Farson and Jaliel were reliable, but neither of them had been named on Creegan’s list, so there were things she could not tell them. All they knew was that this was a special undertaking at the Father-Bishop’s request and that secrecy was paramount. Though how secret could it be when three Knights-Adamant of the Order of the Shield of the Weak all rode out of the city together at sunrise into the desert? They had headed due east then turned south and circled around to the ancient caravan trail. Sandreena did not know if the Imperial Keshian Intelligence Corps was following, but she was certain they knew she and the others had left. When they failed to appear at the usual oasis in a few days, they might send someone out to track the three knights. She was hoping earnestly that by then, whatever business brought her here would be finished and they would be heading back to Krondor.

It was near sundown when they reached the edge of the ancient fortress. While the carnage that had taken place when the report had been written had been weeks before, the scene was no less grisly. The corpses were now bones, picked clean by scavengers and the drying heat and blowing sands. But enough connective tissue remained that a few skeletons hung from the makeshift gibbets around the edge of the clearing. The piles of ash contained the contorted forms of those who had been burned alive, and everywhere bones riddled with arrows lay in the open. Hundreds had been slaughtered here for some unknown dark purpose.

Sandreena called out, “You can come up now!”

The two other Knights rode into the ancient fortress and Jaliel said, “Goddess! What manner of butchery is this?”

Farson looked at Sandreena and said, “Sergeant, if you don’t mind my saying, this is a little more than you usually find in any mission, secret or otherwise. Are we to know what is going on?”

“I’ll tell you what I know,” she said. “There is a very dangerous, evil man named Belasco, who consorts with dark powers. He has won over followers and they did this.” She decided to omit that most of the dead were fanatics who had gone willingly to their death. It was an unnecessary detail not needed for these two to do their duty.

“Sergeant,” said Farson, “what happened here?”

“I only have a rough idea, but it appears a cult of death worshippers have appeared.”

The two Knights exchanged glances, and Sandreena knew exactly what they were thinking. A death cult was more the province of the worshippers of Lims-Kragma or perhaps even Sung the White, but not usually a concern with the servants of Dala.

Sandreena said, “Father-Bishop Creegan is concerned that they may be abducting local villagers as sacrifices.”