Liz turned from the shop and found Ethan standing a few feet away, lost in thought. His smooth forehead was crinkled, his brows furrowed. Liz was taken aback by his look.

"Is anything wrong there?" She asked.

"No! It's just that I really can't understand a few things," he said absent-mindedly. "Do you know Gailar?"

Liz seemed surprised. "How do you know about him? Have you met him ever?" She asked.

"Yes, I have. And I remember Juran saying he is kind of a scum. But right now I think he is telling some truth."

Liz stared at him in disbelief. Ethan's usual bashfulness around her had disappeared. He looked hard and determined, but still lost in thought. For a moment, it seemed to Liz that this young man who barely appeared to have reached adulthood, was actually a strong fighter, seasoned by many battle-scars. But she didn't get much time to dwell upon such thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Juran and Ahir had returned and were approaching them.

"Sorry, we are a bit late!" Liz said, turning around. "I've just finished my shopping here. Let's go."

All four of them returned to Dovak's tent. They were shown into a specious tent where they ate their lunch and rested for a while. As daylight started to fade they set out for the town of Karna on horseback.

The fair-ground had been situated on the western fringe of the town. A well-trodden road connected it to the town proper. The road went through a barren stretch of land dotted with a few stunted trees and thorny bushes.

As the travellers rode towards the town the sun went down deeper and deeper into the horizon behind them and the shadows falling in front of them got more and more elongated, unless they became one with the darkened ground below the horses' hooves. As the lights of the town started to gleam in the distance, they arrived in front of a small makeshift stall where a large kettle of tea sat on a stove, exuding the refreshing smell of freshly brewed tea.

Juran got off his steed. The three others followed suit. "Let's take a break here," he said.

Ethan stood at a distance and looked on as the other three walked in front of the stall. "I don't feel like it. Just go on without me," he said. Juran gave him a curious look, but didn't say anything.

Ethan felt restless. He had been silent all this time. A tempest raged inside his mind. He knew in his heart that there was some truth in Gailar's words. He hadn't lost his faith in Juran, but he couldn't believe in Dovak. His instinct had tugged at the strings of his heart, making him willing to believe in what Gailar had said about him.

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"Tell your friend not to trust him anymore," he had said. But what was he to do now? Should he tell Juran about it? Would he believe in him? It was clear as daylight that he hated Gailar!

Lost in his own thoughts, Ethan wandered from there. Suddenly he felt that the darkness around him had deepened and somehow hardened! It pressed against him, making it hard for him to breathe freely. In front of him, stood a familiar figure. It was the man whom he had followed through that dark tunnel that brought him into this world!

Ethan felt his limbs going numb. He didn't know how he could see in that pitch black darkness. Still, the figure of the tall, lean man hovered in his view. A familiar voice buzzed in his ears, "A Demon's instincts are his best guide. Trust your instincts, Ethan."

"W-wait! I'm no demon! I'm just a man!" Ethan cried out. But his voice was soundless. Slowly, his vision became darker and darker.

*******************************

A splash of cold water on his face brought Ethan back into reality. As his eyes flung open, he found himself half-inclined on a wooden bench in front of the tea-stall. He tried to smile weakly as the worried faces of his friends hovered in front of him.

"What happened there? Are you alright?" Juran asked.

"Nothing! I'm fine now. Juran? There's something urgent I want to tell you! Let's go!"

As he said this, Ethan stood up and walked to his horse. Juran had followed him silently.

"Juran, I met Gailar today. He asked me to tell you not to trust Dovak anymore."

"Do you trust his words?" Juran asked.

"I do," Ethan said simply.

Juran looked into his eyes. "You could have told me this in the afternoon. I trust your instincts and it's time you, too, start having faith in them," he said gravely. Then he waved at the other two, indicating them to come near. As Ahir and Liz drew near, he said, "We are not going to stop at Karna. We'll just pass through it and head towards the city of Rucco. Do you all agree here?"

"What about our horses? They won't be able to run all night! They are already tired," Ahir said.

"We'll take them as long as they can go. Then we'll let them go. They are trained well. They must be able to return to their masters," Juran said.

"Alright then." Liz said. "But I'm worried for Ethan. Will he be able to walk such a long way?"

Hearing this Ethan felt elated and embarrassed at the same time. Liz did care for him then! But how could she have such a low opinion about him? Did she took him to be that weak? He wondered.

By this time they had been passing through the heart of the town. Ethan couldn't help but admire the bright spacious town square as they traversed it diagonally. But there was something eerie about the place. It was almost deserted. Most of the shops had put down their shutters though the lights in front of them continued to glow.

Sound of horses' hooves on the cobbled path broke the silence of the night. Not just the two pairs of horses!

At least a hundred horses were coming from behind them. Through the dark night, they came charging at them.

The four riders started galloping ahead. "Out from the town!" Juran cried at the top of his voice. "Let's get to open fields!"

So they galloped out of the town into the barren wilderness, the charging troop of riders following close at their heels!