"Allah Protect me!" The thief screamed and raised his hands as though to ward off a blow. The snake, as long as a date palm and nearly as thick, struck like lightning. Ma'kum spun away with an agonized shriek but before he could hit the ground a second snake struck from the darkness, then a third. Within moments the thief was silent and all that could be heard was the rasping of scales and the low hissing of the great serpents.

Behind them came the grinding sound of stone against stone. Amira did not look back but spoke after a moment, sensing Rhaak's question.

"The guardians of the tomb will not be detered by a simple rockfall. Even should it take them a thousand years to clear the way, they will come for those who disturbed their slumber," her tone was not worried and perhaps held a hint of wonderment at such a thing, though it was difficult to tell.

"We must cross this cavern, there will be a sacrum, where the spells of this place are carved into the walls," she explained as she looked around trying to find an alternate route past the snakes.

"Without reaching it we cannot hope to escape this place."

[@POOHEAD189]