Secrets revealed...

The old ashik looks up from the fire, whose depths he had been staring into, and briefly watched the two brothers sat opposite him. They had the rugged look of people who spent their days under the burning sun and their nights huddled in the cold under the twin moons. They shared the similarity of appearance that siblings do, but they also shared the burning light of intelligence in their deep set eyes and the clear will to hear his story through to its end. The old man coughed to clear the dust from his throat and continued his tale.

As the group of freed slaves moved, what they hoped was, Northwest across the desert the air became still and the night itself became silent. It was as if all of the insects and small creatures of the desert had decided to seek shelter, and that is exactly what had happened, for not long after the group of friends had noticed this that they spotted a darkness that stretched across the horizon as far as the eye could see. They had seen this once before, the night of the sandstorm when they had sought shelter in the outer domes of the hive, but here they were caught out in the open and the only option was for them to dig into the sand and cover themselves with their robes.

And there they stayed for far longer than they had expected. By dawn on the second day they agreed that they needed to move, the storm had dropped slightly and visibility had lifted to at least a hundred yards. The group roped themselves together and moved slowly onwards using the blurred outline of the sun to try and navigate in the right direction. It was like moving through a dream, all sound was lost to the howling wind and with such low visibility it was a world of shadows that the freed slaves slogged through. In the middle of the day Kank heard the sound of a large predatory roar and quickly calls a halt to the group, as they hunkered down they could see the outline of a giant beast moving across their path.

It seemed like the seconds stretched into hours as they crouched silently in the storm waiting for the giant shadow to be long gone, but eventually it was and the group moved on once more. Just before the sun set below the horizon, or so the group assumed as they could not see it through the sandstorm, they stumbled upon an irregular circle of rocks jutting up through the sand dunes. As it was the only cover that they had seen for three days they decided to make the most of it and camp down early. And it turned out to be a very good decision, for that night the storm picked up once again and reached its most ferocious peak.

By dawn they woke up to a completely different landscape. The sandstorm had blown itself out overnight and the morning was crisp and clear. The freed slaves had to dig themselves out of their bolt holes beside the rocks and discovered that they were now at the base of a gigantic sand dune. As the others are packing away Scar climbs the huge dune to try and get a bearing on where we need to be heading. When Scar gets to the top of the dune she is greeted by a most unexpected sight. Below her, jutting out of the face of the massive dune, is one of the largest buildings that she has ever seen.

From what she can see it is almost one hundred foot wide and a hundred and fifty foot long. The stone is almost white and its triangular pitched roof is supported by multiple columns running all around the outside of the building. Scar looks back down the dune at the rest of the group and shouts;

You have to see this!

The rest of the group trudge up the dune and by the time that they reach the top they can see Scar sliding down the other side headed for the mysterious building. From the vantage point it is obvious to Arthur and Kank that there is a growing patch of green on the ground directly outside what seems to be the front of the building. They all follow Scar down the dune. As Scar rounds the front of the building she can see that the patch of green is grass, she has only ever seen brown dry grass in her life but this is verdant green grass, a foot in height. And rather unnervingly it is in a perfect circle, one edge of which just brushes the foot of the steps at the front of the building.

The friends regroup at the bottom of the steps, mostly trying to ignore the impossible grass, and from in front of the building can see that the first rays of the dawn sun are shining straight down the long corridor that runs off into the building. To either side of the main entrance way are large windows, each one looking into a large rectangular room with a fresco on the back wall. Scar climbs in through the window into the lower room and finds that the sand is waist deep and is masking several stone benches. The fresco depicts a large pool of water and lush vegetation, there are boxes floating on the water with people in them holding long sticks with string at the end of them hanging into the water. The people look happy and are dressed in simple white togas.

The other room holds a fresco that displays what appears to be a city, but seen from a lush green space in the centre of the city. Again there are lots of verdant greens, water, and happy people. The group push further into the building down the main corridor, they discover two long narrow rooms opposite each other, one of which seems to have a pit just inside its doorway. From the doorways it can be seen that there are three indentations at the end of each room set in the back wall. The group move on once again, heading further into the building. In the next room they find the remains of some wooden boxes, turned into nothing but sawdust by time, and amid the remains are piles of green, blue, and red powder.

Unsure what to make of the powder, the group push on into the next room. Kank insists on putting a rope around Scar’s waist, worried about the pit in the other room he believes that there might be more of them and so he wants to make sure that she doesn’t end up at the bottom of one. Scar moves into the next room and finds that the room contains four wide, high stone tables and a large stone cistern. As she passes them moving towards the cistern, Scar notices that each of the tables has a deep channel running around the edge of their tops. Scar steps up to the four foot wide cistern and looks into the open top, she is shocked to see that it is filled with crystal clear water.

Not believing her eyes, Scar dips her spear into the liquid. But when she removes it, it is as dry as a bone. Kank joins her at the edge of the cistern, ties one of his empty gourds to a rope and lowers it into the cistern. As he pulls the now full gourd out of the water a remarkable thing happens, the water in the gourd flows up and out of the vessel and rejoins its bulk within the cistern. Kank looks at Scar to make sure that she has seen the same thing as he, because he cannot believe his own eyes.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Balboa had been investigating the room opposite and had discovered a number of painted stone urns. Arthur returned to the cistern with one and tried to remove some of the water, but the same mysterious thing occurred. This building out of time was proving to be very confusing for the freed slaves. But more than confusing, frustrating, there was water that they could not drink. In his frustration Arthur thrust his hands into the cisterns water, when he pulled them out again they were bone dry but exceptionally clean. A thought crossed Arthur’s mind.

Quicker than anybody thought possible of such a big Dwarf, Arthur had stripped down to his breechcloth and lowered himself into the cistern. Everyone stood dumbfounded for a second, and then Arthur was whipped out of sight as he was pulled under the water by a powerful swirling current. The rest of the group rush to the edge of the cistern and stare in but can see nothing, a moment later the cistern spits out a battered and bruised Arthur who lands on the floor dry as a bone. Ka-Reen rushes to Arthur’s side and places her hands on his injuries, a second later Arthur groans as he comes to and Ka-Reen collapses unconscious next to him.

Scar clears off one of the tables and lays Ka-Reen gently on it, as she does so she realises that it is at the perfect height to work on something, like it is a workbench not a table at all. As she is doing this Balboa is investigating the cistern for the first time, as he watches, the water rises up and ripples until images of people moving appear across its surface. It is like watching a play from a great distance and Balboa is unable to make out what is happening. Balboa notices that above the cistern there is writing in a language that he does not know, he pulls out one of his sling stones and using his power he forms the image of the words into the small stone.

As he does this the water once again rises up and forms itself into the rough shape of a person. Balboa waves his arms in the direction of the watery shape and the simulacrum copies his movements. It then forms a second pair of arms and does it again. And then a third pair. Balboa reaches a hand towards it but it flows away from his touch. Balboa pulls out a second sling stone and moulds it into the shape of the watery being and places it on the edge of the cistern. The watery being flows all over the shape and then moves away from it once more. Balboa turns and says;

It is definitely intelligent. But I have no idea what it is!

At that moment, Miloch turns and says;

Shhh! I hear someone coming.

They all quickly shrink into the shadows and don’t have to wait long before a curious rodent hops into sight. It has long hind legs and a long tail used for balance, it hops quickly towards the cistern and starts to make a squeaking noise. It is followed through the door by a tall, thin man with long blonde hair leaning on a wooden staff. There is something unusual about the man's appearance, his skin seems grey, like he is permanently stood in shadow. He looks around and then says;

I see that you have beaten me here. Where is the water?

The freed slaves step out of the shadows and Balboa, the groups voice, steps forwards and points at the curious little rodent hopping by the cistern;

It’s there, but it is magic.

The grey man walks up to the cistern and begins to examine it, all thought of the freed slaves seems to be forgotten from his mind. He is muttering to himself and seems to mention the word traps or trapped several times. He then spins on his heel and says;

I am Thrassos Haruk. And this is Hemner. We have been searching for this place for a long time but it has been hidden by the sand.

Balboa asks if Thrassos knows where we are to which he says that he does, so Balboa asks him to show us on our map, he produces a small piece of charcoal and makes an ‘X’. Balboa looks at it and is pleased to see that we are at least heading in the right direction. Scar speaks up and says that she believes that this is some kind of mortuary and that the cistern is used for washing the dead. Thrassos nods his head and says that he thinks that is a good assumption.

As if he has only just realised where he is, Thrassos notices Ka-Reen and asks what happened. Arthur informs him that she healed him and then collapsed. He walks over to her and examines her unconscious form, he places his hand on her brow and mumbles a few words. He looks up and says;

I don’t think that has helped. She is exhausted rather than injured but I have an idea, she requires endurance.

He places his hand once again on her brow and concentrates, Ka-Reen blinks but remains unconscious. Scar steps up to Ka-Reen’s side and does the same as Thrassos. Thrassos looks shocked and backs away a few paces;

Where did you learn to do that?

Scar tilts her head to one side and replies;

My family had this skill. But they are all long dead now thanks to the bloody slavers.

Thrassos continues his questioning with a stern look on his face;

Are you Veiled Alliance? Who did you call upon to perform that?

Scar calmly looks at him, but the others start to clutch their weapons tighter as Thrassos continues to question Scar. Scar replies;

I draw upon my inner strength. I do not know of the Veiled Alliance.

Thrassos continues;

Are you with the raiders?

Balboa answers quickly;

We are on our own. Travellers across the rock.

And then Thrassos changes the direction of the questions, almost as if he has accepted Scar’s responses;

Have you met Banica Lastman? He is a defiler! He is not to be trusted under any circumstances. He deals with the Templars of Tyr and completes missions for them. He is a dangerous man.

The group seem stunned by this warning out of the blue. And are equally as stunned when Thrassos turns back towards the cistern and announces;

Now we need to smash this!

Balboa asks why and is told in no uncertain terms;

Because it is trapping the water elemental of course! The elemental is very old.

There is a moment of inactivity as everyone lets this information sink in and then Arthur and Kank heft their work mauls, tools designed to break rocks, and step up to the cistern. However, Balboa backs away with a look of concern spreading across his face. But the two massive forms of Arthur and Kank start to swing their sledge hammers at the cistern. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

It is very hard going, but Kank gets that focus of a Mul at work that makes them so valuable as slaves. That single minded work focus that once they have slipped into it is almost impossible to shift them from their path. Given his focus Kank does not hear the thin, nasal voice rise loudly above the sound of the falling mauls. But the others do and they hear a phrase that chills the heart;

In the name of the Great King Kalak of Tyr I bring you greetings!

The others in the group look around at each other and Thrassos looks a little panicked and urges on the destruction of the cistern. The voice rings out again;

Come and say hello at the very least. It is only polite!

Scar shrugs her shoulders and saunters along the corridor towards the main entrance. When she gets to the top of the steps she can she several kank with mounted riders carrying black shields and pikes. They are accompanied by a massive mekillot, and seated upon the mekillot’s back is a massive, muscle bound Mul and an even larger half-giant. Between the pair of them is sat a small, pudgy human. And it is he that speaks;

Ah! You have finally come out to greet me. I am Banica Lastman. I suggest that you surrender, hand over your weapons and any water that you may have, and relinquish anything that you may have found within this building.

Scar smiles as she raises her voice;

I am Scar of the wastes! And what I find first is mine and mine alone!

Banica looks amused by this and points out, with a thinly veiled threat, that anything could happen to a beautiful woman in the desert. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Banica looks further into the building and asks;

What is going on in there? I don’t have time for this.

He then jumps down from the mekillot, closely followed by the Mul and the half-giant. The mekillot then starts to charge towards the front of the building. Scar decides that it is time to retreat and runs for the others. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! The entire building is shaken by the impact of the mekillot, the beast smashes two of the columns to smitterens and the front of the building collapses. The beast pulls itself out of the rubble. Scar rushes into the cistern room and tells the others that they are coming. She spots that Kank is stubbornly continuing to smash his maul into the cistern, she rushes up behind him and mumbles imbuing his weapon with magic. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The group form up and prepare to be attacked by Banica’s guards, all except Kank who is solely focused on the cistern. The room is rushed by the troops. With the half-giant and one of the kank riders entering the doorway guarded by Scar and Miloch, and the Mul charges in from the doorway guarded by Arthur, Balboa, and Thrassos. The Mul is backed up by a couple of the black guard. The Mul leaps towards Thrassos with a spear in one hand and a whip in his other. The first of the black guard rushes towards Arthur and as the second makes it across the threshold Balboa moulds his obsidian shortsword into a useless, twisted mess.

The guard rushes into Arthur swinging arc but it quick enough to get his shield into position to take the blow. It doesn’t do him much good as Arthur’s powerful muscles drive his maul through the shield which shatters into myriad pieces. On the other side of the room Scar swings her steel shortsword at the half-giant, who parries it with the massive bone that he is using as a weapon. He then counter attacks and Scar just ducks below it, the massive weapon slams into the wall and removes a large piece of stonework.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Scar is just preparing herself to launch yet another attack against the half-giant when she feels her mental defences crumble under an onslaught. She feels sick as her right arm withers and becomes useless. The half-giant smiles, as does Banica Lastman who had cast the spell from the corridor, but the half-giants smile turns into a grimace as Miloch plunges his sword into the half-giants abdomen.

Balboa faces off against a guard with a dagger, as he no longer has a sword, and is stabbed. Thrassos manages to hit the massive Mul in the leg and Arthur hits his guard so hard with his maul that he flies backwards to slide dead down the wall several feet away. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Scar grabs her steel shortsword with her left hand and plunges it into the half-giants leg with an insane gleam in her eye. She then staggers as she is hit with yet another spell cast by Banica. Scar looks dead on her feet, but the bloodlust is upon her and it keeps her on her feet. Miloch hits the half-giant again and the half-giants counter blow whistles over his head and cracks the other side of the doorway. Thunk! Thunk! CRACK!

Kank’s final blow puts a massive crack in the side of the cistern. The crack snakes downwards and widens, and then the cistern explodes in a torrent of water. A tsunami of water flings friend and foe alike out of the building. The only difference is that friend is thrown out to the sides of the building and foe are all forced out of the main doorway. Those that are still conscious after the flush spot a whirlpool of water throwing around the black guard, Mul, Half-giant, Banica Lastman, and even the mekillot is tossed about like a child’s toy. Finally the water spout dies down and all of the bodies fall to the floor. There is a massive thunderclap and then the elemental is gone.

It leaves behind a large pool of clean, fresh water and the dead bodies of Banica Lastman and his guards. Eventually those of the group who are conscious manage to move the unconscious into the shelter of the building and Thrassos administers first aid to the injured.