Ahh, dawn. The birds are singing, the flowers are open, the huge metal monstrosity is churning away, ripping everything in it's wake to shreds. What a beautiful day! Yes, as luck would have it, the repair crew had worked day and night, and not only rebuilt the broken machine, but enhanced it. Now we had two again, and they were shredding wood like it was going out of style. They even got the idea (geniuses), to employ the wrecking machines in the task of killing trees and widening the road. Brother Thurm was back, and I gladly returned command to him. I don't think I've ever seen him happier. He even accepted my offer to ride with me in the carriage, in spite of the fact that it was driven by a beast! "What have you to fear, brother Thurm? Surely if the emissary to the Master Builder trusts this beast, so should you!" I was amazed, not only did he accept, but he even talked to Richen!

"So, my good sir, have you ever considered following the path of the Master Builder?"

Richen looked at him, and then glanced at me. I knew he was thinking, 'why the hell did you invite this guy to sit in the back seat?' "Urm, well not this ya mention it, sir, well, can't say ah ever did. Nope."

Thurm looked at me, and then back to him. "Do you mean to tell me, that Master Nightfall has never spoken to you of our ways?"

"Uh wellumm.."

I interjected quickly. "Oh indeed I have. However Richen expressed his desire to investigate the matter personally, rather then being preached too." I grinned when I said it, hoping that Thurm would let it alone. "I respected his wishes, as the Master Builder teaches us. Respect between too men is a bridge cast in iron, nothing shall compromise it, as long as the two banks remain firm!" Actually the word was trust, but I love to bend those things.

"Ahh, I see. Good then! Then I shall not preach to thee. However I am sure that thou would not be offended if I simply speak to thee!"

Oh brother.

"Oh well ser, actually ah think twould be best if ah-"

"You see, as Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 108 teaches us, mortar cannot hold when the stone is not strong and clean. Before beginning thy endeavors, look to thy material, both physical and spiritual. If you are to begin your search for true faith beneath the Master Builder, thee must first cleanse thy mind off all previous false assumptions! However thou should not be wary to begin thy journey, for fear of error. As Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 113 teaches us, A stroke of thy chisel, once made, canst not be undone, but a stroke thou dost not make from fear is a worse flaw. Be not cautious - be correct. All men have much potential within our order. It is truly a sin for any man to not realize all that he truly can be! As the Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 12 teaches, The Builder gave thou the raw stuff of thy life - make thou a great work of it or thou mockest His gifts. However, always remember, the Order of the Hammer is very strict in our rules of conduct. We understand the difference between accident, mistake, and evil intent. Who can forget Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 141, which gives the parable: When the Builder came amongst his children and asked, who is it that hath spoilt this work?, then didst his errant son answer I do not know. Then didst the Builder cast down his son and smite him with his hammer. For is it not known that a mistake may be mastered, but a lie lasteth forever on the tongue? As one of us, you shall be building a legacy for yourself that will span the ages! As is written in Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 170: The proof of the wall is that it stretcheth above the height of a man, and lasteth beyond the span of a man. Our greatest works exceed us in all ways. The work you do as one of us is more then any simple commoner could ever dream of! However one must be wary that thy accomplishments do not make thee vain. Vanity, as all flaws, will cause any man's downfall. As Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 199 dictates, a flaw in the gear will fate it to shatter, a flaw in the beam harbors the termite, a flaw in a man's righteousness encompasses his death. Death, as many men belive, is the ultimate end. For a man to die in the manor I discussed above, it truly is. However for some men, who truly repent and worship the Master Builder, and follow his ways, he shall live eternally with the Master Builder, in the great Metropolis of heaven. The Book of the Hammer itself speaks of it! 'I stood before a tower, of planks and nails and stone carved with fire, and I said, surely my eyes behold a miracle, not meant for man, but the Builder smiled and spake, I stand with my mind in Heaven but my feet upon the Earth, and so shall you and your kin. And I wept, though I knew not why. It is truly a place of unbridled glory, but to attain it, as I said before, one must repent! It is not easy to truly repent in this way, most never do, but it is always possible, even for a Thief! As the Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 2, says, and I quote, 'When the thief did cry to the master, release me, for I repent, and shall do good all my days, then did the master strike the thief's hand from him with a blade. And the master said, go now and do good, for thy repentance has been paid. That man bore the punishment set down by the Master Builder, and his slate has been cleansed. He may start anew! However this does not mean that his path is any easier. The path to righteousness is ever the struggle! Those who try to make it otherwise shall surely fail! As Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 36 states, 'Time once past, the harlot did say to the priest, tarry a while, and wait upon thy duties, and the priest did tarry. And then was the harlot scourged with birch branches, and was the priest crushed beneath the great gears, for the path of righteousness leads ever upwards, to where it is perilous to fall.' Thee must be eternally vigilant if thou dust wish to live with the Master Builder for all eternity! We hold the hammer in our hands as a symbol of our ever vigilance! We never tire of it's weight, nor to we pause in it's use. As Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 39 commands us, Hadst I a hammer, wouldst I hammer in the morning. Wouldst I hammer in the evening, all over this land. Thou must always take the tools which the Master Builder hast granted thee, and use them, fearless of the danger! As Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 53 warns us, To use thy chisel is to blunt its edge 'gainst the stone. To not use thy chisel is to waste its edge! Never waste anything the Master Builder hast granted thee, including example! Thou must head the works of those that came before you! As Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 7 clearly states, When the Builder walks before thee and builds for thee a fortress, wilt thou go inside and shut the door? Or wilt thou say 'Yes, and now I shalt raise one of mine own!' You shalt build a tower, tall and true, a tower never falters, if the stonework is true. It is ever vigilant, just as we are. This that thou dust see around thee, it shall one day all be gone. Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 77 tells us, 'What is a tree but a tower that withers and dies? What is a pond but a cistern that stagnates and fills with muck? What is a patch of ground but a road which cracks and washes away?' The are chaos, and chaos decays. By the words of the Book of the Hammer itself, 'Dig your hands into the earth, and then let the clay and dirt fall to the ground. After a year's passing, can you find that clay again? But drop a stone block, a wooden beam, a fired brick. It will persist a year, and another hundred years beside!" There is no vigilance in chaos, no righteousness, no faith, and no trust. Chaos is a disease that infects the world in which we live. Head the words of Hammerite Compendium of Precepts, Regimens and Rules of Conduct, Vol. 94, 'Guard thy tongue from falsehood as thou gardest thy purse from a jackablade. Guard thy hand from misdeed as thou gardest thy house from firelighters. Guard thy heart from doubt as thou gardest thy tools from corrosion, for thy faith and thy tools are the best that thou hast."

Richen just looked at him. Thurm just looked back, finally finished. After several moments, I spoke.

"Um, Brother Thurm, thy words were noble indeed, but I do indeed belive that that was preaching."

***

The day was spent, and much knowledge was gained. Though it was still merely late afternoon, I felt as if I had done a weeks worth of investigation in just a short few hours. Now it was time to go home. I would have liked to rest when I got there, but I had a report to prepare. My job seemed never finished. I looked up to seem storm clouds gathering, and noted that I had best make haste, or find some type of natural shelter. A few moments walk on my tired limbs prompted me to investigate the possibilities of the 2nd option. After all, I would be no good at writing if I was too tired to hold a pen. Yes, rest now while it rained, and have a clear mind for the journey home, and the preparation of my report.

***

There was something definitely very evil about the sudden thunderstorm that swept over the group of Hammerites and the two thieves walking among them. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the sky sudden filled with dark clouds. Before long, it was nearly as dark as night, a night without sunset, the sky filled with billowy blackness. Our only light came from torches, and the thunderbolts which rippled incessantly across the sky. When the rain came, it was a wall of dark rushing water, racing ever towards us, until finally we were engulfed in the fury. The torches were extinguished, as were the fires powering the machines. The task force came to a total halt, and soldier and worker alike dashed about, to preserve any equipment that may be damaged by the rain.

However the rain soon became the least of our worries, as several lightning bolts struck ground, bursting trees into flame. The flame did not last long, but the force of the strike shattered the wood, hurling shivers of oak and pine, impaling anything that was not made of stone or metal. Richen and I found shelter from the rain, lightning, and debris under the carriage, and most of the Hammerites under the great machines, may the Master Builder save them if the wheels should fail and it comes crushing down upon them.

The storm had been raging for a good hour, when the true threat came. The fiends which had been sabotaging the force all along made them appearance plainly. A Hammerite with sharp eyes spotted them, about five dozen black specks in the sky. They looked like oddly shaped birds. It was not until the soldiers began to assume defensive positions that I noticed the new threat from above. I recognized the sight almost immediately. I was correct, they were mongbats, big ones. My eyes are a good deal sharper then most, so I could tell that they were not passing through, they were making a direct assault. The last ditch effort by this Lady to stop the Task force from destroying her lodge, no doubt. Each of the beasties had a scimitar, and were beginning the attack dive.

The Hammer captain ordered the men to take up defensive positions around the machines. The rain was still very heavy, so it was hard to hear the shouts and the commands being issued. Richen was growing restless, still oblivious as to what exactly was happening. I told him, and he adorned an expression of half excitement, half dread. He drew his short-blade and made ready to defend Suzy and the carriage. I cursed myself for not brining along my longbow. All I had to fight these monsters was my quarter-staff, and I had never tried to fight any airborne foe with that before. It would be interesting.

The mass of us looked up in anticipation, weapons wielded, watching the black shapes in the sky grow more and more defined. A group of the soldiers raised their crossbows and simultaneously fired. Several of the creatures dropped, but overall the salvoes did little to stop them. All at once, the creatures struck, ending their dives with a slash of their blade, collision, blade extending forward to impale whatever they hit, or simple landfall. At that moment when the initial attack came, the majority of the damage to us they would do was done. Many of the soldiers were maimed, or killed, as long curved blades sliced through them. A good several dozen suicide bombers slammed themselves into the great machines, doing great damage to the delicate machinery, and shattering their bodies. For the several seconds thereafter, the air was filled with the deafening tones of monkey chatter, rain, and the screams of dying men.

Our counterattack was swift and deadly. As if unified by one massive force, all hammers struck mongbat flesh as simultaneously as the first attack had been. The air that was once filled with mongbat chatter was now filled with their shrieks of mongbat agony. At that, everything broke into a melee. Our numbers were about equal at that point, but it did not stay that way. Several of the Hammerites still standing were indeed slain, but the rest worked quickly to pound the beastie attackers to a pulp. Some tried to escape, but where made short work of by crossbow bolts. About a dozen of the creatures channeled their attention towards myself, as if the Lady new who I was, and told them to make sure I was dead. I did not attack them, I waited for their approach. One by one the foolish creatures dove at me, and each dive was met by a thrash of the staff. The party was cut short when five or so soldiers came to my aid, doing with their hammers damage which I could not hope to do with a staff to a foe who was not anchored to the ground.

Within only several minutes, the battle was over. I cast my eyes about the scene, my gaze moving from corpse to corps, Hammerite and mongbat alike. Only about thirty of our initial group were left, but we in all slew more then seventy of the creatures. It was still ranging. Remembering, I quickly went to Richen. He was nursing a broken arm, and the horse was fine. However my new carriage was destroyed. I gave Richen a healing potion, which he took thankfully, and then moved to inspect the horse, to make sure she truly was fine.

My next task was to find Brother Thurm. I found him, standing in the middle of the battlefield, moving from soldier to soldier healing their wounds with his Hammerite magic. I watched him work, laying his hand on the shoulder of the men, concentrating, and them moving on to the next. No physical wounds were healed in this manor. Some of these men would live out the rest of their lives with missing arms or legs, but their constitution was restored, and the pain was numbed. When he was done with each several surgeons took over, administering whatever treatment was needed to stop the bleeding. I watched in admiration for their efficiency, and the bravery of the wounded men.

I approached Brother Thurm.

"Brother,"

He raised his downcast eyes at me. "yes, my friend?"

"Were the losses serious?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

He shook is head. "No, not serious. Our force was only maimed, theirs was slaughtered." The gravity in his voice deepened. "This Lady is no simple pagan. She is a force to be reckoned with. She is a fool to think that this feeble attempt to stop up will do any more then to delay the inevitable. Now we have our brother and sons to avenge, and our justice shall be more sever. Yes, more sever by tenfold." He moved away from me, to the machines. All the workers were occupied tending to the wounded solders, so the broken hulks stood solitary in the dark rain. He went up to one or the wrecking machines. All the arms were broken and the steam engine cylinder was shattered. Bits and parts of mongbat were strewn about, and the entire thing was coated by their blood. He laid his hand on a place where the metal was still clean, and then bowed his head. I turned to walk away, and let him be alone with his destroyed creations.

"Daniel."

That was the first time a Hammerite had ever called me by my name before. "Yes, Thurm?"

He turned and looked at me. The rain had died down slightly, so I could see his face. He looked tired, and beaten. The fire and enthusiasm were gone from his eyes. "Is the beast - the horse, alright?"

I was shocked that he showed concern. "Yes, she is fine."

He nodded. "Good."

I didn't know what to make of it. Maybe he found comfort in knowing that my creature was all right, even though his were dead. I could have speculated, but I left him alone to mourn.

I walked to back to Richen who was attempting to put the carriage back together. The Hammers were beginning to stack the mongbat bodies into a heap for burning, and line up their fallen brothers for burial. I was about to speak to Richen, when I head a shout from a Hammerite soldier. I looked over my shoulder, and standing at the end of the road was a group of Hammerites. It was one of the scout groups, and from the looks of the direction from which they approached, they had come from the lodge.

"Brother Thurm! Captain! Master Nightfall!" the party leader shouted.

I approached him, as did Thurm and the captain.

"Yes, lieutenant, what is it? What have you to report?"

"Brother Thurm, we came immediately when we saw it. We were almost complete with our patrol when we circled back to the lodge, and we found..." The man hesitated.

"Yes, what is it?"

The Lieutenant told him. The words he spoke filled me with dread. Thurm's eyes seemed to come back to life, but instead of with pride and excitement, they held anger, fear, and hatred.

"Take us to the... wreck." Thurm said, motioning for me to follow. We left immediately.