Commission: Spoils of a Treasure Hunter

The pizzeria had the finest take on synthesising the perfect Supreme pizza; the capsicum sat atop a bed of thinly sliced ham, and the pineapple rested in amongst the olive fragments. Øyvind Herstad considered it a marvelous indulgence; the perfect requisite for his next great treasure hunt with his delectably gorgeous companions Kaitlyn and Kara Walker.

"Ah yes girls" – He spoke intelligently, although not so much the words, as the way he portrayed them across the thin, cool air – "Another heist completed, another trophy to add to your walls. It is time however, for us to begin again. I've heard rumour of a treasure crypt in Greece; rumours tell of great fortune befitting a conquering knight. This is where we will head to next."

Kara smiled and glanced around the room, her long brown and white striped hair flowing over her shoulders. The drink in her hand remained still and unnerved as she examined the pizzeria.

"I've heard of this crypt" she spoke quietly, "I've heard that many treasure hunters have fallen in attempt to access the treasure within. I've read that tests must be overcome in order to gain passage." She took a sip of her cider before continuing. "Old historic ledgers have described the presence of mythological creatures guarding the crypt of Feng Hal – a travelling Asian adventurer. I remember reading about his spirit protecting all the treasures he accumulated while alive. Of course, these are all myths. We don't know for sure what is in there, but I do know with certainty where it is located."

Øyvind grinned; how he loved this bright-minded young girl. She was an excellent addition to his treasure hunting crew, and shortly thereafter he discovered her sister Kaitlyn, and her talents with combat and the bow.

"Shottis," Kaitlyn piped up, referring to her friend in the way he always requested to be addressed. "If we have to do battle against mythological creatures and spirits, will our weaponry be sufficient? Will my arrows damage a ghost?"

"Well now, I just do not know." Then, addressing Kara, "Tell me, have you read up on anything regarding dealing with those that get in our way?"

"Actually," Kara replied, "The 'Tome of Feng Hal' mentions an enchanted blade. According to the tome, the only weapon that can take down his spirit is his own blade, buried alongside him in the crypt he lies in, and that's the bad news. The good news is that the blade will work to destroy permanently any mythological creature and spirit."

"So my bow is useless?"

"Not necessarily. It can be used against any creature that has physical form; you may "kill" something, but not permanently. For example, if you take down say, a Minotaur, it must be quickly pierced with Feng Hal's blade to prevent it from ever returning."

"Well I suggest we prepare for battle!" Kaitlyn's excitement for their next quest propelled the trio forward.

---

Øyvind stepped forward. The passage to Greece was a short one; they rode alone in their own vehicles as Øyvind suggested, in order to make away with more of the treasure.

The Blades of Chaos were poised in his hands, the entrance to the treasure before him, unmoving; untouched for centuries.

"Well now Kara, how do we get in?" Kaitlyn stood, bow and arrow at the ready, aimed towards the large stone slab blocking the entrance.
Kara stepped forward, "The grave of Feng Hal demands a blood sacrifice from all who wish to enter. Shottis, a blade?"

"Of course-" a pause as he handed Kara one of his blades, "-but how much blood does the grave require?"

"According to the Tome, very little; this should be enough" Kara wasn't fazed as she cut deeply into the palm of her hand, producing a dark velvet stream of blood. She smeared the blood across the stone slab and was gone.

"She's in" Øyvind commented, using his second blade to gain entrance, dropping it on the grass before him in order for Kaitlyn to enter.

---

When Kaitlyn entered the grave she found that her sister and friend had already explored to some extent the various rooms and passages adjoining the entry corridor.

"It turns out that the passage of time passes differently in here. I've been here for an hour, and Shottis has been here for half that. It's no doubt an attempt to scare explorers from the quest; an unnerved man may be driven mad with boredom waiting for his team to enter. I imagine many a fellow have been here and panicked that they had been abandoned." Both Shottis and Kaitlyn agreed.

"We were unable to locate any treasure in these rooms; a burial tomb for Feng Hal's men and family we guess. There's nothing on the bodies; no flesh or muscle, nor gold. Apparently their funds ran dry before they died." Shottis explained to Kaitlyn, who had her bow by her side, just as she usually would do in situations that she was unaware of.

"Well now, I suppose we best get moving" Kaitlyn suggested, moving to lead the way.

---

They had passed through a maze of passages and explored a mass of rooms and found no treasure; not even a gold coin. Their hearts had started to deflate, at least until they had somehow navigated the labyrinth of tunnels to find Feng Hal's burial crypt.

"So much for the challenges" Kaitlyn muttered, bow lowered.

"I would hazard a guess that the lack of challenges is better for us in the long run, but either way, we best keep moving. Feng Hal's burial place is up ahead. We need that blade in case we are attacked."

Øyvind moved forward, stepping quickly and lightly over the skeletal floor of the crypt. As they moved they looked around; the walls, shelves and floor were covered in golden artifacts; pots, goblets, bucketfuls of solid gold coins shining in the light of a few lit torches. Kara and Kaitlyn followed Øyvind silently; Kaitlyn's bow readied once more and Kara's sword poised from the hip ready to strike.

As they approached the large stone coffin, a loud shout vibrated the room; all three froze in their tracks and turned to find another perfectly living human walking quickly towards them; Feng Hal's blade gripped tightly beneath his stark white knuckles.

"Now what do we have here?" He called aloud, "Looking for this?" The new variable in the quest started waving the glowing sword of Feng Hal in the air before him. "I'm afraid you are too late! The treasure is mine; the sword is mine! The challenges were pathetic! A quick slice of this beauty and BAM! Dead."

"Who are you?" Kaitlyn demanded, stepping forward, bow and arrow aimed between the marauders' eyes.

"I, pretty lady, am Drake Tombstone! I made your path here a breeze; I killed all spirits and creatures that presented themselves-" Drake paused grinning evilly, "-All except you three."

"Well, and Feng Hal's spirit, I suppose, considering you're still alive". Kara spoke up, knuckles white as she addressed her rival treasure hunter.

"Oh I think you're mistaken Kara."

"Why do you say that?"

Øyvind grinned, pointing to a glowing figure moving slowly towards Drake from behind. "Looks like you may have missed one. Don't mind us, we'll just stand and watch him devour your soul." The trio laughed, then stopped abruptly as the ground started shaking.

Spirits of all kinds began to cypher through the crypt walls; a noise like thunder rolled around inside the ruins and the spirit of Feng Hal propelled Drake Tombstone into the middle of the room, where Øyvind, Kara and Kaitlyn stood.

"That's a nice bow you have there, I think you should use it." Drake trembled, standing to his feet and addressing Kaitlyn. "Here, what's-your-name, take the sword of Feng Hal, I'm better suited to duel-wielding daggers." Drake stuttered, thrusting the handle of Feng Hal's sword into Kara's empty left hand.

The four of them fought thoroughly; Kaitlyn incapacitated many physical forms with her bow and her sister made haste to destroy them permanently with the blade she was given. Øyvind's Blades of Chaos seemed to slice through and incapacitate the spirits where a regular blade would not, and Kara continued to destroy them permanently.

A few wounds were had by the group; Kara accumulated a deep wound across her fighting forearm, Kaitlyn took a spirit's arrow to the knee. Øyvind spoke little of a bite mark on the shin, but Drake remained unharmed except for a bruise on his right elbow taken from Feng Hal's forceful maneuver.

"Only one left" Øyvind said, straightening up to face Feng Hal. "We can take him if we work together; Kaitlyn, take one of my blades and aim for his eyes. Kara, you go for the kill shot; right through the heart. I'll circle behind him with my other blade and see what damage I can do, and Drake, if you're with us, you take the right and see if you can draw his attention away from Kara. Try not to get killed."

Kara, Kaitlyn and Drake nodded, and advanced towards Feng Hal.

---

Feng Hal was dead. Kara had got a kill shot as Drake drew the spirit's attention with all the pathetic puns and jokes he could think to enrage it. Kaitlyn had run – more so hobbled quickly – at the spirit and maimed its eyesight with Øyvind's enchanted blade and Øyvind himself had done damage that would put a human to sleep forever.

The spirit's arrow in Kaitlyn's knee had disappeared as Feng Hal had; any wounds inflicted by his minions had healed with his demise.

The four treasure hunters sat on old stone benches, catching their breath and mulling over the fight. Kaitlyn suggested a hasty exit with hands full of bounty, and Drake described the crypt's alternate exit.

"There's a quick exit this way" Drake pointed, "We can carry the treasure out through there; it's faster and easier."

As the group began to transfer their spoils to their world, Øyvind stopped, he was the first to notice a small prison, and a young mythological creature locked inside it.

"Oh dear" Øyvind said, examining the young griffin. Kara and Kaitlyn caught up, their hands full of golden artifacts.

"'Krotos the Outcast'" Kara examined the title etched above the cage door. "Looks like someone didn't want to fight like the rest of them."

"Well now my little friend, what are you doing locked up here?" Kaitlyn peered inside; the young griffin stared back with pleading eyes.

"What do you think Øyvind? We can't leave such a vulnerable creature locked up here forever; think of how long it's been already."

"I agree Kara; he needs to be freed. Kaitlyn, would you do the honours?"

Kaitlyn nodded and stood forward, examining the lock. "Looks easy enough, almost a regular human lock; won't be too hard. Give me a second."

Kaitlyn lent down and pulled a lockpick from her pocket; she swiveled it around a few times before it gave way and fell open in her hands. The lock itself disintegrated as it hit the ground and the cage door swung open.

"Now, now young Krotos, out you come. We'll look after you." Øyvind cooed as the 4-foot tall griffin sauntered out of its cage.

Drake wandered in from the crypt; seeing the griffin surprised him and he drew his blades ready to pounce. Kaitlyn rushed forward and blocked his view.

"No! Krotos was a victim of Feng Hal, just like we were. He's as much to the team as you now are."

Drake examined Kaitlyn's face. Her blue eyes drew him in and her long red hair had him captivated; the way she could hold a blade and the way she held that intrigued him. "Talented and gorgeous" he thought. Drake found he could easily fancy this girl, if she gave him the chance.

"Okay, okay" – pause – "Wait, you said I'm part of your team?"

"Well, if you want to be, but of course you're welcome! We fought alongside each other, we can't just tell you to be on your way!"

All Drake could do was grin.