Snippet #2818817

Yuwen held out the torch, it's light refracting and illuminating off the stones lining the tunnel. He'd heard a few of the conversations, snippets and words, but had not spoken himself. From the distant-growing hole to the town-square more had climbed down and joined. He'd been leading them for several minutes now. He occasionally gave a glance back at the assembled group but for the most part kept his mouth shut. But there was one thought that prevailed in his mind when he looked back. A feeling unmistakable in the glint of his olive eyes. This was a guild.

"This way," Yuwen said as he marched, noting the boot-prints on the ashy floor before them. "We're getting close."

***

"Sir, I urge you we must go," A snivelling Tengu pleaded as he looked back at the tunnel leading to the chamber where two Tengu soldiers stood, spears in the air: preparing for any intruders who may come storming in. "Sir, the others are dead... we came with a force of forty and only the four of us remain," The Tengu whispered to his leader. "The Emperor must have known. Why else would this village house so many mercenaries?"

The leader, an elderly, grey bearded Tengu shook his head slowly. "No one knew, Shinji... we were simply unlucky." The leader reached forward and placed his hand on a door at the end of the chamber. His long fingers traced the stone carvings until they reached a mechanical key-hole. "...It seems this chest needs a key," The leader whispered, before raising his hand. The honey stones built into the stone began to glow, as the statue above had earlier. Then they abruptly burst into flame. The burning disappeared after a second, and the smoke a second after that. The rock door was damaged, bit it still stood. "...for I cannot open it with force."

Suddenly a sound echoed from the passage. The leader glared at his assistant. "They've arrived."

The assistant nodded and began to move with the other two Tengu back toward the pit entrance. The leader swallowed. "It needs a key..." He repeated to himself before raising up and flying toward the ceiling of the chamber. "And it's a key they will have." His sharp boots hooked into the rock and he knelt behind a stalactite. And so he'd wait, on the ceiling, in silence...