"Man, that was a close one . ", thought Zax happily.

The tiefling shuddered at the vile fate that he avoided earlier that evening. It was a carefully laid trap, with honeyed bait as a lure. Sure Sharliss was a beautiful girl, but Zax knew better. Succubuses and sirens didn't capture their victims because of their personalities. No, it was with their supernatural good looks. Being a tiefling, he was a little more immune to this attack then most men. Tieflings as a whole were a rather ugly bunch. Regardless of the exact source of their heritage , the majority of them would have little work scaring crows with their looks. Lady Wayland explained once that tieflings born briefly during the 4th age and those of abyssal origins were often thought of as pretty or beautiful, but that was a very small minority. Even though Zax knew he was amongst one of the more passable members of his "race", the bottom line was that he charmed people more with his silver tongue then his dashing good looks. Tieflings and ugliness go hand in hand, and their lack of beauty was a good defense against the charms of a pretty young girl. He evaded being lured into the clutches of that bewitching seductress Sharliss, and was now making his way to Fort Grom, alone.

At least he thought he was going to Fort Grom. Besides Tornic , Zax knew very little of their exact route to Grom City. He knew there were various towns and forts along the way, but he wasn't exactly sure of their names. Fort Grom was just a name circled on the map. Zax didn't know how big it was or the amenities it provided, but at that point he didn't care. That was something Petrus , Halvor and Kirgi worried about. He was just there to round up business and to make people feel safe.

Zax paused as a twinge of regret struck him. Although he admitted to himself to be a coward, rogue, deceiver, and a scoundrel , he always thought of himself as trustworthy. That's how he built his buisness, an honest Grommish Crown for an honest days work. A little bit of showmanship and undeserved reputation never hurt anyone, the bottom line was he got the job done. The tiefling wondered if he should turn back. They paid him to protect them , but here he was running away. It went against everything his loose and questionable morals stood for.

"Heee Hawwww.", protested the pony as Zax paused in the road. The stubborn beast wanted to go forward, and Zax knew the creature was probably right. Being alive with broken principals was better then being dead with intact ones. He squeezed the sides of his mount, and the animal proceeded onwards.

Zax's initial plan was to have hopped on his own horse during the confusion with the trolls. That plan fell through when the trolls slew his mount. He briefly abandoned the idea, but the idea of falling into the clutches of Sharliss spurred him into action. Zax was nothing if not adaptable. He snuck out of camp with Kirgi's private dwarven war pony. The dwarf rarely rode him on his scouting missions, and Zax thought he wouldn't miss it much. The tiefling's world revolved around mounts. He knew the other animals were fit for nothing but pulling wagons. Dwarven war pony weren't that much faster then the draft horses, but they were prized for their endurance, strength, sure footing, and most importantly their ability not to be panicked. Zax had heard tales that the hardy beasts didn't panic even during combat or cave ins.

Just to be sure, Zax gave it some of his special "medicine". It was a blend he bought from the local druids. They used it to relieve the pain of sick animals, but Zax learned in controlled doses it kept animals extra calm. It served him well when the animals all went berserk in Lower Lueders a few years ago. He had the only carriage company that actually worked. Everyone else had to walk or use those pathetic rickshaws. The powder was a mixture of mainly dorf root and other herbs, the exact recipe was something the druids kept to themselves. However, besides the tax benefits of joining their grove, Zax was also given access to this potent powder. The archdruid didn't approve, but a few coins to one of the lesser initiates , especially the ones who had a weakness for ale and women, kept the tiefling with a good supply of the substance.

Zax was surprised at the quality of the pony's night vision. It was at least as good as his. The creature wandered fearlessly down the rocky path , carefully avoiding any holes or falls. The tiefling would be wary to use a normal horse at night on such a treacherous road, but this creature steadily pushed its way forwards.

"Good boy.", whispered Zax as the pair winded their way further away from the danger filled caravan. He snickered at the relative safety he was in. During his brief stint in the caravan, he fought, goblins, giants, trolls, and even escaped the dark beauty Sharliss. Out here by himself , it was smooth sailing. It was only him and his dwarven pony. He wondered about the wisdom of traveling in a caravan, it was slower then traveling by yourself and it made yourself a tempting target to monsters. Zax was sure that by yourself was safer.

"HOLD IT!", said a voice above him. Zax pulled the reigns of his pony as he scanned for the new voice. He didn't see anyone, but knew he could be hiding on the various mountain ledges around him.

The pony seemed to have been partially sleepwalking and took a few more steps forwards before it halted. An arrow thudded in front of Zax to express the voices displeasure.

"I SAID HOLD IT!", repeated the voice again.

Zax still didn't spot the archer, but he suddenly became aware of multiple figures closing in on him.

"I told you I saw movement down the road. ", said an elderly voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Good thing we set up this quick ambush, or I would've busted your head in for wasting my time.", returned a deeper more thuggish voice.

"Oh great...bandits..", thought Zax. One of the benefits of his heroic reputation was that bandits , thieves, highwaymen , and other rift raft avoided his carriages. Even if he wasn't actually driving it, the threat of his retribution kept the local scum away. Even before his heroic deeds , the various rogues tended to avoided him. Mainly because he was handy with a club, and wasn't afraid to scrap it out to defend what was his.

The tiefling calmly drew his dragon golem and aimed it casually in the air.

"Whoa..whoa...", said a bandit. The owner of the thuggish voice had drew closer with a lit torch. Zax saw he wore ill fitted armor, had a rusty sword and had a chubby piggish face. He looked a bit like Chins , except more sloven and obese. Next to him was a crouched long nosed man with a spear, and an elderly man with a lazy eye and a club . He still didn't see the archer, but that didn't matter.

"That wouldn't be wise my friend. There's 4 of us, and our archer has you covered. Just leave us your valuables, answer our questions, and we'll let you go on your merry way.", said Pigface.

"I don't think so...", said Zax haughtily, "Do you know who I am?"

Lazyeye stared at him with his one good eye,"Err...orange?", he finally replied.

"Besides that. I am Zax, the Hag Slayer, hero to Lower Lueders.", the tiefling proudly declared.

"I've heard of the hero Zax, you don't fit his description. He's suppose to be a dashing hero, wears orange, and wields fire with his hands. You sir are a kid, your skin maybe orange, and I see no sign of fire being tossed.", challenged Ratnose.

Zax chuckled, "You know, I've had a bad day and even worse night , normally I wouldn't lower myself to deal with vermin like yourself. However, today is free thrashing day. So whoever wants a beating first, please step up. I'll even give you a free helping of ass kicking if you want.", boasted the tiefling. Zax seemed happy with the way his threats came out, he wished he had a scribe or bard to record his witty comments.

Pigface seemed unimpressed, he waved Ratnose and Lazyeye forwards. Zax wasn't prepared for this, he was sure they would have ran by now. Apparently his reputation wasn't as formidable here as it was up north. He wondered if he could make it back to the caravan in time. As a final threat, he fired the dragongolem into the air, hoping it would scare the brigands away.

*BANGGG*

"AHHHHHHh...thump", cried a voice followed by a muffled thump.

Ratnose and Lazyeye stood in shock ,"He killed Clem. Shot him in the dark, didn't even look at him...", they whispered in fright. Zax was equally surprised, he only hoped to scare the bandits, and didn't realize he hit the archer.

Pigface wasn't impressed. He roared, and charged the tiefling on the pony. It was a short run, but the effort seemed to drain the fat out of shape man . Given the fact he was also wearing heavy ill fitted armor, Zax's attacker stumbled the last steps and gave a weak swing at the tiefling and his mount. It missed the tiefling but struck solidly on the pony's side.

The pony's nostrils flared angrily at the weak attack, and it spun to meet Pigface. It battered the man with a butt from his head. The out of breath man fell backwards, but the pony did not relent. It then proceeded to stomp him mercilessly with his iron shod hooves. Zax was shocked as the pony quickly reduced him to a bloody pulp.

"AHHHHHH!", cried Lazyeye as he ran away.

"Retreat ! ", yelled Ratnose as he followed.

Zax managed to call off the pony's attack, and rewarded the creature with a handful of his dorf root mixture. The pony snorted it happily , as Zax surveyed and looted the carnage. Pigface only had a few coins, and "Clem" had even less. Zax noted that there were no dragon golem marks on the man. Was the man surprised by the loud shot and fell accidentally from the sudden sound? The tiefling knew that dragon golems were only used by nobility and elite army units in the north, maybe these southerners had no experience dealing with dragon golems. Zax guessed these bandits were obviously poor, but looking at Pigface , he guessed they were well provisioned. The tiefling was repulsed by the violence before him, but he knew it was either them or him.

"Good pony. I guess dwarven war ponies live up to their street cred. ", said Zax as he patted the euphoric animal snorting his powder.

Zax saw an VIII branded on the pony, and saw the words "Buck" on the saddle. "Buckviii? ", he asked . The pony neighed and wave its head, partially from acknowledgement and partially from the powder the tiefling provided.

"Well Buckviii , lets be off. Who knows how many more bandits there are out here.", laughed Zax.

Zax continued more cautiously towards Fort Grom. The tiefling had seen many forts in his brief army stint, but none this unique. It was a massive structure that was built on the side of a mountain. Zax guessed it was bigger then the castle in Tornic, but there were other differences as well. Mainly, unlike Tornic, there was no small town built around it. It was clearly a structure devoted to the military. The tiefling marveled at the size of the "fort" and thought Castle Grom or Stronghold Grom would have been a better name for it. Perhaps it was once a fort but it grew during the ages. Zax noted that he could see lights and fires from the fort, but it was mostly devoid of activity. The tiefling lost track of time, and wondered if it was because it was late at night.

Zax proceeded to the main gate, and noted it was closed. That wasn't surprising, as most city and fortress gates were barred at night. He also noticed that the weeds were overgrown and the vines needed trimming. The tiefling sighed at the laziness of the garrison troops. While serving in the quartermaster section in the third army and then militia, weed pulling and light gardening was one of his duties. If they were in the third army, someone would be flogged for this lapse of hedge care.

Zax saw activity within the gates, and wondered if he should ask to be let in. He knew they would most likely say no, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to try. Asking and being rejected was better then staying outside for the night.

"Hey guys! Let me in! I'm the hero they call Zax. I've been on a long trip, I've fought goblins, giants, trolls, and even bandits. Give a guy a break ok?", he yelled.

The activity in the gatehouse stopped. An eerie silence filled the mountain pass.

"Look guys. I know you're in there. Don't be pricks ok? Else I'll get mad when I finally get in there. Trust me, you guys don't want to see what I'll do when I'm pissed off. ", the tiefling yelled. Not that he would do much. Zax thought he would be sure to give stern words to their captain, maybe raise his voice and make an uncomfortable ruckus. The tiefling knew exactly how far he could push authority figures without getting in trouble. It helped him when dealing with lazy guards, aloof tax collectors, and even a few minor nobles.

Suddenly the loud sounds of chains moving, caught the tiefling by surprise. Zax didn't expect the guards to actually open the door, but he was excited to see the massive gate open. Although there was no town around this fortress, Zax was sure there would at least be a tavern. Thoughts of a warm meal, maybe a game of cards, perhaps some soft company delighted the tiefling as he walked in.

As Zax rode in he saw a tall armored man wearing shiny scale mail, and another half dozen cloaked men with spears and other assorted weapons flanking him. They seemed to be barring his way in, but Zax wasn't too concern. They let him in , and now they want to get paid. That's how things worked in Grom.

Zax smiled as walked up to their leader. Zax couldn't see the man's rank but guessed he was at least a sergeant . The other soldiers seemed to tremble as he approached, but Zax just smiled as he rode up. Before anyone could react , Zax threw a small pouch of coins towards the man. The sound of rattling coins seemed to relieve the tension, and the tiefling smiled at the soldiers.

"Where can a guy get a drink, some food, and some wenches around here?", he asked with a hearty laugh. Zax actually didn't feel like laughing right now, he was just tired. However, that's what his public expected and he was happy to oblige. It set the tone immediately to how he was expected to be treated.

The leader stared at Zax confused as one of his men retrieved the pouch. Zax could hear him happily whisper something about silver and gold. Zax knew it took money to make money. Although it was a generous bribe, he knew the wheels it greased would make it worthwhile. There would be no dickering if he ever had to pay a bribe or deal with the local authorities.

"Samuel, get this...Zax...person wine, food, and a wench. ", said their leader . "It's late, I assume you have something to discuss. We'll have words later. "

Zax nodded in appreciation as "Samuel" approached. He didn't particularly wanted to talk to this leader guy, but obviously he was star struck. He most likely wanted an autograph or at least hear his tales. Zax knew that if this leader guy gave the appearance he was Zax's equal or at least his comrade then that would raise the morale of his troops. The tiefling didn't really care, but it was a small price to pay for not sleeping outside.

Sam was a thin man, with a chain shirt and a short sword. Zax noted he wore different armor then his leader. The uniforms and gear in the third army were fairly generic. Although the leaders often wore better equipment, it was plainly obvious what force they belong to . The soldiers in front of him wore various mismatched gear. He chalked it up to a poor quartermaster corp. Not enough people appreciated the challenges of working in such a unit.

"Errr...are you Zax...I mean that Zax? The great adventurer from up north? ", asked Sam.

Zax nodded, "I prefer the term hero. Adventurer is a term reserved for people who crawl around sewers and dungeons . Mercenaries that would do anything for a buck !", scoffed the tiefling.

Sam gulped, "You can wield fire? Are you a mage?", asked the nervous man.

Zax considered answering yes, but chose not to. It would be a pain pretending to be a magician , he still had various potions left , but he began to doubt their ability to function. Instead he spied a clump of dry weeds and grasped a few strands. He focused his simple tiefling power, and was delighted when the weeds erupted into flames. Small fires didn't hurt Zax, but he learned a bit of a flair for showmanship when it came to demonstrating his power. He held the fire contemptuously before him, and molded the weeds so they burned brightly before Sam. Before they consumed all the weeds though, he tightly grasped the fire, and snuffed it out .

Sam took a step back . He wanted a show, and Zax gave it to him.

"Now... I believe your boss told you to get me some drink, food , and wenches.", smiled the tiefling.

Sam led Zax into the inner keep after he stabled Buckviii. Although there wasn't a town built into this fort, the tiefling noted several stores built along the walls . Some had windows barred, others seemed to be in poor repair. Zax guessed the lack of caravans in the last year , had a crushing economic impact on the local merchants. He also noticed about a dozen bandits, hung or crucified outside the inner wall. Zax shook his head, even in an economic down turn bandits were still prevalent. The tiefling stared at the slain bandits, and noted with curiosity that they all wore similar outfits. The tiefling chuckled at how these bandits emulated the local gangs from Lower Lueders. Zax didn't see the sense of it though. Although similar dress and gang colors gave them a sense of camaraderie, it also let the local authorities pick you out from a crowd. If Zax ever took up banditry, he would be sure to wear something unassuming, so he could fade into the crowd.

The pair entered the inner keep, and Zax noted the lack of guards present. He also felt the sense that he was being watched, but saw no guards as he looked around. The place was quiet. In fact the place seemed empty, thrashed and looted, like a big rowdy party was held here. Zax knew the spring festival was approaching but knew it wouldn't be held for a few weeks. Unless of course they held it earlier down south. An uncommon but not rare occurrence. He knew the Knight nations held their day of Thanks during mid fall, while the Grommers of Northern Grom celebrated thanks in late fall. It never occurred to him, that central and northern Grom had similar off date practices. As Zax surveyed the debris around him, he chuckled at the clean up that would occur the next day.

"That must have been some party! Too bad I missed it.", he said as he scanned the destruction.

Sam looked at Zax confused, but then he smiled, "Oh yes, it was quite the victory. Arnim knew the slackers were slowly withdrawing their men. It was just a matter of time till we got someone on the inside. After that, it was an easy takeover. An of course, the wild looting and victory party afterwards."

Zax wasn't sure what Sam was talking about. He could only understand something about a victory party . Ahh...that must be it he thought. The local Lemball team won a great victory, and they thrashed the place while celebrating. Lemball had a following up north, but Zax preferred the more organized destruction of the coliseum . Down south, Lemball was the main draw, almost a religion. He heard tales of wild Lemball hooligans and mass riots, and the destruction around him confirmed it. Zax didn't particularly like Lemball and the mess around him didn't change his opinion.

Sam eventually brought Zax to a smashed up tavern. He found an undamaged chair and table for the tiefling to sit in and left to find some food and drink. Zax still had the feeling of being observed , but the thought of dinner eased his tensions. The tavern was smashed more then the other structures, but Zax knew if a riot started it would most likely originate from the tavern. He was still shocked that a military installation would allow such a riot to occur, but he figured these central Grommers took their lemball really seriously. It didn't take long till Sam returned with some crusty bread , cheese, dry meat and a bottle of wine. The meat and cheese were passable, the wine was actually quite good , but Zax thought the bread was several days if not a week old. Zax took pride in the fact he was able to get fresh bread delivered to the troops during his day with the quartermaster corp. This simple failure of logistics actually offended the tiefling. He wasn't the most dutiful soldier, and would normally let others failings pass without comment. This however was an insult to his military career . He would be sure to mention this to their leader.

"Err...what type of wench do you want?", asked Sam as the tiefling ate .

"Eh? I was expecting a waitress...you guys have a brothel or something here?",asked the tiefling in surprise. He didn't actually expected a wench, but the thought of a brothel in a military complex piqued his curiosity.

Sam nodded his head, "Something like that. The barmaid ...died recently . However we still have a nice selection to choose from. Most of them were guards, a bit lean and muscular for my taste, but we also have some pretty daughters and wives.", smiled the guard.

Zax was taken back. Truly the economic crisis has hit these people hard. He assumed a disease of some sort claimed the barmaid, maybe she despaired at her bleak surroundings and committed suicide. The army must have had to shed some extra troops. The people here turned to prostitution to make a living, even selling their own daughters and wives to get by. He had new respect for Halvor, Kirgi, and Petrus, surely the simple act of getting a caravan through the mountains meant more then making a simple buck. It was an economic life line.

Zax didn't feel like a wench after that somber thought hit him. The rates would probably be cheap,maybe even two for one, but the tiefling didn't want to take advantage of such a miserable and poor people. However he didn't want to offend his host.

"Surprise me.", he said glumly. Sam nodded and left, while Zax ate his meal. The tiefling planned to just pay the girl , maybe get a massage then goto sleep. He'll talk to their leader later. Zax had nothing against brothels or prostitutes, but he saw no reason in paying for something when he could get it for free. With his status as a hero, he guessed he should indulge the locals. If he wasn't going to sample their "wares" at least he had the good manners to pay for them.

Zax stopped as Sam returned. His host smiled cruely as he dragged a woman behind him. She looked pretty , the tiefling guessed elven. She had a battered look about her, and seemed to have trouble walking. More importantly she was dressed in the remnants of a guard uniform and was chained by her neck. Zax expected someone fat , or ugly from Sam but didn't expect such a beauty .

"She's a real looker, elven stock , but really feisty. Nothing a bad ass like you can't handle I reckon. Just slap her around if she gets out of hand. ", smiled Sam. The woman fell to the ground in front of Zax and he saw the bruises and welts on her barely clothed body. Zax looked at her battered form and then a sudden realization came to his head.

"Err Sam...are you guys bandits or something?", asked the tiefling tentatively.

Sam looked at Zax,"This is a joke right? Umm yeah. Didn't you notice the dead guards we hung outside, or the fact we thrashed this place? We even took the remaining women prisoners, to abuse at our leisure. Like c'm..."

Sam didn't manage to finish his sentence, as Zax smashed his face in with his club. He swiftly kicked Sam in the stomach and was happy to note that there was no reaction from him. His host was out cold .

The chained elf was as surprised as Sam from the tieflings sudden attack. She manage to scramble to her feet, and grabbed the short sword from Sam's belt. Zax guessed she was feigning her weakness, and waited for a chance to strike. Even if she managed to strike Sam down, the others would hunt her down. They would then kill her, or most likely torture her for her actions. The tiefling noted that she must have been desperate to have hatched such a plan.

"Thank you. You're not with them I take it. ", she said warily as she eyed the tiefling. "Sergent Darwen , First army, Grom Keep company.", she said in an embarrassed tone.

"Lieutenant Zax , Third army, Quartermaster Corp, currently Lower Lueder Reserves.", the tiefling responded automatically.

"Third army? ", Darwen said obviously confused.

Zax produced a cloak, and offered it to the grateful woman to cover up. "Yes, but I'm not with them at the moment. I'm by myself here. ", replied Zax.

*Clap , Clap* was the sound Zax heard behind him. Zax turned and saw the bandit leader with the scale mail step out of the air behind him. He had a long curved in one hand while his other hand glowed with blue energy. The sound of footsteps soon produced a dozen mismatched armored bandits as they filed through the tavern doors. Zax noted Ratnose and Lazyeye were amongst the last to enter.

Darwen crouched behind Zax, and the tiefling briefly wondered if she was a plant as well. The angry gaze she gave the bandit leader dispelled that thought as he turned to face his "obvious" foes.

"Well , I'll admit you had me confused. First you take out my patrol, then you demand entry . Afterwards you act all buddy like . I wasn't sure if you were a sell sword, some type of adventurer, a bandit, or just a crazy mountain man. It seems you're just plain stupid.", said the bandit leader mage with a cocky smile.

"You actually thought we were guards or something. HA HA...the cold air of Northern Grom must have froze your brain. We're the bad guys! We rape, pillage, and loot! Emphasis on the rape.", the bandit mage chuckled , which was followed a round of laughter from his comrades.

Zax felt Darwen poised to strike at his comments, but knew she would be a poor match against him. She was obviously beaten and unarmored. As well , there were at least a dozen of them. Who knows how many were still waiting outside.

"So , Zax the mighty, any last words before we beat the crap out of you? You're kind of thin...almost girly , maybe we'll throw you in our little harem, let the big boys play with you . However, you killed Clem. As useless as he was , he's was entertaining . Honor demands a painful death for you.", smiled the mage.

A moment of panic struck Zax, he considered falling to the ground pleading if he thought it would work. The fact he killed 2 maybe 3 of their fellows meant the chance of that action succeeding was small. The tiefling took a deep breath and summoned his hero swagger once again. If he was going down, he would be remembered as a hero. A failure of a hero, but a hero none the less.

"Look, you guys are surrounded as we speak. I'm just a scout. You don't think I was gonna invade your bandit base by myself.", the tiefling said with his arms folded.

"Hah...you just told that elf bitch that you were here alone. You can't fool us.", laughed the mage.

Zax would have face palmed himself but he knew he must not loose his composure. "When I meant I was alone. I meant alone in the fort. Small picture alone. I didn't mean big picture alone. My companions have already surrounded this fort , waiting to strike.", scoffed the tiefling at the bandit mage's laughter.

"Oh really? An unlikely story. I think you're just a wanderer who happened to beat my flat footed friend , and his out of shape buddy . I followed you as that dim witted Samuel lead you here. You clearly thought we were guards who had a wild party or something. Although the guards here were lax and undermanned, even they wouldn't have wild nights of debauchery like that. Although judging by how they fare in bed, I could be wrong" ,smirked the bandit mage. His comments clearly directed at Darwen.

The elf was ready to pounce, but Zax knew that would end badly for both of them. He waved her back, and he took a step forward. "Look, call me crazy if you like, but I assume Ratnose and Lazyeye told you I came from the northern path."

The men in the tavern all laughed at Zax's nicknames for their comrades, except of course the bandit leader , Ratnose and Lazyeye.

"We both know the roads been closed due to demons, goblins, trolls, and the odd giant. If I'm a crazy guy then I must be crazy as a fox to make my way through them. ", said Zax coolly.

The laughter died down, as the bandits considered his statements. "You could have snuck past them. ", shouted Ratnose.

"Sneak past them on a pony? I think not. I prefer a more direct approach. Deadly force applied with lethal precision. ", the tiefling boasted.

"Enough! Kill him. If the elf resists kill her too. ", the mage said. Clearly growing tired of this little verbal game.

His men took a few steps but hesitated. Before he could spur them to action Zax interrupted.

"Looks like your boys believe my story over yours. If I'm a mad man, how about indulging me with a little duel.", smiled Zax. The tiefling actually wanted nothing of the sort, but one on one was a hell lot better then thirteen to one. Also , they might relocate the fight outside, he would have a higher chance to escape if that happened. He was hoping Darwen would fight or at least run, providing a distraction for his getaway.

The bandit leader hesitated but also saw the reluctance of his men. He knew if he refused the request, his men would be harder to control after this. He sized up the tiefling and found him unimposing. He was short, thin and had an odd mismatch of weapons. A rapier, club, and a strange wand. He couldn't see armor, but assumed he wore at least a chain shirt under his garb. He knew tieflings had the ability to create magical darkness, but was confident his magic could dispel such an attack.

"Agreed. We'll battle outside in the courtyard . For all my men to see.", said the leader with a snarl.

Zax breathed a sigh of relief. He went to help up the confused Darwen, and whispered in her ear. "Be ready to run on my signal."