Chapter 10

It truly amazed Diana how quickly the Lunari could respond to a call of arms, though in hindsight, she really shouldn't be.

In the space of ten minutes, the kids had brought nearly a dozen warriors, the High Elder right behind them. Despite appearing as old as Elder Phenos, she moved with the speed of a woman half her age.

The warriors quickly joined Diana, weapons ready. One touched Kespina's shoulder, letting her know she could fall back. She promptly did so, joining her friends but not relaxing. She couldn't relax until this current problem was dealt with.

The High Elder joined the Moon Maiden in her observation with hard eyes. "How long do you think this Mist has been here?" she asked, glaring at the Mist trying to reach out to them.

"Probably since the Lunari Purge," Diana replied. "How long do you think this Runic Stone has been here?"

"It's probably been here since Mount Targon first rose to the Heavens. It has never faltered in its protection once. And none of us have ever noticed that it was holding a piece of the Mist at bay all this time."

"The fact that the Lunari haven't killed by Shadow Creatures throughout the millennia tells me that it's been doing its job. But that cannot stay here any longer."

One of the Lunari asked, "Should we remove the Stone from its pedestal?"

"Possibly." The Elder frowned. "However, I'm not certain we can. Many thieves have tried over the centuries… with rather gruesome results."

Kespina nodded, a sudden thought occuring to her. "How about I try?" she suggested, handing her sword and shield to Darien. "It probably won't mind if a kid holds it."

Diana looked at the Elder, who shrugged. "I don't have any better ideas," she confessed.

The Moon Maiden nodded reluctantly. Neither did she. She was just worried that Kes would get hurt. They didn't know what that Mist would do when it was free. "Go. Get the stone, then run like the Void. Lunari, get ready to fight!"

Kes immediately ran up the land bridge to the altar, leaning in. "Okay, I'm going to remove you from here," she said, feeling that she had to explain herself. We're going to destroy the bad stuff. Is that okay?"

The stone didn't verbally respond for obvious reasons, but a wave of affection washed over her. She took that as a yes and reached out, closing her hand over it. It felt warm in her hand, but her Rakkor training kicked in before she could begin wondering about that, and she ran like her life depended on it.

It did.

The Mist shot forward the instant she rejoined the group, almost akin to an arrow as it aimed at Diana. She instinctively created a Pale Cascade around herself, deflecting the attack. (She had no idea how she could use that ability or how she even knew its name, but she wasn't going to complain.) It rebounded back, stopping before the assembled group.

And then… three figures formed.

Two of the forms were mere mockeries of men. Thin, almost skeletal in appearance, they had claws for fingers and what laughingly passed as razor-sharp teeth. Their eye sockets were filled with unholy greenish light, and they existed solely to destroy everything in their path.

On the other hand, the third creature became something far more terrifying and recognizable.

It was a revenant, decked out in blackened armor. Its eyes blazed with the same unholy light, but there was an intelligence in them that didn't exist in the monsters. A massive broadsword was in its hand, ready to be drenched in its enemies' blood.

"Oh, shit," one of the Lunari warriors breathed out. "It's one of Hecarim's soldiers. It's a member of the Iron Born legion!"

Diana shuddered. Even the Solari, isolated in Mount Targon, had heard of Hecarim, the human/horse hybrid that seemed to lead the Black Mists during the Harrowing. His army, comprised of the souls of the damned, were among the most terrifying forces ever to exist. Villages, even entire cities, were left in ruin because of him.

But what in the Void was one of those damned doing here?! The mountain was too far away from Hecarim's usual stomping grounds.

Kespina correctly guessed Diana's thinking process. "Less thinking, more stabbing!" she suggested, not even out of breath.

Focusing on the immediate problem, Diana did as she suggested. She brought her khopesh up.

The Iron Born brought its own blade up, and pointed. The two monsters immediately sprang forward, eager for blood.

The Lunari moved to meet them, blades slashing through the air. They quickly separated the monsters from each other, ensuring that it would be six against one. This left the Moon Maiden against the Iron Born. And the knight, realizing that this one would be a challenge, began moving toward her.

Diana immediately guessed she was being challenged, and stepped forward, blade coming up. "Better fall back, Elder," she stated. "If you die, Lyra will have my head."

The Elder nodded, though it was clear she wanted to help somehow. She immediately joined the children, pulling two short swords from unseen holsters.

The Iron Born lifted his massive blade as the Chosen approached, then launched its first attack. Diana quickly ducked under its overhead swing, slashing with her blade as she started analyzing its fighting style and armor. Some of it was to her liking. The rest… not so much.

If there was anything the Solari had ever complemented her on during her time at the Shrine, it was her uncanny ability to analyze her opponent's capabilities after a single strike. Not even Leona could do that, and she had been considered their finest. It was part of the reason she and the Radiant Dawn had been so devastating as a team during sparring practice. And here, it proved useful once again.

The revenant was trained to use its mass to its fullest extent to take out the enemy as fast as possible. Its armor covered its body completely, with the usual weaknesses one would find. And it had the added advantage of already being sort of dead, so it did not need to worry about pain and death. So, a head-on clash would prove disastrous.

Thankfully, it was still constrained by the same limitations a living warrior would have in a similar situation. It moved slower, meaning she had the advantage in speed and agility. She was far more intelligent. And thanks to her training under the Solari, she was also far more adaptable.

So, as the creature brought its blade up again, she quickly located the various weaknesses in the armor. Weaknesses she quickly moved to exploit.

Her blade came up and striking the revenant under its right armpit. She cut through it easily, as if it was actual flesh. It even reacted like a limb, though it did vanish before hitting the ground. 'Okay, I'm a lot stronger than I thought,' she thought. Something she would have to study later. But not now, as she quickly rolled to avoid a sideswipe. When she returned to her feet, she saw that the Iron Born's limb had already been restored. The monster cackled.

"Hmm, this will take longer than expected," she mused.

LOL

Kespina watched as the Lunari warriors battled the Mist Creatures, her eyes tracking each movement. It was one thing to watch them spar, but quite another to watch them in an actual battle. In sparring, they held back, especially against the children they were teaching. In battle, they didn't have to.

The Mist Creatures were no pushovers, of course. Their claws and teeth were sharp, and their reach was long enough to help them hold their own. There was also the little detail that they weren't alive and could feel no pain.

And the Iron Born…

The fact that it not only survived a blow from the Moon's Chosen and restored the arm, showed that conventional methods would not be very effective. They needed a different tactic.

She looked at the Runic Stone in her hand, then back to the battle. She had an idea of what to do, but needed to figure out the finer details.

She quickly turned around, handing the Runic Stone to Serena before grabbing her sword and shield from Darien. "Hold onto that!" she ordered. I'm going to need both hands for this!"

Serena didn't complain. She simply nodded, backing up as Kespina readied herself.

It was good that she did, as one of the creatures knocked down several fighters, immediately making a beeline for them. Kespina met it half way, her shield up to block its attack. Her legs buckled, but she stayed on her feet. 'Leo's training saves the day,' she thought, her sword burying itself in its sternum. Its bellows damn neared made her ears pop, though they weren't because of pain.

The monster raised its other hand, ready to bring it down on her. She braced herself for the upcoming hit.

And then the monster's head was separated from its shoulders.

LOL

In their efforts to stay alive or kill their opponent, Kespina and the creature had forgotten about the High Elder. The creature would soon regret this.

The Elder had taken the opportunity to slip behind the monster as it slammed into the Rakkor child, striking from behind. And while she had lost some of her speed, she had lost none of her skill.

It also taught her something about their adversary. Although they could move around like them, they weren't really comprised of flesh. Cutting through them was as easy as slicing through air. The creature's dissolution proved that last part.

Kespina straightened up, somewhat surprised. "Thank you," she said.

The Elder smiled. "You're welcome." Her gaze hardened as she turned around. "Alas, I think I only bought us a brief reprieve. While we can destroy its physical form, it will simply reform it in a moment."

Lending weight to her observation, the shadows began to consolidate again, drifting forward again. Kespina brought her blade up again, ready to fight even as they backed up, getting closer to the others.

Luckily for them, the shadow suddenly dissipated as it came closer. This confused them… until they turned to look behind them.

Serena and Amy were staring wide-eyed at the Runic Stone clasped in their hands, surprised. For its part, it simply shone on, letting out a soothing pink light.

Kespina grinned as a rather good idea came to her. "I think we have our means of destroying the Mist," she noted.

LOL

Diana managed to evade another overhead strike, going through her options. She didn't have that many.

She knew that she needed to 'kill' the revenant with a strike to either 'heart' or head, as if it were still alive. And she certainly had the speed and intelligence to pull it off. The problem she had was her opponent. Despite heavy armor's weaknesses, against an undead abomination it meant very little. The chest plate was intact, meaning his chest was well protected. And she had taken notice of the gorget it wore. It was discolored but intact, giving it protection from a blow that could decapitate it.

In short, it had an almost impenetrable defense, and she wasn't sure she had the strength to overcome it.

Luckily for her, the Iron Born seemed to still operate as it did when it was alive. It was slower than her, giving her plenty of time to devise a plan of attack. Ducking under another attack, she put that plan into action.

Diana leaped into the air as the Iron Born drew back for another attack, soaring over its head. Her khopesh lashed out, hitting the back of his helmet with enough force to create sparks. Before it could fully turn around, she moved again, leaping over its left side, striking again. Again, her aim was true, striking the helmet.

It looked like she was trying to break through the helmet, but that wasn't quite the case. She was systematically testing it for weaknesses, trying to see if there was any give. And lo and behold, the helmet moved with that last strike. One last dodge as its sword slammed into the ground, and she jumped again, striking again. This time, it was with a powerful kick, knocking the helmet off. It hit the ground, rolling away.

As it turned out, the Iron Born was also learning. The second she landed and turned around, she was greeted by a closed fist. Her arms rose, barely preventing the blow from hitting her face. Still, it was strong enough to knock the air out of her and off her feet. Hitting the ground, she struggled to catch her breath before it could come and finish the job. 'Guess there are some limitations to being a Chosen,' she thought.

Thankfully, she kept her grip on her blade and hadn't accidentally cut herself on it. Sitting up, she saw the revenant turn toward the Lunari, possibly believing she was temporarily out of commission. It didn't even bother collecting its helmet.

That was its last mistake.

Finally getting enough air in her lungs and returning to her feet, Diana charged forward. She saw the helmet dissolve in her peripheral, making a beeline for its owner. It had become a foot race. She had only a moment to strike before it reformed, and she was pretty certain that she wouldn't get a second chance.

The revenant turned around as if realizing that she was back in the fight. But by that point, it was too late. The helmet mist was only starting to settle over its 'head' when she struck.

That 'head,' helmet fully forming a split second later, hit the ground.

The rest of its body followed suit a mere second later.

Diana blinked. She did it—she beat a Revenant of the Mists, and it only took her ten minutes. She couldn't wait to tell Leo about this. But as she thought this, she remembered that there were those abominations as well. They would have to deal with them first.

Whirling around, she saw that the second one had finished throwing the last of the defenders away, and made a beeline for her, 'teeth' gnashing. She brought her blade up.

It got within range, brought a clawed hand up… and promptly dissipated. It never even had the chance to strike her. The body of the Iron Born also vanished, seemingly drifting away to wherever it would go.

Confused by this, Diana slowly looked left and right before looking behind her. She blinked. "Huh…"

The kids grinned, the Runic Stone glowing brightly before them. "We figured out how to banish them from the mountain," Amy explained cheerfully.

Diana nodded dumbly, before mentally smacking herself. Of course, they should have just used the Runic Stone. It had been keeping the Mist contained for centuries, after all. All it needed was some human interaction to be even more useful. "Well, thank you."

Her gaze shifted, taking in the entire battlefield. "By the Void," she whispered.

"Indeed," the Elder agreed.

Of the dozen Lunari warriors who had come to Diana's aid, only two were starting to rise. Six were shifting about, clearly in pain from injuries inflicted by the monsters. Diana knew how they felt, as her bruised ribs protested her drawing breath.

Still, they fared better than the last four. They weren't moving, and they would never move again.

The Elder turned as Healers moved in, helping those still alive. "At least the Mists has been removed from our Enclave. Unfortunately, the removal of the Runic Stone may have removed our only protection from being located."

"You may have also just ensured that the Solari will not get their hands on your Runic Stone," a new voice responded, which Diana knew very well.

Turning toward the Shrine, she was surprised to see Sek, Korra, Jenaline, Lyra, Leona, and Aidonal approaching. "Elder Sek?" she got out. "Where did you all come from?!"

Korra pointed at the Shrine. "Apparently, this Shrine is connected to Auroral Triumph and no one knew it. By the way, we completely believe you about the Moon."

"Oh… okay."

Jenaline held up her bundle. "We found your notes," she replied. "And the Moon itself helped us."

"My notes…" She slapped her head. "That's right. I used an invisible ink and put them in Leona's trunk."

Leona blinked in confusion for a second, before realization set in and she groaned. "And I wrote my letters on them," she finished, looking at her. "You know, that's something you should have told me about when we started dating."

"I kinda forgot."

"Di!"

Sek chuckled at this, before sobering up. "Perhaps you should shelve that conversation until later," he suggested. "We have a more serious problem to contend with."

The Lunari Elder nodded, looking him up and down. "This month just keeps getting more and more interesting," she noted. "We now have two Solari Elders in our midst, both who wish to help us."

Sek shrugged. "As it turns out, we have similar goals and the same enemy. And I can assure you that your Shadestalker's mission was more successful than anyone could have imagined."

"Yes, speaking of her… Lyra!"

"Before you start yelling at her, I was already in the hallway when she showed up!" Korra quickly explained. "We were able to get her to the Runc Stone without anyone suspecting anything."

"And we learned some rather unfortunate truths along the way," Dorius added. "The Solari Runic Stone at the Temple was cracked and left that way deliberately."

Sek nodded. "We must speak with your Council immediately," he added. "I fear your Tribe is in far greater danger than you know."

The Elder nodded. "This way." She led Sek back toward the main settlement, Lyra following her.

Leona turned to her friends, brow arched as she thought of something. "How did you manage to get all of my letters?" she asked.

Dorius shuddered. "Let me put it this way, Leo," he replied. "I am never going to your house again."

Jenaline grinned. "By the way, Leo, we love your penmanship. I never knew you could be poetic. We're going to see if we can restore them so your girlfriend can read them."

Leona paled even as Diana perked up. "How about we go see what Sek has to tell us," she stammered, walking away. Aidonal and Kespina shook their heads in amusement as they followed.

Korra sidled up to Diana. "By the way, we're sorry we didn't help you with Rhia and the Elders," she said. "You didn't deserve what they did to you."

"You would have been killed," Diana reminded, smiling. "And if you had died, you wouldn't have been there to help Lyra. Thank you for that. And you're here now. That's something."

Korra returned her smile. It wasn't quite a friendship, but it was a start.

If only it hadn't come at a time of uncertainty.

LOL

The Council and Phenos were understandably horrified by Elder Sek's words. After all of this time, the Solari were coming for them, and they had the full force of an unstoppable army behind them. The most terrifying part was that they would simply be the beginning.

"We need to alert the other enclaves!" one Lunari Elder shouted. "We must gather our troops and prepare for battle!"

"It won't matter if we do!" another Elder retorted. "Even if we mobilize, we simply don't have the numbers necessary or the time needed to prepare for a siege!"

"Unfortunately, Elder Maria is correct." The High Elder held up a hand to stall any protests. "The Ra-Horak have over two thousand infantry at this point and a nigh impenetrable defense. And they will have the Rakkor Regiment at their disposal, with nearly forty thousand strong. We have, what? Six hundred shadestalkers? Two hundred archers? We may be able to do quite a bit of damage, but they will win through sheer attrition."

"What about your knowledge of the terrain?" Leona asked. "When brute strength isn't possible, stealth and guile might prove more effective, especially if we want to escape to the other enclaves."

"Except you can expect Phenketon to lead the attack personally," Sek reminded her. "And despite his age, he is still as deadly now as he was when he was a young man. He would most likely anticipate such actions. And since they now know of the hidden passageways, it won't take them long to find the one leading to that shrine."

The High Elder sighed. "Sadly, this is true. And simply evacuating to the other enclaves would be dangerous." She turned to Phenos. "What do you think, Elder Phenos?" she asked.

Phenos sighed. It was clear to everyone that what he was about to say didn't sit well with him. "Unfortunately, the other enclaves must look out for themselves. We must get this enclave and the Chosen out of Mount Targon as soon as possible."

"The Chosen?" one of the Lunari called out in disbelief. "Why do they have to leave?"

"Because they represent our best chance of reconciliation between our two faiths. Something that the current Solari do not know about, nor would believe if they were told. They would have to see it for themselves."

"By which point, the Elders would have them imprisoned or executed for high treason," Diana added, unconsciously rubbing her head as she did so. Clearly, her own narrow escape was still weighing on her mind.

The High Elder sat back. She had heard all the information, listened to all of the suggestions, and was now going through their options. "Elder Phenos is right," she stated. "The other enclaves will have to look out for themselves from here on out. Elders, return to your homes and have them seal all roads between them and us." She steeled herself. "We shall leave the mountain and brave the Shurima desert, and hope that we survive long enough to reach the settlements."

It was quiet, as everyone understood what she wasn't saying. If they survived, it would be a one-way trip for them. They would never be able to return. It would be their descendants that would have to return to fulfill their dream… if they even wanted to.

No more orders needed to be given. The other Elders acted, giving out directions to their subordinates. Supplies and weapons would need to be given to everyone in the enclave, and the vast archives would have to be moved post haste. And it would have to be done even faster.

Phenos walked over to his fellow Solari., looking somber. "Phenketon will arrive long before they have finished," he stated sadly. "We need to find a way to slow him down long enough for them to move the archives."

Sek nodded. "Agreed. But how?"

Aidonal frowned thoughtfully. "If I'm correct, There are only two ways for them to enclave: the entrance in the mountain range and the hidden door in the shrine. We'll need to find a way to delay them from getting in."

Leona nodded. "Di, I think you might be able to handle the Shrine."

"...I think I know where you're going with this. Because it's just hallways, we can find a way to set up traps that will keep them in a bottleneck."

Korra grinned. "Mind if I help you there?" she asked. "I've got a few ideas that might make things go a little faster."

"Sure. The more, the merrier."

Lyra nodded. "We'll have to do the same with the main entrance," she said. "We do have a pretty large supply of Lunari mines. It won't stop them, but it should slow them down a bit."

"Not a bad idea." Leona looked at her little sister. "Kes, how good are you at setting traps?" she asked.

Kespina blinked for a second, clearly not expecting to be part of the conversation. "Well… I did catch you and Adi in that net trap last winter solstice," she began hesitantly.

Aidonal grinned. "I knew you were behind that!" he declared triumphantly. "Now, can you do it again, but for a much larger group?"

Her own grin manifested itself. "Oh, I think I can. I'll get the others to help."

Sek turned to the others. "Acolytes Jenaline and Dorius, help Lyra with the Luna mines," he ordered. "And be swift about it. For as much as we know, the Solari are already on their way."

"Yes, Elder!" the two replied, before everyone headed out to complete their assignments.

Leona, Sek, Phenos and the High Elder all looked at each other. There wasn't much else they could do. All they could really do now… was pray that it was enough.

LOL

Phenketon sat in the main Council Chamber, remembering.

He remembered when the Sun shone upon him all of those decades ago. He remembered how he learned of his path to rise to the upper echelons of the faith. To show the blasphemers and heretics the full strength of the Solari. And for more than forty years before he became the High Elder, he had done just that.

He remembered the day when he had gone on that fateful hunting trip and met those two Lunari scum. They fell relatively quickly to his blade, but the cry of a child had caught his attention before he could leave. He had gone and investigated, and to his surprise, he found the child swathed in a fur blanket to stave off the cold.

Oh, how he wished to leave the child to die, or even grant her a mercy death! But a kernel of an idea began to form as he observed her. If he could have her raised amongst the Rakkor, then taught the ways of the Solari, he could achieve the ultimate victory against the Lunari.

His plan was initially successful. She grew up among the Rakkor for ten years before her guardian sent her to Auroral Triumph to continue her education.

As they all soon realized, she should have remained with the Rakkor. She was far too inquisitive, too intelligent. She was always asking questions, wondering about the Moon, its light, and where it stood. Punishments, regardless of severity, proved ineffective, and their last ditch effort of having Leona guide her back down the righteous path… well, they all knew how well that ended, didn't they?

So, his ultimate victory had been snatched from him, so he decided to achieve another kind of victory: destroying one of the last heretic enclaves on Targon. And now, Sek was not here to try and stop him.

His musings were cut short when the doors opened, admitting Thalaia. She looked particularly smug. "I take it you have found something," he noted.

Thalaia nodded. "Our warriors have located the door the traitors used to escape," she reported. "It leads directly to an old part of the Shrine that hasn't been used since the days of the Purge. If we are lucky, we can catch them in a pincer attack."

"And our forces are ready for such an attack?"

"They are."

Phenketon grinned as he rose, his armor glinting in the evening sun. "You will lead the assault from their main entrance. I will lead the attack from behind. None of them will escape the Sun's judgment this time." He nodded to himself as another idea came to him. "Also, do send an emmisary to the Rakkor settlements. We will need the Rakkor Regiment for this."

"Yes, High Elder."

Phenketon's grin became sinister. The time had come to rectify his mistake. And those who had sheltered Diana would be instrumental to her downfall.

He could think of no better punishment for their failure.