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firestorm, but the others cast spells of their own, blue fire flashing around their hands, and veils of shadows mantled their bodies. 
    For a moment the arachar wavered, daunted by the fire. 
    “Now!” said Ridmark. “Strike hard! Cut through them and make for the east and the River Moradel!”
    The spiderling who had spoken with Ridmark had avoided the explosion, and she screamed a command of her own. The arachar rallied, roaring battle cries, and charged in a ragged mass towards the ring fort. 
    Ridmark and the others rushed forward, and Gavin followed, Antenora running at his side. Calliande lifted the staff of the Keeper, white fire flaring against its length, and cast a spell. Pale white light jumped from her hands and wrapped Gavin and the others in its glow, armoring them against weapons and making them faster and stronger than they would have been otherwise. Combined with Truthseeker’s power, Gavin could move faster and striker harder than a normal man. 
    He had been given that power for a purpose, and it was time to put it to use.
    Gavin charged, Truthseeker shining with white fire in response to the dark magic the spiderlings of the spiderlings, and attacked. Before he could reach the arachar, Morigna cast a spell, and the earth at the feet of the orcish warriors folded and rippled. A dozen of the arachar went sprawling, and Ridmark and Caius and Kharlacht attacked, killing the prone arachar before they rose again. Gavin dashed past them and slammed into the next rank of warriors, striking with Truthseeker. The burning soulblade ripped through the throat of the nearest arachar, and the warrior collapsed. Another arachar lunged at Gavin, driving his sword forward, and Gavin wheeled and raised his shield. The blade deflected from the dwarven steel with a metallic screeh, and Gavin counterattacked, his enhanced strength driving Truthseeker through the orcish warrior’s leather cuirass. The arachar fell, his tainted blood sliding along Truthseeker’s blade, and Gavin stepped back, his shield raised. 
    Three more arachar charged at him, howling a long word that was likely the name of their false goddess, Rhogrim-something. He blocked a wild slash upon his shield and fell back another step. The three arachar had clearly fought alongside each other before, and spread out around Gavin, timing their attacks so he could never quite recover his footing. 
    But neither did Gavin fight alone.
    Blue fire flashed behind the arachar on his left, and Mara appeared out of nothingness, her sword of dark elven steel gripped in both hands. She plunged the blade into the warrior’s back, and the arachar bellowed in fury, trying to face her as Mara retracted the blade and stepped back. In that moment of distraction Gavin attacked, slamming his shield into the face of the central arachar. The orc stumbled, his tusks scraping against the shield, and Gavin drove Truthseeker home. The arachar fell, dying, and the remaining warrior swung his sword at Gavin’s head. He caught the strike upon his shield, and then pressed forward. The arachar reeled back, and again Gavin landed a killing blow.
    He turned to nod his thanks to Mara, but she had already traveled away. He saw a flash of blue fire further down the melee, saw Mara trip an arachar, allowing Kharlacht to behead the warrior with a massive blow of his greatsword. 
    More arachar rushed at Gavin, and he went back on the attack, Truthseeker’s magic and Calliande’s spell thrumming through him.
     
    ###
     
    Calliande gripped her staff with both hands, her mind focused upon half a dozen spells at once.
    A few months ago, such a feat would have been far beyond her grasp. Now that she had her memory and the Keeper’s mantle once more, the task was routine. She had done it dozens of times during the fighting against the Frostborn. The magic of the Well at Tarlion’s heart filled her, letting her maintain the spells of strength and speed and protection around her companions as