Lost Lambs

As the four Golden Army Sentinels watched their target enter the depths of the mausoleum the three members smiled a sheepish and grim smile. While the adrenaline seeking member smiled confidently as he looked at the other three members lack of confidence.

"What are you guys afraid of, look around you they don't seem to even care that we followed after them. The leading skeleton even left the damn entrance to a side passage open for us." The adrenaline seeking member berated the other three members as he frowned. "Seriously look around they're more concerned with dealing and messing with dead people and speaking about multiple Gods or Goddesses. Grow a pair already."

The other three members stood with red faces as they said nothing, allowing the more confident member to talk as they felt he was right. They looked around to notice that the other multiple members of the Grey Keepers seemed to be ignoring them and went about their evening.

Unfortunately for them that was just a misconception, as every single one of the grey robed members were watching them silently through their own means. Some were smiling as they helped those that needed it but behind that smile was a pair of dark and cold eyes. They all recognized the signs that Elder Bones was leaving as they continued with their duties ignoring the clueless Golden Army Sentinels that followed after the group.

The confident and adrenaline seeking sentinel smiled as he watched the other three members look around as they started to calm down a little. "See what I mean they obviously don't care. Plus I was right about that coward who left earlier also, he only told us that story to try and scare us into not completing the mission given to us by the Mercenary Leader."

When the other three members heard that the fear and hesitation in their eyes suddenly vanished as an excited expression took hold.

"The Mercenary Leader gave the mission? No wonder why Gerg said it was anonymous." One of the three said aloud as he gripped his fists in excitement.

"You just now realized that the Mercenary Leader gave out the mission. Wow, your dumb I knew the moment I saw Gerg and the moment he never gave out the name of the client." Spoke the second of the three.

"Hmph, you both were complete morons. I knew the moment Gerg walked in that it was an important mission. Plus that damn coward tried to scare us away, probably so he could have all the rewards for himself." The third one of the three spoke up.

The confident sentinel smiled as he watched the three speak up trying to boost their confidence and joke around. After a couple seconds of watching them he spoke up with a strong and spirit rising voice.

"See, there's nothing to worry about whatsoever. Now let's hurry up and follow behind them as they are starting to get a little ahead of themselves. Just follow me and I'll take care of you guys. Let's show that newbie that you don't mess with the Golden Army Sentinels." He lifted his hand up as he finished showing a strong and powerful figure.

The other three shook their fist along with him as they all beamed a big and victorious smile. The leading sentinel confidently walked to the entrance that led into the depths of the mausoleum as the other three did the same. All unawares of the multiple scornful eyes of the other Grey Keepers. Multiple of them even stopped what they were doing as they sent out a small prayer for the fools who decided to enter the depths without a second thought.

As they entered the tunnel the casket top slowly and silently slid shut without them noticing until it closed making a slight click noise. The tunnel leading down was only slightly lit by small mana stones along the wall. They didn't even turn around or stop as they continued to walk confidently into the depths of the crypt. They continued to head downward for a while until they reached a point where the steps stopped and opened into a big hallway.

The hallway was beautifully designed as skulls, skeletons, and even a small running water source ran along the edges of the wall. It was brightly lit from the stones that were embedded in the walls giving a warm glow. The skeletons that were carved all along the walls had many different styles of cloth, clothing, and even armor. Some even held expressions of joy, hate, fury, happiness, sorrow, etc. the skulls that lined along near the ceiling all looked different. Some smiled, frowned, or showed signs of laughter.

But what made the three Golden Army Sentinels and the confident one feel that the area felt off was the darkened red floors and walls, which once seemed to be pure white. Even though the water that ran along the walls was crystal clear with no hint of discoloration.

The leading Sentinel spoke up trying to keep the morale of the other three up. "Look, they're so weak and pathetic that they try to scare others by making these tunnels or crypts seem as scary as possible." He spoke as he walked through the hallway as the other three looked at each other and then followed behind and entered the hallway.

But the moment they entered the long and vast hall, the entrance where they entered a stone door dropped and blocked the way they came in with a thud. Making all of the members freeze on the spot as they turned and looked around. When they were looking at the stone door that sealed them in multiple sections along the wall opened with a rumbling sound. Making the group look back to their front with looks of fear spreading among the three while the confident sentinel grinned.

When the sections of the walls fully opened it was quiet as they awaited for something to exit out of the holes in the wall but after they waited what seemed like hours but was only five minutes nothing came out. The leading sentinel scoffed as he spoke arrogantly.

"See, they're only trying to scare us. They are a weak and useless organization that should stick to burying the dead and fulfilling the rites of the dead. The only one we should have ever concerned ourselves with is their head Cryptkeeper, but she'll never come herself as that would be an embarrassment for themselves. Hmph, follow me this has been the…"

The sentinel couldn't finish as he had to stop as he was able to hear something coming from the tunnels that made his ears feel irritated. He was hearing a bunch of clicking and dragging of something along the tunnels that seemed to get louder as they neared the entrance of the holes. He frowned as a look of seriousness spread across his face, he was about to speak up in order to warn the other three members until he heard something that made him realize why the other member left before the mission even started.

"ROARRRRRR. ROARRRRR…."

Ghastly and horrid roars echoed throughout all the tunnels which made the four Golden Army Sentinels freeze in fear as they started to shake.

"Wha-what was that!" One of them spoke out as he trembled.

"I have no idea, quick try heading to the other openings and see if they are coming from them." A second said, already running to the nearest entrance near him but, the moment he entered he let out a terrified and horrid scream. As he ran out of the tunnel, he was now pale white, running past the others to the entrance which they came from and started clawing at the massive stone door.

When the others noticed his behavior cold sweat started to run down their faces as an ugly feeling took hold of them. When they turned around they noticed a rotting and bone-like hand grasp the edge of one of the tunnels as a mindless corpse entered the hallway with a stagger. It's face was rotted away with maggots as other bugs crawled out of the holes in its face. The clothes it once wore was beyond dirty as it was caked in blood and pus, it was even missing the entire flesh of one of its legs as it only showed white and cracked bones.

When they saw the first corpse enter many others followed behind as they stumbled and pushed each other to reach the hallways entrance. But when one of them looked at the group and saw them it tilted its head and roared, making all the other corpses look and do the same. Reaching their hands forward, they all started to stumble and charge at the group.

But out of the group only the confident sentinel stayed his ground while the other three started to head to the entrance and followed what the other did beforehand.

"Why are you morons running their just dead corpses not even at the peak of the Acolyte stage. Fight you damn cowards." Even though he was a little afraid it never stopped the leading sentinel since he was at the Magician stage with a gaseous Mana Core at the second level. He took out a sword in one hand as he ran two fingers across the blade as runes lit up making the sword turn red. But before he could ready a second spell he felt a cold and boned hand grab his shoulder as he felt himself growing weak and sluggish.

"What?" He groaned out.

"Ah, look who we have here, four lost little lambs among a sea of corpses. Now isn't this interesting. It seems that I have four new bodies for research."

A bright and excited voice spoke from behind the sentinel but before he could do anything to defend himself or fight back he felt a cold feeling spread across his neck as he heard a sentence that reminded him why that grizzled member left earlier.

"Looks like another group of lambs entered our crypts thinking we were easy prey. Just more mindless bodies to watch and feed. Oh well…"

He couldn't hear the rest of the sentence as he started to lose consciousness but before he died he heard the pig-like screams of terror come from the other three before he finally lost his life.