Fen mourns the loss of her two sisters while I work to uncover their buried bodies. My guilt is surmounting, and I'm ready to rage against all the world's demons, death, and unfair things. Tress and Kelly were just starting their new life. They were just barely awakened. The power, journeys, and adventures ahead of them were endless. Now it's stolen from them and those who would have created the memories with them.

My heart cracks even further when I uncover the bodies and find Tress holding Kelly tightly in her arms. Kelly's head is tucked tightly against her protector's chest. Sadness and despair still cloud her empty eyes. My hands delicately close Kelly's eyes, and I pull the two from the rubble. I know there is no hope, but I send my senses deep into them, searching for any hint of light.

There is none. Only vile dull energy emits from them. Gently I remove the spiders from their trap and lay them on the ground. I will cover them, and then we will move out. I inform the grieving Fen. The guardian hasn't said a word for a while. I almost rather have her vocally blaming me than silently bear the pain of the loss on her own. Even though I'm not pulling her thoughts, I can see her piling the guilt and the weight of their deaths on herself.

I use the nicest fur I can summon to cover the bodies individually and finish the wrapping with cord. Throughout the process, Fen's blank stares are directed at me. Their empty glaze is proof she isn't actually watching me. I struggle to pick up the light corpses.

"I think I can sense the others," I lie to her. I can't sense any of them. Even my bond with Gene is being blocked, raising my worry even higher. On top of that, the dungeon core is beating off skelter with my heart. My only hint of their locations is the distorted tracks leading down the hill. Maybe a lie is wrong, but we can't let despair claim anymore.

If Fen hears my words, she does nothing to acknowledge them. Reluctantly I place the dead spiders over my right shoulder and hold them in place with my arm. I'm trying to be delicate with how I carry them, and this feels wrong. However, my other arm is needed to lift Fen and help her to move. I thank whatever silent watching god that encourages her to accept my assistance instead of resisting.

The tracks we follow are littered with the corpses of demons of all types. Even a few uprooted trees are left along the trail. Even up here near the top of the hill, the landscape has changed dramatically from the landslide that happened below. Aside from the few fallen trees, the hillside is mostly loose dirt. All the trees, vegetation, and boulders that once dressed the soil have all been removed.

Loose dirt makes hiking down the hill a difficult process. Though I'm helping Fen to move forward, often, she is the one keeping me balanced. With her beside me, I keep my feet, never falling or dropping my friends. Together, we silently traverse the broken path lined with death. Even though we haven't traveled far, it feels like we've covered miles.

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Half a mile down the hill, I notice a clearing of trees on our right, just about a hundred yards further down the hill. The clearing is somewhat level and is surrounded by trees. If I were to make a new camp, it would be there. "Just a little further, Fen, and then we can take a break."

We continue our descent when my senses pick up the presence of others. Demons are close, and they are onto us. Not only that, but I can also sense the dryad is nearby. I no longer trust the trees or the earth, for that matter. My hands are tied, and I don't know what to do. I know I must put the bodies down and let Fen support herself; I just can't get myself to do it.

I try to shroud us in shadow to no avail. I don't want to repeat the mistakes of the shell disaster earlier, so I avoid the bone turtle technique. The demons are closing in. I do all that I can to shroud our presence with my perception. It works a little bit, but the senses of some of the demon beasts surpass my ability to keep us completely hidden. The hounds and cats especially lock onto our presence quickly. With their alert, the rest of the demons follow.

My last resort is mind mana. I begin layering all of us with mind mana. To make it easier, I pull Fen in tightly to my side. As the mana covers us, I amplify it with my will. Protect us. I keep my will focusing on the mana constant. The mind mana flows all around us as the demons surround us again.

Six-legged dogs with elongated lizard mouths and nasty teeth are the first to attack us. The gator hounds are all mouth and skull in their attack. They bash into our bodies only to be repelled by my barrier. Though our bodies are kept safe, a sharp crash spikes my mind with each hit. The impact is unpleasant, and my mind is clouded in constant dull pain. Their bites prove even worse than their skull bashing, surprising no one. Even though the bites are relatively harmless, my mind pays a heavy price.

Leaf blades, tree whips, sharp claws, swords, hammers, and other beastly weapons all take turns beating on us, trying to crack our barrier. As painful as it is, I don't let the shell drop. One massive blow from a giant rock golem finally knocks us down. I manage to keep a hold of my friends, but the demons quickly pile on us. The beating becomes a torrential downpour. I'm unsure what will fail first, my fast-depleting mana or my will.

We won't make it much longer, and I'm forced to put my friends down. I can no longer carry them through this if we want to survive… if Fen is to survive.

I try to steal my nerves and convince myself that now is the time to fight. Yet I find myself holding on just a little bit longer. The attacks become too intense, and I can hold out no longer. Carefully I begin lowering Kelly and Tress. They aren't off my shoulder when Fen's hand firmly grips mine for the first time. The sudden action from the lifeless arachnoid pulls me from my mind.

We're covered in shadow, not the restricting shadow we faced earlier. This one is more familiar, much like the lair I spent so much time in. Not only that, but our attackers stop.

"So, it is true," the eerie voice of the dryad raises the tension. "The Deceiver is here."