A crown or two... maybe something deeper?

Herital gazed thoughtfully into the thick trees of the island they had arrived at without blinking and grinned thinking to herself Has it really been that long...? before turning her head to look at her newest puzzle and source of interest. "Shall we go and discover what there is to find?" The sound of waves breaking was really the only thing that could be heard other than her voice.

Nebun stands a little ways back, looking at the ancient structure "Very well, I'm eager to see the effects of this crown for myself." He strides several yards ahead, headless of any traps. After all, regardless of what there was, he would likely still be fine.

Herital shifts herself quickly and shakes her body before padding forward following Nebun closely "Remember this tool is a pair and must be treated as such." The trees seemed to have left a large section around the structure. Three stories tall and foreboding "Man this place brings back some memories so old... It makes me smile at how this place changed and I have not."

As Nebun continued further in he called back "when were you here last?" As he walked darts shot out of the walls but passed straight through Nebun like smoke. He wondered what sort of civilization even made this place. The architecture was strange...angled.

"Hmm..." she said as she fluttered her wings "maybe three hundred years or so ago." Looking about the place her mind is flooded with images of people, festivities, and blood. "You know... we really don't have to deal with all these annoying traps... I do have their locations and mechanisms in my head."

Nebun stopped. The traps didn't hurt him, but they were annoying. "Fine, you lead, I'll follow."
As long as the crown would be his, he cared about nothing else. As far as increasing his power goes, his options were rather limited now.

Herital pads forth avoiding the pressure triggers walking almost zigzaged along the flagstones "Hmm... now... is it up or down." She mutters as they come to a divide in way. After musing for a few seconds she stalks down the left hand path which inclined downward. "So... Nebun tell me about yourself."

Nebun followed with a pause, taken aback by her question "I've never made a habit of talking about myself, but I suppose if I did, I would describe myself as a...well, a philosophical sort of person." He ducks under a log, part of some derelict trap "I appreciate deeper thinking when possible. Art, literature, that sort of thing."

Herital chuckles a bit before saying "You really believe that... or is that what you wish you were?" She taps a paw on the nearby wall causing a spout of fire to come from the ceiling in front of us "No avoiding that trigger... triple redundant..."

"I'm not sure I follow." He skirts the fire as best as he can "I am and have been engaged in philosophy and art for many years when I'm not killing people, so I am doubtless the person I just said I was." He waits for her on the other side of the flame "Unless your just trying to prompt some kind of deeper thinking."

"If you truly think that you are this way... then what exactly is your philosophy... or do you just enjoy the endless debate?" She says as the flames cease following and then passing Nebun following the paths that lead inevitably downward. "Also... whether you think any further than that is up to you not me and if you think your surface answer is what I wanted to hear then we can leave it at that."

Nebun lets her take the lead again before speaking "Yes to both really. My philosophy is rather basic and fundamental, but it has many applications. Social Darwinism, dear: Only the strongest are worth living. Difference is, I take it a step further than most; I say that the weak aren't worth anything, just meat. An energy source for those above them." There was a bit of a drop as ancient wethered steps went down into the dark. He lowers himself down and awaits herital "Well the discussion of philosophy is hardly surface-level I should think." He says, responding to her second statement.

"Very true... however your answer doesn't necessarily give me what I asked for now does it." Her grin as wide and sly as she pads down the stairs "It's going to get rather hot eventually... so do be prepared for it." Herital stretches her spine a bit before starting her pace again "Also I have something similar in my belief system... only the smart live on to tell tales the rest fall to the way-side and wither away."

"You know, I actually know someone who is probably around your age." He says, thinking of a certain flirtatious weapon "You remind me of him, though only in the fact that you both puzzle me." He begins to feel beads of perspiration form on his fore-head "Neither of you really seem to fit in that food-chain type mind-set. Your both just kind of there."

Herital scoffs a little before replying "How old exactly do you think I am dear?" as she pads ever further down into what now could only be described as cave like "You don't mind a few golems right? There are... let's see four or five of them down here." Flicking her tail about rapidly before continuing "Also I shall take great pride in knowing that I am the cause of some thoughts in your head that puzzle you."

Nebun smiles "Anywhere from the 400 to 500 year range most likely." At the mention of golems Nebun only shrugs "I can handle those."

"You know... it is rather rude to speculate on a ladies age dear however did you get to such a conclusion?" She says as the final hall comes to a dead end. "an I hope you can... for they won't attack me... only you dear."

Nebun pulls up sharply because that doesn't sound suspicious at all... "why won't they attack you?" He asks, rather sternly. Things that had a specific target tended to sound like a trap to him...

Herital giggles a bit as her tail flicks about and replies "They won't attack me because they were instructed not to... I was around when they where built dear nothing to get so riled about..." her cheshire grin showing her teeth "but... I never had the authority to command them."

Nebun only sighs, exasperated with the sphinx, before continuing on downward into the darkness, waiting for one of them to strike so he could have done with it.

Herital carefully padded behind Nebun as they reached a cavern that poured heat out and a faint red glow was held "3..." she started as she stretched herself out to lay down just behind Nebun but with a great view of the chamber "2..." she said with a mild yawn as she rested her head on her paws "1..." as a large cracking, crashing sound could be heard.

Nebun strides confidently to the center of the room "get on with it!" He shouts, waiting for danger.

Three golems stood around an altar that held a black crown. These golems where made of stone and stood ten feet tall each and they had lava seeping from where their mouths and eyes should be and gave off enormous heat. While at the end of the room a few yards away from this gathering stood two sixteen feet golems that had veins of magma over their bodies and pools of it at their feet. "Careful dear... they're rather nasty." Herital says as the smaller golems vomit lava at Nebun.

Nebun stands in place, raising his arms wide in opposing directions like a statue, smirking while he does so. A deep rumbling reverberates through the room before two enormous black blood tendrils explode from the walls. Each was about 4 feet thick, tapering into thin points. He launches them forward, in a lightning fast bid to skewer the lot of them.

The golems nigh exploded as the force of the tendrils impales them launching magma throughout the entire chamber in all directions. The projected lava the golems had spewed out however was already on its course at Nebun him standing still as he did allowed to get close practically on him already. The heat in the room increased ten fold now that the lava was free from he stony confines of the constructs. The whole while Herital was slicking her tail and tsking "My oh my."