The Black Cat

Chapter 25 Curse of Pyrite

"I am sorry Erin, I should have been protecting you, but I though you were still asleep ." Rionar sat down at the entrance of he tomb and sighed. "I truely cannot think of any nightmare you were shown."

"Nightmare?" I cocked my head. A nightmare? That couldn't even begin to explain what I saw. "My vision was not anything that could fit that catagory. It was strange Rionar, I was in the body of someone, a cat I think, and all I could do was see threw its eyes."

"A cat was in it?" Rionar chuckled. "If I'm right you saw someone I hadn't see for a while. Probably because she was the one that sealed this tomb and gave only me the key."

I streched out and looked at the mounds of gold behined Rionar. Now they didn't shine like before. In fact, they didn't shine at all. The gold that was now replaaced with heaps of dust.

"Why didn't the cat give Alex the key as well? Alex seems like just as much as a protector as you."

Rionar sighed and stood up. "Alex did something very bad to her."

Her?

My thoughts went back to the cat before. Lya stressed me on not trusting Alex the Shadow. Why? He marked himself as an enemy.

My mind tripped and I said a key thing on my mind. "Did he kill someone she knew?"

Rionar seemed to tense up at my question. "Yes," he lowly whispered. "I will only answer one more question Erin."

I huffed and pawed the earth. I focused on a couple specs of gold among the dirt. I looked up at Rionar innocently. If I asked him my next question, I doubt he'd answer."

"What was the person's name...the one Alex killed?"

Rionar glanced back at me and sighed. He sniffed the air and his tail flicked violently. "I don't remember."

A sort of pain suddenly struck my tail. The air grew sour and filled with pain. A loud pulse began to beat from far off down the tunnel.

"Who is that?" I gasped turning to face the mouth of the tunnel. The scent was defininty familier. It was lost, even ancient and filled with anger.

Rionar purred. "Crystal I think. Sour oranges and wine. Yes, him, it is. Hurry inside the tomb Erin."

I rushed forward. "But why let him see the tomb?!"

"He can't," Rionar growled calmly "Only you and I can see. All he will see will be a dead end to a mine shaft that is illed with bats, spiders, and snakes."

Rionar turned and started to walked down the path of the barely lit tunnel. Behined us, the heafty tomb door began its close. Even to me, the shut tomb door looked nothing more than a stone rock wall.

The tomb entrance let out into a narrow walkway that winded around a couple times into a complex arrangement, but Rionar knew his way perfectly.

The walls of the tomb were a clestial blue mixed with purple-black glow. The ground covered with the smoothest sand I ever did feel.

The lighting of the halls were a dim shade, but it served its purpose of giving light and giving off such a smooth and safe glow. They were alike fire lights the richer people put up on their porches. As we progressed further, however, the lights got bright aand brighter like eletric lights humans used.

Rionar fimaly began to he slow in his pace as we approached the final turn of this journey. "Have you ever heard of this box?"

He pawed the box's lit gently and inmistakently, the box cried. It was a soft sob to start, but after a few seconds it sarteed to go quit agian.

"It just-," I began with astomishment.

"I'm sure you have." Rionar continued forward. "It was the box of Issac."

I went quiet. "The boy merchant?"

Rionar didn't answer me, he just turned the corner before me and I hurried to catch up.

As I turned the corner I fell in my tracks. Before me, in the next room was one glistening with gold everywhere in the room. Its only light source was a hanging chandilier that threw light down on all the perfectly gold, silver, and dimond objects of the room.

"This is the tomb!" I flicked my tail wildly. "This is what thy are fighting for? No wonder! The tomb is of riches and-!"

Rionar snarled and glared at me. "Stupid little cat. This is not the tomb...this is just the entrance."