Read The Gateway (Harbinger of Doom Volume 1) for Free Online Page A

support.
    Theta squatted down near the rim and studied
the soil for some time.
    “ The number and age of the tracks
makes them likely from Aradon’s patrol,” said Ob. “And here’s the
clincher, these shoeprints here are from Aradon’s horse. It’s a
distinctive shoe; no other horse in the Dor has it.”
    Claradon knelt down to examine the print. “So,
father was here. Now there’s no doubt.”
    “ The other patrols reported that
the circle grew in size each night,” said Gabriel. “That means that
when Aradon’s patrol was here, the circle was smaller. Since then,
it must’ve grown and blotted out the tracks.”
    “ But we still don’t know how and
why it’s expanding,” said Claradon.
    “ I found tracks from each of the
other patrols too,” said Ob. “Their tracks also end at the edge of
the circle. But I found tracks from them patrols leading away from
the area, returning back toward the Dor, which makes sense, since
they made it home. There’s no evidence of Aradon’s patrol ever
leaving, though. I couldn’t find any tracks from his horses or his
men leading away from the circle in any direction.”
    “ But where could they have gone?
How could they just vanish?”
    “ Maybe they got blotted, same as
the tracks,” said Dolan.
    Theta cuffed him lightly on the back of the
neck.
    “ Yow! Sorry boss.”
    “ I don’t rightly know, boy,” said
Ob. “I ain’t ever seen the like of it. Glimador is doing another
sweep of the area, but I think we founded all that we’re going to
find. There’s more to tell, though.”
    “ We founded us a couple of black
pillars a ways out over that way,” pointing off to the west.
“They’re part of them ruins you talked of earlier,
Gabe.”
    “ I knew we had to be close to the
fell place,” said Gabriel.
    “ I remembers two pillars being
about a quarter mile west from the old temple. Them pillars we
founded are the same two pillars. I’m sure about it.”
    “ I remember those pillars,” said
Gabriel, “But that would put the main ruins –”
    “ - Right smack in the middle of
that damn circle of nothing,” said Ob.
    “ So the cult must’ve been using
that old temple for some unholy rite of blackest magery,” said
Claradon. “But that still doesn’t explain what happened to the
temple ruins, or what this strange circle is about. Stone temples,
even ruined ones don’t just disappear into thin air. Even masters
of the arcane arts cannot easily accomplish such feats, I
think.”
    “ Perhaps their magic went awry,
and the temple was somehow destroyed,” said Tanch.
    “ Could the circle of coins be used
to conjure up something, wizard?” said Theta. “Something from
another world; something from the very Courts of Chaos
themselves?”
    “ Perhaps, perhaps, but I cannot be
sure,” said Tanch. “Powerful chaos sorcerers have been known to
possess the skills required to summon fiends from the beyond to do
their bidding. But this circle, it’s so vast, so enormous - far
larger than you’d need for calling up some fiend or familiar. It
must have some other purpose.”
    “ Maybe they were conjuring
something really big,” said Dolan. He glanced sidelong at Theta,
preparing to duck.
    “ I shudder to think of what such a
thing could be,” said Tanch. “No, I’m quite sure that their magic
must have gone awry and caused the destruction of the temple and
the formation of the circle.”
    “ What if they were trying to
conjure up one of them chaos fellas you told of Brother Claradon?”
said Dolan as he edged farther from his master.
    “ It’s hard to imagine such a thing
being possible. Even if it were, the cultists would have to be mad
to even attempt such a thing.”
    “ Nevertheless, the circle is
here,” said Theta.
    “ Respectfully, sir, I don’t think
such a thing is possible,” said Par Tanch. “You see, despite the
colorful myths, these Chaos Lords aren’t really men at all, they’re
more akin to forces of nature. The