Two weeks after his meeting with Larissa, Daerahil rose early. Striding to the window, he saw what could only be the dust of the new patrol arriving, escorting the team of excavators to their latest project. He dreaded the morning security report. Five of the men who had arrived at Plaga Erebus with him had since vanished, officially deserting but unofficially disappearing without a trace.
Daerahil used his mental powers to search for the man or creature hunting them, but all of his efforts were fruitless. Too many men with too many thoughts provided background interference, but the psychic horror of Plaga Erebus overwhelmed him every time he opened the channels of power in his mind. If he had a specific person to focus his abilities on, such as his friend Hardacil, who Daerahil heard cli
