As the hunters returned to the main hall they saw a much different sight than the partying going on earlier, the bonfire was extinguished and everyone was frantically loading chests or equipping for travel. Herc had a large party of bandits working for him, even if he said he was understaffed, back at the door was Crusher.
Making sure to loudly brandish their new membership tokens all the way, Rubin and Crom walked over to him and explained what they had been told.
Bart was happy to exchange their improvised weapons with a fine sword and shield for Rubin and a spear for Crom, made from the groups own blacksmith, a buff golden brown scaled dragon nicknamed FireHammer.
They quickly met quite a few other members of the group too, including an older alchemist bear called Loagi, two jokester assassin cats called Jin and Jang, a lusty fox mage named Bruce, a wise Druid zebra named Alec, a young archer pandagirl name Liz and a meanspirited sharkmorph named Rex. But there were many others.
They helped move boxes and load wagons until Herc himself descended down the stairs into the main room; he walked with a stride like he was king of the world. “Right men, I trust we’re ready to move out, we’re not going far, to the cemetery ahoy!”
***
The Bandit group made their way through the streets swiftly, as quick as they could.
Crusher was keeping his eyes firmly on Rubin and Crom to make sure they didn’t try anything funny in the transit.
“So –huff- why are we going to a grave yard again? –huff-” inquired Rubin to the watchful tiger as they jogged.
“-huff- Not that it concerns you –huff- but Perra has found an opening to –huff- Sarcous’ tomb! –huff-”
“What?” inquired Crom, “here in Katora? But... that zebra fellow who explained all this Eye of Sarcous nonsense to me, said he disappeared thousands of years before Katora even existed, hell, he said he disappeared, not died, why would he even have a tomb??”
“No stupid,” Bart replied, Crom glowered, he hated being called dumb, “It’s not Sarcous’ own tomb –huff-, it’s called that because it’s to tomb of anyone who enters it. –huff-”
“I see, but that doesn’t explain why it’s in Katora”
“It’s not in Katora, ugh, difficult to explain –huff-… it’s in another realm, pocket world created by Sarcous, we’re heading to a portal –huff- to take us there”
“Okay why is there a portal to a magical realm in Katora and nobody ever heard of it?”
“Argh, we’re summoning the portal there, -huff- it’s the only place in this stupid town that has the right summoning conditions –huff- you ask way too many questions long ears…”
Though overwhelming force the bandit group dispatched any who dared get in their way on their march to the graveyard, but the group as a whole was nervous, they had been lucky to not run into any other large gang or ambush.
They were sure they were being watch though, after all they had the prize most of the warmongers in the town were after.
The graveyard was a hilly place, unkempt, gothic, largely untouched by the strife engulfing the town. On the tallest hill was a church, and the jaguar woman, Perralace, stood outside of it waving a lantern.
When the bandit group reached her the first thing Herc did was embrace her for a passionate kiss.
But there was a few other figures standing alongside her, a princely looking coyote, flanked by guards and a few robed members who appeared to be wizards.
Herc’s oddly respectful demeanour towards the coyote told Crom that he was the group’s mysterious commissioner Bart had mentioned earlier. He looked like the typical spoiled brat evil heir to a vast fortune, if he could, Crom would be slaying this guy on the spot for the damage he’s caused, sadly circumstance did not permit.
Then everyone went right to business like true professionals. Orders for several skulls to be collect, a bucket of water, flowers and other such things to be scavenged for the summoning. Alec, Bruce, Loagi and a few others were setting up the spell, drawing markings around the church door, sometime squabbling between each other about if a symbol was right or wrong.
All in all it took less than an hour; a sliver of sunlight was rising on the horizon, signalling morning had come.
Everyone gathered around to watch the wizards recite an ancient incantation. The doors before them, started to transform, from a plain old dirty wood door, it turned deep red and intricate carvings of fruit and vines appeared, it even actually grew in size a little, fracturing the surrounding wall. In the center a lock appeared, in the shape of an eye. When the process was done it positively glowed.
After everyone was done being amazed by old magic Herc stepped forward, he was clutching the pendant around his neck in both hands. Crom noticed it also had the image of an eye on it. “The eye will lead you too the orb, the eye will lead you too the orb” the wizards chanted. Then the rabbit realized the pendant so many people were after was infact a key!
Herc pushed the pendant into the pupil of the lock’s eye, there was a loud bang and suddenly the double doors opened, slowly at first, creaking awfully. When it had fully opened it presented not the inside of the church, but a swirling red wall of light, smoke billowed out and covered the floor.
“Hurry everyone inside” Perralace spoke, ushering the crowd with her hands, “remember! This door will only be open for one full day; if it shuts while we’re still inside then we’ll be stuck. We can’t bring the pendant inside, and we can’t rely on it being reopened any time soon if it closes.”
“W-what?” Rubin muttered to Crom, “they didn’t mention this before! I don’t want to be trapped in some dank tomb forever, I’m too young and handsome to be a mummy!”
“Shh Rubin, we’ll make sure we get out of here alive, I know we can, we’ll just look out for each other.”
Not that they had a choice, the pair of hunters walked to the door like everybody else, finally when they stepped inside they saw…
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