Starry-Eyed

She put on her gauntlets. Then, carefully, testing its hold, she pushed on the lid of the ancient stone chest.

It opened with some resistance. There, just as her sources had specified. A cat made of silver about the length of her hand, star-rubies for eyes. The lid seized halfway up and now she forced it, sending a shower of dirt and plant material as it fell off, exposing her prize to light for the first time in an age.

She hesitated a moment, fidgeting with her gauntlets, adjusting the fit. It was just nerves--this would have no effect when she picked it up. Taking a breath, she steeled herself, and touched the idol.

There came a faint rumble. Then a blast of otherworldly light. Then something in reality churned.

She kept her grip but her knees struck earth as there came a great grinding sound, like a voice from between the molecules of the world. It reverberated in her teeth and the idol shook and torqued as if to free itself--but she locked it tight between her palms and ducked her head, bracing. The rumble of the floor rattled her bones, sending showers of dust from the ancient walls and then came the screech of something, stone on stone and some being moved to deathly rage. For an instant the world seemed thin as paper and she could see the swirling abyss that lay ever just beneath, yawning open to claim her as a thousand years of a single ever-intensified death curse launched itself at her human flesh--

Then fizzled out with a faint pop.

She smiled. Good wards would do that, especially against older magics. Ever cautious not to let it touch anything but her hands, she very carefully dropped her pack off one shoulder, and sealed the idol inside. There was someone back in her city state who had no idea about good wards.

This would be on his doorstep first thing in the morning.