want to go back to my room," said Lannon. "If, that is, you think I can heal up on my own."
"The wounds aren't very deep," said Jace. "You should be fine with some rest and meditation. Though you'll be a bit sore for a day or two. We can try again when you're feeling up to it. Just make sure to use your cloak to conceal your injuries from the guards, or you will be questioned. I'm going to stay and examine this creature. I'll meet up with you later."
"I don't have a torch," said Lannon. "The woods are very dark." He shuddered at the thought of walking the trail alone.
"Nevertheless," said Jace, "you better get going. Use the Eye of Divinity to guide you and warn you of danger."
Lannon hesitated, afraid to summon the Eye.
Jace touched Lannon's shoulder, and the lad's fear diminished. Jace seemed to harbor some strange power in his touch that could put Lannon instantly at ease. "You should fear the blinding darkness, Lannon. Not your sorcery. Now if you'll excuse me, I really must set to work on examining this foul creature."
Lannon nodded and left. He didn't feel up to much of anything beyond hiding in his room and hoping all of his troubles would go away on their own.
***
When Lannon arrived at his room, the guards gave him a stern reminder that he wasn't to go anywhere without them, but they didn't report him (perhaps to save themselves from being questioned). Once in his room, Lannon found Vorden awake and sitting on his bed. Vorden seemed relaxed and in good spirits.
"Good to see you're still alive," said Vorden.
"Keep your voice down," said Lannon, sitting on his own bed. His chest throbbed in pain but wasn't bleeding. "And I'm actually quite lucky to be alive. I was attacked by a Bloodfang. I'll likely have a few scars."
"A Bloodfang?" Vorden's dark eyes widened. "I remember the one we saw beneath the Old Keep. You are lucky to be alive."
Lannon rubbed his temples. "I don't know what to do, Vorden. Everything is in chaos. Taris and Furlus are wounded. And now I'm stuck with this crazy Jace fellow who I'm not sure I can trust. Furlus told me to take the fight to my foes, but where do I begin? I don't even know who my foes are, or where they might be lurking. All I know is that my enemies want me dead."
"You're kind of at a crossroads," said Vorden. "Things are happening all around you, but you're not sure which path to take."
Timlin sat up. "All evil seems to come from below Dremlock. Maybe you should go down there."
"I'd rather not," said Lannon, chilled at Timlin's suggestion. The dreary, Goblin-infested mining area below Dremlock was the last place he cared to visit. There seemed to be nothing down there but evil and death.
"We could go together," said Vorden, "like last time. If Tenneth Bard is still alive and behind all of this, we could finish him off." Vorden reached under the bed and brought forth a dark sword that seemed adorned with spider-web runes. It was the sword he'd found in the mines and said he'd gotten rid of. "Yeah, I still have it. And I still intend to behead Tenneth Bard with it."
Lannon groaned, overwhelmed by frustration. "Vorden, you said you'd tossed that thing down a well. Now I have this to worry about."
"That sword is evil," said Timlin. "It will destroy you, Vorden."
Vorden chuckled. "Enough with the silly doom and gloom talk. This is not an evil sword. It does bear some unknown enchantment...something very interesting. Little shadows..." He turned the blade over, and for an instant, tiny, shadowy spiders seemed to be crawling on his flesh. His face looked unusually pale. Then his appearance became normal again.
Lannon's mouth hung open. "I just saw...something."
"It's an enchanted blade," said Vorden, shrugging. "You have one of your own, Lannon. Your sword is made from the bones of a Dragon--a type of evil Goblin. I would say that your sword is potentially more dangerous than mine."
"It's possessed by the Deep Shadow!" said Timlin. "I should tell the
"The wounds aren't very deep," said Jace. "You should be fine with some rest and meditation. Though you'll be a bit sore for a day or two. We can try again when you're feeling up to it. Just make sure to use your cloak to conceal your injuries from the guards, or you will be questioned. I'm going to stay and examine this creature. I'll meet up with you later."
"I don't have a torch," said Lannon. "The woods are very dark." He shuddered at the thought of walking the trail alone.
"Nevertheless," said Jace, "you better get going. Use the Eye of Divinity to guide you and warn you of danger."
Lannon hesitated, afraid to summon the Eye.
Jace touched Lannon's shoulder, and the lad's fear diminished. Jace seemed to harbor some strange power in his touch that could put Lannon instantly at ease. "You should fear the blinding darkness, Lannon. Not your sorcery. Now if you'll excuse me, I really must set to work on examining this foul creature."
Lannon nodded and left. He didn't feel up to much of anything beyond hiding in his room and hoping all of his troubles would go away on their own.
***
When Lannon arrived at his room, the guards gave him a stern reminder that he wasn't to go anywhere without them, but they didn't report him (perhaps to save themselves from being questioned). Once in his room, Lannon found Vorden awake and sitting on his bed. Vorden seemed relaxed and in good spirits.
"Good to see you're still alive," said Vorden.
"Keep your voice down," said Lannon, sitting on his own bed. His chest throbbed in pain but wasn't bleeding. "And I'm actually quite lucky to be alive. I was attacked by a Bloodfang. I'll likely have a few scars."
"A Bloodfang?" Vorden's dark eyes widened. "I remember the one we saw beneath the Old Keep. You are lucky to be alive."
Lannon rubbed his temples. "I don't know what to do, Vorden. Everything is in chaos. Taris and Furlus are wounded. And now I'm stuck with this crazy Jace fellow who I'm not sure I can trust. Furlus told me to take the fight to my foes, but where do I begin? I don't even know who my foes are, or where they might be lurking. All I know is that my enemies want me dead."
"You're kind of at a crossroads," said Vorden. "Things are happening all around you, but you're not sure which path to take."
Timlin sat up. "All evil seems to come from below Dremlock. Maybe you should go down there."
"I'd rather not," said Lannon, chilled at Timlin's suggestion. The dreary, Goblin-infested mining area below Dremlock was the last place he cared to visit. There seemed to be nothing down there but evil and death.
"We could go together," said Vorden, "like last time. If Tenneth Bard is still alive and behind all of this, we could finish him off." Vorden reached under the bed and brought forth a dark sword that seemed adorned with spider-web runes. It was the sword he'd found in the mines and said he'd gotten rid of. "Yeah, I still have it. And I still intend to behead Tenneth Bard with it."
Lannon groaned, overwhelmed by frustration. "Vorden, you said you'd tossed that thing down a well. Now I have this to worry about."
"That sword is evil," said Timlin. "It will destroy you, Vorden."
Vorden chuckled. "Enough with the silly doom and gloom talk. This is not an evil sword. It does bear some unknown enchantment...something very interesting. Little shadows..." He turned the blade over, and for an instant, tiny, shadowy spiders seemed to be crawling on his flesh. His face looked unusually pale. Then his appearance became normal again.
Lannon's mouth hung open. "I just saw...something."
"It's an enchanted blade," said Vorden, shrugging. "You have one of your own, Lannon. Your sword is made from the bones of a Dragon--a type of evil Goblin. I would say that your sword is potentially more dangerous than mine."
"It's possessed by the Deep Shadow!" said Timlin. "I should tell the
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