A/N: The wonderful world of Exile (Avernum) and the characters of Micah, Thairl, Janice, Enla, Erika, Solberg, Cheeseball, Rone, Patrick, Hathwisa, Aimee, Ostoth, and Linda remain the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software, not me. Some information has been drawn from the Encyclopedia Ermariana.

Erika had been good on her word, as Solberg, Rone, Patrick, Aimee, Enla, Linda, and Ostoth began using their magics to improve the walls and buildings of the small fort that had been built around the place where the portal put the exiled of Empire. Erika herself began scribing marks into the cave floor to surround the fort, though she did not share with any the purpose of these marks, though she made quite clear to the various group leaving the fort for hunting or fishing that they were to carefully step over and never mar the marks.

Magic added to muscle had begun to enlarge the fort, the stones carving easily by magical means into blocks, and the people doing mundane work set to making the mortar to hold the stone.

Botany experiments, she called her work—rows of mushrooms growing larger and fatter than the mushrooms they had seen before. Fungal light might not be bright, but it was brighter than it had been, and the lichens were coming along, twisting into shapes that were starting to resemble trees.

"Do not touch those," Erika said sharply as Janice made a move toward the new tree which Erika had dubbed 'cavewood'. "They are not yet ready."

"I am sorry," said Janice, "but you're making it rather difficult ... so much space given to ..."

"I need every bit of that space," said Erika, "and you will be grateful. When I have finished my work here, then ..."

She was interrupted by the sound of a horn sounded from the walls.

"What's that about?" said Erika.

"The demon is coming!" said Janice, looking terrified.

Around them, the people of the small fort were scurrying inside as the sound of leathery wings flapping could be heard.

Erika snorted and made her way to the stairs as the horn-blower was rushing down, having done his duty in sounding the alarm.

"Take cover!" he yelled as he passed.

"Erika!" called Solberg. "What are you doing?"

"I don't have time to be interrupted like this," said Erika. "Come with me or go cower indoors with the rest, whichever you wish."

"Do you know what you're doing?" said Solberg as Linda approached.

"Most certainly," said Erika with a joyless smile. "Ah, Linda. Come along, you might be useful, too."

Behind the three mages, the rest of the inhabitants of the fort had managed to take cover as the demon came into view.

"Delicious! Sacrifices!" said the demon.

"Grah-Hoth!" gasped Linda, the name barely voiced in her shock. She little cared that she was revealing now how Garzahd had dabbled in the forbidden arts, and could not even spare the thought to hope that she had not revealed her own lust for the powers that could be given by the demon.

"No sacrifices here," called out Erika in a loud voice. "Go away and quit bothering us."

"Who are you, that I should listen to a mere human," sneered the demon.

"I am Erika, of clan Redmark," she said, "Imperial Incantrix, and I could have easily chosen to smite your master."

"I have no master!" roared the demon, a gout of sulfuric breath adding to the general stench of the air of the underground land of the exiles.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Grah-Hoth," said Erika. "Everyone knows you're naught but a little puppet who dances at the will of the worm Garzahd."

"Garzahd is not my master!" screamed the demon. "I am the master of him!"

"Be that as it may," said Erika, apparently unruffled, "you will leave us alone now. Grah-Hoth, I forbid you to approach the people of this fort. Grah-Hoth, I forbid you."

"NOOO!" cried Grah-Hoth, and a stream of fire arced through the air from his mouth toward the walls, his intent to incinerate the three mages clear.

Erika waved her hand, and the stream of fire seemed to meet an invisible wall, the heat carrying through to ruffle the hair and clothes of the mages before it redoubled and struck Grah-Hoth.

"You cannot hurt me!" he said.

"Grah-Hoth, leave, I command it," said Erika.

"Not without my tribute!" said Grah-Hoth, and he began flying toward the fort walls at what seemed a breakneck pace.

"He'll come through!" cried Linda in alarm.

"Never," said Erika, and the marks that she had made around the fort flared into a flawless iridescent dome of light.

Grah-Hoth's speed was too great to change course, and in arrogance, he did not try—only to find that he bounced painfully away from the dome of light, and the demon screamed.

"Grah-Hoth, I command you to leave this fort in peace," said Erika.

"For now," snarled Grah-Hoth. "For now ... but mark my words, one day your wards will fail, and I will devour all within."

The demon turned, flying away from the fort.

"What is your plan for next time?" said Solberg.

"I haven't one yet," replied Erika. "But I will. For now, though, we have some peace so I can continue with my experiments."

The three mages started down from the stairs to the wall-top.

"All clear!" called out Solberg in a booming voice.

The people of the fort cautiously opened doors and emerged into the courtyard.

"Erika!" said Micah, trailed by Odele. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done! Never has that demon left without taking someone."

"It's a small thing," said Erika, "and a rather pointless victory, for if I know Garzahd, he'll just find another way to keep his pet fed."

"But it gives us a chance," said Micah. "We can do something here, and prepare better for the next assault on the fort walls."

"Better to prepare to take the war to Grah-Hoth," said Erika. "But that is a fight for another day. Today, I have mushrooms to attend to."

"Mushrooms?" said Solberg. "You're still playing botanist?"

"As you play engineer," said Erika. "I've noticed how you build the walls, your unseen servants carving rocks and setting them into place while you set the folk to making the mortar. It's a good job you're doing."

"Thank you," said Solberg. "I didn't realize you'd noticed."

"Of course I have," said Erika. "Linda, why don't you come with me? We have a great deal to talk about."