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May Episode: "Shadows of the Past"
Aun Tanua crept stealthily up the snowy hillock, careful that his movements did not reveal his presence to any who might be below. As he approached the crest of the hill, he dropped to his stomach and slowly inched forward the remainder of the way. Finally reaching the top, he surveyed the scene below him. Two man-sized figures stood flanking a glowing figure of light. From time to time, one of the guards would stretch in weariness, or cast a glance backwards at an ancient relic surrounded by a dim pool of its own light. The luminous, faceless Guardian never moved at all. After several minutes of observation, Aun Tanua crawled his way back down the hill until he was sure he was out of sight. Then, brushing off the dirt and snow, he stood and silently walked back to his waiting soldiers.
Aun Tanua's raiding party was small but elite. Two mixed squadrons of Tumeroks, Humans and Lugians, all loyal Knights of the Order of Dereth, waited patiently for their leader's report. Behind these fighters, eight massive golems lurked silently in the shadows. These would obey any command Aun Tanua gave them, even self-destruction, should that be his desire. And far to the rear of the small army stood an unimpressive man of very slight build. Reaching the bottom of the hill, Aun Tanua spoke in hushed tones to the assemblage.
"It is as I suspected, there is only a token guard around the Mine." The knights nodded their understanding. "Eldure," Aun Tanua said to a tall blond Knight standing on his left, "take your group and half the golems around the hillock to the east." He next addressed an imposing red-haired woman on his right. "Guthwyn, take the remainder and circle around to the west. We'll attack from both directions and wipe the fools out."
Both Knights nodded and made a single hand gesture. Behind them, the war party split evenly down the middle. As the Knights marched away in rhythm, followed by the rumbling Golems, Aun Tanua allowed himself a smile. He had not commanded the Knights of the Order for very long--in fact, he'd only been free of his accursed prison for a few weeks--but already he had restored a level of discipline and passion to the Order that had been lacking for some time. The Knights had been hungry for a strong leader.
Quietly, the small man who had lurked at the rear of the force stepped forward, inclining his head towards Aun Tanua. Aun Tanua regarded the man sternly.
"I hope your theory regarding these Mines proves true, Sir Akreg. It would be a shame to spill blood for nothing."
"I'm almost positive, Shi Tanua...."
Aun Tanua grimaced and cut him off abruptly. "I am no Shi half-breed. I am Aun. I have learned what befell my people after I was captured hundreds of years ago by the atua ngamaru and trapped in their timeless prison, but I take no pride in it. The treacherous Hea should not have been allowed to survive, much less interbreed with true-hearted Aun."
A tense silence passed between the two for a moment. Finally, Sir Akreg stuttered, "Ah, yes, my apologies, I meant no offense."
"I took no offense; I merely corrected your error. Please do not make it again."
Sir Akreg nodded vigorously, eager to change the subject. "Of course! Now, as I was saying, everything I've seen so far suggests that the Elder Mines are not mines at all. In fact, they are conduits to each Kingdom's primordial power sources. The Celestial Matter Mines draw their energy from the ethereal heavens, while the Energy Lattice Mines siphon power from portalspace itself. The Dark Metal Mines...well, perhaps their source of strength is best left unsaid...."
Aun Tanua suppressed a sigh of frustration. Scholars were such long-winded creatures! Instead, he spoke in measured tones, "I am sure your theories about the Elder Mines' power sources are fascinating to other scholars. Perhaps they will even convince Nalicana that the Kingdom Altars must be permanently stopped from leaking energy to our foes. But none of that matters now. I am currently interested in only one of your theories: that the power behind the Mines can be seized, bent to our will, and used against our enemies...."
Sensing Aun Tanua's frustration, Sir Akreg spoke quickly. "Yes, yes, now that the principles are understood, I can build a Celestial Well that will tap and control the Mine's energies. The Well will strengthen our soldiers, and then...."
Sir Akreg was interrupted once again, this time by a long, high-pitched scream from the other side of the hill. The scream lasted for several seconds before it was abruptly cut off. A series of three low, hooting bird calls followed, signaling that the Knights had disposed of their enemies.
Aun Tanua grinned humorlessly. "It would seem that our Knights were successful. Now that they have done their work, it is time for you to begin yours, is it not?"
Before Sir Akreg could respond, Aun Tanua was already sprinting around the hill to rejoin his troops. Sir Akreg puffed and wheezed as he tried to keep up. By the time Aun Tanua reached the site of the battle, the Knights had formed a loose circle around the mine. The mortal guards lay dead, slain in the first moments of the Order's attack. Within the ring of Knights was the glowing figure of the mine's Guardian, who once again stood by idly.
"How went the battle, Eldure?" Aun Tanua asked the tall Knight.
"They presented no challenge, sir," the Knight responded. "We slew the guards and conquered the Guardian without suffering any casualties. Of course, the new incarnation of the Guardian is aligned with us, but Cethen is about to permanently dispel it, as you commanded." Suddenly there was a blinding flash and an ear piercing wail, and the glowing figure dissipated in a cloud of ancient energies. "Ah, there, I believe he's done it."
Aun Tanua nodded. He moved to examine one of the corpses, a Tumerok clad in the rich purple of the Dominion. He stooped down, examining the brutal wounds on the corpse, and shook his head, whispering, "See what your loyalty to the atua ngamaru has wrought, fool?"
Raising himself up, Aun Tanua spoke loudly, "You have all done good work here. This night will long be remembered as a triumph for the Order. Each of you is a credit to our cause." The Knights made no response, but Aun Tanua saw pride and satisfaction on every face.
Then, turning attention to Sir Akreg, he commanded, "Begin casting whatever enchantments you need to tap this Mine's power and construct your 'Celestial Well.' Guthwyn, order the Golems to begin reinforcing this position. This Mine belongs to the Order of Dereth...now, and forever more."