other sweeping the darkness inside. I follow him in, swallowing my apprehension. It’s my job to keep an eye on the future. I’ll be Perideen’s early warning radar.

“Stay behind me. But don’t block my retreat.”

#

For some time, I stay silent, just matching the assassin’s footsteps. My mind is on the future, but I’m not finding any threats. The Mausoleum is just a big, closed, box on the surface. However, in the center of the structure, is a set of stone stairs which descend deep down into the bowels of the earth. We go down with quiet feet, leaving behind the light from the setting sun behind us. It feels wrong to willingly enter this place. Like we’re stepping into a coffin.

It…smells awful here.

If the outside of the graveyard reeked of Asha Wood and rotting mulch, the inside of the Mausoleum is a bit different. But hardly better. The air is filled with this long dead smell, like something died, but got locked inside. Even though it was a long time ago, since the place has been sealed, the stench has just been accumulating without dissipating. I can’t decide if I prefer this to the surface. They’re both disgusting. Perideen leads the way, holding his stone up high so we don’t trip on the steps. If I was claustrophobic, this would be a nightmare. As it is, it’s still terrifying. We end up traveling down the long staircase down, down, down. So far down, that the air grows cold like we’ve entered a cellar. Finally, it levels out at the bottom and now the only light is from Perideen’s hand. In front of us, there is a main hallway which splits into three different passages like a maze. The dark stone floor clacks as my boots land on the last step. Perideen’s feet on the other hand are completely silent. It seems the assassin was born to travel the shadows.

We alight off the staircase and walk over to the main hallway. There are three brass sign cards on the wall which read as follows-

Left: Lotto Family Burial Tomb

Middle: Tosa General Burial Tomb

Right: Tosa Army Burial Tomb

After examining them curiously, I look to Perideen for direction. He flicks his finger towards the middle one while looking back at me. Without saying anything, I wordlessly step into his shadow and we continue deeper into the Mausoleum. Alright, the General Burial Tomb it is. Although…didn’t Perideen say that the poor had the least money for burial rights. So, if any undead were to rise, it would be in this one…right?

Though I want to keep my Foresight on the entire time, we haven’t met anything, and I can already feel a migraine coming on. Though the headache might just be because of the smell rather than mana exhaustion. Regardless, the tunnels down here are massive, and if we don’t find what we’re looking for in this one, there are still two other directions to go. As we progress down the dark corridor, several side passages lead off to individual family graves.

Legwyn…

Passada…

Rosano…

Finally, I decide to stop peeking at the future. For now, I’ll conserve my mana and rely on Perideen’s keen senses to detect any danger. Immediately, as my split vision fades away and my mind returns solely to the present, the sense of danger increases. It’s like being naked. If it was the me from my past life, I would have been terrified. Fortunately, I’ve spent so long in this world that I’ve gotten somewhat used to my limits. Romy’s training is amazing. I can actually keep going without knowing what will happen. I manage to stay calm by focusing on my breathing. Even still, every time the shadows flicker, I feel a little electric pulse race through me. At any time, the words for Chill are just in the back of my mind, ready to cast. Hehe, being a normie is kind of fun.

“Stop!” Perideen throws back the hand holding the glowing blue light stone. It hangs there, in front of my face and I’m blinded for a second. “Shhh…”

*Scree*

*Scree Scree*

What’s that?

There’s this little chirping noise. It’s hard to tell what it is, because it’s so faint. I hear a few faint little pitter-patter noises.

“Rats?” I question and Perideen warily lowers his hand. Looking back, he sees me glancing away awkwardly from the bright light.

“Sorry. Yea, just rats.” He starts off again. Our pulses both slowly reset as we continue our journey into the middle corridor. The floor is pitted here and there, where the stone has been worn away, and cold drops of water keep falling on my head.

*Drip*

*Drop*

I jerk as another one lands. Rubbing the moisture away with a hand, I squint into the darkness.

Torrento

Maergus

Bujultus

The names in this world really are strange.

Although I guess I can’t talk since I have a weird one too.

Finally, the corridor starts to turn a little to the left. Sometimes I think we go up, sometimes down. Mentally a map of the Mausoleum is forming in my head. I think the overall shape is probably like a sort of trident, with the three corridors forming the prongs. However, there’s are a lot of individual family graves in-between the main tunnels, so it’s almost impossible to explore the whole thing. Does Perideen even have an idea where he’s going? Or are we just going to keep wandering around until we find something?

Perideen drops back as if he can hear my thoughts.

“Something’s wrong.” He leans beside me and whispers into my ear.

“What is it? I don’t see anything.” I reply. To this, the assassin nods. His green eyes look strange blended with the blue light from his hand. Everything seems okay to me.

“That’s the problem. The receptionist told me that Tankenstein hasn’t been properly cleared in generations. Look at the state of it. It should be crawling with undead. And yet…” He explains.

“Nothing. We haven’t run into anything…” I whisper back. The unsettling realization dawns on me that Perideen is right. Empty, this place is empty. But something wounded the Crypt Keeper. Where is it?

“I really don’t like this. We’ll finish exploring this corridor, and then turn around. It’s already dark outside. If necessary, we’ll come back tomorrow. But the night is not a good place to be in a graveyard.” Perideen cautiously decides. I approve of his decision. A tactical retreat until we can find a better opportunity is always a good idea.

*Drip*

*Drip*

After what feels like hours, but could have been any amount of time walking, the sound of water falling in the tunnel is starting to drive me insane. The craggy walls hide shadows and each individual family grave is a potential ambush. I want to peek into the future for each and every one of them. Ever since Perideen mentioned how strange it was that we haven’t run into anything, instead of being relieved that the side graves are empty, I get more tense. One time a particularly large drop of water falls on my head, and I immediately cast a silent spell!

[Flaming Ember of My Desire, Burst Forth-Burn]

The little jet of flame shooting out of my finger turns it into a candle. Perideen looks back in surprise at the sudden increased light. However, when I realize that it was just a drop of water, I prepare to dispel Burn.

“Wait!” Perideen shouts and comes back to me. After a quick glance around, he leans in and peers at my head. “There’s blood on your face…”

Then he whips his head up. Instinctively, I follow his gaze to the ceiling…

“HELL!” I can’t resist crying out at what I see.

“BACK!”

*Plop…*

*Plop…*