Clerics Crypt

" Yet again. Its a CRYPT!" Alera said.

"Yes it is, so what?" I repeated.

"Your telling me that you were hired to rob not just a grave, but The Clerics Crypt, and you want me to go with you?"

"Well yeah who else would I take with me. Really Alera your my best friend, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Your insane. Get out Harnic, don't come back again."

I didn't understand the problem at the time, but standing here now I thought I might. Staring into the eerie blackness of the cemetery was unnerving. I looked up at the middays sun then back at the darkness before me wondering. Did I make a mistake? Maybe I should have listened to the old stories a bit more but tales to frighten children just were not for me. Taking a deep breath I muttered " For fortune and glory." I stumbled climbing over a broken section of wall. Wondering if they where to keep out people like me or keep something else in. It was a disturbing thought. I felt the warmth of the day disappear and the slimy chill of that unnatural darkness slide over me. The sweet stench of decay filled my nose and I tried not to sneeze. It was more then just darkness, the uneasy feeling of not being alone in this place was unsettling. Nothing seemed to move and yet this cemetery seemed to revolve around me. Slithering across my senses to set nerves on end. "I should have listened to you Alera." my voice sounded hollow in the still air.

  "Yes. You should have listened." I dropped searching for the source of the voice, but could see nothing through the murk. If anything it seemed to be getting darker. I started moving slowly fumbling for my dark lamp but it was missing. "Looking for this Thief?" The dark light flared to life several feet above me. I could not see what held it there. I could not remember the sources of the spark if there had been any, the flame simply appeared.

"Take it little thief my gift to you. You may prove amusing for a time."

 The light settled to the uneven ground, its meager flame giving more comfort then light. I held it close glaring at the darkness. "I'm always amusing who ever you are. Ask anyone." There was no response I knew there wouldn't be one as I slowly stood on unsteady feet. 

It was a simple job, nothing I hadn't done before. Get in find this book and bring it back to my client. Except I had never actually taken anything from the dead before, and this cemetery was huge an actual Necropolis. The city of the dead dwarfed the capital. Finding one Crypt in a city of Crypts was going to be harder then I had anticipated.

"I wonder if I can renegotiate my fee." I said aloud.

  "Perhaps, I certainly would." called another voice. I stopped hands shaking. It must have been from the cold of course. The bone deep chill that seemed to surge into you from the shadows of shadows. I felt around and found a door that seemed not exactly inviting but at least not menacingly. I leaned against it and fell through as it swung open silently. Someone squealed not me I totally expected the door to open. I rolled to my feet almost and fell again against the hard sarcophagus 

"Ow."

 I got my feet under me and looked around the small room. It was a spartan crypt I closed the door and set the bar across the brackets. Then stopped I looked at what I had done puzzled, why would there be a bar lock inside a crypt? I slowly turned taking stock of my surroundings again with more care. Sarcophagus check, bench check, torch bracket, fireplace, and scary skeletal form grinning at me from the open tunnel. I should have know better I thought.

The skull twisted slightly "Yes you should have, but you should have know better then to come at all. Why else would the tales be allowed out into the world." I drew my dagger.

"Do not be rude!" the words thundered around the chamber and the blade fell to the ground. I clutched my head as I fell to my knees something trickled from my ears . 

"That's better, now warm yourself by my fire and allow me to play the proper host. It has been centuries sense my last visitor." The fire flicked to life and warmth slowly spread through the room. I could smell something soothing in the air and the uneasy feelings of the last hour seemed to flow out of me. Instinctively I sat which seemed proper given the circumstances. There was no way I could overcome the thing that bustled around me, not with the power It had shown. I was safe for the moment and the darkness was gone from the room at least. 

I needed the time to gather my wits this was a powerful being and I was nothing special. In truth I was a nobody a miner thief that even the thieves guild didn't recognize. I watched the creature as it moved about the small chamber. It wore some armor I had never seen before a great sword slung over its shoulder and sandals tied to grotesquely protruding legs. The old leather had cut into the blackened and shriveled flesh over the years. From a dim corner he produced a table and chair and several bottles. 

 He sat and looked at me for a moment before offering a bottle to me. " I would say take the bottle for your efforts and go little thief, but you have lost that opportunity already. There can't be more of that vintage in the world after so long a time. Drink and be content for a now. Your life will now be filled with misery and horror."

I believed him and took the bottle. "Who are you?"

  "You ask unimportant questions on the eve of death child."

"Still I did ask, its only polite to answer if we are to be civil." I said. The creature laugh was a dry rasp. 

"I was once know as Grinju Qui Late of his Majesties Royal guard and later still of his cursed legion."

"No, never heard of you." He stared at me with no expression on his face the fire in his eyes burning slowly." What are you?" 

"Cursed trapped betrayed dead and alive yet not living. One of many in the royal city but you would have know that if you had listened to the tales of Cho Wrin." I stared at him in disbelief. 

"Cho Wrin is a myth, it's a fairy tale to frighten children."

"Then you visit with the nightmare of the fairy tale boy. This is a gatehouse of Cho Wrin one of the south eastern sector of the great city. You have come to plunger and pillage though you seem to have no companions with whom to carry away the great wealth of the city that never was. Did they send you to scout ahead while they stayed in the safety of the light?"

"No I came alone. 

"Then you are either brave or very foolish, which is it little thief?"

"Perhaps it is a little of both." I said without thinking.

"That is the first sensible thing you have said. Pity you will die here along and friendless Harnic Qui."

"How did you know my name."

  "It does not matter how I know the name, you are damned you can not leave this place with the riches of your dreams. No one that enters ever leaves and there have been many over the centuries. The corpses of he lost lay in the streets for a time before their spirits find that they are trapped within the influence of the clerics curse. Their shadows roam the streets now horrifying themselves and morning their lives."

"No way out why not just turn around and leave. Walk back out into the light."

  "Which way will you go do you remember, can you tell east from west or up from down in this blackness?"

I had to admit I couldn't. I had to find the book of the Cleric and return before something happened I became confused when I thought about it. What was going to happen? Where was I suppose to go? 

"Listen to me accept your fate Harnic, you will not be the one to leave this place and in time you will die for lack of food and water. Once there were places to find such things here yet even I can not remember where that must be."

"There has to be a way, I just have to find it."

"Perhaps there is perhaps not I can not leave why should you?"

"I have someone to live for."

"Then you should not have come here, rest for now. Perhaps in time you will understand." 

I fell asleep.

My Lamp was empty, there was no sign of the fire. I was so cold that it hurt to move as I tried to lighting the torch. There was no sign of the creature, nothing except the sealed bottle on the floor. I had no map of the cemetery nor any idea what the Crypt I was searching for looked like. I looked out the door and decided I needed to get moving nothing was going to change sitting here. Darkness engulfed me as I moved along the broad street. I walked for what seemed like hours, until a gleam caught my eye. It was off to my left a silver sting in the black void of this place, I crossed an old fence to a low building, light glimmered through a crack in the door way. I opened the door to a radiant light, a spectral form appeared in my mind grappling with me. I couldn't breath and then I was floating somewhere. I could feel my body slipping away as something else took over.

I heard the cackle of triumph and felt the surge of intense Joy at having a body once more I or rather it tore at a wall my hands opened the hidden compartment beyond nimbly checking items and donning strange clothes then turning my body it ran from the house I was caught in the grip of this thing as it tore through the darkness, I saw things crawling, twisting in the shadows as we passed. I struggled to free myself form its control but I was not strong enough. Then as suddenly as it had begun, My body came to an abrupt stop some where deep in the city of the dead. A pillar of light torn through the darkness and My mouth began mumbling strange words that twisted the energies of the cursed night slowly my legs moved and it hurt I screamed at the torment. How was it possible that I could feel the pain but not my body. It became more difficult to fight for control of myself and ignore the pain of the assault that it was throwing at the light before me. 

The thought occurred to me that perhaps it the assault hurt me it also hurt what ever it was that had taken over my body. I fought harder pushing the thing from my body the mumbling faltered. It struggled against me attempting to continue its assault on the light. My body stumbled I could feel my leg again I keep fighting and the thing screamed as I pushed it out of me. In the light of that pillar the grotesque thing writhed in apparent agony. I took a great satisfaction in that and that I had found the Clerics Crypt! Accidentally perhaps but I had found it. The one place of light in this darkness. A sense of peace came over me now that I had control of my body and mind. I walked towards the light it was warm gloriously so after the night I had endured. I entered the piller and found a door of stained glass framed with silver atleast that's how it appeared to me. I looked for a lock of some kind and finding none I pushed opened the tomb. I had not expected what I had found. Standing before me in apparent prayer was a short man in cloth amour he had a worn flail hung from his belt. His head was bowed over an ancient book. His eyes where open and staring at me slowly he closed the book. Why have you come. 

" Are you the Cleric?" I asked

"I am a Cleric of OGH. Why have you come?"

"I was informed you where dead." 

"It appears I have yet to please My God. Why have you come thief?"

"Why would you think I was a thief?"

"Why would you think I was dead?"

"Then you are the Cleric."

"I am a Cleric." He said firmly pulling something from a pouch and eating it. My belly betrayed me. "You are alive, not many here are Young one, you see the prayer allows you to enter but sadly no one can leave, not until the damned are dealt with. Come you are hungry I must feed you and allow you to rest." he said moving to a low table and seating himself. 

"Why would you do that?" 

"Only the living have hunger, you are hungry I will feed you, you will listen and I will explain why you have come."

"You have come to steal something of importance to someone, I do not think you know why it is important. You came for the coin you would get for finding the things you where to bring back. Unfortunately you can not leave, not as things are now, but there is a way back to where you came from." 

"Yes just walk out of the darkness."

"No you can't walk out the will of OGH will not allow that."

"Then how?"

'Why did you come?"

  "Fine I came for a book."

"For a book?"

"Fine for your Book."

"You came for my book, has the world forgot how to pray to OGH?"

"No the spells in your book are what they want."

The Cleric laughed, "There are no spells in my book this is the will of OGH."

"No Spells? Then what good is it?"

  "It is of great value to me. Not I would say to you."

"Then how do I get out of here."

"Have you seen the skeletal warriors around the gates?" I nodded remembering the creature I meet on entering this curse place.

"That is how you leave release them from the curse and you will be able to leave this place. Find the golden rings that hold their soul bound to this realm destroy them and the curse will be lifted."

" You want me to do what?"

"You have to understand that they are the reason OGH sealed off this city this now ruined city of the dead and damned."

Roasted meats appeared on the table along with fresh fruit and glorious water. I drank deeply and then slowly looked again. the feast stayed on the table the smells hung in the air, a soft breeze touched my face and it was warm in this light. 

"Are you going to disappear in a few moments and leave me here eating grave dirt or something?"

His eyes smiled warmly as he chuckled, " No this is all real, It is a gift from OGH, eat your fill refresh your soul and spirit. I will tell you what must be done so that you can return to your home."

"Alright," I said I was staving after all and if this strange little man could get me out of this I wanted to know how.

" Very well then Henric long ago the King of Cho Wrin, decided that he was a God, and banded the worship of any other god save for himself. This naturally angered the Gods and OGH decided to pay him a visit. When the King received word of OGHs intention he took his best Solders and had them sacrificed for eternal service. The Skeletal warriors you seen when you arrived. These unliving warriors are controlled by the gold rings into which their souls where captured, stolen by their cruel masters. In turn for the spells that created the warriors condition the King had the wizards slain and they too became captured creatures of their king. Some are the shadows you have seen and others are different creatures entirely. Litchis roam the streets from time to time working magic's to end the will of OGH. These are the problems you must face young one you skills of burglary may serve you will in some things but can you defend yourself from a thousand warriors of great Cho Wrin? I do not think you can take on the score of Litchis and their undead King, for that you will need help. There are a few yet living within these walls , fighting for what they may and taking shelter where they can. What you must do release the warriors give them peace from their sufferings, and perhaps some will join you in the battles that are to come."

"You must be out of your mind Cleric." I wasn't ready for something like this even I knew that much. I thought about Alera I had wanted her with me on this what would she think. Then I remembered the last words she had said to me. Your insane get out Harnic and don't come back.