there was no living thing in the room save for those that weren’t supposed to be there.
“Makes the job that much easier,” the taller twin said with a shrug, moving brazenly out into the middle of the room. The shorter brother followed him.
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Thomas whispered, trying to melt into the wall. Miranda stayed with him, letting the Trask twins move into the exposed area that preceded the throne. They took one look back at the cowering Thomas and Miranda before scoffing and walking towards the throne.
They made it to the other side unimpeded.
The throne was ornate, with gold trimming outlining red cushions and golden armrests. Behind the single chair was a weapons case that held a shining sword and a shield – the very weapons General Chromwell used in the battle against the Dark Priest.
Though Thomas immediately wanted to touch the items, their prize was behind the weapons case.
The twins tried to push the case aside, eager to get what was on the other side of it, but it wouldn’t budge. Only when Thomas and Miranda helped push did the case move.
W hat they found was not what they expected.
The moment they moved the case, t he hissing creatures jumped out from behind them, knocking the two men to the ground. Luckily, the creatures weren’t on fire, or the twins would have burnt to death by the time Thomas and Miranda arrived to help them. Thomas wrestled one of the hissing creatures off of the taller twin without thinking about it, leaving Miranda to try her hand at removing the other creature with her sword.
Neither were very successful.
The hissing creature flung Thomas to the side, where he landed painfully on the red carpet. Miranda’s attacks were worse than useless, as they seemed to agitate the creature and she was sent tumbling to the floor. The creature’s hands were around the twins’ throats, and soon they both turned a uniform shade of blue.
Thomas wasn’t having it.
He tackled the nearest creature, which surprisingly fell to his weight and he managed to push one into the other, and both creatures released their holds. The twins rolled away, coughing, as the creatures turned their unseeing gazes to Thomas.
Now he had their undivided attention. He gulped.
They moved in on him, their arms held out to grasp for his face or throat or whatever else they could crush. He briefly considered sending fire at them, but that hadn’t exactly worked out the last time, so he immediately ruled it out.
Which left one option remaining.
He turned and ran.
They followed him, and he made sure to stay close enough so that they wouldn’t lose interest in him. Meanwhile, Miranda capitalized on the distraction to head inside the vault to procure their prize. The twins, dazed, did nothing more than try to regain their balance.
“I told them,” Thomas wheezed as he sprinted for a stairwell that led to the second floor balcony, “I told them this was suspicious.”
He climbed the scarlet staircase two steps at a time, torn between putting distance between the creatures and prolonging the distraction.
His decision was made for him as he reached the top of the stairs and was swiftly punched in the face for his trouble. His face exploded in barbs of pain and he slipped back down the stairs he had just climbed. His momentum was stopped by the creatures, and they seized him with a solid oak grip.
“Well well. Isn’t this a surprise?” a voice Thomas had never heard before said. It was deep yet somehow corroded, like the body th at housed the voice was falling apart.
Thomas shook the cobwebs loose and looked up, staring into the face of his attacker. As hazel eyes stared into red, Thomas’ jaw dropped.
The man was at least a head taller than him, with a ceremonial black robe that was tightly wrapped around a thin, almost frail, body. The man’s hair was black and stuck up all over, and he had a black beard that covered most of his face.
“I may be mistaken,”
“Makes the job that much easier,” the taller twin said with a shrug, moving brazenly out into the middle of the room. The shorter brother followed him.
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Thomas whispered, trying to melt into the wall. Miranda stayed with him, letting the Trask twins move into the exposed area that preceded the throne. They took one look back at the cowering Thomas and Miranda before scoffing and walking towards the throne.
They made it to the other side unimpeded.
The throne was ornate, with gold trimming outlining red cushions and golden armrests. Behind the single chair was a weapons case that held a shining sword and a shield – the very weapons General Chromwell used in the battle against the Dark Priest.
Though Thomas immediately wanted to touch the items, their prize was behind the weapons case.
The twins tried to push the case aside, eager to get what was on the other side of it, but it wouldn’t budge. Only when Thomas and Miranda helped push did the case move.
W hat they found was not what they expected.
The moment they moved the case, t he hissing creatures jumped out from behind them, knocking the two men to the ground. Luckily, the creatures weren’t on fire, or the twins would have burnt to death by the time Thomas and Miranda arrived to help them. Thomas wrestled one of the hissing creatures off of the taller twin without thinking about it, leaving Miranda to try her hand at removing the other creature with her sword.
Neither were very successful.
The hissing creature flung Thomas to the side, where he landed painfully on the red carpet. Miranda’s attacks were worse than useless, as they seemed to agitate the creature and she was sent tumbling to the floor. The creature’s hands were around the twins’ throats, and soon they both turned a uniform shade of blue.
Thomas wasn’t having it.
He tackled the nearest creature, which surprisingly fell to his weight and he managed to push one into the other, and both creatures released their holds. The twins rolled away, coughing, as the creatures turned their unseeing gazes to Thomas.
Now he had their undivided attention. He gulped.
They moved in on him, their arms held out to grasp for his face or throat or whatever else they could crush. He briefly considered sending fire at them, but that hadn’t exactly worked out the last time, so he immediately ruled it out.
Which left one option remaining.
He turned and ran.
They followed him, and he made sure to stay close enough so that they wouldn’t lose interest in him. Meanwhile, Miranda capitalized on the distraction to head inside the vault to procure their prize. The twins, dazed, did nothing more than try to regain their balance.
“I told them,” Thomas wheezed as he sprinted for a stairwell that led to the second floor balcony, “I told them this was suspicious.”
He climbed the scarlet staircase two steps at a time, torn between putting distance between the creatures and prolonging the distraction.
His decision was made for him as he reached the top of the stairs and was swiftly punched in the face for his trouble. His face exploded in barbs of pain and he slipped back down the stairs he had just climbed. His momentum was stopped by the creatures, and they seized him with a solid oak grip.
“Well well. Isn’t this a surprise?” a voice Thomas had never heard before said. It was deep yet somehow corroded, like the body th at housed the voice was falling apart.
Thomas shook the cobwebs loose and looked up, staring into the face of his attacker. As hazel eyes stared into red, Thomas’ jaw dropped.
The man was at least a head taller than him, with a ceremonial black robe that was tightly wrapped around a thin, almost frail, body. The man’s hair was black and stuck up all over, and he had a black beard that covered most of his face.
“I may be mistaken,”
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