All That Is Evil Is Not Dark/Chapter 53

Delnar looked at Cerin, dumbfounded. "You are a communicant of the Water Lord?"

"Yes, Lord Delnar. I am still rather taken aback myself. You are alive." Cerin looked about and then gathered himself. "I have submitted that I should be dismissed, but the king refuses. He believes that since you remain First Knight, it is not his position, but I gather that he had no intention of dismissing me from his service nonetheless."

"Tralin has a way of surprising people. He still declares me First Knight even after encouraging my service as communicant of the Shadow Lord."

"He does. Much is changing in the world. He feels distinctions based on faith have been rendered irrelevant with the coming of the Devourer."

"An apt enough description..." Delnar was brought short by Myr's entry into the chamber.

"Lord Myr, this was, or apparently is, my second in the Knights of Deren, Cerin. Cerin, Myr, chief communicant at the temple of Stone Deep."

"Good day," Myr said and turned to Delnar. "You wished to see me urgently?"

"Yes, but it is a temple matter."

"Do not mind me; I can explore the city and then return," Cerin said, smiling.

"This man is your second?" Myr asked, "and Tralin’s trusted aide?"

"Yes," Delnar responded.

"He is a friend to our temple and thus is welcome to stay."

Cerin smiled and Delnar shrugged, continuing, "I was in the lower mines today and encountered something in the shadows. I am not sure what it is, but it is malevolent. I fear our inner sanctum has been breached."

Myr frowned severely. "You are certain?"

"I am certain something was within the shadows. I cannot speak for sure to its nature, but it filled me with great dread. I suspect our enemy lays a trap."

"I fear you may be right. It is well known that I spend hours in those mines. They have tried to abduct me before. If some being waits in the shadows, he may well wait for me."

"It is important that we do not reveal to him that we know for sure his presence, yet we must find a way to flush the beast out."

"That will not be necessary," Xander said, entering the chamber severely. "It is far more necessary that we determine which of our own citizenry are under the creature's influence."

Cerin turned in surprise at the shadow knight's arrival.

"You know something of this, Xander?" Myr asked.

"Several individuals reported sightings of a huge shadow dragon descending upon the mines days ago. Initially. we did not consider it an issue, but we have just received missive that the necromancers and the Brilhado have stolen an artifact from Akriloth and that it was given to none other than the wyrm prime."

"You mean...."

"Yes, I do. Don't even utter his name lest panic ensues, but it seems very likely that the enemy has joined with him. Very soon after the message from overseas arrived, the dragon alighted from the shadow mines, but he could not have survived in there for days without detection. He must have taken some of our own."

"You are right; we must root them out at once. It will NOT be an easy task, but it is early enough that his power may still be reversed if we can determine the victims. We will need greater power and quickly..."

Delnar and Cerin looked at each other meaningfully.