The op lich is a returne.., p.26
The OP Lich is a Returnee, page 26
Chapter 74 – Emperor
“Queen Akagawa, it is a pleasure to meet you at last.”
When I had commanded my apprentice, Dai Ya, to make arrangements with her government for me to go to Xi’an and gain entry to the necropolis with the terracotta warriors, I had expected to be met with some functionary of the Imperial State. After all, what better time to make nice with foreign powers than when they need to come to you for something? I had been expecting a member of their Ministry of Magic, or perhaps the Foreign Ministry. Maybe even an undersecretary.
So, I can say with no lie that I was surprised that, when we arrived in Xi’an, at the site of the necropolis, we were met by none other than His Supreme Radiance, Emperor Zhu Zhexian himself, first of the Zhu Dynasty of the Mystic Realm of China and All Its Most Blessed Lands, otherwise known as the Chinese Empire, or Imperial China. That utter mouthful of a name was clearly the work of someone who was playing hard on ancient imagery. Especially coming after the Communists were driven out of power, that kind of name, and the mysticism surrounding it, were designed to capture the heart and soul of the people, rather than beating them into submission.
Emperor Zhexian was not a tall man. In fact, he was merely average height for a man of Asian heritage. However, he had a presence and charisma that sought to make him the center of attention, and make him seem like the largest man in the room. It was not a conscious thing, or an act he put on. It was just that natural confidence in his own strength and power that caused him to just know that he was the highest authority in the room. I recognized it well, since I had the same aura about me.
The Emperor was dressed in an outfit that was clearly based on traditional Chinese formal wear, but with a more modern emphasis (and his guards were in combat uniforms, armed and armored accordingly). I could also sense magic about him. He was wearing one of the Shield Charms Phantomline had produced, as well as one, no, two CADs. One on his wrist, a more standard affair, and the other was in the shape of a gun at his waist, tucked into the sash about his middle. The whole effect made him look and feel like a bridge between the present, and ancient times.
I couldn’t say I disapproved of the look, as I was not exactly subtle in my own attire, wearing my royal gown and armor, ready for a fight. Even more so, since I was riding upon my favored steed, Shinotsubasa, the undead Pegasus, with my apprentices riding the same type of mounts that had taken them across the sky when we were rescuing my sister, and they were wearing the same garments as they had that night. Subtle and reserved were the exact opposite of what I was doing.
I nodded my head politely to the Emperor, treating him as an equal. “Emperor Zhu, it is a pleasant surprise to see you here. I will admit that I had expected your government to send someone to oversee my work here, but I had not expected you to come yourself. May the sun shine on your house, and the wind blow only so much as to keep you from forgetting the realities of the world.”
The Emperor smiled at my comment. “Ah, well said. You truly are as well-spoken and courteous as they say. As for my presence here, it serves two goals. First, I get to meet the person who has single-handedly upset the balance of power in the world, publicly humbling both the US and Russia in the space of hours. That, on its own, would be enough to get me to this meeting.
“However, the prospect of finding some history of the ancient world, from before China was invaded by colonial powers or thrown under the sway of communist regimes? One that could explain many of the secrets of magic in this world? And possibly even lead to the discovery of even more ancient secrets, like whether Atlantis was real? I would be a fool to pass up the chance to see something like this with my own eyes.”
If I had not been in my full lich form, I would have narrowed my eyes at him, but the glint of the blue flames and the tilt of my head must have conveyed my emotions well enough, for he said, “It is not that I do not trust you. But something like this? This is true history, in a way that even an ancient land like China can barely comprehend. It is only right that the reigning emperor gets to see the secrets buried beneath the tomb of the first emperor as they are uncovered!”
I paused, and then nodded, slowly. “Very well, then. You and your people will stay behind me, and my apprentices. Once we are past the public areas of the tomb, walk only where I walk, and touch nothing unless I tell you to. Something as important as the seal will not be unprotected. If we are very, very lucky, it will just be a series of traps designed to slaughter all who dare approach the gates. Traps made with the power of unrestrained magic, capable of harming, or perhaps even killing, a being such as myself.”
The emperor’s face grew cloudy. Clearly, he did not appreciate my view of what ‘lucky’ entailed. “And if we are unlucky?”
I chuckled darkly. “Then there will be guardians, as well as traps. Guardians capable of standing toe to toe against my legions. And, should we be truly misfortunate, there will be guardians alone.”
“Why would that be the most misfortunate? Surely the traps and guardians side by side would be worse?”
“No, Emperor. If there are no traps, and only guardians, then it means that the guardians alone are enough to hold the seal against an army. In which case I will be forced to bring forth my army to face it appropriately. Especially if the guardians are aspected against me in some way.
“But that is not the most misfortunate fate that could befall us. The greatest misfortune would be to find no traps or guardians until we get to the seal itself. Because then, some sealed creature, likely still at the height of its power, will be there to destroy us.”
The emperor nodded once, convinced. After all, I knew more about the potential threats that could be ahead of us than anyone else here, and I was the one who had the best chance of surviving, regardless. “I see. Then, in light of your concerns, my people will do as you ask, and stay behind you, and follow in your footsteps.”
Walking through the museum above the necropolis was simple enough. Once we entered down, by where the clay soldiers stood in their pits, however, I knew that things were likely to be bad. There was a scent of magic in the air, linking the pits.
“Yes, it is as I feared. The soldiers are part of the defenses. Be very careful as we move forward. Otherwise, we risk waking the army.”
“Waking it, Mistress?” Dai asked. “But they are just statues. How could they wake, and move?”
“Because I believe they are no mere statues. A lack of mana may have frozen them in place, for all these years since they were found, but I can see the magic in the air. Each soldier is a construct. Not on the same level as a golem, thankfully. An army of golems would bankrupt a kingdom several times over, so that would have made things even more dangerous. But they are still constructs, and will move to attack us, if we set off the magic. Carefully, now.”
We moved slowly, as I watched the magic in the air to avoid the web-like strings of mana that served as the outer alarm system, like a spider’s web. It was a simple alarm scheme, but one that would be all but impossible for those who couldn’t see or sense mana to get through without tripping it. Simple did not mean that it wasn’t effective, after all.
However, there was also a flow to the mana, leading further into the necropolis. I was following that flow, because that was almost certainly either where the gate into the hidden part of the necropolis would be, or where the nexus of the alarm system was, where I could hopefully find a way to deactivate it without destroying the entire necropolis. Perhaps both.
That trail led us to a pit containing several chariots and horses, with drivers and archers on the back. In the middle of the pit was a small stone obelisk, separated into four parts. The bottom part of the obelisk was rooted to the ground, but the other three looked as though they could spin around. This was clearly the key to moving forward.
Unfortunately, my magical senses couldn’t tell me any more than that. I needed an expert to help figure out the puzzle. Fortunately, I had one of those.
With a snap of my fingers, I opened my pocket dimension, and pulled out one of my more utilitarian servants. The skeleton was an elf in life, and in death he was not mindless, and certainly not useless in combat, but his specialties lay in other areas. Areas like finding and disarming traps.
“My Queen,” he bowed. “How may this Indyana J’ones aid you today?”
“Rise, my faithful servant,” I bade him, and pointed out the obelisk. “This obelisk looks to control an alarm web, that will wake an army of constructs if improperly managed. Do you think your skills are up to the task of solving the puzzle, and opening the way forward?”
“I shall do my utmost, your Majesty.”
As the skeleton dressed in an explorer’s clothes set about his work, I felt the Emperor moving closer. Impressively, he still made certain to step only in my footprints on the dirt and sand beneath our feet, causing my opinion of him to rise. I turned to acknowledge him.
“Did I hear that skeleton’s name correctly?” he asked, a wry grin on his face.
I simply shrugged. “A pleasant coincidence, and nothing more. Of course, no one in the other world understood why the name of the elf I caught trying to plunder the Athelian royal vault shortly after Athelia’s fall amused me enough to turn him into one of my personal servants in death, but they just accepted it as something related to my home world. Not as though many of them had a choice in the matter.”
The Emperor nodded, and then said, soft enough that only I could hear, “Yes, I am no stranger to having to do dark and difficult things in order to ensure a brighter future for my land. While I cannot claim to have done anything on your level, I am familiar with the way those acts can affect one. Unfortunately, when you get to our level, there are few you can actually talk to about such things. Either they do not understand, or they would see it as a weakness.”
He paused, and then continued. “If you should wish to speak on these things, to one who shares similar burdens, I can offer you a private line to reach me. I know you have said in public that your transformation into a lich has deadened your emotions, and some of the drives that living creatures have, but, from what my agents have seen, it has not wholly stripped you of your humanity.”
I froze, suddenly unsure of what to say. I could read people well enough to know that this was not pity, which I was very familiar with. And there was no accusation for the monstrous things I’d done. No disdain, looking down upon me because I was undead. No greed, seeking things from me. Well, I didn’t doubt that he sought things from me, but they were not connected to this offer, save for him perhaps not wanting someone of my power to lose their grip on sanity, which I could hardly blame him for.
No, if any of those had been present, it would have fit into conversations that I had had so many times before. The last person to truly empathize with me, without any true desire or pity for what had befallen me? It was the Goddess of Death, Murena, in the other world. No mortal had offered me such a kindness in over forty years.
I could still feel the connection to Murena, faintly burning across the veil between worlds. I was a contractor of hers, after all. That power shared between us would not fade until the Goddess of Death herself perished, and that was something far easier said than done. But that was a thought for another time.
Looking at the Emperor, I smiled, and nodded. “I think I might like that. You are right. There are too few people who truly understand the weight of power, and the choices one must make.”
Chapter 75 – Guardians
While the Emperor and I talked, my servant was busy muttering to himself as he circled the obelisk, taking time to notice every detail. He would check for mana, and then reach out to the obelisk in different places without touching it, using his skills to try and work out the mechanism of the trap.
“Hmm. So, these glyphs appear to be the stages of the moon. Each level has all four phases. Yes, yes. A symbology lock, then? Simple enough that it would survive even a prolonged mana drought. Yes, that makes sense. More complex traps and puzzles would break down quicker without the mana to sustain them.
“Now, each level of the marker has one symbol each in silver, jade, gold, and… bone? Yes, looks like some kind of bone. Interesting. Bottom level is set, so that must be the key. But what is the truth of it. Maybe a hint in the rest of the room?”
J’ones continued his mutterings as he began carefully moving through the pit, checking the four chariots that had been placed here with the obelisk. That caused me to look more closely at the one the Emperor and I were standing next to. Now that J’ones had pointed out the materials, I noticed that this chariot was not wholly clay.
“J’ones! Look at this chariot! The center of the wheel is inlaid with bone!”
The tomb raider was at my side in an instant, and nodded quickly. “It is as you say, my Queen. Bone in the wheel. And look, a jade bracelet on the driver’s wrist. The bowman has a collar made of gold, and the driver’s circlet is silver!”
“And look!” He pointed to the bottom layer of the obelisk. “The side facing this chariot has the full moon in bone facing us!” He went to the obelisk, and said, “And jade on the second level is the waning moon! Yes, this is it! You found the key, your Majesty!”
Quickly, the skeleton began arranging the obelisk’s sections. The sound of stone grinding against stone was augmented by an audible click each time one of the sections was even with the one below. But nothing else happened as J’ones got the heavy section into position.
The moment he touched the third stage, however, the second level slid downward, locking into place. The tomb raider just nodded, unconcerned. “Yes. Only one chance to get it right, it seems. Well, next is silver, and the new moon. Yes, here it is. Very good.”
The third section arranged, it, too, slid home once J’ones touched the final section. With more speed this time, he arranged it so that the golden waxing moon was facing us. But nothing happened, until he touched the base of the obelisk, and the fourth section slid home.
There was a thrum of magic in the air. I could feel the magic pulling back, out of the alarm spells and the trap that would cause the army to rise against us, concentrating in the object before us. Pure shadow formed at the tip of the obelisk, and struck like a laser at the ground in the front of the pit, glowing with an impenetrable shadowy radiance. But, eventually, the shadow faded, and, in its place, there was a tunnel, leading downwards, into the earth.
I moved up to the edge of the tunnel, and looked down, into the depths. The mana was stronger there, and it felt as though it was building in strength. “Well, it seems that the way has been opened. From here on in, the dangers will only increase. J’ones, lead the way.”
“As you wish, your Majesty.”
The skeletal tomb raider conjured light with a spell, and led the way down the tunnel. I knew he did not need light to see, any more than I did. However, there was a benefit to having light in situations like this.
Darksight and magesight were powerful tools, but they were not all-powerful. Seeing the shapes of the things in front of you, and seeing the course of magic through a room were powerful abilities. However, you could not read the words on a page without light, unless they were written in braille, or something similar. So, a light spell would allow J’ones to see if there were any markings further in.
I conjured several other light orbs, and set them to floating about the party, though I kept them back far enough to limit the shadows they cast over J’ones, so as not to make his work more difficult. The power output for me was minimal, even though light was not my element. I might struggle to cast some of the more complex light spells, but even an apprentice mage could conjure an orb of light, regardless of their element or style of casting. Casting several, and setting them to follow down a hallway was only a matter of experience and control, both of which I had plenty of.
The tunnel curved as it descended, taking us deeper into the earth. Several times, we were forced to stop as J’ones uncovered traps designed to slow or stop an invading enemy. Spears shot out of the walls, hoping to skewer invaders. Blades, still razor sharp after all these centuries, slashed out to try and cleave him in two. There were traps that collapsed a portion of the ceiling, or would cause the walls to come slamming together in a deadly crushing blow. All of which would have been lethal to mortals, if they hadn’t had someone of J’ones’s skill here to find and disarm the traps.
My senses told us that, though by now we had walked for almost a kilometer along this path, we had only descended about fifty meters. However, I could still sense the flows of magic, and I could tell that we were now underneath the terracotta army above. We had gone in one large loop, clearly designed to wear down an enemy before the next fight. And I did not doubt that a fight was ahead of us.
“There’s a light ahead!”
Looking ahead, I could see that J’ones was right. There was the telltale glow of light ahead. It was the orange color of natural flames, unlike the soft white glow of our light spells, however. That suggested magical flames, rather than a light spell.
Soon, we arrived at a large chamber, twenty meters tall and fifty meters wide, but stretching for one hundred meters in length. The huge room was supported by massive stone columns, each almost three meters in width, spaced regularly along the sides of the room. No, not placed. Carved. Looking at the closest of the columns, it was clear that it was all one piece, having been carved out of the stone in place, rather than relying on simpler building techniques.
