‘A truce?’ Thinking of the dozens of worlds overrun by the Demon Legion and the millions of taredhel left dead on those worlds, he muttered, ‘We never had such an offer.’
‘The Edhara didn’t accept their terms, vowing to fight to the end. The author of this chronicle wrote this as if it was his last testament, and jammed in every detail he thought was important.
‘The reason I think we might contrive to use the portal in the cave to get away is because that was what the rulers of the Edhara were planning to do. It’s not clear if they managed to get away in time, or if they even reached the portal.
‘The point is, if we manage to get out of here, and if we can reach Sorcerer’s Island, and then E’bar, we will have something of vital importance to tell the Regent’s Meet.’
Laromendis was silent for a moment, then said, ‘You mean we need to tell Tandarae?’
Gulamendis was silent and then said, ‘It always comes back to that, doesn’t it?’
‘The Meeting can not continue on the course it has been on for the last three hundred years, brother. The Circle of Light must be reformed, and all offices regarding magic need to be restored to it. Spending just a few months with those humans on Sorcerer’s Island tells me that this is true; if you spoke to Magnus or Pug about their own history and learned of Pug’s first attempt, the Academy at Stardock…’ He took a breath. ‘Very well, let’s get back first.’
Gulamendis said, ‘I think we can be there today if we leave now.’
‘In daylight?’
‘Do you see anyone else around here?’
‘No, but a few months ago a really massive battle took place only a few miles south of here,’ reminded the Conjurer.
‘I doubt it’s still in progress,’ said the Demon Master. ‘Which would explain why there’s only a small garrison left in that huge fortress, and why we were able to come and go as we pleased. They’ve gone somewhere else.’
Laromendis stood up. ‘The thing that’s annoying me most,’ he said, ‘is that there are still too many mysteries. I’m a simple elf at heart; I make things appear out of thin air, and people give me things: food, gold, their daughter’s virtue, a nice robe…’
‘You have always thought like a brigand, and you are a brigand at heart.’ He smiled. ‘Still, you’re my brother and my brigand, and I shall always stand with you.’
For the first time in days Laromendis felt like returning his brother’s smile. He clapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘As it should be. You may choose to consort with the foulest of beings, but I shall be at your side to the end.’
‘Let us go.’
As they walked to the south, Laromendis said, ‘There’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask you for some time now.’
‘Yes?’
‘Remember when that human girl, Sandreena said all those things about Amirantha?’
Gulamendis laughed. ‘How could I forget?’
‘Do you remember the part about a creature he summoned, named Dalthea? She appeared as a female of extraordinary beauty as I recall.’
‘A demon who looked like a beautiful human woman; Yes, I remember. He conjured a succubus and modified her to look beyond compare.’
‘Imagine conjuring a totally obedient beautiful female elf? Do you know that trick?’
For the first time in almost a century, Gulamendis, hit his brother on the arm.
It was midday and the two brothers were closer to the volcanoes. The air was heavy with the stench of burning ash and their eyes stung even more from the low hanging smoke: there was almost no wind. It masked them from casual observation, but also made their lungs and eyes hurt.
The landscape was now a rugged sea of basalt rock, large sheets of light grey and black shadow were interrupted by jagged outcrop-pings of up-thrust stone. At times their weight would crack the rock below as they stepped on the relatively thin skin of a lava bubble, which released a cloud of noxious, sulphurous gas. Gulamendis even dropped part way into one gas dome and his brother had to help free him. The edges of the rock were sharp and they had to move slowly to avoid injury at almost every step.
‘Who would want to conquer this miserable place?’ asked the Demon Master.
‘We did, for a while,’ said Laromendis. ‘We needed the crystals that come out of these volcanoes; there are also huge deposits of metals on this world.’ He glanced around, as if gaining his bearings. ‘I spent a little time here when I was exploring for the Regent’s Meet, and the mines to the south, on the other side of the abandoned fortress…Well, I can only say they were impressive; we found copper, silver, iron, gold…’ He took a deep breath, then coughed. ‘How much further?’