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  I hoped the rest of us didn’t die as I pushed thoughts of Josh killing Bernard out of my mind and prepared for battle.

  Chapter 7

  That Mummy is a Lord

  Eric

  Inside the second burial chamber that was larger than the previous we’d come across, I saw seven mummies wrapped in cloth. A larger mummy with gold weaved around its body stood in middle of the others.

  “Well, they’re definitely not having a tea-party,” I said as I stepped into the room.

  “Clear the way,” Derringer said.

  As he pushed past me, I saw him holding a metal box containing a vial in his right hand. He lobbed it toward the mummies. It exploded in the air, showering them with holy water. The chorus of unholy screams that filled the chamber sent a chill through my virtual body.

  I froze in fear, unable to move. Four of the mummies shuffled forward, arms outstretched. As I struggled to overcome my fear, Josh and Boki rushed forward, engaging the four mummies coming at us. The other four stayed back, warily watching

  Come on, I thought as I watched helplessly. This fear effect is getting ridiculous.

  “Be careful of the mummy death touch!” Derringer yelled.

  He unsheathed his glowing black sword while also pulling out another of the holy water bombs. Boki and Josh both attacked the linen-covered creatures in front of them as I stood near the entrance of the room, shivering with game-inflicted fright.

  Derringer lobbed another metal box over their heads. It landed in center of the other four before exploding, covering them with more holy water. The smell of burnt flesh worsened in the room, helping me break free from my fear. Three mummies moved forward with their arms stretched out.

  “Move over!” I yelled then ran up beside Boki.

  I attacked one of the original four who hadn’t been hit.

  Your slash HITS the mummy for 9 damage.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy for 13 damage.

  Your pierce HITS the mummy for 10 damage.

  The mummy has noticed you.

  I smiled, loving the new Scimitar of Speed. With that and the FAST sword in my off-hand, I’d have more DPS stopping power. As always, the game was drawing me in deeper.

  Boki struck another mummy with his warhammer. It fell to the floor in a heap of bones and dusty cloth no longer moving. I dodged as a mummy clawed at me, but it nicked me.

  The mummy INJURES you for 14 damage.

  You have [114/128] health remaining.

  Maybe these won’t be as tough as we first thought.

  I saw the other three mummies reach the front line of the battle.

  Boki cursed as one hit him with its decrepit hand.

  “Mummy rot!” he shouted then attacked with a look of rage on his face.

  I turned and did the same. We needed to take them down quickly.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy for 14 damage.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy for 13 damage.

  Your pierce HITS the mummy for 9 damage.

  The mummy is dead!

  I counted four remaining. The mummy lord stood back, observing the situation with red, glowing eyes peeking out from behind the gold-lined burial cloth.

  “We need more fire,” Derringer said then tossed another holy water bomb.

  After it exploded, showering the mummy lord, I figured we all but had the battle won. Josh took out another mummy, splitting it in half with his new two-handed bastard sword. Boki dispatched yet another, leaving two mummies and the mummy lord.

  I attacked the nearest one, swinging both swords.

  Your slash WOUNDS the mummy for 16 damage.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy for 15 damage.

  Your pierce HITS the mummy for 10 damage.

  The mummy is dead!

  One more down.

  Boki and Josh both attacked the last mummy without gold on its cloth wrappings. It screamed before falling to the stone floor of the burial chamber.

  I glanced at the mummy lord, ready to take him out.

  “Fire in the hole!” Derringer shouted.

  As he threw another metal box, the mummy lord raised its arms, palms out. Sand shot out in a stream, reducing visibility and causing damage when it hit us.

  The sand storm DECIMATES you for 35 damage.

  You have [79/128] health remaining.

  Without a healer in the group, we needed to be more careful.

  I strained to see through the indoor sandstorm.

  The mummy stepped forward then slammed into me.

  The mummy lord INJURES you for 12 damage.

  You have been infected with mummy rot.

  You are unable to heal.

  You have [67/128] health remaining.

  Uh oh. I stepped back.

  “Where are you?” Josh yelled.

  I saw his massive steel sword appear briefly before ripping into the mummy lord. The undead creature turned with its arms raised.

  Josh screamed as it wrapped its hands around his neck. Sand fell back to the floor as I stepped forward to attack.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy lord for 12 damage.

  Your slash HITS the mummy lord for 8 damage.

  Your pierce HITS the mummy lord for 10 damage.

  The mummy lord is not amused.

  I heard Josh’s sword fall to the floor with a clang. The mummy lord continued squeezing, not letting go.

  “Get it off me,” Josh yelled, going into a rage.

  Not seeing Boki anywhere, I attacked again.

  Your slash MISSES the mummy lord.

  Your slash HITS the mummy lord for 7 damage.

  Your pierce INJURES the mummy lord for 12 damage.

  The mummy lord has noticed you.

  Josh yelled as the mummy lord removed its hands from his neck. The barbarian flew into a fury, ripping at the burial cloths with his bare hands.

  I stepped back.

  Almost all the sand had fallen to the floor.

  “Where are you, Boki?”

  “He’s over here,” Derringer said. “Barely alive.”

  “Help him,” I said then turned my attention back to Josh and the mummy lord.

  They were both squeezing each other in the craziest bear-hug I’d ever seen.

  Josh yelled a string of orcish insults. The mummy lord hissed and moaned.

  I stepped to my left, hoping to attack without hitting Josh.

  Your slash HITS the mummy lord for 9 damage.

  Your pierce MISSES the mummy lord.

  Your slash MISSES the mummy lord.

  The mummy lord looks well.

  Is it healing itself? We’ve got to end this now.

  “Let him go,” I yelled.

  Josh paid me no regard, continuing to squeeze.

  “Boki’s not waking up,” Derringer said. “I think it’s mummy rot.”

  “Fix him,” I snapped then attacked again.

  Your slash MISSES the mummy lord.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy lord for 14 damage.

  Your pierce INJURES the mummy lord for 12 damage.

  The mummy lord looks well.

  What’s going on? I wondered. Magic?

  Unable to squeeze his foe to death, Josh let go and stopped back. The mummy stepped forward, once again reaching for the barbarian’s neck.

  Does it not consider me a threat? Big mistake.

  I briefly considered the Everlast potions in my pouch but pushed the idea aside.

  Time to take this mummy out for good.

  Concentrating, I launched another series of slashes.

  You slash WOUNDS the mummy lord for 17 damage.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy lord for 15 damage.

  Your slash WOUNDS the mummy lord for 19 damage.

  The mummy lord has noticed you.

  It turned toward me, giving Josh enough time to pick up his sword. Derringer stepped beside me.

  “He’ll live, but he’s not healing,” he said, holding his black sword in one hand and a metal box in the othe
r. “Time to kill this beast.”

  The mummy lord moved forward, shuffling its cloth covered feet across the dust on the floor. Derringer tossed the holy water bomb a few feet behind the creature.

  As it exploded, covering the mummy lord in more holy water, smoke arose from the gold-lined linen. I attacked with both weapons, hoping for a critical hit.

  Your slash HITS the mummy lord for 9 damage.

  Your pierce GRAZES the mummy lord for 4 damage.

  Your slash MISSES the mummy lord.

  The mummy lord is badly hurt.

  About time.

  With nowhere to run, it reached for my neck.

  I stepped backward, avoiding its grasp.

  Derringer thrust his sword.

  The mummy lord staggered then turned to look at the dark knight.

  I swung both weapons, finishing it off.

  Your pierce HITS the mummy lord for 9 damage.

  Your slash INJURES the mummy lord for 14 damage.

  Your slash GRAZES the mummy lord for 4 damage.

  The mummy lord is dead!

  Combat is over!

  You get 20,000 xp.

  You have 4 party members.

  You get 5,000 xp.

  You have 101,733 xp.

  You need 3,267 xp for Level 10 Rogue -> Bounty Hunter.

  I glanced at Boki still laying on the floor.

  “Can we cure this mummy rot?” I asked.

  “Beyond my abilities,” Derringer said. “We should return to Westwood.”

  “Will the mummy rot do anything else?” I asked.

  Josh wandered over, his brow furrowed in anger.

  “I almost had him,” he said.

  “Yeah? That bear-hug?” I chuckled. “Not the most effective attack.”

  “It doesn’t matter who took him down,” Derringer said. “We should go back to the stairs leading to the crypt outside the fort.”

  “Agreed,” I said.

  For the first time in a while, I felt vulnerable in the game. All it had taken was the inability to heal. Being paralyzed with fear wasn’t fun either. I glanced around the otherwise empty room, wondering if I should search for a hidden door.

  “Hold on,” I said. “There’s something about that far wall.”

  “Careful,” Derringer said. “If it’s a trap, I can’t heal you.”

  I nodded as I walked over. When I reached the carved stone wall, I stopped and searched the surface carefully.

  “There’s a crack,” I said as the Derringer and Josh walked over. “Maybe…” I stopped talking as I followed the tiny seam up the wall.

  “Here,” I said, applying pressure to a spot on the stone that had been worn down.

  A gear groaned somewhere unseen, and the entire wall moved back then slid to the side. Inside the room, I saw piles of coins and three urns full of various types of gemstones.

  “Gem jackpot,” Derringer said.

  “Should we leave the gold here?” I asked. “There’s a lot of it, and this is our land now. Might be better to keep it hidden here than lug it around.”

  “Fine with me, but I need more gems,” Derringer said.

  He stepped into the room, activating a pressure plate in the floor. A dozen darts shot out of the opposite wall. Three of them hit me, two on the neck and one on the forehead.

  The dart SCRATCHES you for 1 damage.

  The dart SCRATCHES you for 3 damage.

  The dart GRAZES you for 4 damage.

  You feel strange.

  Ugh. Better not be poison.

  “Aren’t you the one who said be careful?” I snapped as I removed the darts.

  Derringer dropped to the floor without a reply.

  I bent to one knee next to him, checking for a pulse. We can’t lose someone else in our group. Not now.

  “Is he dead?” Josh asked. “We don’t have to bury him, do we? I mean, we just met him.”

  “He’s alive,” I said. “And yes, we would bury any member of our party.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Josh asked, peering down.

  “I don’t know. Probably the darts. Do you feel strange?”

  The words coming out of my mouth felt far away. Josh laughed then fell to the floor himself, also not speaking. Had we all been poisoned?

  I reached into my pouch for an Everlast potion.

  “No,” Derringer said in a scratchy voice.

  He stretched his arm and touched my leg. A blue light glowed.

  You feel refreshed.

  The poison is gone.

  You are infected with mummy rot.

  You are unable to heal.

  You have [67/128] health remaining.

  “That’s the best I can do,” Derringer said.

  As he stood, struggling not to fall again, I bent down and examined the pressure plate, looking for others in the room. Not finding any, I cautiously walked into the inner chamber, marveling at all the treasure.

  Nestled atop a mound of gold coins, I saw a modest wooden chest no more than half-a-foot across. Derringer walked in as I checked it for traps.

  “What’s in it?” he asked.

  “Give me a second,” I said.

  After opening the lid, I saw two rings on the inside, one of silver and one gold. Neither of them had any inscriptions, but I sensed they might be magical.

  “We need a mage.” I sighed. “No way to tell what they do, but we’ll take them and some of the gold to pay to get this mummy rot cured.”

  “I found a book,” Derringer said from near one of the urns full of gems.

  “Magic?” I asked.

  “The Manual of a Healthy Body,” he said. “I bet it raises constitution.”

  “Bring it, and whatever gems you need for those contraptions of yours,” I said.

  “What about me?” Josh asked.

  “You can carry Boki back topside,” I said.

  The dwarf moaned slightly as he curled up in a fetal position on the floor.

  “I meant, what treasure do I get,” Josh said.

  “Take whatever you want,” I replied.

  “Give me one of the rings,” Josh said, walking out of the inner chamber and holding out his huge hand palm up. “It’s only fair.”

  “Take them both,” I said, handing over the small chest. “They’re probably cursed.”

  He took the chest, staring down at the rings and smiling.

  “I wouldn’t wear them until we find out what they do,” Derringer said.

  “You get enough gems?” I asked.

  Derringer smiled then replied, “A man can never have enough gems, but I have enough for now.”

  “Good.” I turned to the half-orc. “Josh, grab Boki. We’re going to Westwood for help.”

  I walked out of the empty chamber and into the narrow tunnel. As I went, I listened for any noises ahead, signs we might be in trouble. How long have we been underground?

  Back in the round cavern with the chain ladder leading to the secret room in the fort, I stopped and cupped my hand behind my ear. Nothing. Good. A little luck maybe.

  While I had more health than Boki, I didn’t want to take any chances until we got rid of the mummy rot. Derringer and Josh caught up, the barbarian still carrying the dwarf.

  “This guy’s small but heavy,” he complained. “I say we cut him to half-rations.”

  Boki moaned but said nothing.

  “Let’s go,” I said. “We still have those ridiculously long stairs that don’t make any sense.”

  I left the cavern and entered the tunnel opposite the other two. At the end, I climbed the stairs to the surface, anxious to scout the crypt. Would we make it back to Westwood?

  When I reached the final steps, my head poked above the stone sarcophagus. Sunlight penetrated the inky darkness inside the crypt.

  Morning already?

  I walked to the doorway, scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. Nothing out of the ordinary.

  Josh pushed past me, dropping the dwarf to the leaf covered g
round.

  “Careful,” I said. “Get the floating platform out of his sack.”

  Josh grumbled but retrieved our magical travel device.

  “Can you fly it?” I asked Derringer.

  “You’re kidding, right?” He smiled. “I’ve been watching Boki since we left.”

  “We’ve got a good group going,” I said.

  “I’ll be back,” Josh said. “I’m going to get our supplies and check the fort.”

  “Want us to come with you?” I asked.

  He shook his head then walked away.

  I settled down on the ground with my back against the trunk of one of the trees. Derringer did the same, immediately digging into his bag of gems and separating them by color. Boki moaned and stirred on the ground a few feet away. I wished I could do something to help him.

  Why did the game have to throw so many stupid random encounters our way? Or should we have avoided the crypt altogether? Why had Bernard explored it on his own? The questions piled up like firewood as I waited for Josh to return with our ride.

  “This isn’t going very well,” Boki moaned. “I wish Axelrod would get here.”

  “Why didn’t he come?” I asked, hoping for more information.

  “The roguelike,” Boki said. “It’s a game within the game.”

  “Yeah, we heard about it,” I said. “Did Axelrod’s friends come out?”

  “No. He was about to go in after them with his scepter, but he got a note at the last night. The spell the scepter had over him broke, and he took off on a quest. He wouldn’t tell any of us about it, but he said he’d come and find us.”

  “We could use the help,” I said.

  Boki nodded. “An extra dwarf is always a good thing.”

  “I’m here,” Josh said, carrying two bags of supplies. “Bernard’s body was missing, but I have all our stuff.”

  “What do you mean, missing?” I asked. “You found the secret room?”

  “It wasn’t hard,” Josh said. “Found it behind the pantry in the kitchen.”

  “And you didn’t find Bernard’s body?” I asked.

  Josh shook his head then dropped our supplies on the floating disc.

  I turned to Derringer.

  “What happens if he gets turned into undead after he died?” I asked. “Will he be an undead PC or something?”