Fred, Jed, Ned, and the other soldiers advanced down the steps far too small for their human sized feet. They were still alive in the mine shaft that had collapsed behind separating them from the rest of the empire who had come up beneath dwarf mountain with big guns to surprise the dwarfs while the rest attacked from above, and even more would eventually come along the train tracks that were built through thick jungle terrain.

It was good that they were practically alone, because he would find the biggest stash and teleport the crystals back to the center resetting the balance in the air of Tenare. Ned had brought his donkey, using it to easily descend the stairs. A dwarf was immobile against the wall caked in crystal, a symptom of severe overuse of the sacred rocks. As they kept down the path more and more crystallized dwarfing bodies littered the floor, some slightly moving, and groaning in pain immobile unable to refill pipes.

Fred and Jed walked close together; swords drawn at the ready if any dwarfs were to charge. Life was pretty meaningless for a soldier of the empire, worse than death if you betrayed orders. Jed had trained in wilderness survival all his life, earning many badges in his youth and even more now here in the military. After they found out what the empire was after they would hand over the treasure, get whatever reward they offered back and make a home out in the jungle. The appeal to life in the remote wilderness all alone was that the crown was no longer involved in one's life and a soldier could finally be completely free. Of course, there was always the option of stealing a little bit for themselves and give the rest to the poor while avoiding the heat of the guards looking for the looted coffers.

Ned’s donkey was becoming uneasy as he advanced down a dark ramp, the soldiers around him drawing spears.

“Hmmmm” said the wizard sniffing the air.

The ramp evened out to a large cavern lit with torchlight. A house carved into the opposite wall of rock, with a door and two windows lit in light. The wooden door was open, carved statues of dwarfs outside, some knocked over, all watched over it on guard.

“We must be careful not to awake the statues, the dwarfs may lay severely weakened but the rocks are not” warned the wizard with a whisper from the front.

He got off his donkey, putting its tie up around a round rock anchor. The wizard advanced to the front door, and let himself in. A gust of dead air blew out stunning soldiers behind for a split second. Fred and Jed remained unfazed and took up forward command, with the other dozen following close behind them.

Inside a massive cavern faintly lit by just a few dim lights. A long feasting table of short stature ran across the entire length of the room dividing it in half. At the very end seven thrones carved out of rock with dwarf artworks smelted metal stuffed into the cut crystals intricately. The throne seats were all full except one, still bodies of rusted dwarf armor of the finest smiths put together with crystal horns, wrist blades, grappling hooks, and many other gadgets man had not yet discovered. The armor was uneven, some of it was already hanging off or on the floor. The men advanced forward as another piece dropped down, clanging loudly. Fred jumped.

The dwarf kings lay caked in crystal, dead stuffed bodies showcasing old craft armor in their hall, one clutched his pipe with frozen fingers turned green. Beside them on pallets fresh cut crystal was stacked overhead all over the side of one wall.

“This is more crystal than I have ever seen mined in my life, how did they get that many?” asked a soldier coming forward.

“That's fresh cut crystal from the sacred center of Tenare” said Fred as he bent down caressing the side of a fresh cut crystal slab with his hand.

“But how?” asked the soldier.

“Must be some kind of magic,” said another.

“I’m afraid he is right for he has been teleported there with me. We saw the great cavern of crystal in the center of the planet ourselves,” said Jed.

“Unfortunately, if they have been mass teleporting in crystals mined from the center we are in big trouble, the entire system will be out of balance, and an apocalyptic event will be in danger of being triggered” warned the wizard licking crystal dust from a pallet for clues.

“Zaaaap!” outside the throne room the electricity is going wild.

“Quick we must investigate” said the wizard charging forward to battle.

Fred, Jed, and the rest of the soldiers were right on his heels with arms full of steel at the ready.

In the next cavern a machine and crystal rigged in the corner runes lit up with blue light. A teleportation device that had just transported a gang of Elves and a leprechaun all in fancy green and white suites with green polka dot ties. They unloaded a payload of purple crystals they had just mined from the planet's core, stacking it on pallets.

“Anyone have any ideas for a plan?” asked Jed.

“We will blow it all up, the entire mountain just everyone work your way to the top exiting silently where I go get my donkey with explosive crystals onboard” said the wizard sneaking back off.

“let's get out of here then” whispered a soldier.

“That's not good, I'm scared of explosions,” said another.

As those above began to leave down below the Elves finished taking stock of their crystals and went back to the teleporter. The Leprechaun got behind the control panel and turned it on, opening a porter back to the center of the planet.

Before a few soldiers still stood around slow brains still not come up with any alternative actions the wizard rode back in with his donkey explosive device primed in his hand. He hopped off and tossed it off the overhang where they watched above as it exploded, killing the elves and flinging the Leprechaun into the portal. The crystals stored below burst up in flames shaking the mountain.

“Fred and Jed hop aboard my stead, and we will ride out of danger up above” said the wizard as he rode up inside the mountain.

“We’re good, we are gonna run instead” said Jed.

“Fine don’t trust me” said Ned riding off.

The explosions increased in frequency below as the soldiers ran after the wizard on the path to the mountain entrance above. Rocks fell from the ceiling as it shook and the party ran across a flimsy rope bridge over lava which bubbled. The crystals blowing had set off a chain reaction, and the mountain was set to erupt.

Ned rode ahead as a ball of fire soared behind him trapping a soldier in a corner. He was past the swinging axes from the ceiling as another rumble in the tunnel as the lava climbed higher. A metal door blocked the path until Ned threw another explosive, blowing it open and riding out the other side as soldiers followed.

A group of three dwarfs limped out the tunnel as the advancing donkey trampled them under hoof. Ned rode out the side of the mountain into the mighty military, aiming down at him from ships above. A single soldier ran out behind him, before a massive billow, a lava eruption shot out of the tunnel.

“Are you alright?” asked a fresh recruit bending down a hand in order to help up the grizzled man on the ground.

“NOOO! The soldiers behind me have surely fallen” cried the wizard.

The other surviving man behind was up looking all around dazed and confused.

“What is your name, soldier?” yelled the commander at him a short while later.

“Code name Octo ION I'm a secret operative of the highest department of the crown” said the soldier, taking off his mask to reveal long hair and black stubble.

“If it was a secret why would you tell us then?” said the commander stepping over her face lit up with suspicion and handcuffs at the ready on account of the wild story.

“Here you can see my royal badge proving I'm not a liar” he said, reaching back and showing her his identification.

“Very well and you on the donkey?” she asked approaching the wizard.

“Lady my name is Ned, now do we really have to do this song and dance? My men are in that volcano surely burning up dead from the intense heat and I am overcome with grief for their passing” he cried.

“Very well we will recover the bodies for you,” she said, ordering troops with special dragon plate flame repellant armor on every inch.

Those on the ground who slowly advanced to the volcano that was already slowly ceasing its brief eruption.