Going to Munsuen was delayed upon Sahshir's return.

They'd had to do negotiations that required his input, such as meeting up with Isamu and Cadas. He was not given any satisfactory explanation for what they had been doing. Even so, given who they were fighting, Sahshir chose to take Isamu with them.

Munsuen was a salt marsh. The stench of it assailed the nose, and the ground was of mud and rotting vegetation. The trees were slumped and had many twisting roots. Vines fell from their boughs, and ugly white flowers were on them.

"So this is Munsuen. It looks like hell," said Isamu.

"I think you'll find it more than lives up to the reputation," said Tuor. "Ages ago, a Cult of Zigildrazia lived in these regions. They would raid the surrounding lands for sacrifices to their Goddess. They lure young people to them with promises of pleasures beyond measure.

"Often, they ended up as sacrifices if they didn't become part of the raiders."

"So what happened to them?" asked Oresa.

"The Knights declared Zigildrazia's church a negative profit organization," said Urus.

"What does that mean?" asked Isamu.

"The Knights of the Coin hold that life is the search for profit in all things," said Tuor. "However, they also maintain that profit is not measured purely in money. So a man with a vast fortune may be poor in their eyes, and an ordinary man rich.

"To be declared a nonprofit organization. It is to be declared an entity that contributes nothing to any cause. It generally caused to be broken up. Being declared a negative profit organization is to be a parasite. One who is detrimental to profit for all involved. It is usually only done before a Commerce Crusade.

"The Knights of the Coin fought them for years. They were battling, converting, and killing the servants of Zigildrazia. Eventually, the cults lost. Their idols were torn down, and their religion sent into hiding."

"When was this?" asked Urus.

"Alkela could explain that much," mused Sahshir.

Alkela, who had accompanied them, motioned with her hands. Sahshir nodded. "It was back when Zigilus was at the height of its power. In those days, they sent Battlelusters to many repressed nations. They inspired them to serve Zigildrazia. When they found the people of this place, they were being overrun by satyrs.

"Zigildrazia whipped the people into a frenzy. She allowed them to take pleasure in their desperate war against the satyrs. They fought with frenzy and fury, allowing the Knights of the Coin to regroup and defeat them. Then, they sought to spread Zigildrazia's blessings in the days of peace afterward.

"The Knights of the Coin felt threatened and sought to exterminate them."

"Well, there are two sides to every story," said Urus.

"And one of them is usually wrong," noted Sahshir.

Tuor laughed as they began to walk into the forests. "Such zealous dismissal, Sahshir. You really should learn to accept other perspectives for their value."

"You can't possibly believe the words of a demon," said Sahshir.

"Of course not, I believe nothing," said Tuor. "I merely feel that the beliefs of others can be used to achieve my ends. I can use it by understanding what they desire for my purposes."

Alkela motioned, and Sahshir translated. "Zigildrazia created that style of thinking. So says Alkela."

"It does not matter to me," said Tuor with a shrug. "We are nearing the village. They will tell us where to find Myosh."

"Why are we even hunting Myosh?" asked Isamu. "Shouldn't we consult Sen about this?"

"Yeah, um, Sahshir, that seemed strange to me," said Oresa.

"I sent a message to him; he knows what I am doing," said Sahshir.

"But what if he thinks we should do something else?" asked Oresa.

"I am taking action in my own way," said Sahshir. "Sen may do what he wishes."

As it turned out, the village was walled by a stone wall about six feet high. At the gates were men with spears, and the people were covered in muck. People were tending to fields of plants grown in very wet conditions. As they neared the gates, a man with one eye peered at them. "Are you warriors? Were you sent by Suvera?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Sen. "We are here to hunt Myosh, the giant."

"Thank the gods," said the man. "I am Osbourne, the Chief of this place. We had thought we were forsaken. We sent requests for help to the Church, but..."

"But what?" asked Sahshir.

"We couldn't pay the fee, and we haven't been able to make our taxes recently," said Osbourne. "We told the Church that Myosh was raiding our fields! With that, it would be impossible to make up our tithe!"

"What did they say?" asked Sahshir.

"They just told us to make it happen," said Osbourne.

There was dead silence.

"What does that mean?" asked Oresa.

"I don't know!" said Osbourne. "The Church doesn't do anything for the congregation anymore. They just make demands and cut off support for anyone who doesn't reach them. Then, the priests make sermons about how great they are and give bribes to their friends.

"This never happened when the Knights of the Coin ran things."

"Who do you believe dispatched us?" asked Sahshir.

"You are Knights of the Coin?" asked Osbourne.

"We are acting on behalf of their Grandmaster," said Tuor. "Now, where is Myosh?"

"We're not sure," said Osbourne. "He hides within the depths of the marshes, and anyone who ventures in rarely comes out. Never if it's night. He's been carrying off people day and night from the villages around here—him and the satyr tribes that serve him.

"The Knights of the Coin almost wiped them out, but now we've got to deal with Church mercenaries."

Sahshir glanced at Tuor. "Tuor, you know many rituals. Can you locate Myosh?"

"I believe so," said Tuor. "I will need the Sword of Order and some of your blood as a focus."

Sahshir drew his sword, drew off his glove, and ran the blade along his palm. Clenching the blade, he let go, spun it around, and offered it to Tuor. "Take it."

Oresa moved forward and began to heal Sahshir's hand. As she did, Tuor raised the Sword of Order skyward. "Now, we shall see what we may find."

They waited as a light shot into the sky. The people of the village looked on at them in awe. Sahshir glanced at Osbourne, then back to Tuor. "What is it?"

"Zigildrazia is at work," said Tuor, lowering the sword. "Many of the people who were taken are alive and have been taken captive.

"And I have Myosh's location."

Tuor handed the sword back to Sahshir, who sheathed it. "Lead on, Tuor." Tuor, however, looked distracted and distant. "What is it?"

"I have not wielded this blade in a long time," said Tuor. "Still, the spell will wane, and I must lead you."

And so they set out.

The marsh only got worse from here, however. Tuor led them along strange paths, and the muck clung to their legs and splashed onto their bodies. Oresa looked particularly miserable with her bare legs. "It's all over my legs."

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"What did you expect with that outfit?" asked Sahshir. He wondered how it was that she could travel in all that. Even Narcissa switched to more traditional armor.

"It never was a problem for me before," said Oresa. "My powers, um... well, they're a bit complicated. I was blessed by the spirits in gratitude to Father's ruling. It was a gift for him doing such a good job."

Tuor halted and raised a hand. Everyone halted at once. "Wait."

"What is it?" asked Sahshir.

"Demons," said Tuor, drawing up his nunchucks. "Stand ready!"

Everyone drew their weapons, and Oresa looked more competent with hers. Still, this was not her ideal place. "Oresa, step back. Isamu and Cadas handle our left flank. Hold them where they are."

And then they came.

They were vast, shapeless monsters with blades, tentacles, and gaping mouths. They came from the water and out of the trees and from above. Sahshir cut down two in a blur, even as Isamu slashed them through. Urus sent his staff to land in a wide square, and lightning surged from his hands. As it did, Sahshir saw the spirit within it.

The resulting lightning display destroyed a vast group of them, but the rest scattered.

Moving back and forth, Sahshir slashed down one enemy after another. Tuor moved in a blur, striking down all who came at him. Then Sahshir glanced back to where Oresa was backing off. Suddenly, something emerged from the swamp behind her. It was a beast with black skin and horns, a satyr with red eyes. In a flash, his hands reached out and came at her.

Cadas leaped between her and struck it, the two fighting hand to hand. However, the beast threw him down. Oresa staggered back in fear, dropping her sword, and the beast surged at her. In an instant, Oresa's cry was cut short.

"Stay where you are, humans!" snarled the satyr.

"You, let the girl go!" said Isamu.

"Stand where you are, or I'll break her neck!" said the demon.

Sahshir calculated how fast he'd have to move mentally and made plans. And then Isamu went forward anyway. His blade glowed with a bright light and sent a wave toward them both.

"You bastard!" roared Isamu.

"Imbecile!" snapped Sahshir, interposing himself between the wave. Summoning the power of the Sword of Order, there was a flash, and the satyr flinched. The wave evaporated, and Sahshir brought around his sword. Slicing the hand from the beast's wrist, moving up, he plunged the blade through the creature's head. Tearing it out, he turned to Isamu as Oresa fell to her knees. The body of the best faded to ash in a moment.

"Sahshir, what the hell are you doing!" snapped Isamu.

"I might ask you the same question," said Sahshir. "You nearly killed Oresa!" He saw most of the demons had been killed.

"That attack was aimed at the satyr!" said Isamu.

"It would have hit both of them, you idiotic brute!" snarled Sahshir.

"I didn't see you making any plans!" said Isamu.

"Please, stop it, both of you!" said Oresa.

"And you, Oresa, why didn't you use your shield when Cadas was overwhelmed?" asked Sahshir. "Had the beast gone for him, he would be dead."

"I... I didn't think I could do it; I panicked-" said Oresa.

"Enough," said Tuor. "We have no time for these arguments. Oresa, heal us, and be more careful next time."

Sahshir let the matter go reluctantly. He was starting to think Isamu was more trouble than he was worth. In

Instead, they examined the bodies and realized the land around them was subtly different. The hanging vines seemed to have thorns further down, and the sky was a reddish tinge above. The water let forth a stench like rotting bodies.

And Sahshir could sense monstrous energies all around them. There were only a few of the beasts they faced. Worse still, more were coming out of the ground all around them. Visions came to Sahshir of more of the creatures mustering.

"How did they sneak up on us?" asked Urus. "They should not have had it so easily?"

"By using the natural counterbalance to Order, that of Chaos," said Tuor. "Typhos' powers are this blade's antithesis, so may avoid detection. Order cannot detect chaos, only its effects."

"Yeah, well, stop with the nostalgia and lead on," said Isamu. "Oresa nearly got killed because of Sahshir!"

"I seem to recall you endangered her nearly as much as the demon," said Sahshir.

"Stop it, both of you," said Tuor. "We must move."

"What's the hurry?" asked Cadas.

"I can sense many demons of Typhos coming toward us from all directions," said Tuor. "Yet their net is not yet complete; we need only slip through it." Turning, he glanced at the vines. "Here, scale up here, the branches will hide us."

The climb-up needed to be fixed. Several of them cut their hands on the way up, and as they did, Sahshir could sense the beasts coming ever closer. Soon, vast numbers of them slithered past the trees. As they did, Oresa scarcely contained her breath.

"So many," said Oresa.

"How could Myosh have this many demons at his disposal?" murmured Tuor as satyrs came below. There was a vast shrieking as they came. "And why hadn't he picked the surrounding area clean of life?"

"Perhaps he wants a renewable resource," mused Urus. "These are, if I'm not mistaken, raishans. By not depopulating the surrounding villages, he can snatch one occasionally. In so doing, he has a constant source of souls to use.

"I suspect Myosh has been here far longer than anyone has been aware. Likely, his operations were thought to be only wild animal attacks. Then later, as his influence affected the land, men became aware of that."

Eventually, the creatures passed.

"What are these things?" asked Isamu as he dropped down.

Sahshir landed, ignoring the pain in his legs as he did. "One of those creatures, the tentacle beast, is a demon of Amysta. I remember I faced several of them in battle. What would it be doing here?"

"Perhaps Amysta has designs of her own," mused Tuor.

Alkela motioned, and Sahshir noticed it. "Alkela believes Amysta is almost certainly acting contrary to Zigildrazia's interests. Her spirit has been seeking to regain its power over the domain of Lust for ages.

"It is possible that she wants to have a standing army. When her cults eventually take serious root. She can then reinforce them with these raishans."

"We should move on. The enemy has passed, but they will be back," said Tuor.

On they went, and the sky became even redder. The vines seemed to grope at them with thorns forming the shape of claws. The water below them seemed almost like blood, and the dirt and grime seemed to be trying to suck them down. Then came the sound of running water, but it was like the moans of the dead.

Looking at the water, Sahshir thought he saw dead faces. But when he reached down, there was nothing there.

"What is this?" asked Oresa.

"...The natural order deeper in the swamp is breaking down," mused Tuor. "Hell itself has entered into this domain. Amysta has indeed been clever."

"Why would Sorn let this happen?" asked Isamu.

"When the gods retreat from a realm, hell always seeks to take their place," mused Tuor.

"What does that mean?" asked Isamu.

"It means that only fools shut the gods out of their world unless they mean to serve hell," said Tuor.

"It also means that this blade will be of little help locating enemies," said Sahshir. Then he reached out with his mind. Distantly, he could sense something out there. It was a living force that still subscribed to the rule of order. "I can sense Myosh, but I will no longer be able to detect any ambush. Stay keen."

"Right, my eyes are peeled," said Oresa. "Um, maybe I should-"

"Enough," said Tuor. "We should move on."

And on they went.

The water soon became pitch black, and serpents could be seen swimming around them. The trees grew great thorns, while the leaves seemed like blades. The sky now seemed to be an inferno above them, and wherever they went, a haze of red seemed about them. The wind was like the howling of tortured souls.

At last, they came to a cave.

It stood at the very center of a great lake, and the only path to it was a series of black stepping stones. Looking beneath the surface, Sahshir could see skulls at the bottom. Hell had taken hold of this domain, and more demons must have been drawn through with every day.

Moving across the stones, they came to the mouth of the cave. It was just tall enough for someone to go into it. Yet Sahshir sensed from it a power deep within, one that he did not want to face directly.

"This cave..." said Tuor. "This is where Myosh dwells. I can sense him within."

"And he can sense us, from the looks of things," said Urus.

Sahshir glanced back and saw that the tentacled monsters were alongside many black-skinned satyrs. They wielded swords and spears. One of them moved forward, sharp teeth smiling. "You humans will pay the price for your intrusion into Lord Myosh's domain! We shall consume you!"

An arrow caught him in the throat, and he fell to dust. More arrows fell into those around them as they began to wade across.

"These satyrs are not like others I've seen," noted Urus, firing arrow after arrow.

"I know," said Tuor. "They are not satyrs at all, but demons that once were satyrs made manifest. No doubt, they were harvested from the domain of the Unborn God.

"Many demons do."

The creatures were slowly but surely making their way across the lay. Urus spent every arrow and hurled his staff instead. It broke apart, separating into a line and sending lightning between them. The bolts burned many to a crisp and kept the others back.

"What now?" asked Cadas.

"Isamu..." said Oresa.

"Guess we'll just have to cut our way out," said Isamu with a smile.

"I'd much prefer to just kill them all," mused Sahshir, deciding he'd had enough of Isamu for one lifetime.

"Indeed, that would decrease hell's influence in this region, wouldn't it?" Tuor mused.

"Isamu, go ahead and kill Myosh," said Sahshir, taking back his sword from Tuor. "He'll be in that cave."

"What, are you sure?" asked Isamu.

"It is of no concern," said Sahshir. "And I have no need to engage him directly anyway. Go, by my command. I have confidence you'll handle it."

Isamu smirked. "Right."

Then he rushes in. Alkela gave Sahshir a flat look that Sahshir ignored. Finally, Alkela smiled.

"Oresa, I have more use for your shields than your sword. Use them to guard our flanks. Cadas, Alkela, you are our reserves.

"Tuor, you, Urus, and I will be the front line."

"And what happens if Isamu dies?" asked Tuor.

Sahshir gave Tuor a flat look, and Tuor took the point.

"Be wary," said Urus. "My lightning is at its end."

Drawing back his staff, he took a stance, and the monsters approached them. Forming the line, Sahshir looked at Urus. "Tell me this: How do you control the lightning?"

"My grandmother was a storm spirit in human form," said Urus. "I've learned the knack from her."

And then the battle began in earnest.

The creatures came at them in waves and formed a line; they fought them as one. Urus' staff moved in a blur. The strikes of Tuor's nunchucks smashed limbs and sent waves of ash flowing. Sahshir leaped back and forth, striking down all who came. At the same time, Oresa raised shields over their flanks, funneling them toward them.

It was obviously putting her under a great deal of strain—however, that way, not Sahshir's concern at the moment. Behind him, he sensed Isamu descending into the darkness of Myosh deep within. The beast emerged, and their battle was met.

Several monsters scaled over the shields and were met by Alkela and Cadas. The two fought with brutal power. For a time, the two strove against one another, and as they did, the waters flowed in waves. Winds ripped through the trees, hurting his ears as he cut them down.

Then, all of a sudden, everything stopped.

Myosh's life force vanished. The cave shuddered and began to collapse as unholy energy flowed away. The demons were washed away from reality like filth in a swift-flowing river, and the sky turned blue. As it did, Sahshir sheathed his sword.

Oresa fell to her knees, gasping for breath as Isamu exited the cave.

"What happened?" asked Urus.

"Well, I went down there, and it turned out Myosh had some plan to take over the world," said Isamu.

"From a swamp?" asked Sahshir.

"Yes, he was performing ritual sacrifices to Amysta, not Zigildrazia," said Isamu. "And was hoping to gain her favor and be bestowed her blessing. Once he did that, he hoped to seize her direct descendant in Antion and use her as Amysta's mortal vessel.

"Apparently, he also had agents among the lizardfolk. They were behind those rituals."

"So what happened?" asked Oresa.

"Well, first, he sicced a bunch of boring guys in ridiculous outfits on me, and I killed them," said Isamu. "Then he used their life force as a sacrifice and gained Amysta's blessing. We fought for a bit, and he used some weird ritual to take on a new demonic form.

"Apparently, it was way more powerful than usual.

"Anyway, then I killed him, nothing all that great. If I had a coin for every time I've run into a bandit with delusions of grandeur... Well, there wouldn't be a pauper left in the world."

"His head," said Sahshir.

"What?" said Isamu.

"Did you get his head?" asked Sahshir. "We were instructed to retrieve it with the Fish King for our audience."

"I uh..." Isamu shifted. "I may have forgotten it."

"Very well," said Sahshir. "We'll retrieve it, and then-"

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he fell to one knee. Agony filled him, and he heard exclamations of concern. Then, suddenly, he fell and remembered nothing more than that.