Off on the horizon, there are a few flashes of lightning, but it takes several minutes for a weak report to reach the bluff. Every once in a while, the wind fusses with the vegetation, sending waves rolling across the fields of crops, and there is a smell of rain in the air, but it looks like the storm will probably just coast on by to the south.

The village, however, has more to worry about than the weather. Shadow Lance has been trying to pinpoint the earth golem that has been terrorizing the villages of the newly independent nation of Zahirinee, and after several near-misses, their latest candidate is the farming community of Eereti Bluff.

Many of the villagers have opted to go visit relatives for a few nights, while others are either skeptical of all these "rumors and myths" about earth golems … and others are determined to defend their homes against the vandalizing tendencies of this monster.

Shade has set up a warding barrier in the village meeting house, to hopefully create a "safehouse" for maids – often targeted by the monster – and children, as well, since there's no telling what the monster might resort to if cornered. Wispy trails curling around both of her forearms make it clear that she has a couple of surprises held for the golem, should it be of a sort that would be subject to magic of the Sphere of Spirit.

One is a Dispel, and the other is a Spiritbind – meant to compel the spirit to obey a simple command or to answer questions asked of it, depending upon its stubbornness and the power of the casting. She has also placed various talismans in key places around the village, and in caves beneath the earth, in hopes that, should the golem pass that way, the Warder might get an advance notice of magical activity.

The center of town is on a hill, the buildings rolling outward from it. A short distance downhill is the meeting house, where Shade's barrier has been set up. A wooden wagon parked nearby, atop the hill, provides some slight cover in case of a ranged attack.Wynona the Air Mage is seated atop a wooden platform up a tree – originally created as a child's play house, but now serving as the site of her magical incantations, so that she need not be in contact with the ground. She stretches out the duration of a spell of weather control, and keeps a held spell as well, manifested as a ball of crackling, glowing energy held in one hand.

The Champion of Shadows kneels close to the ground in the center of the town. The palm of one hand is pressed against the dirt while his other balances the Blade of Shadows against a shoulder pauldron. His eyes scan the town patiently and meticulously as he waits for signs of movement and the familiar tingle of magic in his head.

Time passes. Perhaps an hour, maybe two. Vague is scouting out the area … and there's no sign of him, which would mean he's doing his job properly.

Shadow shifts in his position a bit as he waits, to keep his muscles from cramping. He glances up towards Wynona to see how the Air Mage is faring.

The bat is just a ghostly wisp up in the tree, her wings faintly stirring in the breeze. A faint whisper of her voice can be heard every once in a while, when the wind shifts just right, as she murmurs incantations to keep her spells fresh and ready.

The clouds continue to pass by, obscuring more of the sky. More lightning flashes, but, again, it takes some time before the report of thunder.

Kneeling down slightly, the knight looks towards the storm. Probably perfect cover for a raid… He wonders if it may hint that the golem's master might be skilled in the Sphere of Air or Water as well. He quietly sheathes his sword and creeps under Wynona's tree. "Hssst!"

A pair of pink-lined, white ears peek over the edge of the wooden platform. "Yes?" whispers the bat. A dim glow can be seen from a crackling ball of energy she holds.

"The storm coming… is it natural?" Shadow whispers back. "And how long before it comes?"

The bat whispers, "Natural. It's passing by. It shouldn't touch us."

"Would it be in your powers to push a storm in a certain direction? Not that I am asking you to, just wondering if it may be possible. Did Zahirinee say anything about the monster attacking only during rainstorms?" The Champion shrinks down a bit further.

The bat whispers, "I've got a spell of weather control going, just in case. But, no, it was never raining when the monster struck. I always ask weather-related questions if I can think of them. If the storm turns this way, I can probably give it a gentle push away."

Shadow nods. "Thank you, Mage Wynona. You have been a great help to us these past few days." And with that, he creeps back to his spot to continue waiting.

More time passes. Some would be prompted to go to sleep out of sheer boredom … but that's the nature of being a knight or a soldier … long periods of mind-numbing boredom … punctuated by relatively brief moments of action and sometimes terror. Well, maybe not quite so much terror where the Champion of Shadows is concerned. After all, the tales he could tell … But, after perhaps an hour has passed or so … he gets a creepy chill up his spine. Some might interpret that as a case of the creeps, but it's a familiar enough sensation … and it's a fair bet that Shade felt it, too.

The knight's head turns in the direction of the feeling and he begins moving forward as stealthily as he can manage. "If it comes, I try to move it towards you to hold, Shade," he clumsily signs out. The black Vartan knight glances upwards for a moment, trying to locate Vague.

As the dark Vartan looks up, he sees a glint in the sky, like the faint reflection of dim starlight off of a wing-blade turned just so, to signal him. Vague must be able to see that the Champion is on the move.

It's no longer just a case of the creeps. Shadow can sense magic, however faint. If he weren't "on guard", he might miss it at this point … but he's been waiting and watching for so long that the "signature" is unmistakable.

Wynona stirs a bit on her platform, and whispers, "Something magic is headed this way!"

The Champion unfurls one wing and wiggles it, signaling Vague as best as he can and continues to creep forward a few more yards. He pauses every so often and peers into the darkness beyond. ( If we can feel you, I wonder if you can feel us? I hope this isn't a decoy.)

Across town, there is a burst of faint light … for all the world, like a formless wisp appearing out of thin air, and then dissipating again. It's at the edge of Shade's ward around the town hall. Something hit it, and, judging from experience at seeing such manifestations, didn't get through.

The magic activity is most certainly in that direction … hard to pinpoint, exactly, but the manifestation helps to narrow down a bearing on it.

"Get ready; it might try again." The Champion rises up and begins to jog towards the meeting house.

A short downhill jog takes the Champion to the perimeter of where Shade set up her ward. That creature is around here, somewhere. The magic sense is strong. Vague, no longer worrying so much about concealment, circles above.

Shadow draws his sword and begins to cautiously walk around the outer perimeter of the warding circle. ( It may try to break through, or it may try for another target. We'll see how desperate or intelligent this thing really is… )

There's a tremor in the ground underneath the Champion's hooves. Something's passing underneath.

The Champion draws out his sword and stabs it down into the dirt, trying to place it in the path ahead of the creature.

Paydirt! The rumbling makes its way quickly toward Shadow's sword … and then he feels a flicker of magic, as the earth swells up right in front of the sword, then explodes in a shower of dirt and grass and pebbles! It bounces off of Shadows' armor, of course, doing him no damage.

"Come out," the knight grates out in his harsh sounding version of Eeee. "Your maiden won't be so easily taken this time."

The earth rumbles, and from the wound laid bare in the soil, sand, grit and dirt rises upward, intermixed with bits of plants, writhing worms, and other debris hidden under the ground. As it rises, it shifts, forming a caricature of a bat, hunched over, face frozen in a grimace, looking more like a gargoyle or some primitive artist's depiction of an Eeee, rather than a mirror of a real creature.

The Champion yanks his blade free from the earth and holds it at the ready. "You either understand or you simply expected a fight. So what will you do now?" He tenses, waiting for an attack, but allowing the thing to make the first move in this dance.

The creature rears back, flapping its wings, sending bits of loose dirt flying, but it shows no sign of being able to lift itself from the ground. It opens its mouth, and lets out a loud, ear-piercing shriek, like the sounds of fingernails scraping against slate.

Vague continues to circle in a holding pattern, no doubt keeping an eye on the creature … but probably also watching for any other contenders, in case this might be a decoy.

The Champion takes one step backwards, the noise causing him to involuntarily shudder. He spares a glance at the creature's feet to see if it appears to be rooted to the ground or if it is walking separate from the earth.

It looks as if the creature's feet are fused with the ground. As its wings brush the ground, they meld into it, as if the earth were a layer of water that the creature were standing in, partially submerged, its feet and wingtips hidden just beneath the surface. As the Champion gets a chance to notice this, however … the creature makes its attack, as several rocks surface in the creature's misshapen fist … and the now rocky fist swings at the Champion!

Shadow tries to duck under the punch, while one of his wings unfolds and slashes out towards the golem's legs.

The armored Vartan's agility is sufficient for him to duck under the swing, giving him a good look at the stony fist as it swings by. At a quick estimate, it seems like there is considerable strength behind that swing. As he slashes into the creature's leg … the earth proves to be quite well-packed. He's able to dig into it a bit, but his attack only goes so far.

Vague lets out a battle-cry, and dives toward the creature, preparing his gun-blade for a fly-by swipe. He clips the thing's ears, which are thin enough to get knocked off by the blade … but no sooner does the Sphynx fly by and down to the ground, than the ears start reforming.

The Champion folds his wings back and then shouts up at the Lancer, "Vague, need you to keep it busy; make it focus on you." He takes a swing at the creature's arm with his sword.

Vague nods, then alights to the air again, roaring loudly, and winging about, darting tantalizingly within striking range, then darting away before the creature can take a swipe at him.

Shadows' blow hits the arm – a part not covered in rocks – and it sinks in deep with a blow that would cleave most people in twain … but again, the sheer solidity of this packed, dry dirt is enough to halt further progress of the blade, so he's unable to get all the way through and make a complete cut.

Shadow quickly pulls his sword free and backs off, feigning exhaustion. Once he's sure the creature's eyes are no longer focused upon him, he makes a dash for the cart he prepared.

The wagon waits right up the hill, near Shadow's original watch position in the center of the town. It would normally take a Dromodon to pull something like this … but a Champion of Shadow can do in a pinch.

Shadow quickly opens up the back of the wagon and then grabs the front of it, wheeling it around so that the open end faces the beast. "Shade! Get ready!" He aims the wagon as best as he can and starts to charge towards the golem, hoping to scoop the thing up and off of the ground.

The wagon begins to roll … and picks up momentum quickly as it hurtles down the slope. Vague keeps circling the creature, frustrating its attempts to get in a good blow … and getting it to turn away from the oncoming wagon.

Bracing himself, the Champion raises up the handles of the wagon, causing the other side of the wagon to dip downwards. ( I'll either shatter it, scoop it up, or demolish the wagon. Time to see how tough this thing is… and maybe me as well. )

What follows is a jarring collision between the wagon and the golem that would have sent the Vartan flying into the air, except for his considerable size and weight. The wooden planks of the wagon, not shoddy construction by any measure, crack under the impact. Dirt flies as the wagon cuts into the bat-golem's legs. One wheel breaks apart at the spokes, while the other falls off the wagon entirely and rolls away … but the bulk of the dirt-clod golem sloughs into the wagon, momentarily falling into a formless pile of dry earth … and then it starts to reform itself.

"Have you got it taken care of?" squeaks Wynona from her perch. Shade, meanwhile, alights upon the ground a few feet away, ghostly tendrils snaking around her forearms.

The other two wheels of the wagon fall askew, and the wagon slides to a halt … but the body of the golem is scooped up by the wagon, separated from the soil.

"I don't know yet," the Champion scrawks, his voice gasping from the jolt. "We don't know the rules of this thing yet, so be prepared for anything." He pulls his sword out again and rushes around to the back of the wagon, waiting to see what the creature does next. "Shade?"

Shade nods, holding both hands at the ready. Perhaps she's trying to get a feel for a "weak spot" before letting loose with anything.

"Do you still need me to control the weather? If you need me to throw anything potent, I'll have to let go!" squeaks the bat mage.

The dirt-golem reforms into a caricature of a bat, floundering around in the back of the wagon. It seems to be disoriented, perhaps.

Shadow points his blade towards the beast. "Shade, try your Spiritbind. Hopefully we've weakened it."

"And keep holding it, Wynona. If it still acts violent, we may need a quick rainstorm… but just hold for now. If you can, go fetch me a map of the overland and the cave system," the Champion scrawks.

Shade gesticulates with her hands … and then one of the wisps dissipates from about her arm, drifting upon an unfelt breeze toward the golem. It twines itself about the golem's struggling form, and then sinks into the dirt. The golem stops its struggling, and slumps in the cart, a few pieces of loose dirt falling to the ground.

Vague stands at the ready, braced, sword held out, though he occasionally glances about for any new threats that might go unnoticed.

"Hopefully this creature's master hasn't thought to ward it against its own creations." The Vartan knight takes a hesitant step forward. "Do you have control of it, Shade?"

Shade nods, then signs, "Limited."

Shade signs, "It is undead. But not occurring of its own accord."

The Champion gestures with one hand. "I need those maps. Perhaps it can point us to its master." He peers at the creature. "As for you, are there more like you kidnapping maidens around here?"

Shade repeats the Champion's question in sign, even though there's no indication that the monster is looking her way. Wynona, meanwhile, flutters down, bringing the maps.

In a rasping voice that sounds like stone scratching stone, the creature utters, in Babelite, "Only me. I seek my beloved, who was stolen from me. We shall be together in death if not life."

Shadow stiffens. "Those who were taken, do they still live?"

The question is repeated in sign. There is a pause, and then the stones grate, "Impostors. I hang them in the cave. Be they alive or dead, I care not."

"Who is your beloved?" the Champion asks. ( Cave – so it is underground. ) He discards the overland map.

Shade repeats the process. In a grating screech, the golem replies, "Inala… " Alas, a very common Eeee name, in honor of one of the more popular – if cruel – goddesses in the Babelite pantheon.

Shadow taps a talon on his gauntlet as he ponders. "How was she taken from you? Was she one of those lost when the boomer fell on Babel?"

There is another pause as Shade acts as mediator … and then the answer comes back, "She was in Babel. But she lives. I must find her."

The Champion taps a hoof on the ground. "How do you know she lives?"

"She lives," answers the golem, after the usual exchange, "so I seek her."

"Is she a mage?" Shadow asks. ( That may narrow the search for her somewhat, or let us know if she is safe on Caroban. )

"Yes," grates the golem. "I was to meet her at the College for the New Year celebration. But I was late." A few pebbles fall from the mouth, rolling down the side of the wagon.

The Champion holds out the map of the tunnel system. "Show me where the cave that holds the maidens you have captured is."

With a scraping of stone and dirt and grit, the misshapen hand moves, and a crooked finger reaches down to smudge a mark on an intersection of tunnels near the heart of the realm of Zahirinee.

Shadow nods and folds the map up again. "Now… who are you? Were you one of those that died in Babel?"

"No… " creaks the golem. "I … " The jaw begins to crack, as bits of it crumble away.

By now, enough time has passed that those bats still in the village have come from their huts, watching the strange spectacle. Vague warns them off to a safe distance.

"Your time is obviously limited, so before you are dispelled, you should listen. If your Inala was in Babel, then she is dead. Everyone that was inside the college was taken by the blast and have not been heard from in four years. I implore you to seek your rest and leave the villagers alone. If you allow yourself to rest, then you may perhaps join with her spirit again along with the rest of those that are dead. You will not find your Inala on Sinai." The Champion motions towards Shade.

"noooo… " creaks the golem, as it continues to deteriorate.

Shade signs, "Shall I hasten its departure?"

Shadow nods.

The second wisp loosens itself from Shade's arm and shoots toward the golem. It grates and shrieks as its body begins to shake apart … and as the dirt sloughs away and the dust blasts into the air … bits of fragmented bone show beneath the piles of earth, but even they begin to crumble away, joining the dust.

The Champion sheathes his sword. "Our work is not done yet. There may be people alive in the caves. We must fly to the closest entrance near the point on the map and then get to this spot as quickly as we can. Shade, how quickly can you craft another Dispel?"

Shade signs, "One of not great power, perhaps fifteen minutes?"

"Vague, let them know that it is safe, for now." Shadow folds his arms behind his back. "Do you think that a weak Dispel could stop one who can control a creature such as this and hide itself from Zahirinee's wards? Or if you could manage something to calm the spirit. I have read enough Babelite love stories to know about the spirit of a man who killed himself over the death of his lover… "

Vague nods, and turns to the task of dealing with the curious villagers, informing them that the danger has passed, but that the Lance has to see if there might be any accomplices to deal with…

Shade signs, "This felt like a toy that is wound up and sent on its way. I do not think we will find a controller."

The Champion quirks his head sideways. "You said that you felt that it was not occurring of its own accord; was it summoned and set loose on the countryside?"

Shade nods. "That is my belief, yes. Someone learned of this one's tragic death, and found a weak manifestation, trapped it, then empowered it and released it to wreak havoc on the countryside."

"Babel denied ties to the creature, but it is not as though they have not lied to us before." Shadows pats himself down. "Prepare a Dispel. The cave might very well be a trap, and we may need to guard ourselves when we go there. While you prepare, I am going to try and salvage some of the bone powder from the golem. It may help Zahirinee find out who this man was, and in doing so may find out who did this to him."

Shade bows to the Champion, and steps off to prepare her spell.

Lights bob through a twisting tunnel, the walls slick with moisture and mineral deposits. A staccato dripdripdripdrip echoes through the tunnels, and stalactites and stalagmites reach for each other, braced like the sharpened fangs of a wild beast.

Wynona gingerly makes her way through the tunnel, taking care to let her legs down from a rocky shelf, then spreading her wings to cushion her descent as she jumps down to land in a shallow, ankle-deep puddle, sending droplets flying, and almost losing her balance. "Whoawhoa!" she squeaks, flailing about with a hand that holds a couple of crackling balls of electrical energy that illuminate the cave in a bluish glow.

The other Lancers come up behind, Shade armed with a couple of Dispels, Vague with his gunblade at the ready.

The Champion's mane bristles out from one of the exposed sections of his armor. "Wynona, would it be easier if you let me carry you down the climbing parts?"

Wynona regains her balance, her ears blushing. "Oh … well … that won't be necessary. I'll just try to be a little more careful." She carefully shuffles her feet along, finding purchase on a flat slab of stone.

Shadow nods and continues his descent into the caves. "I trust you, Mage Wynona. Just mind the water, I hear that it and electricity don't mix very well."

Wynona giggles nervously. "Good point."

The Lance and their mage companion continue their way into the caverns … at last reaching a nexus that widens into a much larger chamber. Here, the tunnel drops off, the floor of the larger chamber several feet below, cascades of water bouncing off of what look like frozen waterfalls of glittering white minerals. The crackling mage-light illuminates the chamber, casting long shadows from the hanging stalactites … and several bats clinging to the ceiling, held by shackles of mineral growths lumped around their ankles.

The Champion presses something on his armor and his wingblades retract; it wouldn't do to risk slashing the maidens after all. "I'll try to get them down. The three of you be prepared to try and catch them if they drop." He starts to flutter towards one of the lady bats, trying to judge who might be alive and who's already been lost.

The first one is dead … probably from dehydration. A few more look to be dead … and there are others who are nearly so. At a quick check, four dead girls, in their early teens, one that looks like she's almost there, and three more that are in bad shape but still alive.

Wynona squeaks, "I could make some sort of air cushion? That is, if we have the minutes to spare… "

Vague spreads his wings and swoops to a new perch deeper into the chamber, to give him ready access to make any recoveries necessary.

Shadow gingerly tries to pull the gravest of the bats into his arms to get her upright. "An air cushion is a very good idea, Wynona. Shade, keep wary… this may still be a trap. Vague, we'll probably need every drop in our canteens."

Wynona discards her extra held spell, as it crackles and fizzles away, then focuses on a new spell, a wind buffer just in case of an accident…

Back at Zahirinee's pool, Wynona and the Violet Lance are met by the seer and his associates.

Zahirinee claps his hands together once, smiling. "Good to see you back and so soon!" He then frowns soberly. "I am saddened to hear that not all of the victims could be saved … but we had as much as assumed them all dead before. We are, of course, most grateful for your help in this matter."

"Did you manage to find who empowered the creature?" the Champion scrawks, placing a person-sized bundle wrapped tightly in cloth next to three others under a tree.

Zahirinee shakes his head self-consciously, as several men solemnly move in to tend to the bundles. "Alas, my good Champion, that will take time to tell for certain. But this has the hallmark of the Royal Mages of Babel, I can tell you that much. And there are so few mages in these parts that I should be able to narrow it down soon enough."

Shadow nods. "The maidens were being held in the heart of your territory. No doubt that their deaths would have been blamed on you eventually. I'm glad that I took this mission."

Zahirinee nods solemnly. "No doubt, indeed. Is there any way in which we can show our gratitude to your Order for saving us from this menace?"

"I am pleased with a victory and that is all I require. If you insist, then all I ask of you is to spread the word of our victory here. Our order is suffering, and we could use all of the good tidings that people can send it." The Champion wipes some crumbled stone from his arm. "Has Rephidim sent word back in response to my message?"

Zahirinee bows his head. "We will be most glad to spread word of your deeds. And as of your message … we have received confirmation of its receipt to the intended parties, but no replies beyond that."

Shadow bows back. "Thank you, Governor. If you have further use of us while we await for our ride back to Rephidim, then feel free to let us know. As for now, I believe that I would like to get the dirt washed out of my armor." He manages a small chuckle. "It is almost a shame that the earth golem did not have a water golem companion along with it so we could clean ourselves up."

Wynona smirks. "Well, I could have let it rain, you know!" She winks.

Zahirinee smiles at the Champion. "Most assuredly. I will make sure that you get the privacy you require, and whatever assistance you desire. We are indebted to you, of course. On behalf of all of us, I thank you."

"Half of a battle is realizing what could have been done once the battle is through." The Champion chuckles again. "Oh, Governor Zahirinee? Do any of your people follow the Star?"

"The Star?" repeats the seer. "I cannot say for certain. I have heard of the faiths that follow a deity known as the Star, but I know not whether there is any following amongst my people. Why do you ask?"

Shadow folds his arms behind his cape. "I am counting my allies, Governor – also, perhaps future members of our order, if the Temple no longer sends us squires. Just an idle question."

"Ah," replies the seer. "Certainly. If you are concerned about matters of allies, be quite certain, we hold you in highest esteem, and your Order by connection. If there is any way we might lend assistance, we shall do our utmost to provide it."

"I shall remember that, Governor." The Champion bows again. "Now, I believe that my lance and I should clean off our armor. Oh yes, and please take a moment to thank the mage Wynona. Her counsel was extremely useful and she was invaluable in rescuing the maidens that still live."

Zahirinee smiles genuinely to Wynona, bowing. "Your part in this will be mentioned, most assuredly. And our gratitude extends to you as well."

Wynona looks like she's about to start crying, as she bows. "Thank you, Master Zahirinee!" she manages to squeak out.

Shadow turns to leave, placing a hand on Shade's and Vague's shoulders. "Good work, as always."

Shade and Vague nod to the Champion, and turn, following the large Vartan.