the Beast

Hannah slid the lid away, exposing the remains within. There were bones, dried as if they had been there much time. Next to the bones was a mace that looked to be made of pure silver. But on the ribs of that ancient carcass lay the desire of Hannah's heart: the pendant! She greedily grabbed the pendant and, turning away from the coffin and it's dead occupant, she placed it around her neck.

click!

The pendant locked itself about her neck! Though she felt no pain and her breathing was easy, this unsettled her much. She waited for some kind of transormation to occur, but nothing happened. Then she heard it.

click, clack, click, clack

The sound of footsteps... of ancient footsteps... directly behind her. She whirled in time to see the skeletal remains of that magicked tomb lift the mace. Hannah dove away even as the metal ball came crashing down where her own head had only just been! The skeleton was slow, and this gave Hannah time to think of a way out. She couldn't climb out, for the skeleton barred her way. She would have to fight, but with what? Then she had it... the weapons of the flesh golems! Hannah ran, tucked her feet under her even as the swoosh of the mace came dangerously close to her ear. She grabbed at a sword but could not grip it. Swoosh! came the mace again. Hannah felt the beads of sweat course down her forehead and cheeks, she ran again towards the dead golems... swoosh! At each pass the skeleton made a try at her, but she was faster, she was more graceful, she even felt stronger all of a sudden. Finally she was able to take one of the swords from out of the fleshy mess on the floor, and with one fell swoop, Hannah slew the skeletal beast.

And then she heard laughter.

She whirled about, ready for the next contender, the next foe. But she saw no one, she saw nothing. The laughter subsided, and then she realized that it had come from her! She had been laughing! A nervous twitter had been transformed into a guffaw. Her whole body trembled, she was drenched in sweat, she sat down and tried to calm herself. ~~beware the beast within~~ she thought to herself. ~~the skeleton or... me?~~

She sat in the dank hole for quite a while until her body settled itself. Her body; she was still a girl, there had been no transformation, or had there? How had she fought off the likes of that monster? How had she lept and dived and glided as if she were a warrior... a true soldier? How indeed?

1. the Beast within

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