The five looked at each other.

All were dirty and covered in grey granite dust, or at least Valentine hoped it was just plain harmless granite dust. No use thinking about dry bone dust from crushed skeletons or debris from decayed people or something horrible like that. Nope, no cobwebs or little ancient dead insects in the mix either, it was just plain good old ordinary stone dust. Yup, that's it, no need to worry. He nodded to himself convincingly.

Tania and Anya sneezed. Nyx was dusting off her clothes and blinking tears from her eyes.

"Let's go." Lazarus lowered his arm from his face and led the way.

The great doors shut with a boom behind them.

"Great," Valentine muttered.

The chamber was just as well lighted as the passageway which they came from. Flickering torches lined the four walls, showing off its masterpieces. Ancient symbols, pictures and hieroglyphs were crammed onto every wall. Every bit of space was covered.

Nyx gave a silent thank you to Constantine. She did not like being blind in total darkness.

"Umm, is that a good sign?" Valentine asked. "That the walls are covered in writings and stuff."

"At least there are no pictures of warriors. I don't like them." Tania said.

Lazarus looked around. After his surfing blitz and cramming on ancient Egypt, some of the symbols were familiar.

"I'm not sure but I think they are to keep whatever is in here ... in." Lazarus turned 360 degrees slowly to view the whole room. "Even if the evil Priestess escaped her coffin, she would not be able to get out of this room."

The lighted chamber was huge and empty except for a single sarcophagus. It was placed in the middle of the bare room on a raised platform with steps leading up to it. The face of a woman was painted on it.

"The Priestess."

Their footsteps echoed on the stone floor as they made their way to the sarcophagus. They climbed up the steps and examined the painted face. She was beautiful.

"Shall we?" Lazarus asked. "On the count of three."

They each took hold of the top.

"One, two, THREE!"

They heaved together lifting the top half of the stone sarcophagus. It slid off easily and crashed to the ground. Loud echoes bounced off the walls.

"Shhhhh!!!" Nyx jumped in alarm and looked around guiltily.

"It sure slid off easily for a supposedly heavy stone cover," Lazarus said frowning. "I guess Constantine had to make sure a lone Hero could complete the Trial."

He peered into the sarcophagus curiously. There was a polished oblong marble coffin nestled cosily inside.

"Wow."

He placed his hands on the marble slab on top. "Let me try and see if I can lift it alone."

"Okay. Everybody stand back."

Lazarus pushed the slab askew before lifting a corner. His muscles bulged with the effort and he had to use his whole body's strength against the heavy marble, but he managed it.

"Ughhhh!! Argghhh!!"

The smooth solid cover fell inside the sarcophagus between the space of the coffin and its outer painted shell. A weird cloying musty smell wafted up from the mummified body within. The mummy's yellowing wrappings were tattered and almost falling apart showing bits of withered leathery brown skin and grey bone.

Nyx shuddered.

"She must have been someone special during her time to deserve such lavish burial."

"Not that lavish, although her coffin and sarcophagus are decorated richly, the chamber she is buried in is quite empty of anything that would help her in her afterlife."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and none of her family would know to come here to give her offerings since her name is not inscribed anywhere. She has been effectively deprived of food and stuff that she would need for her journey in her afterlife. I read that her soul needs nourishment too."

"That would make sense if she was being punished, but man, that's harsh."

"Yeah, isn't it?"

Now all he had to do to complete the trial was get the amethyst scarab from the Priestess and hand it over to the Red Mage.

"Hey look!" Nyx cried excitedly. "She is holding it, the scarab thingy."

The assassin was right. The amethyst scarab shone a beautiful deep purple against the rotting bandages. It was clasped firmly in the Priestess's bony hands.

Lazarus reached for it and tugged. It wouldn't budge. He frowned. There was a strong magnetic force pulling at the scarab preventing it from detaching.

"Stand back."

The gatekeeper braced himself and yanked hard. The scarab flew out the Priestess's hands. Lazarus stumbled off the dais and steps, falling to the floor. He rolled several times reflexively breaking his fall and caught the precious gem before it could hit the ground.

"Whoa!! Careful all of you!"

A ghostly white spirit rose from the mummified Priestess wailing and crackling. It flew up almost reaching the ceiling before spinning and zooming around the chamber.

"I'm freeeee, I'm freeeee!! At last!!"

Everyone craned their necks to follow the frenzied wraith. It was bouncing around in the room like a crazed pinball trying to find a way out. Suddenly it stopped in the middle of the room.

"It's that stupid scarab. It trapped me in my body and now it's not letting me out of here!! I'll destroy it! Destroy it!!"

The ghost flew straight at Lazarus who was holding the scarab. He automatically shielded the purple beetle with his body. The screaming Priestess slammed into him and bounced back, the powerful talisman prevented her soul from entering or leaving any body holding the scarab. Lazarus fell back at the impact, stumbled and twisted a full circle in time to see the wraith crash into Anya's body.

Lazarus, Health 77 per cent.

The others were staring in shock at the spectacle. Everything was happening so fast. Within seconds of Lazarus wresting the scarab from the mummy's hands, he was attacked by the ghost and it had possessed Anya.

Now Anya's eyes glowed a bright red. Low menacing growls emitted from deep within her throat as she hunched and sprang at her Chosen, claws extended.

"Anya!! NO!!"

She was already in mid-leap. He had not expected her to attack and didn't dodge fast enough. Being his well-trained familiar, she enjoyed the benefits and advantages of his high level. Her long sharp claws raked her Chosen across his chest leaving deep parallel gashes. Her heavy body pushed him down and landed on him, pinning the wounded man down.

Lazarus, Health 64 per cent.

Lazarus's yell broke the others out of their daze but it was too late. The gatekeeper lay bleeding on the floor. Before anyone could react, she snarled and bit him, aiming for his jugular. The Hero struggled, making her miss her mark. Her sharp fangs sank deep into his shoulder crushing bone. She ripped out flesh, tearing muscles. Bright red blood dripped from her muzzle.

"Aarrgghhh!!"

"NO, sister! Stop! You can't!! He is your Chosen!"

It was forbidden to attack your Chosen. It was a crime to be punished by death if witnessed by any other familiar. It was in the Familiar's code of existence.

Valentine watched as Tania attacked Anya.

"I'm sorry!" Tania screamed in all their minds before pouncing on Anya.

The white wolf turned to the new threat but the tawny wolf knew where their weaknesses were. She ended Anya's life in one quick stroke. The fight ended even before it begun. The wraith leaped out of Anya's dying body before it exploded and went straight into Tania's.

"No! Tania!"

The horrible events that unfolded in a matter of seconds played out in slow motion, stretching out every terrible moment.

Valentine readied his sword, eyes already wet with tears. He had to kill his beloved familiar. He had to kill Tania.