Chapter 60: Guardians of the Golden Sarcophagus
As we got closer, I noticed a faint humming coming from the sarcophagus, almost as if it was reacting to our presence. Finn approached the massive structure; the bottom of it was buried in the blue sand, preventing it from falling down. Aeolus commented, "Think anything is in it?" Finn suggested, "We should probably just leave it alone; what if this is a trap?" I nodded, "Highly likely; opening it would probably trigger some sort of trap." Instead, we made our way to the other passage ahead, but Finn stopped before we left. He pointed to an altar with a book on it and asked, "What is that?"
We approached the book, curious about its contents; it was covered in symbols we couldn't decipher. Aeolus nodded, "This isn't any language I have seen before. No idea what it says." I frowned, "This is probably some kind of trap too; if we touch it, something happens." Aeolus frowned, "Ah, come on, boy, where is your sense of wonder? That is a weak man's mentality." Aeolus touched the book nonchalantly. He smiled, "See? Nothing happened." I frowned; this man had a bottomless ego, didn't he? Finn opened the book, "Might as well see what is inside." The words were incomprehensible, but there was a lot of interesting artwork inside.
I wasn't an expert on this, but as Finn slowly turned the pages, a theory popped into my head, "These are designs." They looked like blueprints for weapons—measurements, rough sketches, for all kinds of weapons. They seemed to be theoretical in origin. Finn looked at them like a child, "These are amazing! Whoever made these blueprints is way ahead of their time; we have to take these out of here. Father would love to see these inventions." I nodded, "Go for it. I am curious; do you think your father would be able to recreate these drafts?" Finn nodded, "Yes, even without being able to read them, my father would be able to get the idea." With the book in hand, Aeolus laughed, "See what I mean, man? Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Just as we were about to leave the room, a magical forcefield closed our path forward, and similarly, the way back was also blocked off. Yuna sighed, "Here we go again. Listen to the annoying bug and get squashed. Should've known." The sand figures around the sarcophagus began glowing, and rising cracks began to form in the sand that encased them. Four figures emerged from the sand coffins, covered in bandages from head to toe. Each movement they made seemed deliberate, as if guided by an ancient rhythm. The bandages, aged and frayed, hinted at the passage of countless years spent entombed in the sands. A faint glow emanated from the gaps in the bandages, casting an eerie light on their concealed features.
Their stature was humanoid, but the bandages obscured any distinct facial features or identifying marks. The wraps clung tightly to their forms, preserving a semblance of their long-gone existence. With deliberate and calculated movements, the mummies shifted, their eyes barely visible through the narrow gaps in the bandages, gleaming with an otherworldly luminescence.
The atmosphere around them crackled with an ancient energy, and the air seemed to carry whispers of a bygone era. Despite the centuries spent in confinement, the mummies exuded an aura of silent authority, as if the very essence of their existence held secrets waiting to be unveiled. As the sand figures fully emerged, the room resonated with a spectral presence, and the once-static air now vibrated with an almost tangible anticipation.
In their hands, wrapped in decaying linen, they wielded an assortment of ancient weapons – rusted blades, ceremonial staffs, and ornate scepters. Each movement cold and calculated carried the weight of forgotten lives, and the mummies moved as if guided by an unseen force, their motions part of an age-old ritual. They dashed forward at us, their various weapons trying to strike each of us at once, but Finn reacted first, his now flaming blade pushing the mummies back. They tried striking Finn, but their blades shattered on impact. Seems they never intended on having someone so heavily armored against them. Finn was like an iron wall, blocking us from harm with determination as he grabbed one of their heads. He put all his strength into it and shattered the mummy's skull like he was made of paper. The mummy stopped moving as I marveled over the immense strength he had in his tiny body. Perhaps due to the runes all over his armor.
I fired my own spell, "Plinian Eruption Cannon!" I had no reason to hold back anymore as my eruption of lava shot out at the mummies. The mummy to the right of Finn had a lava hole shot through his head; he similarly collapsed. The mummy in the back with the scepter seemed to cast a spell. Electricity shot out towards Finn, but he didn't bother moving as the lightning didn't do almost any damage. Yuna came up behind the mummy, placing her hands on his head; she spoke softly, "Finger Blade." Without us knowing what happened, the mummy had a hole in his head and fell to the ground. Finally, there was one left; he jumped out to try to slash me with his rusty axe, but Finn effortlessly summoned some fire from his blade. He slashed the air; it created an arc in front of him that effortlessly cut the mummy down the middle.
He put back his sword in the sheath, sighing, "That wasn't even good for a warm-up." I nodded, "Rather lacking, but that worries me." Just as Finn seemed like he would ask why the mummies rose up again, some without their heads or most of their bodies, they began to glow a deep blue, and so did the giant sarcophagus. Their energy seemed to flow into the sarcophagus as they fell to the ground. Suddenly, the sarcophagus opened up to reveal another mummy; this one was different though. The new mummy emerged from the golden sarcophagus, distinct from the others in both appearance and demeanor. Clad in elaborate, ornate robes adorned with symbols and hieroglyphs, this mummy exuded an aura of commanding authority. Unlike the decayed and bandaged figures we faced earlier, this one seemed pristine, untouched by the ravages of time. Its eyes, though wrapped in linen, glowed with an otherworldly intensity, betraying an intelligence that set it apart from the mindless minions we encountered before.
The mummy was very tall about 17 feet as it raised a staff, topped with a gleaming gemstone that pulsed with arcane energy. Its presence commanded the room, and an eerie silence settled as it surveyed us. The golden glow from the sarcophagus bathed the figure in an ethereal light, emphasizing the regal bearing of this newly awakened adversary. This wasn't just another undead assailant; it seemed to be a guardian, a keeper of the mysteries hidden within the chamber. It seemed to speak, but the language was incomprehensible to us.
The staff shot out a zone in front of us before we could react; the zone covered the area. The circle was purple, made of ancient symbols; it began to pulse and glow. It began to sap energy from us like a vampire; my body felt weak, and I got to my knees, my magic was also fading. No, this was different; my magic was still there, but something was blocking it. I felt like the magic in my body was being blocked, almost like if you bent a straw, water could no longer flow out.
Aeolus yelled out, "Magical attacks won't work; leave this to me, and Yuna, get back, Lucius." I did as I was told. I felt somewhat useless, knowing that I couldn't fight, but there was nothing I could do but observe. Aeolus entered Finn's body; he merged with Finn, taking over as the host. The giant mummy slammed his staff down, sending earth flying towards Finn, but even despite the heavy armor, with Aeolus taking control, he effortlessly dodged. Aeolus dashed over to the mummy, striking down hard, but his blade was blocked by the mummy's staff. The mummy seemed to counter cold energy gathering in his staff. Yuna used that chance to get around behind the creature; she tried to use his blind spot to strike.
The creature saw her at the last minute; he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying towards me. I managed to catch her, but we both slammed into the wall, knocking the wind out of us. Finn tried to counter, but the spell came out frosty; air froze Aeolus solid. The mummy, in an almost mocking way, walked up slowly. He punched Aeolus in the face; it sent him flying even with the armor on; this thing hit with extreme force. The creature wasted no time with his next spell; he put his staff on the ground, ready to unleash something devastating.
Aeolus got to his feet, wiping blood off his mouth, "That is it; you've done it now, monster, hitting a god? Now that calls for divine punishment." He raced forward, aiming for the mummy; meanwhile, I fished something out of my pocket. I had created this a while ago, but it was pretty much useless until now. It was one of the wares I was working on; I threw some small paper bombs at the mummy's face. This momentarily blinded it as Aeolus struck the mummy with his blade; he got a clean stab on its leg; it let out a roar. It slammed down its staff; the earth began to shake again; an explosion of energy knocked us all back as I was once again painfully knocked into the wall. My ribs felt broken this time, but I managed to at least be a cushion for Yuna. She seemed unhappy about this but rose to her feet as the monster readied another spell. As she rose to her feet, Yuna's silent determination echoed through the room, setting the stage for the imminent clash. She frowned, looking at Aeolus on the ground, "Hmph, you told me to fight without my illusions? Let me show you what a real blade master can do then, bug boy."