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[Arcalian]

The next day they reached the foot of the tower. Steps of black marble climbed to high arched double doors, which were closed.

On either side of these great doors stood figures. The Halflings saw them as statues of some form of tallfolk they had never known. The others thought them merely statues, though the masked warrior and Laertya, each in their own way, found them frightening.

But they were not statues. They were skeletal warriors. None of the adventurers knew that. What with healing potions, clerical healing, and the vibrant nature of life in the world they knew, none of them had any idea what their own inner bone structures looked like. Not that they had never seen broken bones before; even Rolf had seen such. But none of them made the mental connection. There was no reason for them to.

"They look as though they were garbed for battle," the masked warrior said.

"Indeed, the weapons and armor they wear are clearly separate from the statues themselves," Laertya said thoughtfully.

The skeletal warriors continued staring straight ahead, motionless. The party had not attacked them nor tried to open the doors, so they had no reason to move. So they continued to stare out of their empty eye sockets at the world before them, giving no sign of their unlife.

Only Purple Sky had any indication something was wrong, and he had no appreciation of what it meant. He felt the "statues" were evil, but to him that was no surprise. The whole tower was evil.

The skeletal warrior on the left wore a horned helm, dirty leather armor, and wieleded a short sword and shield. The one of the right had a helmet with a single spike jutting from the top, wore even dirtier studded leather armor, and wielded an axe in one hand and a club in the other.

"Should we touch the statues?" Rolf said uncertainly, his voice small in his own ears.

"No, let's just open the doors," said Chup, hoping they weren't trapped. He reached out and pulled on the left-hand door handle.

Instantly the skeletal warriors were in motion, pivoting to face Chup and raising their weapons. Laertya, not in any way a weak-hearted woman, screamed in surprise. Chup almost dropped his weapon from the shock, but parried the first blow from the left hand skel. The masked warrior focused his surprise into more useful anger, and charged the other. He crashed into it full force, and was amazed when the impact knocked him down, hard. A blow that would've sent most anyone else flying merely rocked the skel back on it's bony heels a little.

Rolf came to Chup's aid, lunging forward desperately with his spear. Red Wind did the same for the masked warrior, shrieking a shrill halfing battle cry. Laertya and Purple Sky began casting spells.

Chup had never fought anything like this before. He was hurting it; it's cracked ribs from his sword blows attested to that. But it didnt seem to feel pain. He thought he might literally had to shatter the thing into fragments before it would fall. And despite it's strange bony nature, it could fight well. Twice it's short sword had bounced off his armor; it was only a matter of time before it found a weak spot.

For the first time since he had been a raw recruit, young as Rolf was now, Chup felt fear chilling his bones....