Page 33 of Cursed By Gold

I step into the cave, the faint light from the forest quickly fading away behind me. Total darkness descends as I fumble for my torch, the staff tapping out warnings with each step. I hear Rose sigh in frustration beside me but say nothing, focusing my attention on putting one foot in front of the other without falling. Our senses on high alert, we make our way ever deeper into the freezing darkness, listening for any sign that we are not alone.

Rose reluctantly follows behind. As soon as we are both inside, thick fog begins rolling in, quickly filling the cave. Visibility drops to mere feet in front of us.

"Ugh. Should have known it wouldn't be that easy," Rose grumbles.

“Not a fan of the dark and unseen?” I tease.

“You and I both know this isn’t the type of locale that my jobs take me.”

I’m tempted to tease her more, but after tripping over a rock in the fog I admit to myself that she may have it right. This really is a more difficult location than even my jobs usually take me.

We slowly make our way deeper into the cave system, stumbling over loose rocks and jagged stalagmites obscured by the fog. We move cautiously through the cave, our vision limited to the small circle of light cast by my torch. My staff sweeps back and forth, testing the ground before each step.

Rounding a corner, I fail to notice a thin tripwire strung at ankle height. The moment my foot hits it, I hear a faint click followed by a swift release of tension. An array of darts shoots through the air directly at Rose.

"Look out!" I shout, lunging towards Rose and tackling her to the ground. The darts whistle past, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The sound is sharp, almost like the hiss of an angry snake, before they lodge into the cave wall behind us with a series of loud thunks.

Rose gasps, staring wide-eyed at the cluster of darts now protruding from the stone just inches above where our heads had been. The realization of how close we came to being skewered sinks in. The cave, which moments ago felt oppressive and silent, now echoes with the aftermath of the trap we've narrowly escaped.

"Thanks, Scarlet," Rose whispers, her voice tinged with a mix of relief and lingering fear.

My breathing is ragged as the adrenaline starts to wear off, leaving a cold sweat on my skin. "That was too close," I mutter, forcing myself to look at the darts embedded in the wall. Each one is razor-sharp, their tips glistening with what could only be poison.

Rose, ever the pragmatist, lets out a shaky laugh. "You know, Scarlet, dodging darts is usually something we do when we're making our grand escape, not just walking around."

I chuckle in response. "Yeah, it's almost like the traps have decided to come to us for a change. Makes you nostalgic for the good old days, doesn't it?"

Rose grins, her fear momentarily forgotten. "Did you retire? My last encounter was only last week. Nothing like a bit of adrenaline to start the day. Although, I do prefer to see the darts coming rather than have them surprise me."

I nod in agreement, still eyeing the darts warily. "At least when we're escaping, we expect this kind of thing. Keeps you on your toes."

Rose smirks. "We probably shouldn’t let our guard down even for a second. There’s a reason most who go in without a guide don’t come out."

I sigh, the tension easing just a bit. "True enough. Let's try to avoid setting off any more traps, shall we? I'd prefer not to add 'human pincushion' to my resume."

Rose laughs, a genuine sound that cuts through the oppressive atmosphere. "Deal. But if we do, at least we know you're getting pretty good at the whole saving-my-life thing."

"Just another skill to add to my repertoire. If the triple G doesn’t work out I may apply for guard or kingdom hero." I reply with a grin. "Now, let's find that artifact and get out of here before the cave decides to throw any more surprises our way."

Rose nods solemnly. "Good thing you have quick reflexes." The grudging gratitude in her voice takes me by surprise.

"I saw it just in time." Standing up, I hold out a hand to help Rose to her feet. For once, she accepts it without hesitation.

We examine the rope tripwire closely. It is nearly invisible in the darkness and attached to a mechanism that releases the darts at just the right height to hit a person in the chest. Had I been alone, I likely would not have noticed it in time.

As we walk on, I can't help replaying those frantic few seconds in my mind—shouting out the warning, lunging at Rose to yank her down, hearing the darts whistle past our heads. It had all happened so fast.

Rose glances at me, an uncharacteristically grateful smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe we make a decent team after all," she says reluctantly.

I hold her gaze for a moment before facing forward once more. "For now," I agree, then pry one of the darts free.

We continue deeper into the cave system, driven only by the light of my torch. Each corridor twists and turns, presenting new dangers at every corner—traps, mysterious artifacts, and shadowy creatures that call these caves their home.

Rounding another corner, we are faced with an enormous stone door set into the cave wall. The door is etched with strange swirling symbols and what appears to be a convoluted maze.

I study the puzzle intently. I point to four worn symbols. "These must open the door in a certain sequence"

Rose traces one of the mazes. "Each maze starts at a different symbol."

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