Within a dream, he saw a woman in a clearing, surrounded by a dense forest. She was dressed in thin white robes and standing by a cascading river with her back to him. Her pale skin and silver hair, appearing luminescent in the light that pierced through the trees. She began walking gracefully along the riverbank with small steps as if she were counting the stones under the water one by one. She was ethereal, even god-like. An embodiment of purity, casting light upon the shadows of the forest with each step. He tried to approach her, but he was frozen. Every bodily command he made was met with static, nothingness. He could only simply watch her as she continued to tread carefully alongside the river.


    He tried to speak, but again, he was unable to. The words turning to a simple breath of air. The woman stopped suddenly and turned to him, inspecting him from a distance. She let out a weak smile and began raking her fingers through her hair, then spoke with a soft whisper that echoed within his mind.


    "They are coming."


    *************************************


    "Hey, Tycon. Wake up."


    His eyes fluttered open to see the cloth of the tent above him flailing softly in the wind. He shifted his gaze to notice Ambre''s face poking through the tent. She had a devilish grin and poked a hand through that held a Leather canteen. She waved it as if he were an animal waiting for a treat.


    "We''re about to continue on, so you better pack your stuff, or we''ll leave you behind," She teased.


    Tycon gave her a dismissive wave and he suddenly felt the canteen collide with his head. He let out a grunt and heard Ambre giggle from the other side of the tent.


    As energetic as ever.


    It had been two days since they''d left Meliora and they were nearing the tomb, or so he hoped. Sometimes he''d wondered if they had gotten lost, but Zeke had insisted that they were on course. The day they left had been the worst one of all, the four of them hungover and dehydrated. Tycon was glad they had taken the time to purchase mounts, He''d probably be dead without them.


    The past few days despite the hangover were merry, rough as well. The journey had begun to take its toll with the cold nights making it hard to sleep and the fatigue of riding tens of miles a day with the hot sun on them beginning to set in. The constant incline of dunes hadn''t made it easier either.


    Tycon hoped they''d reach the tomb sooner rather than later. Supplies were beginning to wane, specifically the firewood. The lack of trees made sure of that. They had just enough for one more night, plus the trip back. It was important for them to arrive at the tomb today. Although things sometimes seemed dire, it did little to dampen their spirits, Ambre made sure of that. With her upbeat attitude contrasting with the deep seriousness of the rest of the group, it made for a morale boost, if nothing else.


    He swatted the tent flaps and arrived outside to see the campsite almost entirely empty. He caught a glance of Balin strapping a tent to the saddlebags of a camel and Zeke off over by a nearby dune with his hand over his eyes, scouting ahead. Ambre, however, was sat by the dead campfire cleaning her sword. Occasionally glancing his way.


    His legs ached and he admittedly wasn''t looking forward to the journey ahead, especially when he was barely awake. The heat had already risen to a high temperature, feeling it emit from the sand beneath his boots. He wiped his now-dripping forehead and began packing his tent.


    The tent was a simple one, mostly for the desert, with four legs that were strung together with twine and an extra stick to act as a roof frame. The ends of the legs were spiked, making it easier to embed them in the sand. He imagined he wouldn''t have much luck in the Heartlands.


    Tycon began tying the tent to the camel when he felt strands of hair brush his cheek beside him. Glancing sideways he saw Ambre, who began helping him tye the rope.


    "How did you sleep?" She asked.


    "About as well as anyone. The cold really gets to you."


    She finished tying the rope and leaned on the camel''s saddle.


    "I heard you breathing weird last night as if you were trying to say something. It was kinda odd."


    "I had a dream, couldn''t speak in it for some reason."


    She placed a finger on her chin for a moment, then nodded.


    "Definitely a weird dream then, what happened?"


    Tycon sighed and moved over to pat the camel on the neck, Ambre followed.


    "It''s a lot to explain if I even remember it correctly. I''ll tell you about it when we set off."


    "You better, I''m curious about what goes on in that head of yours."


    She poked him on the forehead and he flushed again.


    Zeke had returned from the dune frowning. His eyes looked as if he hadn''t slept in a while, blood-shot and with black rings under them, both he and Balin approached the two.


    "You''ll never guess what I saw on the horizon!" Zeke said, putting on a facade of excitement.


    Nobody answered but instead waited for the obvious punchline.


    "Nothing," He concluded.


    Balin rolled his eyes and began mounting a camel.


    "Best to get going then. I think we''re getting close," Balin paused, "Something about this area doesn''t feel right."


    "Well I mean, this is a desert. I don''t think it''d feel right either way," Zeke replied.


    "Yeah, yeah." Balin sighed.


    Tycon looked to Ambre, "You wanna ride today and I''ll sit up back?"


    She replied with an enthusiastic nod and Tycon let out a small smile.


    "Let''s head off then."


    *************************


    The four made their way across the endless desolate desert. The wind was weak, yet had a weight in the heat. Tycon was in a constant state of sweating, as were his companions. The rhythmic strides of the camels kept him busy, counting each one as they swayed side to side. Conversation was at a minimum and Tycon could feel the state of their morale. Not even Ambre spoke much.


    He guessed it wasn''t just the heat and found comfort knowing he may not be the only one who dreaded their incoming task. It was then that the direness of their mission truly dawned on him. There was a good chance that he, or another, may not make it out of this. The constant internal reminder of that kept swaying his thoughts back to Ambre. Would he die to protect her? Of course, he would, but it never lessened the fear that swelled within him.


    It was a familiar feeling, coming from his childhood and leading all through his life. In the many battles, he fought and even when his heart raced at the face of someone. He watched Ambre as he sat behind her, keeping her head forward and occasionally brushing away the few rogue strands of hair that caught her face in the wind. Her shoulders were slumped beneath her blouse, yet he could see her hands were tense. They gripped the reigns, the knuckles turning white. Tycon tapped her on the shoulder.


    "You okay?" He asked softly.


    Ambre lowered her head and let out a defeated sigh, pausing before answering as if she couldn''t quite make out what to say.


    "Do you feel it too?" She asked instead, "The feeling of your stomach spinning, like a sudden dark blanket, fell over you?"


    "Yeah, I feel it too."


    She sighed again, "At least it''s not just me."


    "Haven''t you felt it before?"


    "I have... Once."


    Tycon knew what she was referring to and decided not to press any further. They continued on in silence.


    Zeke''s camel was up ahead, though Tycon couldn''t see much of him through Balin''s large frame. Admittedly he was rather worried about the camel but was impressed with its strength nonetheless.


    Balin''s gaze was locked to the side, watching the protruding bones that dotted the landscape. There wasn''t much to see, nothing that could keep them occupied on the dreaded journey they were taking. Tycon began to wonder if the coin was even worth the trouble but he was in far too deep to back out now.


    Zeke slowed his camel to a stop, "Hey, look over there!" he called back, pulling Tycon from his thoughts.


    He peeked over Ambre''s shoulder to see what Zeke was pointing towards. After a few moments of trying to discern what exactly Zeke had seen, he finally caught eyes on it. On the horizon was the top of what he could only assume was a distant tower, the color almost camouflaging with the distant dunes it was caught behind.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "You think that''s the tomb?" Tycon asked.


    Zeke shrugged, "First thing we''ve seen for miles, so, it''s likely."


    "What? Where? I don''t see anything." Balin grumbled.


    "I don''t see it either," Ambre agreed, "Must be those Elven eyes of yours, Tycon."


    He wasn''t surprised that nobody else but Zeke and he could see it. It was practically non-existent from their distance, looking like just another lump of dunes. Not even the bright blue sky could help them see it.


    "If it turns out to be a tower, it''s not very subtle," Tycon remarked.


    "A tower?" Balin asked.


    "Yeah, it looks like it is one."


    "That doesn''t sound like any sort of tomb I''ve heard of."


    "It''s was probably built that way for ancient travelers to not get lost or something," Zeke said scratching his head.


    Ambre raked her fingers through her hair, "That sounds about right," she said, "That, or, the person buried there had a huge ego."


    "Oh well, helps us all the while," Tycon replied.


    "Should we rest outside for the night?" Ambre asked seemingly everyone.


    "Definitely." The three men replied together.


    Tycon heard her let out a chuckle and could feel that she was smiling. They began moving again with the same rhythmic pattern as before. The sun was still high overhead and he guessed it was just past midday. It had already felt like an eternity had passed since they left. Ambre began humming a song to herself, a slow melody, almost melancholy.


    "What song is that?" He asked, his voice low.


    "It''s called Ascension of The Lionheart. From my homeland."


    "It''s beautiful."


    She glanced back to him as they rode and smiled.


    "I hope someday you get to hear it," She sighed, "I''d like to hear it again just one more time."


    "You could if you wanted to."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Go back to your home and retake the Throne."


    Ambre stiffened as she had at the ball, "It''s not that simple, Tycon. They think I''m a traitor and I have next to no proof that I''m not."


    "I''m sorry," Tycon said, regretting bringing up the subject.


    The conversation ended with that and they continued on, again in silence. It wasn''t that he wanted to keep reminding her, it was simply because he knew how she felt, to lose everything in a single day. To run with no home left to go to. He sympathized with her and Tycon got his revenge for his losses, but she hadn''t yet.


    She still had the potential to regain her birthright and reclaim the Throne of Winters Peak. There had to be a way. Still, though, he knew next to nothing of politics or of war. His personal revenge was insignificant next to the magnitude of what she would need to achieve, to even get close to taking back the Throne. With that, he decided to let it go to the back of his mind. He had more immediate things to worry about.


    "Hey, Tycon," Ambre said suddenly, glancing back toward him.


    "Hm?"


    "You said you''d tell me about your dream before we left. Did you still want to?"


    It was a good way to kill time. A lot better than pointlessly gazing into the endless sand. The dream was bizarre, something he''d never thought his mind would conjure. He didn''t remember most of his dreams at all, this one though. In his mind, it was clear as day.


    "I saw a woman... She didn''t look as if she were from here. She looked like some sort of queen or deity and walked by a river, I couldn''t move. Stood there like a stump. I couldn''t speak either but she did say something to me."


    "What did she say?"


    "We are coming"


    Before Ambre could reply, Zeke had slowed his camel so the two could catch up. Tycon assumed Zeke had seen something, judging from his grim face.


    "The woman you saw in the dream, can you describe her?" He asked.


    Tycon was shocked that Zeke had overheard them from their distance and the question, to Tycon, sounded like a demand.


    "She wore a thin white robe and had silver hair."


    "Did you see anything else?"


    "Not much else, no."


    Zeke glanced down for a moment as if thinking of something else to ask. After a moment he simply nodded and urged the camel forward. Ambre peered back to Tycon as they rode, her face riddled with worry.


    "That was... Odd," She said.


    *******************


    The Tomb, casting a shadow over the dunes before it, sat alone. Surrounded by nothingness, just a dry, coarse sea of death and decay. What would lie in its depths was unknown to Tycon and he was in no rush to find out. The monolithic structure dwarfed the four. Tycon had to peer upward to see the top of the spire, even then, the sun obscured his vision before he could. Built of sandstone, as seemingly every structure in the Zinlyn desert and Meliora was.


    At the bottom of the spire was a small trapeze stricture, also built of sandstone. At the front, before them was a door made of marble which caught Tycon''s attention. On the door was a symbol of a butterfly within an outer circle and unfamiliar runes surrounding it. He wondered what they read but assumed it was the name of the long-deceased person within.


    The four of them set up camp as they did the night before without delay and by the time they were done, the sun had begun to set. Tycon sat inside his tent, thinking deeply. He could hear the sound of Balin sharpening his sword and humming to himself over the hiss. Zeke had gone to explore the exterior of the structure, to his dismay. Ambre had gone along with him, being just as curious about the place as Zeke. So he sat there, thinking and worrying as he always did. His mind spiraling over the dream he had and trying to discern whether it meant anything or not.


    Whatever it was, it was clear that he didn''t fully understand what it meant, if anything at all. The sound of a metal blade hissing pulled him from his thoughts and he decided to check on Balin. They hadn''t spoken much on the journey and he wanted to see how he was feeling. Balin had a good time at the ball and Tycon was glad for that, but he knew what was beneath that and the concern always lingered.


    Balin was sitting atop a log as a makeshift seat with his sword over his knee and a whetstone in his hand, grazing it over the blade slowly. He hadn''t noticed Tycon''s presence yet, staring intensely at the blade. He looked almost determined.


    "You feeling okay?" Tycon asked, taking a seat on the sand next to him.


    Balin looked up from his sword and to Tycon and let out a weak smile then returned to sharpening the weapon.


    "As okay as I''ll ever be." He replied, "I see you and Ambre are getting along well."


    "She''s nice," Tycon said simply, avoiding getting sappy.


    "I miss her, Tycon." He said suddenly, "She would have loved to be here, well not the desert, but just in good company."


    Tycon placed a hand on Balin''s shoulder and he stopped for a moment.


    "I know," Tycon said, "You''ll make it through this, get a home and live quietly... Just like she wanted."


    Balin let out a smile and continued sharpening his sword. The sun was growing nearer to the distant dunes and the night sky had begun to show itself, casting darkness over the campsite. It wasn''t too long before Ambre and Zeke returned and the four set up a fire to huddle over.


    As soon as the night came, so did the desire to sleep and Tycon retreated back toward his tent to get some much-needed rest. As he lay himself down, he heard the tent flaps open behind him. It was Ambre. She also looked weary with her clothes looking dirty and disheveled and her blond hair unkempt. He was reminded that the trip took its toll on everyone and that the quicker this was done, the better.


    She simply stood there, blushing and avoiding eye contact. Tycon went to ask her if something was wrong when suddenly she clambered on top of him and their lips met.


    A strong, deep kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Feeling their bodies connect and a sudden sense of euphoria engulfed the two in a mad lust for one another. He was surprised and taken aback, yet, he was completely intoxicated in her presence. At that moment he didn''t think, his body moved on its own and this time he let it. Before long the two were undressed, their bodies intertwined with one another.


    Tycon''s heart raced and he could feel hers too, beating between short breaths. Her skin was soft and warm, like a fire ignited within her and he embraced it. The warmth of her breath over his neck made him shiver, he was lost in her touch, a fever within rising vigorously.


    Moving in motion with one another in perfect patterns. It felt like a dream, one he wished he could stay in forever.


    *****************


    A shriek? What was it? Tycon wasn''t sure, he awoke suddenly, sweating and clambering for his clothes. Ambre lay beside him, the moonlight breaking through the fabric of the tent. The sheets over the bedroll covered her nude and slender form. She hadn''t awoken, was it in his head? No, he was absolutely positive about what he had heard. Something otherworldly, not a sound any sort of animal could make. He hesitated to investigate, a wave of fear suddenly keeping him still.


    He heard it again, this time Ambre shook awake too, Looking confused and in a daze.


    "You heard that too, right?" Tycon asked, alarmed.


    Ambre nodded her head, unsettled, "What the hell was that?"


    "I don''t know but I''m going to check it out."


    Tycon again went to grab at his clothes but Ambre placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head then frowned.


    "Don''t go out there," She said.


    "I have to, I don''t want to die in my sleep. Do you?"


    Again she shook her head.


    "Well in that case," She sat up, the sheets falling from her torso, "Then I''m coming with you."


    He knew there was nothing he could say or do to stop her so he didn''t bother. Once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. The two reached for their clothes and hastily dressed. Tycon grabbed his daggers just in case and Ambre took her weapon as well. Tycon looked to her and she seemed to notice his gaze and looked back.


    "Whatever''s out there, be ready," He said.


    Ambre nodded, her face grim, "I''m always ready."


    They burst outside the tent to see both Zeke and Balin standing still, facing the entrance of the tomb. They weren''t speaking, just staring blankly. Tycon wasn''t sure if it were shock or fear, maybe neither. They had their weapons at the ready as they stood, watching, waiting.


    "You heard it too?" Tycon asked.


    Both Balin and Zeke turned, eyes wide and nodding.


    "I think we should go," Balin murmured.


    Seeing Balin so afraid made him feel anxious, Balin was a lot of things but he certainly wasn''t a coward. It was obvious that what he had heard had shaken him to the core, his face was white as a ghost.


    "No, we have to go in. We''ve already come this far," Zeke replied.


    Tycon wasn''t sure what to do. On one hand, he wanted to run, the sound was certainly something unnatural, something evil, But what Zeke said made sense too. They''d come this far and to just run with their tails between their legs would possibly hold dire consequences from their contractor. Ambre, who hadn''t said anything strode past the three men and directly to the Tombs entrance.


    "Whoa, wait. What the hell are you doing," Balin shouted as she brushed past him.


    "We''re going in," She said.


    "What? Right now? It''s the middle of the night" Tycon argued.


    "It makes no difference, it''ll be dark in there all the same."


    Zeke studied his scimitar for a moment as if weighing his options.


    "Gear up," He said, "We''re going in."


    Balin gritted his teeth, "I''m out of here. Good luck."


    "Wait," Tycon called and moved over close to him so the others wouldn''t overhear them.


    "C''mon, this job will set you up. You do this and you''ll never have to do it again."


    Balin raised an eyebrow and sighed, "One last job, Tycon."


    "One last job."


    The four began gearing up outside the tomb. Ambre had now changed into the outfit she wore the day Tycon had met her, looking just as fierce and beautiful as she had that day. Balin, like Zeke, was always readied up and he simply strapped on some leather bracers over his forearms. That just left Tycon, he was still wearing his black coat as he always had, despite the weather, though this time he had a leather cuirass strapped over his torso as a precaution. He always preferred to be light and nimble when engaging in a combat situation but he wasn''t against the idea of armoring up when he had to.


    The four now stood before the door of the Tomb, torches alight, hearts pounding and breathing heavily. Ready for a fight, yet afraid of the unknown, the darkness. Tycon''s thoughts returned to the sound he''d woken up to, what could it be? He was afraid to find out, but as Zeke had said, they had come too far to turn back now. The four glanced to one another and gave a quick nod, sliding open the thick marble door and stepping down into the unknown.


    For what they were to find in there was something they''d come to regret.