"Act like a Knight," said Trenton, scowling. "The Ogre may have abandoned us, but we can't stay here forever. And I refuse to carry you."
Wincing with each step, Jerret started off again, holding his ribs. Aldreya lent him some support.
A growing terror began to build in Lannon's mind, and the Eye of Divinity retreated inside him. It was the same old frustrating fear that kept him from using his power-only it seemed much stronger now. He felt that the truth behind the fear was about to be revealed, some dreary and evil truth that he wanted no part of. He said nothing about it, because he wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know if what he was feeling was a legitimate warning of danger or just a phantom terror.
But Trenton seemed to catch on somehow. "What's wrong with you, Squire? Your face had gone deathly pale."
"I'm just afraid," said Lannon. "I don't know why. I don't sense any danger, but…" He shook his head. "Something is bothering me."
Trenton frowned. "Well, unless we want to battle that Ogre, we can't go back." He waved the torch ahead and squinted. "I have no idea where we are beneath Dremlock. My sense of direction is hopelessly lost."
"I think we should turn back," Lannon said. His words were unexpected and startled him.
"And confront an Ogre?" said Trenton. "I'd rather not."
"Do you see something with the Eye?" asked Aldreya.
"It's a feeling," said Lannon.
"Well, feelings are just feelings," said Trenton, "and matter not. If the Eye isn't speaking to you, we must move on."
Lannon nodded, but the fear was so strong it seemed to be choking him. He could almost hear whispers in his mind, and when he closed his eyes, he could just barely glimpse crimson runes flowing downward, as if some evil sorcery was at work in his mind. The runes seemed to drain his strength and will-to smother his ability to call upon the Eye-and leave only fear.
Trenton seized Lannon's arm and practically dragged him along. The tunnel soon widened, with pillars hewn from the stone that displayed Olrog runes. Stone coffins stood in chambers on either side, smashed open with bones strewn around as if from Goblin activity. The mines were said to contain many Olrog tombs, as the Grey Dwarves were known to bury their dead in caverns deep underground, but they were usually sealed off. This tomb stood wide open, the extravagant coffins proudly displayed-perhaps once guarded by Olrog warriors.
Trenton turned and glanced at the Squires, a nervous glint in his eyes. The Squires felt the same fear the Investigator was feeling as they glanced at the broken coffins. Olrog skulls seemed to gaze at them with empty eye sockets. Trenton read aloud an inscription on a stone pillar:
The Gates of the Mountain
Baltan's Way
The Way of Warriors
The Restless Dead
The Second Temple
"The Second Temple," Trenton repeated. "There are three temples dedicated to the Divine Essence at Dremlock. The Sacred Temple, the Temple of Oracles, and the Temple of Radiance. The Temple of Oracles was abandoned long ago thanks to excessive Goblin attacks and the fact that Dremlock stopped using oracles due to unreliable predictions."
"What does this mean?" Lannon asked.
"Obviously," said Trenton, "we stand at the gates of a temple that was abandoned to the Goblins long ago, a temple that stands at an exit tunnel from the mountains. I have no idea what to expect if we continue on. We might do better to go back and confront that Ogre. It's almost as if the Ogre wanted us to come this way, to send us into some foul snare."
"I agree," said Jerret, "let's go back. I can't keep wandering around. I need to get to the Hall of Healing."
"We can deal with the Ogre," said Aldreya. "Right, Lannon?"
"I don't know," said Lannon. "The Eye of Divinity is very weak right now. In fact, I'm not even using it." That was a half-truth, since it was actually his strange fear that was preventing him from summoning it.
"I too am quite weak," said Trenton. "Drained and weary. I think we'll have to continue on and take our chances. We could potentially escape the mountain through the temple, and from there it would be an easy journey to Dremlock."
They proceeded along the tunnel, which widened into a large cavern. Tall pillars created a path that led them to the entrance of the Temple of Oracles. The torchlight revealed a half-dome building carved from the stone of the mountain, with a sculpture of a wolf's mouth forming the entrance. The temple was very intimidating, almost gloomy or evil in appearance-vastly different from the Sacred Temple that stood above ground.
"Well, in we go," mumbled Trenton, stepping into the wolf's mouth with the others following reluctantly.
The temple's stone door stood open wide. They slowly and cautiously made their way through the interior, passing between iron benches toward the altar. A statue of a White Knight-an Olrog healer in a long robe and holding a thick book-was suddenly revealed in the torchlight, so lifelike it startled the Squires. The White Knight's eyes seemed to regard them sternly, making them feel like intruders.
"The door is probably beyond the altar," Trenton whispered. "It should take us into a long tunnel that will lead into open air."
But as the torchlight fell upon the altar, the companions gasped in shock. Standing before the flat, rectangular stone was Vorden. The former Squire seemed at ease, his arms folded across his chest, with the large gauntlet reflecting the torch flames. His eyes gleamed yellow. "Welcome, Lannon," he said," his gaze fixed on the Squire. "I've been waiting for you."
"Vorden!" Jerret gasped. "What are you doing down here?"
"Are you hard of hearing, Jerret?" said Vorden. "I said I was waiting for Lannon. Well, and finishing up a little business."
"What do you want with me?" said Lannon, struggling fiercely to summon the Eye. But his fear and weakened will would not allow it.
"I just wanted to give you a stronger warning," said Vorden, "than what Jerret could deliver. Abandon your quest for Knighthood, Lannon. I don't want to have to kill you. If you ignore me, you will die by my Hand."
"You will surrender immediately, Vorden," said Trenton, though he looked uncertain, and his hand trembled on his sword hilt.
Vorden sneered at the Investigator. "Even a Green Knight is no match for me. Don't even try it, Trenton. I'll crush you with ease."
"Vorden, you are corrupted by evil!" said Aldreya. "Let us help you. We can remove the gauntlet and free your soul."
"Silence, Birlote!" said Vorden. "I do not speak to your kind!"
Lannon sighed wearily. "Vorden, if you don't surrender and let us help you, Taris may die. Are you going to walk away and let that happen?"
Vorden seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then he scowled. "I have no love for Birlotes. Not even Taris. I don't care if he dies."
"Then you are a puppet," said Lannon.
"If you won't surrender," said Trenton, "then die!" With that, he drew his sword and it burst into blue flames. He leapt at Vorden, swinging for his head. It was a fantastic leap that carried Trenton right over the altar, and he swung his sword so swiftly it seemed that Vorden stood no chance of defending against it.
But Vorden deflected the sword with his gauntlet and seized Trenton's throat with his other hand, lifting the Investigator into the air. "Good effort," Vorden muttered, "but you're too weak to defeat me. I could defeat the entire High Council in battle-maybe even an entire legion of Divine Knights if it came to that. I should kill you for attacking me."
"Vile wretch!" Trenton croaked, struggling to break Vorden's grasp. "You…will…end up…"
Vorden hurled Trenton to the floor with such force that the Investigator went still, blood pooling around his head.
"You've killed him!" Lannon cried. He lifted Trenton's torch and knelt by the Investigator. Trenton was breathing shallowly.