The next morning everyone packed their things and caravan was continuing on its way. The sun was mercilessly burning and around has been nothing but eternity of dunes. The heat was almost umbearable. My boyfriend's character reached out to Azam asking if it would not be more comfortable to travel at night. Azam was thinking for a while and than answered that notmally it is not recommended but this passage should be sufficiently explored since the Black Road had been used since years. They could try it.
In the late afternoon they have spotted a group of dots on the horizon. Another cravan? My boyfriend's character Asaf went to scout whether they were friends or enemies. It turned out that they were black riders - merchants on their way on Black Road. They said that there probably was restriction on the way built by goblins. They were more organized now, asking for a toll. After spending evening sitting by fire with black riders, Azam got up and called caravan on the way. He felt inspired by my boyfriend's character suggestion and wanted to travel during the night.
The caravan said goodbye to Black Riders, wished each other luck and continued going. Soon the darkness covered the desert and temperature got significantly colder. The sharp breeze was blowing through the dunes and in the distance one could hear the howling of the jackal.
As Asaf joined the leader of the caravan in front, he noticed that the leader suddenly gained empty stare in his eyes and his voice sounded somewhat from distance. He turned to Asaf with his blank expression and with colorless voice said 'We have to continue to the south.' With one move the leader of the caravan turned direction 90 degrees to the right and lead caravan off the road. As Asaf looked around, more and more members of the group gained same facial expression and followed their leader mindlessly into the desert. Azam rushed towards the wagon with water and medicines and found some healing portions. He tried to give them to the wagon driver, but it was too late. People started to abandon their things and on the camels, speeding up to follow their leader who was now already in noticable distance. Soon, Asaf and his goblin were left behind together with all the goods. That did not seem good....
Asaf decided to follo the traces of the rest of caravan, together with his goblin companion. Before however he looted little bit of the caravan goods as a revenge for being kidnapped and not being promised demanded reward. They have followed the footsteps of their people for approximately three hours, until they arrived to the pyramid half-burried into the sand. In the front wall there seemed to be an entry.
Stealthily Asaf reached the entry door and sneaked in. His goblin followed him, however not so silently as his master. After he tripped and fell on the ground he landed right to the feet of gigantic cyclop, who was apparently guarding the door. The fight did not take long. There was a reason why Asaf was known as a brave warrior.
Gradually Asaf and his goblin companion explored several rooms in pyramid, but did not find nothing but several vases with oil and some old and rotten clothes. However the place was dark and cold and undefinable sence of horror hanged in the air. When they took the last door down the corridor, they entered the jail. Chained to the wall were there their unfortunate fellows.
'Save us!' The healer of the group was the only one more or less conscious.
'For God's sake save us from this monster!'
In that moment the doors slammed open and into the room stormed pure terror. Five skeletons dressed in rugs and with glowy eyes sorrounded Asaf and pointed at him their spares. With a quickness of puma he draw his saber and attacked the closest enemy. The skeleton jumped aside and with his dagger injured Asaf's leg. The warrior has lost balance for one fatal second. The skeletons jumped at him and pushed him on the ground. There were too many of them and more was comming through the door. Asaf started to realize he was lost.
'Give up!' Hissed one of them with a cold voice of death.
As he saw he was doomed, Asaf slowly put aside his saber and raised his hands in the air. There was no use of fighting. Too many of them, too many.
Skeletons tied his hands and together with goblin companion they led them through the dark corridor deep into the pyramid. They have passed few rooms until they arrived to the big door decorated with strange hyeroglyphs. When the doors opend they stood in front of the spacious hall at the end of which was standing a throne. On it was sitting a creature which maybe once was a man. Now it seemed more just like thousands of years old remain from the times of ancient kings of the desert. His greenish wrinkly skin was poorly covering the obvious shape of his skull. He was wearing golden crown like a pharao and from his black eye holes were glowing two bright red lights.
He looked at the group and his face widened into something which would be great performance in the nightmarish dream. Apparently, it was meant to be a smile.
'Grogho, my goblin friend!' the creature cried.
'What luck brings you and your human slave to visit your old friend?'
The goblin's face turned pale and his eyes searched for help in Asaf's face.
'What should I do??' He whispered desperatley.
'Fake it!' Asaf ordered with noticable urgency in his voice.
'Fake it for God's sake!.'