Lorne examined the man in front of him closely. Ardeunius seemed older than he'd expected—perhaps in his mid-forties or early fifties. His head was shaved smooth, and he sported a trimmed goatee. A thin scar ran across his right cheek and over his nose. His face had the stern appearance of someone accustomed to command, yet at the same time held an air of friendly warmth.

The man wore heavy crimson robes with golden trim along the sleeves and collar. Over this outfit, he wore a polished steel breastplate etched with intricate runes and sigils. On his back hung a large two-handed sword sheathed in an elaborate scabbard covered in more enchantments. The blade itself glowed faintly with arcane energy.

His entire outfit exuded wealth and power—not surprising for a high-ranking member of the Order of the Burning Shield. The Order's soldiers were some of the best equipped and trained warriors in all the realm. It cost a small fortune to become one of their elite members.

Roderick arrived soon after Simon fetched him. He greeted Ardeunius with a firm handshake.

"Sir Ardeunius! What a pleasant surprise," Roderick said, flashing his characteristic smile. "I'd no idea you'd come by. Was there something I could help you with?"

Ardeunius smiled warmly in return. "Greetings Roderick. I'm sorry for my sudden visit. I apologize if I've inconvenienced you." He gestured towards Lorne and Kaela. "I also wanted to meet your associates here. My apologies if I intruded at an inconvenient time." He turned towards the Silverguards and nodded respectfully. "Greetings...I'm Ardeunius—a battlemage and explorer for the Order of the Burning Shield."

"Lorne Miradan," Lorne replied with a nod of his own. "This is Kaela."

"Good to meet you," Kaela said coolly.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Ardeunius replied courteously. He motioned toward the chairs situated around the table in the center of the room. "Now...if you're all settled...there's something important I'd like to discuss with you..."

He waited until everyone took a seat before continuing. "As you may or may not know, the Order has recently received information that indicates a demonic presence within the Eldergrove valley—specifically inside the ruins of Old Drakon Castle. Our scouts spotted several lesser demons prowling through the woods nearby. There's also evidence of larger demons roaming deeper into the forest. It seems they're trying to build a foothold in this area."

Lorne and Roderick glanced at each other in surprise.

Old Drakon Castle? Demons? That wasn't something anyone would expect to hear about here. The castle had been abandoned for decades; its ruins lost to time and disrepair.

"That's quite worrisome," Roderick remarked gravely, his eyes widening. "But the castle lies close to the western entrance of the vale, far from your current base of operations—if memory serves me correctly. Why concern yourself with this matter?"

"Yes...it is rather far away..." Ardeunius admitted, crossing his arms. "The Order only has a small garrison stationed near Dulgaan, which is where I heard about this incident. It's unlikely we could muster enough forces there to destroy this new demonic threat without reinforcements."

He gave a slight shake of his head. "We're already spread thin dealing with several problems elsewhere. Providing reinforcements would require we mobilize and travel by sea along the coastline and across the strait...which would take weeks. By then, who knows what they'd accomplish."

"I can imagine..." Roderick nodded understandingly. "So...what do you plan to do? And why are you telling us this?"

Ardeunius leaned forward and tapped the table with his finger. "Ideally, I'd want to assemble a regiment here in Kerkenberge and march west to exterminate them immediately. But as I said—we're lacking in men and a viable route. However...I believe we may be able to resolve both problems at once..." He glanced at Lorne. "There's a reason I sought you out—and no, not to recruit you for the Order."

Lorne raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I'm listening..."

"I've heard word that somehow a road had been created leading from the east and west entrance of the Eldergrove. According to my sources...that's your doing?"

Roderick and Lorne exchanged glances.

"Word travels fast," Roderick remarked with amusement. "I've only met with a few of my contacts so far. Your information network is impressive."

Ardeunius chuckled lightly. "Yes...well...I do my best to keep tabs on the activities in this region. It wouldn't be prudent to remain ignorant of the goings-on around me."

"That is true..." Roderick smiled wryly. "To answer your question—yes, we recently completed paving a safe route between the two sides..."

Ardeunius sat forward and clasped his hands together. "Excellent! Then I have a proposition for you." He steepled his fingers and met their gazes intently. "If you'd be willing to allow us to use your road to move our forces from here to Dulgaan—and assist us in destroying the demon threat in Old Drakon Castle—we'd be happy to compensate you for your efforts."

"Assist?" Lorne asked. "You want to hire the Silverguard company for this job?"

"Correct. The Order will handle the bulk of the fighting...all you'd need to do is escort us through the valley and help us clear out any obstacles along the way. We'll handle the rest once we arrive at the castle itself. And of course...we'd provide compensation for your troubles." Ardeunius tapped his fingers against the tabletop as he spoke. "What say you?"

Lorne remained silent as he pondered the situation. It sounded straightforward enough. The payoff would also be considerable—both in terms of gold and experience. They could use this opportunity to expand their reputation as a mercenary company and build stronger ties with the Order. All good things.

On the other hand, a possible demonic presence in the Eldergrove could spell trouble for Ebonheim. Old Drakon Castle was only four days' ride away from town—if that. If demons managed to establish a foothold here, they might move eastward towards the settlement...or worse yet—attempt to build a portal between this realm and the Demon Plane.

The idea of such horrors setting foot in Ebonheim chilled Lorne to the core.

"How many demons are we talking about?" Lorne asked, turning to face Ardeunius. "Will there be enough forces to destroy them all?"

"It's hard to say at this point..." Ardeunius answered with a shrug. "But based on what our scouts have reported...the numbers seem manageable. Enough for my regiment to handle—along with your company's help."

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I see..." Lorne folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "I'll speak with my team first. Then we can discuss the details further." He glanced at Roderick. "For now...do you mind if we take a few minutes to discuss this amongst ourselves?"

"Not at all." Ardeunius stood up and bowed politely. "I'll return in an hour or so."

As soon as he left the room, Lorne turned towards Roderick. "Well? What do you think?"

"Hmmm..." Roderick stroked his beard in thought. "This certainly puts a wrench into our plans for the day..." He sighed heavily. "But I suppose there's no helping it."

Kaela spoke up. "If this news of demons encroaching upon the vale is enough to stir Ardeunius into action, we'd best respond in kind. Otherwise, we risk giving the demons time to establish themselves and cause trouble for the town."

"Causing trouble is an understatement," Roderick remarked grimly. "But I agree—we can't ignore this issue either." He turned toward Lorne. "You're going to accept his offer...aren't you?"

Lorne gave him a nod. "It seems like the prudent course of action. There's also the added benefit of strengthening our ties with the Order—which could lead to more work down the road."

"That's true..." Roderick agreed. He stood up and paced around the table. "I think I'll try to make use of this opportunity to strengthen our commercial relationships with the Order as well...if they're open to discussing trade agreements. In any case, let's not waste any more time."

"I agree." Lorne rose from his seat and headed for the door. "I'll inform Ardeunius we're willing to assist him."

----------------------------------------

In a hidden room beneath an abandoned building on the outskirts of Kerkenberge, three cloaked figures emerged from the shadows and approached the assassin who had failed to kill Deneve.

One of the newcomers—a female—approached him first. She removed her hood and revealed a stern face framed by dark hair. "You failed..." she said accusingly. "Why?"

The assassin bowed his head in shame. "It's as I explained earlier. There were...complications." He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "She was far stronger than expected. The others arrived before I could finish the job."

The woman shook her head in disappointment. "I see...well, we can discuss this later." She motioned towards the third figure who stood a short distance away. "For now...we have more important matters to attend to."

The assassin stepped back as the figure stepped forward. The figure wore a mask similar to his own, but the features beneath appeared more distinct. The mask was crafted from smooth black stone and etched with a dozen intricate runes. The eyes were glowing pools of molten lava.

A demon! The assassin trembled involuntarily as the creature strode toward him.

"You failed..." the demon spoke in a sibilant voice. "Such a pity."

The assassin swallowed hard. "Please...I'll try again...let me redeem myself!" he pleaded desperately. "Just give me another chance!"

The demon ignored him. It raised its hand and pointed at the assassin. A small portal opened directly above his head. From within came a torrent of flame that engulfed him. He screamed as he burned alive; his agonized cries echoing throughout the chamber. The flames continued to consume him until nothing remained but a pile of blackened dust. Then the portal closed and vanished.

"Hmph...how wasteful," the woman muttered in annoyance. She glanced at the demon beside her. "Now what?"

"We proceed as planned," the demon replied. "This little setback changes nothing."

"It's a bit too late for that..." the woman countered, crossing her arms. "Ardeunius has already made contact with them. Our plan to obstruct them from assisting him has failed."

A rumbling growl emanated from the demon. "How inconvenient..." It paused briefly before turning its attention back to her. "Then we will need to change tactics."

"What do you propose?" she asked warily.

"We wait...and watch..." the demon hissed. "It will take time for Ardeunius to march towards Dulgaan...even with the new road to aid him. That gives us time to prepare." It flexed its clawed hands. "You will continue gathering information about this 'Ebonheim' until we know enough to move forward with our next step. Do not fail me again..."

The demon paused as if listening to something unheard by mortal ears. "Ah...it seems our master requires my presence elsewhere. We shall speak again later." Without waiting for a response, the demon vanished into another portal.

"Damn..." The woman cursed under her breath as she gazed at the charred remains of the assassin. "Such a waste..."

The third figure who had been silent so far removed his hood and turned towards the woman. "Well...that went about as well as expected." He wore a mask similar to the assassin's—except the lower half resembled a mouth full of sharp teeth. "Now what?"

"That's obvious," the woman snapped back. "We follow orders. Our plans may have changed, but the goal remains the same. We'll get this situation under control."

"If you say so..." the man replied skeptically. "I'd hate to lose our lives over this mess."

"Shut up and help me clean up this mess," the woman ordered. "I'll deal with everything else." She narrowed her eyes as she swept the ashes aside with her foot. "Things are going to get more complicated before they get better..."

"Oh, how the once mighty and feared Morr clan has fallen..." the man lamented. "To think we'd stoop to conspiring with demons...it makes my heart weep." He glanced at the woman. "What would your father say if he could see you now?"

"He'd probably try to kill me himself..." the woman answered bitterly. "He'd rather die than ally with a demon...even if it meant saving our clan from ruin."

"Yet here we stand...and he's rotting away in a shallow grave..." The man chuckled dryly. "Not the most pleasant way to go, but at least he died on his own terms."

The woman shot him a glare. "Enough! I don't need to hear your blabbering while I'm working!" She picked up a bucket filled with water and poured its contents over the ashes, washing them into a drain nearby. "Let's just finish this up so we can move on."

"As you wish..." The man shrugged as he picked up another bucket and followed suit. "As always...I live to serve."

----------------------------------------

The demon exited the portal, arriving at the courtyard of the ancient castle. He strode purposefully towards the entrance, his clawed feet leaving deep grooves in the dirt. The lesser demons that lurked around the castle stepped out of his path as he passed.

Once inside, he proceeded through a series of twisting corridors until he arrived at the throne room.

As he approached the massive stone doors, they swung open of their own accord. The demon stepped through and bowed respectfully before the throne.

"Master...I have returned."

Xellos sat on the throne, his gaunt form draped in shadow. He rose slowly and stepped down from his perch. His long cloak swirled around him as he walked, concealing his withered body beneath. His eyes glowed faintly in the dim light.

"How did it go?" Xellos asked, his voice rasping like dry leaves blown by a harsh wind. "Did you succeed?"

"I'm afraid not..." the demon admitted with a sigh. "There were...complications."

Xellos grunted in irritation. "Why is everyone failing me lately? First Vasco...and now you. Can't anyone do anything right?"

The demon winced at the accusation. "Our Morrian allies are the ones at fault here—they underestimated their target and failed to disrupt Ebonheim's association with Ardeunius."

"Well then...fix this mess." Xellos's tone became threatening. "And I want results this time...not excuses."

The demon bowed again. "As you wish." He turned and began walking towards the exit.

"Wait," Xellos called out. The demon stopped in mid-stride. "There's something else I want you to do."

The demon turned around slowly. "What is it?"

"I want you to tell the Morrians to spread a rumor about a god being captured by demons and held prisoner inside Old Drakon Castle." Xellos sat back down on his throne. "Tell them to tell others...make sure the Order of the Burning Shield gets wind of this."

"But Master..." the demon protested, "wouldn't it be better to keep your presence here a secret? There's no point in drawing more attention to ourselves than necessary."

"That would've worked before...but now I need Ebonheim to come to me." Xellos leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. "And this seems like a good way to lure her out."