One by one, each member of the party going into the city stood before Thero as he painted a quick succession of wards on the backs of their hands, over their hearts, and on their foreheads, which offered some protection from any dra’gorgos they might meet, and from demons.

Klia blew on the symbols on her hands to dry the ink. “We’re a strange-looking bunch now.”

“Learn and live. Right, Thero?” Alec said with a grin.

Seregil’s heart beat a bit faster as their smaller contingent continued on through the gates and into the echoing avenue that bisected the city. Here lay the heart of the mystery—and probably danger, as well. He caught Alec’s eye and Micum’s and the three shared a dark smile.

A few buildings were still standing here, but closer inspection found empty windows, broken walls, and missing roofs. Even so, evidence lingered of the gracious place it must have been a millennium ago in the lines of the buildings, and the crumbling façades crowned with triangular pediments and more bits of statuary.

Much of the rest was rubble, and from the barrows and shovels scattered about, workmen had been clearing away the broken stone before Toneus’s death had driven everyone from the city in fear.

They passed through a market square and Zella pointed out a large, four-sided structure that still stood at the center of it. This had clearly been restored, for the side facing them had a solid-looking door carved with symbols of Astellus, and the wall surrounding it was freshly painted with scenes of naked youths and maidens riding leaping dolphins through stylized waves in front of a setting sun.

“That’s the oldest shrine to the Four we’ve found, apart from the oracle’s cave,” she explained. “There’s a door on each side, which let into a room with an altar and paintings on the wall. The building was largely intact, and showed signs of recent use. The paintings inside were quite recent, as if someone had been tending it. Toneus had the ones on the outside restored. It’s quite beautiful. It’s clearly dedicated to the Four, but some of the imagery is different.”

“I’ll examine it later,” said Klia. “Please, lead on.”

As they continued Seregil noticed that Thero was squinting a bit and rubbing his forehead. “You should have worn a hat.”

“It’s not that,” Thero replied. “There’s magic here. Strong magic of a sort I don’t recognize.”

Overhearing, Sedge glanced back. “A wizard or necromancer?”

“No, it’s more diffuse, like it’s coming out of the ground and air.”

“Some remnant of the Hierophants?” asked Alec.

“Or something native that drew them to build here in the first place,” Micum remarked. “Why would a people travel who knows how far from the east, get this close to the fertile mainland, and stop here instead?”