Kurtz had no sensation of falling, seeming to pass out during the fall. The scenes from earlier played in his mind. Losing his arm from a magical curse, The Large man Carter killing Merek. the Skeleton killing the stocky Mardu. The golden slime racing across the chamber for him, snuffing out the light from the torches. Time seemed to stretch out for him as he fell, He remembered all of the happy times with Vahn and Lydia, fishing and hunting and riding, the warmth of love from people who chose to care for him.

The fall didn’t seem to so much end as stop. There was no hard smack on the stone beneath, no pain or shock from a sudden impact. After a time, Kurtz opened his eyes and say himself suspended in air over a dimly lit room. In the center of the room was a large metal casket. After turning over in the air, the effect of floating seemed to take him down to the ground gently. He landed on his knees, the pain in his stomach was intense, and while it hurt, it didn’t seem that blood was flowing any longer.

He took time to acclimate to the pain before doing anything else, shock set in after the initial wound, but now it seemed that Kurtz was feeling every bit of the hole in his abdomen. Thoughts of What now? Entered his mind, seeing no real exit for him to take, and even the hole he fell through having disappeared.
He turned and examined the metal casket, looking at the innumerable runes carved into every inch of it. He saw that it curved gracefully towards one end, and the other seemed to have a face molded on it. The lid of the casket had a simple latch, and Kurtz undid it and tried to lift the lid. The thing was heavy- damned heavy, but he could just barely move it, though the stress caused his wound to hurt even more.

Panting, he gave one final push of strength and slid the top back enough to peer inside and see the contents. Shreds of ancient cloth were laid within, covered in dust and sand. The only discernable object that Kurtz could make out was a skull, perfectly preserved, with two onyx orbs for eyes, seven empty sockets the size of marbles set into the bone itself like a crown and the canines ending in sharp, wicked points. Tentatively, Kurtz reach and picked up the skull, wanting to examine it further, wondering why such an elaborate container was used to hold such a seemingly simple object.

The black eyes began to glow from the center out, a green light perforating the darkness of the orbs. A Mortal? Living? Ah…Only Just… No matter…It Will Suffice…It Must Suffice.. We Have No Choice…Why Have You Sought Us Out Mortal Boy? We Who Are The First, The Greatest…Seek You Power To Conquer? No… We Sense No Desire To Dominate…Life Eternal? Hmm…Closer…But Still We Think Not…Why Have You Disturbed Us Mortal Boy? Tell US… The voice Kurtz heard was age itself, rasping seductive and most of all, powerful.
“I just want to live, to get out of here and lead a normal quiet life. I want to be free of the pain I’ve suffered, I want my arm back, and most of all I want to forget this horrible place.” Kurtz said, almost through tears.

Restoration? To Be Returned To What You Were Before? No Boy. If We Are To Use You, You Must Become Far More Than You Were Before. We Will Remake You Into Our Image, Use You To Inact Our Vengeance. We Have Dreamed On It For Untold Millenia, We Will Not Allow This Chance To Escape. You Are Dying Mortal Boy, That Connection Will Be The Bridge That Allows Us To Cross Over. The voice stated its thoughts laboriously, as if every word were an effort.

The intensity of the glow increased, the green light flooding the room, first from the eyes, then the holes in the crown, and finally the very bones seemed to glow with an immense green light, until finally Kurtz had to shut his eyes to keep from being blinded. Even clenching his eyes shut, he screamed as the light seemed to envelope him, he felt as if her were burning from the inside out. Until finally, he couldn’t think anymore, and slept.