It had been a long morning for Prince-Regent Shining Armor. The search for the late night intruder had ended with a lot of terrified crystal ponies that needed calming and reassuring but no sign of the shadowy creature itself. The Prince-Regent had planned on catching at least a few hours of sleep once the search had ended but the timely arrival of the experts along with a company of Solar Guards from Canterlot had crushed those ideas. So, after assigning patrol patterns and guard posts to the new reinforcements, he had accompanied the academic Mica and Tomes to the shrine of the Crystal Heart where they began their investigation.

“No traces of portal residue; No signs of teleport after images…” Mica looked up from her device designed to detect magical workings. “Prince Armor, are you sure that the creature came through rifts in the air?”

Armor sighed and rubbed his temples. This would be the eighth time he had explained what had happened to them.

“Yes, Ms. Mica." He answered while keeping the annoyance out of his voice. "It came through cracks that had formed in mid-air like breaches in a dam.”

The crystal mare murmured something that Armor did not catch and returned to her instruments. Dusty Tomes, meanwhile, was busy interviewing Carbon Copy, the captain of the Crystal Guard and one of the first ponies on the scene other than the royals.

“Are you saying that this ‘smoke monster’, as you call it, actually held its own against the Crystal Heart?” Tomes asked excitedly.

The Crystal Heart was supposed to be the supreme power of the Frozen North, even more so with the aid of Princess Cadenza's magic. Few beings in existence could possibly hope to challenge the power of joy and even fewer the power of love. Yet, according to eye-witness testimony from several crystal ponies and the Prince himself, the stygian beast had done both at the same time. Granted, it ultimately lost but the fact that it stood a chance was impressive.

“I'm just telling you how I saw it.” Copy responded. “The freak just rammed itself against the dome created by the Princess and Prince and almost broke it!”

“Fascinating!” Dusty jotted down the captain’s statement alongside others he had interviewed. “If what you say is true, combined with the fact that this creature can shift from a gaseous cloud to a solid form, then I can safely say…”

The unicorn spread his front legs into the air for dramatic effect, a trick he had learned from observing bickering nobles.

“…I have no idea what this thing is!” He announced.

“Give it…*yawn* ...your best guess.” Armor said between yawns. "Any information could be helpful."

The bookish stallion pulled out a worn tome, a bestiary of Equestria's animals and monsters, and started flipping through it.

“Well, the creature could be a wraith; an undead spectral being that could shift between solid and incorporeal forms, but they tend to look like the physical body of the deceased and are generally a sickly green or pale blue, not ink black.” Tomes rattled off as he adjusted his glasses.

Armor nodded simply as the zoologist read through his source. He had heard of ghosts before but had never encountered one. Most ponies, including his sister, dismissed the undead as tall tales from a bygone age and he was no different. Then again, legends had a habit of coming true in Equestria.

“While I certainly hope not, the creature could also be a form of demon; a displaced denizen of Tartarus." The bespectacled unicorn said with trepidation. "They don’t exactly follow the normal laws of magic and it's possible one followed that red centaur out.”

The Prince felt a chill run down his spine. The worst of the worst were confined to the Infernal Pits of Tartarus but he had heard that those actually born in that literal hellhole made them all look like saints. Granted, that was a low bar to clear.

“That would explain why I can’t find any trace of teleport or portal magic.” Mica piped up from behind the Crystal Heart. “It simply didn't use any to get here.”

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Armor murmured to himself.

“Do you want to know what I think?” Copy interjected, eager to add his two cents to the lot. “I think this thing came from another dimension. I mean, no way this thing is a local.”

This statement earned a stifled giggle from Mica and a raised eyebrow from his superior. Dusty was a bit more cordial.

“It’s possible." Tomes said as he shut the book. "Hey, anything is possible until we find it.”

Mica stopped giggling and looked at her companion, confused.

“Find it? How?" She asked. "According to the Prince here, it was blown to bits by the Heart.”

“Simple, we look for said bits.” The unicorn stated matter-of-factually. "Unless it was vaporized, there should be something out there."

“My guards and I already scoured the city." Armor informed them. "We didn't find any trace of the thing.”

“Oh, I'm sure your eagle-eyed troops left no stone unturned." Mica rolled her eyes. "Did you check out in the wastes?”

“Our priority was the city." The white unicorn admitted. "We didn't check beyond the outskirts.”

“Well then, I guess we’ll start there.” Tomes put away his book and turned to face his companion. “Want to come along, Mica?”

“Might as well." The mare fiddled a little with her device before stashing it in her pack. "I'm not getting anywhere in here.”

The two move to leave only to find the exit blocked by Armor.

“I don’t like the idea of you two going out there, especially if this monster is still lurking about." He said seriously.

"Hmm... 'lurking about'...lurking..." The eccentric unicorn missed the Prince-Regent's warning. "Lurker. It's fitting."

"Excuse me?" The white stallion arched an eyebrow.

"The creature." Tomes clarified. "Unless we determine it is an already categorized species, I suggest we call it the Lurker. Sorry, I have a thing for labels."

"Well, the Lurker has proven to be very powerful and is likely dangerous if it still lives." Armor reiterated his previous point. "Do either of you have any combat experience?”

“Uh…I know a few stun spells.” The bespectacled unicorn offered as his horn lit up slightly.

Mica gave a few experimental kicks with her hind legs. She knew how to buck and had a can of pepper spray in her pack but not much beyond that.

“That’s what I thought.” Armor had to suppress a laugh at the weak display. "They are just civilians so I shouldn't be too harsh."

“It’s dangerous to go into the wastes alone." The Prince-Regent warned. "Take Captain Copy here and a few Solar Guards, just to be safe.”

“As you wish, your highness.” Dusty turned to the guard captain. “We’ll meet you at the East Gate, Captain. Do hurry.”

Carbon nodded in affirmation. Satisfied, Armor stood aside to let the two pass. Once they were out of earshot, Copy caught his prince’s attention.

“Four-eyes is a little…strange." He said testily. "Don’t you think?”

“He’s a unicorn from Canterlot." The white unicorn born and raised in Canterlot replied candidly. "Everypony there is a little eccentric to some degree.”

Copy nodded in assent. He then quickly checked to make sure the visitors were out of earshot and dropped his voice to a whisper.

“I think Mica likes me. I swear every time she bent over she shook her rear at me." He punctuated this with a low whistle. "I wouldn't mind covering her flanks if you know what I mean."

“Captain, I am too tired and too married to have any idea what you're talking about.” Armor rolled his eyes and shook his head in disapproval.

“Oh. Sorry, sir.” The Crystal Captain said sheepishly.

“It’s fine." The Prince-Regent rubbed the sides of his head. "Now get your team together and meet them at the east gate, on the double.”

“Sir!” Copy snapped a quick salute and left the room.

Armor sluggishly exited the Crystal Heart chamber and made his way to his next challenge: climbing the winding set stairs to his bedroom. Try as they might, neither he nor Cadence had managed to undo the enchantment that prevented anyone from teleporting up the flight without expending more magic than was necessary. His wife had the advantage of wings. He did not.

“Words cannot describe how much I hate Sombra right now.” The Prince-Regent thought about halfway up the stairs. “He’s probably enjoying a good laugh between screams of torment right now.”

After what felt like an eternity, the white unicorn managed to make it to the end of the climb and to the landing outside his room. Now close to collapse, the stallion entered his bedroom to find Cadence brushing her mane.

“Ah, you’re up." The sight of his wife lifted his spirits considerably. "How are you feeling?”

“Good as new.” The pink Alicorn answered after putting the finishing touch of curl in her mane.

She had been recuperating from the battle with the Lurker while her husband had searched the city. Armor approached her and gently embraced her, mindful of her freshly brushed mane.

“Glad to hear it." He said softly as he nuzzled her cheek. "You just missed Mica and Dusty Tomes, our experts from Canterlot. They are an interesting pair."

"So are we." Cadenza said coyly before Armor denied the comparison with a shake of his head. "Oh. You meant partners, not lovers."

"As far as I know." The Prince-Regent shrugged as he released his wife and trudged toward the bed. "I sent Copy and a few Solar Guards out with them into the wastes to look for any evidence of the creature that Tomes has dubbed the Lurker.”

"Lurker." The pink Princess repeated with a shiver. "Creepy."

"And dead, hopefully." The sleep-deprived stallion climbed into the large bed after taking off his red regalia. "We won't know for sure until they return."

“I hope they bring with good news.” Cadence said, glancing out their window into the city beyond.

“I'm... *yawn* ...sure they will.” Armor let out a long yawn. “Can you handle running the empire for a while? I'm about to crash.”

“Of course, dear." The Alicorn of Love smiled. "I’ll wake you when they've returned.”

The Crystal Princess was about to exit the room and leave her husband to his rest when an idea came to her. They were alone and the empire could run itself for about an hour if need be. She turned back to the bed and added a sultry air to her voice.

“You know, Shiny, now that you’re free, we could finish what we started last night...” She hinted whilst playing with a curl of her mane.

A loud snore from the bed was her only response. Cadence could only sigh in disappointment. She quietly exited the room and left her husband to his dreams.

“Timber!” The cry rang out through the pine forest as legionaries stood back.

With a mighty crash, another tree was felled by the axes of the industrious legions. Immediately, a swarm of workers descended upon the new log and began hacking off limbs and stripping off the bark. All throughout the winter forest, they worked tirelessly to create the necessary components for their siege engines; logs for rams, branches for ladders, and twine for trebuchets. These pieces would then be carted alongside the legion to the Crystal Empire. Once there, the machines of war would be assembled and ready to bring ruin to the defenders of the city along with the main body of Dugore's forces. The armored warmaster himself wandered about the work camp, overseeing the fabrication of his engines. While he would have preferred they be made of iron and steel, those materials were in short supply so he made do with the wood of the arctic forest. Beside him was a rather nostalgic Sombra and his dull-eyed thrall, Spinel.

“Ah, this takes me back.” The tyrant said wistfully. “The overcast skies of midday, a lovely thrall at my side and the sounds of industry filling the air. It’d warm my heart if I still had one.”

“Speaking of hearts...” The draconic marauder rumbled. “How do you propose we overcome the crystal one that protects the empire?”

“As I told you before, we strike fear into the hearts of the crystal ponies and that damned relic will fail." The wraith repeated for what he felt was the hundredth time. "Once it does, we swoop in and take the city.”

“You are gambling on the hope that the defenders will fear us.” Dugore shook his head, unsatisfied.

“Did you hit your head when you crashed through that fort gate?" Sombra stopped and looked at the warlord like he had just turned pink. "Of course they’ll fear us! Look at what happened back at the fort?”

The slaver pointed a ghostly hoof at the crystal ponies dragging a fallen tree to a carpenter's workshop.

“Watch your tongue, wraith.” The warmaster growled through clenched teeth before he explained his caution. “The Crystal Empire has faced threats ranging from plagues to immortal dragon princes. Compared to that, my legions, dreaded though they may be, seem rather…mundane.”

Sombra frowned. He did not like where this was going.

“The Marked Legions are normal, flesh and blood soldiers. With the exception of you and I, they are nothing the crystal ponies have not faced before." Dugore continued. "With their walls and Equestria ready to send reinforcements at moment’s notice, I doubt your former slaves will surrender to terror as readily as you think.”

“You give those ungrateful horses too much credit, you daft lizard!" The normally composed Sombra exploded in anger, his caustic eyes ablaze with fury. "The crystal ponies are cowards; lowly lickspittles! At the first sign of trouble, they scatter and hide like the cockroaches they are!”

In a feat of patience most would not expect from one in his line of work, Dugore refrained from pulverizing the incensed ghost. He did, however, slam an armored fist into a tree to silence the ranting tyrant. This also gained the attention of the nearby legionaries.

“For a bunch of cowards, they fought to the end at the fort!” The beast snarled. "Under the command of someone with some semblance of competence and skill, even the weakest of them stood against us!"

Sombra lost a bit of steam as what Dugore had said began to sink in. Despite his low opinion on his subjects, he had to admit they could put up a fight when backed into a corner.

“No. With an Alicorn and veteran of the Solar Guard commanding the city, I won’t gamble on the chance that the ponies’ fear of the legions will eclipse their love for their leaders.” The lash of the legion concluded.

“Hmm, I see your point.” The spectral king said, deflated. "Forgive my earlier outburst. My feckless slaves are a bit of a sore point for me.

Dugore only grunted. With his plan shot to pieces, Sombra absently stroked his chin as he tried to think of a new strategy for the siege of the empire. His face lit up as the inner machinations of his mind produced another, more subtle, tactic.

“Perhaps we have gone about this the wrong way.” Sombra said slyly, his calm demeanor having returned. “We've been thinking in terms of might and magic. What if we tried something…sneaky?”

“Ah, you mean a saboteur.” Dugore tapped the part of his helmet where his chin would be. “Yes, if it’s not the barbarians at the gate, it’s the snake in the grass, as the saying goes.”

“Indeed. If we get somepony on the inside and have them...disable...the Crystal Heart, it’ll level the playing field a bit in our favor. Hmhmhm.” Sombra chuckled darkly at what he thought was a brilliant plan.

“There is just one problem with your plan.” The armored warlord criticized.

“And what would that be?” Sombra stopped chuckling and gave the warlord a raised eyebrow.

“Look around, Sombra." Dugore gestured to the motley crew of creatures he called the Marked Legions who had returned to their duties after the two had not come to blows. "Do any of these beings look like anything the crystal ponies will allow into their city?”

The undead slaver scanned across the brutish, savage, and malignant legionaries. Not one looked like it belonged in any form of polite society. His gaze fell on the ponies that they had recruited from the fort.

“What about those crystal ponies you press-ganged?” He suggested.

“No. Their loyalties are questionable at best." The armored dragon thought about it for a moment before he shook his head again. "They might undermine their former home but they could just as likely switch allegiances again and alert the city to our approach. Then we’re right back where we started.”

He looked down at the mare by Sombra’s side.

“What about your thrall?” He asked.

“Oh, defiantly not!” Sombra said a little too quickly.

He paused to check his tone and explained, carefully.

“She can’t follow complex instructions without me spelling out each step yet and besides…” He waved a hoof in front of Spinel's glazed over eyes. “…it’s obvious something is wrong with her.”

The two stood in silence as they tried to think of an appropriate candidate for the proposed infiltration. After a few minutes, Dugore sighed roughly and continued his walk through the work camp.

“Hrmph. Fates willing, we’ll find our spy by the time we’re finished here. Otherwise, we’ll have to take the city the hard way.” He rumbled.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll come to us.” Sombra offered as he joined his partner in conquest.

The creature now known as the Lurker let out a groan of annoyance as it entered yet another collapsed section of the mines. It had spent the last few hours wandering around the excavation looking for anything that may aid in its quest to learn more of the world at large, constantly having to double back whenever its path ended in a cave in or a gaping chasm. So far, all it had found were some rusted mining instruments, a few crystal formations, and the odd workstation. None of these things had proven helpful. The shadowy figure checked the map to find that despite its considerable time investment, a large part of the mine remained unexplored.

“This is ridiculous.” It thought. “I’ll take me hours to search the whole mine.”

It was about to turn around and give up when something on the map caught its eye. Most of the tunnels lead into one another but one nearby just ended suddenly. The cartographer had circled the dead end and sketched what looked like a skull and crossbones beside it; a warning.

“Alright then, last one, then I'm leaving.” The stygian stalker decided.

The Lurker identified the tunnel of interest and started down it. Along the way, it noticed that the ground transitioned from cracked stone and loose dirt to smooth marble. It stopped and looked around the tunnel to find that the long gone miners had broken into some sort of sunken structure.

“This might be part of a lost city.” The dimensional shambler observed. “It would not be the first time an earthquake sank one.”

As it made its way into the subterranean structure, it spotted the rotted remains of equines strewn about the floor. The Lurker manifested a set of saber-like talons as it passed a withered cadaver missing its head. For all it knew, whatever had slain the ponies was still in the building.

“Those are precise cuts.” The eldritch being mused as it stooped down to inspect a corpse. "And the wounds look like they were cauterized. Heat beams, perhaps?"

It used its talons to cut through the soiled clothes and rummaged through them. It did not find much besides lint and a few coins. Taking the paltry amount into his tenebrous form, the void escapee cut the saddlebags off the corpse and upturned them. A few pieces of parchment with the indecipherable writing on them and a ring fell out. The Lurker picked up the ring and inspected it. It was a simple thing made of iron; cold iron.

"Anti-Magic." It thought as it turned over the ingenious yet insidious band in its talons. "The bane of any spellcaster."

The more secular mortals had forged them as a hard counter to the arts produced by their more magically inclined ilk. A simple one like it was holding could put a damper on any unicorn. With some modification, it could turn even the most powerful of sorcerers into a squishy target.

"This could come in handy." The Lurker thought as it absorbed the ring into its body for safe keeping. "Especially since it appears magic has become far more prevalent."

The dark creature straightened up and moved deeper into the sunken edifice. Before long, it saw a faint glow shining through the darkness beyond a cracked archway. The voidian escapee readied its talons as a precaution and passed beneath the crumbling support. The Lurker found itself in a circular chamber filled with rotted wooden pews, long melted wax candles and dust covered pulpits. In the center stood a statue carved from some type of stone that glowed with an inner light that illuminated the area. It depicted a tall, handsome stallion draped in long, flowing robes. Clasped in his hooves was a tarnished golden sunburst. The former exile knew this figure well.

“The Lord of the Sun.” It said aloud as it respectfully nodded its head toward the icon. "Or at least, what the mortals thought he looked like. That makes this one of his temples."

The shadowy being looked about the sanctum to see more corpses of equine miners along with gilded armored figures that seemed to have collapsed where they stood. The Lurker approached one and tapped it on the helm. A bit of dust fell out of the tarnished sentry but nothing more.

"I don't recall sun worshipers ever forming a chamber militant." The Lurker thought. "Those must have truly been dark times for the likes of them to take up arms."

It turned its attention away from the silent sentry and toward the altar in front of the statue. Laid across it was a body covered in a white and gold veil embroidered with symbols of the solar faith. The Lurker stood before the still form and gingerly lifted the cloth. Beneath was the desiccated face of a long-dead unicorn mare with a sun emblem tattooed around her horn.

"A Light Keeper; acolyte of the sun." The dark being recognized the rank denoting symbol. "They are usually cremated upon death but it appears she was at least given the proper rites. I wonder..."

Curious, the tenebrous terror stuck a talon in the late acolyte's mouth and carefully pried it open. Just past the browned teeth, he spotted the glint of a coin. Satisfied, the Lurker closed her mouth and made a reverent gesture over her body.

"Rest easy, sister of the Solar Circle." It intoned. "While you have been delivered to a darker place, you will be among your brothers and sisters."

The stygian wanderer was about to recover the Light Keeper when he noticed something clutched in her forehooves across her chest. It looked closer to see it was a small, bound book. The dark creature was about to take it when it hesitated.

"I know how this works." The Lurker thought as it glanced behind it at the still sentinels. "One of you is going to attack me the moment I touch something sacred."

Keeping an eye out for any impending traps, the tenebrous being grasped the simple book and carefully slid it out of the acolyte's hooves. When nothing arose to confront him and the ceiling did not start collapsing, it picked up its prize and inspected the cover. It bore the same sun symbol as the Light Keeper but it did not appear to be a book of scripture and sermons. The Lurker popped the flimsy bind keeping the tome close and scanned through the first few pages.

"Ah, a journal." The stygian stalker mused. "And its written in Low Imperial. Finally, something I can read."

The first few pages covered the Light Keeper's younger years from her days as an initiate to her confirmation and induction into the Solar Circle's ranks. Judging from the few context clues she had written, the mare had joined sometime after his exile during a time the faithful called the Downfall.

"War had broken out among the ruling Lords and Ladies and their mortal allies leading to the eponymous downfall of their regime." The nebulous creature read to itself. "Hmm. I figured as much."

What followed did not offer much insight for the followers of the Sun had isolated themselves from a world consumed by conflict. There were considerable gaps in the journal that the Lurker could only assume came from its owner being busy with her duties. The voidian creature skipped ahead to the last few entries where the acolyte had resumed.

"I have lost count of the years since I came to this temple. It must have been a few millennia at least. The divine light of our patron continues to sustain me, allowing me to live far beyond the mortal span. Immortal, I am not, however. My mane is gray and my hooves tremble even as I write this. I do not fear death but I am not looking forward to it."

"Longevity has its drawbacks." The Lurker mused before he went to the next entry.

"I am alone. I have been for a while but it has finally dawned like the new day on me. The rest have either passed into the realm of the Lord of Shades or abandoned our ways and embraced the iniquity of the world beyond our walls. I was tempted to follow them but this temple has been my home for years. Even if I was not duty-bound to maintain it, I cannot abandon it. Besides, so long as the light of our Solar Lord shines, I am never truly alone."

"Raiders came to the walls today. I recognized one of my former sisters among them, Darkness take her! They knew of the gold relics we used in our rituals. While they did not have the means to immediately breach the walls, they would work their way through in time. I was not about to let them pillage the sanctum but I am no warrior. But I do know how to acquire some. I need time to prepare."

"Oh?" The voidian creature glanced at the armored figures.

"The justice of the Solarii is swift and precise. The interlopers were laid low and their bodies purified in holy fire including that of the heretic. Normally, the Sentinels of the Sun are retired once their services are no longer needed but it is a nice change of pace to have some company that shares my faith. The warmth of my patron still fills my soul but his silence is deafening."

"Solarii." The Lurker read the word again. "Interesting."

"I now know why the Solarii are kept separate from the rest of us. Their zeal and wrath would make even the most fanatical of my old siblings look like a faithless heathen. It is all I can do to prevent them from leaving the temple and burning the rest of the world on a pyre. I suspect that the small fraction of our patron's divine Solar Essence that grants them their power has warped them into fanatical templars. I would return them to their slumber but I have seen more raiders nearby and I fear leaving my home undefended."

"Joyous Day! I visitor has come to my temple. Not a raider but a young mare raised as nobility and well-read; she even speaks Imperial albeit roughly and with a horrible accent. She claims to be an adventurer on a quest with her sister to undo the chaos and discord that has ruled this world for so long. I doubt her chances of success but I am so thankful just to have somepony to talk to. She has shown particular interest in the Solarii who, oddly enough, seem to favor her. They call her a 'Child of the Sun'. I have not heard this title before but it might just be a formality. Regardless, this might be my only chance to preserve the Solar Circle before my light sets and the way is lost forever. Thus I am entrusting everything I have to this brave mare; our scriptures, relics, how to create Solarii, everything I can think of. The old Light Keeper would have chastised me for giving away our practices to a non-believer but I see no other option."

"That was rather reckless." The ancient entity mused. "She could have very well given the tools of conquest to a tyrant."

"Blackest Night! I received another visitor to the temple not long after the Sun Child. He was a Scion of Chaos, a twisted and evil draconequus. The mare must have used what I taught her against him as, and I quote, 'his puppets have been suffering from a bad case of sunburn lately'. I tried to protest but he only laughed in my face, literally, and told me that 'he doesn't want party-poopers spoiling his fun'. The fiend then used fell magic to uproot a mountain and then dropped it on the temple. The ancients knew what they were doing when they built this place so most of it is still standing but I am now trapped beneath the earth, hidden away from the holy Sun. Solar Lord give me strength!"

"Hmm. A draconequus. Possibly a spawn of the Lady of Strife." The Lurker mused. "That explains how this temple got down here. I should keep a watchful eye out for this trickster."

There was a period of blank entries until the tenebrous terror came upon the very last page. The acolyte's writing had become muddled and unsteady but was still legible. The dark creature inferred that age had set in and it was possibly her last words.

"I fear that my hour draws nigh. My bones ache and darkness now creeps into my vision. For several lifetimes, I have kept this temple; my home, my sanctuary and soon my tomb. The steadfast Solarii, my only companions in this horrid darkness, have promised to give me my last rites to ensure I pass into the Keeper of Souls' realm without issue. As my death approaches, I have begun to hear a voice. At first, I thought it was the Hand of Death calling my name but I was wrong. It was a message from my Solar Lord. After millennia of silence, he speaks to me. I would carve his testimony into stone but this piece of parchment will have to do.

“In a forest, untamed by fire, magic, or might lies a place without birds; a shade's delight.

Deep in the land where the Sun is blind, steadfast minions, one is sure to find.

Within His palace made of blackest stone, Awaken! Silent King upon His Immortal Throne!"

"This is the word of my god as revealed to me but it is only now, in the final moments of my life, that I realize this message is meant for someone else. I am but the humble messenger and I carry out my duty gladly. So to that blessed soul whom this message is directed toward, I wish you good luck on your quest. This is the final testament of Light Keeper Sunscryer, sister of the Solar Circle and humble servant of the Lord of the Sun.

Praise the Sun!"

The Lurker reread the short poem the Solar Lord had supposedly left with the acolyte. It could have just as easily been the last flights of fantasy from a dying equine but there were too many keywords and terms for him to ignore. The stygian stalker committed the passage to memory and placed the journal back with its late owner.

"Was that meant for me, old friend?" The voidan creature addressed the glowing statue. "If so, you have my gratitude. I only wish I could return the favor."

As the tenebrous being spoke, a second light illuminated the chamber. Unlike the warm, soft glow of the statue, this one was hot and blinding. The Lurker turned just as a beam of sunlight shot through the air and burned through its shoulder. The dark creature groaned in pain and held its arm close as the fiery magic threatened to sever the limb. A short distance away, one of the Solarii had roused from its stupor and was now standing in a combat stance with raw sunlight shining through the eye slots of its tarnished helm.

"INTERLOPER!" The zealot shouted with conviction. "TRESPASSER! INVADER! DEFILER!"

"Called it." The Lurker thought as it smothered the solar flame and quickly mended its shadowy form.

"Calm yourself, Solarii!" The dark creature shouted. "I mean no offense!"

"LIAR! YOU REEK OF THE CORRUPTION OF THE NETHERWORLD!" The maddened templar spat. "YOU ARE DEMONIC FILTH! LOWBORN HELLSPAWN!"

"I see the years have not been kind to his sanity." The intruder thought. "But I'm not surprised he can sense impurity."

"I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO THE PITS IN PIECES!" The Solarii raved as he charged up for another blast. "NO PITY! NO REMORSE! NO FEAR!"

"No mercy either." The Lurker retorted as it grabbed a nearby pew and flung it at the berserk sentry.

The rotten woods was reduced to cinders in an instant as the Solarii fired. The tenebrous terror charged the sentinel as it built up another shot and tackled him to the floor. It raised a talon with the intent of stabbing through the visor only for a blast of sunlight to vaporize its arm. The shadowy beast recoiled and roared in agony as its foe got to all fours and took aim for the coup-de-grace. Before it could fire, the Lurker suddenly melted into the shadows and vanished from sight. The mad templar responded by blindly firing off bolts into the darkness, heedless of the temple's precarious condition.

"I need to put an end to his madness before he brings this whole place down." The hidden horror thought. "I just need the proper tool."

"COWARD!" The Solarii shouted wildly. "QUIT SKULKING IN THE SHADOWS AND FACE A WORTHY FOE!"

"Hardly." The stygian stalker deadpanned as tenebrous tendrils manifested from the shadows and wrapped around a pickax courtesy of a dead miner.

The tarnished sentry did not notice his impending demise until he heard the whoosh of something being swung. He let out a tortured scream as the old tool pierced his equally ancient armor just below his skull. The Lurker emerged from the darkness as it held the sun-blessed sentry in place. With a hard tug, it tore a gash through the armor that ran along the Solarii's spine. The templar fell to the ground as sunlight shone out from his wound, shuddering and convulsing violently. Smaller beams of solar energy shot out from the sentinel as his compromised armor fell apart.

"Nine Hells! That armor was the only thing keeping his power stable!" The stygian creature realized and immediately headed for the only exit. "Of course they would explode upon defeat; make sure you take your foe with you."

Its deduction proved true as the stricken Solarii let out one last cry of zeal before detonating in a blast of solar fire. The shock of the explosion pushed the sunken temple past the tipping point and it began to collapse. The Lurker dared not slow his pace or look behind it as a wave of broken marble, loose earth and stone filled up the once sacred space. Only once it had reentered the mines did the dark creature pause. The sound of muffled rumbling filled the air but it appeared that the cave in was confined to the subterranean structure. After a few moments, the noise subsided and all was quiet once more.

"At least this venture was not a total loss. I learned a bit about what happened in my absence in addition to an intriguing poem." The nebulous entity thought as it composed itself and headed back through the mines toward the surface. "An untamed forest, a place without birds and a silent king... a good start but I still need to know more."

This chapter went through several drafts. I hope you like the results.