"There," Cristo said, pointing at the darkness inside the tunnel. "I can feel the evil emanating from there."

"Then we obviously shouldn't go there," Brey muttered, although he had a feeling his suggestion would go unheeded.

As if to prove his thoughts, Timothy stepped forward, a few orc bones crunching under his boots. "We haven't found anything to suggest any other tunnels the bracelet might be in," he said, his eyes wide with anticipation to discover what may be lurking inside. "We only have this path to follow."

"Makes sense to me," Alena smiled, taking light steps forward to avoid cutting her naked feet on broken bones. It was difficult to maintain her balance, though, so Timothy leant a helping hand to the princess.

She turned around to face Cristo. "Are you coming, Cris?" she asked. The bodyguard seemed to be staring at the tunnel, lost in deep thought. "Cristo?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"We shouldn't be going in there," he said mechanically, causing Brey's eyes to widen with surprise that the bodyguard would agree with him.

"Why not?" Timothy asked cynically, "…and it had better be a different reason beside the evil presence." The bodyguard remained silent, however, as though he could not think of any reason. "Very well, then," the thief said, turning on his heels to proceed. He found himself lightly pulling Alena along, the princess still waiting for her friends to follow.

While the sound of crunching bones echoing off the tunnel's dark walls gave an uncomfortable ambience, the pair did not have to endure it for long before the orc skeletons began to dwindle, fading off into a small room. An altar rested in the centre of the room, faded symbols carved into its surface. Lying underneath a thick blanket of dust rested a single jewel; a bracelet made seemingly out of pure gold.

"Is that…it?" Alena asked, her heart racing with anticipation. She so much wanted to rush forward and grab the bracelet but, remembering her actions in the chamber above, she was smart enough to keep her eagerness in check.

Timothy did not respond. He scanned the room for any signs of traps or creatures. Satisfied he would not be in any immediate danger should he enter, the thief stepped forward. "Tim!" Alena whispered, afraid her voice could inadvertently set off a trap or alert the evil Cristo was feeling to their presence. He did not respond, however, seemingly entranced by the bracelet before them. He stood in front of the altar for a moment, studying its craftsmanship to determine if any traps were placed on it.

He did not focus much on the altar, though. His attention was almost immediately drawn to the bracelet. Even decades of dust and neglect could not diminish the jewel's beauty. Intricate designs and runes ran its curved surface, bearing no apparent pattern aside to be decorative. The ornament on the bracelet's head was unlike anything the thief had ever seen. Shaped like a diamond, it was placed length-wise along the wristband. Three spikes jutted from one end of the diamond, seemingly giving the ornament a crown of horns. At the centre of the diamond was another jewel, imbedded so deep the thief could hardly see it underneath the dust.

Timothy reached forward, cupping the bracelet in two hands. Blowing the dust off, he found it was more radiant than he could have ever imagined in torchlight. However, whereas the gold in the bracelet shone brilliantly, the jewel in the centre of the ornament was blacker than the shadows surrounding him. At first he thought it was obsidian or onyx but those minerals usually glittered in light. This jewel seemed to suck in the light, like the infinite blackness of a moonless night sky.

"Tim?" Alena's distant voice came. The thief blinked, as though coming out of a trance. He turned around, surprised the princess was standing behind him. Her voice had seemed so distant he had thought she was standing at the other end of the tunnel.

"I'm…all right," he said at length.

He extended his hand, allowing Alena to look at the bracelet. "This…has to be it," he smiled. "It's more beautiful than I thought, isn't it."

The princess found herself gazing intimately at the jewel. She had seen many priceless ornaments before, many of them more exquisite than the one in Timothy's hands. Yet, she found herself wholly agreeing with the thief. Never before had she seen anything more wondrous.

The two of them stood very still for a while, their gaze solely on the bracelet. They could very easily remained in such a state for several hours, maybe even days, had Cristo not suddenly burst in the room, shouting their names.

"Cris," Alena uttered as she turned to face her bodyguard, her eyes dreamy. "We found it! Look at…"

Cristo did not even look at the bracelet, though. His eyes were wide with horror as he scanned the room. "We have to get out of here!" he said in a panic. "There's evil all around us!"

"What?" Timothy cried incredulously. He looked around as well but found nothing more than he first saw. "Where? There's nothing here except…" His voice trailed off as he started to stare at the ground.

"What is it?" Alena asked, looking down as well. She let out a muffled gasp as what she saw startled her.

The ground beneath her feet seemed to be moving, shifting up and down as though something was sliding underneath it. She and Timothy had been so transfixed by the bracelet that they had not noticed until Cristo burst in.

They did not have to look at the ground long, though, to realize whatever was moving underneath could not be good. And, given Cristo's warning, the two of them quickly darted out of the room.

No sooner had they run out than the floor in the altar room seemed to open with razor teeth snapping vehemently at musty air. The teeth grew out of the ground, followed by purple, crested heads and six-foot long, snake-like bodies covered in green scales.

The travellers knew they had only one option against such creatures; run, and do not look back!

The sound of slithering scales and hissing, snapping jaws spurred them forward, the vipers' presence nipping on their heels. None dared to look back, fearful a row of sharp teeth would be in front of their faces the moment they turned, waiting to tear the flesh from their faces at the first opportunity.

Brey soon appeared, his torch anxiously flickering as he waited by the tunnels beginning. He had not known why Cristo had suddenly darted away from him but, seeing his companions' panicked return, he had a good guess. The temptation to point out he had been right all along was strong but he knew this was no time for snide remarks. There would be plenty of time for that after, so long as they all survived.

The travellers made it out of the tunnel but the numerous orc bones littering the floor severely impeded their escape. To make matters worse, the pursuing vipers did not seem to be hindered.

Having the most difficulty navigating across the bony path was Timothy and one of the vipers managed to nip his heel. There would be no more than a tiny scratch from the minor injury but there was enough force to send the thief off balance and reeling into a pile of bones. Terror filled his mind as he fell, knowing full well the vipers would be upon him before he even hit the ground. All he could think of doing was screaming in fear.

Luckily, Brey was nearly beside the thief at that moment and was quick to react to the situation. Stopping in his tracks, the old tutor spun around, his torch extended. Waving the flame madly, he hoped it would be enough to deter the vipers long enough for Timothy to get back on his feet.

One of the large snakes did not seem to mind the flames and darted forward, ready to sink its deadly teeth into the thief's back. Brey jutted the torch forward, catching the lunging viper full in the face. The flames instantly leaped onto the creature, a pain-filled hiss emanating from within as the viper writhed back, thrashing about in agony. Its kin slightly hesitated upon seeing one of them defeated so easily. Brey could not help but smile at the outcome.

Such a minor action quickly proved unwise.

Alena stopped running the moment she heard Timothy scream in fear, turning in time to see Brey save the thief. The princess was nearly about to let out a sigh of relief when she saw one of the vipers quickly dart behind the old tutor. She instinctively called out his name to warn him but could not see him reacting to the creature in time. Despite her naked feet, Alena had been able to sprint much faster across the broken orc bones than her companions. She was a good twenty feet away now, unable to do anything to help…or could she?

The princess remembered her boomerang, strapped on the opposite hip from her whip. Having neglected the projectile weapon ever since Brey had shown her up with it, Alena had almost forgotten it was there. Perhaps she could hit the viper before it could harm her old tutor.

No other alternative coming to mind, she grabbed the boomerang and let it fly.

Time seemed to slow down as she watched. The viper reared up, its head easily towering over the shorter Brey. The old tutor turned, seeing the creature ready to strike. The boomerang sailed through the air, missing its intended target as it flew low…

…Smacking Brey across the face.

"Nooo!" was all Alena could scream as she witnessed the folly of her actions. The old tutor dropped his torch and fell over, the blow stunning him. It was all the viper needed to attack and it easily clamped its massive, sharp teeth on the old tutor's neck and shoulder. He did not even scream in pain as the boomerang's impact was more than enough to render him unconscious.

Upon smelling fresh blood in the mouth of one of their kin, the rest of the creatures instantly forgot Timothy and slithered toward Brey, eager to get a piece of easier prey.

Fearing his own impending death so much, the thief was more or less oblivious of what occurred. The expected, sharp teeth did not pierce his flesh and Timothy hesitantly looked up. He realized he was no longer the vipers' target upon seeing a pile of them just beside him, hissing and thrashing violently at each other rather than attacking whatever was underneath. Seeing Alena and Cristo a fair distance away from him, the only person underneath would have to be Brey.

Every instinct within Timothy ordered him to run, to sacrifice the old tutor to save himself. Several good reasons came up, too, but none satisfied the thief. While he would not have any real regrets about leaving him behind, he knew Alena would never forgive him. And he was painfully aware of what it was like to be on the young woman's bad side.

Gritting his teeth, Timothy grabbed the dropped torch and thrust it deep into the pile of vipers.

Enraged hissing ensued, many of the fierce creatures instantly retreating from the hot flames. Brey's body was soon revealed, the injuries the thief imagined much less severe. Still, one of the large creatures had its jaws on the old tutor's shoulder, shaking him violently as though wringing the last bits of his life out. Timothy swung the torch close and the viper recoiled. Its hold on Brey remained as strong as ever, though.

Options were running out fast. The main force of vipers were probably already regrouping, their initial shock of the flames subsiding over their drive to sink their teeth into human flesh. He still had his dagger at his hip. Perhaps a stab would drive the viper away from Brey.

He turned to Alena, ready to throw her the golden bracelet so he could free up his right hand. The thief was a little stunned to see the princess on her knees, a look of disbelief on her face. He did not know why she was in such a position but he did not trust her to catch the precious jewel should he toss it to her.

Instead, he turned to Cristo, who seemed to be waiting for his companions behind Alena. The thief almost wanted to scream at the bodyguard for not rushing forward to help but knew it would be a waste of time. Right now, every second counted.

"Cris!" Timothy called out, heaving the bracelet in the bodyguard's direction as he did. "Catch!"

The moment Timothy was satisfied his throw would make it to Cristo, he withdrew his dagger and stabbed at the viper, aiming for any spot on its long, scaly body. The resounding, shrieking hiss echoed off the chamber's rocky walls, drowning out Cristo's scream of pain as he caught the bracelet.

The viper quickly withdrew, releasing its hold on Brey. Timothy knelt down to check the old tutor while he had the chance. He was unconscious but alive. However, the thief did not know for how long. Blood seeped from the deep wound in his shoulder, soaking his clothes. If it were not looked after quickly, the wound would only get worse, ending the old tutor's life.

Picking Brey up and easing the unconscious tutor on his own shoulder, Timothy hastily made his way backwards, keeping the dying torch between him and the closing vipers. The vipers were slowly circling Timothy, keeping their distance so he could not hurt them with his painful flames, but still inching closer to spring forward like a pack of wolves. These were definitely smart animals, much smarter than Timothy could have guessed.

He made it to Alena, who was whimpering with her head buried in her hands. "Alena!" Timothy sharply barked, shaking her shoulder. "What are you doing? Get moving!"

"I…it's my fault…" she cried, shaking her head as she did not even look up. "He's dead because of me!"

Timothy did not understand what the princess was blubbering about but guessed she was referring to Brey. It did not matter, though, as she needed to get off her knees and out of here before the vipers decided to lunge forward.

The thief roughly grabbed her arm and lifted her off the ground. He brought her face to face and looked sternly into her eyes. Alena's face was streaked with tears and seemed as though she bordered on the edge of despair. "He will die unless you help me get out of here!" he said, his voice much harsher than intended.

Alena blinked a few times, then nodded as she pushed her self-pity away for now. Timothy was right. They had to all work together to get out of this mess.

"Where's…?" she started to ask but sucked in her breath as her question was quickly answered. The thief swung his shoulder around, revealing the unconscious form of Brey. She felt another wave of despair swell from deep in her stomach but the princess swallowed it back down, knowing full well Timothy needed her help in supporting the old tutor.

Once Alena had Brey's other shoulder on her own, Timothy quickly scanned the area, asking, "Where's Cris?" He quickly found his answer, the bodyguard closer at the chamber's entrance than before. He also seemed to be clutching his left hand in pain.

"Cris," the thief said as he reached the bodyguard. "What happened?" The thief hoped the response would not be a long one as the vipers were still closing in behind. Still, if there was something else they had to worry about ahead, they needed to know right away.

"The bracelet…" Cristo moaned in agony. "It…burned…"

"Where's the bracelet?" Timothy cried out in horror, forgetting his companion's pain. If he had lost it, the thief did not know if he could ever forgive Cristo. However, the bodyguard weakly pointed behind his companions. Sure enough, the bracelet was half buried in the mud. "Alena…" the thief said, and the princess instantly retrieved the jewel, placing it firmly in her free hand.

"Let's get out of here," she said. Her conscious companions could not agree more and they ran down the tunnel.

* * *

It had grown overcast, blotting out the once, clear sky. Pieces of blue could be seen in odd spots but, for the most part, a dark, depressing grey permeated. Still, it was more than bright enough to rob the travellers' sight for a few minutes once they finally made it out of the cave.

To say they made it out alive would be an understatement. Escaped with their lives would be a better description, and Brey's survival was still in doubt. Their escape had not been easy, though.

Although they no longer saw them, Cristo insisted the evil surrounding the vipers were still around them. Once they came to the narrow tunnel they had to crawl through, Timothy decided it would be best to place their dying torches at its entrance, perhaps discouraging any further pursuit. Moving through the narrow tunnel had been difficult the first time but going back, while gently dragging Brey's body, and without the aid of light, made it nearly impossible. Still, they made it, several cuts and bruises as their reward as well as their lives. Running blindly through the large chamber with the bats, it seemed to take forever to find the tunnel they first came through.

Broken, beaten, bloodied, and tired, none of the travellers felt they had succeeded. Yet, succeeded they did. Still in Alena's trembling hand was the object of their journey; the golden bracelet, shining even in the grey afternoon's dim light.

They all stopped outside the cave's entrance, promptly falling to the ground to rest, although Cristo merely leaned on his knees to catch his breath. Between heaved breaths, Timothy glanced up at the overcast sky, trying to find the hidden sun.

"I don't believe it!" he gasped, a loud, swallowing sound coming from the thief as he did.

"What?" Alena muttered, weakly glancing up as well. Although Brey had the most severe injury of the group, at least he was unconscious and did not have to bear with the pain. The various scrapes, bruises, cuts, and all-around soreness on all parts of her body was more than she was ever used to. All she could think about was slipping into unconsciousness as well, perhaps allowing all of her wounds to heal as she became blissfully unaware of the pain in her body.

"We weren't even down there for two hours!" he replied, turning to the princess as he pointed at an obscured source of light behind the clouds.

"What?" Alena said, still breathing heavily. "How can you tell?"

"The sun's hardly moved from its position," he explained. "You can usually get a rough idea…" His voice trailed off, realizing he should not be talking about the sun's position at such a time.

He moved over to Brey. The old tutor was still bleeding and his breathing was shallow and intermittent. If he was still breathing, though, there was still a chance for his survival. "Alena," he said, his eyes still studying the severity of the wound. The princess crawled over, waiting for the thief to continue. "I need your help. I need you to apply pressure here while I bandage the wound."

At that, Timothy tore off the right sleeve of Brey's shirt, revealing the deadly bite. It looked as though several knives had pierced the old tutor's shoulder and ripped their way out. The injury was by no means the most gruesome sight Alena had seen but seeing it on one of her most dearly friends, and from her own actions no less, made the princess suddenly retch. "Oh, Master…" she weakly mumbled as she slightly backed up.

"Don't go loosing it now," Timothy harshly said, grabbing her shoulders and roughly shaking her. He did not care if she suddenly vomited on him there. If that was what it took for her to have a steady mind for this task, so be it. "I need your help," he added vehemently. "He needs your help. So just get your hands in there and press down hard!"

At that, he firmly grabbed Alena's wrists and thrust them onto Brey's shoulder. The princess instinctively flinched upon her hands touching the bloody skin but did as told, hoping anything she did would help Brey. Timothy bound the wound as best he could but knew the bandage would only soak through unless proper treatment was immediately attended. The thief turned to the man he knew could do such a thing.

"Cristo," he said, "we need your healing magic. Quick!"

The bodyguard shook his head, a sombre tone in his voice. "I can't heal a wound like that," he said.

Fury raised inside Timothy. He could not believe the people he was with right now. All of them seemed to be seasoned adventures, yet in the most perilous situations, they were as inexperienced as the aristocrats! "Dammit, Cris," the thief angrily shot, "I don't care if you can't or can!" He roughly grabbed the bodyguard's arm and yanked him to Brey's body. "All I want is for you to try!"

Cristo looked at Timothy for a moment, somewhat stunned. However, he merely shrugged and lightly pushed Alena aside so he had more room to with. The princess was more than willing to give up her position of applying pressure to the bloody bandage so she could wipe her stained hands on the ground.

Cristo took up a praying stance to focus the will of Zenithism into his being. "Master," he lightly prayed, "I realize what has occurred was not for the best. I sincerely apologize for any sin my companions or I may have committed today, however trivial they may be. I ask forgiveness, and that I may have the power to heal my companion of all his pain."

Cristo knew there were higher forms of the spell ‘Heal', but the bodyguard had not yet learned them. Only priests and paladins would ever have the ability to cast them. However, since Master Dragon seemed to have granted him the power to cast spells that should normally be beyond his ability, perhaps He would still grant the apprentice cleric the same power.

As the spell was cast, Cristo realized something was wrong. While he had faith the Master would give him the ability to cast a stronger form of ‘Heal', the bodyguard still would not have been surprised if it was not granted. However, an even weaker form of ‘Heal' than the one he had cast was not expected! The familiar, smoke-like energy did not form at his hands to sink into Brey's skin. Instead, a tiny wisp fell into the wound, and no more.

Cristo stared at his hands for a moment, wondering if he cast the spell correctly. He performed it again, gaining no better results.

Timothy glared at him, thinking the bodyguard was not trying for his own, selfish reasons. "What's the matter?" the thief nearly yelled. "Why aren't you healing him?"

"I…don't know," Cristo quietly replied. Although his voice was calm, his companions could tell he was shaken by the spell's repeated failure. "Perhaps the…evil presence of the vipers is interfering with my clerical magic." Granted, the excuse was not the best but the bodyguard could not think of any other reason, aside from the Master abandoning him. However, Cristo could not bear the thought of the latter, and making such a claim would not be good for morale.

Timothy was not completely convinced, though. "How can you say that?" the thief exclaimed. "We left those hellish things deep in the cave. There can't be any way they're still around! If they are, why haven't they attacked yet?"

"I honestly don't know," Cristo said again, trying to make a better bandage for Brey as the previous one was already soaking through. "All I know is evil is all about us, the same feeling I had when we were in the cave." He stood up, gently lifting the old tutor on his shoulder. A stretcher would be better but, if the vipers were truly still about, they did not have the time to construct such an apparatus. "We should be moving, and swiftly so we can get him to the temple in Frenor."

Timothy was about to argue further they were in no immediate danger from the horrors of the cave when he felt a light hand touch his shoulder. He spun around, finding Alena's weary eyes meeting his.

"Tim," she lightly said, "I've known Cristo for more than half my life. I've…grown to trust him and, for the most part, his judgement. Please trust him. If for any reason, for me."

Silence hung over the area for a few moments, Timothy and Alena's eyes locked. The princess could tell the thief was somewhat stunned by her statement, seeing as she always supported him thus far. Anxiety began to creep in her body. Master, she thought worriedly, please don't let him be angry with me.

Eventually, the thief left her gaze, neither a smile nor a frown on his face. He took up a position on Brey's other shoulder, muttering, "Let's get out of here."

The travellers needed no further incentive as they fled from the cave's entrance.