Sarah struggled to regain control of her body, but the other presence was too strong. She felt a surge of animosity from the other presence that was directed at something in the cave. She quickly connected the dots. John. Once it was done with those on the ledge, it would go after John. She was sure of it.

“You will not harm him!” she screamed.

This time, she heard herself speak, but it was deep and distorted, sounding like something wholly inhuman. All this time, the power continued to surge in her arm until she could hold it no longer. Concentrating all her will, she wrested control of her arm, pointing it upward just as a massive pillar of blue fire erupted from it, soaring over the heads of those fighting on the ledge. She felt the other presence’s control slip and brushed it aside, regaining control. She looked up to see that the fighting had stopped with friend and foe alike looking at her in terror.

“The Avatar of Agni,” one of the Faceless breathed, “He has taken her.”

“No, he hasn’t!” Sarah cried. The presence had gone. The first blast of fire had drained some of her power, but plenty still remained. More than she could contain for much longer.

“Get to the cave!” she gasped, looking at Grimald.

The dwarf acted quickly, trusting her. He grabbed Udoriol by the collar and dragged him towards the cave. Once they were past her, she raised her hand and channelled the power through it. Another pillar of blue fire erupted from it, scouring the ledge of all life. Then, feeling utterly spent, she collapsed into a heap, and her world went black.

“You will succumb, or your friends will die,” the voice whispered ominously.

“No,” Sarah replied, feeling weak, even in her dream, “never.”

She felt a hand stroke her forehead and opened her eyes. They were in the cave. A faint light came from outside. She was lying on something soft. John was on the ground next to her, looking concerned, while Grimald watched warily from the opposite end of the cave.

“How do you feel?” John asked, looking relieved.

“Tired,” Sarah replied. She tried to sit up but could not summon the strength to do so.

“It’s alright, rest,” John said, holding her hand in his.

“We really should be going soon, laddie,” Grimald warned, “we might come under attack again.”

“John, you’re alright,” Sarah said with relief as she recalled what happened during the battle.

John held up the remains of his dagger which had been broken close to the hilt. “That man had a lot of strength behind his strike. It’s a good thing I jumped when it landed, or I would have been cut clean in two.”

“Is everyone alright?” Sarah asked as she tried to look for Udoriol.

“Yes, thanks to you,” John replied.

Soon, the elf stalked into the room and gave Sarah a once over. “Good, you’re awake,” he said awkwardly, “how do you feel?”

“Just… drained… “Sarah managed, “but I’m glad to see everyone’s alright.”

She examined her arms and was surprised to see that they were fine, even though she was sure they had been engulfed by the blue flames.

“I’m more concerned about you, young lady,” he said, bending over, “He took control for a moment there, didn’t He?”

Sarah nodded, suddenly scared after being reminded about her loss of control... and what the other presence tried to do… “I don’t know how or why…” she began.

“The important thing is you took control back,” Udoriol said, “that is not something I have ever heard of before.”

“Take control, as in become His Avatar?” Grimald asked.

“Yes,” Udoriol replied, “that normally can only happen once. Then the host’s body is so exhausted from hosting a god’s presence that it withers away.”

“Those priests didn’t tell us that!” John exclaimed.

“I expect you didn’t give them the chance,” the elf remarked, “at any rate, the important thing is that she’s back and healthy.”

“He was a big help, lassie,” Grimald said, gesturing to the elf as he came closer, “you stopped breathing for a spell. It was his magic that brought you back.”

Sarah’s eyes widened as she looked up at the elf. “Thank you.”

“I must say, you have impressed me, young lady,” Udoriol began, “and believe you me, when you have lived as long as I have, and seen as much as I have, that is no mean feat.”

“I’m afraid,” Sarah admitted, “what if that happens again?”

“You’ll have the strength to beat it again,” John said confidently as he squeezed her hand.

“I’m not so sure,” Sarah said. She looked at the other two, “Are you scared of me?”

Grimald stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head. “Nay, lassie, I owe you my life at least twice over now. I trust you to have my back, and that is not something that I say lightly. If you are willing to continue with me on this venture, I’ll be happy to have you.”

“I wish I shared your confidence,” she said, and then looked at Udoriol, “how about you? Could you stay by my side knowing that I might change into… that at any moment?”

The elf looked at her with his pale blue eyes. His playful demeanour was gone, and he now looked like the stereotype of the noble and stern elves brought to life.

“I must confess, I have not been entirely truthful with you,” Udoriol said at length.

He began chanting softly and soon, a ring of light encircled everyone in the cave.

“What’s going on?” John asked suspiciously.

“This is a Circle of Truth,” the elf replied, “Treto will permit no lies in here.”

He turned to Grimald and asked, “Give me more details about our employer.”

The dwarf mouthed the words, “I don’t have any,” but no sound escaped his lips.

Udoriol smiled wryly and turned to Sarah. “Now, I have a confession to make.”

Sarah nodded for the elf to continue, unsure what to make of the whole situation. Sarah could see John reaching for a weapon behind the elf and shook her head.

John stayed his hand as Udoriol sat on the ground next to Sarah and looked out of the cave. “The truth is, I was told to expect to cross paths with the Agni’s Chosen.”

Sarah’s eyes widened.

“By who?” Grimald blurted.

“Treto,” Udoriol said with a faint smile, “He came to me in a dream. His voice sounded exactly how I remembered when He was giving His impassioned speeches for humanity to rise against my people.”

“What did He say?” Sarah asked, in awe.

“That I should work with the Chosen of Agni,” the elf replied, “and that it was important to the safety of this realm.”

“So why did you act… like that?” John asked.

The elf shifted his gaze at the boy and shook his head. “I must admit that I’ve become disillusioned of late. I have lived a long time and felt a weariness lately. I’d always done what I’ve felt Treto would do and what do I have to show for it? I joined His Church and became shunned by my people for thousands of years. Now I’ve been cast out of that same Church and am feeling completely lost. I had little appetite to serve higher powers at that point in my life.”

“And now you’ve had a change of heart?” Grimald ventured hopefully.

Udoriol shrugged and turned his gaze back to Sarah, “I find you interesting, young lady. You teetered over the brink and yet somehow pulled yourself back…”

“So will you join us?” Sarah asked.

The elf then turned his gaze to Grimald and smiled thinly. “I suppose that depends on what he has to say. What is this job?”

Grimald looked at the circle around him and smirked. He then took a deep breath and said, “The orcs are converging on Corrington, where the spread of the new religion has taken hold. It is a tenuous one, mind you, but we believe that there are more believers in that city than there are in the rest of the Four Kingdoms.”

“And you think they’re plotting something there?” John asked.

“That’s what we’re being sent to find out,” Grimald replied, “there have also been… disappearances there.”

“Corrington is a big city,” Udoriol pointed out, “people go missing all the time.”

Grimald shrugged. “Well, my employer thinks it’s worth looking into.”

“What do you know about what’s going on there?” Udoriol asked.

The dwarf’s mouth moved, but no words came out. He looked confused for a moment before remembering that the circle was still active.

“I haven’t been told,” Grimald said, choosing his words carefully.

“But you have your suspicions,” John observed.

Grimald nodded. “I could voice them, but they’re just that, suspicions. No sense in letting something so baseless colour your decisions.”

“Go on then,” John said, “you’ve known Roldo for longer than any of us.”

“What they’re doing seems serious enough to spook Roldo,” Grimald replied after a moment’s thought, “he’s moving his operations west to Fondir.”

“That’s going to be expensive,” John observed, “and Roldo hates spending money.”

“You don’t even know where Fondir is,” Sarah scoffed.

John’s face turned red. “I know that moving an operation the size of Roldo’s to even Sorin’s Hill would cost a minor fortune, never mind a place I’ve never heard of!”

“Fondir’s one of the Four Kingdoms, you dullard, and upping stakes and shifting everything over there will cost him a pretty penny indeed,” Grimald laughed good-naturedly. He then eyed the two humans before turning to Udoriol, “Say, since we’ve got this truth thing going, mind if I ask them a question? It’s been bugging me since I’ve known them.”

“Suit yourself,” the elf shrugged, “but they don’t have to answer if they don’t want to.”

“That won’t be fun, will it?” Grimald grinned as he looked at Sarah and John in turn.

A mischievous twinkle appeared in the dwarf’s eyes. “What is the relationship between the two of you, anyway? Are you… doing adult things yet?”

“No!” John and Sarah cried in unison as their faces coloured.

“What’s wrong with you?” John spluttered as he leapt to his feet, “you lecherous old coot.”

“It just seems strange,” Grimald grinned, “you two’ve been close from the day we met. What’s the matter, lad? Do you lack the stones to make a move? She’s into you, that’s as plain as day.”

“It’s not like that!” John shouted as his face turned a deeper face of crimson.

“We made a promise,” Sarah asserted, “we won’t do anything until we’ve made names for ourselves.”

“That’s right,” John added indignantly.

Grimald looked at them incredulously and then checked to see if the Circle was still active. When he saw that it was, he burst into laughter.

“Aren’t the two of you just precious?” he gasped as he wiped away a tear, “and who’s idea was it? Yours, lassie?”

“It was mine,” John declared.

Grimald laughed harder until he turned red and had to gasp for breath.

“Now now,” Udoriol said, trying and failing to conceal his own amusement, “we shouldn’t laugh at a man’s resolve.”

John decided he’d had enough and attempted to leave, only to find himself stopped by an invisible barrier at the edge of the circle. Udoriol waved his hand and the circle vanished, allowing John to stomp out to the ledge.

“I feel a little guilty,” Grimald remarked, wiping away a tear.

Sarah pouted. “The two of you are just awful.”

“As entertaining as that was, I think it’s time we got down to business,” Udoriol said.

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, still furious at the pair.

“He means we need to leave, lassie,” Grimald replied.

“If I had my way, I’d have you rest for another day, but I don’t think we have the luxury of time,” Udoriol remarked. He said a quick incantation and a radiant light appeared in his hand. He touched it to Sarah’s body, and it filled her with warmth and energy.

“There,” he sighed, “that should be enough for the journey out. At a slow pace.”

Sarah glanced out of the cave and asked, “Shouldn’t we wait until morning?”

Udoriol and Grimald both broke into broad smiles.

“Young lady,” the elf said, “it is morning. You slept through the night.”

Sarah blinked. “It was about midday when the faceless attacked…”

“You were out for a long time, lassie,” Grimald said, “the boy was beside himself with worry.”

Sarah got to her feet and found that her things were gathered in a neat pile close to the bedroll. They walked to the entrance of the cave and the elf stopped to give his home one last, long look.

“Will you miss it?” Sarah ventured.

“I will,” the elf replied as he looked at the cave fondly.

“You’re talking as though you’ll never come back,” Sarah observed.

“I can’t help but feel I won’t,” Udoriol said as he tore his gaze off the cave to look at her, “and that’s quite the ominous feeling when you’re ageless.”

“I don’t know how you stayed sane in here,” Sarah remarked.

Sarah fell silent when she set eyes on the mountainside across from the valley. Two deep black scars had been seared into the side.

“Meditation, my dear lady,” Udoriol said as he moved to block her from seeing her handiwork, “two millennia in the Church prepared me well for that. Have you tried it?”

Sarah shook her head.

“A shame. You should. I could teach you.”

“Are we setting out?” John asked, looking surprised as they joined him on the ledge.

“Aye,” Grimald replied.

John looked at Sarah with concern. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah admitted, “I suppose we’ll find out.”

John peered over the ledge and gave Sarah a dubious look.

“The boy’s right,” Udoriol sighed. He shifted his backpack so that he was carrying it in frontof him before hunching over in front of Sarah, “Here, I’ll give you a lift.”

“Do you think it’s necessary?” Sarah asked as she eyed the elf suspiciously. In the corner of her eye, she could see that John was fuming.

“Going down that ledge would tax you unnecessarily,” Udoriol said, “ignore the daggers your lover is shooting at me with his eyes and climb on.”

“He’s right,” John said through gritted teeth, “you’re still too weak.”

Sarah peered over the edge and recalled how arduous getting up had been. She gave John an apologetic look before looking at the elf, who stared back expectantly.

“Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

“I don’t see how you’re going to make it down there while carrying me,” she remarked as she climbed onto his back.

“Just watch,” he said jovially. He turned to the other two and winked, “see you at the bottom.”

Sarah let off a yelp of surprise as Udoriol set off down the steep slope with as much speed and confidence as someone descending a flight of stairs, displaying a surprising amount of strength for someone with such a slender figure. Before she knew it, they were at the bottom of the slope. She looked up to see Grimald and John had begun to carefully pick their way down the slippery rocks.

“There,” he said, as he set her down, “I trust your ride was satisfactory.”

Sarah grinned broadly. “It was quite something. You’re as fleet-footed as the stories say.”

She looked around and spotted a wood-carved cross planted at the base of the slope. Four steel crucifixes about an inch long hung from it. They were black and bent out of shape from intense heat.

“Those belonged to the men we fought,” Udoriol said, following her gaze, “it’s a memorial of sorts.”

“But they were our enemies,” Sarah pointed out softly.

“Only by circumstance,” Udoriol said sadly, “they were following Church orders. Some of them may have been my friends.”

“Were you an Inquisitor?” Sarah asked in surprise. It was hard to imagine someone like Udoriol being capable of such brutality.

The elf smiled wanly. “Good heavens no. I trained many acolytes in the ways of the Church over the years and some of them did go on to become Inquisitors.”

Sarah nodded and stood before the grave. She clasped her hands together like she had been taught as a child and bowed her head.

“Oh Treto, God of Light, take thy faithful servants into thy keeping where they may bask in your radiance until the end of days.”

She looked up to see Udoriol looking at her in surprise.

“Do you worship Treto?” he asked.

“I think everyone in my town worshipped Treto,” Sarah replied, “we would attend mass every Sunday.”

“But do you still worship him?” Udoriol ventured.

Sarah shrugged. “I don’t pray to him as often as I did. I think I stopped when the voices began…”

“And when was that?”

“When I was very young… around six or so?” she replied, “it was just whispers here and there at first. It felt as though someone was talking to me but when I looked up, no one was there.”

Udoriol nodded silently.

“It got worse when I came of age,” she continued, “I think that was part of the reason I decided to leave Golton, our hometown. I thought that perhaps the town was the cause of the voices…”

“Do you regret leaving?” the elf ventured.

Sarah looked up to the top of the slope where John had just begun making his way down and shook her head. “No.”

“If only I had a lady who looked at me like that,” Udoriol said with a laugh.

Sarah felt her cheeks colour. “I don’t understand why people like to tease us.”

“It’s just envy,” Udoriol smiled broadly, “it is a grand thing to be young and in love.”

“Have you ever loved someone?” Sarah asked.

A shadow crossed the elf’s face, and Sarah bit her lip, worried that she might have evoked a painful memory.

The moment soon passed and the smile returned to the elf’s face, although it was a little strained this time. “Perhaps one day I’ll tell you about it,” he said.

Eventually, Grimald and John joined them at the bottom of the slope. By then, the sun was already high in the sky and Sarah felt her spirits rise.

“The first clear day since we got here,” she beamed.

“It took you two long enough to get down here,” Udoriol grinned, “shall we be off, or do you need a moment?”

“We can leave now if you’d like,” John growled irritably, “where to?”

“It’s a long way to Corrington,” Grimald remarked, “I think our next move should be to hire a wagon at Parindale.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Udoriol agreed.