H13 Curse of the Ancient Tomb

Book Cover

**Curse of the Ancient Tomb**, the 13th book in the The Golden Age of Adventures series was published in March 2017. It is the English language edition of the original Chinese comic, **守墓狼群**, which was published in November 2015.

## Sypnosis

AIMING FOR THE TOP! SEARCH FOR THE TOMB OF PYRAMIDS!

Alex and Lulu return to Egypt search of adventure! But the first thing they do is crash into Amon’s tavern! To pay for the damage, Alex accepts a mission from the Adventurer, job postings. What awaits our two young Adventurers amidst the shifting sands?

## Cast

* Aina
* Alex
* Ali
* Amon
* Bobby
* Curator
* Karashi
* Lulu
* Safiya
* Samara
* Wolfskull

## Plot

***Spoiler warning!** Plot and/or ending details follow.*

### Chapter 1: Back in Egypt

At the Museum of Cairo, the curator of the museum praises Wolfskull for retrieving the Treasure of the Serpent Pyramid. Wolfskull solves the puzzle which opens the chest. Inside, a sceptre is revealed which emits a strange light and curses them. The people in the room become semi-transparent and unconscious.

The scene cuts to Samara, who is talking to her mother, Safiya, about getting an Adventurer's License. Her parents put up a job advertisement seeking for Adventurers to help the people who have been cursed. This leads to a conversation where they discuss the current absence of Adventurers in their tavern, due to the restrictions set on Adventurers after the Akhator War.

A plane crashes into the tavern, and Safiya readies herself to beat up the people in the plane. In the wreckage, they can see two people arguing. It turns out to be Alex and Lulu. Safiya uses all her might to punch Alex in the face. She demands to know how they will compensate for rebuilding the tavern. However, Alex does not have any treasures to give and she proceeds to elegantly pummel him headfirst into the ground. Meanwhile, next to them, Samara demands to know why Alex and Lulu left without saying goodbye, especially after all they have been through. To avoid the question, Lulu transforms into a cat. Samara gets annoyed. Both mother and daughter are then viewed beating Alex and Lulu up together by a bemused Amon and Ali.

Amon then realises that Alex can compensate the cost for rebuilding the tavern by investigating the curse at the museum. While he tells Alex this, a mysterious figure is seen to be standing outside the tavern listening.

### Chapter 2: Questions and Answers

Back in the Museum of Cairo, Alex, Lulu and Samara observe the semi-transparent, unconscious body that is Wolfskull. Details of the curse and its circumstances are given to them to assist them. The mysterious figure from before then enters the room. He introduces himself enthusiastically as Bobby.

Bobby mentions that the Serpent Pyramid has sunk into the Tomb of Pyramids, having personally seen it sink three days prior. This leads to a discussion over how they are to travel to the Tomb of Pyramids. Amon reveals that he knows someone who has been there, who lives at Quicksand Lake.

At Quicksand Lake, an old man fishes a scorpion out from the depths of the sand. In the distance, he spies the gang arriving to disturb his peaceful fishing. The old man is Karashi. At their enquiries about the Tomb of Pyramids, he leads them to his hanger, where he reveals to them a magnificent self-made desert drill, which he used to reach the Tomb two decades before, to find his wife. Unfortunately, he was hindered by a pack of Tomb Guardians. He reveals his entire backstory, the premise of which three decades ago his wife was pulled back into the pyramid that they were trying to escape. In his resultant search for her, he went to the Tomb of Pyramids, but was left severely injured and paralyzed by a pack of Tomb Guardians. He informs them that the location of the Tomb of Pyramids is below Quicksand Lake.

### Chapter 3: Attack of the Arthropods

Since his only wish is to save Aina, his wife, he refuses to take them into the Tomb of the Pyramids unless he is brought along with them. Alex agrees. However, the drill can only contain up to four people, and they are forced to leave a reluctant Samara and Amon behind. In two hours' time, they are prepared to dive into Quicksand Lake. They are assaulted on the way by giant scorpions, which they swiftly deal with. But, they immediately run into an even greater obstacle: The King of the Quicksand — the Pyramid Hermit.

It shoots forth an enormous pincer and grabs hold of their drill. Bobby demands to confront the enemy and is gifted a drill bomb by Alex. The bomb however only blows away a small portion of the Pyramid Hermit's shell, revealing flesh. At this, Bobby utilises his skills to perform an acupuncture stab that results in the drill being released. Unfortunately, he is then assaulted by the giant scorpions again outside the drill. His friends are unable to assist him without injuring him, and the Pyramid Hermit violently knocks against the drill with its pincer.

### Chapter 4: Touch Down

The motor of the drill has been damaged. Bobby's rope has been snapped by the giant scorpion. Alex demands that Karashi turn around for Bobby, but with the motor and the steering mechanism damaged, they are unable to do so. They do not know of Bobby's whereabouts either, due to the Pyramid Hermit disrupting their sonar waves. Despite these circumstances, Alex and Lulu are ready to jump out of the drill to find him. Karashi locks the drill in order to stop them from doing so. He fears that if they both die, he, a cripple, would be left alone and unable to complete the mission.

Alex, understanding this, backs down. They deploy the parachute as they emerge out from the quicksand into the vast Tomb of Pyramids. As they leave the drill, with Lulu carrying a seat on her back for Karashi, they immediately hide. Tomb Guardians have appeared before them for the very first time.

Tomb Guardians sniff their footprints that they left on the ground, and picks up their scent. Alex warns that they have to escape. However, Lulu accidentally makes a noise. The Tomb Guardians discover them.

Alex and Lulu prepare to fight, but Karashi tells them to run instead as they will eventually be outmatched when more Tomb Guardians come.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice comes out from the depths of a conveniently placed hole behind them and agrees with Karashi. It tells them to get in. Alex and Lulu are wary, but have no choice as Tomb Guardians race towards them with weapons drawn. When the Tomb Guardians arrive at the hole, there is no trace of the trio to be seen.

The trio slides down a steep slope and land in rotten mud mixed with decaying matter. Here, they meet the mysterious voice who turns out to be Wolfskull. He has been reduced to only his floating skull, engulfed in blue flames. Explaining now that he and the other victims are now just spirits, he also reveals they have been sent here to be tried. However, the rest of the victims have been captured by the tomb guardians, and he is the only one that remains.

In another part of the Tomb of Pyramids, Bobby lands on the ground. He stares at the distant pyramids and the streams of sand raining from the ceiling. He notes that the others should have arrived by now.

### Chapter 5: Hide and Sneak

The souls are trapped inside a spherical, spiked cage, which is hanging just above a pit of Soul Eaters. Wolfskull explains that if he gets caught, all the souls will have been captured and thus the cage will open and the souls will be devoured by the Soul Eaters. The pit is full of Tomb Guardians guarding the pit, so instead of entering the pit and rescuing the trapped souls, the group chooses to return the chest to the Serpent's Pyramid instead. It cuts to Bobby standing in front of a large puzzle and wondering what is behind the door before him. Then, he notices a pack of Tomb Guardians behind him.

The scene is brought back to the group, where there is a giant canyon, which was once a river, separating the group and the Serpent Pyramid. They discuss different options of crossing the canyon, until they discover that there is a shipwreck on their side, and Alex gets an idea of how to get across the canyon. Meanwhile, Karashi is using a pair of binoculars to observe one of the Tomb Guardians on the opposite side, who looks suspiciously like Aina. Alex explains the details of his plan to Wolfskull and Lulu. They get to work building a boat and a giant crossbow that will shoot them across the canyon.

Once preparations are complete, Alex passes Lulu a time bomb, which she sets off far from the group to distract the Tomb Guardians' attention from them. As the bomb goes off, they cut the string of the crossbow and launch across the canyon. A mechanism at the side of the boat unfolds to form wings to help them glide further. Karashi is still watching the same Tomb Guardian and suddenly starts to holler her name, drawing all of the Tomb Guardians' attentions to them. The rest of the group try futilely to calm Karashi down, unsure of the reason for his outburst, but then he shouts that Tomb Guardian is Aina. In an attempt to calm him down, Alex says it may be a conincidence, but Wolfskull affirms that it is definitely Aina, who had been cursed to become a Tomb Guardian.

### Chapter 6: The Serpent Pyramid

The doors to the puzzle that Bobby was looking at are open up to reveal him standing amidst bloody bodies of Tomb Guardians. He looks up at a map of the entire Tomb of Pyramids and then suddenly hears shouting. Meanwhile, on the boat which is still gliding through the air, Wolfskull is explaining how the origin of Tomb Guardians. All the while Karashi screams Aina's name non-stop as they crash land. Alex gets annoyed and knocks him out. They throw him into the stone chair that Lulu is carrying. The group then makes a speedy escape into the Serpent's Pyramid, only to find that the entrance to the treasure chamber is blocked. Before they can think of a proper plan to get through, someone throws a spear at them. A Tomb Guardian runs at them and they begin to fight the enormous creature. The floor gives way and they all fall through. Lulu knocks out the Tomb Guardian by landing on its head.

The group finds themselves in a unknown location where they need to solve a puzzle to advance. Karashi wakes up in a panic, demanding that they go save Aina from the Tomb Guardians. Alex reassures him by telling him that she will not be hurt as she has been cursed to be one of them, and after they complete their mission they will find her and break her curse. Karashi reluctantly agrees.

They solve the puzzle and proceed. Unfortunately, there's an explosion overhead, and Wolfskull is suddenly captured in a net. Many Tomb Guardians jump down and surround the net. Aina, who was one of the group, attacks Lulu, who blocks her with her sword. Karashi screams Aina's name again.

### Chapter 7: Return

At the pit, the spherical, spiked cage begins to lower. The souls inside get worried, suspecting that Wolfskull has been captured. It cuts to Alex and Lulu desperately trying to save Wolfskull from the net, but he tells them to return the treasure chest to its original place, as is the only way to save him now. Using Alex's insect repellent as a smoke bomb to deter the Tomb Guardians, they make their escape towards the treasure room.

They find the treasure room in ruins and spot a sarcophagus amongst the rubble. However, before they can do anything, a Tomb Guardian launches itself at Karashi, but Lulu spins around to protect him. She gets bitten by the Tomb Guardian. Alex screams her name and kicks the Tomb Guardian off her, taking out a bandage in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

The Tomb Guardian emerges from the rubble and starts whimpering. Before the group's shocked eyes, it morphs back into a human. Lulu questions if it was due to Alex's kick, but Alex guesses that it is due to her blood, as she previously drank Holy Water in an attempt to break her curse. He suspects her blood now has the ability to break other curses as well.

Lulu detects more Tomb Guardians arriving, and Alex tosses the treasure chest to Karashi, telling him to return the chest while he and Lulu hold the Tomb Guardians off. Karashi is catapulted in his chair by Lulu towards the sarcophagus. After a bumpy landing, he returns the chest. A huge blinding beam of light fulminates from the sarcophagus, erupting through the top of the pyramid. In a glowing flash, Wolfskull and the other souls fly away to return to their bodies.

Suddenly, Aina's figure towers over Karashi and prepares to end his life. From a distance away, Alex sees him, but this distracts him and a Tomb Guardian attacks him from behind. He is saved by Lulu's transformed form who shouts at him to watch his back and kicks it in the neck. Alex then retorts in kind as he saves her with his IBYon Cells from being stabbed in the neck by another Tomb Guardian. While pushing away the other Tomb Guardians, he throws his rope which is charged with electricity at Aina but it is intercepted by a Tomb Guardian. Karashi accepts that he can't bring her home and readies himself to die in the Tomb of Pyramids with her.

However, just before she can kill him, she is knocked out by Bobby. He apologises for being late. Alex shouts in joy while Lulu and Karashi watch stunned. Grinning, Alex readies a flash bomb and shouts for them to shut their eyes.

### Chapter 8: Blood

The flash bomb is triggered and it blinds all the Tomb Guardians. The group makes a hasty escape, along with Aina's unconscious body. Bobby reveals that he knows another way back to the surface. They slide down a cliff and find a device that will take them back to the surface. As Tomb Guardians approach from above on all sides, Alex solves the puzzle on the device, and they are launched in the bud-like device to the surface. Luckily the device is able to float on Quicksand Lake, and they surface from the Tomb of Pyramids.

Aina wakes up. Lulu slits her hand and drips some of her blood into Aina's mouth. She turns back into a half-human half-wolf. For a brief second she recognises Karashi, but then becomes aggressive again. Bobby offers to hit her pressure points to calm her down while Alex and Lulu discuss the reason for Aina's inability to fully transform back into a human. Lulu wishes she could give Aina more blood, but Alex discourages her from doing so as he does not want her to lose too much blood.

They hear a chopper and look up to see Wolfskull is back in his body and is flying towards them in a helicopter. The scene ends with Alex and Lulu rejoicing and the rest of the group calmly watching the chopper arrive and unfurl a ladder for them, while Bobby is seen holding two vials of blood behind his back, hidden away from the rest of the group.