Chapter 40: Stop Stripping!

Soon a few more coffins had been opened, Dom had assisted Macro in opening some, whilst Gan Ning had done the same with Dion. There were stone Coffin lids laid all around the floor, with Coffin's opened that may have not been opened for hundreds or thousands of years.

"We have found 6 similar skeletons." Gan Ning commented, "With the other Coffins being empty."

"That is at least 7 giant, sabre wielding skeletons with strange teeth." Dom replied.

"There was once the story of the giant cyclops." Dion commented, "A giant of a man, that only had one eye in the centre of his face. He wielded a large wooden club, that no one could lift but himself. Maybe that story was real looking at these."

"I'd like to hope not." Macro replied. "These definitely have two eyes it seems from looking at their skulls."

They had left the skeletons in their Coffin's and had currently left everything else inside still with their owners. Five of the skeletons were complete, where as one was missing an arm and the other a leg.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Dom asked Gan Ning.

"Some more Jewelled Sabre's, one Giant Bow, and a collection of jewellery that were on the bodies." Gan Ning replied, "You?"

"Similar, A couple of Sabre's, some more Stone Slabs and some jewellery on the bodies." Dom replied, "I'm just trying to come to terms with the size of these skeletons."

What Dom was really coming to terms with was an earlier conversation he had with Game Support whilst he was helping Macro open a Coffin.

"Game Support, can you identify where these Skeletons come from?" He had asked.

[Negative, System can not identify the owners to these Skeletons.]

"What do you mean, you can't identify?" Dom asked, "Do I need to complete something first?"

[Negative, System currently has no information on the owners of these skeletons. More information must be gathered first.]

Dom was confused, as he had at least expected Game Support to tell him the background, similar to the Trainee Jaguar Warrior Warriors Hall. He knew he would have to do some of his own research outside of the game on history to see if he could locate where they were from.

"What should we do with these?" Gan Ning asked.

"I think, like the stone tablets, we should take these back to Riverside." Dom replied, "I think the Jewellery can be used for trade, whilst the weapons we can investigate a bit more."

"I'm not sure anyone could wield the Sabre's, but if they can, they must be very strong!" Macro commented.

"There was that one strange skeleton over there." Dion said, pointing towards a Coffin at the far room, "The one with the Bow, it had a white jewel in one of the eye sockets. There was something about it that just didn't feel right."

"I think you are being superstitious." Gan Ning replied, "But I doubt we'll be staying here much longer, so don't worry yourself."

Dom had also felt that the Mausoleum felt quite strange, there was a weird feeling of being watched whilst they were stood inside it.

"System, can I claim this building?" Dom asked, wondering if he could take the Mausoleum and add it to Riverside as a unique building.

[You can, however first you must conquer the Town Centre that this Mausoleum is assigned to.]

Dom took this in two ways, first it was good as he could take this and add it to his unique buildings, but it was also a negative as he now had to find a Town Centre within the forest for a town that this Mausoleum was connected to.

"We need to find the Town Centre for this building." Dom said to Gan Ning.

"This ancient building has a Town Centre?" Gan Ning asked.

"Yes, I suspect it mustn't be too far away?" Dom replied.

"Then we best get searching." Gan Ning said, "However, if any of these warriors are still alive, then we do not have enough men with our scouting party."

Dom thought about it for a second, Gan Ning had a point, if they came across a group of these giant Sabre wielding warriors, they would struggle in a fight.

"Let's hope the Town Centre is abandoned and crumbling like this one then." Dom replied. "Let's come back and take these items later, for now we will prioritise looking for the Town Centre."

"Very well." Gan Ning replied, before ordering. "Dion and Macro, collect all of the items of value and the stone tablets and collate them by the entrance way."

Dion and Macro nodded in agreement, before heading to the nearest Coffin and reaching down to grab the items from within. Gan Ning and Dom meanwhile headed back out of the entrance to the outside.

Even though the sun had broken through the crumbling ceiling, the outside was much brighter and they had to squint their eyes in the initial leaving of the building. Once their eyes had adjusted they both looked around, noting that Leonidas, Cleon and Gregorios were all at their assigned corners still looking around.

"Have you noticed anything?" Gan Ning asked loudly, making the nearby Hoplite almost jump.

"Nothing Commander!" Cleon shouted back to them.

"Nothing here either." Gregorios added.

"Same." Leonidas shouted.

"This is good news then!" Gan Ning shouted, "We found some interesting skeletons inside, if their was an active civilisation nearby, I'd like to think we'd have been noticed by now. Leonidas and Cleon, please can you both head out in your directions and look for any other buildings, make sure to leave markings on your way so you do not get lost. Make sure to head back within the next twenty minutes and let us know if you find anything or not."

"Will do!" Cleon shouted, before heading forwards in to the forest ahead of him.

"I'll let you know if I find anything." Leonidas added, before also heading off.

"Gregorios, please can you scout around this location, keeping this building and lake at the centre of your search." Gan Ning commanded, "Make sure to keep us well covered and announce if you see anything immediately."

"On it!" Gregorios commented, before heading off around the area, guarding and scouting the area around them.

Dom and Gan Ning took a seat on a fallen log that was beside the lake, looking at the gentle trickle from the nearby stream that dripped in to it.

"It's beautiful isn't it." Dom commented to Gan Ning.

"It is." He replied, "I think we should give this search an hour, and then we head back. We can come back and continue the search tomorrow. But if we stay much longer than that, we may not get back before dark as planned."

"What do you think of the Skeletons?" Dom asked Gan Ning as they continued to watch over the small lake.

"They aren't human." Gan Ning replied matter of fact, "I'm not sure what they are, but they are not human in anyway that I know."

"There are a type of man, who came before human's called Neanderthals." Dom commented, "They were more bony than humans. So maybe they are a type of Neanderthals?"

"Did they have jagged teeth with tusk like canine?" Gan Ning asked seriously.

"No." Dom replied honestly, "Nor were they as large as that."

Whilst they had both been discussing, whilst watching the small dragonfly buzz from lily pad to lily pad. Occasionally a dragonfly would fly too low to the waters edge and a red Koi carp would pop up and grab it, dragging it to the depths below. Dom had noticed a few other small red Dart Frogs jumping from pad to pad as well, eating other dragonflies, but there seemed to be a never ending amount of them.

Macro had soon appeared from inside the Ancient Mausoleum as they were discussing and watching the small lake waters.

"Almost done now." Macro shouted to them both. "Dion is just collecting the final bits of jewellery, but we are done with everything else."

"That's great." Gan Ning shouted back, "We can take the valuable today, and get the rest tomorrow. I'll ask Subutai for some more bodies to help us!"

"I'm pretty sure I can make us a simple carrying device." Macro commented as he got closer, "I just need to find some long branches."

"Give it a go then." Gan Ning replied with a smile, impressed with the ingenuity of the Legionary so far.

Soon Dion appeared, leaving the Ancient Mausoleum and taking the large step across over the small lake on to the shore. As he stepped, the water beneath bubbled, similar to when the Koi Carp had grabbed to Red Dart Frog and Dragonflies earlier. Dion looked down, noticing the sound of the bubbles, before suddenly shouting in shock.

"SNAKE!" He shouted.

Suddenly a large mouth of a red Snake appeared, It's sharp fangs grabbing Dion's leg and pulling him in to the lake. Dion quickly disappeared from sight as a large splash of water raised, knocking lily pads everywhere and causing a splash to land on the shore.

"DION!" Dom shouted in shock as he jumped up. Dom, Gan Ning and Macro quickly grabbed their weapons and ran to the small lake edge where Dion had been pulled under.

"I didn't realise it was that deep!" Gan Ning mumbled, wishing that one of them had a hoplite spear on them. He stared in to the water, looking for some movement beneath the water.

"DION?" Macro shouted in to the water loudly, trying to get his colleagues attention and direct him to the surface with his voice.

More bubbles appeared as Dion appeared on the water surface, splashing his hands as he tried to get some air.

"Help!" He yelped, as he was pulled under again.

"Stuff it." Gan Ning grumbled, grabbing his sword in one hand and his dagger in the other, before diving in the water headfirst where Dion had gone under again.

Gregorios suddenly appeared, running down the slight hill behind the Ancient Mausoleum.

"What is all that shouting?" He shouted as he ran.

"Something has pulled Dion under!" Dom replied, "Gan Ning has jumped in after him, get here with your spear quick!"

Soon there were more bubbles appearing on the water's edge, followed by some specs of red, which Dom assumed was blood. There was no sign of Dion, Gan Ning or the Snake at this point.

"I'm going in." Gregorios said, stripping his armour off, leaving just his tunic that he wore under his armour on. He grasped his spear and prepared himself to jump in. As he did, Gan Ning appeared, pulling Dion up by his neck and throwing him to the shore.

"Stop stripping and grab him!" Gan Ning shouted to Gregorios, before diving back in again.

Gregorios grabbed Dion, looking at himself hurt, he wasn't stripping, he was trying to help.

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