Page 35 of Cursed By Gold

Rose laughs in relief. "We did it!"

We shout in celebration as I grab the golden scarab artifact.

Rose frowns. "That one's mine."

I shake my head. "I got it first."

Rose crosses her arms. “I was the one to figure out how to save our butts or neither of us would have made it out of her. I deserve it."

Annoyance flares, but I tamp it down. Fighting now would be foolish.

I sigh. "Fine. We work together to find me one as well though."

Rose smiles slightly. "Deal." She takes the scarab. "Come on. There will be more artifacts deeper in."

I nod. "Let's keep moving"

Staff of Halisar

Scarlet

Rose and I inch deeper into the cave system, every step taken with deliberate caution. The flickering torchlight casts eerie shadows on the towering stone pillars around us, each one intricately carved into the likeness of coiled serpents. The walls are rugged, their uneven slabs illuminated in the dim light. In the distance, shadows dance and twist, creating an unsettling, almost hypnotic effect. The air is thick with the stench of rot and stagnation, the musty odors of an ancient tomb pervading every breath.

As we navigate through the pillars, the stone floor beneath us groans ominously. Suddenly, without warning, the pillars begin to spin rapidly, crashing into each other with a deafening roar. The once-still serpents now become a deadly gauntlet, their immense stone spikes whirling and smashing together, threatening to crush us between them.

"Run for the door!" I shout, pointing to our only chance of escape.

We leap away from the giant crushers, the cold rush of air from each rotation whipping our clothes into flapping ripples. Dodging and darting between the spinning pillars, we race against time. The noise is deafening, stone grinding against stone, each near miss a reminder of how close we are to being pulverized.

Miraculously, we make it to the far wall, collapsing against its solid safety just moments before the crushers would have reached us. Rose meets my gaze, her eyes wide with adrenaline. "Another close call," she says, her tone grim, though a spark of excitement dances in her eyes.

After catching our breath, we proceed with even more caution. We edge along the side of a stone pool, its glowing green water roiling ominously below. Thick columns of vapor rise from the surface, the smell of sulfur and decay assaulting our senses.

"Lovely place," Rose mutters, her voice tinged with sarcasm as she eyes the bubbling pool warily.

I smirk, trying to lighten the mood. "Could use a little redecorating, don't you think? Maybe some fresh flowers?"

Rose chuckles softly, her grip on her torch tightening. "Yeah, and a bucket of scented oil."

We continue along the edge, each step calculated, each breath shallow. Rose's eyes dart around, her wariness infectious. "Something's not right here," she whispers.

I nod, every sense on high alert. Rose is right. Something is off. The silence is almost deafening, broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing through the cavern.

Without warning, thick tentacles burst from the depths, wrapping around Rose's legs. Her scream pierces the silence, raw and primal. The tentacles are slick and strong, pulling her towards the pool with a force that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Rose!" I shout, lunging forward. My hand clamps around her arm while my other hand draws my dagger in one swift motion.The tentacles writhe and tighten, desperate to drag her into the murky abyss.

I slash at the tentacles. The blade slices through the first one, then the next, spraying foul-smelling liquid all over us. The remaining tentacles recoil, releasing Rose from their grip. She stumbles back, gasping, as the severed limbs thrash wildly before sinking back into the pool.

Just when we think we're safe, more tentacles surge out, faster and more aggressive. One wraps around my ankle, yanking me off balance. I hit the ground hard, the torch slipping from my grasp and rolling away, casting wild shadows on the cave walls.

"Not today!" I growl, twisting to slash at the tentacle constricting my leg. The blade bites into the slick flesh, and the tentacle recoils with a hiss, spraying more of that foul liquid.

Rose, having regained her footing, swings her torch at the writhing mass, the flames licking at the tentacles and forcing them back. "Scarlet, behind you!" she yells.

I spin just in time to see another tentacle lunging for me. I roll to the side, narrowly avoiding its grasp, and come up swinging. The dagger cleaves through the air, severing the appendage mid-strike. The tentacle flails wildly before dropping to the ground, twitching.

We scramble to our feet, panting but determined, as more tentacles lash out. Working in unison, Rose and I fend off the onslaught, our movements synchronized from years of training together. The cave is a frenzy of slick limbs, flashing steel, and flickering torchlight.

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