"Hey, what's that roc-" Andoralson blurted out.

Gamaliel was sailing through the air at the druid before he could finish his sentence. The barbarian knocked him to the ground, pinning his chest, and clamped an enormous hand over Andoralson's mouth. "Keep your mouth shut or I'll shut it for you!" Gamaliel whispered with a snarl. His tone was so menacing that the druid didn't so much as blink. Ren, Talenthia, and Miltiades sat motionless.

Thanks to Gamaliel, Evaine hadn't noticed the interruption. Her mind now sailed up over the treetops and toward the pool. Her breathing was rapid and regular, her body was engulfed in a pale green mist. All the others could do was wait.

Gamaliel eventually allowed Andoralson to sit up. But he sat glowering at the druid throughout the rest of the spell.

After what felt like hours, the crystal in Evaine's lap shattered into dust. Gamaliel leaped to her side. She was breathing hard, drenched in sweat, but otherwise healthy. Gamaliel collected the crystal dust, helped his mistress to her bedroll, and saw that she was safely asleep.

Talenthia was the first to whisper to the barbarian. "Is she alright? Is there anything I can do?"

Gamaliel responded calmly. "She'll be fine. All we can do now is wait for her to awaken. We won't know the outcome of the spell until she's ready to tell us. In the meantime, you can do as you like. She's sound asleep, so you're not likely to awaken her." The barbarian seated himself near the sorceress's side with a waterskin, a tin cup, Evaine's herbal mixture, and several clean cloths close at hand.

Around midnight, the sorceress stirred. Gamaliel was still at her side, watching every move. Evaine opened her eyes abruptly and was relieved to see the barbarian's face peering down at her. "What day is it?" she whispered.

"It's the middle of the night, the same day you cast the spell. You've been asleep, oh, about seventeen hours." The barbarian dabbed her face with a wet cloth.

"Good. That's not very long. I should be ready to hit the trail in the morning. I feel strong. I think the magical brazier made a difference. And Ren's presence allowed me to focus on the pool quickly."

Although the pair whispered in the dark, Talenthia and Ren awakened. Andoralson snored in his bedroll, but his cousin shook him awake. Miltiades watched silently, but stoked up the campfire, expecting that Evaine would be telling her story very soon.

Gamaliel raked aside some hot coals and set out a cup of water to boil. The others dragged themselves and their blankets close to the fire. The night air was damp and chill, and the flames were a welcome relief.

Evaine propped herself up and sipped some water. The others looked on, not speaking, waiting for her report. Finally, the sorceress spoke.

"I know you're all eager to hear what happened, but I must warn you, I think we're in deeper trouble than we expected."

"Wonderful," Andoralson murmured. Talenthia silenced him with a stare.

"I should first explain to you how the spell works," Evaine said. "Although I was sitting here where you could see me and I was partially conscious of what was going on around me, a large portion of my mind left my body and flew in the direction of the pool, unencumbered. The travel is lightning fast. I must allow myself to succumb to the power of the pool and let it pull me along. That's partly why the spell is so exhausting; while I'm letting myself be pulled by the pool, I must maintain control of my mind and soul."

The sorceress took another sip of water. "It seems that something is blocking or shielding the pool. Ordinarily, as my mind is whizzing through the air, I can see the countryside blurring along below me. This time, the pool pulled me to the southwest near where my old master lived, where I first studied magic. I continued on for several hundred miles in that direction.

"It was there that I discovered a region of incredible blackness. I've seen some of these only lately-areas of the countryside enveloped in black, impenetrable clouds. But I've never seen one this large or this dark. These are places of intense evil, but I can't imagine what could be generating a zone this large. As I said, I think we're getting into something more terrible than I'd expected.

"I circled the area several times, and from the pull of the spell, I could tell that the pool of darkness lay within. There was no way for me to enter the dark zone and guarantee a safe return."

Evaine paused while Gamaliel mixed the mint and raspberry tea and handed it to her. Miltiades stirred the fire which crackled brightly in the blackness of the woods. The sorceress continued.

"I toured the surrounding countryside briefly to get the lay of the land and perhaps find a safe route for our journey. In the process, I found another tiny black zone, deep in a nearby forest. This gave me an idea.

"The tiny zone of blackness is the home of an old acquaintance of my mentor. At least it used to be his home. I never met the man, but Sebastian spoke of him often. They used to visit each other and argue over spells and trick each other into favors. The two hated each other, but each appreciated the other's powers. It was a rivalry both loved.

"Although I've never met this other wizard, it's worth a try to find out if he still exists. It's a dangerous venture-I'm sure he won't welcome strangers-but if I can prove that I knew Sebastian, maybe he'll listen. Maybe he can even help us. Either way, his home is on the way to the dark zone. It won't take us much time to stop there. And right now, I think it's the only chance we have for a solid clue."

Finally, Ren spoke. "I think we're all having mixed feelings about this mission, especially seeking out a being of evil." He was greeted by nodding heads all around. "But right now, it's our only choice. Why don't we all get back to sleep. We can discuss this in the morning."

No one had to be told twice. Bedrolls were again rolled out. In silence, everyone settled in as the fire burned down.

As he took up his silent watch, Miltiades smiled. All the bedrolls were a little closer to the fire than before.

11

The atmosphere inside Denlor's Tower was heating up. But it wasn't enemy wizards or warriors applying the pressure.

"You can pout, you can sulk, you can even wear that blue silky thing you wear when you want something special, but you aren't going on this raid."

"Tarl, I'm not going into the council chambers until we get this settled."

"Good. You can stay here until Phlan is teleported back to the Moonsea. I'll talk to the councilmen."

Shal's eyes blazed at her husband's words. The pair left the tower and headed for the council chambers.

Few citizens moved about the city today. Most were either stationed on the wall or gathering food for the hungry defenders. Of those who were near the council, all looked on as two prominent personalities of Phlan argued in front of the chamber doors. The sight was worth watching.

The woman, who was over six feet tall with beautifully sculpted muscles, wrung her hands and pleaded with her husband not to go into battle without her. A slightly shorter warrior-priest of Tyr, dressed in full battle armor, was trying to calm his wife.

Tarl grew more and more exasperated. "You and I have battled the horrors and evils that have assaulted Phlan in this cavern for over a month now. There is no end in sight. My only desire is to see you safe."

The sorceress gripped her husband's hand. "Do you think I want you any less safe? Is the Warhammer of Tyr going to keep you alive forever? There's only one way this argument is going to end. I'm going wherever you go. You can't stop me."