***
In the forge, Dallsa kept pacing about.
"You should sit and rest," said Aldreya.
Everyone else had found places to sit.
"I can't rest," Dallsa replied. "Not with Lannon gone. And he has been gone a long time. I think we should search for him."
"Your feelings for Lannon are too strong," said Aldreya. "A Knight should not be so infatuated with another Knight. It is dangerous."
Dallsa's face reddened. "I'm well aware of that, Aldreya. And if you're going to lecture me on that topic, please do it in private. I know the Sacred Laws and I know where I stand. I'm allowed to care deeply for Lannon."
"Calm yourself," said Aldreya. "I never said you couldn't care about him. But your feelings are overcoming your judgment. You're a Divine Knight and on the Council of Ollanhar. You should behave accordingly."
"Actually, I'm still a Squire," said Dallsa.
Aldreya shook her head. "Not exactly. You're a Knight Appointed--which means you're a Squire that has the authority of a Knight. That promotion was necessary for you to be on the Council, as Squires are not allowed."
"Fine," said Dallsa, "but I'm still not a fully recognized Knight. It will take time for me to change my behavior." Wringing her hands together, she paced around by the stairs. "What are we even talking about? Where is Lannon?"
"Actually," said Vorden, "Dallsa has a point. Where is Lannon? This is taking far too long. I think we should do some exploring below."
"How?" asked Aldreya. "Don't forget the stairs are guarded by dark sorcery that Lannon felt was too strong for us."
"But you're a sorcerer," said Jerret, as he chewed on some jerky. "Why can't you break the spell? Or is it too strong for you?"
Aldreya brushed her curly hair from her eyes, looking thoughtful. "Maybe I could break the spell. But maybe I shouldn't."
Jace woke up and looked around. "What are we discussing?"
"What about you, Jace?" asked Dallsa. "You're a sorcerer too. Why can't you rid the stairs of the dark sorcery?"
"Ah, there is a problem with that," said Jace. "I don't have any magic." With that, he bowed his head and started snoring again.
"A sorcerer with no magic?" said Dallsa. "How can that be?"
Jace raised his head again. "How many fireballs do you see me tossing around? How many have I ever summoned in my two centuries of life? I'll give you a hint: it's less than one. I may be known as a sorcerer, but I assure you I am quite incapable of breaking evil spells. Now, to contradict my earlier statement, I may possess just a bit of what you would call magic. Just a tiny bit, yes, in my blood. But not enough to deal with the fiendish darkness that haunts those stairs."
"Well, someone has to try," said Dallsa, "because I have a strong feeling that Lannon is in trouble. He needs us!"
"A strong feeling is not evidence," said Aldreya.
"Unless it's Birlote instinct, of course," said Jerret, rolling his eyes.
Aldreya didn't reply.
"We should have faith in Lannon," said Lothrin, "and give him more time. If we go blundering around down there, we could make things worse."
"He's had enough time," said Vorden. "Lannon is as swift as the wind, and he sees everything. He should have completed his mission by now."
"What is your opinion, Jace?" asked Aldreya.
"He can't hear you," said Jerret. "He's sleeping."
Jace glanced up. "Who's sleeping? Oh...it appears I was. No worries, I heard the question anyway." He yawned. "And the answer is: yes, we need more fireworks at the celebrations. And more cheese."
"You must have been dreaming," said Aldreya. "I actually want to know if we should go below and search for Lannon."
Jace leapt to his feet. "Of course we should! We can't leave Lannon to fend for himself against the demon. It's much too powerful. I know--because I ran into it the last time I was here. It took me prisoner and tortured me for three days before I managed to escape. It is a very cunning foe--though I should call it a he, since all Barloak Demons are considered males. Don't ask me to explain, as I haven't the time. Anyway, Lannon must have been snared, or he would have returned by now. This is very, very bad. We must go below at once!"
"So you've known about the demon?" said Aldreya. "Why didn't you mention it before?"
"I did," said Jace. He scratched his head. "Didn't I? I'm still very tired."
"You heard him, Aldreya," said Dallsa. "Now let's go."
Aldreya rose and went to the stairs. "I am reluctant to do this, as I could spring the trap on all of us. If the darkness takes me, I suggest the rest of you flee. Don't try to rescue me. That's an order."
"We wouldn't dream of it," said Jerret, with a wry smile.
"Thanks," she muttered, glaring at him.
The others gathered on the other side of the chamber, as Aldreya hurled several blazing fireballs down the steps. She hesitated, peering below, and then launched a few more. Weary from expending so much energy, she rested for a moment, breathing heavily from the strain.
"I think I did it," she called out. "The dark sorcery has retreated or been burned away. The stairs are clear. But let's wait a bit."
They waited, but the stairs remained free of the curse.
"I guess Lannon was wrong," she said. "I broke the spell. And it was easier than I had anticipated."
"I'll go first," said Jace, "to light the way." The sorcerer strode to the stairs and started down carelessly, waving his Birlote torch around. He glanced back. "Come along now."
The others followed.
When they were about halfway down, a dark fog suddenly arose from the depths and surrounded them. Parts of the fog squirmed and wiggled like fingers reaching for the fools who had thought it was defeated.
"The spell remains!" Aldreya cried. "Flee!"
They ran back up the stairs, and all of them made it except Jace. The fog engulfed the huge sorcerer--his eyes wide with horror--until only his torch was visible. Then the torch clattered to the steps.
The others groaned in frustration.
"Hurl your fire at it," said Lothrin.
"I dare not," said Aldreya, "for I could burn Jace to ash."
"But he will be smothered!" said Dallsa.
A feeling of coldness in the air caused them to whirl around. The chamber door stood open, and a white mist had flooded the forge. As they watched, a ghastly figure walked toward them, flanked by eight Ghouls. It possessed the shape of a male human, but it was at least nine-feet tall--a lean figure with bone-white flesh, a bald head, and pointed ears. He was dressed only in a golden, scaly, metallic loincloth, though the mist seemed to wrap around him like a cloak. His hands ended in long white claws. He gazed at the intruders with icy blue eyes. That image was there for an instant, and then he blended with the fog that swirled around him and shifting shadows that crept over his body.
Dallsa gasped and shrank back from an aura that was like poison to her soul. The others simply stood and stared, too overwhelmed to react. When they realized their mistake, it was too late--as the white mist wound around them like chains, binding them fast. Not even Aldreya could escape these chains of sorcery that held them in such a powerful grasp they couldn't even speak.
All they could see was white fog and shifting shadows--and icy blue eyes that cut through the mist and gazed upon them. They could not have anticipated the true power of this Barloak Demon--the mighty snares it could cast at will that had doomed so many Divine Knights in the past. They were just five more victims to the demon. Five fools who were defeated without a fight.