Jangles landed smoothly at the waystation, his powerful wings folding neatly by his sides. Lori dismounted swiftly and sprinted into the barn. Selene and Devin followed close behind. Inside, she found Redhand, Bing, Ebeneezer, and her father, all working intently. Lori saw spell books and ingredients around ceremonial bowls with various magical artifacts. Even Wakiye was involved, discussing something with Ebeneezer. Every head turned towards Lori as she burst through the barn doors, her face flushed with urgency.

  “Dad! It’s worse than I thought!” She panted. “We don’t have a lot of time!”

  Ebeneezer and Bing exchanged skeptical glances, their brows furrowing in disbelief. Redhand nodded in understanding.

  Lori's father raised his hand, signaling her to slow down. “Kid, what are you talking about?”

  Lori panted as she removed the burlap sack from her pocket and carefully placed the crystal on a nearby table. Bing, with a focused expression, conjured a glowing ball of lavender light, which cast shimmering reflections off the crystal’s surface, illuminating its intricate facets.

  “Explain,” her father said.

  Lori took a deep breath and began recounting their discovery in meticulous detail, while withholding her conclusions for the moment. Ebeneezer, Bing, Redhand, and Wakiye gathered closer, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern, as they listened intently to her every word.

  “So, what does it all mean, kid?”

  “The townsfolk are in the mine right now. My guess is that they, or what’s left of them, are being used to free the Vessel of Garmac if it hasn’t been found already. If it has been found, they are probably trying to destroy it.”

  Ebeneezer's grin widened, teetering on the edge of mockery. A low, rumbling growl reverberated through the barn, causing the smile to vanish from Ebeneezer’s face. His gaze shifted to the doorway where Jangles stood, eyes locked onto Ebeneezer with an intense glare. The imposing presence of the dragon silenced him instantly. Ebeneezer looked away, clearing his throat and adopting a more respectful demeanor.

  “If I may ask, how did ye come to this conclusion?” Ebeneezer's voice carried a note of skepticism that hung in the air.

  Lori glanced at her father, whose stern gaze softened slightly as he returned her look. Though doubt flickered in his eyes, he gave a firm nod, encouraging her to continue. That small gesture from him bolstered her confidence. She understood that even if he harbored reservations about her theory, he valued and respected her insights.

  “Days ago, I’m not sure when, the miners found that piece of crystal.” She pointed to the broken pyramid. “They brought it to the head honcho, or maybe the mine owner himself, or the shareholders. It doesn’t really matter, but they thought it was important enough to put it in the bank vault. They knew there was more to it, and they wanted it. There was a blast, I’m guessing, and it was buried, but because they had that piece of it, they knew approximately where it was. If it wasn’t buried, then it’s in a place they can’t reach easily.”

  “Why only two days ago?” Bing asked. He absently tapped the vulture head of his umbrella handle.

  Lori pointed at Devin, her expression a mixture of exasperation and urgency. “The ham hock.”

  Devin looked surprised, a hint of guilt flashing across his face, as if someone were accusing him of a heinous crime.

  “Devin found a smokehouse, the doors wide open, and none of the meat was touched by any varmint, cat or dog," Lori explained, her voice carrying a note of urgency. "Because there isn’t a single living thing in this whole area. The Ma’at-jer killed them all. But, whatever killed them was an instantaneous effect. Otherwise, we would have died the moment we got here. Wild animals will make their way here within a few days, but not yet, so, two days is my educated guess.” Lori’s eyes darted between Ebeneezer and Bing, emphasizing her point. “Plus, the storm started two days ago,” she added, her tone underscoring the significance of the timing.

  “We’ve been getting reports from here for the past two weeks,” Bing said dismissively, his voice tinged with frustration. “There’s been disturbances here long before this storm.”

  “Yeah, and my guess is the miners were getting closer and closer to the vessel without knowing it. The Ma’at-jer got stronger and stronger, I suppose,” Lori continued, her jaw clenched in frustration. Couldn’t they see it?

  Devin raised a finger and weakly interjected, “I just want to point out it was Jangles who raided the smokehouse, not me.” His voice wavered slightly as he tried to absolve himself of blame.

  Lori rolled her eyes before she continued, her tone growing more impatient. “So, one night, they found it. Broke it free or got really close, and the Ma’at-jer struck, killing everyone.” She threw her hands wide as if gesturing about the entire town.

  Ford cursed under his breath, a rare display of frustration and anger. “Son of a bitch, that thing turned this whole town into an army of the undead.” His eyes glinted with a mix of anger and incredulity.

  Lori nodded vigorously, her expression serious, while Bing and Ebeneezer exchanged glances.

  “I’m not following,” Ebeneezer said as he tried to grasp the magnitude of the situation.

  Ford explained, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. “The whole town was murdered by the evil of this thing when it escaped, then raised and led to the mine.” He nodded toward Lori. “Don’t you see? The incredible amount of footprints at the edge of town, the marks of the townspeople stumbling down the hill, and,” he winked at his daughter, “I’m guessing it was the open safe and all the money that told you they were all dead when they left.”

  “The cufflink, actually. It struck me as very odd that someone could lose a cufflink in the middle of the floor and not look for it. Especially a solid gold one. That’s something someone would notice they lost and go looking.”

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  Ford laughed. “The cufflink.” He shook his head. “That’s my girl.”

  Bing stood frowning at the pair of them as shadows of uncertainty crossed his features. Lori watched him intently, her eyes searching his face for any sign of understanding. He was no fool, but he wasn’t easily swayed.

  “Why kill everyone in the town? Why raise them to come digging for his prison? Why not wait until the miners had taken the vessel above ground?”

  Lori had no answer. Her mind raced, but that question punched a gaping hole in her entire theory. She had no answer.

  But Redhand did.

  “This being with three voices, it has no care for life, only death. It thinks only of itself, and when the people of the mine weakened the vessel, it worked to be free. It burst from the vessel like the great geysers of Colter’s Hell, and death spewed from it.” Redhand looked at the others who blankly stared back at him. “I once saw a man killed by beer.” Lori snorted a laugh, but Redhand either didn’t notice or pretended not to. “He pounded the tap into the barrel, but the tap was not sealed correctly, and when he pulled on it, beer spewed out and pushed him backward. He stumbled into the counter, knocked over the jars of hard candy and licorice. He slipped on a jawbreaker and broke his neck. He owned the general store in Oblivion. There was nothing I could do to help him. So I held a glass under the stream of beer and drank to his memory. Got a lot of candy, too. I like that licorice, but I still can’t eat it and not think of beer and death.”

  Lori stifled her laughter, her hand clamped tightly over her mouth as she struggled to maintain her composure. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she glanced at her father, nearly losing control when she saw him battling to keep his expression serious.

  “My friend,” Ford said, his voice straining with the effort of not laughing, “That’s a fine description for this situation.”

  Ebeneezer nodded, though he was not amused. “You’re right. And after five thousand years, it was ready to burst out like that beer.”

  Bing grimaced, his face a canvas of frustration. “Now we have to figure out how to fix the tap, don’t we?”

  “Aye, but we are at quite a disadvantage,” Ebeneezer said. “We don’t know exactly what we are dealing with. All we know is what the lass here has been able to tell us.”

  “And Redhand’s dream,” Lori added. “Are you telling me that in all your years of experience, none of you have ever come across anything like this before?”

  Bing sighed. “I’ve come up against some powerful beings in my time, Lori, but each one is different. Every one of my encounters required a different solution. We just don’t have enough information.”

  “Thankfully,” Ebeneezer took off his derby hat, “the Colonel insisted I take a few things from his library.” He set the hat on the table, upside down, and reached deep inside. He removed his silver teapot, tray, and a few cups before pulling out a large leatherbound volume, then another large book, and another. Soon, Ebeneezer had removed what looked like half of Ford’s reference books from his hat and set them on every available flat surface he could find, creating a clutter of knowledge and history.

  Bing settled at a rustic wooden table in the dimly lit barn, an ancient tome open before him, its pages illuminated by the ethereal lavender glow emanating from the orb of light he had conjured. He aimed his umbrella at the crystal piece, muttering a spell and referring back to the book as if interpreting results. Nearby, Ebeneezer perched on a straw bale, his posture relaxed as he poured himself a cup of tea. The steam wafted up lazily, mingling with the dust motes dancing in the air. With a deliberate, almost reverent motion, he opened the massive tome beside him and began to read.

  Selene joined her father, leaning over his shoulder and discussing the crystal amongst themselves.

  Ford looked at the selection of books on the table, his fingers brushing over the well-worn spines as he contemplated which to read. He glanced up at Lori, ready to ask for her recommendation, when he noticed the silent, boiling fury etched on her face. With a subtle nod, he gestured for her to follow him and limped through the barn doors. Jangles trailed closely behind.

  “What’s the matter, kid?”

  Lori growled. “They’re reading! They are studying when we should act right now! There shouldn’t be any debate! We should head down to the mine in full force and find that vessel!”

  Ford nodded, not agreeing but understanding. “And do what with it?”

  Lori sputtered; her hands clenched as she shoved them into her pockets.

  “That thing is going to leak it’s way out whether we have the vessel or not. And if it breaks out completely while we have it, we’re going to be in a world of hurt. What have I always told you about your enemy?”

  Lori sighed and looked at the ground. “To know the enemy before you confront them.” She waved a hand at the barn. “But, can’t they cast a spell or something? Can’t they at least delay it from happening? Or do they just conjure reading lamps?”

  “Kid, do you think we’ve been idle?” He fixed his daughter with a hard look. “Bing and Ebeneezer have already woven a net around this area to keep the thing contained, but, like Bing said, they don’t really know what they’re dealing with. For all we know, they wasted their time and exhausted their reserves for nothing.”

  Lori kicked at a rock, watching it tumble and scatter the loose gravel beneath her feet.

  “Wizards and Sorcerers cannot just whip up something anytime they choose. Oh, they have powerful magic that's useful in most situations, but this isn’t a pack of werewolves or a horde of vampires they can fling a readied spell at. This is ancient magic that even a legendary wizard like Garmac could not defeat. They need to study their opponent, just like everyone else. Do you understand?”

  Lori nodded, a thought forming in her mind as she rubbed her chin.

  “Oh, good Lord, you just thought of something.”

  Lori grinned. Her father knew her too well. “I did. And it's a good reason for me to go and get that vessel.”

  Ford sighed in irritation but held his tongue as Lori explained.

  “Aegyptians love their symbols. They carved and painted on everything. Names and symbols had meaning. They placed great importance on recording facts and history.”

  Ford looked up at the clear blue sky as he began to understand what she was suggesting. “Damn.”

  “Right. There’s bound to be carvings all over that thing! You want to know your enemy? Then let’s go look at what Garmac carved on his prison.”

  Ford ground his teeth in frustration. “Damn. I hate it when you’re right. I hate it even more when you think of something I should have.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t like the idea of you going down there, into that mine.”

  Lori shrugged. “What could go wrong?”

  Ford chuckled. “There are the people down there. We don’t know their state, but you can bet they’ll be determined to stop you.” He glanced at Jangles. “You can’t take him with you. There’ll be no one to watch your back.”

  “I’ll squeeze in!” Jangles said.

  “No, you won’t.” Ford rolled his eyes.

  “I’m going,” Devin declared.

  Ford, Lori and Jangles turned to look at the young man. They had not heard him approach.

  “Young man, I’d rather you stay here-”

  “No sir. I can’t.” Devin sounded confident, which he never had as long as Lori had known him. “Sir, she can’t operate the engine.”

  “What engine?” Lori frowned.

  Devin gestured at her with both hands as he shrugged at Ford. “See?”

  “You know how to work the hoist engine?”

  “Hoist engine?” Lori asked.

  “Yes, sir, I do. I worked at a coal mine last year. I spent weeks learning how to operate it.”

  Ford grimaced in thought, then nodded. “You’ll take Devin to work the engine. And you’ll take Ebeneezer with you down the mine. He’ll watch your back. He’s pretty good in a fight. And besides, his kind live underground. Who better to take with you?”

  Lori grit her teeth at the thought of taking the kobold with her, but didn’t argue.

  “You listen to Devin, Lori. Pay attention to what he says. And Devin?” He turned to the young man. “If she doesn’t come back alive, I’ll put a bullet in your heart.”

  Devin nodded. “As long as you make it a silver one, sir, that’d be fine.”

  “Alright. Get ready to leave. I’ll send Ebeneezer out to join you.”