Mausoleum V

Mausoleum I (also known as Page 23: Evil Unmasked and Page 24: A Dark Shadow) is the fifth checkpoint in Mausoleum.
==Dialogue==
===Start===
Faust
: Having defeated the undead priests, Faust takes a deep breath, trying to relax, but there is still a strong sense of foreboding all around him. The eerie moaning grows louder, then stops as suddenly as it appeared.
???
: "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The tomb erupts in thunderous laughter. The odor that follows is so foul, it would make even the most pungent of skunks shriek in horror.
: "Have I, the great pharaoh who took on the mighty god Anubis... fallen so low that even mortals dare disturb me? I will tear you limb from limb and use your blood to anoint the foundation of my new kingdom!" The evil vapor once swirling around the tomb now coalesces into a specter that looms over the terrified Faust.
Manteca
: A gigantic winged manticore snarls at Faust, its eyes gleaming with menace... and hunger. This must be one of the pharaoh's avatars... thinks Faust. Good. This means I can finally kill it.
: "RoooAAARRR!!!" The beast lets forth an ear-splitting roar, summoning a shambling mob of bandaged miseries to advance on Faust. Faust smiles, knowing exactly what to do with them.
===Against <Ancient Sovereign> Nameless Pharaoh===
===Finish===
Faust
: "Phew! That was... rather intense." Faust struggles to catch his breath as the manticore lies twitching on ground. The deathly miasma starts to disperse—it seems Faust has begun to best the odoriferous obstacle.
: "Ha, well then... it seems I've kept my promise." It was certainly a lot of work, just to keep a promise to someone he barely knew and didn't particularly like. This makes him chuckle to himself. Unfortunately, the manticore isn't chuckling. It's attacking... again.
Manteca
: "ROAAAAARRRR!!" The manticore's giant mouth gapes open, about to swallow Faust whole. Caught unawares, Faust is frozen in front of the creature, looking all the way down its cavernous throat to... is that a sword? And an ax? Just who has this beast been eating?
Siegfried
: "Take THAT!" Siegfried appears out of nowhere, handily cleaving the Manticore in two. The earth heaves and the air churns, as if the tomb itself were in its death throes.
Faust
: "Ahh! Hey... wait!" Faust is still finding his balance as Siegfried turns to flee.
Siegfried
: "Well, what are you waiting for, traveler?! Are you hoping to metamorphose into a fleshy pancake?!" Siegfried yells to Faust, who is galvanized by this horrifying thought and gets his rear in gear.
: As the two tear through the entrance to the tomb, the whole structure collapses behind them like a house of cards... heavy, bone-crushing cards. All that remains once the dust settles is a pile of ruins, and the refreshing smell of clean air, free from deadly vapors and mummy breath.
Faust
: "Wh- look at that!" Siegfried cries out, and Faust turns to look where he's pointing. Floating just above the ground, almost invisible between the rays of the sinking sun, they see an astral body. It is dressed in gold, with an elaborate headdress—this must be the cursed pharaoh himself.
Manteca
: "Please accept my gratitude, noble traveler—you have released me after thousands of years of being cursed... My fear of death became an uncontrollable desire that transformed me into a monster... Thanks to you, I am free..."
Faust
: "Oh, no..." Faust is overwhelmed by intense sorrow. Is this what happens when one becomes consumed by a goal? If so, then he truly was a demon.
Manteca
: "Perhaps it is true that mortals also seek immortality. I sense that this is true of you, traveler. If this is your desire, go to the Volcanic Ruins and see what you can find. Perhaps your answer lies there." As the final ray of sunlight drops below the horizon, the specter of Manteca vanishes.
Faust
: Faust stares at the edge of the sky, lost in thought. The sun is below the horizon, turning everything a deep indigo, with Faust cloaked in deepening shadow.
==Navigation==
Category:Gaia Chronicle Checkpoints
Category:Mausoleum