Noah’s foot slipped, sending a couple of small pebbles down into the gorge on his right. His left shoulder scraped against the vertical cliff as he tried to regain his balance. A few more black lightning bolts shot into the sky above his head, plunging the world into an untimely night. Noah didn’t slow his climb, a singular thought burning in his mind - Shana was in danger. Whether or not Lorelei was right and someone was controlling her, it didn’t matter. His daughter was in peril, and so was anyone within the reach of those unnatural lightning bolts. The fear gave him strength as he raced up the cliffs.

A tuft of trees crowned the barren rocks, the end of the steep trail coming out slightly below Shana’s gazebo. Drenched and battered, Noah jumped between the rough trunks of the pines and followed the winding footpath. Raindrops trickled down the evergreen needles and dispersed into clouds of milky mist. Few low-hanging branches hit Noah’s shoulders and tried to tangle in his hair but he snapped them aside. As the sizzle of lightning drew closer, an eerie chill spread through the air.

Suddenly, a movement to his right, accompanied by the breaking of branches, alerted Noah of the incoming threat. He spun mid-motion, his fist charging toward the newcomer. Luckily the other party had fast enough reflexes to evade the swing with only a slight graze on the chin.

“Master! Why are you attacking me!?” Jessup’s panicked voice pulled Noah out of his daze.

“Damn it, Jess!” he barked out of breath. “You should have called first! I almost knocked you out! Did you fulfill my order?”

“He did. And he called. Several times.” A second, equally breathless voice came from behind the young squire as Gregor stepped out of the bushes. “You look awful! What in the name of the Mother is going on? Saya’s twin-drop alerted me of danger and now this…”

The world was plunged into darkness once more as if to support the knight’s words.

“Come with me. I’ll explain on the way.” Noah motioned towards his squire who handed over the long blade he was carrying. “Jess, climb down the cliff and regroup with Duncan. I know you fear heights but Lorelei-”

“I’m on my way!” The youth didn’t give him time to finish and darted between the trees.

Noah threw a final proud gaze after him, sending a silent prayer to the Two Fathers to protect the boy from breaking his neck. He then gave Gregor a sign and the two moved through the small forest at a brisk pace. Along the way, Noah summarized his recent ordeals.

“This explains why you look like a star-hound chewed you and spat you out.” From a pocket hidden in the folds of his ceremonial garments, Gregor procured two silver daggers. “Red Hands?”

“Most likely.” Noah clutched Red Dawn. “But that fiend Akh-Moren should be half-dead. Could he have recovered?”

“I don’t see how.” Gregor frowned. “The wounds Master Yanosh and you inflicted on him were far too severe, even for a powerful shaman.”

Noah touched the scar on his face as fire lit deep into his pupils.

“I hope they were.”

With that, their conversation died down. Sneaking between the trees, the two finally reached the foot of the gazebo. The air around them cracked and little black sparks sizzled around their blades. Numbness started to spread along Noah’s fingers, the prickling sensation slowly crawling up his arms. At the same time, Red Dawn began humming, emitting menacing crimson light that slowly started to envelop its user.

Gregor cursed and hurried forward, covering his friend with his body. He threw some powder in the air and his lips began moving in the fast cadence of a warding hex. A few balls of blue light appeared around him and began hovering around like angry bees, each one of them soon getting covered in a net of black lightning. This lessened the pressure from the wild magic surrounding them but didn’t completely disperse it. Noah could still feel the unnatural cold stabbing at his skin and his breath hung in small puffs before his eyes.

“Your Highness! Gerash!” The voice of Baroness De Vindur came from the right, accompanied by several more shaky exclamations.

A few steps from them, a large dome of light shimmered over the clearing, raindrops rolling down its surface. Two red-veiled figures knelt on the ground, their fingers digging in the moist soil while their escorts did the same at the opposite ends of the barrier.

Noah and Gregor carefully approached, keeping an eye on the gazebo.

“Is everyone safe?” asked Noah, glancing over the dignitaries.

“Thanks to the kukuls, we are.” Baron Argente approached the dome’s boundary. “Is there something we normal folks can do to help?”

“Stay in the barrier and don’t get ghost-touched.”

“The lion of the battlefield cowering like a helpless kitten… can’t say I like it!” The old knight grumbled but shrugged with resignation.

“Oh, please, enough drama!” Baron Firmon huffed from the very center of the formation. “Duke Norden, you know you’ll have to answer for this accident when all is over.”

Noah ignored him, although, for a brief second he allowed himself to entertain the thought of pulling the old vulture outside of the hex’s protection and leaving him to fend for himself. Instead, he turned to the two red-veiled Binshi.

“Thank you for the help, esteemed kukuls. Can you brief us on the situation? Are the kush-turgans still with us?”

“We are, and not by our choosing,” answered the kukul of Trout Stream.

“If we try to leave, the barrier will crumble and the bodies of the kukuls will be vulnerable in the few moments during the soul-switch,” added the representative of Crescent Peak. “We are stuck here until this problem is solved.”

“The wellbeing of the Moren-gadir was entrusted to you, despite your questionable qualifications.” The one from Trout Stream threw Noah a piercing gaze. “If anything happens to her, you will be held accountable, Duke.”

“Rest assured, I will take care of my child.” Noah sighed and abandoned any hope of getting help or information from the two cranky kukuls. A hunch was telling him they had some cards up their sleeves, waiting and hoping he would fail before deciding to act.

He nodded at Gregor and the two slowly climbed the few meters left to the entrance of the gazebo. With each step, the air felt heavier and colder. As they ascended the marble stairs, several green-gold shimmers attracted their attention. Three bodies laid on the stone slabs, tiny rounded pieces of bone on their chests glowing like bright fireflies.

“Mama, dada, Rasha!” exclaimed Gregor, his body swaying a bit as he tried to suppress the urge to run over to them.

“They are a bit shaken but fine, Little Wolf.” The quiet voice of Kash-baba reached them.

Noah saw the old shaman kneeling at the very border of what one could best describe as a whirlwind of darkness. Many more beads were dispersed around its base, forming a chain of golden-green dots. A broken cord with a single larder bone fragment hung between Kash-baba’s fingers, glowing like a dull green sun.

“What happened?” Noah approached carefully, his eyes fixated on the black wind funnel. “Is… Shana inside?”

“She is,” the old shaman replied without moving a muscle. “After you jumped over the railing, she went into a frenzy. That black thing, she invoked it.”

“What is it?”

“Mir-mama, be my witness, I have no clue. I’ve never seen or heard about anything like this. Only another Star-gazer would know.”

“Kush-turgan,” Gregor eyed the sizzling whirlwind and his expression looked sick, “this… doesn’t feel right. It… almost feels like the sensation I get from the Spirit Plane!”

“So, you feel it too?” A tiny droplet of sweat rolled down her wrinkled face. “No wonder I couldn’t completely suppress it. My hex would be like sprinkling water onto a wildfire…”

“This is insane!” The young shaman glared at her. “The Mortal Plane and the Spirit Plane are two separate realms! Creating a physical connection… it shouldn’t be possible.”

“The Morem-gadir is the ‘gateway’ to the Outside Realms, so-”

“Enough philosophizing!” Noah lifted Red Dawn and pointed it at the magical vortex. “We’ve wasted enough time. How do I get my daughter out?”

“Impatience won’t help unless you intend to kill yourself and everyone present.” The old Binshi chastised him.

At that moment, a burst of darkness left the vortex. It felt like someone hit Noah in the gut. His lungs were paralyzed. His ears rang and for a moment he could neither see nor hear anything.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

On the third heartbeat, golden-green needles of light shot through the emptiness, tearing the darkness into pieces. The shredded magic gathered around one of the glowing beads with a crackle and, suddenly, a bolt of black lightning was discharged over the fjord.

Noah coughed and used Red Dawn as a crutch to lean on. Beside him, Gregor seemed just as shaken.

“Chortek te zemat!” the old shaman cursed and the bone necklace in her hands shook. “It’s getting stronger!”

“You said my child is inside of that!” Noah hissed. “Get me in. Now!”

“I have a little shortage of kush-turgans to do that.” Kash-baba chewed on her lip. “Little turgan from Wolf Mountain, are you willing to risk your body and soul for the Star-gazer?”

“For Lady Shana, I am,” replied Gregor curtly.

“Fine,” a long needle materialized in the old woman’s fingers as if from nothing, “then give me your blood.”