Chapter 1

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I step in the center of a frighteningly barren area where the grass no longer grew and the calls of birds were never to be heard. I glance around as I am welcomed by the stench of decay and stagnant air. It was unusual to feel such dusty and murky air, considering we were standing in the middle of thriving woodland.

 "This is it." The man spoke to me as he made his way to my side. His footsteps were light with his scabbard clanging against his waist being the only sound he created. "This is the Goblin's cave..." He paused for a moment as he took in the surroundings, leaning his body to one side allowing the cape on his back to sway in the breeze. "Or at least what the rumors indicate." the man added with a strong lack of certainty in his voice.

 My eyes veered to a vine covered building only large enough to hold gardening tools. The masonry bulged out in small columns and an embossed design was etched above the door. What was intricately detailed was shrouded with ivy and moss, blinding outside eyes to its elegance.

 "This is the abandoned Creden’s family Mausoleum." I stated slowly dragging my feet forward towards the innate building. I reached out my hand as I came closer and closer to the vines creeping up the old stone. My fingers delicately brushed away a single strand of ivy away to see the craftsmanship of the mausoleum.

 It was just as I had suspected; each stone was finely centered on one-another to create a solid structure that could withstand the extra weight of the ivy and moss residing on each stone. It may have been a wondrous sight in the past, however the stagnant atmosphere and the dulling stone made the mausoleum feel colder and macabre.

 I looked to the man and tilted my head to one side. "Are you sure this is the place, mercenary?"

 The man standing just behind me raised his head to a sudden gust of wind. "Goblins tend to live in dark and cold places. An old mausoleum which harbors corpses and is hidden in the middle of a forest is the ideal place for them to settle. Food and secrecy all in one." He explained to me as I tried to clear a few stones from ivy and moss to reveal a floral pattern etched in the solid material.

 It was not like I was ignoring his words, but more I guessed the reasons anyway. I focused my eyes on the mercenary who seemed to be dwelling in his thoughts. I leaned my body towards the mausoleum and leaned my head back against the cold stone. "So are we going in or not?" I asked impatiently. 

 The man turned his gaze to me and a wry smile grew on his face. "You're just itching to get to those Goblins, aren't you?" His eyes became serious and he mirrored my position against the ivy covered wall of the mausoleum. "Even if you are determined, don't allow your desires to take over the mission. We are here to retrieve the amulet, nothing more." 

 I rolled my eyes and turned to face the heavy oak door set in the stone structure. "I know, I know. My dad already drilled it into my head, so I need none of your concern."

 My words seemed to hold some sort of amusement for the man who could not help but chuckle to himself. "Of course. He is the one who was completely against you tagging along..."

 "I prefer 'accompanying you'," I blurted out accidentally, "Saying I am 'tagging along' makes me sound like a dog." I turned to catch the man's face from the corner of my eye and grinned. "Besides, there was no other willing to join you on this mission - everybody knows that delving into a Goblin-infested area  is practically suicide - and I, for one, was not going to let you go alone."

 The mercenary laughed. "Holding any form of concern over a mercenary is a waste of time." he explained to me, taking me a little by surprise of his words. "After all, today I am your ally, but next week I could very well be your enemy."

 My fists automatically clenched with a sudden sense of anger. "That may be, but right now we are allies. And allies should concern over one-another, is that not so?" I asked, trying to suppress my rage over the painful and pitiful truth behind his words.

 Without a single verbal reply, the man dug into his satchel strapped to his belt and pulled out a rusted silver key. The etched design on the bow somehow resembled the mausoleum's structure. "I hope this key works," the man released a heavy sigh of doubt as he approached the solid oak door, "The Lord seemed less than convinced that it was the real deal."

 A slight chuckle escaped my mouth and I shook my head. "Do not worry yourself. I am sure it is the right one. I know it is the right one."

 "How can you be so sure?" 

 My eyes turned to a small column protruding from the corner of the building and I brushed my fingertips on its surface. "See these indentations here? They form a spiral of, what seems to be, rose vines," I stroked a small triangular-shaped spiral that resembled a thorn and then nodded to the rusted key in the man's hand, "it is the exact design which is on the shaft of the key."

 A hesitant pause was held by the mercenary, but only momentarily. He cast his gaze onto the key to notice the design coiled around the shaft extending from the tip to the bow. The look in his eyes turned to satisfaction and turned to face the old wooden door in front of us.

 "I hope you're right about that. If not, we'll have to head all the way back to Holgard and find the correct key..." he admitted in a whisper before inserting the key into a designated slot in a black metal shield on the door. Before turning the key, the mercenary's attention turned to me. "Remember; we're only to collect the amulet, not create a Goblin massacre. Understood?"

 I scratched the back of my head and smiled lightly. "Yes, yes. I understand for the hundredth time!" as I spoke my answer, the clear sound of tumblers clicking escaped the old wooden door and eerily creaked its way open...

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