The Dragonborn

Part 36

Jack gripped the hilt of his glass sword and drew it as Mark drew his great sword.  Cautiously, they crept toward the tomb and descended the old wooden steps.  Mark silently pointed to the body laying behind a few barrel supplies by the door.  Jack broke off to check out the body, while Mark approached the door to carefully peek inside.  Kneeling down on one knee, Jack touched his fingers to the man's neck.  No heart beat.  Jack quickly looked over the man's chest, but there was no wound.  Yet, there was dried blood pooled all around him.  Easing the man over onto his stomach, Jack bit his lip and turned away.  Mark looked at him expectantly for news on the man and Jack shook his head grimly as he told him uneasily.  "Mark... He was stabbed in the back. This was done by someone who knew them". 

Mark turned to look at the open crack in the door, telling him just as grimly.  "I had a feeling. I think these guys were killed on their way out. Whoever did this used them to clear out the tomb and then killed them to most likely get away with taking the most valuable thing in here".  Mark turned sad eyes on Jack to add bluntly.  "Jack, I don't think we are going to find the horn in here".  Jack climbed to his feet, confidently replying.  "Stay positive, Mark. We should still search the tomb and see what we find. Maybe we can get some idea about who hired them. It might even be possible that they left with a decoy".  Mark sighed heavily with doubt, but lead Jack in.  Inside the large dusty tomb all the braziers were lit and as Mark lead him farther in he told Jack in a low voice.  "Looks like the bandits were not the first ones here". 

Jack examined the four bodies laying around the tomb, informing Mark confidently.  "These people in black robes are necromancers. Probably were using this place as a hideout to practice their skills.  How did your average bandits get the drop on Necromancers"?  Mark nudged another body of a dead bandit by the entrance deeper in with his foot, answering point-of-factly.  "We don't know if they were average. Maybe they had some skill in magic. Otherwise, my money is on whoever hired them".  Mark continued to lead Jack on down the tunnel into a wide hall that held five more dead bodies.  Three were that of large Draugr. One was a male necromancer and the last another bandit.  Mark lowered his sword nervously and stepped over the bodies to continue on.  Farther down the hall, they walked into an opening were black stone crypts stood upright in nooks along the wall. 

Two of them were open and two draugr bodies were found not much farther away.  Mark glanced over his shoulder after looking one of the draugr bodies over and told him.  "Whoever killed this guys were either in a hurry or very skilled. They were each killed with a single deep wound".  Jack rolled his eyes and stepped over a body as he pasted by Mark, stating a bit sarcastically.  "I'd be in a hurry to kill them myself. Can't you just be thankful that we don't have to kill them... again".  Mark's smacked the blunt of his blade across Jack's ass, mumbling out a bit snippy.  "Smart-ass".  Jack shot him a sly smirk and kept walking to the staircase.  The deeper they traveled into the massive tomb the more bodies they found of draugr, bandits, and even skeletons. 

As they made it into a dark chamber, Mark put away his great sword and grumbled out sourly.  "I hate dark places... Who the fuck puts a horn all the way down here anyway! It's not like the Greybeards walked their asses all the way down here. Why couldn't they send us to do something easy? Like making them a bed? Or a decent meal. I mean, come on. The place is even picked off! I'm bored"!  Jack stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself down, before turning and telling Mark as nicely as he could.  "Mark, you should count your blessings. Now for fucks sake stop complaining before you wake up the one fuck they missed"!  Sighing again, Jack turned back around to continue walking feeling a little better.  He had been holding that in for quite a while. 

Mark chuckled behind him, teasingly prodding back.  "Whoa... Jack, where did that come from"?  Jack stopped to turn back, telling Mark in a lighter voice.  "I'm sorry, but can you try to be subtle. We don't know what could be down here. I'd rather be cautious and sneak up on something than just have it pop out at us. You understand"?  Mark nodded, telling Jack in a very soft whisper.  "Ok. I'll be so quiet that you won't know I'm here".  Jack rolled his eyes, mumbling to himself as he walked on.  "As if that were possible".  Jack listened to every tiny sound and stopped when he faintly heard hissing sounds coming from the floor.  Snakes?  It sounded too soft and faint for it to be them.  Jack's head felt a little light-headed and he sniffed the air.  Smelled like... gas?  Jack quickly conjured the spell for 'Candlelight' and examined the floor in horror.  They weren't walking on any real floor but flame plates.