Emmaline let out a deep relieved breath as the door closed behind them, the golden light fading from her eyes as the spell faded. The sound of boney hands slapping the far side of the tone were muffled and insistent, though it seemed unlikely that the skeletons would be able to make much headway.

"That was too close," she gasped, amazed that Amal had managed to open the ancient door. 

"Even the dead are slower in this land," Amal joked, running his fingers around the top of the chest, apparently searching for any kind of traps concealed in the ancient metal rim. Emmaline was about to respond when her eyes fell upon the jeweled crown on the head of the chained corpse. Gold lust surged inside of her like the tug of a vast tide. She took a shaking step towards the throne, stepping between the stern eyed statues that seemed to be standing some sort of guard. Despite its evident age the corpse was well persevered, shrunken layers of muscle and sinew curled around it as tightly as the golden chains that still glittered. Almost without thinking, the sorceress reached out and lifted the bejeweled crown from the things head, marveling at the way the jewels sparkled.

"Em... I don't," Amal began but before he could finish there was a sudden gust of sourceless wind that seemed to drown even the spell wrought illumination. A high pitched ping of parting metal echoed through the room and the cadavers hand, ripping free of the chain shot out and seized Emmaline by the throat, lifting her into the air as the ancient corpse ripped its way free of the chair. Emmaline kicked the thing in the chest, but the attack had about as much effect as attacking a boulder. The corpse king shouted something in a booming voice, fingers tightening around Emmaline's throat. In desperation she struck at it with her staff, the golden metal bouncing of its shoulder with no effect. The corpse began to laugh but was cut short as the staff struck of its own accord, the golden fangs of head piece sinking into its neck. The undead thing yelled again, but this time in pain, dropping Emmaline to the floor as it reared back. Veins of gold were spreading slowly from the snake bite, but it didn't seem to have mortally wounded the thing. Emmaline scrambled backwards away from the creature, the crown still gripped in her left hand.