End of Days 7: Into the Depths

continues from part six

Part 7: Into the Depths

"So, how exactly DO we get inside that?" Gromet asked. "Doesn't look like we can just go up and ring the doorbell."

"Storming the fortress would not be a wise move either," Theodore said. "It's too well defended. What do you think, Xesex?"

The god thought. "The tower is protected by very powerful magical energy. A direct assault would be most unwise, and I can sense unseen eyes watching the walls. If we were to try and sneak in, we would be spotted immediately."

"Maybe we can sneak in," Quinn said, getting an idea. "Look."

At the drawbridge leading into the tower, a steady stream of wrappers were walking in, carrying captured, mummified people.

"Perhaps we can disguise ourselves as one of them," Quinn said. "Then we get in line, and stroll right in. I don't think those thugs have any brainpower, so they won't notice us."

Xesex thought for a moment, then nodded. "A good idea. Who wants to be a volunteer?"

Quinn stepped forward. "Heck, I thought of it, it might as well be me."

Xesex pointed his finger towards her, focused. Bandages shot forth and wove themselves around her body, squeezing and compressing it tightly. In less then ten seconds, Quinn's body was completely wrapped, save her head. Surprised, she looked her bandaged limbs over, squeezing and flexing them. The bandages were very tight (perhaps a bit too tight around her crotch and breasts, she noticed), and restricted her movement somewhat, but she would be able to walk, and use her arms.

"Well, I'd say it'll work," Vikki said.

Working quickly, Xesex repeated the procedure on Vikki, Gromet, and Nia, turning them into tightly wrapped, walking mummies. It was unnecessary to wrap Robert and Aalyia, but when all was said and done, the six of them were a perfect match for the mindless guards walking into the tower.

"Well, this is new," Gromet said, running his bandaged fingers over his wrappings.

"Never been wrapped before?" Nia asked.

"Can't say that I have."

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you do in your world?"

Gromet paused.

"Well, I deal in the literary field."

"Oh, so an agent?"

Gromet thought, nodded. "Err, something like that, yes."

"Hurry up you two," Quinn said. "Can't waste any more time." The line of walking thugs was coming to an end. They'd have to move fast if they wanted to get in line and into the tower. "Xesex? What about you and Theodore?"

"We shall have to infiltrate the tower on our own," Xesex said. "For obvious reasons, if we tried to enter like the rest of you, we would be spotted immediately. But do not fear. I will get us inside safe and sound."

With a wave of his hand, he sent out more bandages, began to tightly wrap the heads of everyone present.

"Wait!" Quinn said. "What do we do once we're inside?"

Xesex focused his hands, and several small, glowing green balls of energy appeared, before zipping over to each individual, attaching themselves, and merging with the bandages.

"There will be someone controlling all this," Xesex said. "Most likely that Targonamey man. If he's inside, find him, and do what you can to disrupt his operations. The energy I have just given you all may be used like a bomb, but you can only use it once. Remember: when used properly, stealth is more effective then force."

Then the last wrappings went forth, and covered everyone's head, save their eyes. For Quinn, it was a familiar sensation, having her head wrapped and tightly compressed. But the effect of being wrapped like this was unsettling to the others, who now looked, and acted extremely nervous. She would need to act quickly to move everyone along.

"Come on, everyone," she said. "Follow me."

As Xesex and Theodore slipped away into the darkness of the alley, Quinn headed towards its exit. Vikki, apparently used to being bandaged, responded immediately, helping the others along, guiding them with a friendly hand. Grateful for the help, Quinn stopped, peered out at the mummy guards walked along, carrying their squirming, wrapped prisoners.

When the last one walked by, Quinn took a deep breath, and dashed out

As she had hoped, none of the wrappers looked back when she got in behind them. Vikki, Gromet, Nia, and Aalyia dashed out, though Aalyia was slower, due to carrying Robert on her back. But they got into line, and followed the wrappers, trying to stay evenly spaced, so as to attract as little attention as possible.

Reaching the drawbridge, they crossed over. When they entered into the tower itself, they followed the wrappers as they went through numerous tunnels of chiseled stone, eventually reaching a chamber resembling an ancient Egyptian temple. Here, the sense of being watched diminished considerably, suggesting that it was safe to move around without fear of being seen.

As the last of the wrappers turned the corner, Quinn motioned for everyone else to hide next to the wall, which they did so. Sneaking to the edge, she peered around.

They were in a large throne room of some kind. At the end was a large, royal throne, and upon it sat Targonamey, with two tall cranes perched beside him like silent guards. Quinn couldn't be sure, but she got the feeling they would be as effective as any guard when it came to fighting.

Targonamey himself was watching as the wrappers walked past, each momentarily stopping to display their captives for his inspection, a process that consisted of him running his fingers over their wrappings to ensure tightness and consistency, and then a nod. With that, the wrappers then took their captives through another door, and out of sight.

"What's happening?" Gromet whispered.

"Shush," Quinn said, holding up a hand. Someone, or something, was coming out of another, larger door, and she wanted to see who it was.

She got the shock of her life upon seeing a massive, canine-like being with a thick, muscular human body, but with the head of a jackal. Even without knowing who it was, Quinn recognized him from all the pictures she had seen throughout her life.

Holy shit, he's real?!

"So, Anubis," Targonamey said, standing. "How much time do we require?"

"A few hours," the Egyptian god of the underworld said. "The other towers report that they are ready. We're the last one. But I must caution you, we do not have much time left if this is to succeed."

"Yes, I know," Targonamey said. "But there are still many who can be saved. We will loose many, but I will not stand by and quit while there are still many we can acquire."

So that was it, this Targonamey character was gathering up all the individuals on the planet and putting them in these towers. But why? Obviously, there was something he was planning to do, but Quinn didn't have the faintest idea. All they could do was try to stop him, as the event would be very unpleasant, no matter what it was.

Anubis started to walk away, then stopped. He turned, and for a moment Quinn feared they had been spotted. But the god's gaze went towards the ceiling, as if he could see beyond it.

"We are not alone," he said. "One of my kind is here."

A frown betrayed Targonamey's calm demeanor. "What? You mean another god is here?"

Anubis cracked his knuckles as he headed for the door. "I will deal with him. But be warned, it is likely that he didn't come alone."

With that, the god was gone, leaving a now worried Targonamey to himself.

Quinn turned back to the others. If Anubis could sense Xesex's presence, then they needed to move fast.

"All right, we need to get going," she said. Reaching down to the bandages enveloping her chest, she withdrew the glowing energy bomb Xesex had given her. "Let's split up. Find a place that looks good, then set your bomb. After that, we then get the hell out of here."

"But how the heck do we make these things blow?" Nia asked, looking over her bomb.

"A good question," Robert said.

"I don't know!" Quinn said, impatient. "I'm just making this up as I go! Now let's go!"

The others split up, heading down various corridors and hallways, until Quinn was left by herself. She looked down to her bomb, pondering exactly how to detonate it, and realizing that she didn't know what to do about the mummified people stored in the tower, but she trusted that Xesex had thought ahead to that, and ensured that they would stop Targonamey, but not harm the people he had taken.

Okay, all we have to do is go through the depths of a huge, labyrinthine tower and try to blow it up without killing anybody, Quinn thought. Easy enough.

She started towards a nearby stairwell when she heard squawking from nearby. Turning, Quinn saw one of Targonamey's cranes flying nearby, looking straight at her.

"Uh oh," she whispered.

The crane shrieked, and charged at her.

Quinn turned and ran up the stairs, the crane in close pursuit, with it's companion now following after her.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Quinn headed through a thin tunnel that was packed with dozens of mummies who were entombed within the walls, all squirming and struggling. A few were half buried in the walls, their legs kicking, which made it difficult to get past them, the cranes were knocked to the ground, giving Quinn more time, and she silently vowed that if she got out of this, she'd come back and personally free up all those trapped in this room.

Exiting the hallway, she emerged into a large rotunda that composed the center of the tower, stretching up high to an unseen ceiling. Here there were practically no walls, only mummies that had been lashed together and tied to the walls, or dangled from chains, still struggling and squirming within their wrappings until there was nothing around Quinn but white, struggling forms. And this was only one level, for the higher up she looked, the more and more mummies she saw.

This entire tower must be packed with them, she thought. Thousands of captured people, all wrapped up and bandaged, then entombed within the walls of this tower for some unknown purpose.

The energy bomb pulsed in her hands, apparently signaling that this was the place to drop it. But even then, Quinn hesitated. Would it really be so right to drop a bomb among all these mummified people, who could possibly be hurt by the resulting blast?

The screeching of unseen cranes grew louder.

There was no time to second guess. All Quinn could hope was that Xesex had thought this through. Taking the bomb, she tossed it down the rotunda, until it vanished from sight far below.

Relieved, Quinn was glad the bandages around her head were in place to soak up the sweat. Now all she had to do was hide until the heat died down, then get the heck out of this tower, find the others, and get as far away as possible.

But it was not meant to be.

The cranes shot out of the hallway, screeching upon seeing their prey.

Oh shit!

Quinn turned to run, but the cranes were faster then they looked. They began to swerve around Quinn, bandages shooting from their legs as they went faster and faster, until they were like a feathered tornado, nearly impossible to make out. But the bandages they shot off were going around Quinn's arms and legs, binding them, making escape impossible. Not that she didn't try to break free, but with her limbs so tightly wrapped together, Quinn never had a chance.

As the wrappings covered her eyes, she hoped that the others were having better luck then her.

*

Upon being wrapped, Quinn had fallen into darkness, and had become completely helpless. She knew from hands on experience that once someone was tightly wrapped up and mummified, escape was all but impossible. Even the biggest muscles couldn't get enough leverage to break free. In a way, that knowledge helped her to remain calm as she felt herself being lifted and carried. She couldn't do anything about her situation, so the best course of action was to go limp, and wait until an escape opportunity presented itself.

For several minutes, she was carried along in complete darkness, with no way of knowing where she was being taken. She could be carried to join the others being entombed, or a dungeon somewhere, or perhaps they were just going to toss her out the tower. She hoped that wasn't what they were going to do, so it was a relief when her unseen captors stopped, and lay her down.

Seconds later, and her bandages fell away, unraveling themselves as if by magic. When they were off, she was left wearing only her trenchcoat and rubber catsuit. Spinning, she looked about, trying to figure out where she was.

"So this is the intruder."

Quinn turned, saw Targonamey sitting on a throne before her.

"I must say, you are very bold to enter my temple, even with some of your friends. Did you really think you could stop me?"

"Yeah," Quinn said. "It was worth a shot."

Targonamey snapped his fingers, and the energy bombs Xesex had given Quinn and the others fell before him.

"A clever idea with these bombs," he said. "But alas, it was not to be."

"Shit," Quinn whispered.

"Oh sad, sad, woman. You have no idea what forces you're dealing with here."

Targonamey snapped his fingers, and a pair of manacles shot down the ceiling, and locked themselves around Quinn's wrists. Chains pulled tight, and her arms were forced into the air, leaving her standing, but unable to bring her arms down at all.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!"

"The big idea, my ignorant friend, is that your world is coming to an end. I have foreseen this, but do not worry, I have a plan to stop it."

"By kidnapping everyone and turning them into your sex slaves?" Quinn said, tugging against the thick metal gripping her wrists.

Targonamey stood. "Sex slaves? Is that the limit of your imagination? I have no desire for sexual relations with the like of your kind."

"My kind?"

"The ignorant. The unknowing. Those who don't know their true purpose in life, or in the cosmos. You are but one. Your friends are others."

He snapped his fingers again. From the ceiling, chains lowered, carrying with them Nia, Robert, Aalyia, and Vikki. Their disguises had been stripped clean, and they struggled, their mouths wrapped up tightly, save for Vikki, who hung quietly. Quinn recognized the look on her face: it was of a bottom, one who was submissive, and would never fight. Thus, no wrappings were needed to keep her quiet.

Then Targonamey snapped his fingers again, and Quinn's heart sank as Xesex was lowered from the ceiling, knocked out cold, Prince Theodore beside him.

If Xesex, their leader and only real chance of victory was defeated, then they were doomed.

"I do not blame you for trying to thwart my plans," Targonamey said. "It was to be expected actually. When a new order is brought in, all those from the old order struggle to preserve it. But alas, I cannot have all of you running about and ruining my plans. You will have to be stored and contained."

"So, you're judge, jury, and executioner now?" Quinn said, trying to keep up a defiant face, even when she felt as if all hope was gone.

Targonamey smiled. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I have the right. None of you don't."

Nia struggled in her chains, trying to hurl muffled curses at the man.

Targonamey walked over. "Oh Nia, the only individual on your world who can communicate with killer whales. One, specifically. Would you like to say hello to her?"

He snapped his fingers, and several chains lowered from the ceiling, carrying Jude in them. The giant whale was struggling, clearly baffled as to the predicament she found herself in.

Nia went still in her chains, shocked at the sight.

"Jude, the whale that you have trusted with your life countless times over. It is only fitting that, for your entombment, you will spend the rest of your life inside the whale you love so dearly."

With a tap of his staff, Targonamey sent his cranes flying towards Nia, who was lifted into the air. Helpless, Quinn watched as they spun around Nia at breakneck speed, wrapping her in bandages. They were unbelievably fast, and in seconds, the two had tightly wrapped Nia all the way up to her head. Her arms were forced to her side, then wrapped there, and the last Quinn ever saw of Nia was her terrified face as it was covered over, and sealed away.

The chains lowered her wrapped body to the ground, where they released themselves, then retreated to the air. Targonamey levitated Nia off the ground, stroking her tight, smooth bandages. Only faint wiggles could be seen, for Nia was so tightly wrapped and cocooned that even her lean, muscular body couldn't move against the wrappings that encased her.

With a wave of his staff, Targonamey sent a spell over Nia, a green mist encasing her, before sinking into the bandages. "A spell designed to remove the need for food and water," he explained. "And to ensure that she produces no waste. She shall not want for food or drink for the rest of her life."

Levitating her, Targonamey took Nia's mummy towards Jude, who had watched the process. But when Targonamey brought Nia's mummy to her mouth, Jude refused to open.

"I know you can understand me," Targonamey said. "Either you will swallow her, or I will make her suffer, all while forcing you to watch, until you choose to consume her. I do not care either way."

Quinn had never read the face of a killer whale before, but it was surprisingly easy to see that Jude was thinking. She even looked sad. But instead of opening her mouth, she instead turned over onto her side, exposing her opening.

"Very well," Targonamey said. "That shall do as well."

Nia's mummified body was floated over, and pushed to the opening, feet first.

"Now take her within you, like a loving mother accepting a child."

Thick, powerful muscles took hold of Nia, and, like they had done so many times before, pulled her into Jude's body, bit by bit, her bandaged body vanishing, until only her head remained. It was here that Nia managed to give a final struggle, whipping her tightly wrapped head back and forth, before she was pulled into Jude's body, and the hole closed, sealing her inside her wet, dark, tomb forever.

"You may do with her as you wish," Targonamey told Jude. "But she will never leave you again. And to ensure it, I must now do to you, what I did to her."

The chains were raised, and the storks returned, and now they began to wrap bandages around Jude.

Quinn, for the life of her, had never thought of ever seeing a whale be mummified like a human being. It was pointless, for they couldn't move on land anyway, but she found herself fascinated by the process, watching as the killer whale was wrapped up, bandages going around her thick, muscular body. Jude was as surprised as Quinn was, for she was shaking in her chains, confused as she was covered bit by bit with the bandages, until her mouth was forced shut, and her vagina was covered over, fully sealing Nia inside for good.

Moments later, and the whale's eyes were covered.

For five minutes, the cranes continued to spin around Jude, until the whale was mummified as Nia had been. And once again, Targonamey placed his spell upon her, ensuring that the whale wouldn't need to eat or drink again, or even worry about air, while also ensuring that Nia would remain alive inside her.

When the mummification was complete, Jude was floated off the chains, and into a deep, sixty foot pit carved out of stone. When she was at the bottom, thick chains and manacles were secured around her wrapped body, and when the cranes flew out, water was poured into the pit, filling it to the brim, at which point Targonamey magically made stones cover the pit, until there was no sign it was ever there.

Jude and Nia would now spend the rest of their lives trapped below. Jude, unable to move. Nia, trapped inside Jude, able to wiggle, and possibly move around inside Jude's body, but forever unable to escape. The two, inseparable in freedom, would spend the rest of their lives together, within one another.

"Monster!" Quinn shouted.

"I gave them a better fate then others would have," Targonamey said. "Had it been many other rulers from various worlds, they would have suffered more. I have ensured that they will not suffer, and they have each other. Be glad I am that merciful."

"Merciful?!" Quinn roared, unable to accept the warped view of this madman. "You're not merciful! You're evil!"

Targonamey stopped. "Evil? Oh Quinn, how little you truly understand. I'm not evil. Only the storyteller is."

"Storyteller?"

"Tell me, don't you find it odd that all these different people and beings could exist in your universe? Spider men, sex gods, anthromorphic animals, women who can communicate with whales? I tell you this, Quinn, there are many universes in existence, each one separate from one another. But what no one understands is that we are all just playthings! Toys! The storyteller that weaves our tales only does so for his own amusement! And I am the only one who knows this!"

Quinn stared at him. "You're nuts!"

"Nuts?" Targonamey thought. "Oh yes, a modern-day insult. Well, no matter child. I am not "nuts." In fact, I am the very first, the first one he ever created. The first story! But something terrible has happened, the storyteller has grown tired of his work, and just as everything has a beginning, so does it have an ending."

He stepped closer.

"Our very existence is coming to an end. Soon, very soon, all the worlds will blink into nothingness, and we shall all be gone. Gone! All our lives, our dreams, our hopes, will be for nothing. We won't even exist anymore! And the afterlife? What you call the afterlife is really just another dimension, another universe that we all live in."

He went to Vikki. "I know of your so called, 'afterlife' Vikki. It was not really the afterlife, but just another dimension. Yes, you may have died in that dimension, but in this one you are very much alive. But just like all the others, you are just a toy for the storyteller."

Vikki stared at Targonamey, shocked. Whether she believed the madman, Quinn couldn't tell.

"Oh?" Targonamey said. "None of you believe me?" He walked to his throne, and grabbed several books. "Then how do you explain these?"

He walked up to Quinn and shoved them in her face.

Quinn stared at the books, baffled by the titles, such as, "The Black Coffins," "Space Burial," "The Gold Pyramid," and "The New Bride of the Mummy."

"These are all tales told by the storyteller," Targonamey said. "All of them in their own separate dimensions, but now gathered here. I found that space casket a short time ago, and the bride as well. And the gold pyramid, does that not sound familiar to you, Vikki?"

Vikki looked up, and from the look on her face, she knew that name all too well.

"And there's more. So many more." He held up several books. "All of these, about driders. Prince Theodore is in there. And these ones, chronicling Nia's time with Jude. And look, this one covers Robert, Aalyia, and Xesex. All of us are in there, including me. These are my books!"

He held up two books titled, "The Three Mummies" and "The Three Mummies 2"

"I had the honor of being the storyteller's first creation. I had such great plans and designs set up, but then what happens to me? I am mummified and entombed for eternity, all for the storyteller's amusement! And yet, when I was inside that coffin, I slowly began to understand the way of things."

He stepped closer to Quinn.

"All of us are nothing more then playthings! The toys of some demented demigod! Only now, that demigod has grown up, and has discarded his toys! We are to be thrown away and forgotten. And then our existence shall end, or at least, it should. But I, Targonamey, the first of all of us, the one who truly understands the way of things, I will save us all. I will ensure that all of us will live! Even Anubis, as powerful as he might be, is helpless before the end of our existence. But I shall save him too."

"I've read about people like you," Quinn said. "Men who think they can save the world. But there's a catch, you always become tyrants. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and all that."

Targonamey eyed her, and was amused. "This isn't about petty politics and diplomats," he said. "This is about survival, and I am the only one qualified to ensure that we will all survive the coming catastrophe! All those who wish to survive will kneel before me and accept my rule. Those who do not, will be disposed of."

"Assuming this storyteller stuff is all true, what makes you think you can stop the destruction of existence itself?" Quinn asked. "You're just a man."

"No, not a man. A character in a tale, just as you. You don't know that I was given gifts and powers, that I was one of the most powerful men in my time. That power can be used to ensnare this world and bend it to my will. And when this world is under my control, I shall take other worlds, and other dimensions. Only when I control everything, will I be able to save it, and rebuild it in my own image. For if the storyteller is abandoning us, then I will take his place!"

"I still don't believe you," Quinn said, trying to convince herself that this was all crazy, that there had to be another explanation.

Targonamey shook his head. "Perhaps this will convince you." He took a book titled, "End of Days" and presented it to Quinn, opening it towards the beginning. And as she read the page, Targonamey read it aloud.

"There was a flash nearby, and a man fell, landing in the river a short distance from her. Sputtering, he crawled out, looking around, horribly confused. Spotting Quinn, he ran up. "Excuse me, but, where am I?!" he asked, shouting over the flashes and the thunder.

Quinn stared at him.

"Do you speak English?!" the man shouted.

"Who the hell are you?!" Quinn asked. "And what the hell is going on?!"

The man looked around, spotted the killer whale, the spider like creature, the casket, and all other beings who were appearing. "I don't know!"

Quinn shook her head. "I don't know either!"

"Getting to its feet, the spider man thing turned and walked towards the two," Targonamey read. "Like the man, he too looked horribly confused. At the least, it didn't look like it wanted to eat them."

Quinn stared at the pages, unable to speak, unable to even breathe.

Targonamey pulled the book away. "Your story is written here, Quinn. You are like me, a character. Nothing more. All your hopes and dreams are for naught. The rest of your kind may survive under my rule, but I cannot allow those who work to stop me to run free."

He pointed to a large coffin, black, lined with thick rubber padding on the inside.

"This will be your home now, Quinn. Your private prison. You will be mummified, then locked inside for the reset of your life. It will be warm, soft, and comfortable, and you will suffer no pain. But you will never know freedom ever again. Enjoy these last few minutes of freedom, because they will be the last you will ever have."

*

Compared to Jude and Nia, Quinn's mummification was slow and carefully plotted out. Stripped down only to her bodyglove, Quinn was dangled from the ceiling as the cranes circled her, taking their time in mummifying her.

Quinn hadn't even fought. The shock of learning about who she was, and who everyone was, had kept her still as each new bandage was wound around her, as her legs had been wrapped together. Her torso was next, with the cranes taking great care with her breasts, making sure to wrap them nice and tight.

During it all, Targonamey watched, obviously enjoying the sight of a helpless woman being mummified alive, helpless to stop the process, and knowing that in a few minutes, she would be locked in a coffin for the rest of her life. Her last moments of freedom were going to be spent feeling that freedom taken away, bit by bit.

"Be glad I am merciful," he said.

Quinn said nothing as her arms were wrapped, then forced across her chest, where they were wrapped in place.

Around her, the others were being wrapped as well. Xesex, Prince Theodore, Robert and Aalyia were being wrapped like she was, with identical coffins being prepared for each one. And once each individual was helplessly wrapped up and mummified, Targonamey placed his spells upon them, then placed them into the coffins, and sealed them inside.

One by one, the coffins were placed into the wall, and stones moved into place, sealing them inside forever.

"Be glad that you are all only being given life sentences, instead of eternal sentences," Targonamey said, walking back to Quinn. "Like the one I was given. Had it not been for a fortunate accident, I would have spent eternity as a living mummy, sealed inside a sarcophagus, forever doomed to remain alive without death to release me."

"And what about all the others?" Quinn finally asked, trying to mask her fear by sounding angry.

"All will loose their freedom temporarily," Targonamey said. "Until the crisis has passed. But you and your accomplices will spend the rest of your lives locked away. As your legal system would say, you have no possibility of parole."

Quinn tried to thrash, to yell, to fight against her restraints. But the cranes had done their work well. The bandages enveloping and enclosing her body were almost ten layers thick, making it all but impossible to bend or flex her body. She might as well been encased in concrete.

As her head was wrapped up, she was lowered from the ceiling to the floor, where she was suspended above it, allowing Targonamey to come and look her over from every angle, like a hunter inspecting his prize, admiring her trapped form.

"For a woman your age," he said. "You are quite beautiful. Had you been normal, and not a threat, I would have granted you the honor of being in my harem. You could have known pleasures beyond your wildest dreams. But alas, such a privilege will now only be a dream, and never a reality."

Several wrappers shoved Quinn's coffin across the floor, ready to lower her into it.

"Do you have any last words?" Targonamey asked.

"Yeah. Go fu-"

Bandages came down and rammed themselves into Quinn's mouth, then wrapped it shut, ensuring that she would never talk again.

"Manners, manners," Targonamey said. "You should learn to respect your superiors."

The bandages continued to wind themselves around Quinn's face, covering and sealing it away, until only her eyes were left unwrapped. Then they too, were wrapped, and sealed away. Darkness would now be the only thing Quinn ever saw.

"A final word of council," Targonamey said. "The first few years are the hardest. After that, everything becomes a blur."

The chains were released, tearing out of the bandages, only for new wraps to come in and replace them. With everything ready, Targonamey levitated Quinn, and moved her to the coffin.

"Wait!"

He stopped, turned to look.

Vikki, who had been quiet the entire time, now looked up from her chains. "Please, may I make a request?"

"And what is that?"

"If you're going to bury her," Vikki said, her body going limp. "Then I ask you to bury me with her."

Targonamey was surprised. "You would willingly allow yourself to share her fate?"

Vikki nodded.

"Even if it meant remaining in there for the rest of your life?"

"I was entombed for ten years," Vikki said. "And the one thing I missed more then anything was the warmth and touch of someone else, to know that I wouldn't go through eternity alone. I can't let her go through that."

Targonamey thought, then nodded. "If you wish."

Vikki was raised into the air, and the cranes went to work. But unlike Quinn, Vikki surrendered, and allowed herself to be mummified. She didn't fight as her freedom was taken away by the bandages, until she was fully wrapped, save her eyes. And yet, her arms, though wrapped, were left loose, rather than wrapped across her chest or to her side.

"For your selflessness, and your generosity, I will allow you to use your arms, though your hands will still be useless."

He levitated Vikki through the air, and then, with her floating next to Quinn, put his spells on them both, then put them inside the coffin. It was a tight fit, but both managed to squeeze in, the rubber walls squeezing them together. The two squirmed, trying to get comfortable.

As the lid was lowered on, Targonamey watched Vikki's eyes, which stared up at him, then they were lost in the shadows as the lid came down and locked itself in place.

The coffin was picked up, and floated over to the wall, and glided into a roughly carved crevice. From there, stonework was moved into place, until the tomb was walled up and sealed. A simple plaque was affixed. It read:

"Quinn and Vikki. RIP."

Targonamey eyed the plaque for several moments. Then, pleased with his handiwork, he walked away, leaving the two to their final resting place. Their threat was removed, and they would trouble him no longer, along with their companions.

He had work to do.

27.08.12