Chapter 4 Chapter Three Justification of Means

Aballister leaned against Dorigen's shoulder, making the woman uncomfortable.Dorigen shifted her focus away from the image in the crystal ball, shook her head vigorously, deliberately let her long gray hair fly up, and hit the nosy Aballister in the face impartially. The older wizard stepped back, tore a lock of hair from his lips, and glared at Dorigen. "I didn't notice you were so close." Dorigen apologized insincerely. "Of course." Aballister replied in a similarly affected tone. Dorigen could clearly see his anger, but also knew that he would accept her insult without complaining.

Aballister had broken his scrying tool, a magic mirror, and that experience had prevented him from attempting eagle eye magic again.He needed Dorigen now, because she was pretty good at it. "I should have told you I was coming, and waited for you to finish your search," said Aballister, the closest thing Dorigen had ever heard to an apology from the man. "That would be the right thing to do," agreed Dorigen, her amber eyes twinkling... What is flashing?Aballister wondered.Outright hatred?Their relationship had continued to sour since Dorigen's humiliating retreat from the Simista Forest, where she had suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of Aballister's estranged son.

The older wizard shrugged off personal issues. "Did you spot them?" he asked flatly.He and Dorigen could settle accounts once the immediate threat was eliminated, but at this moment, they both had bigger problems.The spirit of Porg Reese had returned to Aballister the night before, with news that Cadderly was indeed on his way to the Wall of Trinity. This information aroused both apprehension and excitement in the mind of the older magician.Aballister was bent on conquering the region, a goal given to him by Talona's own avatar, and Cadderly was undoubtedly one of the number one obstacles to those plans of conquest.The magician couldn't deny that the thought of fighting his stubborn son made him look forward to it.Judging from all the information, Cadderly didn't know his relationship with Aballister at all, and when he thought about the fact that he would be fighting magic at the same time, and using this secret truth to emotionally defeat this suddenly rising Boy, couldn't help the cruel Aballister's bony features into an even bigger smirk.

The news that Cadderly was on his way, however, aroused nothing but fear in Dorigen.She had no desire to tangle with the young priest and his wild companions again, especially not now, when her hands were still aching from Cadderly's blows.Many of the spells she used required precise gestures, and since her return from the Elven Forest, more than one had bounced back on herself with her fingers crooked and joints shattered. "I see no sign of Cadderly," Dorigen replied after a long pause, studying the blurry image in the crystal ball again. "I guess he and his companions just left the library—if they did—and I dare not use my magic to look so close to the enemy's stronghold."

"Two hours and you didn't find anything?" Aballister sounded unhappy.He paced up and down the edge of the small room, running his bony fingers over the drapes that separated it from Dorigen's private living room.But in spite of his apprehension a smile spread across his face as he remembered the many pleasures he and Dorigen had had behind this curtain. "I didn't say that." Dorigen replied sharply, understanding the wicked smile, and she turned back to face the crystal ball. Aballister hurried back across the room, peering over his colleague's shoulder.At first there was just a swirl of gray smoke within the crystal ball, but gradually, as Dorigen coaxed it, it began to shift and take shape.

The two wizards saw the foothills below the Snowflake Mountains, which were evidently the southeastern part of the mountains, for the road to Caladon was clearly visible.Something was moving that way, something terrible. "The killer," Aballister gasped.Dorigen watched the older magician curiously. "Porg's spirit is very uncertain about this," Aballister explained. "The fellow you found was once one of the leaders of the Mask of the Night group, called Ghost—a name that fits him well now. Apparently, our dear Cadderly took a magical implement from the Ghost, And now this ghost is running back for it. Can you feel the ghost's power through this ball?"

"Of course not," Dorigen said angrily. "Then go out into the mountains and spy on this guy," Aballister snarled at her. "We may have a powerful helper who can wipe out these big problems before they climb to the Trinity Walled City." "I will not go." Aballister straightened up as if he'd been slapped. "I haven't recovered yet," Dorigen explained. "My spellcasting ability is still unstable. You want me to approach an evil ghost, your dangerous son, when I can't fully use my magic power? She pointed out that Cadderly was Aballister's son, which made the older magician wince, because it was a clear implication that Aballister was somehow responsible for all this trouble. .

"You have another subordinate who is more suitable for assessing the abilities of this undead creature." Duo Ruizhen continued without giving in. "It can communicate with this monster when necessary, and it must understand its intentions better than me." Aballister's anger melted as he began to see what Dorigen was saying. "Druciel," he replied, referring to his familiar, a wicked imp from the lower realms. "Druciel," Dorigen repeated, mocking in her voice. Aballister rested a twisted finger on his chin, grunting.However, it does not seem to be convinced yet.

"Besides," Dorigen said seductively, "if I stay in Wall Trinity, maybe you and I..." She let the thought hang in her head, her eyes following Aballister's. To the drapery on the opposite side of the small room. Aballister's black eyes widened in surprise, and his hands dropped back to his sides. "You continue your search for my son... Cadderly," Aballister said to her. "Report to me as soon as you discover his whereabouts. Anyway, I have plenty of ways to attack this idiot boy before he gets close to the Trinity Walled City." The magician then left abruptly, seemingly flustered, but there was an obvious lightness of anticipation in his footsteps, and Duo Ruizhen turned back to face the crystal ball.However, she did not resume her snooping immediately, but thought about the actions she had just taken to prevent Aballister from sending her out.She had no love or even respect for the man, although he was undoubtedly one of the most powerful wizards she had ever seen.But Dorigen made a decision—a decision compelled by her strong will to survive this dangerous situation.From what she knew of herself, she had to admit, Cadderly had really terrified her in the Elfwood.

Her thoughts led her to ponder Aballister's plans for his own son.The sorcerer has many helpers: enchanted monsters in his private cage inside his massive castle.Aballister just needed Dorigen to point him in the right direction. Dorigen looked down at her still swollen and bruised hands, remembering what had happened to Simista, but also remembering that Cadderly could have killed her if he wanted to. ※※※ They first camped in a high pass in the Snowflake Mountains, taking shelter from the biting wind in a small hollow in the rocky face.With Vander's massive body standing there to further block the sudden gust of wind (the cold seemed to have no effect on the Volbo giant), Ivan and Pikel quickly built a fire.Still, the wind poured in among these companions, and even the dwarves soon began to tremble, rubbing their hands together quickly near the fire.Pikel's usual "oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" with chattering teeth.

So deep in his thoughts was Cadderly unaware of the situation, not even that his fingers had begun to turn a subtle shade of blue.Head bowed, eyes half-closed, he sat furthest from the fire—except for Vander, and he stepped out of the edge of this natural recess to feel the refreshing wind blowing with full force on his rosy cheeks. Power on the cheeks. "We need sleep," Ivan stammered, making the comment to the absent-minded priest. "O-oh, ooh," Pikel agreed readily. "It's—so cold, it's hard to sleep," Danica said even louder, almost in Cadderly's ear.The four companions looked at each other in disbelief, then looked back at the unresponsive Cadderly.Danica shrugged and moved closer to the fire, rubbing her hands all the time, but Ivan, whose tactics were always more direct, took Shaylin's longbow and stretched it across the fire, over Cadderly's head. I knocked on it several times. Cadderly looked up at the dwarf. "What?" "We're saying it's too cold to sleep in this weather," Ivan snarled at him, his words accentuated by the hoarfrost that spewed out with each trembling word.Cadderly looked around at his trembling companions, and then seemed to feel the tingling in his own limbs for the first time. "God Denir will protect us," he assured them, turning his mind's eyes back to his god's most sacred book: the Book of Universal Harmony.He heard again the beautiful notes emanating from the never-ending song, and he took out a rather simple incantation, and repeated it until the power of the incantation reached all his friends. "Oh!" Pikel exclaimed, and this time his teeth weren't chattering.The cold is gone.There was no other way to explain how Cadderly's timely move made everyone feel immediately. "It took you so long." Ivan spit out this final thought, before falling back to the comfort (at least for a dwarf) of the rock, clasping his hands behind his back, and closing his eyes. After a few minutes, the dwarves began to snore, and soon after, Xuelin, who rested her head on the arm holding the longbow, relaxed and rested.Cadderly returned to his previous brooding position, and Danica, guessing that something was deeply troubling her lover, fought against the lure of sleep and continued to guard him. She would have preferred that Cadderly would willingly open up to her, initiate the discussion he clearly needed.But Danica knew the man too well to really expect that to happen, knowing that Cadderly would probably sit there brooding on something for hours, maybe days. "Did you do something wrong?" she asked him almost declaratively. "Or are you thinking about Avery?" Cadderly looked up at her, and the look of surprise on his face made sense to Danica, though she didn't immediately press further. "I did nothing wrong," Cadderly said slowly, a little defensively, and the observant monk knew her guess was right. "It's surprising that Headmaster Thobicus has changed his attitude towards our expedition," Danica said in a roundabout way. Cadderly slacked uneasily—which, in Danica's observant eyes, was obviously more evidence. "The Headmaster is a Denierian priest," Cadderly replied, as if that explained everything. "He seeks knowledge and harmony, and if he knows what the truth is, he will not be held back by pride." Danica nodded, though her expression was still rather skeptical. "What we did was right," Cadderly added firmly. "The principal doesn't think so." "He sees the truth," Cadderly replied immediately. "Does he have one?" Danica asked, "or is the truth being forced upon him?" Cadderly looked away and saw Vander walking on the edge of the flames, in the strong wind.He continued to sniff the mountain air as he worked his guard, though his eyes were more often on the clear, star-studded sky than on the craggy peaks. "What did you do to him?" Danica asked bluntly.For a moment, Cadderly glared at her, but she didn't budge.She trusted her lover and believed that the young priest would not lie to her. "I convinced him," Cadderly spat out. "Using magic?" You really know me!Surprised, thought the priest. "It has to be done," he said quietly. Danica sat up on her knees, shaking her head, her almond-shaped eyes wide. "Should I let Thobex lead us to disaster?" Cadderly asked her. "He can--" "Thobicus?" Cadderly's face was full of confusion, not understanding what Danica's interjection meant. "Who is now letting pride cloud his judgment?" Danica asked accusingly.Cadderly still didn't understand. "Thobix?" the monk repeated. "Are you referring to Headmaster Thobex?" Her emphasis on the title made Cadderly understand what she meant.Even the patriarchs of the library seldom pass over the proper title to refer to the highest priest. Cadderly thought for a moment about what he had blurted out.In the past, he would always be careful to address this respected dean in an appropriate way, and the name would always subconsciously appear in his mind along with the title, and if he or someone did not address him by the dean, then A man, it sounds like something is wrong.But these days, for some reason, it seems more appropriate to just call him Thobix. "You used magic against the leader of your sect," Danica pointed out. "I did what had to be done," Cadderly decided. "Don't be afraid, because Thobex"—he really meant to say "Master Thobex" this time—"wouldn't even remember it. Changing his memory was fairly simple, and he actually I believe he wants us to go on a reconnaissance mission. He expects us to be back soon to report on enemy activity so that his stupid plan for a sweeping attack can be fulfilled." Cadderly's confession undoubtedly stunned Danica beyond compare.In fact, she took several steps back from the young priest, shaking her head and opening her mouth wide open. "Thousands of lives will be sacrificed in such a war?" The young priest shouted loudly, which not only attracted Vander's attention, but also made Xuelin open a sleepy eye.As expected, the dwarf's snoring continued without interruption. "I can't let Thobex do this," Cadderly continued, defending Danica's silent accusation. "I will not let this man's cowardice cause thousands of innocent deaths when I know there is a better way." "You rely on assumptions," Danica replied in disbelief. "It's the truth!" Cadderly retorted angrily, in a tone that left no doubt that he really believed what he said. "The dean is your superior," Danica reminded him, her voice softening a little. "He is my superior—in the eyes of a false hierarchy," Cadderly added, equally softening his tone.He looked at Xuelin and Vander, both of them were quite interested in this private conversation. "Princess Pertelope is the highest ranking priestess of Denir," Cadderly asserted. This sentence caught Danica off guard—mainly because she had always had the highest opinion of Pertelope, and she had no doubt that Pertelope was one of the most intelligent people among the deans of the Mengzhi Library . "Pertelope directed me to this course," Cadderly continued.He seemed suddenly vulnerable, young and uncertain, a tinge of doubt oozing from his dogged determination. "I need you by my side," he said to Danica, lowering the volume so Shailene and Vander couldn't hear.Still, the elven girl grinned and closed her shining violet eyes respectfully, and Cadderly knew her keen ears picked up every word. Danica gazed at the starry sky for a long moment, then walked to Cadderly's side, took his arm tenderly, and moved closer.She looked back at the fire, then closed her eyes.No more words needed. Still, Cadderly knew that Danica still had doubts, and so did he.Attacking Thobicus with psychic power is a very risky move, and in doing so, it will undoubtedly shatter the group teachings and established hierarchy in the library.What he is doing now, he knows from the bottom of his heart that it is correct, but can the correct purpose justify the means? With so many lives at stake in that decision, Cadderly had to believe that, in this particular case, the answer was yes. ※※※ At a camp quite far from Cadderly's group on a mountain trail, four traveling explorers were sleeping deeply.They didn't notice the brief bluish glow of their campfire, or the dog-shaped face of the imp, Druzil, peering at them from the flames. Druzil cursed hoarsely under his breath, using the crackling of the fire to mask his uncontrollable rage.The imp loathed the scouting job, guessing it would spend hours listening to the snoring of a few insignificant humans.However, it is Aballister's familiar and must serve (though not always willingly) the magician, so when Aballister opens a flat magic gate in Walled Trinity, he orders it to come from When there went out, Druzil was forced to obey. Passages of fire lead here, twisting through many spaces, to this camp on the eastern foothills of the Snowflake Mountains where Dorigen's peeping magic marks.Druzil used a bag of blue magic powder to transform an ordinary campfire into a magic gate similar to that in Trinity Walled City.Now the imp grabs a bag of red powder that can close the magic door behind it. Druzil held the red powder for a moment, imagining the fun it would have if it kept the magic door open.What kind of excitement can a group of residents from the lower worlds create? The imp immediately reconsidered and poured the red powder into the flames.If it leaves the door open and something that shouldn't come gets in, Wall Trinity's plan to conquer the area will be ruined in a flurry of chaos and destruction. It sat in the fire for over an hour, watching these humble humans. "Aballister Beneath Thelemara." It spat out the words many times, angrily.It's the language of the lower planes, and it's basically saying that Druzil's mage master's wit is like a slug. On the other side of the campfire, a movement caught Druzil's attention, and for a moment it thought -- it hoped -- that something exciting was going to happen.However, it turned out to be just another of the group of travelers, guarding the perimeter of the camp, apparently just as bored as the imp.After a while, the man disappears from sight and walks back into the darkness. After another long hour, the fire dwindled, forcing Druzil to crouch to remain hidden in the flames.The little devil shook his dog-faced head, with floppy ears dangling from either side of his face. "Aballister Beneath Thelemara," it hissed contemptuously over and over again, against the boring chants. When the magician sent it out, he had promised it would find the task interesting, but Druzil knew that familiars were most often sent for unimportant tasks, like standing guard or collecting magic materials , so it has heard such lies a long time ago.Even Dorigen's cryptic mention of "someone this little devil might feel sympathetic to" didn't give Druzil much hope.Cadderly was on his way to Wall Trinity—this was where Druzil wanted to be, watching Aballister finally magically blast his troublesome son away. The little devil once again heard a murmur around the camp, resembling the sound of shuffling feet, followed by some kind of panting.Druzil held his dog-shaped face over the flames to get a better look, and saw the guard crawling backwards, sword held forward, mouth open impossibly wide, screaming silently, as if comically. The face in the painting. The imp's lizard-like back shuddered with twisted pleasure at the monster's stubborn approach to the guard.It was once human, Druzil guessed, but now it was a charred and blackened corpse, ghastly and hunchbacked, looking as if all its bodily fluids had been roasted dry.Druzil could actually smell the evil that had drawn the hideous creature back to its undead state. "Delicious," hoarse the imp, its poisonous-tipped tail whipping in the embers behind him. The guard continued to back away, continuing to scream in vain.The monster knocked the terrified man's sword aside and grabbed his wrist.Druzil squeaked happily, watching the doomed man, the skin on his face began to wrinkle like leather, his hair lost its youthful luster, turned white, and began to fall out in handfuls. The ghost's hand struck the man again, hitting the face, causing his eyeballs to protrude as if they would fall out of their sockets.From his open mouth came a gurgling, choking sound, and then a gasp from lungs that had suddenly grown too old and hardened to breathe properly. The dying man tripped over a tree trunk, fell backwards, and lay motionless on the ground, his eyes and mouth still open to an incredible extent. A loud cry from the side of the camp indicated that the commotion had woken one of the others.It was a strong man, judging from the tangled arms and chest, he should be a warrior.He charged forward from the front of the fire, boldly fighting the ghost.The warrior's greatsword slashed down, hitting the monster's shoulder. The sword seemed to touch something solid, but then went right through the undead creature, as if the monster was just a disembodied phantom.The goblin strikes up, stretches out a living hand, seeking another victim for its insatiable hunger. Drew Hill slapped his oversized hands a hundred times with glee, thoroughly enjoying the show.Others were awakened from sleep, one man screaming and fleeing into the woods, but two others went to the aid of their brave companions. The monster grabs a man by the hair, seemingly oblivious to the ax being struck by the frantic man, before turning the man's head to the side and biting down on the throat.With terrifying force, the monster flung the blood-soaked corpse into the woods, twenty feet away from the camp. The remaining two men had seen enough, and they were blown away.They turned and fled, one of them dropping his weapon in sheer, unimaginable terror. The ghost rushed to catch them all at once, but missed, and it stood there for a moment watching them run away, and then it began to shuffle through the ruined camp and hit the road again, toward the Snowflake Mountains, as if the whole field The massacre was a small incident that just happened to happen.Druzil knew, however, that the fellow was savoring the screams of the fleeing men, taking an unholy pleasure in their terror. Druzil liked the monster. The imp stepped out of the flames and looked down at the aging dying man.He was gasping for breath, every movement showing pain.As the man stretched his arms into the air, Druzil heard the sound of bones snapping with age, a groan mixed with breathlessness. The little devil just smiled and turned away.Druzil had overheard parts of Aballister's conversation with the spirit of Porg Raiser, and while that conversation had been rather mysterious, the Imp now guessed that the fearsome monster might have had a crush on Cade. Li held a special hatred.There was no doubt that the monster was moving on purpose; it didn't even spend time or energy chasing the fleeing man. Druzil turned himself invisible, flapped his bat-like leather wings, and flew after the ghost, thinking maybe it shouldn't doubt Aballister's promise to it: Will be an interesting task.