The Demon Master headed off at a trot, staying just below the ridge and following it around the rim of the valley. Occasionally the ground shook, but the air assault ceased as the two opposing forces became entwined in hand-to-hand combat. Every so often, Gulamendis would peer over the edge, then motion for this brother to follow along.

They reached an outcropping of rocks, from which they could observe what went on from a better vantage, and Laromendis asked, “Do you recognize any of them?”

By them he meant those demons perched on the rim of the valley. Now they were close enough that Gulamendis could make out some details. The demon in the center was massive, perhaps twenty or twenty-five feet tall, with gigantic wings folded behind him. He might have been a true flier once, or the wings might just be for a more impressive visage when he unfolded them, but the Demon Master doubted the creature could truly fly without magic. On either side waited demons of a type Gulamendis had never encountered before, black-skinned monstrosities that were roughly half human from the waist up and some sort of lizard creature below. Long tails dragged behind and they were constantly watching in all directions.

“I think those two,” he said softly, pointing to the half-lizard demons, “are guards or companions of some sort.” He made a small circular motion with his finger as he pointed. “The rest are battle demons, but I’ve never seen them standing motionless, and never have seen them wearing armor and bearing arms.”

He kneeled and said, “We’re seeing something very new here.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you when we have a little more leisure,” said Gulamendis. “The big one is either the Demon King, Maarg, or someone who looks a great deal like the description Pug gave me.”

“Didn’t Pug also tell you Maarg was found dead on some other world?”

“Well,” said Gulamendis, “there’s dead and then there’s dead. I’ve been dispatching demons back to their own realm for years, and have even destroyed a few in this realm, but I can’t really say if they died or just went back where they came from in a messier fashion.” He glanced back over the rocks. “If I’m right, we should find a way out of there down behind those monsters.”

“We’d better move, because this battle is going to be over soon, and I don’t want to be here when the victors start looking around for more things to chew on.”

The Demon Master nodded. “Be ready to make us look like rocks if needed.”

“I’ll try,” answered his brother.

They moved slowly, checking their progress every ten yards or so, and then suddenly Gulamendis halted his brother. “Something’s not right.”

“What do you mean,” asked the Conjurer.

“I can sense demons all over this valley. It’s like a throng shouting at me, but from ahead…nothing.”

“Nothing?”