The group hurried below deck, boots thudding on the wooden steps. The hold was dark, lit only by a few swinging lanterns and the faint glow of enchanted cargo seals. Inside it smelled like old wood, brine, and oil.

Crates were stacked high around the hold, some cracked open or torn apart entirely. Light shimmered faintly from within them—glints of steel, flashes of rune-etched surfaces, the occasional slow pulse of something magical barely contained.

Rika stood off to the side, the soft blue glow of a crystal orb lighting up half her face. She held it loosely in one hand like it was a fruit she'd just picked off a tree, the light bright enough to cast eerie shadows across the cargo.

"Found something?" Kale asked.

"Found lots of things," Rika said, holding up the orb. "Look at all this shit."

She turned slowly, letting the orb's glow illuminate the space. It swept over a dozen opened crates—weapons, armor plating, stacks of shimmering gauntlets, folded cloaks with softly humming runes stitched into the trim. A few glowed outright, shedding pale golden or green light like they were alive and listening.

Enchanted gear. A lot of it.

"Whoa," Kale said, stepping toward a crate lined with swords that shimmered faintly in the orb's light.

Liliana moved to one of the opened boxes, fingers brushing a folded cloak that gave off a faint warmth. "This stuff must be worth a fortune."

Namara gave a satisfied little hum, hands on her hips. "See? Told you it was a good plan."

"Sooo…" Rika said, glancing around the hold like a kid in a candy store. "We are looting the shit out of this, right?"

"Careful," Liliana warned, not looking up. "We don't know what any of these items are. Or what they do. Some of them could be cursed."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Kale asked just as his boot crunched down on something small and sharp.

A faint crack echoed underfoot.

Kale froze. Then slowly lifted his foot.

Beneath it was a shattered blue gem the size of a coin, cracked straight through. A pulse of cold rippled out in every direction like a shockwave.

The lanternlight dimmed. The air went still. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to stretch and twist unnaturally.

Something whispered from deep inside one of the crates. Not in a voice. Just… a feeling. A presence.

"Kale," Liliana said flatly, "what did you do?"

"Nothing!" Kale said quickly. "I stepped on a rock!"

"That was not a rock," Liliana said, backing away from the shattered gem.

The pulse faded. The shadows slowly receded. Whatever had stirred… quieted again.

Namara raised an eyebrow. "Maybe don't step on anything else."

Rika shook her head. "Kale, please leave some stuff for us to loot."

"And please don't release any more malevolent spirits while you're at it," Namara added.

Kale turned to her, eyes wide now. "That was a malevolent spirit?"

Namara gave him a bright, unbothered smile. "Well, it wasn't a benevolent one."

Kale looked at the shattered gem again. "Should I be worried?"

She shrugged.

He immediately started patting himself down—arms, chest, face, even his neck, like something might be crawling under his skin. Everything seemed… intact.

Liliana rolled her eyes. "You're fine, drama queen."

Kale exhaled slowly. Namara was probably messing with him.

Whew. Dodged another bullet.

Rika clapped her hands. "Alright, crack open these babies and get yourself some goodies. We've earned it."

She pointed at herself with both thumbs. "Especially me."

She grabbed the sides of the nearest crate and ripped the lid clean off with a grunt of satisfaction, boards snapping like twigs in her hands.

Across from her, Kale summoned a gleaming longsword into his hand with a flick of his fingers and wedged the blade under a crate lid like a pry bar. "This might be the best-smelling treasure room I've ever been in," he said. "Wood, salt, and magic. Not a single moldy skull."

"Give it a minute," Liliana muttered. She raised her hand, and a line of red arced from her fingertips, clean and precise, carving through the clasps of a tall storage chest.

Sadek didn't say a word. He just slammed the butt of his spear into a crate seam and pushed until the wood cracked.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Off to the side, Namara strolled past the chaos, straight for a small chest tucked half behind a support beam. She paused in front of it, crouched, gave it a quick once-over, then popped the latch open with a subtle twist of her fingers.

She pocketed whatever was inside without a word, shut the chest, and kept walking like nothing had happened.

Rika let out a satisfied grunt as she peeled the lid off another crate. "Cloaks. Lots of cloaks. Ooh—this one hums when I shake it."

Kale looked around at the piles of gear with growing uncertainty. "So, uh… how do we actually know what to take? I mean… it all just looks like stuff."

Sadek held up a spearhead that was slowly oozing purple liquid from the metal itself. "This one's bleeding."

"Okay," Kale said, "maybe not that one."

Liliana exhaled. "I suppose we just take whatever we like, or feel drawn to, and hope for the best. We can have someone identify them later."

She glanced at Namara. "Unless someone here has an Identify skill?"

Namara gave a regretful little shrug. "'Fraid not. I have many talents, but unfortunately, arcane item analysis isn't one of them."

"Gods, this is so reckless," Liliana muttered.

"But admit it," Namara said, stepping lightly over a heap of discarded padding, "it feels good, doesn't it?"

Liliana didn't argue.

A few minutes later, they were all dressed like the result of a magical yard sale gone slightly feral.

Kale stood near the stairs in a full suit of matte black armor, its plates sleek and angular, outlined in faint crimson runes. Two extra swords hung crossed across his back, slotted into scabbards that had come with the armor.

Sadek had slung a second spear over his shoulder. This one also crackled faintly with lightning. He also wore layered shinguards and reinforced sandals that somehow made him look even taller. His new coat was a deep navy, marked with an insignia none of them recognized.

Rika had swapped into something that looked more like a statement than armor. A short leather skirt belted with reinforced plates, a cropped armored top that left her midriff and arms bare, and gleaming fingerless knuckle-spike gloves that looked built for violence.

Her boots were thick-soled and plated from shin to toe, clearly enchanted. Every step crackled with restrained energy, like they were itching to move.

"It's light," she said, throwing a few practice jabs. "And I think these gloves might hit harder than my warhammer."

She patted the massive weapon slung across her back. "Sorry, Guts. You're still my favorite."

Then she grinned, spinning one fist with a satisfied snap. "But I could ruin someone in this."

The armor fit her too well. Like it knew exactly who it belonged to.

"Honestly," Rika said, admiring herself in the reflection of a polished shield, "this is the best day I've had in weeks."

Liliana didn't respond. She was too busy adjusting the eighth ring on her fingers. Every one was different—onyx, ruby, bone, pearl—and somehow they all matched the two new necklaces she'd layered on. Her earrings shimmered with tiny glyphs, and her new cloak trailed behind her.

Only Namara looked unchanged.

Liliana turned to her, brow raised. "I would've expected you to be in your element here. Thought you'd walk out with a whole boutique."

Namara smiled. "Nah. There wasn't anything I liked."

From across the hold came the sharp crack of wood splintering.

"Uh… guys?" Rika called. "Come take a look at this."

They turned to see her standing beside a much larger crate, pulled clear of the surrounding tarps and rusted chains, its lid now lying in two pieces on the floor.

Inside sat a massive stone sarcophagus, dust-caked and rune-marked, its edges still glowing faintly with containment sigils.

"Look what I found," Rika said, nudging the crate with her boot.

Kale stepped closer. "What is that?"

"A sarcophagus," Liliana answered, already studying the faint runes along the edges.

"A big one," Rika added helpfully.

Liliana traced a line near the seal, her brow furrowing. "These aren't normal containment sigils. They're designed to keep something in. Not to keep us out."

She stood and looked straight at Namara. "This can't be a coincidence. You knew this would be here."

Namara held up her hands. "I didn't. Smugglers have all kinds of strange cargo, don't they?" She stepped closer, examining the markings. "They're rudimentary. Sloppy. We should be able to open it easily."

She flashed a grin. "Let's."

Liliana stared at her. "We don't even know what's inside. Are you trying to get us killed?"

Sadek crossed his arms, eyeing the sarcophagus warily. "Let's not be too hasty."

"I think we should open it," Rika said, already rolling her shoulders like she might tear the lid off herself.

Liliana shook her head. "Someone sealed something in here for a reason."

"What if it's full of cheese?" Kale offered. "You know. Like the barrel."

Liliana turned to him. "Kale. Why would someone put cheese in a coffin and seal it with magic?"

He shrugged. "To protect it from Rika?"

Rika put a hand on her hip. "Hey. You're the one who opened it. And the one with the singing mushrooms!"

Kale raised a finger. "Technically, the bandits opened the one with the cheese. You were all asleep, they tried to kill us, and I saved the day."

Rika scoffed. "I was awake the whole time!"

Kale chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, Captain Snorebeard."

Rika stepped forward, jabbing a finger at his chest. "How many times are you going to say this? I don't snore. Say it one more time and I'll put you right here in this sarcophagus with whatever's in there."

Namara clapped her hands together. "Well, I vote we find out exactly whatever is in there."

Sadek sighed. "This is a terrible idea."

Rika was already leaning in. "A terribly good idea."

"I vote we leave it alone," Liliana said firmly.

Four pairs of eyes turned to Kale.

He looked at the sarcophagus. Big. Heavy. Possibly full of cheese. Or worse.

Could be a monster. Could be full of those small singing mushrooms again. Thousands this time.

Although… they knew how to deal with those now. The singing mushrooms. Maybe not a monster.

But what if it's not singing mushrooms or a monster?

What if the sarcophagus was filled with some kind of curse, and if they opened it they all got some kind of horrible never-ending rash? What if he got boils? What if his entire skin fell off?

He looked at his hands. That would be bad.

What if it was a bomb?

A cursed bomb.

A cursed bomb that sinks the ship and kills everyone instantly.

He glanced at Rika, already bouncing slightly on her heels. Namara looked thrilled. Liliana looked like she wanted to strangle him if he said yes. Sadek looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

It seemed like a really bad idea to open that thing, given how these things usually went.

They'd open it, something horrible would come out, someone would scream—definitely not him—,the boat would catch fire, and they'd all end up fighting for their lives.

Again.

But if they didn't open it… they'd never know.

And it was already right there. Practically begging to be opened.

Sealed in magic, clearly important, clearly dangerous. Which meant—

Which meant it might also be cool.

And anyway, if it was cursed, or trapped, or full of singing mushrooms, well… they were probably already screwed just for standing this close.

So really, the damage was done.

In fact…

Now that he thought about it, they might actually die if they didn't open it.

What if not opening it was the real trap?

Maybe opening it was the only way to survive.

Yes. That made sense. Somehow.

Kale nodded to himself, face grave.

"The only way we're making it out of this alive, is by opening that coffin."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.