placed into a ten thousand degree furnace, white-hot.

The Lance of Ascalon began to absorb the energies output by the ancient items locked onto its hilt. It vibrated with an increasing rate until a penetrating hum filled the air atop Monks Mound.

Acting only on instinct, Ina thrust the lance back down into the earth, and then jumped toward her friends. The four of them, entwined, rolled down over the slope of the mound as the power building up in the lance spread outward and shot deep below them.

Monks Mound imploded. From the top down the tremendous mass of soil fell in on itself, a misshapen pyramid inverting. The grassy apex folded as some force beneath it gave way.

Ina, Safa, Paz and Wilder grabbed at the side of the mound as they fell, until they caught hold with hand or claw...

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