One Day, inside the lost Temple-city of Kaihun...

[The Underdweller]

Ataq, personal attendant of the Slann Mage Priest Tehe'Kha, looked in horror at the scene before him. The forest, which had seemed so calm and peaceful a short while ago, had become a hellish battlefield full of fleeing Saurus and charred horses.

The main ranks of their expeditionary force milled about in confusion as nightmarish living trees tore into their flank. A Salamander spouted fire wildly, obliterating an entire unit of Skink Skirmishers. Another, having eaten it's handlers, charged about the battlefield blindly, spitting out flames at anything it came near. The Temple Guard lay dead or dying around the base of the Slann's palanquin, some still feebly trying to drag themselves up to protect their lord.

****

Several weeks earlier, Ataq had been sitting by the granite throne of Tehe'Kha, daydreaming about going on a grand adventure. He imagined himself heroically fending off bloodthirsty Ogres and Humans as the Slann serenely sat in his chair, bathing his troops in divine power.

Exxcuuussse me, brother...

"Aaah!" Ataq leapt up in alarm, and whirled around.

A squad of Chameleon Skinks had entered the room, and were standing at his side. The patterns on their skin shifted continuously, allowing them to blend into the background even in the austere environment of the Eternity Chamber.

"Is it too much to ask you to arrange an appointment the normal way? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"A thousssand apologiesss..." said the Stalker, bowing in what may or may not have been mockery. "But we have important newss for our great leader."

Ataq dusted himself off and arranged his headdress. "Yes, well, I'll overlook it this time. Go ahead, but it had better be good."

"We have travelled far to the North, to locate those itemsss which have been lossst. Alasss, we are no nearer to their possssesion...But in the woods beyond the wastelandsss, we came across some rocksss."

Ataq blinked twice.

"They were arranged in a most... unussual manner, and the more we gazed upon them, the more we could not look away...they appeared to create patternss yet, they did not move...it wass all we could do not to remain entransssed and immobile, easy pickingsss for any enemy that might advansss upon ussss "

Ataq coughed. "Well, I suppose that, to the uneducated, some rocks arranged in a pretty way could seem meaningful. Now, unless you have anything important to report, you had better run off and do some more scouting or whatever it is you do. I am quite a busy Skink, you know."

The Stalker frowned. "Although I am not versssed in the waysss of the Old Oness as you are, brother, you should not take my wrodsss lightly...we know the waysss of nature, and these thingsss are not of thiss.."

He paused as a gasp was let out by the other Skink scribes waiting by the throne. Ataq turned to look behind him.

The Slann's finger trembled, ever so slightly, and then, for the first time in more than a century, his pale, thin arm lifted from it's place of rest, and pointed shakily in the direction of the exit.

Ataq stared in amazement, then turned to Temple Guard standing stiffly at the entrance. "It appears...it appears that His Holiness wishes to leave the Temple-Pyramid!"

He paced towards the door, enthusiastically. "There is no time to lose, we must form an expeditionary force at once! Inform General Xa'Xlanax!:"

The senior Temple Guard stepped forward and bowed in the direction of the throne "General "Xa'Xlanax marches upon enemies now."

"Well, then, inform Major Gar!"

"Major Gar is also out."

Ataq scratched his crest in frustration "Well, someone must have been left to guard our sacred ground! Who is currently in charge?"

"Captain Xapati"

"Ahh., " Ataq rubbed his chin, considering.

"Well, never mind, we wouldn't want to leave the Temple City undefended. We will have the great Tehe'Kha at our side, what better leadership could we ask for?"

He addressed the Temple Guard "Arrange for half of the Saurus and Guard to join us. Gather supplies for an extended journey. We march at dawn."

The Guard bowed again towards the throne, then departed.

Ataq spoke to the Chameleons. "And you, you will come with us and guide us to those stones you told me of. See if you can't round up a few more Skirmishers to help us out in case of trouble. And maybe some of those Salamander things, they seem like they'd be useful. Well, no time to lose, what are you waiting for?"

He turned to admonish the Chameleons, but they had already vanished as silently as they had appeared.

In frustration, he turned back to the other Skinks attending the Slann. “Well, you heard me! Don't just sit there, start packing!”

He beamed in anticipation, finally, a real adventure!

****

Good fortune had been with the expedition for the first fortnight. They had had no encounters on their journey to the north, and the game had been plentiful. In fact, Ataq had been composing several imaginary encounters in his head, in order to have something impressive to tell the other Skinks upon his return. Then, they had arrived at the forest.

The rock formations which the Chameleons had spoken were even more disconcerting than the report had indicated; although at first glance they seemed natural, but the longer he looked at them, the more a pattern began to emerge. In fact, they almost seemed to be spelling out some sort of message; could they have been left here by the Old Ones to divulge important information to those who discovered them? Yet they were nothing like the ancient scripts housed in the Temple-City. Despite a feeling of vertigo, Ataq found himself unable to look away. Alien words began to come unbidden to his mind...

A loud clattering sound broke Ataq's trance – turning, he saw that one of the Saurus warriors had fallen dead, pierced through the throat by an arrow. Looking up. he saw figures approaching, slender bowmen and lightly armoured cavalry with delicate features.

They were to be involved in a battle!

The Chameleon Skinks, more at home in the forest than in the Temple-City, had already slunk away to harass the enemy from hiding, and the Skirmish units quickly followed.

The unit commanders of the Saurus approached and stood at attention before the throne. “Your orders?”

The Slann's left eyelid twitched.

The Saurus turned and looked at Ataq for his interpretation.

“Hmm, ahh, yes. He says you should all march forward in an orderly line, and hit the enemy with your weapons. A lot. Until they are dead.”

The Saurus glanced at each other, then most senior of them saluted “Yes, my Lord.” They headed off to issue the orders to the troops.

The resulting battle had turned into a blood bath for both sides, but the Elves and their allies seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

Ataq peered past the dying Temple Guard into the dark woods beyond. Something was coming from the very heart of the forest; a group of elite Elfin warriors, their eyes gleaming fiercely as they bore down on the lone Slann.

Wide-eyed, Ataq dug his small claws into the Slann's shoulder and yelled shrilly into his ear.

“My Lord, I beg you, we must retreat! All is lost. Save yourself, I beg you!”

Tehe'Kha did not seem to acknowledge the entreaty. However, the hovering palanquin began to glide slowly back towards the edge of the forest. The Mage-Priest glowed with the magical power he had drawn from the earth. But, something seemed wrong; Usually the Slann's power seemed almost limitless, but today, despite being in desperate straits, only a very faint aura of magic, as weak as a newly trained Skink Priest's, surrounded the ancient being.

Ataq ducked down behind the large body of the Slann as a spear made of pure magical energy drove itself into his lord's flesh. The Slann did not appear to react, yet his skin, usually a muddy greenish colour, became grey, and his slime hardened to form a natural layer of armour, covering the Mage. Vines from the forest floor rapidly grew up the palanquin and sprouted large thorns, pointing outward.

The lithe warriors threw themselves at the Slann in vain, their weapons unable to penetrate the newly created armour, their bodies pierced by the vicious thorns of the vines.

Ataq stuck his head up from behind his lord long enough to ineffectually poke his small spear at one of the Elves as they turned to flee. The Saurus had finally managed to rout the Treekin, and the Salamanders incinerated the last few Elven archers.

Ataq lowered his tiny weapon and sighed in relief. He was about to speak when he heard an unfamiliar voice coming from beside him on the throne.

“Aaacursssed” - The Mage Priest had spoken in little more than a whisper, but the word was clearly audible to all nearby.

Ataq climbed up to the top of the throne in order to be more visible, and raised his arms. “My fellow Lizards, the illustrious Tehe'Kha has spoken! This land has been forsaken by the Old Ones. Let us depart immediately!

The troops needed no further persuasion. Gathering what supplies they could from their fallen comrades, they formed up and doggedly began their long march back to Kaihuan.

Ataq sunk back, exhausted, into his position on on the arm of the throne. He would survive to return home after all, and have a real adventure to tell his spawn mates. He hoped he would not have another for a long while.

Next Chapter: Massacre at Ogre Pass

[job]

Well done. You have a real balance of humor and description in the story that makes it exceedingly enjoyable to read.