"Take the next three steps with me," whispered a tiny voice in her ear. 

Murphy jumped to her feet. 

"Ready... one, two, three!" 

She stepped forward barefoot and blind into absolute darkness. Her body lifted off the ground and began flying through the air at an incredible speed. The sound of blades launching off the walls as she whizzed past froze her with terror. She turned in flight and angled up the next stairwell. Her body rounded corners until she saw the faint light of the hole in the back of the mausoleum where they had entered the tomb. Her feet touched the ground and she ran through the crypt and out into the daylight. 

She leaned over breathing hard with hands on her knees. She had nothing but a coarse wool shirt and shabby pair of underwear. She surveyed the field and walked over to the smallest of Kulju's bodyguards. His chest plate was smashed as well as his helmet but his pants and boots looked ok. She removed his leg armor and pulled off his boots, socks, and pants.

The pants were roomy but fit well enough. She secured them with his belt and tossed his curved dagger in the dirt. The boots were too big so she stuffed his socks into the toes and pulled them on. His sword was well crafted but had a huge dent in the blade where she had swatted it away with her war hammer. 

"I'll miss you, Lord John," she said to the blade spinning it around. 

The earth began to rumble. A puff of dust shot out of the mausoleum archway and then was sucked back in. The water must have been receding. The ground under her feet felt unstable and she ran as best she could in the oversized boots toward the woods at the edge of the meadow. She turned around before entering the woods to watch the old stone structure collapse into rumble sealing the Lich's tomb once again. 

A mosquito buzzed about her ear and she swatted it away. Narrowing her eyes, she was about to slice it out of the air when a small red-winged thrush swooped down and swallowed it. The bird flew into the woods down the path she was about to take. 

"Thank you. Please eat as many as you like." 

An hour or so down the trail, she felt as hungry as she was thirsty. She saw the bird again. It landed on a branch to the side of the path and cocked its head at her. Dusk was rapidly approaching and as she looked at the bird she noticed the pointed top of a turret above the trees. She'd come this way that morning and didn't notice any buildings. There was no side path leading off the main route through the woods. The bird flew off in the direction of the tower. 

Murphy left the trail and followed the bird. It kept flying ahead and stopping on branches. At several spots, she hacked through the undergrowth just to keep up. The bird flew up and out of the forest and she saw the structure. 

It was a single freestanding stone tower; three stories tall with a thick wooden door, a pointed tiled roof, and four small windows at the top. Vines of the forest had wrapped themselves around its base and the trees grew right up to its edge like it had been there for hundreds of years. The tower itself was in good condition considering there was no sign of it being used anywhere about it. 

She pushed aside branches and shoved open the door. The spotlessly clean room inside was empty with elaborate golden runes etched into the floor. Narrow stone steps opposite the entry led up. She closed and bolted the door. 

The second floor was all runes as well but unlike the bottom floor which was one big design, this level was covered in smaller geometric configurations of myriad colors and materials. Stepping carefully between the runes, she crossed and went up to the top.

The setting sun flooded through two windows into a sitting room with two comfortable chairs and a small table between. Behind the chairs was a wall with two doors dividing the space. Sitting in the chair to the left flipping through Kulju's spellbook was Melock. 

"You're alive!" Murphy smiled with delight.

Melock closed the book and set it on the table. 

"A bleak read, anyways. Yes, of course, so sorry to have left you but so glad you made it out. It was a right bit of a challenge for me, actually," said Melock with a flush of embarrassment. 

"How did you? What?" 

"It's a long convoluted story but I found out the hard way that you can't teleport out of the Lich's tomb. We should be safe here tonight, her spirit has no reach beyond the diamond walls of her burial chamber." 

Melock stood and Murphy ran up as if to hug him, then stopped and smiled down at him. He was only slightly shorter than her. He grinned with a sparkle in his old eyes.

"You must be hungry and tired. I took the liberty of making up the guest room." He gestured to the door on the right. "I have quite a bit of work to do this evening, so if you won't mind staying in your room and knocking before you come into mine." 

He opened the door to the guest room and the smell of roasted turkey hit her in the face like a slap. 

"Oh, ok." 

Murphy looked in to see a bedroom that couldn't possibly fit in the tower. She walked through the door in disbelief. There was a king-sized bed, a brass tub filled with steaming water, a crackling fire in the fireplace, and a table set with a freshly prepared feast. 

"Until the morning then?" said Melock. 

"Thank you, it looks marvelous," she said.

"Thank you. I should not have retrieved the dagger without you. I bid you good night." 

"Good night," she said as he closed the door and left. 

Murphy went to the table, grabbed the pitcher of water, and chugged half of it. She tore off a steaming fat turkey leg and took it into the tub with her. On a chair next to the tub was a white silk nightshirt and fine pair of cotton breeches. She got in the bath and submerged her head. 

Morning found her rested and curled in luxurious furs. She walked to the window to look at the sunrise. Outside there were no trees, no forest, just grassland as far as she could see. A great herd of elk grazed in the distance as the sun rose over the savanna. 

Turning, she noticed the table was again set, this time with a wonderful breakfast. On the chair was a fine pair of knee-high boots, hide riding pants, and a matching jacket. Murphy put on her perfectly fitted new clothes, wolfed down her breakfast, and went to knock on Melock's door.

When she knocked, no one answered, so she tried again louder. She waited and knocked again. Waited ten more seconds and reached for the handle. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Melock from behind her.

He came walking up the stairs holding a set of iron forearm bracers. 

"No trouble at all. Thank you for the shelter and fine clothing. I haven't worn such shoes since I was married. And the food..." 

Her face beamed with gratitude. 

"I'm afraid I'm not much for weaponry or armor, but I'd like you to have these. And since we are here, I'd like to invite you to join me on a quick visit to Sid's place." 

He handed her the armguards. 

"They should fit nicely over your jacket. Now, if you're ready, we'll be going." 

He pointed out the sitting room windows. Across a vast landscape stood a massive citadel with towers rising out of the planes. 

"The great Western Kingdom. I like to port directly into Sid's tower. It saves us the trouble of travel, town guards, questions, audiences with the King, etc., etc." 

"How did we get here?" 

"Well, this is my portable tower. It's very handy. Follow me."

Melock led her down to the center floor, directed her to stand on a yellowish rune, and zap. Murphy's skin chilled and her hairs stood on end. It was as if she closed her eyes and opened them only to find herself in a slightly different room filled with runes. She looked down at her feet and was standing on the same design as before. 

"Who's your friend?" asked a robust portly man sitting on the stairs. 

Melock rushed forward taking the man's hand in his and pulling him from his seat. 

"Luculentus Dicax Sid meet Sister John Murphy." 

Sid was a chubby round-faced pleasant fellow; grandfatherly in appearance with messy unkempt gray hair and a full white beard of many years growth. He smiled with thick full lips and extended a plump hand with short stubby fingers. 

"The pleasure is mine. Conqueror of the Varan Lich's tomb and thwarter of the evil warlock Kulju. Your reputation proceeds you," said Sid. 

Murphy shook his warm soft hand.

"Melock seems to think Kulju will return again. This is the second time I've killed him." 

Sid let out a jolly laugh, took her by the arm, and led them both upstairs.