‘If you were miles to the south, looking northward…’ said Laromendis.
‘From the battlements of Can-ducar!’
‘The twins would be on the right and the Fire Queen on the left!’
‘How did we not know about this ancient fortress?’ asked Gulamendis.
‘We never got this far,’ answered the Conjurer. ‘Can-ducar was the northernmost fortification on Telesan when the demons appeared.’ He said, ‘We never occupied much of the world because of this foul smoke and ash. The only reason we sent anyone here was to mine metals.’
‘Do you think that’s why the demons have dwarven prisoners?’
‘Possibly,’ said Laromendis.
‘Well,’ said his brother. ‘We have some idea where they came from, at least.’
‘Do we?’
Feeling defeat, the Demon Master said, ‘No. I mean, we know that portal in the wall by the gate leads to the world where we saw the demon battle, and we know they didn’t come from this place originally.’
Laromendis sat down in the gloom of the fading afternoon light. ‘We dare not light anything, even if we could find tinder and flint, in case it is seen, so we must wait until tomorrow to find out if anything here is of use.’
Gulamendis stood. ‘Help me get the door back on its hinges, just in case this is the one day they decide to investigate the top of the tower. Then one of us should go back to the storage shed and fill a sack with food.’
‘I’ll go,’ said Laromendis. ‘You were always the better scholar. See what you can make of this with what little light is left.’
Laromendis left, closing the door behind him; Gulamendis latched it shut. He looked at the many volumes on the shelves, wondering where to start, then found his gaze pulled to a large leather-bound book. He reached up and when his fingertips touched it, he jerked his hand back. ‘Demon,’ he whispered. ‘Could this be?’ He pulled the book down and opened it. At once his vision swam and he recognized the writing as the arcane runic symbols of demon control. ‘Oh, my,’ he whispered as he sat down and began to read.
A short time later his brother returned with a sack full of food and said, ‘It’s a good thing we vacated that shed. When I got there some dwarves were leaving with food for the prisoners.’
‘Why didn’t they find us last night?’
Laromendis shrugged and tossed an apple to his brother. ‘Perhaps they don’t feed their prisoners every day.’ He started eating an apple and after a juicy bite, asked, ‘Find anything?’
‘Yes,’ said his brother. ‘I think I may have found several important things.’
‘Such as?’
‘Where the Demon gate is that lets them into this realm.’
‘Really?’ he seemed impressed. ‘What else?’
‘Who or what may be at the heart of this madness.’
Laromendis let out a slow sigh. ‘It’s almost too dark to read. Finish that tomorrow.’ Elves were capable of seeing in the darkest of nights, when only starlight was the source, but without any kind of light, reading ancient ink on parchment was beyond even their gifts.
‘One other thing,’ said Gulamendis.
‘What?’
With a broad smile he said, ‘I think I have found a way for us to get to Home.’
Night dragged on and Laromendis repeated what he had just been told to be sure he understood it. ‘So, this lair was the study of a human magician, by the name of Makras—’
‘Macros.’
‘Macros; and he was an advisor to the local ruler.’
‘The King of Des.’
‘The King of Des. And Macros discovered a portal, built by some unknown people in ages past.’
‘Yes.’
Laromendis said, ‘So while experimenting with this device, he opened it.’
‘Yes, to the world…Well, I will have to reread that part when the light returns.’
Laromendis sat silently in the darkness, then he said, ‘I’ll skip over the other parts. This portal is not the one we came through to get here?’
‘No, for he described its location as a nearby vale; if we assume he meant near where he was writing, and that he was writing in this room.’
‘Well, let us say we can find this portal. How are we to operate it?’
‘That is why I said “I think” I have found a way home, instead of “I know”. If we can control it, I suggest we make for Home—.’ Laromendis was about to object, but Gulamendis cut him off. ‘—Not for E’bar, but for Sorcerer’s Island.’
‘How?’
‘I spent enough time near the portal on the island to…Well,I think I can contrive to get us there.’
Laromendis was determined not to let his brother’s hopes rise too fast. ‘And what do we use to power it?’
Gulamendis held up a small bag and even though his brother could barely see him in the gloom, he sensed his smile. ‘I took these from the dead galasmancer.’
‘Crystals?’
‘Crystals.’