I led the way towards the treasure room. It was easy to navigate the corridors after having watched Jake's memories. Of course, I still had the misfortune of triggering every trap. However, none of the spikes or spears were holy or coated in silver. So, no matter how I was torn or broken, I reformed after a moment. Daring walked warily behind me, mostly silent. I suppose she could detect my mood... Or maybe she was just a little bit anxious to be following an apparently unkillable monster through a labyrinthine series of halls and catacombs. Now, I'd mentioned that a lot of folks had been buried here, and that my very presence raises up the dead (specifically as weak zombies that are easily dispatched with even the most rudimentary of weapons.) However, we had no issues pressing on. Why you ask? The eye sockets and rib-cages of the dead had been stuffed with salt.

Salt is one of the ways to ward off the undead, and I was no different. At times, Daring had to dart ahead and sweep the pathway in order for me to continue. She had no complaints though, as I was disabling basically every annoying trap with my face. Eventually, We found ourself at the entrance to the treasury. This room, unlike the others, was well lit. Towers of precious metals and gems lined the room, with legendary weapons and armors in between. However, I was focused on one thing alone. A Mummy sitting upon a throne. Daring was zipping about on her wings, babbling excitedly at the sheer amount of history here, but I ignored her as I approached the throne. Upon it's head was a kingly crown, and clutched in it's left hand was a scepter. However, My interest gravitated towards it's right hand, Which held a crumpled, yellowed photo. It had been preserved like my armor, and made impervious to the march of time. I recognized it. It was me and Jake, Standing side by side in an airport. I was rubbing his head (at the time he was a lot shorter than me) and I was grinning like a fool. It was the last picture we took together before I shipped out. My heart hurt, And I remember wishing oh-so-desperately to have the ability to cry. What I did was take the picture and the sceptre and rub my brother's head one last time. One last goodbye.

"Who's that, Big guy?" asked daring as she wandered up behind me.

"....Little....Brother....." I rasped.

Daring's jaw dropped. " The last king was Your little brother!? Oh, man! The princesses are definitely gonna want to talk to you." Then, she must have realized how I felt. "Oh, uh, Sorry for your loss big guy." she said, Patting me on the back. I just stared blankly at her while she blushed and scratched the back of her head. I just shook my head and put the scepter in her hand.

"Lets...Go..." I said, walking past her.

"what about the rest of this stuff?" Daring asked.

I looked at her and shook my head. "Leave...it...his..." I said, pointing at my brother's resting place.

"But..." Daring started, but she shut up when she saw my hand rest on the pommel of my sword she sighed. "Fine. I get it. let's go." When she slumped he shoulders and started sighing every ten seconds I gave.

"One...Fucking...Bag-full.... Got it?." I grumbled. talking that much had made my throat feel like i'd put it through a meat grinder. She squeed (literally, and it was cute as hell) and ran off to fill her pack with some gold and trinkets. I grabbed a sword with silver running down the fuller*. It was an otherwise unremarkable blade, made for the sole purpose of killing the undead. I also grabbed a travel pack filled with Gold, jewels and some very expensive looking tomes (it also had some regular travel gear, Rope and tools and the like). Jake had probably made it up for me because my name and a coat of arms were stitched onto the flap. Jake always did have a sense of humor.It was the Tarot card for death on a background of black roses. Now, In tarot, death means great change was on the horizon. While I did not know it at the time, I myself would become a force of change.

"Hey Brandon!" called out Daring. "Time to skedaddle!" she said pointing to the entrance. Cat-boy was back, And he'd brought friends. Minotaur friends. These guys were huge, and they had silver runic patterns inscribed on the massive bearded axes they carried.

My thought process at the time was something along the lines of "shitshitshitshitshit!" as they approached. I was able to dodge a swipe from one's axe, but the massive 'taur just backhanded me into a wall. Thankfully I landed near a rack of enchanted javelins. I took one and threw it in the general direction of the first Minotaur's head and the magic guided the spear into his eye. It fell, but his buddy got enraged and charged, destroying a support pillar when I dived away. The whole place started shaking and pieces of the ceiling started caving as I ran towards the exit. Daring was just ahead of me, and delivered a spinning kick to the head of the cat-boy as he chased her. He was stunned just long enough for a chunk of ceiling to turn him into paste, much to Daring's distaste. I grabbed my abandoned pack and daring and sprinted for the throne, Knowing my brother had placed a hidden exit just behind it from the memory orbs. I kicked over the chair and dived inside just before a large stone slab crushed us.

Author's Note

Damn, up for a day and already this popular? Well the people have spoken! Enjoy! ~whiskey.