Closed.

The button she threw hit the sword, then bounced back and fell on the ground. As soon as it touched the ground it disappeared. However, the sword was in the middle of the circle and it was not going anywhere.

- Reach for the sword.
- Leave it and go into the mausoleum.
 
Dhea shook her head. It was just ridiculous. It was not worth the effort to grab the sword. Or even worth the risk. She even made a sound of disgust as she left it and went inside the mausoleum.
 
She carefully stepped over the circle of mushrooms and onto the first step of the mausoleum. The air inside the crypt was freezing. Dust coated the floor. Urns lined the walls, but there was no coffin in sight. The floorspace was empty, except for the far corner, where a narrow stone staircase led down into darkness. As soon as she made another step forward, the doors behind her swung shut. There was a bang and Dhea was plunged into deep darkness filled only with the sound of her own breathing.

And then another noise - a distant rattle of chains.

- Feel for the doors.
- Feel for the stairs.
- Cast a spell.
 
“Oh hell...”
Dhea breathed this under her breath, as she brought her hand up and cast a spell of light. She drew her dagger, just in case there was something trying to kill her.
She could never be too careful.
 
The room was showered by light that was for a moment too blinding. Then as Dhea's eyes adjusted, she could see that there was nothing in the darkness more dangerous than rats that hid in the crevices. The doors were still firmly shut and her only way was down.

Menacing sound echoed up from the depths of the crypt, the moaning of wind. As she was as the bottom of the stairs, she found the missing coffin. It was laid on a pedestal in the centre of the room, clad in chains. But something translucent floated above it. A ghost?

- Address the ghost.
- Attack it.
- Run.
- Cast a spell.
 
Dhea softly spoke a prayer as she approached the ghost, her hand tightening around her blade. Attacking the spirit would only anger it, but she was not opposed to defending herself.
“Hello? Are you Lord Shiva?”
She kept her voice calm, even though all her instincts were screaming at her to run.
 
335

But as she looked closer she could see that the shape was far different from the friendly ghost the encountered in Ellie's inn. No, this was a Wraith. It hissed as it turned its skeletal head toward Dhea. She remembered from her studies - the Wraiths could only be killed by silver weapons. She did not have a silver weapon, so her best chance was to injure it or stun it, if she wanted to inspect teh coffin. Or, she could just run for it, but the doors upstairs were firmly closed.

- Attack it with a weapon.
- Run.
- Cast a spell.
 
Dhea firmly realised exactly how stupid she was in that moment. Without a second thought, she started running for the doors. If she could grab the silver blade and then go after the wraith, she’d be fine.
If she got to the doors and was able to open them.
 
She ran up the stairs and back to the room above, the sun stone glowing in her hand. The doors were made out of concrete and firmly shut. The wraith had followed her up, its screeches making her bones rattle. She barely managed to cast a spell at the doors so they swung open and daylight seeped in. The wraith stopped at the threshold as Dhea ran out. She was already weak from the all the spells cast that day, but the creature also seemed not to like the light of the sun.

- Grab the sword and rush the wraith.
- Run for it.
 
Dhea could be weak another time. She grabbed the blade and let out a slight growl as she charged the wraith. She hoped that this blade was silver and that it would kill the damn thing.
 
Careful not to get her feet into the circle of mushrooms, Dhea took out the sword. Its handle and its blade were made out of pure silver. The Wraith recoiled upon seeing the gleam of the weapon, but it was still poised for attack.

"This land is cursed for the living. You must become dead..." The spirit hissed.

- Roll to attack (Bonus: 6, Difficulty: 13).
 
Her blade hit the mark just barely. Even though the Wraith looked to be made out of mist, the blade cut through its body, making it screech in pain, swinging its skeletal hands at Dhea and shoving her painfully to the ground. But the blade was stuck deep into its abdomen and the creature folded about its wound, howling out, before it dispersed. The inside of the tomb was once again calm.

- Inspect the coffin below.
- Leave.
 
Dhea brushed her hair back and pushed herself up, wincing at her back and shoulders. She’d likely have bruises, but that wasn’t anything new. She went back down to examine the coffin. She could do that and then leave.
 
Underneath the chains that wrapped around the coffin was a small paper note.

"If you've managed to kill the Wraith, Analander, come find me at the steps of Courga's temple. Your reward is: One lock made of Golem’s Hide."

It was a note addressed to Dhea personally it looked like. The last passage of it seemed to be the line of the spell.

- Leave the graveyard and go into the city.
- Leave and go north toward the temple.
 
Dhea stuffed the note into her pocket. Again, it seemed like there was another person dragging her around. At least she had the second last line.
She left the mausoleum and headed towards the temple. If it was who she thought it was, he was not going to hear the end of it.
 
The gate of the graveyard hung from its hinges, though not from age. It seemed to have been taken apart, maybe widened to let something go through. Beyond it was a deep forest.

She walked for an hour through trees, the light waning around her until the sun had finally set. She could see the outline of the temple now, a huge looming shape in darkness, stretching higher than the Wall. It looked like an ancient pyramid, made out of stone blocks, stacked on top of each other. There was no visible entrance at the bottom.

However, she did not get to examine it further, as a shape stepped out of the shadows of the trees, like he usually liked to do.

"You are alive." Rhain spoke, though he did not sound surprised. "And just on time." He nodded.

- Confront him.
- Attack him.
- Greet him.
 
Dhea was silent for a moment as she looked at Rhain. There was something deadly in her eyes and something burning in her chest.
“You ass.”
She moved closer, so close that their toes for touching and she had to crane her neck to look up at him.
“You set me up. Back at the tavern.”

She shoved him back, her eyes glistening with tears. She was furious, but she wasn’t sure if it was with herself or the man in front of her. But she had let it loose and there was no way of reining it back.
“If you had just fucking told me what was going on...I would’ve gone along with it, you ass!”

Dhea took a few steps back, her voice cracking as it rose.
“I’m so fucking sick of you pricks keeping everything from me! I lost someone I loved because you....”
She jabbed a finger in his direction, fury and pain evident in her every action.
“Couldn’t be bothered to tell me anything unless it was convenient for you.”

There was another scream and she moved towards him, her hand raised to strike him across the face.
 
Rhain stepped backwards as she shoved him, his expression blank, taking in her outburst, but not providing anything to fuel it further. As her hand was raised to hit him, he caught her wrist, his grasp strong and painful.

"Don't be so quick to accuse." He said, apparently no emotion in his tone, but if Dhea was not so fuming she would have caught a whiff of it. He was giving his everything to restrain himself. "You think I had something to do with the slavers? I am an assassin. Sindla would curse me to my grave." He let go of her hand, with a warning. "I am sorry for your grief, but I don't feel responsible for it. If you raise a hand against me again, don't expect any more restraint."

- Attack him.
- Respond calmly.
 
Dhea looked up at him, her eyes still blazing with something. She presses her hand into his chest, her lips curled back in a snarl. She’s livid.
But, it’s unclear if it is with herself or the assassin in front of her.
“What are you going to do?”
She hissed the words, and she pressed her palm harder into his chest.
“Hurt me?”

In her anger, in her want to hurt but also feel something more than her grief, she shoves Rhain back. With all her might.
“Go ahead. I don’t care.”
 
"Hurt you?" Rhain scowled as she pushed him again. With quick reflexes he once again caught her wrist, twisting her around so she was turned backwards from him, her hand on her back. His grip on her hand was strong, though it did not hurt. His free hand moved up to grab her chin and jaw, holding her firmly against him. "I'm asking you to trust me as you did when you followed me up the stairs of the inn. I could have killed you a dozen times since your coming to Khare, but I did not. I attacked you openly in the Shamunanti woods, why would I go the roundabout way?" His grip was fixed and Dhea could not twist away, she could barely move. "Have you calmed down?" The assassin asked.

- Answer.
 
Dhea bared her teeth at him, angry tears still present in her eyes. She listened to him, but it wasn't getting through. She was tempted to bite at his hand, but she refrained.
"No."
Her word was simple and sharp, full of a venom directed at herself.
 
Rhain's scowl disappeared at her sorrow filled words. His expression softened as he turned her around to face him, both his hands on her shoulders now, placed gently. He looked in her tearful eyes, and at that moment Dhea caught the glint of emotion in his own crimson ones.

"You are an Analander. A sorcerer. You have to be strong. Save your anger for the Archmage." He said in a voice that was unusually soft for him.

- Answer.
- Nod.
- Hug him.
- Turn around.
 
Dhea looked at him, her face contorting. She wanted to just...let go of her rage, of everything. She just felt so guilty because she had survived and he had not.
With a soft voice, that contrasted heavily with the one before, she spoke.
“I’m sorry...I-I...”

And she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. She just...she wanted to hide away from the world and grieve.
To feel something more than this sorrow.
 
Rhain was surprised for just the slightest moment, but then his arms wrapped around her too, one hand gently stroking her hair. When he straightened up to his full height, Dhea's feet left the ground and she hung slightly above it in his arms. It would have been a comical scene, but neither of them were laughing.

"It's alright." The assassin whispered in her ear, letting her cry her heart out. He did not protest.

- Rest for a moment and eat.
- Continue up the temple.
 
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