They opened in an unfamiliar place and William stood up immediately.

His hand went for his sword and found it was not there. Only then did he realize he was sitting in a well-lit bedroom. There was a tapestry on a wall across from him. It depicted a white-haired man taking up a white sword with a blonde woman and several other figures. William recognized many of them. There was Father, Raynald, Mother, and others like them.

Then battles were fought with many images of bandits and thieves. Over time the others all fell away, but the white-haired man continued to fight. The blonde woman watched with pride as he became more and more brutal. At last, they looked over a peaceful land, and the man ascended into heaven.

His sword was over on the desk nearby. It looked to have been freshly cleaned as had the sheathe.

At once, he buckled it back on while looking back. In a seat was a white-haired old man clad in brown robes. He had a thick frame and a long white, neat beard tied toward the end. A gnarled staff member was smoking a pipe in his hand. "Where am I?"

"You are in the castle of the Lady Atravain," said the old man. "And you were never nearer death than that moment. Your healing power is quite impressive, but it can be overdone."

William paused. "Who are you?"

"Gail Arengeth," said Gail. "You are focused on war, aren't you?"

"I have to be," said William, unsure what to say.

"Yes," said Gail. "If it is any consolation, this has been a miserable experience for me.

"You are very lucky to have survived. The world was starting to darken around you, and you were the only defender.

"It is a deadly technique, known only to a few. I shall have to look into the source. Even so, the root of the problem was growing darkness."

William halted. He'd read about darkened worlds. "Do you mean we would have become a darkened world?"

"Not at once," said Gail. "It's a gradual process, but it's a lot harder to stop once you start. The bleak, cynical horror snowballs larger and larger. Eventually, the very concept of good itself is discredited.

"'If we're going to have crime-'"

"'-we might as well have organized crime," finished William. "I've heard it."

"It's a nice cynical bit of jargon," said Gail. "There is a kind of safety in cynicism. If you truly believe everyone else is terrible, you are freed of responsibility. So long as you can convince yourself everyone else is irredeemable, you can justify anything.

"And once you start committing many evil deeds, you can't even step out of that bubble again. Our enemy in this matter has been using this. They have convinced men to embrace the most cynical view of Harlenor so that their lies will become true.

"Fortunately, that fate has been safely disrupted for now.

"I would call it Urishia work if any of them were left."

"Urishia?" asked William.

"One of the nastiest and most arrogant families I ever dealt with," said Gail. "I abhor the slaughter of whole families. But I do not miss them."

"What happened to them?" asked William.

"They threw in with Rammas, one of the most powerful of Baltoth's sons," said Gail. "And it seemed Rammas would have the mastery. But a Calishan warrior called Isamu defeated Rammas.

"Baltoth was displeased. After centuries of dealing with their backstabbing, he ordered them all killed. However, he may have missed some.

"I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"Even the children?" asked William.

"There was a justification for it, somehow," said Gail. "Urishia were almost universally arrogant and selfish. It was a family tradition to find some outsider to become best friends with as a child. Then you would murder them as a coming of age ritual.

"And they only got worse with time. By the time Baltoth wiped them out, they were as bad as any orc."

"Were the orcs that bad?" asked William. He had numerous accounts of horrific battles, but they were all shrouded in myth.

"You don't want to know," said Gail with a shudder.

"I do," said William.

There was a pause.

"They were even worse than the Urishia," said Gail. "They started nearly irredeemable but seemed to be getting better for a bit. However, they were never able to cease their penchant for constant warfare.

"It was an obsession with blood that led to slow degeneration. The moral fiber of their people got gradually worse and worse. Eventually, they went from a little more violent than humans to utter monsters.

"By the time Alchara ordered them destroyed, they made satyrs look kindhearted.

"Unfortunately, after they were destroyed, the balance of power was as well. The old alliance structures fell apart without an 'evil' opponent to face off against. The result was chaos destroyed the old human Kingdom of Sendar. That stands roughly where Gel Carn is now. Tolnasran, now Antion, fell into brutal civil war, and many fled to Dinis to rebuild there. Meanwhile, Tiriscan, what is now Escor, succumbed to the vampires."

"What about Haldren?" asked William.

"Haldren was orcish and satyr territory for the most part," said Gail. "Through the Withering contested it with them. It was only when Anoa chased Neral Dinis here that the first real human colonies began.

"The Furbearers were a distant people, of course."

"Alchara manages to restore order and take control. And for a long time, the elven reign was beneficial. But there were good elements and bad elements, and eventually, her systems broke down. She did try to recreate Sendar and several other Kingdoms, but nothing came of that."

"Why not?" asked William.

"The humans were no longer the same culture," said Arengeth. "And many of the elven administrators misused their privileges. Others became outright tyrants, partially thanks to interference by the Urishia.

"Sylvar, for instance.

"It all culminated in a series of escalating wars, and the rest is history. In truth, however, the system was already collapsing. Even if Anoa had not risen to power, someone else would have. And they might have been far worse."

William felt a sense of awe that overshadowed the knowledge this man was a political enemy.

"What was Anoa like?" asked William.

Gail smiled. "Few people ask me that question.

"I don't really know anymore, it's too far distant. Memories alter with time to color based on the present and what we see in the future. A once-good time can be hell if it comes to a bad end."

"I believe we're political enemies," noted William suddenly.

"Yes, yes we are," said Gail. "Your father and I got on badly from the very beginning, I'm afraid. He never liked the plans I had for him and was willing to do anything to get out of them. I found him to be nightmarishly ambitious, with a tendency to enable the worst in those around him.

"Although I supposed Vanion would say he was helping them keep their pride.

"There was an attempt to mend the feud by apprenticing Tanith to Argath Marn. But nothing came of that. For reasons which by this point must seem all too obvious."

"If this is what Tanith went through, I see why she was itching for a fight," said William.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Antion has been in a slow decay for decades," said Arengeth. "And it is the worst kind of decay. The kind that happens when you are prosperous with many friends. Which means that you have no one to blame but yourself.

"My goal was to restore it to health gradually. However, I believe Tanith was a follower of the policy of a cleansing flame. The way of Anoa."

"Tanith is troubled in her spirit," said William. "She is fixated on violence.

"But she is getting better. The Khasmir campaign did her good, and I believe she'll be a force for righteousness in a few more years."

"Well then," said Arengeth. "That at least is good. However, I've never heard anyone mention the Khasmir Campaign being good.

"Now, insofar as grand strategy is concerned, Vanion and I are at cross-purposes. However, in regards to Antion, I foresee no conflicts of interest. Unless one of us goes the way of Tuor, anyway."

William thought about this. "Where are Dunmoore, Suran, and Farwa? And the others?"

"Dunmoore and Suran are not dead," said Gail. "You were tapping into the spiritual realm in your exhaustion. And believe that your spiritual attacker was using that as an opportunity. They conjured up your own worst thoughts and the worst thoughts of the Paladin Order.

"From this, they created a vision of caricatures of the worst aspects of each. I imagine they hoped to sew strife between you. Had it worked, you might have emerged with bitter hatred toward them. It could have wrecked many of Elranor's plans and clouded your connection to him.

"Although I confess, I should not confide your plans to him. He is in a very delicate position, and I am concerned he may become compromised. I can say no more, however. Just remember there is a difference between 'evil' and 'on your side.'

"Which, I suppose, summarizes the relationship between Kafka Telus and Vanion Gabriel. You can see some of his work on the tapestry over there."

"Who was Kafka Telus?" asked William. "I've heard his name many times. And I know he was the husband of Lady Atravain and a distant relative of Edmund Telus. Father hated him, and Mother spoke of him once as a great warrior.

"But no one ever goes into details."

"He was a devoted follower of the Principle of the Cleansing Flame," said Gail. "And a good friend, at one time. He saw many of the things you saw, but the Paladin Order was not on hand to help. They were out battling in the Islands of Power under Dunmoore and Arkan Lantan.

"His friend, the Lady Atravain, was nearly lynched by a group of thugs twice. After that happened, Kafka and Atravain decided the madness had to stop. And so he began a reign of violence on anyone and everyone who opposed House Atravain.

"No one was safe.

"It did quell the criminal element for a time. But Vanion and he were long enemies and disagreed on both end goals and means. Your Father, you see, wished to engineer the criminals' downfall and advance his rank. However, he desired to avoid needless violence. All to repurpose existing systems to his own ends. Edmund Telus was in favor of it. But Kafka wanted an immediate solution. And to ensure the systems of the class remained strong. Lady Atravain choose his ways over Vanion's.

"For a time, they were cordial. But some events happened on their voyage to Themious that turned them into seething hatred. They returned to Themious in different ships, Kafka first, then Vanion with Azgora.

"It also fractured the family. Edmund Telus and his cousin never spoke together again."

"Did these strategies work?" asked William.

"If you want to see the legacy of Kafka's policies," said Arengeth. "You need to look out the window." William did and saw a far green country of well-ordered farms all owned by Lady Atravain. They were tilled by slaves overseen by men with weapons, and many of the lands were not as well ordered as they could be. "In fairness, it is a good deal better than it was getting. Demon worship had been growing, and there was the ritual sacrifice of children.

"There was an industry of selling slaves for human sacrifice growing and that was the last straw.

"I wasn't fond of Kafka's methods, but it can't be denied that most of them deserved it. Since that time, however, House Atravain has been falling apart.

"Her three daughters cannot be married, you see. She rose to such great power that there are no eligible husbands for them. Janice is already past the usual age. Luke Atravain is their only son, and he has yet to come into his own.

"The castle now exists in a kind of limbo. Respected and feared, yet without options. Your Uncle, Lord Arthur, did rather better in the end." Arengeth sighed. "There is always a price to pay for wanton violence.

"I fear for your friend Tanith. She well may have been becoming like her uncle."

"She is not," said William.

"Perhaps," said Arengeth. "If nothing else, cutting down that tree brought her so far into the darkness she had to step back. She might have become an utter monster if she'd gone in more gradually.

"It would take only the wrong company."

"Better for her that she has friends, better for the world, less so for me," said William.

Gail smiled and looked ancient now. His white beard seemed to drape him in the perpetual cloud. "Well, that's the trouble with being responsible.

"I was afraid her spirit had been ruined. That she might heal is good to know."

"Why do you care?" asked William, surprised. "She would kill you in a heartbeat, you know."

"Of course, she would," said Gail. "Many people would.

"That does not mean I hate them." He sighed. "Antion has come under the sway of dark powers. And we were afraid it would darken completely. But, unfortunately, people have become fixated on the usual suspects. So they've missed pressing threats.

"I have been working my way west from Antion. Though Lord Arthur and Lord Korlac are bastions of order in this place."

"So, where are you going now?" asked William.

"To Haldren," said Gail standing up. "There might be a civil war at this rate. And also to Escor as well, to soothe tensions. I must speak with King Gavin at one. The Lord Kern has been a faithful subject, but I fear his judgment has erred."

"He helped enslave the Furbearers," said William.

"I am a master of understatement," said Gail. "And knowing Kern, there is a very complicated and sensible reason he needed to do it. Politics is nasty, and Kern usually takes all the nasty jobs.

"It's his curse and specialty. He never was the same after that trip to Babarassia."

"What of the Paladins?" asked William.

"I have instructed them to take the part of the healers in the absence of others," said Gail. "Tavish Kern raising the alarm helped a great deal, if only for the sake of sheer audacity. Unfortunately, he is not well-liked for obvious reasons.

"I gather Dunmoore has given Suran a position of some authority. He spent a great deal of time healing others, though not nearly to your extent.

"You are not pleased?"

"Suran and I have not had the best of relationships," said William, feeling uncharitable.

"However, thus far, he has done all his work well, so he is not a bad choice. I'm afraid I blamed him for things which were not really his fault."

"Well, it has been a very bleak situation," said Gail. He paused. "So, perhaps you could give me an account of what has happened from your perspective."

William told him everything. Gail listened with interest. He showed particular approval for the healing William had done. However, he seemed to have a special concern for Rius's behavior, especially Lilas.

"I see," said Gail. "That is troubling.

"I always knew that Ascorn had gone to pieces since Rius took power. Now I may finally be able to do something about it. His Father was a good man and well skilled at administration. Sadly, his line has fallen far.

"Worse still, his line is likely to end with Rius. He has no wife or children, and his closest relative is Lord Tarsus Rius in the Border Hills. But there is no surety one of his children will be picked by the King.

"A successor will have to be named, and everyone will want their own person running it.

"Still, I now know why you were spiritually exposed. Your battles with the plague drew you into the spirit realm. Using that much divine power always does.

"I see now why King Andoa requested your presence."

"For my part, I've dealt with several of the plague demons on the way here. But when you have my level of power, you don't get credit for it."

"Because of Melchious?" asked William.

"Yes, a regrettable connection," said Gail. "Some speculate that you have been drawing power from his domain for your healing. However, if you are truly converting the energy of hell into divine power to help others, by all means, do so.

"Weakening Melchious is fine by me. The wicked wretch spends his time corrupting everything Anoa once stood for." He sighed. "Would that the Furbearers had not let their guard down. Long ago, Thrakmul was a powerful bastion of the Withering, and they were mighty indeed.

"Many battles were fought thereafter; it was refounded from Anoa's destruction of it.

"But I remember the Incarnation of the Land often visited there. That was back before his disappearance. It was one of the last places he visited, and he promised them he would return to save the world in some form.

"If you stand across from it on the channel, you can still see the pyres of green flame on the shore at night. These days, the soil is of precious little use for farming, and the wind is all the colder there. And with Escor so unstable, there has been very little opportunity for trade.

"So the land of Thrakmul to the east of the Furbearers is an empty and, where only the dead walk, and darker things. Though they do not touch Furbearers or their friends, none live there save wild beasts.

"And now, the Barbarassians."

"You are a veritable source of lore, are you not?" asked William. He found all this fascinating.

Gail smiled. "Indeed. I would not be much of a wizard without it." He drew out a pipe and lit it, puffing it. "If I were you, I should seek out King Faras of the Wood Elves.

"He waits for one of your characters."

"Thank you," said William, doubting he would.

The door opened, and Felix entered, clad in a new cloak. He nodded to Arengeth and came to William without changing expression. "William, you're awake."

"Felix?" asked William.

William felt as if his friend ought to have come to his bedside at once. Yet that was absurd.

"Felix has stood guard by your door," said Gail.

"We learned to be paranoid," said William.

"Yes, myself as well," said Gail. "I should be going as soon as possible. The road is long, and King Andoa should be here soon enough."

"A pity I won't be," said William, walking to the door.

"I've seen enough forced marches, slavemaster," said a beautiful voice.

William saw Jehair in the door, clad in a white dress that caught the light. Her hair was newly cleaned and braided. It bared her shoulders and a great deal of her cleavage while clinging to her waist and hips.

"Jehair?" asked William, deciding to obey courtesy. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you very much," said Jehair.

"So, then, did you go through with your plan already?" said Gail. "Or is it yet to be set in motion?"

"Everything was initiated a few months ago," said Jehair.

"Then things truly were worse than I thought," said Gail. "Lord Dunmoore and Lady Atravain remain here. They desire to speak to you about a matter of great import, though I know not what."

"Was I invited?" asked William.

"They stated that were you present, Sir Gabriel, you would be invited to walk with them," said Gail.

Sir Gabriel again? "What do they want?"

"It is not the custom to discuss politics," said Gail. "People socialize as a means of establishing friendships between monarchs."

"I wonder if that isn't half our problem," said William. "Will you be there?"

"I don't usually attend such functions," said Gail. "I prefer to work through agents with no relation to ordinary areas of command, such as yourself.

"Do give my regards to Lady Atravain."

William smiled for the first time in what seemed ages. "I will."

He was finally getting some respect.