"The King had been going ahead to clear his mind. But, as soon as Father showed him the documents he found, things changed. He once searched the forests with his guard, found Borinius, and took him as a prisoner. The Duke was tried, found guilty, stripped of his title, and given a gilded prison to live out his days within.

"Brisgald was given to House Gabriel. After my grandfather died, Father became Duke of Brisgald and gave it to his brother, Arthur. As well as Lord of Carn Gable," William finished his story.

"Wait a minute, so he proves the evil overlord is guilty of treason. Brings it to the right people, and the bad guy just gets off scot-free?" asked Kiyora. "That's a terrible ending!"

"I'm telling you what happened, not-" said William before he stopped. "When did you even get here?"

"A while ago," said Kiyora. "I usually dream on these occasions."

"I share my goddess' bemusement," said Houndslasher. "Why would they let Borinius live?"

"Borinius had a great many relatives and friends," said William. "He'd have had to for his plans to succeed. King Andoa II is well-known for his mercy and doesn't want to start a blood feud. Many shared your view and wanted to see him hung, but Andoa is King of his land." He sighed. "Father cheated Melchious, and he prospered for it. The Gabriel clan became even more potent than it was before that night.

"My Father ruled over Brisgald in Grandfather's name. He made things far better for everyone. Reduced taxes and ceased the cruelties that Borinius perpetuated. When Father inherited Carn Gable, he gave Brisgald to his younger brother, Talion. Melchious got nothing.

"To have done great good with no benefit to himself?" asked Bjorn. "That seems like the sort of thing a demon would take personally."

"I know," said William. "I've been terrified of Melchious all my life. Everyone has. Now I'm in Seathorius, the heart of his power."

"You will have to confront him," said Bjorn. "Perhaps not this day or this year. Yet you are right to fear him. These sorts of... arrangements always end in a reckoning of one kind or another.

"One day, you or one of your family will have to face Melchious. He will neither forgive nor forget his humiliation. So many of our heroes have learned in time."

William shuddered. For a moment, there was silence.

"I'm trying to decide what part of my subconscious this represents," mused Kiyora. "I'm drawing a blank." Then she faded from view.

"She is often drawn here in times of worship," said Bjorn. "And leaves as quickly. Her connection to the dream is not as strong as when she receives a call for help. But, we've grown used to it."

"I see," said William.

"On that sobering note," said Hrothgar, "the stories you two have told are well worth the food you have eaten. They will likely make good tales in the future, long after we have all grown old. But, for now, we must concern ourselves with giving you a chance.

"What are your plans? And how may we assist them?"

William remained silent and realized the decision was his and his alone. He could not ask Felix for help. At first, he considered asking for shelter. The dwarves could send runners to Artarq, and his father could send someone to retrieve him. It was simple; it was safe. So why wasn't he going to do it?

The shame of his failure on the ships had now awoken something inside him. It was driving him to do something bold and foolish and altogether reckless. It stuck in his throat as he felt their eyes on him.

Finally, he blurted out: "I mean to travel to Artarq on foot."

There, it was done.

The dwarves looked surprised and impressed. Felix just looked dumbstruck. Silence overtook them momentarily as Bjorn drew out a pipe and lit it. He blew out a giant smoke ring, which rose larger and larger. Then, it stopped over all their heads. The smoke began to spin, transforming into mist and descending on the remnants of the feast.

Then, the feast was gone. So were the plates and utensils. Only the cups remained, and each one was filled with blood-red wine.

"Are you certain?" asked Bjorn, looking very ancient indeed. "Seathorius is a realm of dreams. Once your journey begins, there is no telling what perils you will encounter."

"All the more reason to save someone the trouble of having to come to get me," said William. "And anyway, as long as I'm here, I'm endangering all of you. I got myself into this mess; I will get myself out."

"Are you insane?" asked Felix. "You've read the stories! There are far worse things than satyrs waiting for us in the woods."

"You don't have to come, Felix," said William.

"Yes, I do!" snapped Felix. "Raynald would slice and dice me if he found out I left you alone! And you'd never make it on your own."

"Then it looks to be decided," said Houndslasher. "We will supply you with provisions and equipment — some better shoes for a start and new clothes. And rope, definitely rope. I would leave tomorrow if I were you. It rarely pays to wait long in Seathorius."

"Do you have any maps?" asked William.

"No map could be made of Seathorius," laughed Bjorn. "It would be outdated the next day. However, if I were you, I would travel north along the river until you reach the coast. The river and sea are always roughly the same places, so you can walk along them until you reach more stable lands."

"He is right," said Felix. "Artarq is a coastal province anyway."

"I know," said William.

"Be careful as you walk," warned Bjorn. "The satyrs are behind, but they may choose to pursue you. And Melchious has other agents in these lands." He raised a cup. "Now, a toast to the gods!" Everyone else raised their cups as well. "To the gods!" They echoed.

William and Felix were given a place to sleep in the halls of Houndslasher that night. He slept without a dream. He awoke the following day feeling much more refreshed. New clothes were provided for them, better suited to their size and warmer. They were also given new cloaks made of gray fur and walking sticks. Supplies were given to them, along with some excellent advice. Finally, Bjorn brought them outside the hall to see them off.

The river looked beautiful in the morning light, and the birds were singing. Several kinds of flowers were blooming along the river. William thought it looked like lovely weather for travel. "I understand you mean to avoid any confrontations here in Seathorius," said Bjorn. "Remember to head north and don't lose sight of the river. Then, when you reach the shore, you can seek shelter with the otters. They are good folk and worship Queen Yagos as well. I expect they will shelter you so long as you don't do anything foolish. Though I don't expect things will go nearly as well as all that."

"Why are you so confident we're destined for destruction?" asked Felix.

"Destruction?" asked Bjorn. "No. Adventure? Without a doubt. That is the way of Seathorius. However, nothing can ever be simple. That is why we have these for you." He motioned, and Moira came forward with two short swords in ornate leather sheaths.

William took him in hand and unsheathed it. The blade was shaped like a leaf, and the design was elegant without much adornment. Testing the edge, he marveled at how light it was, how beautiful it looked when it glinted in the sun. He opened his mouth, but he did not trust himself to speak.

"It is marvelous," he managed at last. "Why would you give us such treasures?"

"You are under the protection of our goddess," said Bjorn. "We wish others to know of our skill with blades. If they do, we might be commissioned to forge more of them.

"But that is a secondary concern."

"We are grateful for all your help," said William. "If ever you need aid that I can provide, ask, and I will do what I can to repay my debt."

"We prefer to see to our own problems," said Bjorn. "But we shall remember it."

Felix looked at his blade without expression. "...I have no idea how to use this."

"Just stick the pointed end in the other man," said William with a laugh. "And anyway, we both know that's not true. You practiced stances with Raynald and me before; you know how to use them."

"Not as much as I should like," admitted Felix. "Either way, thank you. Though I'm sure William will find a way to break his sooner or later."

"I only did it twice!" objected William. "It isn't my fault if I'm stronger than most people my age."

"I doubt you'll be able to break these," said Moira. "Not unless you try. These weapons were made for dwarves; they can take much more force than humans. So I helped to make both of them myself."

"I didn't know you were a smith," said William as he sheathed the sword and set it to his belt.

"I learned when I was a girl," admitted Moira. "Our craft takes many years to perfect."

"Goodbye," said Bjorn. "And good luck. The Dreaming Goddess will watch over you, but there are things even she cannot face." He looked to the tree, and William followed his gaze. The bodies which had lain there before were gone; now, only bones remained.

William bowed before taking up his walking stick and leading Felix along the river. They headed north as they had been instructed. The air was fresh and breezy, and the sound of the river gushing against the rocks was soothing to their nerves. The cast above was overcast, but it was otherwise pleasant weather. So they had an excellent time.

The days passed like the winds around them, affecting them only briefly before they moved on past it. William had never before been on or wanted to be on an adventure. He now found himself feeling a particular enthusiasm for it all. Here was the sort of journey people told stories about around the hearth on cold winter nights. The kind of journey that historians recorded in old books. The type to be passed to future generations.

"Why are you smiling?" asked Felix in annoyance. "This is insanity."

The smile William had not known he'd been wearing faded with his embarrassment. "Um... well, I thought this would all seem very impressive when we get to Artarq."

"If we get to Artarq, you mean," said Felix. "Which is not likely at all. Also, even if we do, Duke Vanion will be furious with you for coming. He will be angry with Raynald and Rusara for putting the idea into your mind. And angry at me for not informing Lady Azgora before it began.

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"I expect he'll have me reassigned.

"And that isn't even going into what your mother will do to you and me. I expect she will keep you on a chain after this."

"Okay, but to everyone else, it will seem very impressive," said William.

"In what way?" asked Felix. "All we did was wash ashore, get captured by satyrs, rescued by a goddess, and equipped by dwarves. So we haven't accomplished anything."

"We survived," said William. "Other people would have died before they reached the shore."

"Yes, perhaps the bards will sing about our ability to avoid drowning," muttered Felix.

"Well, you picked the lock on your cell, snuck past the guards, and set fire to the satyr village," said William. "That's something."

"I lied," admitted Felix. "The guards were dead drunk and started a fight. The one with the keys got knocked out, and I managed to swipe them off him while he was reeling."

"It is still pretty impressive," said William. "And you did sneak past them."

"They were dead drunk. It wasn't," muttered Felix.

"How did the fire start?" asked William.

"Oh, I threw a torch into one of the houses as I said," said Felix. "But anyone could have done that."

This kind of attitude from Felix soured William's mood. And to make matters worse, the clouds became darker and thicker above them. No doubt it would rain soon.

Felix was right; his mother would put him in chains for what he'd done. Father would agree with her, too, and he'd never see Raynald or Rusara again. As twilight gave way to darkness, they stopped and created a fire beneath the forest's edge.

"We're leaving a watch tonight," said Felix. "We should have done it before, but we weren't thinking. This time, someone has to stay awake. I'll take the first watch and wake you when it's your turn."

"Right," said William, "I'm going to catch some sleep."

He lay down on his back and looked up at the stars coming out where the clouds didn't conceal them. It occurred to William that the stars shone down on them wherever one walked in this world. Their light could be, for a time, concealed by clouds and weather. But they remained on high, watching the world. It was said that Elranor came from the stars long ago and liberated humanity from the tyranny of the elves. William was confident, no, sure that Elranor had been behind Kiyora's rescue. The timing of it all was too convenient to be a mere coincidence.

His mind turned to his promise to Elranor. Would god ask him to honor it? William remembered the demoness' mocking words and doubted he could be helpful to his god. However, if Elranor did ask for his service, what would he do?

William decided he would yield it for whatever it was worth. It was the only decent thing to do. You couldn't break promises and oaths, or the world would fall apart. The following day, he awoke to find that Felix had drifted off to sleep without waking him. He felt a tinge of irritation as he arose and prodded his friend. Finally, Felix opened his eyes and looked up.

"What is it?" asked the other boy.

"You were supposed to wake me," said William

"I forgot," admitted Felix. "Let's keep moving."

On they traveled for a little way. Soon, they came onto the rocky ground with many great stones lying on the river bank. The river became a waterfall a little further, rushing towards the sea. Finally, as they neared the foaming crest, they saw the ocean in the morning light. It was beautiful to look on, and William breathed out in relief.

"Well, that is one part of the journey," said William. "Once we reach the shore, I can think of two things we might do."

"What are they?" asked Felix, looking around.

"We can start a bonfire and hope to attract the attention of nearby ships," said William. "Or we can walk along the shore and try to take shelter with these otters while we do it."

"The latter seems wisest to me," said Felix. "The satyrs have shipped as well. Raynald and Rusara have almost certainly put to shore by now anyway. So we're best off staying the course and doing as Bjorn suggested."

"Weren't you against this course of action?" asked William.

"While under the protection of the dwarves, we could afford to stay in one place," said Felix. "We are on our own, so we should keep moving." Then he saw something. "Get down!" And he threw himself to the ground. William followed him and followed his gaze.

Coming downriver in the distance was a riverboat crewed by many satyrs. They were dressed for war. Their skin and fur were painted red with horrible markings. And at their head was Doltier. William shuddered in fear, remembering the white-furred satyr's grip on him before. He looked at Felix and saw the other boy looked as afraid as he felt. Fortunately, the satyrs had not yet seen them. He thought of their options and mastered himself.

"We need to run now," said William.

"They'd catch us for sure," said Felix. "Behind the rocks quickly."

They crawled behind one of the splendid stones and got to their knees. Then, hardly daring to breathe, William looked around the corner of one stone. The satyrs had beached their vessel and were leaping ashore. Dottier was in the front, scanning the ground.

He said something on his tongue to his warriors, and they fanned out, searching around. Even if the satyrs had not seen them, they knew they were in this region. William realized they would indeed be caught if they stayed here. It was too open, and sooner or later, a satyr would find its hiding place. No, there were other options.

They were very near the woods. He tapped Felix on the shoulder and motioned to the trees. They had never looked less inviting, and Felix gave him a look that said as much. William grabbed him by the hand and led him into them. They got into the trees moments before Doltier checked their stone.

The white satyr kneeled by it, sniffing.

William didn't wait any longer. He made a break for it, and so did Felix, trying to go quickly while not making any noise. They had not gone far before a familiar hollering could be heard. The two of them broke into a sprint. Branches and vines bombarded them as they ran for their lives. But there was not a sound after the first holler. If the satyrs were following, they were doing it quietly.

Coming out of the underbrush, they found themselves in a massive mound in the center of a clearing. The satyrs were nearly on them; William could feel it, and he knew they could not escape them by speed alone. William drew out his sword and whirled around, mentally preparing himself to fight. They would not take him easily — not this time.

Then Felix grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him around the mound so they had it between them and the satyrs. However, it was not a moment too soon, for Doltier and company burst out from the trees with their blades in hand. Then William and Felix were out of sight. It wasn't enough, though; they had only moments before the satyrs found them.

Then William saw the hole. It was small, just large enough for someone lying down to crawl into it on their knees. It led to the base of the mound. William hoped he would be able to fit. Sheathing his sword, he got down on his hands and knees before crawling into it. He heard Felix coming up behind him as they moved into the darkness. The voices of satyrs could be heard drawing near. William knew that they were now just outside the cave.

William hoped this hole led somewhere, not to a wolf's open mouth.

The ceiling soon became much higher, and he could stand up. The air within was oddly warm, and there was a strange thrumming noise like breathing. Then, raising a hand, William felt very cold.

"I can't see," said Felix. "What do we do?"

William thought quickly. "Felix, I'm going to try and make some light. Stand by the entrance with your sword out, and if the satyrs try to come in, stab them. They'll be at a disadvantage."

"Right," said Felix, drawing his sword and kneeling by the dim light of the entrance. William raised a hand and looked into the darkness. There was that breathing noise again. Remembering the techniques Rusara had taught him, William muttered the incantations. He tried to summon the spirit of the sun as best he could. Nothing happened.

He tried again and put his will into it. This time, he received a slight flicker. Seeking a third time, he managed it. A sphere of white light appeared over his palm and illuminated his surroundings. Oh.

All around him were gold and jewels and silver piled high. Priceless artifacts of all kinds were everywhere. William found his mouth going dry, looking at it. In particular, something caught his eye.

It was a harp of gold, carved with beautiful and robust strings that thrummed like a beating heart. It was hanging from a peg set into the wall and was still strung. It looked in perfect condition, so it couldn't have been here for long unless it was magical. The latter seemed more likely.

There was a scream of pain, and William looked to see Felix holding a bloody sword. Something was withdrawing back to the surface. Muttered cursing resounded. They had a good position, but safety had passed.

How long could they hold the satyrs at bay? The creatures might need to have brought adequate supplies. But, on the other hand, William and Felix might hold out for some time. Perhaps even long enough for the satyrs to give up the hunt.

What was that breathing noise?

Then he saw the source.

Lying on a bed of gold, its pelt blending in, was an enormous lion, faintly snoring and shifting. It was as if it were in some uneasy dream of hunting. No, not a lion. Lions did not have three heads: a goat, a dragon, or a cat. No lion alive was as massive as the creature before them, for one leg was nearly as tall as William.

They were trapped inside a cave with the beast, and the satyrs barred the only exit. It was sleeping soundly, but how long would that last? William doubted they had long enough for the satyrs to give up.

Felix saw it, too.

William backed away from the creature and bumped into the fallen harp. He barely caught it before it hit the ground. He gulped in a cold sweat as the chimera shifted, purring at some dream it was having. What did chimeras dream of?

"What do we do?" asked Felix.

William needed a plan, and he needed it now. "I don't know," he admitted. "We could surrender, but we might be better off being eaten by the creature." An idea occurred. "That's it! Get away from the cave mouth."

"What?" asked Felix. "But-"

"Do it," said Wiliam. "We want the satyrs to come in here. Then, when they get in, we'll wake the chimera. It'll go after them first, or I hope it will, and we can use the confusion to escape."

"That may work," said Felix, sounding doubtful, though he did as he was told.

Yet the satyrs did not come in. They waited and waited, but the chimera kept sleeping, and the satyrs did nothing. Had they somehow heard their conversation? It seemed unlikely. Then William noticed that the light from the hole entrance was getting dimmer.

"Felix," he said, "go look and see what is blocking the cave entrance."

"Oh no, it's your turn this time," said Felix.

"Right, right," said William.

He made his way forward and kneeled to look. The satyrs had piled many sticks and branches over the entrance. Dry leaves were also being shoved there. But why? What could they gain-

The branches burst into flame.

William staggered back in horror as he realized their plan. "They lit a fire. They mean to smoke us out."

"What do we do?" asked Felix for the second time.

"I don't know," answered William again, and this time, nothing came to him. "Get down low." Smoke began to pour into the room, a little at first, but more and more came in, rising to cover the ceiling in clouds. Laughter could be heard from outside the cave. Felix crouched with William, looking like he was on the verge of panicking.

"We should surrender," said Felix.

"That'll be worse than death," said William. "And the smoke might-"

There was a deep, almost confused groaning, bleating, and hissing noise. The chimera stirred. William hid his light beneath his cloak as the creature stood up lazily. He prayed that it would not see them. The beast sniffed the air. Then, the lion and the dragon roared, and the goat bleated angrily. The sound was horrible and hurt his ears.

Then, the light from the fire was blocked. The chimera squeezed through the hole with great speed. All of a sudden, the satyrs weren't laughing anymore. There was a bloodcurdling scream outside, and William hoped it was Doltier. There were cries of fear and war, and still, more roaring could be heard.

Felix moved for the exit.

"No, wait!" said William. "They'll run! It'll pursue them, and then we move out!"

"We should go now," said Felix.

The screaming stopped. The chimera's paws crunched as the scattered fire came to them. William saw it coming toward them, entering the cave again. Without thinking about it or knowing why, he drew up the harp he had found. The creature slithered into the cave with horrific speed. It rushed toward him, roaring.

William ran his hand across the strings of the harp.

The chimera halted as the first of William's notes went through its ears. No sooner had the music died, but it snarled and coiled for a spring. William began to play again, and its muscles relaxed. As he played, the chimera sat down on its haunches while William played his harp without any idea what to do next.

So play he did. Every time he began to slow, the creature would let out a growl or advance, and he would have to continue. He tried gradually inching toward the entrance, but then the dragon head let out a roar, and he had to keep playing. Finally, the lion began to purr, and the goat head made noises of appreciation.

"Felix," said William, "get out of here. I'll keep it occupied."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," said Felix.

Helpless to do anything else, William continued to play the harp. As he did so, there was a sense that filled him. It was a sense of everything in the surrounding area. He could feel the satyr's fear as they fled this place. He could sense the deaths that had happened, which made him sad. But, it wasn't just the deaths of the satyrs. It was the ends of ants and many other creatures he was unaware of, which had died today.

Their lives led to other things, more important things. William felt like someone was with him, someone he had known all his life yet never met. It was strange and breathtaking.

The smoke drained from the cave quickly, as though sped by some magic. His fingers were hurting from the constant work of playing it. He felt sweat drench his brow; his heart beat faster than he knew possible.

The chimera continued to purr and went over to its bed of gold and lay down. Soon, its purrs became snores again. Finally, it was asleep, and they were beneath notice.

It was a few minutes before William dared to stop playing. Finally, he sank to his knees and stopped, flexing his sore fingers. Looking at Felix, he sighed in relief. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Let's kill the beast first," said Felix, raising his sword. "I don't want it coming after us."

"No," said William firmly, "no killing. It minded its own business when we barged into its home. So we're leaving now."

"Could you fill your pack with gold first?" asked Felix. "We might as well have something to show for our troubles."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Felix," said William. "It has a dragon head. We ought to leave the treasure behind."

"You took the harp," snapped Felix. "Let me choose my trophy."

"Do as you like," said William, not in the mood to argue. "But if that thing comes after us, it's your fault."

"You mean like all of this is your fault?" asked Felix.

William didn't much like this new side of Felix at all. He felt that greed was something to be avoided in this situation. Even so, he didn't want to argue. It might have just been a Calishan thing, this lust for gold. So he let Felix fill his pack with the gold and jewels he desired before both slipped out of the cave. William didn't like the extra weight, but he supposed the gold would lead to their credibility.