Ivy hand-signaled for quiet. She did not want to startle Archlis into a sudden attack. Behind her, she could hear the clicking noise of gems being trickled into pockets. She hoped it was just the bugbears and the rest of her friends were paying attention.
Kneeling in front of the gray stone box, Kid pointed a finger at the etched markings on its surface. He did not turn his head to look up at the magelord and seemed completely unaware of the threat looming over him. But Kid was clever, and for now she would have to trust his instincts to save himself. He wasn't one to make some rash move, unlike a certain captain from Procampur who was ready to risk his life for a chance to kill Archlis. At least she did not have to worry about that sort of foolishness from Kid. He who saves himself first lives to save the rest of us, she thought, and decided to add it to her growing list of mottos. The list that started with "The only good day is one where we all walk away" and Mumchance's old favorite: "If the wall is falling down, don't stand under it."
"So, my lord, so," said Kid to Archlis. "We press in the pattern of the name. Three times and then three times more. A little tricky, but no great barrier."
As he had with the silver buckle that made the belt float, Kid's quick fingers danced in the perfect rhythm needed to trace the secret code and unlock the chest. He kept his head down, his fingers moving, and played the lock as though it were a musical instrument. Once, twice, tap tap tap. The lid popped open.
"Mine! Mine at last!" cried Archlis. He threw his arms up toward the ceiling, the force pulling his tall body to its full height. His sleeves flapped, his stringy blond hair bobbed on his shoulders, and the Ankh lifted off of Kid's neck.
The shouts of the magelord were drowned beneath a sobbing wave of noise that reminded Ivy of funeral mourners. It crested into a terrible moaning sound, and it issued from the stone sarcophagus.
Behind her, Ivy heard Gunderal cry out, her genasi nature sensitive to any spells or curses near her. Even Ivy could feel the chill prickle of the magic that issued from the granite coffin.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Archlis lowered his Ankh to his side as he knelt to peer into the stone chest. "I have my treasure now," he said. He paused, his long fingers suspended, as though he feared that what he reached for would burn him. Ivy took a step forward, to see for herself what he coveted. Before she could lean over his shoulder to see, Archlis drew out a large diamond from the chest. He held it up in an outstretched hand, and the gem shot out beams of light that glittered off of every bright surface. It was as close to being a living thing as a crystal could be, pulsing with brilliance. From the diamond issued the weird moaning sound that had been evident even when the sarcophagus was closed.
Kid backed away from Archlis. Paying no attention at all to Ivy, who was hissing at him to move behind her, Kid stooped and picked up a very large ruby. Rather than dropping it into his pouch, as Ivy expected, Kid drew out a leather slingshot from a hidden pocket. He stared intently at the back of the magelord's head.
Just as Kid dropped the ruby into the slingshot, a cry echoed through the room, a shriek that went higher and became more shrill as the cry went on. "Thief, thief! There you are! Thief!"
Ivy spun around to confront a flameskull rocketing through the door. "Oh blast, I thought we'd broken that thing!"
"Thief. Give me back my tooth!" The flameskull darted at a startled Kid, who tumbled out of the way, dropping his slingshot as he dodged. The flameskull's eyes shot sparks; its mane of green flame swirled and flashed with its fury. Ivy grabbed for her sword and then realized her scabbard was still empty. She snatched at her belt. Her dagger was gone too, dropped when she was fighting with Osteroric. But she still had the glaive. She swung at the flameskull, which made a jeering noise and whizzed out of reach.
Mumchance gave a shout behind her, and Ivy ducked at the dwarf's warning. He had scooped up a handful of rubies and flung the jewels at the flameskull to distract it from Kid. The gems ricocheted off the flying skull, rattling away into the corners. The flameskull spat a ball of fizzing green sparks at them, but it was turning toward Kid even as the spell left its mouth. Both Ivy and the dwarf rolled out of the way of the spell, which fizzled harmlessly in a pile of loose diamonds.
"You have my tooth!" screamed the flameskull. "You stole my tooth!" Kid looked around the room.
"Get rid of that tooth!" shouted Ivy to Kid. "Give it to me." She was wearing the most armor, and if all the thing could do was spit sparks, she stood the best chance of surviving its attack.
Kid shook his head and jumped sideways, clutching at the pouch where he had stashed the flameskull's molar, and drawing the flameskull away from Ivy. The flameskull let out a howl and dived toward him, scorching past Mumchance and almost setting the dwarf's beard alight. Mumchance hopped from foot to foot, cursing undead creatures that wouldn't stay dead. He stooped and gathered another handful of gems, throwing emeralds, sapphires, and one enormous blood red garnet at the flameskull. Each stone hit the bony pate and bounced away. The flameskull barely even glanced at the dwarf before it began to follow Kid around the room again.
"Give me back my tooth!" it screamed as it dived after the little thief. Kid wisely decided to shelter behind the stone sarcophagus, curling his body into a small target-head down, hands and hooves tucked neatly beneath himself. The flameskull zipped after him, almost striking Archlis. The astounded magelord, clutching the diamond to his chest with one hand, swiped at the flameskull with his Ankh. The metal staff rang with a clang against the skull but had no other effect.
"Get it away from me!" Archlis shouted at Kid.
"Give me my tooth!" sobbed the skull and hovered above Kid.
Kid whipped out from behind the sarcophagus, the flameskull in hot pursuit behind him.
"That's it! I've had it with you!" Ivy was still wearing her armored gloves. When the flameskull went whizzing by her, she reached out both hands and snagged it through the empty eye sockets and jawbone. The green flame licked harmlessly at her heavy gauntlets. The skull was a simple catch for anyone who had grabbed a dread or the head of a floating corpse and felt the nose rot off into her hand. Some things just got easier with practice.
"Wwwarghts!" The skull let out a muffled shriek, unable to speak any words with Ivy's left hand wrapped tightly around its jawbone. It tried to tug out of her hands, continuing to make strange gargling noises.
"Careful, Ivy," Gunderal warned. "It's trying to cast a spell."
"Shut up!" Ivy yelled at the flameskull. She held it in front of her and stared into its flickering eye sockets, confronting it with her jutting chin almost touching its naked jawbone.
The flameskull gave an involuntary tremble. Ivy smiled-and it was not a nice smile-and slung the flameskull into the stone box in front of her. Before the magical creature could recover, she slammed the lid of the sarcophagus down. "And stay there!"
Muffled bumps and bangs echoed from inside the box. A puff of smoke came out of the crack between the lid and box. Ivy ignored it. She swaggered up to Archlis, grabbing a stunned Kid by the shoulder and pulled him behind her. The little guy was obviously feeling murderous, but attacking Archlis at this moment might not be the best plan. She thought that she had a better idea.
"Admirable style, my dear," Kid whispered.
"Thank you," Ivy whispered back. "Now stop trying to play hero. If I tell you to throw me a moldering molar, throw it."
"Yes, Captain." Kid sketched a quick bow in her direction. She ignored it, swiveling toward the magelord.
"You!" Ivy said, jabbing a finger at Archlis.