Of Villains and Heroes

"Hurry! We must get to the dig site as fast as possible!" Aduro yelled over his shoulder as the group raced through the dead forest. It has been four days since the search party had passed the eastern borders and they were running through the forests that lined the Deadlands The forest was the main battlefield during the fight against the dragons. Once a normal luscious forest, now burned char black by the flames of the dragons. The trees themselves were all still standing , but no new life ever grew to replace the devastation that occurred here.

As they ran through the forest they reached a cliff and had a grand view of the Deadlands. It was recorded that even before the Lumin Kingdom was first founded, the Deadlands have been like this; barren and lifeless. The ground was dusty and dry. Mountains rivaling those of the north in height stood here and there. Other than the crevices and tumbleweeds, the Badlands had nothing else to give. The flat land and no trees brought winds strong enough to push the fastest pegasi backwards. This made it so that even pegasi had to walk.

"The location of the dig site is in one of the crevices further east Prince Aduro." The navigator stated. Aduro nodded in acknowledgment and made way to the slope that clung to the cliff. They walked onward in a single-file line as the winds blew up the cliff face. Once they could see the bottom of the slope Aduro called to cover their mouth and nose with a piece of cloth, and to put on their goggles.

Aduro had read about all the lands on Alteria, and the Deadlands ranked the most dangerous of all. Due to the fast winds, large amounts of dust would be picked up and carried along. The dust storms would choke a pony and sandpaper their eyes. Once he made sure that everyone had their face protection on he continued on into the dust-ridden land.

After travelling for quite some time, they reached a large crevice and climbed behind a large rock. "Is this the place?" Aduro asked, sliding down the cloth on his face.

"Yes according to the map and directions the King gave us, the dig site should be down at the bottom of the crevice." The navigator replied as he looked at the map.

"Good, we will rest a few minutes here, then we head down to the dig site, see if we can find any of the excavation team, and retrieve the Helm." The group nodded as a few sat down while others took out a bottle and drank. Aduro sat a little bit away from the group as Scutum approached him.

"Something on your mind?" Scutum sat down next to him.

"I do not fully believe that this, relic, will be able to stop the war." Aduro turned to face his friend. "What if all we manage to do is to bring back an old, rusted piece of armor. That is doesn't stop the war."

"If the Helm of Tantibus ends up to be just an old hat, then we'll rush back to where the battle is and fight! We are the two best swordsmen in the kingdom." Scutum elbowed his sulking friend. "Don't worry about it. Lumin will never fall, as long as we're there to protect it!" Scutum puffed his chest out.

"Yeah Prince Aduro," Aduro and Scutum turned to see that the entire group was standing behind them. "We'll all protect Lumin to our dying breath!" Aduro looked at the faces of the group and his chest filled with strength. He stood up and looked at the guard in front of him.

"Well looks like you're all rested up. Let's go and save Lumin!" Aduro put on his gear and the group headed down the crevice.

The group easily reached the bottom of the crevice without trouble, and found the dig site empty. The bottom of the dig site was cooler and quite dark. two members of the group was enough to keep the surrounding area lit. The group walked cautiously in the direction of the excavation team's campsite. "Where did the excavation team go?" A guard looked into one of the empty tents that lay scattered around.

"All their belongings are still here." Another guard answered as she picked up a pickax. "So that should mean that the excavation team should be nearby." The group searched the tents for anyone of the excavation team.

"Prince Aduro!" A guard called from the edge of the camp. "You may want to come see this." Aduro ran to where the guard was and paused in awe of what he saw. Sitting at the bottom of the dig site was an enormous castle. Its stone brick walls were half destroyed and a few towers had fallen off. scattered around the castle were spots of holes and piles of dirt, most likely from the excavation team.

"What in the world is this?" Scutum appeared next to Aduro. By now the rest of the group had gathered and stared at the ruins. "I thought that the first kingdom of Alteria was Lumin? Why is there such a large castle in the Deadlands?!"

"I don't know." Aduro replied. There were no documents that mentioned another nation on Alteria before the first Lumin King. "Everyone split up and search the ruins. Look for any of the excavators and any clues to the Helm." The guard spread out and looked into every hole and behind every pile of dirt, but could not find any living thing. Aduro walked along the castle's walls before coming across a hole in the wall. "Everyone, I've found a way inside!" He called. Once they all gathered again, they headed inside the ruined castle.

Aduro and the group walked through the dark corridors checking each room. Each room they went through was empty and most were crushed under rubble. They continued further into the castle until they reached a large iron door. Aduro poked his head into the entrance and saw that the room was reinforced with iron walls and broken runes adorning the walls and floor. In the center of the room was a pedestal with an object on top of it. Aduro motioned that it was safe to enter and everyone filed inside the armored room. A guard approached the pedestal. "Prince, could this be the Helm?" The guard reached a hoof out to touch it, but he quickly retracted his hoof as the helm zapped him."Ow! What the?" He rubbed his hoof. "It just shocked me! The helmet shocked me!"

"Oh don't be such a pansy" The female guard from before walked up and grabbed the guard's hoof and inspected it. "You hoof is fine. Just a tiny static shock." She let go of his hoof and took a closer look at the helm. "Looks like these bindings have a killing spell on them. You're lucky that they've gotten weaker with age." The guard holding his hoof gulped wide-eyed.

"You said it got weaker? Can you unseal it?" Aduro asked.

"Truthfully, no I can not." She relied. "This seal seems to only open to a blood relative of the caster. We'd have to know who sealed the helm if we are to find a descendant and bring him or her here."

"That would tale to long. By the time we find the descendant, or even if we do, the war may already be over." Aduro stared at the bandaged helm. Aduro felt as if he were being pulled to the helm. As the group discussed what they were going to do next, Aduro walked up to the pedestal and reached out his hoof.

Scutum happened to spot Aduro reaching for the helm. "Aduro what are you doing!" Scutum pushed past the circle of guards and tried to get to Aduro as Aduro's hoof touched the helm and a bright light exploded from the bindings. The small explosion caused most of the guards to be knocked back into a wall, leaving them dizzy. Aduro lay on the ground dizzy-eyed, holding an unwrapped helm.

The Helm of Tantibus seemed much more normal than in legends and stories. Its shape was like a normal issue guard's helmet, except it was a little bit bigger than an ordinary pony's head. It was a dark blue color and didn't look like it would protect a pony for anything. Although what really stuck out was the designs on the helm. The helm had engravings in it and the lines flowed smoothly. Soon enough the group of guards cleared their heads and checked for any injuries. Scutum marched up to Aduro, who was sitting next to the pedestal looking at the mythical helm in his hooves. "What did you think you were doing?!" Scutum yelled at Aduro.

"I. . . I don't know. I just, was drawn towards it, to . . . touch it." Aduro answered, his mind blurry.

"Ugh, what the heck does that mean!?" Scutum rubbed his head to try to ease a sudden sharp pain.

"Well, the bindings are off the helm now though." The female guard from before stated. "Looks like an ancestor of the royal family was the one who sealed the Helm of Tantibus away." Aduro slow picked himself up as the guards prepared to leave. "We must get back to Lumin." The group walked back into the corridor and retraced their steps back to where they entered.

"Do you think the it was the First King that sealed the helm?" A guard whispered.

"What could the First King have been doing out here?" Another answered back.

"Why would he seal the helm in the first place anyway?" A third whispered.

"Stop your gossiping you little fillies! We need to pick up the pace!" The guard that had his hoof zapped exclaimed as he raced ahead out into the open dig site. " Come on! Let's-" As he turned to face us a steel-tipped arrow impaled itself it his throat and he fell to the ground, instantly dead.

"What the-!" The female guard screamed in shock of a fellow guard falling dead.

"Everybody take cover!" Scutum ordered as he raced outside and got behind a fallen piece of the wall. "AMBUSH!!" Just in time for another barrage to come showering down.

"Scutum what is going on? Who is attack us?" Aduro took cover behind a wall with Scutum. Scutum had picked up a dead guard's bow and arrow and had been using his magic to shoot their attackers.

"Looks like a party of north and south troops. I've shoot at least ten but they seem to have even more troops." Scutum reported the situation. "We've already lost six of our squad." He fired another arrow.

"Give me a bow, I'll fight too." Aduro said.

"No," Scutum let go of another arrow. "You have the Helm, you have to keep it safe." Out of nowhere a Kludarian warrior jumped over the wall and held a battle-ax in his mouth. Scutum quickly drew his blade using his magic and parried the enemy's attack. He then spun his sword and slashed across the warrior's chest. The warrior yelled and fell to the ground. "Fine, but it looks like the enemy is going to try and use their strength in close combat. So grab your sword." Scutum clenched his head in his hoof.

...th...n.y...wa...

"Are you ok?" Aduro looked to his friend. Scutum opened his eyes and pushed Aduro out of the way and stabbed another Kludarian warrior in the chest.

"I'm fine! Quick we have to fall back to the ruins." Scutum got up. "Guards! Fall back!" The remaining guards heard and retreated to the hole in the castle wall. "I want you four to kill anyone who tries to enter!" the four guards nodded and went to the entrance. Scutum looked to the rest of the guards. "Status report. How many have we lost?"

The female guard stood tall even though she had a gash above her eye and was covered in cuts and bruises. "We've lost a total of nine guards and have seven remaining, not including yourself and the Prince."

". . . This bad. We've taken out most of their force, but we're still outnumbered." Scutum paced. He looked to the other two guards. They looked worst than everyone else and were leaning on the wall. "You all rest, I'll go help the other defend." Scutum turned and ran to the entrance of the ruins.

Once he got there he saw that the four guards were holding back the force that filed through the hole. As Scutum joined, the battle they were easily able to repeal the remaining enemies. Soon enough the last enemy troops retreated and ran off. Scutum approached the four exhausted guards and commended them on their victory. He sat down and rested his head on the floor.

I wouldn't be too sure that everything is fine. An ominous female voice said.

Scutum grabbed his head in pain "Ugh, who's that!" Scutum raised his head, ears perked up at attention.

Hmm? Oh~! Looks like you can actually hear me!

Scutum raised his sword again, "Come out! Where are you!"

Calm down. Although I would actually be running to that Prince of yours.

"What about Aduro?"

Do you really think, that the other side would retreat that easily?

Scutum's face turned grave as he realized what the mare was saying. He turned and sped through the ruined halls in a burst of speed.

Oh~ looks like someone is really determined.

"Shut up!" Scutum yelled as he turned left.

How rude, telling a beautiful mare to shut up. Either way, your Prince is most likely dead.

Scutum veered to the left and could see the door to the room they were being held in. He made a quick stop and jumped through the door. "Adur-" He was cut off by a blunt smack to the head, flinging his helmet into the far wall.

"What the heck?" A very muscular pony with a club stared at Scutum on the ground.

"What is it? Another pony asked from across the room.

"Some pony just screamed and I smacked 'em right in the head." The pony pointed at his head. A thrid pony approached Scutum.

"Well, looks like it's one of the Lumin guards anyway." He kicked Scutum in the gut. "Heh."

Scutum's eyes began to clear from the blow to his head as the blurs slowly became more defined. He saw two Kludarian warriors and three RSSA soldiers. Two RSSA soldiers had the female guard, unconscious and tied up, the last RSSA soldier was the one who had kicked him. One Kludarian warrior was holding Aduro up against the wall, while the other was the one by the entrance.

"Looks like the General was right to send a team here. We got to take out that excavation team and capture the Lumin Prince! Ha!" The Kludarian warrior holding Aduro to the wall exclaimed. Scutum looked to the side to see two bloodies bodies in the corner wearing Lumin guard armor. Scutum cursed at himself for not realizing this sooner.

There is still a way to save your precious friends.

Scutum grabbed his head in pain again. "What?" Scutum whispered.

Don't worry, the pain will eventually go away. I think. But if you do wish to survive this, I could help.

"You could save Aduro?"

Not just your Prince, but the other that mare as well.

". . . What. . . Do I need to do." Scutum swore he saw a mare's toothy grin.

Place the Helm of Tantibus upon your head. Simple as that.

Scutum looked to his side to suddenly see the helm laying on the ground, as if it had been there the whole time. "Will. . . I be ok?" Scutum asked.

I can not say for sure.

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" The RSSA soldier glared down at Scutum. Scutum glared directly at the soldier. "Tch, know your place!" The soldier lifted his hoof to smack Scutum again. Scutum struck the soldier right in his chest, pushing him onto the ground. "Ugh! That little-"

"Wait! He's got the helm!" The Kludarian holding Aduro pointed, as Scutum picked up the helmet with his magic.

"What!? But it was right here!?" One of the RSSA soldiers on the other side of the room looked to his feet.

"Stop him!" The RSSA soldier got up and aimed his crossbow at Scutum. The bolt flew and hit Scutum in the shoulder.

Scutum screamed in pain, but continued to place it on his head. The Helm seemed to mold onto Scutum's head as he slipped it on. As soon as Scutum placed the Helm on he felt a force pulsate into him. His head felt like it was going to explode. The pulsating soon spread to the rest of his body as his vision blurred and dimmed.

Do not worry. I'll take over for a bit. Just rest. The mare soothed Scutum as he fell unconscious.