On the outskirts of Wistvale there is a tomb set into a hillside, once owned by a rich wizard. The door had been magically sealed from the inside, an impenetrable door adorned with a dozen locks. For nearly a century it laid shut tight, no more than a novelty to the townsfolk.
But then it opened. One night it simply opened by itself, leading to a long, metal stairway that descended into the ground. Police were stationed at the door to prevent anyone from going in, and the call went out for a skilled mage to go in and, with the promise of whatever artifacts they could loot from the tomb, find out what the dead wizard had left behind...
Zane was relaxing in the park one day when he heard a crier announce that they were looking for skilled mages to traverse the tomb of a long-dead wizard. He looked up, and listened intently, muttering to himself softly
"Huh. This could be a big break... All alone in a tomb? I can use my magic without others knowing what I am..."
He stands and walks across town to where the crier had said the tomb lay, and found the guards there.
"Hello good sirs, I heard that you were looking for a skilled mage to traverse this tomb. I would be quite interested. After all, it's just a matter of: Entering the tomb, looking around a bit, then something will happen (not sure what), followed by a likely profit! So, that all being said, may I enter?"
Zane smiles widely at the men, and awaits their thoughts on the matter.
She had been trying to tidy up her porch, if you could call it that, when Serenity heard the call for a skilled mage to investigate some grave. Expecting to take care of some ghoul or other, she decided to go and see if she couldn't earn some easy money for taking care of a silly superstition.
Being a little more than surprised at the sight of an ancient tomb, she began to wonder if this was even worth looking into. The mage was no adventurer, and so far the clothes on her back were the only ones she had that were clean.
However the prospect of encountering hidden treasure to sell was to much to pass on. She needed the money, and desperately wanted to find a more suitable home.
Or at least get a ticket out of a better town.
Since living in Wistvale, the idea of another mage living there didn't really cross her mind, or at least a very good one. She took notice of the blonde man talking to the officers around the tomb, and concluded that he looked skilled, or at least looked it.
She smiled to herself and mentally slapped her wrist, reminding herself that she should know better by now.
Walking up to Zane, she introduced herself in a polite, straightforward manner, "Hello, are you here for the job as well? My name is Serenity, I hope we can work well together," she held out a hand for Zane to shake.
Turning around, slightly startled at the appearance of the beautiful woman, Zane manages to collect himself and take her hand. Instead of shaking it however, he takes it and touches it to his lips.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, madam. And I apologize for my action there, I simply couldn't help myself."
He then shakes her hand as he would any other's, grinning all the while. He then releases her hand, and turns to the guards and addresses them in a serious manner.
"Well, gentlemen, it seems that the potential of this group is now even greater, a this lady no doubt have more talent then I. So what is there to stop us from entering, and trying our hand at some exploration?"
The men rolled their eyes, thinking this an excuse for two mages to have some alone time rather than actually do anything useful, but they figured it couldn't hurt. They stepped aside.
Alright, if you say so. We're not going in if anything goes wrong now.
Of all the graveyards in all the towns in all the world, she had to walk into mine.
Serenity was a little taken back by the man's sudden gesture, but allowed him to do so without a fuss from her. She wasn't expecting such manners, or daring from the man whom she admitted to herself was quite charming.
Giggling a little she responded, "You flatter me ser, or do you lay your mark on every hand that greets you?"
When the men stepped aside she looked to one of them, "I don't suppose any of you gentlemen have a torch? It must be quite dark down there."
Do I have to give you adventurers everything? You people are supposed to be well-equipped. He begrudgingly gave Serenity a bundle of four shoddy torches and a match.
Of all the graveyards in all the towns in all the world, she had to walk into mine.
"Of course not. If I did, then my lips might fall off from being worked too hard. At any rate, my name is Zane Delacroix. It appears that we will be working together, so we might as well get introduced. I am a doctor by trade, though I know a fair amount of healing magic, I'm much more versed in the mundane forms of healing. I have other magic abilities, but I would prefer to keep them to myself unless I have to use them."
He then grinned as disarmingly as possible, and nodded to her, and then motioned towards the door.
"What about yourself, madam? Also, would you rather I be in front, or should I be a gentleman and allow the lady to go first?"
"You are quite the gentleman," she said smiling, "Good to know that one exists in this town."
She didn't raise an eyebrow when he suggested that he knew some illegal magic, or at least she assumed so. They were very strict about that sort of thing at her academy, as they should be, yet it always bordered mass paranoia whenever illegal magic was brought up in lectures.
"A doctor? I'm impressed and delighted to have you join me, I didn't see many doctors in town when I first arrived. My specialty lies with wind magic ,"
She paused for a moment and had an idea, "And another that I won't share either." she winked. She said that now, but had actually intended to show Zane in a moment.
Before taking the things off the soldier, Serenity chilled the air around her to the point that it became noticeable to the guard.
"Thank you for your kindness, " she smiled and then proceeded to take the items.
She put away one of the torches and then turned to Zane, "Would you mind taking these two? I don't have much room to carry them in."
She would hand them over and then light the one she had left with the only good match she received, and use her lit torch to light Zane's.
Zane smiled and took the torches without a complaint. Noticing the slight chill in the air, he decided to hold his lit torch a bit closer, to fight it off.
"Hmm... why do I have a feeling that this little talent has something to do with ice?" he mused silently to himself.
Shaking his head, and deciding that it didn't much matter, he followed Serenity down the hole, and into the tomb
The hallway went down for a long time, about ten or so minutes. After a while it opened into into a large room. It was also metal, and the walls were lined with magical artifacts and chemistry equipment. All of it was rusted and broken, and nothing in here looked valuable. In the center of the room was a metal post, labeled "Master Control." On either side of the post was a lever that looked like it was to be pulled down.
Of all the graveyards in all the towns in all the world, she had to walk into mine.
Zane steps out from behind Serenity and walks around the room, looking about his as he goes. Finally, after making a full circuit, his eyes settle on the post and he sees the levers
"Well, this room seems to be filled with mostly useless things... but that post is interesting. Of course, knowing the way these things work, I wouldn't be surprised if pulling the levers let out some sort of monster or dropped us down a hole... But it seems to be the only way forwards... So what do you say? Shall we give it a go?"
She watched as Zane went around the room examining the various things that she saw at a distance and paid no mind to. Like Zane, though, she took an interest in the pole which seemed to be part of a mechanism,
"You've read to many adventure stories doctor," she laughed a little, "You don't really think a monster could survive in a sealed tomb do you?"
Serenity walked over to the post and put a hand on one of the levers, "I'm ready when you are!"
With that said, she pulled the lever down along with Zane.