‘Who else?’
‘Amirantha and Sandreena; we need all the demon knowledge we can bring to this, and Brandos, because we could use a good sword and he’s faced his share of the creatures.’
Magnus said, ‘When do we leave?’
‘As soon as you gather them all here. No time like the present.’
Magnus nodded and hurried out of the tower. Pug sat in his chair, lost in his thoughts. Fear over his last child’s fate threatened to rise, but instead of succumbing to it, he forced his mind to dissect the Oracle’s riddle: the hidden wave; an enemy hiding in a lightless void. He could feel his mind almost comprehend something, but as always with the Oracle the mix of simple fact and metaphor often confused things. He focused on her predictions as he waited for the others.
It took some time, but they eventually discovered the source of the brothers’ last rift. Pug had spent the better part of an hour searching the clearing on Sorcerer’s Isle in which they had appeared, using his powers to seek out any lingering effects of the magic. It was a faint trail, but with calculations and patience he finally decided he could reach the point of origin.
‘Everyone, stand back,’ he instructed. ‘Magnus be ready to get us out of here if needed.’ Rifts could be very unstable and destructive, and while no living man knew more about their nature than Pug, he was still cautious when constructing one to a new location.
Pug closed his eyes for a moment, then with a quick incantation he formed the rift.
He was pulled forward a step, as if seized by a massive invisible hand, then fell back, as if that same hand pushed him away. Brandos steadied him, keeping the sorcerer from falling on his backside.
‘That was unexpected,’ said Pug.
‘What was, father?’
He looked at Magnus and said, ‘That rift was formed with a great deal more energy than I intended. It was as if someone was helping me construct it.’ He turned to the others and said, ‘Best be ready for anything when we step through.’
Pug led the way. When the others came through they found him examining the gate used by the elven brothers. Brandos and Sandreena coughed as the air was thick with smoke and its acid stung their eyes and noses. ‘There must have been a recent eruption,’ observed Gulamendis. ‘It wasn’t this bad when we left.’
Magnus came to stand beside his father and instantly understood what held his father’s attention. ‘I’ve never seen its like.’
‘Neither have I. Look at this.’ He pointed to the impressions where fingers were to be placed.
Magnus put his fingers there, closed his eyes, then they opened wide as if he had been surprised. ‘Those controls…’
‘Masterful,’ said Pug. ‘If this is one of your grandfather’s designs, it surpasses anything I’ve been able to construct. If it’s someone else…’
‘Who?’ said Magnus quietly.
Amirantha said, ‘The wind is rising!’
Pug looked around. It was impossible to tell exactly what time of day it was, as ash and smoke formed a canopy in the sky. The air was thick with stench from the distant volcanoes, and ash covered everything in sight. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I think you’re right; there’s been an eruption recently.’
‘None of this ash was here when we left,’ Gulamendis said. Glancing around, he said, ‘At least the darkness will help mask our approach.’
The ground rumbled as if to accent his observation and a hot tower of flame appeared above one of the distant cones. ‘I wonder how long this has been going on,’ said Amirantha.
‘Ages, no doubt,’ said Pug. ‘These volcanic regions can go through very calm periods then suddenly become active again.’ He pointed to the sloping ground. ‘The lava flow fans out at the bottom of the cone and forms these relatively flat surfaces.’ He then pointed to the distant eruption, ‘But a big explosion can lift this and drop it…’ He shrugged. ‘I want to take that gate back with us, if we can.’ He turned to Gulamendis. ‘But first, which way to the fortress?’
Pointing north, he said, ‘That way. About half a day’s walk.’
‘We’ll get there a little faster than that.’ He motioned for them to stand close. Sandreena and Brandos stood beside Magnus, while Amirantha and Gulamendis stood beside Pug. They all joined hands and suddenly they stood on a ridge a mile north of their previous position. ‘Don’t let go,’ Pug said, and another jump took them to a plateau. They could see the fortress rising in the distance. ‘What’s the best way in?’ asked Pug.