Chapter Forty-Five: The Bell Tower
“Scarecrows do not only scare crows. I’m terrified of them too.â€
The tower in front of the group was one of the most dilapidated and ruined buildings Valtyra had ever seen. It could barely be called a bell tower as the bell at the top of the tower was hanging on by a thread. Walls had holes in them the size of a giant’s fist and the wooden supports underneath were broken. If that was not bad enough, the whole tower was lopsided. As if a child ripped it out and tried to put it back in its place. She was surprised that it was still standing.

Chapter Forty-Four: Battle at the Mill
“Never forget. Souls can be corrupted to the bitter end.â€
Ironbriar let out a short cry and charged forward. His curved sword flicked high left to low right, then horizontally at Valtyra’s belly. She leaned away from the first attack and arched her back to avoid the second. As she did, her rapier flashed forward and grazed the man’s clothing without biting into skin. Valtyra then swung inward, trying to get some kind of wound on the man, yet he anticipated her attack and twisted away.

Chapter Forty-Three: Justice Ironbriar
“Money. That’s all that needs to be said.â€
Valtyra’s rapiers sprang from their sheaths and crisscrossed to parry the worker’s first attack. She pulled them away, stepped to the side, and swung her left weapon up in a diagonal slice. The worker avoided the attack, but his dodge put him directly in the path of a frost lance from Lotho. It slammed into the man’s cheek and immediately started melting. He did not seem to notice the lance, though, as he pounced right back at the half-elf.

Chapter Forty-Two: The Seven’s Sawmill
"Welcome to the cult’s home. Don’t get revolted by the crazy. They just want to say hi."
Once again, the four heroes got on their horses and started riding around town to find out where the Seven's Sawmill was. This time, they got more concrete information and was pointed right at it.

Chapter Forty-One: The Search for the Brothers
“Looking for a cult is something that is usually very complex. They leave a web of trails and falsehoods behind them and are protected by legality. But, they hide in the simplest of places. Places that, if someone took a second to think about, should be obvious.â€
Wood creaked and groaned as Valtyra and Bubnug climbed the stairs to the second floor. All along the walls was dust, mold and rot, and it only got worse as they ascended. The top two or so stairs were so rotted that Valtyra did not trust her weight on them and had to jump in order to make it over them. Bubnug, not realizing what Valtyra was doing, stepped up onto them, but nothing happened. Valtyra gave him a look of mild annoyance before turning to the double doors to her left. She heard the goblin move down the hall where a door on either side was closed.

Chapter Forty: Faceless Stalkers
“When you are fighting a creature that can change its face, keep your head. Even if they do not change, you could make them do so in your mind.â€
Valtyra was on the move as soon as she saw the creatures rush at her. Instead of stepping backward, like any sane person would do, she ducked down and kicked herself forward with blades angled downward and almost touching wood. The creatures sailed above her, and each of them swiped at her with their claws, but their elongated limbs did not give them the room they needed to land an attack. Sounds of inhuman screams ripped through her senses and she turned back to see that Bubnug thrust his blazing blade into the fake-Aldern’s chest. Valtyra figured that it was the fire that did more damage than the blade itself, but the stab did its job as the creature landed awkwardly.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Mistrust
“It is amazing what the slightest mistrust can do.â€
â€~Aldern’ did not seem phased by the two rapiers pointed at various people in the room. In fact, he smiled at Valtyra as she shifted one of her rapiers from Alicia to Aldern.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Pleasantries
“â€~I have always hated social parties.’ â€~Why?’ the squire asked. â€~Because one has to follow specific rules. Specific customs. I’d rather just say as I wish.’â€
The room Valtyra entered was a dining room. An oval table was placed in the center of the room and ran parallel to the long walls on the left and right. Six chairs made of expensive wood with elegant decorations carved in surrounded the table and two candleholders sat at the center. Tea cups were already placed at four of the seats and the woman who invited them in was setting out two more. Bookshelves lined each wall that did not hold a door and was full top to bottom with books of various sizes, colors and lengths. On the floor was a red and gold rug which did not completely cover the expensive hardwood underneath.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Foxglove Townhouse
“Never take what you see at face value.â€
The four heroes spent the next three hours talking with guards and citizens and looking at maps to figure out where Aldern’s townhouse was in Magnimar. Apparently, it was not a place that people liked to talk about. They said that there was a certain energy surrounding it that seemed sinister, yet no one dared investigate. Especially since it had been uninhabited for the past two or so weeks. Fortunately, though, they found a homeless man who was willing to lead them to the building in question. For a couple of coins, of course.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Entering Magnimar
“Well… that’s one way to deal with annoyances.â€
It was two days until the heroes were ready to head for Magnimar. Tension only rose between Valtyra and Alicia during those two days and Bubnug had to stand as mediator as well as leading the goblin army. Lotho was bedridden and was usually cared for by Shayliss and Father Zantus. When he was finally able to move around, he took Bubnug’s job as a mediator and helped calm the two women down.