“An impressive sight, isn’t it?” Velixar said as they arrived.

“I wonder how necessary the demons’ help truly is,” Qurrah said. “How many more dead might we add as we march west?”

“Without the demons, the elves would decimate us as we traveled,” Velixar said. “I have felt the stings of their arrows often enough. We will let Ulamn’s pets deal with them in time.”

Tessanna curled her arms behind her as she walked among the handless servants, her fingers clasped tight. Velixar had called them the tested, and it made sense enough. Several watched her pass with vacant eyes, but most stared with frightening intensity. One man with messy blond hair and a broken nose accosted her, pressing the stubs of his hands against her arms.

“His glory,” the tested said, spitting as he talked. “Have you heard his glory? His wondrous glory?”

“I know of Karak’s glory,” she said. “But do you?”

“Order among chaos, perfection among the bloodshed!” The tested smiled. “All shall soon know. Pray to him, and you too shall know.”

“I have seen his order,” Tessanna said, putting her hand on the man’s shoulder. Black lightning sparked from her fingers. The man staggered away, howling like an animal.

“Tess?” Qurrah asked, hearing the howl and turning to see his lover staring with a cold, seething gaze. She slowly shook her head.

“Judge trees by their fruit,” she whispered as she neared. “And the only fruit I see is death.”

Qurrah glanced to see if Velixar heard, but it appeared not. A man dressed in the garbs of high priest had approached him and bowed low.

“Greetings, hand of Karak,” the priest said. “Welcome to our camp.”

“I have heard rumors,” Velixar said, not returning the bow. “Rumors of a new high priest to replace Pelarak.”

“I am he,” the priest said. “Once I was Preston, but now I am Melorak, the name given to me by Karak as I slumbered in the night.”