Tazo huffed and panted as she marched back toward home. "So then the Duke who rules both of them will get presented with proof that one of his nobles was evil."

Selen shivered. "The Duke likes his executions slow."

Vonn said, "I hate to suggest it, but are we sure the Duke is unaware of the problem? I'm, uh, suggesting only that he didn't notice."

Selen let out a frustrated sigh. Where she and Vonn were from, it was still technically legal to suggest that the rulers were crooks.

They made it back to Vonn's home, the town of Shieldpoint. Along the Little Star River stood fields of wheat and summer gourds ready for harvest, empty for the night. Low buildings of wood and thatch lined the north bank. A big bridge crossed the water and more buildings gathered around its south side. Vonn pointed out the candle shop where a single light was burning in the window. Mom, of course, had stayed up.

Vonn opened the door, waved, and got squashed in Mom's arms before he could speak. She ushered them all inside. She fussed over Vonn, demanding to know where to apply a basic healing spell or two.

Kura began explaining the situation while Mom's hands shined faint white, easing Vonn's bruises. The house and workshop smelled faintly of tallow mixed with the nicer scents of beeswax and herbs.

Mom's ears stood up high and she said, "What a monster on our doorstep! Our Baron will handle this. Do you know whether the Reeve is out there with the soldiers?"

That was the village's one-legged mayor equivalent, a decent old man appointed by the Baron. Tazo said, "No, he stayed here."

Mom was dressed in her usual sturdy work dress and apron, and had obviously been nervously tending the wax vats in their workshop room. "Then let's go. Do you need healing too, miss Kura?"

"It can wait."

They went out and roused the Reeve, who hobbled to the door with a crutch. He looked like he'd been napping but had stayed dressed. "How bad?" He listened to Kura and nodded, saying, "Boggy said to get my beauty rest until we heard more. Time to roust everybody. Ring the bell, will you?"

Vonn and his family covered their big ears as Selen rang the iron alarm bell beside the Reeve's house, with annoying enthusiasm. Hundreds of people must've heard that, and most of them hadn't been briefed.

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When his eardrums quit hurting, Vonn saw people rushing to arms. Shieldpoint did a lot of things together, and while they didn't train hard for war lately, they showed up for trouble. The orange pelts and reflective eyes of Vulin stood out in the darkness. Tall Humans arrived half-dressed but wielding staves and bows. The small population of feathered Aves and scaled Kobolds and a few others came too, those who weren't already at the Baron's side out west. Vonn even recognized a few regulars from the seedy wharf district of drifters, like a matronly Centaur who ran a general store.

The Reeve called out several times as the people gathered. "We're on duty tonight for a possible march on Baron Kolm's turf. He needs arresting."

A Human man with his pants on backwards said, "That's what the flying machine was for?" He saw Vonn and added, "Kid, what'd you see?"

Vonn blushed as many eyes turned toward him. He spoke loudly: "Baron Kolm is a criminal. We have proof. He's killing his own people."

The Reeve waved a hand in front of Vonn. "Stay light on the details, for now. Everyone, we're waiting for a signal from the Baron to see if he needs backup. Non-combat people can go home, or maybe fetch us some snacks."

The latest arrivals included a Human and Elf duo in grey robes. The Elf said, "Reeve, I assure you just as I did our lord --"

"What'd I say about details?"

These two were Necromancers, from the fringe of Baron Bogstep's territory. The western edge, where their legal obligations were fuzzy and their activities always suspect. Nobody was eager even to stand nearby, though they didn't have their usual undead "pets" along.

The militia waited, yawning but alert. An Aves and a swift Human runner were with the Baron as messengers, so word might come any minute.

Instead, a flash of sickly violet light tore the western sky, like a towering bonfire. The flash lasted just seconds. Thunder boomed, and then the ground itself shook.

In moments it was over but for a lingering, pulsing glow. Vonn said, "Kura, what was that?"

The stealthy girl craned her head back and stared, shaking her head. The townsfolk drew back eastward as though an extra few steps would help them.

Reeve called out, "Stand ready for anything!"

When nothing more happened for a minute, he said, "Drill time. Let's see your formation." He turned to a younger, able-bodied man serving as militia commander. That man began barking orders, getting people to stand together and practice advance, turning and retreat for lack of a foe in sight. It kept the people busy. Vonn was grown enough to count as part of the fighting force, so he borrowed a spear and tried to look competent.

At last an Aves veered down to earth, gasping for breath. She managed to say, "Sir, the dungeon. It's above ground. We're falling back."

"It got shoved upward that hard?"

"No, I saw. It grew."

Townsfolk clamored until a Centaur bellowed at them from his huge lower lungs to shut up. Reeve nodded politely to him, then said, "Is it a threat to the town?"

The bird said, "Don't know, sir."

Vonn said, "Monsters can't leave the dungeon area, right?"

Kura fiddled with a pair of knives. "But now the above-ground is the dungeon. Who knows?"

Reeve scowled, then gave orders. "Fighting folk, take a quick break and come back. I need people ready to provide healing for the group coming this way. Dismissed."