Days of the Dead Book 1: The Thief's End

Chapter 8: Yes, we're still trapped in a cave

Kit
I wake up in the hospital. My head is spinning, I'm sweating profusely, and all manner of tubes are running in and out of me. There's an awful mask on my face. And the precious coin is no longer in my hand.
And then I pass out again.
I wake up later, fewer tubes, no less feverish. Blood stains my sheets and hospital gown. We can't afford the hospital. We don't have insurance. My mom is asleep in a chair, in her work clothes. Fuck.
Fuck.
I sit up, painfully.  And immediately black out.
When I wake back up it's nearly dark out. And my mother is gone. Tabitha is sitting there, doing homework, a math book balanced on her thick thighs.
She sees me stir.
"What is going on?" She looks at me.
I glare tapping my hand to my other one for a pen. She gives me paper.
How long have I been out?
"All week! It's Sunday, what were you on?" She asks.
Did you tell them I left?
"Dude, you passed out bleeding from your eyes and mouth YES I TOLD OUR MOMS YOU LEFT! Someone, something attacked you, something—my dad and uncle are dead they were bleeding out, you about died," she sighs.
Oh wow I try to look not responsible, Where's my stuff?
"Your stuff? Whatever drugs you're on? What happened to your chest? The doctors said it looked like you'd been shot days before you passed out."
I flip her off.
"Here, we brought you clothes but they're not releasing you till your heart stops beating at 200bpm, it's like you're poisoned with something, they're assuming meth," she says.
I shrug smiling charmingly my personal items. My necklace. It's from Ethan.
"Here," she holds out my chain with all my amulets, "They let me hold it." I put the necklace on, gratefully.
She sorts in a grocery bag for my pocket contents, a couple stray amulets, my pocket knife, paper, pens, the works. But no coin. I yank the bag from her and start sorting through my clothes.  Where is it? The coin, I need it. The idiots are still trapped in the cave, they're dying. And they're my best friends. And if I don't get the treasure from the cave, then I have nothing good to give my master, and I'll never get my voice back. I paw the through my clothes frantically. It's not there. It's gone.
"Looking for this?" Tabitha holds up the precious coin in one hand.
I hop out of bed, yanking off the monitors. I nearly fall but I manage to steady myself, holding out my hand, hate burning in my eyes.
"No. What is this? And why is it so important and what were you doing all the night? We need to know what you poisoned yourself with and who you're involved with," she says, holding it up, "I'm not giving this back until you write down exactly what you're on."
I punch her directly in the face, hard enough to bloody her nose, snatching the coin from her hand. Tabitha, not at all expecting that, stumbles back. Weak as I am I still pack a punch. I tug off my hospital gown so that I'm naked, and slip on the ring that will take me to the cave, waving cheerily as I vanish before her eyes. 
And fall, completely naked, to the floor of the cave. A couple people say 'oh god it's back' but I am too busy coughing up blood and trying to roll to my feet. To be clear, I do go on the run with these guys, which involves a variety of bathing and changing and the like so being naked isn't more embarrassing than the time I got my hand stuck in a coffin. Long story, don't ask me later, I won't tell you then either.
"Here, are you hurt?" Rob pulls me to my feet by one elbow, "Someone get him clothes for pity's sake."
Someone throws a shirt at me and a pair of pants. I'm barefoot as well but that's less of a problem on the cool floor of the cave.  I tug on the long shirt, holding up the coin triumphantly as I shiver with cold. It's so cold in here. Why did I not notice it's so cold in here?
Ocenon walks forward, taking the coin from my hand quickly, "You ill?" He bites his lip after saying it, like regretting bothering to speak.
I shake my head no, forcing a smile as I trip into the clothes.
"He's burning up," Rob puts a hand to my forehead.
I shrug that I'm fine.
"Let's get out, that'll cure what ails him," Sam says, eagerly.
Ocenon approaches the door, and we follow behind. He presses the coin into the slot in the door.
Nothing happens.
We all exchange glances. Then he presses it again, twisting the coin slightly in the ident. The door clicks, and a couple of men push it open.
To reveal a dark tunnel.
We all look at each other.
"We were—we were SURE that was—that was the way we came? Hmm?" Ocenon asks, looking disappointed in us.
We all look around at each other then at the other door, also sealed fast, which we thought was part of the chamber. It is not. It leads out.
The men start mumbling a couple of people say, "I said it was the other one." The rest grumble.
"May lead out," Ocenon says, gesturing for them to grab the torches. The men do. I stumble as I walk so Rob holds my arm to keep me steady. And together, we make our way down the damp tunnel. The floor is cold beneath my feet and my very bones ache. I shiver. I doubt we have shoes to spare. I can go back to those other chaotic but nice brothers who are never doing anything important they'll give me shoes. It's fine. It's all fine. I'll wait a while to go home and then I will and I'll escape the hospital and I'll be feeling better and my mother will think it was all some huge mistake. She won't worry too much she'll just be cross. It's fine.
We reach the end of the tunnel, and Ocenon dips the torch in—a barrel? Creating a much larger fire that dimly illuminates the chamber. A chamber worthy of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
It's a burial chamber. But more than that, it's a treasure room. There's barrels and boxes just filled with gold. The room is lined with statues, I suppose of the gods, all done in marble. And in the center lives an obvious tomb, a gilded sort of casket, all surrounded by treasures.
The men murmur in amazement. Rob and I both pocket a handful of coins each, just on impulse.
Ocenon, for his part, approaches the tomb, which is really just a raised sort of box, all stone with images carved into it. And words, not in English though. I can't read it.
Ocenon kneels down, tracing his fingers over the letters and frowning.
"What does it say? Who is it?" Sam asks, coming over. Oh, good, he can't read it either.
"The Beggar's Tomb," Ocenon reads, frowning, "Beneath it a —it's a curse. I'll not—I can't say it out loud."
I frown.
"A curse?" Rob asks, kneeling as well. Oh, he can read it? Makes me feel worse.
"On any wizard —any wizard who enters," Ocenon looks at me, "No wizard can breach—breach the tomb."
"Explains why you're so ill," Rob says, going back to helping hold me up as I sway.
"We need to—to leave," Ocenon says, standing up, the men cease exploring, it's rare their leader makes announcement so they are quite ready to listen. "Empty your pockets. Now." He looks directly at Rob and I.
"What are you looking at us for?" Rob asks.
Ocenon cocks his head like a dog.
Rob sighs and empties his pockets, then mine because I wasn't going to. I'm so light headed and I really could use the money, here.
With great reluctance, we leave the Beggar's Tomb and go back to the original cave.
"He's ill—he'll—he'll get worse," Ocenon motions to me, "Break the door."
The men line up at the door, I think we tried this before but it didn't work? I don't know. I'm weak at the knees and sweating. but no, apparently we didn't try this. We were trying the other door. Because this one breaks on the third try, crashing open to reveal soft twilight.
And about fifteen bows pointed at our faces.
The men dive for their swords. I stop the arrows with magic.
"French soldiers," Rob narrates, for me. I was not clear we weren't French so you know, that's news to me.
Attacking soldiers pour into the chamber.
"Philip's men," Ocenon snarls, with obvious hate.
Rob hauls me out of harms way, protecting us both with a short sword, not his precious bow. Too close a quarters.
"They've been on our trail for weeks, don't look at me like that, Kit, remember how you missed Christmas two years ago? Yeah, that was when Philip stopped being on our side," Rob snarls, holding me mostly up right.
"FALL BACK," Ocenon shouts, he's fighting two men with a sword in each hand, strawberry curls damp and sticking to his face with sweat. They're forcing their way towards the chamber. And it's universally acknowledged we'll all see them in hell before we let them get the gold which we're about to rightfully pillage.
We fall back towards the tunnel but the fighting is fierce and thick. We've been in a cave for like two weeks, I don't even know. They are fresh and angry and for whatever reason really hate us (I think they're just homophobic).
"ROBIN," Ocenon shouts. Huh maybe that's what Rob is short for.
"Challenge accepted," Rob says, letting go of me to draw his bow and start taking out men as they rush in the doors.
I raise my hands, I'd scream if I could, the magic rips through me painfully. My eyes glow hot blue, and tendrils of blue magic shoot from my fingertips, smacking down the attacking soldiers and narrowing giving us the chance to fully retreat. Robin covers our back. I'm weak at the knees and swaying as I stand as I throw the rest of them across the chamber. My mouth is open in a silent scream, and I can feel blood running from my eyes.
I fall, but I feel arms catch me before I hit the ground. I'm limp and struggling not to black out. Blood fills my mouth and drains from my eyes. Ocenon is the one who caught me. He's the strongest of us and easily scoops me into his arms, sword in one hand, as we race back into the tunnel.
Two men move to seal the door behind us even as the enemy bangs on it. A few are in here with us but we dispatch them quickly. We've lost all our torches.
I hold up a hand, letting blue light glow from it, illuminating our way. I hope it does some good. I close my eyes, too tired to keep them open.
I probably lose consciousness. Well, I do. I don't know how long. When I wake Ocenon is laying me down against one of the barrels of gold. Which is nice because I love money I'm happy to die with it.
"We're losing him, it's the curse you said?" Rob asks, wiping blood from my face.
Ocenon nods.
"My lord, the door is secure," a short man called Thomas returns from the passageway, "It sounds like they've stopped."
"They expect us to die," Ocenon says, softly, smiling a rare arrogant grin, "But I'm more patient—than—than Philip."
"We'll wait them out," Rob says, nodding.
"You must go," Ocenon kneels in front of me.
I shake my head. I already decided I should probably die here.
"Go—wherever. Get—get help," he curls his hands over mine, putting them to my necklace, "Go. You will—will die."
I feel tears in my eyes, mixed with the blood. I really wanted my voice back before I die. And I don't know where to go.
"You'll be better—better not here," he says, wincing in annoyance at the stutter. He's speaking for me, a rare gift. And so I must do as he says.
I nod, wincing.
"Do not die yet, Kit," Ocenon says, nearly smiling, "We don't—don't die today."
I nod, trying to blink the blood from my eyes. And slowly, I slip off the ring. Time to go home I guess. I didn't want to die there. But here we are.