"I am the scythe, the Bringer of Salvation. And I shall harvest the souls of the Unbelievers, for their stench will linger until the false gods have been cast from this world." Hablion recited. Orion flinched as the Justiciar's Cyclone Axe slit the throats of the kneeling Chosen. He scowled, wishing he hadn't hurt his ankle so badly. He needed to help his friends!

"Out of the way!" came a harsh cry from behind him, and he nearly twisted his other ankle in attempt to move in time. A redheaded woman rushed by him, followed closely by a dark-skinned woman dressed in unfamiliar robes and carrying a large scythe. Hablion turned at her shout, and scowled. He seemed more perturbed by the presence of these two strangers, than of Orion and his friends. "You sick bastard, I'll kill you!" the redhead snarled.

"You again! I swear you will meet your end today!" The redhead merely grinned and began casting, her scythe-wielding companion rushing to meet Hablion's guards. Orion watched helplessly as his own friends joined in the fight.

~*~*~*~

Finally came the tricky part: getting into the Temple to find Dinas. They moved along, silent as a cat on the prowl, sticking to the shadows whenever guards passed. They spotted Dinas, also hiding in the shadows, the glowing head of the Scepter wrapped in cloth to hide it. They spy pointed to his right, warning them of more guards, then held out an open hand to indicate how many. They were too close to hide now; they would have to fight. Dinas disappeared into the blackness once more as the patrol came, and Kethe motioned for them to attack. The Mantle guards were too surprised to defend themselves, and fell quickly.

"My friends," Dinas said as he came into view again, "it is good to see you again. I didn't think when we met off the D'Alessio Seaboard that I would be giving you the Scepter of Orr." He passed it to Orion. "Come, you must not linger here. The Zealots will be back soon. I will show you the quickest escape route." He walked out into the torch light, pushing down a lever that opened a nearby gate. "To the east is a bridge that will take you over the Ullen River to safety. Stay off the beaten path, and whatever you do, avoid the watchtowers! Many men have died for this. Guard it with your life."

"You there! What are you doing?" The raid party froze and glanced up to see a guard who had walked by at the most inopportune moment.

"RUN!" Dinas urged, trying to push them through the now-open gate.

"Traitor! A traitor in our midst!" the guard shouted, raising the alarm.

"Come with us!" Kora urged. "They'll kill you if you stay!"

The spy smiled sadly. "I'm only a scholar, I am no hero like you. I'll only slow you down. Now you must hurry. I can buy you time, but only a little. Go!" He pulled the lever, closing the gate once more as the raiders rushed down the path toward the river. They hadn't gotten far enough to miss the sickening sound of a blade plunging into flesh.