When I leave the single player instance, Sherbie is already waiting for me, along with a whole battalion of soldiers. They fly what I assume to be the flag of Cello; I think I’ve seen it displayed from a mast or two here and there in my travels. It’s comprised of two horizontal stripes, pale blue on the top, pale green on the bottom, with some kind of intricate crest in the middle of gold and white.

  The soldiers wear the same uniform as Captain Moon, and I recognize Lieutenant Brockduk amongst them. I’d say she definitely looks nervous to be standing in the midst of the cultist’s decimated camp.

  Meanwhile my friend is blanched, his glasses missing from his face as he watches me with wide, questioning eyes. Wanting to know—needing to know—yet afraid to ask.

  Did you do it?

  Did you make a deal with the devil?

  A middle-aged man steps forward then, flanked by guards and the standard bearer. I take him at once to be the colonel, and his quick introduction proves my theory.

  “I am Colonel Fitzwilliam Adolphus, here to eradicate the occultists who’ve taken up in this area. I came here this night to do battle, but I find my enemy slain. And you, alive. Would you care to introduce yourselves, and explain what’s going on here?”

  Sherbie, still looking directly at me, says nothing. Speech, it would seem, is still a bit too much for him. Guess it’s up to me to answer.

  “With all due respect, Colonel, we’ll skip the introductions for now. There’s a man in this tent who requires immediate medical attention. I think you know Captain Moon?”

  An anxious murmur goes up amongst the soldiers, and the lieutenant starts shuffling sideways through the ranks to make her getaway. Not on my watch.

  “And, if I may be so bold as to suggest that you hold Lieutenant Brockduk for questioning until the captain has recovered sufficiently from his injuries? I think his statement may prove to be somewhat incriminating for your officer.”

  With a roar of fury, the lieutenant lunges forward as though to tear my throat out, but with a whole battalion of angry troops at her heels, she doesn’t get far. They catch the half orc and slam her to the ground. The colonel is yelling for her to be clapped in irons and summoning for a priest in the same breath. But in all the chaos and confusion, it is Sherbie’s voice I hear.

  “Rev…”

  I glance back at him.

  “You didn’t make the deal,” he says, somewhat in awe. “I thought for sure you would.”

  “Is that the kind of guy I seem like to you?”

  Sherbie considers this, then shakes his head furiously in denial. “No way! That is, well…what made you not do it?”

  “Honestly, I just didn’t know how I was supposed to face you after killing the captain in cold blood.”

  “Rev…” his big orange eyes grow shimmery with tears.

  “Besides,” I say, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how easily this guy emotes, “I kind of figured there’d be an equally good reward, you know? For saving the captain. So I told that devil to piss off.”

  Sherbie looks at me open mouthed for a minute, then he throws back his head and laughs. He’s so relaxed, I think with a faint grin. I’m glad. I know if I’d gone the other way and taken the devil’s deal, this pure hearted idiot would never look at me the same way again. Anyway, I still haven’t been completely honest with him about it all.

  The truth is, standing in that dark tent with Jezol, gripping the ceremonial dagger in my hand, I really had been about to offer his blood. But then I looked at Captain Moon, really looked at him, and I looked back at my hand. And I knew then I couldn’t do it.

  Perhaps I should have. Probably, I would have gotten a better reward. It’s unlikely the army is going to offer me stat points in exchange for rescuing the captain. If Ari were here, I’m sure he’d be cussing me out right now. What’s more important than optimizing your character? What use is your sentimentality? You should have just killed that man!

  Maybe. But I feel I would have lost something important, if I had…

  Having reclaimed Captain Moon from the tent, Colonel Adolphus leaves some soldiers to bury the cultists’ bodies, and takes Sherbie and me back to his camp. I notice there are still no other players, and I perceive Sherbie and I are still in our party instance. I suppose that makes sense, since we’re speaking with a person as important as the colonel personally.

  Colonel Adolphus is lean, muscle, sinew and bone, without an ounce of excess fat on him, and so clean-shaven his chin and head gleam. He wears a common uniform without decoration, but you can tell his rank simply by the way he carries himself. This man is all business, I get the impression. He’s never had a moment of fun in his life.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  At camp, he pulls us aside into his tent where a map is set up in the middle of the room. He stands on one side of it, leaning on his palms, glaring up at us through steel colored eyebrows.

  “Now, then. I never did catch your names.”

  “I’m Sherbert,” my friend answers for me, evidentially back in the mood to role play, and very excited about what comes next in the story. “This is Revelator. We came ahead to scout for a man named Silas in Pitola, and locate the source of the cultists’ power. He wanted to gather a militia to put an end to the troublemakers once and for all.”

  “Yes, we’ve already spoken with Silas. A good man. We may have need of his militia, yet.”

  A rather different answer than the one we got from the lieutenant, I think. Then, I’d been somewhat expecting that.

  “But as for taking out the troublemakers once and for all, well, I’m afraid it won’t be as simple as that. Since my men inform me there were two magic circles in that tent, I wonder if you could guess why?” he says, testing us. It’s my turn to answer.

  “Because this is no localized incident,” I say, and the colonel looks to me sharply. “Demons everywhere are rising up, infiltrating the hearts of those dissatisfied with the current status quo, whatever their grievance may be. In exchange for power granted, they demand sacrifice. Blood. And they want a lot of it.”

  “I couldn’t have put it better myself. But I take your insight to mean you met with one of them after all?”

  “That’s right. Said its name was Jezol, called itself the sixth prince of hell or something.”

  “It didn’t say that to me,” Sherbie murmurs.

  “That’s because you probably set Captain Moon free immediately and barely listened to a word it said.”

  “Well, yeah. That place was creepy, what was I supposed to do?”

  The colonel clears his throat loudly, and Sherbie and I snap quickly to attention.

  “Jezol, you say. That’s a new one. We have met a few of these so-called princes in our travels. They are manifesting all over Cello and beyond, urging people into their unholy contracts.”

  “It said it needed blood, but never indicated what for. Is it just worship they’re after?”

  “If only it was something so benign as mere blasphemy,” he murmurs, making some sort of sign over his chest I take to be a holy warding symbol. “We believe the blood these demons are collecting is being used to open portals to this realm from the Underworld. Already several have been reported opening up in the lands to the south, and demons are pouring through in droves. We fear it’s only a matter of time before they open one up directly to Cello. We’re running ourselves ragged trying to prevent these kinds of contracts like the ones they made with these cultists, so that no more innocent blood is lent to their cause, but I fear we fight a losing battle.”

  “Why do the demons wish to come to this realm?”

  “Why else? Expansion. The King of the Underworld, that devil Balmoz, he’s never been content ruling in that black place. He’s had his eye on Earth’s realm from the beginning, that’s why the King of Heaven sealed us off, to protect us from him. But I am a mere soldier—if it’s ancient history you’re interested in, you must speak with our priest Tamiel, outside. For now, I just need to know—did this demon, this Jezol mention anything about their next intended target?”

  “Nothing like that. We were simply offered power in exchange for the prisoner’s blood. I needn’t tell you the choice we made.”

  “No indeed. You are admirable men, both of you,” the colonel nods to each of us. “Captain Moon is an exemplary officer, and a good friend. You have the gratitude of the queen’s army for saving him. And my own. It isn’t much, but please take this reward for returning him to us safe and sound.”

  [You have completed Hidden Quest: Find Captain Moon.

  Reward: 10 gp]

  Well, it’s better than nothing, I think with a sigh. At least this way I won’t have to worry about paying for guards back at the Whale Base for a while.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, there is the matter of treachery in my ranks I need to see about. I believe my men are questioning Lieutenant Brockduk as we speak, and I should be present to hear any confession she makes.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Yes, Colonel Adolphus!” Sherbie offers his best salute, and together we leave the tent. I look around a moment, stopping when my eyes land on a certain figure. Ah, yes. It must be here.

  “Rev? Where are we going?”

  “Nowhere, yet. First, let’s talk to this Tamiel.”

  “Ah, right! The priest!” Sherbie follows excitedly along beside me. Together we approach a mysterious figure standing beneath a tree at the edge of camp wearing a thick gray hooded mantle that comes all the way to the ground, without leaving the slightest gap. They keep their hands inside their sleeves and wear a blank steel mask over their face. When I hear the voice, I am surprised somehow to hear a woman. Her voice is muffled but musical, like the sound of water.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “You are Tamiel?” Sherbie inquires.

  “I am.”

  “We have some questions for you,” he says very importantly.

  “Ask your questions. I will do my best to answer.”

  “Right. Well, then. First, uh… Rev?”

  “We need a history lesson,” I say. “Tell us what happened between the three realms.”

  “Once, long ago, growing from Earth’s navel, the World Tree connected the three realms,” she answers, her words falling at an unhurried, measured pace. “The Celestial realm crowned its great branches and the Earth revolved around the trunk, and all mortal creatures played in the light that filtered down from Heaven. Meanwhile the foul creatures of the Underworld skulked in the darkness below ground.”

  “Travel between the realms was uncommon, but not unheard of. Angels descended from the branches, devils used the tree’s roots to make their way to the surface. These immortals intermingled with earth’s many races, taught them many things, wonderful and terrible. It was an era of great enlightenment, and of relative peace. But Balmoz, King of the Underworld grew discontent ruling in his land of darkness, and sought to claim the benefits of light that came down from Heaven for his own. And so, he broke through to the surface of the mortal realm.”

  “Darkness and evil poured out from the ground, and his corruption filled the whole earth. He took advantage of the weaker mortals of the middle realm, corrupting their hearts and turning them to his side. Those that would not turn, he destroyed with dark power no mortal could ever hope to match.”

  “Recognizing that the people would be ruined by this corruption and wiped from the face of the Earth that was rightfully theirs, losing it to Balmoz and his grasping host, the King of Heaven, Great Elyon, chose to intervene.”

  “He pulled back the World Tree, and locked it away safely, sealing it with four keys that could never be found, and setting over it a guardian so powerful, no being alive could ever hope to defeat it. And so the World Tree remains to this day, safely sealed away, so no immortal, neither demonic nor celestial, can ever intervene again in the affairs of Earth’s people.”

  “Except for you,” I interrupt her long narrative, and her head moves so I sense she looks at me sharply, almost as though seeing through the mask.

  “You’re one of them, aren’t you? An angel.”