A whisper echoed through the small temple, genuinely confusing the two lost wanderers trapped inside. They looked around, waving their torches, seeing nothing but cobwebs and dust. "This must've been abandoned for years, boy. It's best we not disturb anything." Said the older of the two men, his voice rich with a deep, harsh accent. "Quite the find indeed, I'd be surprised if we didn't stumble on a veritable gold mine of knowledge..." He said, his voice trailing off as he walked into the next room. A gasp of awe escaped the mans throat.

The younger man, a squire in training, was a bit less calm than the man. "A-a-are you okay?" He asked, hearing the gasp. He walked up closer to the old man, his grandfather, and dropped his torch, in as much, if not more, awe. He managed to let out some words, unlike his stunned grandfather. "We need to get out of here and show this to the others-" He said, only to be silenced by his grandfather, who wished to take in the awe of the moment.

The scene, however, was truly nothing special to be beheld, not to any others eye. It was a small dank cavern, protruding from the otherwise elaganley carved halls. In the center of the small cavern was a slab of marble stone, dripping a crimson substance, presumably blood. It pooled in a puddle around the altar, surprisingly fresh, considering the amount of cobwebs and dust around. Atop the altar stood a skull, inlaid with gold and gems. A sacrifice perhaps?

But no, the skull was not that awe inspiring in itself. Instead, the air rippled with a diving magic, that of a higher power than most mortal sorcerers. The enchantment allured those of weak will and weak mind. To those who gazed upon it, gold ran in rivers through a massive room, gems and finely crafted weapons dotting the ocean of riches. It was too much for any man to resist, especially those with a magical greed imposed upon them.

The old man stepped forward, kneeling before the altar. Just below the deep cover of dust, you could see a faint inscription. The man let loose a concentrated breath, sweeping away the thin layer of grime. A cloud settled in the room, displaced dirt getting everywhere. The younger man coughed, a bit allergic. "Come closer, my boy. I need help reading this." Said the old man, his bristly beard wavering. The grandson was still hesitant, but could not resist the allure as his eyes met those of the skull atop the altar.

"It appears to be written in an older dialect, but the characters are familiar..." The young boy said, remembering lettering of the same language written atop many family crests. "I do believe that I can decipher it." He said. He began to read off the characters carved deep into the marble, pausing every now and then when he got to a difficult spot. As he spoke, a large breeze ran through the cave, and the whispers again filled their ears, but went unnoticed.

Finally, the boy finished reading off the incantation. That was when they both realized their mistake. The disillusionment of the cave dissipated, and the blood atop the altar glowed. A deep chuckle reverberated through their bodies, chilling them to the bone. The old man convulsed in front of his helpless grandson, smoke pouring from every orifice as he writhed. The flesh began to melt from the mans bones, leaving naught but a skeleton. 

The boy, realizing that he could do nothing for his uncle, ran for his life. He made a fair distance with little resistance. However, he soon saw the smoke creeping closer, following him. A flaming pair of eyes appeared from the darkness, followed by a grin. The boy sped up, even more. The light of the exit was not far now. He made a dive, feeling that he was almost consumed by the darkness. As he looked up, he saw that he had made it, the sun shining down on him. Shadows boiled, pressing up against the exit of the temple, unable to pass through, some ward stopping them. The boy let out a prayer of thanks.

[i][b]DOOM[/i][/b]

[i][b]DOOM[/i][/b]

[i][b]DOOM[/i][/b]

The chant repeated, shaking the temple. The boy began to shiver again, horrified. A bright light engulfed him, as he screamed. The temple fell, crumbling to pieces beneath the might of the creature. From the smithereens, smoke rose, slowly taking shape, a fire igniting beneath. The beast, still not quite complete, let out a mighty roar, shaking the mountains, audible for miles. It turned its's fiery eyes, setting off at a gallop for the nearest civilization- Paterdomus.