“Why?” said his brother, already knowing the answer. “Very well,” he conceded before Gulamendis could voice his argument. “I know, we can’t stay here forever, even if there’s enough food for it.”

His brother smiled and nodded, pointing over his shoulder in the general direction of the fortress. “If there’s any way out of here, off this world to one that will lead us back to Home, it is in there.”

“These are the times I wish we’d spent less time learning magic and more times learning how to sneak about unseen, like our forest cousins.”

“It’s a difficult choice,” said Gulamendis. “We can skulk about, or you can enchant us to look like something else, but then we’d reek of magic to anyone sensitive to that.”

“What’s you’re best guess, Demon Master?”

“With this bunch, I have no idea,” he admitted. “They don’t act like any demons I have ever encountered…” He fell silent a moment, then said, “Neither those camped in the valley nor those attacking remotely resembled the monsters we faced on Andcardia.

“It’s as if we’ve encountered an entirely new breed of demon.”

“What of their look?” Laromendis asked.

Gulamendis shrugged. “Before all this, I thought myself familiar with demons, but I have seen more creatures new to me in the last few days than I have my entire previous life. Demons tend to a type, battle demons are large and powerful, but they can look like bulls or lizards or bulls and lizards, or lions or…” He shrugged. “Fliers tend to be small, but we’ve seen some very large nasty ones I’ve never encountered until we were on Hub. I’ve even seen demons in magician’s robes.” He sighed. “I wish that human Warlock was around to talk with; he knew a great deal, as did his friends Pug and Magnus.”

“If we get Home, let’s go visit,” suggested his brother, dryly, “but until we do, turn our attentions to the matter at hand; illusions or skulking?”

“Skulk,” said Gulamendis. “Save your energies for other conjurations.”

“Skulk it is,” said Laromendis, carefully opening the door.

The marshaling yard to their left was empty and the shortest distance to the side of the massive keep was directly across from them. “If someone’s watching from one of those windows above, we will be seen,” said Laromendis softly.

“It’s dark,” said his brother. “If we hurry—”

Not waiting another moment, Laromendis dashed out of the large storage shed and his brother exited, pausing only to close the door behind, then set out after his brother at a full run. It was not a vast distance, less than fifty yards, but it felt like they were exposed to view on every side for the longest time.

Hugging the keep wall, they paused, listening for any sounds of alarm. When none was forthcoming, Gulamendis said, “Now what?”