Story by  Altallo

Original : http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13866602/
_________________________________________________________________
When Koviell met Altallo

Minarets of dust and sand swirl amongst the vast golden dunes. Beneath the cloudless sapphire sky there is no sight of any trees or water, just a sea of sand.
In a depression between three dunes, lies an area of exposed rock covered in strange markings. Scuttling around the markings is a small yellow kobold with blue stripes, green eyes and whiskers on his lips, dressed in a colourful poncho with blue sleeves and leggings. The kobold looks pensively at the markings and then reading a scroll he's holding, stroking his whiskers. Nearby is a small white tent with a colourful carpet poking out of its entrance.

He hears a sound behind him and turns. Up on the ridge above him is a red kobold, a much bigger one wearing a brown cape, grey tunic and leather grieves and straps over his chest and pouches around his belt. He shambles down towards the yellow kobold who looks surprised.

"Hello there!" he says "Are you hurt?"

"Thirsty" The red kobold mumbles softy.

The yellow kobold darts across to the white tent and brings back a water canteen which he offers to the red kobold, who gulps down the water.

"Thank you," he gasps "Who are you?"

"My name is Altallo" says the yellow kobold happily, "I'm an archaeologist. And you are?"

"Er, Koviell" replies the red kobold, "I'm a fire mage."

"Interesting!" Altallo says, tapping his fingers together "And what are you doing in this desert?"

"Getting lost" Koviell mumbles embarrassed "I was on the edge of the desert and then this cloud swirled around me and I couldn't remember where I was."

"Ah, the shifting sands," Altallo nods "You should always cover your face during sand storms and take water."

"Hey I didn't want to come into this desert you know!" Koviell splutters looking irritated, as Altallo turns his attention back to the ruins.

"Of course of course," Altallo replies, waving a hand vaguely "Now, what are you saying..."

"I didn't say anything!" says Koviell

"Oh not you, I mean these markings," Altallo says pointing to them "This is ancient Ysarian, a great culture of magicians who used to live here before disappearing mysteriously. The only thing I know of this writing is it mentions a thing called Dakla, or the Sand Warden. I wonder who that is. Any ideas Koviell?"

Koviell just stares at the markings.
"Well....there's a crack running down this bit here." he says pointing near the bottom of the rock.

"Just weathering," Altallo dismisses, "Come on, focus on the markings."

Koviell shakes his head and puts a claw into the rock crevice. There is a click and the rock with the markings slide aside.
Altallo's mouth falls open and he looks at Koviell, who shrugs and says:
"Just a hunch."

Altallo grabs a pair of torches from nearby.
"Could you light one of these please?" he asks Koviell

"You're going in there?!" Koviell asks, creating sparks from his finger tips which ignite the torches.

"Sure! Can't just abandon this site. This could be the greatest find in recent memory!" Altallo replies in rapt fascination, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"It could be dangerous though. What magic or skills do you have?" asks Koviell, taking a torch and peering into the gloom of the entrance.

"Oh I was taught diplomacy, history and also about animals and plants of the world" replies Altallo, "All things needed to be a traveller and archaeologist, or so the university told me so."

He steps cautiously into the entrance to the tomb, Koviell following. Inside is a small chamber with walls covered in more carvings, except for one which has a portrait of a huge figure. The figure has a red body made of what looked like tiny yellow polished stones that glittered in the light from sun making it look like it is made of sand. It has a slim body ending in a white lotus flower, which was carved of quartz, and four arms, each hand holding something, a seashell, a golden hoop, a crystal mace and the fourth arm had a hollow shape in the palm of its hand, as though holding a handle. Its face was like that of a bird's, with emeralds for eyes and red stones making swirling patterns like flowing flames. Koviell was staring at the emerald eyes with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Those would be worth a fortune." he says faintly

Altallo meanwhile was studying the hollow shape in the figure's hand.

"I knew it!" he says and he pulls out a thin gold rod shaped object from his robes "I found this outside the temple close to my camp and some manuscripts the university said this was the 'Wand of Ramel and Inferno.'"

"What's Ramel and Inferno?" asks Koviell, scratching his head and then his eyes fall on the gold rod and he looks longingly at it. "You have any idea how much that would be worth?"

Altallo ignores him and inserts the rod into the hand of the figure. It slowly sinks into wall and with a great grinding and scraping of stone, the wall slowly swings open revealing a flight of stairs leading down to a dark hallway. Koviell rushes in eagerly, with Altallo moving more carefully. The flickering torchlight illuminates tall stone pillars with alcoves on the right of the hall, to the left is another doorway, this time open. Koviell investigates the alcoves and finds them crammed with jars and chests.
Peering into a jar he discovers it full of colourful jewels and gems. He starts shaking and his eyes widen. He hastily tips the contents of the jar into one of his pouches and grabs a small chest and drags it towards him. He takes out a small thin piece of metal from his tunic and starts picking the chest's lock.
Meanwhile Altallo peers through the open door, sniffing the air. There appears to be yet another hallway beyond the doors, narrower and longer than the one they were currently in. He turns to see Koviell opening the small chest and taking out a silver statue of a human warrior.
"By the depths of the earth, this is worth more than a king's treasury!" the red kobold says, thinking of himself ontop of a mound of gold.

"Come on Koviell," Altallo says "No time for daydreaming, the centre of this temple is where the true prize lies."
Altallo moves back to the hallway, Koviell gets up to follow, but then doubles back and grabs everything he could stuff into his pouches and into his tunic. Finally he heaves a chest onto his back and wobbling awkwardly, follows Altallo.

In the hallway they couldn't see where it ended. Nearby, just a few meters where they stood, was a depression in the floor. Altallo studies it, stroking his chin. Koviell is about to hobble onto the depression, but Altallo stops him.

"No wait stop!" says the yellow kobold, "Too obvious."

"What's too obvious?" asks Koviell looking confused.

"THAT is" says Altallo, pointing to the depression.

"Its just a step!" says Koviell "You're so serious all the time, just like thatYuuril tauren I met-"

"A tauren?" says Altallo suddenly, perking up "Oh I love taurens! They're so cuddly and gentle looking!"

"Um yes, well he was a right serious guy and didn't even moo."

"Taurens don't moo," Altallo replies, looking into the distance and shaking his head "Anyway, first thing's first, all we have to do is just step over this."

Altallo leaps forward and lands sure footedly on the other side. He turns and holds a claw out for Koviell.
"Come on! Just leave that old chest, we can get it back."

"But I don't want to!" says Koviell and tries stepping over the depression, but a few coins slip out from the chest and land on the floor.
Altallo seizes Koviell by the arms and pulls him to safety, just as their hear a whooshing noise. Looking back, they see that huge metal spikes had risen from the depression. For a while, all they can do is just stare at the deadly device before the spikes slowly retract back into the floor.

"That was close!" gasps Koviell, looking up at Altallo "You saved my life! How could I ever repay you?"

"It comes free, no charge!" Altallo replies, smiling and helping the bigger kobold up onto his feet, "Well now we know to be on caution."

"Why did they do it though?" asks Koviell, following Altallo who had taken the lead "Why set traps here and not out there with all the treasure?"

"Maybe that wasn't what they wanted to guard," Altallo says, "Maybe there's something more at then end of this hallway."

They continue on down the hall, tense and looking around intently. Ahead of them, unnoticed is a thin thread stretched across the hall at foot height. Altallo approaches and steps on the thread which breaks. Koviell hears something whistling like wind and realises something is terribly wrong.

"Get down!" he yells, pushing Altallo to the ground and falling ontop of him. They hear a series of sickening thuds. Koviell helps Altallo up and looks at his chest. Embedded in the lid were several arrows and there were more lying broken on the stone around them. The kobolds shudder, thinking what would have happened if the arrows had found their mark.

Silently they continue, feeling more and more uneasy. Their torches were beginning to fade and the darkness seemed to creep in around them.
After what feels like a century the reach the end of the corridor. In the fading light, they could see yet another door. This one had two snakes coiled around the base. What was odd about the snakes was that they were made of a dark metal with inlaid gold and jewels. Koviell stares wide eyed at a large ruby in the centre of one of the snake's head.
Altallo was tracing a claw across the door which was covered in strange patterns forming swirls and waves.
"What are you doing?" asks Koviell

"Looking for a door handle. The people who built this would want a way inside, in case they wanted to store or remove something," says Altallo "These patterns form some sort puzzle. You have wavy lines at the beginning and then they become more complex towards one side and then are wavy again before they each the centre."

"Wouldn't it be in the centre?" suggest Koviell

"I tried, its not there," replies Altallo "Remember that spike trap? Its too obvious. They'd want to conceal it from raiders and-aha, got it!"

He points to a swirl pattern on the left side. He presses it and the door slides downwards with a grinding of stone.
They gasp in awe at the sight inside.
A huge cave looms beyond the doors. It's walls were craggy and irregular. In the centre was a mound with something glittering on its top. High up in the roof of the cave was a hole from which light spilled into the chamber. The kobold's torches finally dim and go out, but a blue light shines from the hole above. The whole cave has a cool and airy feel to it and the two kobolds feel lighter and more relaxed with each step they took up the mound towards the strange glittering object.

As they reach nearer they see the thing clearly; a beautiful jar made of different pieces of coloured glass which reflects the light shining on it in colourful patterns on the sand around it. It was rather simple with two handles and no patterns across its smooth surface.

"That's it?" asks Koviell looking unimpressed "You know escaping death traps for a jug wasn't worth it. Come one Altallo, let's get out of here."

But Altallo had picked up the jar and was looking into its coloured depths.

"You can keep it if you like-" says Koviell but he's interrupted as Altallo rubs the jar with a claw and soft stream of smoke issues from the lips of the jar.
The smoke swirls in front of the kobolds and forms into two figures. One is fire red, the other sandy yellow. The red figure had a humanoid face, with fierce looking orange eyes, lobed ears and long red hair swirling around its face, with a round black and white talisman around on its bare chest. The yellow figure had an avian face with a beak like a parrot's and was covered in yellow feathers. The yellow figure looked much more calmer and friendly than the red jinn.

"I am Ramel, the sand warden Jinn." says the yellow figure in a calm and song like voice.

"And I am Inferno," says the red figure in a booming voice that made the kobolds shake "you have freed us."

"And for that we are grateful," says the Jinn Ramel. "You each get three wishes. You," he points to Altallo "May ask me to grant you three wishes."

"And you may have three wishes from me." says Inferno to Koviell.

Koviell looks eager and says proudly;
"I wish I could have grimorie!"

Inferno waves his hand and before Koviell appears a large book, which Koviell snatches up happily.

"And what do you wish for?" Ramel asks Altallo.

"Well, I wish I could learn about your civilization and what happened about it."

The Jinn smiles and points to an area next to Altallo and a number of small boxes fade into existence. Altallo gathers them up and looks back at Ramel.
"Are you sure its OK if I take them?" he asks

"Of course," says Ramel, "Anything else you wish master?"

Meanwhile Koviell has just received his second wish, another grimorie, a much older looking one.

"And last but not least, my final wish shall be—oops!" he says as some jewels tip out from one of his pockets. He hastily picks them up again, but not before Inferno sees them and the chest Koviell is carrying.

"THIEVES!" the Jinn cries "Betrayers of our ancestors!"

"Do not be angry brother," says Ramel soothingly "Those treasures are no value to us."

But Inferno had begun to glow bright red and suddenly flames appear all over his body.

"They will never live to tell tales of us!" he roars and throws a fireball at Koviell who ducks just in time, but the chest he was carrying and the two grimori burst into flames.

The two kobolds run back the way the come, with Ramel following. Inferno meanwhile has filled the whole cave with fire and roars
"Awaken guardians of the temple, seek those that desecrate our sacred grounds and fill their blood with your poison!"

As the kobolds and Jinn run down the hallway they hear a series mechanical clicks and clanks. The door to the cave has closed but the metal snake statues had began to move and were sliding closer to the kobolds, they're metal mouths open revealing sharp fangs.

"Run?" asks Koviell
"Run!" replies Altallo.

They rush over the spike pit, narrowly avoiding the rising spears and dive behind the doors to the first room. The snakes slide over the spike pit, unaffected by the dangerous spikes which they just push aside with their bodies.

"I can't find a lever to close the doors!" cries out Altallo.

"Me either!" Koviell yells "We'll have to run for it!"

"Wait! I have an idea," says Altallo turning to Ramel

"Ramel, I wish the doors were closed and sealed forever." he says.

At once the doors slam shut, just as the snakes were about to strike. They hear a crash of metal against stone and the doors remained still.
The Kobolds sigh in relief.

"Thank Kurtulmak you still had one wish left." says Koviell slumping against a wall and sitting on the floor.

"Actually I had two others," Altallo says walking up to Ramel. "And I think I know what to wish for."

"Grimori?" asks Koviell looking hopeful.

"Ramel, I wish you were free from the confines of the lamp." the yellow kobold says.

The Jinn smiles widely and slowly fades away into dust which then blows away out of the temple and into the desert.
Koviell looks a little sad.

"You could have wished for something big and brilliant," he mumbles as they walk back out into the desert.

"And have a jinn trapped and following me around forever? No thank you. Anyway, I have these,"
He pulls out the boxes that Ramel gave to him in the cave from his robes. "My university would be thrilled by what's inside these and by those jewels you gathered and the other treasure in the temple."

"What? No! They're mine!" Koviell says defensively

"You know, the university does pay handsomely for artefacts," Altallo says grinning at Koviell, "Thousands of gold pieces maybe some platinum also, because we're near a platinum mine..."

Koviell perks up immediately.
"Platinum?! Gold?! There must be a fortune worth of gold in there! Come on!" and he grabs Altallo's arm and pulls him back into the temple.
They emerge later arms full of chests, jars and other containers.

"How do we get all this back to your university?" asks Koviel.

"I came here by cart, I'll get whilst you take down the tent." says Altallo and he walks away around a dune.

Soon Koviell stands waiting with the tent in pieces next to the pile of treasure. Around the dune Altallo reappears on a simple wooden cart with six thin wheels pulled by a huge lizard like creature with dark brown scales and a pair of reigns on its back.

"Just load the things up in the back," Altallo says, climbing down and then noticing Koviell staring at the creature pulling the cart adds "Oh don't worry, he's tame."

They pile the chests on first followed by the jars stored in cases and cover the whole thing with tent. Then the kobolds climb aboard, Altallo flicks the reigns and they ride off into the desert.

"How far away is this university?" asks Koviell

"A day and night long ride," Altallo replies "I've packed enough water and food, but we'll reach the desert's edge before sundown."

Koviell nods and the two remain silent for some time. Eventually Koviell breaks the silence;
"So erm, what are you studying to be?"

"Me? Well I hope one day to be cleric. Wander the lands and seek allies; I'm not one for violence," Altallo adds sounds embarassed "I'd rather hug something than fight it."

"You sound like a great cleric," Koviell says with a grin "Would you hug an udead?"

"Eesh! No! They're all cold and slimy and nasty." replies the yellow kobold, sticking out his tongue and looking disgusted.

"Well you should brush up on your species, after all you didn't know taurens moo." says Koviell with another grin.

"Taurens don't go moo silly!" says Altallo
"Yes they do!" says Koviell
"No they don't!" says Altallo's

They kept arguing on the subject of taurens as they ride on through the desert.