Dreu lazily stretched in bed. He had forgotten how nice a bed was after sleeping in the wilderness. The combination of good food and a bed definitely improved his mood. As he debated on whether he should get up, Bayard walked over to him.

This isn’t the time nor place to sleep in, Dreu.

With a sigh, Dreu sat up on the bed as he wondered how his footman could read minds. On the previous night, he was surprised to learn each of them were assigned a room, including Bayard and Rohese. No one objected to the two summons taking adjacent rooms to Dreu. Shortly after lying down on the bed, Dreu closed his eyes and woke up to see sunlight shining through the slot serving as a window. The room was well insulated so most of the noise outside didn’t reach him. It wasn’t until Dreu opened the door that he could hear people talking in the hallway. He met with Rohese who informed him of the other’s whereabouts.

At the mess hall, the others were already digging into breakfast. Dreu helped himself to some freshly baked bread and a bowl of soup before joining the other adventurers. The food was bland compared to what he had for supper but it was still a nice change to stale bread and water. He was about to join in on the conversation when the cleric, Jon, asked to sit at their table. The adventurers were surprised to see the cleric but none of them were opposed to it. Since they arrival to the fortress, the fortress’ denizens generally stayed away from them. Jon was the first person who didn’t hesitate to approach them.

Dreu’s first impression of the man was a negative one. The man led the group of clerics into the chamber shortly after his near death experience. After hearing Dreu’s statement, the cleric had them thrown into the cells and reported the incident to the council. His accusatory tone frustrated Dreu the most. Now, this man asked to be seated with them, carrying a single slice of bread for breakfast.

Is he sent to keep an eye on us?

“I hope everyone had a wonderful rest last night!” said Jon with a big smile on his face.

“After traveling on the road for so long,” answered Sadon, “the bed felt incredible!”

“Road? Where did you all come from?”

Sadon went on to describe their escape from Berkton and the journey to York.

“That can’t be possible,” remarked Jon when Sadon mentioned the fall of York. “I expected that city to hold out longer than that.”

Sadon then summarized their journey to the fortress and left out the details like fighting possessed knights and being abandoned by the Duchess. Jon listened intently the whole time and only interrupted twice for clarification. Once the frontliner was done, Jon nodded his head.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“That was quite a journey to experience,” said Jon. “I bet you all would have preferred a different welcome when you first arrived. It seems like the demons are everywhere and not a single place has been spared.”

“What is the crystal used for?” asked Dreu during the cleric’s pause. “The demons must have a good reason to target it, right?”

Dreu trusted Geoff to tell him the truth so he wanted to see if Jon would flat out lie in his face. He wanted to know if he could trust the man.

“Anyone else here with an idea of what that crystal is for?” Jon looked around and continued after seeing Jeane shook her head. “I see. How should I begin?”

Jon took a moment to gather his thoughts. He then began with the plan envisioned by the king.

“The king wanted a way to protect all of his people. Therefore, he ordered his best wizards and sorcerers to come up with a contraption to achieve just that. In a few months, the Purificator design was born. The device is meant for defensive purposes only. It will create a protective barrier along the kingdom’s border and any nonhumans who come in contact with it would be vaporized instantly. Once the device is ready, the demons have no chance of reaching the civilians. The crystal the demons destroyed here was an Amplifier which is meant to extend the range and duration of the protective barrier. It seems like the demons are determined to wipe out all humans.”

While the other adventurers cursed the demons and lamented over the loss of the Amplifier, Dreu was deep in thought. He then asked Bayard and Rohese a question.

What do you think is the purpose of the device? A weapon to ensure the safety of all the humans? Seems odd the demons would destroy it if it was used for defensive purposes only.

Before he laid down in his bed, Dreu updated his two summons on what happened in the chamber. The two asked some questions for clarifications but neither of them commented on their thoughts. He also mentioned what happened with the Council of Light but there wasn't much to talk about. His focus was mostly on the Purificator and the Amplifier, two things he knew very little about.

I’m surprised you aren’t siding with the cleric instantly, said Rohese.

I know what you mean. I lost close friends to the demon invasion. I saw the destruction from the war and deaths of far too many. I can never forgive the demons for any of that. At the same time, I saw the Duchess not hesitating to abandon our group at the first opportunity. It makes you wonder how many humans were left behind so those in power like her can escape with their lives. Then, there was the encounter with Xyheia at the shrine. I-

“Are you alright?” Jon asked Dreu with a concerned face. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Dreu shook his head, hoping the man didn't suspect anything.

“I was just thinking about the lives lost in this invasion. It really gets my blood boiling.”

“If you want revenge, then there is an opportunity for you. The Council of Light recently made an announcement and I’m sure you would be interested to hear of it. There are talks involving the defense of Xante.”