Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 5, 2014 9:53:27 GMT -6
Nabata.
The beating sun shone down on a strange scene. Giant pillars of stone, in chunks too massive for transport, stood high in the sky, or tipped on their sides. Crumbling walls of the same stone were inlaid with detailed symbols and gouges, which moved in columns down the walls, and sunken, defunct ceilings allowed patches of light to slip through. The shifting sands had blown over parts, submerging rooms and doorways in a granular sea, while exposing the foundations of others. Dark patches of soot seemed to suggest that there was once fire here, but now, it was quiet and dead, with vines and spiders crawling over the forgotten architecture.
A lone figure moved through the stale air, his fingertips brushing the words of his ancestors as he explored the ancient Earth Shrine. Built by his kin to honor the spirits that gave them strength and power, this once-majestic building had fallen into disrepair after its sack during the Scouring. It made Locke sad. A few slow tears dripped down his face as he read the odes and sonnets to the great earth, the chronicles of events, and the records of births and deaths. His culture had been wiped away like a cobweb, leaving only a few strands remaining, hanging limply and loosely, futile reminders of what used to be.
The manakete wandered the chambers aimlessly, reading and re-reading the words of the past, the only record of his passing a winding trail of footprints in the sand and stone dust. Why had the Scouring had to happen? Why could the two proud races, man and dragon, coexist in peace? And most critically... What would happen to them in the future?
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 5, 2014 11:30:51 GMT -6
Elda paddled through the sands on its hooves, neighing lightly every few minutes or so. Isis would not have minded traveling on feet, but that would have left her companion alone in the middle of a hazardous desert, and she definitely wouldn't want that for the equine beast. The sun was still up luckily, which would mean the heat was bearable to an extent not just for herself, but for Elda, and they could probably travel fairly far until they have to stop for a water break. It was then that Isis saw it; the sight of ruin laid in front of her. She took a glance at her notes to make sure she hadn't excavated this place already, and upon finding out that she has yet to do so, smiled and continued treading towards it on horseback.
Isis stepped into the scene, pulled her reins back so they could scour through it very slowly and carefully. She didn't want to destroy anything, though it seemed as if time had already done that indicated by the amount of the ruins drowned in a yellow array of sand. Getting off her horse, Isis petted its mane then pulled on the reins to walk around instead. Elda was most definitely tired from the long hours of heaving through heavy grains of sand. Isis could almost tell with the sparkles that shined in its eyes. She wasn't an equine expert, but living with a pet for so long, one could just know its conditions like the back of their hands.
Her careful fingers grazed into the crevasses of cracked pillars and walls, brushing off a slight amount of sand and blowing on it for better observation. "This is amazing. I would love to take a sample and research it more thoroughly, but..." Isis trailed off. Then she shook her head, relieving the thought of breaking a piece away from a historical monument like this. They were meant to be preserved, she repeated to herself, only meant to be preserved.
As she continued to scour the area, she saw a figure walking around with... seemingly no purpose. He didn't look like he was genuinely interested in the past, but rather just looking and reading. It was also an odd case to find people this far off from the cities. In a strong manner, she strode over to the man. "Excuse me?" she called out.
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 5, 2014 13:41:29 GMT -6
Locke tensed as he heard something from afar. Sounded like hoofbeats... That meant humans. No dragon would ride a horse in the desert. The hoofbeats stopped, and Locke resumed his walking, until he heard footsteps. It sounded like one pair. Locke debated hiding, but decided that one human wouldn't pose too much of a danger... If need be, he could always eliminate her. Locke waited, hearing the footsteps nearing him, but unable to see, as his back was turned, until he heard a voice call out. Female. Interesting.
"Yes?"
Locke turned, his eyes quickly scanning the woman from her head to heels. No apparent weapons. A staff? Hmm. So she was a mounted healer. Maybe she had magic on her, hidden away. He would be careful. She was certainly pretty, and Locke appreciated the spark of intelligence that gleamed in her eyes. She didn't seem like one who would be out visiting dragon temples, though... Why had she come? What for?
He would have to find out.
"I am Xerxes Locke. Most people call me Locke, but you may call me whatever you choose. I am from the Nabatan desert, as I would presume you are as well. It is interesting to a tribesman like me to find a lone woman in the desert, especially one who rides a horse. Many beasts of burden dislike the slippery sands. For what reason have you come here? Do you seek knowledge, maybe? Or power? Perhaps you wish to make peace with the earth that bore us. Whatever you seek, this temple may provide."
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 5, 2014 20:49:23 GMT -6
Isis' heart flipped inside out when the figure turned around. He could have been anyone, and only now did she find out how careless it was to approach him without any sort of weapons. The only thing she could do is swing her staff, but it would only break after several strikes, and as an item meant to patch people back into ship, it would become useless. Still, aside from her inquiries, the man in front of her looked average at best. He bore markings on his face, but it wasn't anything new within Nabata. There has frequently been tribesmen with markings on their face, and this easily could be of that occasion.
With a staunch attitude, but not necessarily intimidatingly, she stepped closer to him and held an expression of friendliness that one would expect from any polite stranger. "I'm sorry if I scared you or anything," she said apologetically, "You don't normally see people out in places like this." As true as that was, she wasn't the only one interested in history within the plethora of people living in Elibe. There were many archaeologists out there that were far more talented than Isis, though she could probably live without that information being pushed down her throat every time she mentions her interest to her family. His words came out like... magic, very fluid and without any long pause to signify an end. Isis found herself listening very carefully, slightly surprised, but not shocked enough to show on her face. "I am Isis. My horse, Elda, is used to the sandy terrain. Understandably, she doesn't like to run... Anyways, I'm an archaeologist, or historian if you will. I scour these kinds of places to find the secrets to one only told in legends." Everyone should have heard of Arcadia by now with how many people talk about it in books. Someone lied about being to Arcadia once in Bern during her travels for public attention, and it was safe to say that man never lied after a blade pointed at his neck, demanding the location of it.
"So, yes, I guess you could say I am seeking knowledge."
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 5, 2014 22:08:53 GMT -6
"Scared me? No, no, don't worry about it. I heard your approach." Locke bowed to the woman, a respectful greeting in his tribe. "It is good to meet you, Isis." As the woman went on to describe her mount and her interest in archaeology and history, the dragon's small smile grew into a wide, pleased grin. "Secrets of legends... Knowledge... Both of these exist on these very walls, if you can read them."
Locke knew very well that no human could decipher the seemingly meaningless assortment of pictographs and claw gouges that formed the Earth tribe's language. To translate it literally to sounds would require more tones and pitches than the human ear could detect. So, he set out to try and give the woman a little of the knowledge she sought. After all, in their lifespans, many humans would never find any true peace, and what knowledge they would gain would be scanty at best.
"We begin here," the dragon murmured, touching a finger to the lower-right corner of a large wall in front of them. "And we read like so," he continued, tracing a path from right to left, then snaking upwards. "And from this wall... We can read the creation myth of the Earth Dragons."
Slowly and lyrically, Locke began to chant the ancient myth he had learned as a child, closing his eyes and sinking to the ground as he began to recount the past.
"The world existed, a raw and powerful world, from which the spirits originated. And the spirits were dissatisfied, for the world was not refined. The Great Spirit said to his sons, "Go, and form the world into what is right and proper." The six sons were the Sacred Spirits of Fire, Water, Air, Thunder, Ice, and Earth. These spirits descended to the world, and the eldest son breathed his breath upon the world, and the world was hot, and coated in flames. The second son tempered the first, and the great seas arose on the world. To the seas and heat the third brother added the air, and to that the fourth his gleaming bolts of thunder. The fifth brother built grand sheets of ice and sent snow onto the seas, and the climate became bearable. And the sixth brother, humbly waiting, breathed upon the seas, and the land emerged from the waves, and upon the land were the beasts and the birds, and the fish who fell into the sea. And the Great Spirit nodded, and with a beat of his wings, created the six Great Dragons, from whom all are descendants."
Locke opened his eyes, still seated on the ground. He looked at Isis, silently waiting and watching the beautiful human. In his heart, his spirit sang and soared, and his dragonstone burned hot with the joy of its spirit at the telling of the Creation. Peace had flooded Locke's mind and heart. All was well.
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 5, 2014 23:08:55 GMT -6
Isis' eyes gazed at the walls written in symbols that she didn't understand. They looked as if they were scratched on with something sharp, something that could cut through even solid objects that the walls were made of. Some of them were familiar; she remembered them from the books she read. They never clarified on what they were, just stating that they held historical significance to them. Isis once wished to be able to learn this kind of language somehow, but there was just no way to do it since no humans were capable of doing so. At least, that's as far as she knew. Her yellow eyes glistened as she kept watching with precise intuition.
The man's finger touched at one particular corner, before he indicated this was the supposed history of earth dragons. What stroke to Isis as odd was his ability to understand this. It didn't look like anything a human could understand ever, even if they were to learn throughout their entire lifetime. She kept her mouth shut out of respect for him as he began to speak a quite poetic paragraph. It was soothing to the archaeologist, and if it weren't for dusts in the air, she would have her mouth in agape. She waited until he was done.
The moment he was done, she took the opportunity to take all of the information in. "Wow," she remarked sharply. "You can... read these glyphs." She was definitely in shock this time, though it was nothing to pass out about.
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 6, 2014 9:29:46 GMT -6
"Read them? Yes, yes, of course I can." Locke looked at Isis quizzically before remembering that she was a human. "...My tribe has passed the secret of these writings down from generation to generation. These walls all tell stories important to the proud Earth Dragon tribe, with whom our people used to coexist peacefully. There are records of births and deaths, there are stories like this one... The history of a dragon tribe is recorded on these temple walls."
Locke gazed at the woman, his clear eyes glowing with inner fire. "The desert sands hold many mysteries, Isis. You came seeking knowledge. You have found some of what you seek. But to be truly wise, one should seek the ability to understand. It is through understanding that one achieves peace not only with oneself, but also with one's world. If you seek to understand... the sand and weathering of ages has not touched the inner Sanctuary. If you'd like... I can show it to you, briefly."
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 6, 2014 20:27:16 GMT -6
Isis in her life has never heard of a tribe that taught its followers to understand these glyphs, most of which just looked like chicken scratches to the normal eyes. Still, she could always admit to being wrong as one would not learn anything when persisting on their position; strong as she may be in fortitude, her academical aptitude far surpassed that. She nodded at his explanation after witnessing him looking at her oddly, like it was out of the norm for her to not understand these markings. "The dragons are interesting to learn about," she commented. "But yes, if you will not mind escorting me, I'll like to see the inner Sanctuary."
Isis, in the midst of trying to understand everything at once, remained skeptical of this man's wisdom. He may have looked young, but his speech pattern spoke otherwise. The man was obviously ahead of his time by ludicrous standards. Archaeologists may be historians at the same time, but they were scientists as well. She pulled at the reins of her horse carefully. "Let's go, Elda." The beast neighed lightly before paddling along.
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 6, 2014 21:10:35 GMT -6
"Follow me, please."
Locke led on into the deeper parts of the temple, navigating the myriad of twists and turns like he'd been there many times before. Which, of course, he had. Arriving at a once-proud room, whose sunken ceiling and wall-to-wall cobwebs gave the impression of centuries of disuse, the manakete pushed through the webs with a stifled sob at the condition, arriving finally at a large altar, the width and breadth of a large table. Gaining his composure again, he sang a few words in dragonsong before heaving the huge slab backwards with all of his might, and some extra from the dragonstone around his neck. The slab tipped and slid backwards, exhaling a cloud of dust and musty ashes, and revealing a cracked stone stairway leading down.
"I'm afraid your horse may have to stay here. It's quite steep and treacherous, and I would not want her to get hurt. Whenever you're ready, then."
The manakete stepped onto the first stair, putting his right hand onto the cool stone as a guide. He'd need it to navigate the darkness until they reached the antechamber, and a wrong turn could bring them into the catacombs. The woman could not go there -- Locke would not let her see the bones of his ancestors. She had not yet earned enough trust. His other arm he extended, nonverbally suggesting that the human woman take his arm as a steady guide. Either way, he waited for her to enter the stairwell. The Sanctuary was waiting.
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 8, 2014 12:20:07 GMT -6
Isis followed him warily, keeping an eye on his posterior with keen eyes. As far as she knew, he could have been luring her into a trap, despite his display of wisdom only a short moment ago. The archaeologist held her staff firmly between her palm and slender fingers, using it as a perpetual walking stick as she kept up with the tribesman with her footsteps. Her other hand pulled at the leather reins of her horse, whose hooves dragged on sandy areas of the once venerated temple. She tried to look casual as possible, occasionally throwing glances around the temple in curiosity.
Soon enough, they were in the deeper portions of this temple. The interior was entirely confusing to navigate around, consisted of too much turns of the heel and heaving of her horse's reins. Isis kept close eyes on Locke, not wanting to get lost in this maze of history. The amount of cobwebs that littered this place signified how many years have passed since anyone has set foot on this layer, and Isis found herself waving the fragile white threads away with the end of her staff. Finally, they were at some place with a large altar. Locke said some words in a sing-song voice then physically moved the huge slab of the altar, revealing an old stairway that lead below.
As ordered, Isis petted the manes of her horse. "Stay here, Elda," she commanded before following him. Her hands held onto the initial walls for balance, wishing to not fall down. Eventually, they came across another portion of the entire thing, some sort of stairwell. She took his arm hesitantly, and used him as a guide. Where was he taking her?
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 8, 2014 12:49:35 GMT -6
Feeling the woman's hand on his arm, Locke moved quickly into the gloom. It rapidly got darker and darker, until the absence of natural light was clearly evident. No sounds echoed, save the footsteps on the stone, and the occasional drip of a water drop. The manakete paid special attention to make sure he wasn't going too fast for the human, while also counting the passageways.
Three, then a left turn. Two, then right. The passageway sloped sharply downward, and Locke moved his hand to touch the now lower and more rough-hewn ceiling. There. The air vent. Now right. Right again. Four passageways, then left.
Finally, a faint glow could be discerned, which grew larger as they neared it. Almost as if there was a hidden threshold, Locke stepped forward across what could dimly be made out as a doorway, and the light flared, revealing a room of massive proportions, with a gigantic altar in the center, and a huge dragon, poised to leap into the air, waiting behind it. On first glance, this dragon would seem to be real, but the glow coming from its exquisitely crafted stone mouth was only an enchanted flame, said to have been placed in the temple by Athos himself.
The dragon, which had been sculpted and built out of stone, was easily ten meters tall, and was exactly proportioned. Surrounding the altar and its protector were huge murals of important scenes in draconic lore, tapestries, and beautiful carvings.
"This is the inner Sanctuary. This is where the spirit of the Earth Dragon sleeps. It is the epicenter of their culture. It is the most hallowed place for them. I show it to you so that you may understand. I pray this will give you the ability to see the dragon in a new light; not as a fearsome beast or a savage opponent, but as an intelligent and empathetic creature. The dragon loves, the dragon cries, the dragon mourns. They are not to be scorned, but rather, accepted."
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 8, 2014 13:16:02 GMT -6
The stairwell progressively shifted darker as they walked down, step by step, with her hand on his arm. It lacked illumination, and Isis was becoming much more cautious of this place. She jumped at the single water drop from somewhere, hearing it echo into her ears as she was completely caught off guard. Immediately, Isis regained her composure like nothing happened. She didn't want to seem powerless against such a small force of nature.
So many turns took place, and the archaeologist could swore she was getting dizzy from it. "It's like a maze everywhere," she said distastefully, though a layer of playfulness stacked above it. The sight of a large dragon stood in front of her, and Isis froze in her spot in fear. Dragons were real? Then the realization that the dragon wasn't... real came across her, and she was relieved. But this, it was a foundation that will change her life forever. And it was all because of this strange tribesman's help.
"This is... amazing." She detached herself away from the man, looking about the sanctuary in great interest. Her eyes were picking up on the minor details. "You seem to know your way around this entire temple."
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 8, 2014 18:55:37 GMT -6
"This is the inner Sanctuary."
Locke himself was very moved by the sight of the sculpted dragon. It was good that this place had remained undisturbed. Even if the woman was planning to exploit the sanctuary somehow, the myriad of tunnels and catacombs would protect it, as would Locke. In the absence of any other Earth dragon... He assumed the role of its protector.
Moving up to the statue, Locke bowed, touched it, and instantly felt a rush of warmth as his stone's spirit connected with that of the Great Earth Spirit. And in that moment, Locke knew that it was his duty, his responsibility, his calling, to protect the temple from any who would defile it.
The woman had spoken. Locke responded, his voice sounding lyrical in the resonating chamber. "Yes. I was brought here many times as a child. For a while, we cared for the temple... Then it became too dangerous, and we had to leave." The manakete gazed at the woman, his eyes gleaming in the hazy light. "Take as much time as you would like. When you are ready, I will escort you back out of the Sanctuary."
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Isis
Troubadour
"In my circle of lifetime, where would my body be?"
Posts: 19
Profession: Archaeologist
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Isis
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Post by Isis on Jul 9, 2014 21:46:23 GMT -6
Isis jotted down notes furiously from the tiny book that hung from her waist, making sure to put anything of significance here into the records so she can analyze them thoroughly with the other information she's gotten. The sanctuary was amazing so far with valuable information even inside damaged walls and crevasses that seeped with the smell of old. She disregarded every bit of discomfort that she felt just so she could fulfill her job and hobby right now. A smile was perched on her face, gleeful with the upbringing of this situation, and glad that a man like Locke existed.
But one question roamed around her head as she casually wrote down words into her book. How did this guy know anything about this place at all? Sure, he said he was part of a tribe meant, but it didn't clear up any reasons as to why his tribe was that special. In fact, if such a tribe existed, Isis most definitely would have known about it through the amount of studies she went through. She glanced toward with her amber eyes, catching a glimpse of him touching the sculpted statue. She immediately went back to her work, afraid of getting caught looking.
"Thank you by the way," said Isis with a facade of a normal archaeologist. "I don't get much opportunity to actually excavate an old ruin like this, much less with the help of a tribesman that know a little too much about it. Most people would think it's creepy, but I think it's wonderful that you know such thing. Does your tribe have a name? I was born in Nabata, so I may have heard of it."[
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Locke
Manakete
"I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary."
Posts: 152
Profession: Disguised Dragon
Affiliation: Arcadia
Guild: None
Affinity: Anima
Dragon Element: Earth
Profile: Locke
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Locke on Jul 10, 2014 9:53:58 GMT -6
Locke moved to the Grand Altar behind the statue of the Great Earth Dragon and saw, laying upon it, the weapon of legend. The ancient Guardian's Mace. To be handled only by the guardian of the Sanctuary... Approaching it reverently, Locke then firmly gripped it in his left hand, raising it above his head as the weapon warmed at his touch and his dragonstone's spirit rejoiced.
Holding the legendary mace, Locke listened to the woman begin to thank him. His gracious nod immediately turned into an expression of fear, discomfort, and anger, and he moved toward her suddenly, his demeanor entirely changed.
"No. You must not defile the Sanctuary! I will not allow you to excavate this chamber."
The manakete looked at the woman, his eyes burning with rage. He had thought she was a good person, someone interested in understanding and preserving the past... Maybe he had been mistaken. However, the rational part of his brain continued to tell him that there had to be some sort of misunderstanding. Maybe miscommunication. Hopefully... Otherwise there was a very angry dragon with a very sharp mace.
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