Main Protagonist and the Current Working Title

Chapter One

Some people just don't listen.

When someone takes the time to booby-trap the hallway, weld the door shut, guard the entrance with an army of undead rubber chickens, and even put up a sign that says "Do Not Enter The Tomb of the Forbidden Idol," most people would take the hint. But not dungeon raiders. The only way they'd take a hint is if they thought they could sell it to the highest bidder.

Once the last undead chicken was un-killed and the door was clubbed open, it took exactly two minutes and forty-three seconds for them to ransack the inner sanctum of everything shiny and/or magic. If it was too heavy, they'd leave it for the looter squad to grab later. Otherwise, it went in a bag or on the cart. The raiders had this down to a science.

But distant rumbling, rushing winds and a dim illumination coming from the deepest tunnels caused the raiders to pause.

Explosions.

And they were getting closer.

Realizing what was happening, one of them shouted the time-tested war cry: "Everybody run!"

***

Three Hours Earlier...

Main Protagonist arrived at the dungeon entrance, hunting a rumor. It was the fifth rumor this month. With any luck, this would be the one that would finally pay off.

Outside the dungeon entrance, right on the outskirts of nowhere, the Emperor's dungeon raiders had built a temporary vault to house their loot. The vault was essentially a log cabin with thick double doors on one side, set in the middle of a clearing. A squad of 20 soldiers stood guard around the walls and entrance, spears and tower shields at the ready. More soldiers stood ready outside the dungeon entrance, just about 100 feet away. Main stayed out of sight, along a path just past the treeline.

Main took a deep breath. Logically, he knew that there was no reason to be nervous. His plan was good. It would work, or at least that was what he told himself. There was just something about trying to steal a valuable magical artifact from the Evil Emperor that made Main want to crawl into a corner and hide.

Psyching himself up, Main started walking toward the vault.

"Stop!" a voice called as soon as Main was in view.
Five soldiers surrounded Main, spears pointed inches away from his neck. All of the guards eyes were deep purple.

"No one is allowed inside," the lead guard said. His purple eyes had a glazed-over look, and the unemotional, matter-of-fact tone of his voice seemed to clash with the deadly serious weapon he was using to terrorize a 17-year old.

Main gulped. "I'm an official accountant, sent by the authority of the Emperor to inspect this operation," he said, barely keeping the tremor out of his voice.

The glazed-over look in the guards' eyes stayed unchanged. After a little while, the lead guard repeated, "No one is allowed inside."

Despite still being threatened, Main couldn't help but roll his eyes a little. Main understood that these men were being mind controlled, but at this point they were practically NPCs. "I have paperwork," he said.

That got the guards' attention.

"We obey the paperwork," the lead guard said.

Main fumbled in his bag for a moment and eventually pulled out an ornate scroll, sealed with wax. He handed it to the guard, who opened it. It had the Emperor's seal intricately inscribed in red and gold ink in the corner. There was a sketch inside, which the guard compared with Main's face.

The sketch matched, of course. Main had worked as an imperial accountant for nearly a year. Being employed by an evil dictator with a penchant for mind control had its downsides, but it paid the bills.