Forgotten History

As Thobin completed his circle, he pulled the stick’s tip off the earth and tossed it aside. He walked to its center and dropped to his knees, pressing his fingers into the soft earth. With a deep breath, he began chanting.

Moments later, he ceased and withdrew his hands. Rising, he extended a palm over the ground and made a sharp motion toward the circle’s edge. The surface trembled before shifting, revealing something buried, a massive sheet of metal, dulled with age but undeniably foreign. Thobin’s brow furrowed as a rustle set his senses on edge.

“What did you find?”

Thobin turned to the voice. A man stood at the clearing’s edge, casual but watchful, his predatory eyes following Thobin’s every move.

“I don’t know who you are, but if you’re a hunter, I’d recommend you leave. I won’t give you a second warning.”

The man smirked, stepping forward. “Do you have an objection to someone finding food?”

Thobin’s stance widened as he stepped toward the interloper. “You’re not a wizard, are you?”

With a sly smile, the stranger lifted a hand. His flesh rippled and twisted, reshaping into a feline paw before returning to its human shape. “That’s all the magic me and mine can perform. But since you’re in our territory, I’d appreciate an answer to my question. If not, my friends might have to encourage your cooperation.”

Thobin froze. He had sensed something earlier, but now, fully alert, he extended his awareness, finding predators lurking just beyond the tree line. His gaze flicked toward a trio of large feline figures, muscles coiled beneath sleek fur, waiting for a command. Then he found two more groups of silent sentinels.

Slowly, Thobin raised his hands in surrender and turned back to the stranger. “I was simply trying to establish a home. When I attempted to shift the earth for my shelter’s foundation, I discovered this.” He gestured toward the massive metal plate. “It’s beyond my ability to manipulate.”

The stranger’s feline eyes flickered toward the artifact. “What did you unearth?”

“I’m uncertain.” Thobin hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “But it’s not natural. Though it isn’t dwarven craft, nor does it bear marking from any elven or human smith.”

The stranger circled the exposed surface, his keen gaze scanning the oddly smooth metal. “You’re from the civilization of humans, elves, and dwarves, correct?”

Thobin tensed at the careful wording. “And you are?”

“Alric,” the stranger said.

Thobin’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Alric’s smirk widened, but he didn’t offer more. Instead, he kneeled beside the artifact, brushing loose soil from its surface. His fingers traced strange markings from the sheet of metal.

Thobin’s head tilted as he inched closer. “Can you read the markings?”

“No,” Alric admitted, standing. “Do you know what it means?”

“For a second, I thought you possessed knowledge of it.”

“None of my kin have any knowledge of this.” The rustling of leaves signaled movement from the feline sentries. Their ears twitched, their sleek tails flicking in agitation. They sensed something. Alric’s expression darkened. “We’re not alone...