I awoke from my Life-changing spiritual journey to find ten escaped slave-women in tow. My travelling companions had liberated them from their nefarious captures. Our three day journey home was met with bitter cold and snow. We found a cavernous shelter, slew the massive bear therein, and rested for the night. The bear stew warmed our captives' spirits and bodies.

Boyce prophesied that the snowdrifts would stymie our progress. He was correct yet again. Grey formed a shoveling device from the bear's bones that, affixed to the carriage, hastened our return. But the weather proved the victor, and we were forces to fortify ourselves for another night. Swiftwind alerted me that we were pursued by a man riding a black horse whose movements matched our own. We settled into the night in an ice fortress of Grey's crafting.

Grey and Boyce's watch was interrupted by a visit from a man demanding the return of the girls. They of course refused. The man moved toward the fortress, vanishing when Boyce engaged him in melee. My heightened supernal sight revealed a demonic resonance to the visitor's magic that was dissimilar to the magic of our practice.

Unnerved by the visitor, Boyce opened a spatial portal and sent the girls home. The snow lessened and we continued our journey. We camped that night in wilderness gully. As we readied for watch, the fire came alive! I saw within its flames a fire spirit blossoming into life. As I began to command the spirit within the flames, Grey snuffed out the energy of the fire, scattering the spirit toward warmer climes.

I could see that the Gauntlet was thick in this area. I also sensed several boulder spirits grumbling to life. They complained of a dark figure across the Gauntlet seeking to stir them to life. I bade them to sleep. Then I peered across the Gauntlet to confront our attacker.

He was an ebony man with a fiery aura and molten rock bursting through his skin. He sought to stir the spirits across the Gauntlet to attack, but could not muster enough influence. My corporeal influence outmatched his incorporeal attempts to harm us. He saw my spirit form and reached toward me, seeking to corrupt my essence. I merely faded back into the physical realm, knowing him too impotent to harm us.

Our two day journey to Wil's outpost was uneventful. Boyce teleported us to Alestia. I joined the constable patrol to monitor Talpin. I saw that the two bewitching women that always accompanied him bore the same resonance as the dark figure that invaded our campsite. He bore several magical enchantments from these ladies and may be under their control.

I wove into my tunic the strength and fortitude of the great Que-She tribe. My ancestors shall protect me always. Then we rushed to Magridal castle, armed with Boyce's premonition that the daughter would be attacked yet again. We dispatched of troublesome ogres along the way.