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scholarly texts imply that
they’re beings of energy and thought, not mortal flesh. They
couldn’t really walk our world. No, the circle must be here for
some other purpose.”
    “ I wonder,” said Claradon, “if
perhaps they could change their form, taking on a form akin to a
mortal body, becoming some type of avatar. Perhaps, in such a guise
they could enter Midgaard, through some mystical portal or
gateway.”
    “ Such a theory would reconcile the
ancient texts with the folk stories we’ve all heard,
but”—
    “ Those are nothing but fairy
stories, told to scare children,” said Ob. “There’s no truth to
them. These chaos bozos are nothing but figments.”
    “ Let’s pray that’s the case,” said
Par Tanch. “For if a Chaos Lord did cross over to Midgaard, the
entire world would be at utmost peril. Such a fiend would rampage
across the land, leaving nothing but death and destruction in its
wake. No mortal man, be he arch-wizard or knight champion could
defeat such a beast.”
    “ I would defeat it,” said Theta in
an even tone, almost but not quite under his breath.
    “ Bah!” spouted Ob. “You pompous
tin can.”
    Theta glared at the gnome, but did not
respond.
    “ Did you find anything else, Ob?”
said Claradon.
    “ Yep, we did. We founded some
other tracks outside the circle. Wagon tracks, and horse spoor they
was. The wagon was a big one, heavily laden with something or
other, cause it sunk deep into the sod. Eight to ten horses rode
with the wagon. All the tracks head south.”
    “ Toward Lomion,” said
Tanch.
    “ Whoever they were, they’d set a
camp out there by them two big pillars. But the signs point to them
having left three or four days ago.”
    “ So they would’ve been gone long
before father’s patrol arrived,” said Claradon.
    “ That’s right. So whoever they
were they weren’t the ones that fought with the patrol,” said Ob.
“I checked the tracks; the horses’ shoes didn’t have no markings,
so they didn’t belong to any of the noble houses, the temples, or
the guilds. So we don’t know who they are.”
    “ We should question them, if
nothing else,” said Tanch.
    “ Hell, we should track the
bastards down and bust their heads, cause for sure, they know
something.”
    “ If need be, we can head after
them on the morrow,” said Gabriel.
    “ Even then we may catch them,”
said Ob. “They won’t be making much time pulling a big wagon
through this wild. They must be dumb as rocks to take a wagon in
here. Nobody like that could’ve outsmarted Aradon.”
    “ Maybe them folks with the wagon
needed some stones, so they hauled the ruins away,” said Dolan.
Theta grinned despite himself.
    The other knights returned shortly, confirming
that no tracks of Lord Eotrus’s party led away from the circle of
desolation. The patrol had not left there, at least not by any
normal means. There was nothing else for the expedition to do, save
to await the coming of the unnatural fog and to see what it brought
with it. The men moved to set a camp in the wood, not far from
where they had dug up the golden coins.
    “ Mr. Claradon,” said Dolan, “you
should try and eat a bit more than just bread. It’s still a few
hours until we expect the fog; you need to keep up your
strength.”
    “ I can barely manage the bread. I
chew it and chew it, but without the water it won’t go
down.”
    “ Nerves is normal, boy,” said Ob
as he chewed on a piece of jerky. “I’m worried about your father
too, but we need to be at our best when we face whatever’s to
come.”
    “ I know. You’re right. I’m afraid
if I eat more, I’ll just end up spewing it back up.”
    “ Spew at them chaos fellas,” said
Dolan. “That’ll teach them.”
    Claradon and Ob both let out a
chuckle.
    “ Claradon, me boy, I’ve known your
father all his life, and his father afore him. He’s as tough as
nails, and a right fine swordsman. He’ll be all right, I’m sure. We
just have to believe