<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><o:p> </o:p> Nestorius stopped in one corner of the vast market and pointed to a group of people standing near one of the doorways leading outside. "That is Edmund, the officer with the silver edging along the bottom of his armor."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> A dozen civilians were clustered around a soldier who had a forced smile on his face and was softly talking. He was dressed in full armor that consisted of silver colored metal strips in horizontal hoops that went all around his body and fastened by leather straps. There were silver buckles, hooks and straps. The man held himself upright with a bearing and calm that spoke of confidence and knowledge. Even from a distance it was clear that this was a true leader.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Oh that's Ed all right," Stealth commented. "I don't care what he looks like."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Nest nodded in agreement. "The body you're seeing is just an illusion. The soul underneath is the same."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The two moved towards the group and as they got closer the conversation became clear.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I AM aware of the rumors," the officer said in clipped tones. "Rest assured we are doing everything we can. Our worst enemy is panic."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> One of the crowd started to speak but the officer cut him off with the wave of a hand. "Please. Don't believe such gossip. We've defeated them before, we can do so again."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Slowly the crowd dispersed heading about the daily tasks. Still they moved slowly and reluctantly.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The two waited till the crowd had dispersed before approaching the man.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Ed, what the hell are you doing?" Stealth snapped as they walked up to him.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Do I know you?" The officer asked with a puzzled look on his face.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Yes," Nestorius answered. "And we know you. You are Sir Edmund Delacot, a knight brother of the Order of Protectors."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "And my friend," Stealth added.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The man peered at them intently. "I'm sorry but I do not recognize you and my name is Albinus Terdinius."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Nestorius stepped closer to the officer. "Do you remember us?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Don't you remember Bridgette?" Stealth said.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The man looked at them with a puzzled expression. "I do not know this woman of whom you speak." He bowed to the pair. "Now please excuse me but I have tasks to attend to." With that the man turned and walked away at a fast pace.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth started after the man but Nestorius put out a hand and stopped him. "We need to give him some time to consider what we've said."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth shook his head in disagreement. "Time is running down. We can't wait too long."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I am all too well aware of the time." Nestorius snarled. "But some things cannot be hurried."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The two stood there and watched the man who was their friend walked away. "What do we do now?" Stealth asked. "Can't we just snatch him?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Snatch him?" The mage asked. "You mean just kidnap him? That is a bit harsh."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Well," the scout answered slowly. "You are a mage. Can't you knock him out with a spell?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Edmund is a paladin and possess some considerable protection," the mage answered.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "True," Stealth countered. "But he doesn't know he's a paladin." <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Good point but I'd prefer to not attack him. I do not want to have to fight a friend. Let us follow the dagger to where it wants us to go. Then we can return for our friend. That will give us time to consider all our options. And give him time to consider what we said."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "How can we find him again?" Stealth asked.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I've placed a tracing spell onto him," the mage answered. "So long as he is within the city I will be able to find him again. It's how I was able to find him before."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p>*********************<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p> The dagger lead them straight through the city. They moved through crowds of people who were going about their lives not knowing that they were dead. Their lives already over.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Nestorius came to a halt for a moment. "Welcome to the Vigilis Argunta Comandio. The stronghold of the Camulodunum Vigilis."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Up ahead of them suddenly loomed the tall, solid walls of a fortress. The massive building easily overshadowed everything around it. The massive gate at the end of the street was decorated with many statues of fine marble and granite that surrounded massive doors of wood and iron.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth looked up at the walls and then at the well guarded gates. "So how do we get in?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "We just walk in," the mage answered. "After all we are members of the Vigili." He straightened up and looked confident. "Just relax and act like you belong here."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth shot the mage a hard look. "Just? We're in a ghost city filled with dead people that's about to be destroyed by an invasion. And you tell me to relax."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>"Just try and imagine that you are back at Metamor," he said as the two walked up to the gate.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Standing in front of the massive doors were a half dozen soldiers wearing full armor and carrying shields and spears. Each had a sword dangling from his belt.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I wish we were back at Metamor." He muttered. Stealth took a deep breath and tried to put his fears out of his mind. Together they walked along loosing themselves in the hustle and bustle of people who were moving through the gate.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> One of the soldiers was not carrying a spear, instead he had a sword on his belt. The lower edge of his armor was edged with a thick line in gold. These marked him as an officer. He stared at them for a moment before nodding his head and then looking elsewhere.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The other guards shifted about nervously and kept glancing to the north as if expecting something. They certainly seemed more interested in checking their weapons then on checking the people passing through the gate.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth waited till they were a dozen steps beyond the gate before speaking in a low tone. "If they are the City Watch why are they wearing so much armor and carrying so many weapons? I mean the Watch in Euper doesn't go that well armed."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "The final invasion is less than a day from now," Nest explained. "They must have had some warning."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Well you can't mass two hundred thousand Lutins without someone finding out," Stealth added as they walked.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Notice how they were so nervous?" Nest asked as they walked. "They're waiting. The worst part before a battle is the wait. You know the blood and killing will happen but all you can do is just wait for it to arrive."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth looked at the people around them. "Should we warn them? Perhaps we're here to change events, breaking the cycle."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>"Warn them of what?" Nest answered. "They already know the invasion is coming." The mage sighed deeply. "I'm not sure we can break the cycle. They might be doomed to keep repeating it."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>"We could try... evacuating some of them?" Stealth hypothesized "It may free their spirits."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I'm not so sure," the mage answered.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I have been thinking," Stealth said slowly. "The curse is limited to the city right?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Correct," the mage said without stopping.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "So what would happen if we got some of these people out of the city?" Stealth waved his hand at the people they were passing. "People who had originally died here. That would take them outside the area of the curse."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The mage paused for a moment and seemed lost in thought. Then his face brightened with excitement. "That is an interesting idea. It could very well break the cycle. At least for those involved."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The courtyard was busy. Everywhere they looked were men hustling along on various errands. In one corner several men were quickly pulling down a small, wooden building that was tucked against the outer wall.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Nearby two others were filling buckets full of water from a well. Once filled they would take the buckets and place them at various points around the courtyard.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I understand that the buckets of water are for use against fire but why are they tearing down a perfectly good building?" Stealth pointed to the crew who by this time had the roof off and were pulling down the walls.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Same reason," the mage answered. "If that little wooden shack were to catch fire it could weaken the wall. Or worse, the flames could spread to other buildings."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "It's hard to imagine that all of this," Stealth said and waved his arms about. "Will be gone in less than a day. I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that this live and vibrant city is in our time an overgrown forest. That this city and the tree covered ruins are the same place still amazes me."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I have been through enough ruined cities to understand that man's works are temporary," the mage waxed philosophically. "Time and nature will eventually wear down even the largest of man's creations."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Wait!" The mage paused in front of a doorway. On the door frame was carved a series of symbols that meant nothing to the scout. "We need to go this way." He pointed into the doorway.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "The dagger is leading us that way," Stealth countered and pointed to another doorway.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I am well aware of that," Nestorius answered coldly. "But what we need is in there." Nest stepped through the opening before his friend could argue.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Following after the mage Stealth found himself on a flight of steps that spiraled to the right as it led downwards.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> After a minute the stairs leveled out into a small room. Nestorius halted there. "I have bypassed some of the wards but be very careful."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth nodded. "I understand but do we really need this distraction?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "This is not a distraction," the mage snarled. "We've been given an amazing opportunity to recover important magic." Nestorius made several complex gestures and touched the door in three places in rapid succession. The door started to glow with a deep blue light that slowly subsided to a faint glow along the edges. "The same wards were used in the chamber under Hareford! Excellent! The lion gave the door a push and it swung open revealing a large chamber lit by some unseen light source. <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The pair walked through the door cautiously. It was long and narrow with them at one end. Overhead the ceiling was black but all the stars and constellations painted on it. It was like looking up at the night sky. A pair of glowing orbs hanging from stone brackets lit the room with a soft glow. As they entered, a dozen similar orbs spaced evenly around the room lit up bathing the room in a bright but soft light that illuminated everything. The walls were of finely cut stone but plain and devoid of any decoration or embellishment. The floor of the room was covered with an elaborate and highly complex map of the valley complete with cities, towns and roads carefully done.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I recognize this place!" Stealth said excitedly. "This is like the room under Hareford!"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "It's an exact copy," Nestorius answered. "You remember the one under my home had spots marked with stars. This room is one of those stars."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Did this room here survive into our time?" The scout asked.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I think so but it was damaged and the magic had failed." Nest raced around the room trying to intently study everything all at once. "This is amazing. It's in perfect condition!"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Stealth looked down at the map where Hareford was. There he saw a gold and silver star with the word 'Adurni' next to it. "I wonder how many others survived?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Impossible to tell but I intend to find out someday!" The mage knelt down next to some runes carved into the floor. From his pocket he produced a sketch pad and a pen. He began to intently and quickly draw.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "Do you have to do that now?" Stealth asked.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The mage pointed to some symbols carved into the stone floor. "These are the missing symbols I need to understand the entire system." <o:p></o:p> Stealth looked to where the mage pointed. There carved into the stone and painted in various colors. The symbols to him seemed to be just gibberish. Random twists and swirls in the stone. He struggled to make sense of them but every time the thought he understood they degenerated back in into an unintelligible mess.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The mage leaned closer to one symbol in particular and seemed to study each line and curve. "Remember how I said this massive map might be a transportation system?"<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I remember," Stealth answered.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "It IS a transportation system," he said in amazement. "This is meant to allow travel between points." The mage tapped the symbols. "And these symbols are the key. With them I can reactivate the whole system. There is no telling where it can lead us. What we can discover."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "You don't have them in our day?" Stealth asked.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "No," the mage answered without looking up from his work. "Someone deliberately destroyed the symbols, disabling the system."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The scout looked at the symbols. "To keep the Lutins from using it."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Nestorius paused in his work. "Yes. Someone who could have escaped instead stayed behind and destroyed the system."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> "I wonder who?" the scout asked.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> The mage paused in his writing and shrugged. "No telling. History is full of such unsung heroes."<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p>***************<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p></div></body></html>