No one got much sleep that night. While Jasper doubted the bandits would return, he wasn't confident enough in that assessment to risk not setting a watch. After all, even if the Zalancthians and their allies wanted to avoid a pitched battle, it didn't take much risk to slit the throat of a sleeping man.

After rebuilding the campfire until its light banished the shadows back into the forest, Ihra took the first watch. Jasper tried to fall asleep, but the sandman didn't come. He tossed to and fro, sweating beneath his blankets, as his mind ran wild. The bandit's monstrous transformation, the undead swarm in Iltabr̄it, the endless darkness of Nahas̆s̆innu, and its dead gods. Even when he slipped into a shallow sleep, the horrors continued to parade through his mind. Thus, it was almost a relief when Ihra woke him to take her place.

Unable to sit still, Jasper paced back and forth at the edge of camp, keeping a wary eye on the dark trees. He felt exposed, keenly aware that despite the fire's light, the shadowed trees were within easy arrow range. If anything, the fire only made him a more obvious target.

I wish I understood these Zalancthians better. The first step to defeating an enemy was to understand their strengths and weaknesses, but Jasper had only vague rumors of the Zalancthians' capabilities to rely on. The race hadn't existed in the original game as their invasion happened after the timeline of the Desolyton. Moreover, despite conquering most of the southern provinces, they had never made any serious attempts to cross the Abulmahhu mountains, so the western provinces had escaped largely unscathed.

While that was good for the empire, it almost meant Jasper had barely met anyone who'd even seen stoneflesh in person, let alone fought one. After tonight, I might be the most experienced member of the Djinn army, he realized - and that was a terrifying thought as he knew nothing about their enemy, nothing except that their oft-touted resistance to magic hadn't been exaggerated.

Which just raises the question again of why Ardul sent us? Did he not believe the rumors about their magic resistance, or was there a more sinister motive? Jasper didn't know Turzu's replacement well, but he'd been impressed with the Moon-kissed commander thus far. The Djinn seemed to have a sharp mind and, unlike the previous general, a friendly demeanor. Jasper hadn't sensed any malicious intent from him but, then again, it wasn't like he was a psychic. Did I just miss the signs? The uncertainty gnawed at him and he wondered if he should have asked S̆ams̆ādur to spy on the man before they'd left the city.

*thud*

Jasper tensed as something thumped into the ground behind him, followed by a rapid series of equally soft thumps. A spell began forming at the tips of his fingers as he whirled around, fully expecting to see someone racing from the forest toward him.

But he stilled as he saw a black form sitting beside the fire with its back to him. It leaned forward, scooping something off the ground, and the sound of thuds quickly followed.

"Kas̆dael?" As Jasper stepped forward, he realized that the forest around him had suddenly grown hazy. Thick clouds of mists wrapped their tendrils around the trees as a fog fell on the campsite so dense that he couldn't even see Ihra's tent on the far side of the fire. The black figure didn't stir when he spoke the goddess' name, so he kept a tight grip on his spell as he approached. He circled to the left, keeping a steady distance from the black figure until he was able to see its face. A lacy black veil hid the lower half of her cheeks from view, but Jasper's shoulders relaxed as he caught sight of a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"It is you," he said in relief. "What are you doing here, Kas̆dael?"

The goddess scooped up her edekkû and cast them again before turning to look at him. "Is it so strange for me to visit my Hand?"

"Honestly? Yep," Jasper plopped down on the ground beside her, though he was quite careful to avoid brushing against the die - he hadn't forgotten how painful his last encounter with them had been. "You've never visited me before. Hell, your own sister has visited me in the real world more than you have, and she's not even my patron."

"I don't like to leave the void," Kas̆dael shrugged, "But sometimes it can't be helped."

"So you need something from me," Jasper surmised.

"Hmmh," the goddess hummed noncommittally. "I needed to verify something." He tracked her gaze to the dirty blanket they had pulled over the bandit's dismembered body. "Your new 'friend' is not wrong: the pall of dark magic is heavy over the stoneflesh."

Jasper frowned. He wasn't surprised that the man's horrifying transformation had been caused by something insidious, but that didn't explain why Kas̆dael found it pressing enough to visit him in person. He'd fought plenty of horrible things before, things that seemed far more awful, which only begged the question of why she was here now. "Do you know who's behind the magic?"

She cast the die again, scrutinizing the mysterious symbols carved on the aged bones before responding. "No, tis a magic unknown to me. Whatever it is, it is not of the troll lord's cult, but I sensed its power as you fought." She turned to look at him. "That was no minor spirit possessing the stoneflesh, Jasper. Twas a god, or near enough to not make a difference."

"Of course it was," Jasper sighed. "Because nothing can ever go easy. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

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Scooping up the dice, Kas̆dael stuffed them into a pouch hanging at her side. "The edekkû whisper only one name: Ḫuedar."

"Ḫuedar?" Jasper wrinkled his brow. "I don't remember a god by that name."

"Because there isn't," she said. "The Ḫuedar are a group of Fey, too far south of the Empire to have any real contact with them. They are more like their kin and hated rivals, the Ya'ari, than they would care to admit."

"Which means?" he prodded.

"They possess a strong belief in their inherent superiority and a constant desire to rule," she replied wryly. "But the Ḫuedar's religious beliefs are roughly the same as those of their Fey brethren. They worship their father Tsiāhu, and while the Lord of Mirth and Frost may be an horny bastard," she said with a touch of scorn, "he would never endorse a magic so evil. Which only raises more questions," she muttered.

"So, let me guess - you have another quest for me?"

To his surprise, Kas̆dael shook her head. "No...not yet," she clarified. "Let me speak to Tsiāhu first. Perhaps he can point me to the source of this magic. But in the meantime, Jasper, I want you to be careful. These Zalancthians are more dangerous than they seem."

"Yeah, I had kind of got that impression already," he agreed. "It was bad enough when the dude was just resistant to my spells, but once he turned into a mini-hulk, he damn near kicked my ass." He shook his head. "It feels like I've been set up to fail." Jasper looked up in time to see an odd expression flicker across Kas̆dael's face. "What? What is it? You know something, don't you," he blurted out.

The goddess grimaced. "I suspect something, I do not know."

"Fine - what do you suspect?" he pressed.

"I'm sure you've noticed that my sister has taken an interest in you," she replied slowly. "Selene would never try to steal you away from me - she's far too loyal to even consider it - but she may have taken it upon herself to 'nudge' you in the right direction, thinking it a favor for me."

"Okay…" Jasper frowned, not really seeing the connection. "What does that have to do with Ardûl?"

"My siblings have many more champions than I do," she said, "and Ardûl is a Moon-kissed. I do not know for certain if he is one of my sister's, but I suspect so. He likely sent you on this mission at Selene's request."

"But…why?" Jasper scratched his head, more confused than upset. "I admit I've only spoken to her once or twice, but she seemed like one of the nice gods."

"Oh, I don't think she means you any harm. She's throwing you into the fire so you'll get stronger," she replied.

"It's not like I've been shirking danger," Jasper pointed out. "Hell, it's only been a few weeks since the last life-threatening situation I was in. What more does she want?"

"To give you a chance against the Zalancthians. As you know, the Zalancthians have only been so successful against the Empire because of their resistance to magic. When they first arrived, they were able to shrug off the Empire's powerful mages whom, not used to having their powers be nearly worthless, were slaughtered in vast numbers."

"But the Zalancthians are not unlike the Djinn," she continued. "While they have a natural tendency toward immunity to magic, that immunity is not absolute."

Jasper leaned forward with interest. "You mean there are spells like my Flame Charge, spells that can circumvent their resistances."

She nodded. "There are, but they're even harder to get than your spell. The Empire has fewer than a hundred mages with one of these spells. Unlike most class-based spells, everyone unlocked has been unique, and usually the result of…desperate circumstances. The mages who fight in Eligon's armies aren't the ones who have received these spells - it's the mage in a remote village who fights back against an unexpected raid, the prisoner who's forced to escape from captivity by themselves, the lone survivor of an ambush on the road."

"I suspect Ardûl sent you here without back-up in the hopes that you would unlock such a spell."

"Well, crap." Jasper shook his head, uncertain if he was angry or just bemused. "I mean, I can sort of see how they might think they're doing me a favor, but that's still manipulative as hell. And what if I die?" His expression soured. "Or Tsia? Or Ihra? Isn't there anything you can do?"

Kas̆dael was silent for a long moment. "I think…my sister's plan has merit," she finally responded. "She should have asked me, she should have allowed me to warn you, but if you could unlock such a spell, it would be a boon."

She turned to him beseechingly as Jasper's face darkened with anger. "You do not understand how dangerous the campaign for the capital will be. Corsythia has only fallen twice, and both times were to treachery. Tens of thousands will fall in the assault on the capital, and without this spell, you may be among them."

"That doesn't help me if I die here," he pointed out.

"You're better equipped than most mages to survive," Kas̆dael pointed out. "Spectral Wings allows you to escape most dangers, and Circle of Forgiveness can heal all but the gravest of wounds. Defeating these Zalancthians will push you to your limits, but not beyond."

Jasper hesitated, able to see her point but not happy at the way Selene had - allegedly - manipulated events. "And what about the others?"

"Have a little faith. Your friends are capable of protecting themselves. They're your party members, not your children," Kas̆dael reminded him.

"Fine," Jasper sighed deeply. "So we're stuck without back-up."

"Most likely," she agreed.

"And you have no tips on how to beat them."

"Just be cautious. The strange magic they performed is troubling - don't engage in large numbers until I can question Tsiāhu. Perhaps there will be some trick we can use to neutralize them."

"Hopefully one that doesn't require me to kill another demigod," he replied lightly.

But Kas̆dael didn't smile at his joke. "This one is far beyond your abilities," she said seriously. "If such a deed becomes necessary, I will have to seek help."

"From who?" Jasper questioned.

The goddess's face soured. "The bloody Divine Warrior, of course. I'm sure S̆ams̆a will be ecstatic if I'm forced to ask him for help."

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