From my latest novel:
“So long as we get enough out of this run to make it worthwhile,” she told him. “The last tomb we explored turned out to be empty. And we had to clear out the demons inside of it to boot.” She was the only member of the team who didn’t need to wear armor. As a healer, she could repair any damage done to her person so long as it wasn’t fatal. Enlil still didn’t think she needed to tempt fate, but whatever. They’d return to the starting point if all of them were killed.
The ancient tomb, which resembled a big mound of Sumerian dirt, appeared once they cleared the bend in the river. Their objective was a box of lapis lazuli, which would allow them to advance to the next level.
“You sure about this?” Utu asked him as they stood at the opening. He twilled his twin swords as if they weighed nothing. “I think it looks bad. Reminds me of the place where those ghouls attacked us.” He sniffed the air. “Smells like it too.”
“Ninhursag,” Enlil called to the lady who held the spear. “What do you sense about this place? Didn’t you get an upgrade on your mage powers the last time we checked out?”
She tossed a flap of her cloak over one shoulder and turned to face Enlil. “I can feel things out,” she explained to him. “But I can’t do much more unless I engage them.”
“So what do you feel?”
She closed her eyes and concentrated. “Christ, this place swarms with Rabisu,” she told him. “They’re inside waiting for us, dammit.”
“Awesome,” Utu announced. “Means there is a lot inside there they don’t want us to find!”
Before Enlil could say a word, the big man charged into the mound opening, yelling at the top of his lungs. They could hear the pig squeals of the demons as his twin sword cut through them.
“Well, don’t everyone stand around,” Enlil echoed his yell. “Let’s get in there and help him.” He followed with his war hammer down in attack formation the moment he popped his helmet on his head.
It was a brief and anticlimactic battle with the Anunnaki tearing apart the demons the moment they counter-attacked. This bunch didn’t have that high of a rating and the opposition wasn’t too intense. Even Inanna charged into the mound with the rest of them, although she usually stayed in the rear.
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