No Way Out

Pan Long lashed out with his left hand and caught the nearest evil spirit.

His fingers seized a spirit that should have been impervious to purely physical attacks. Ripples spread through it like waves across water, and several distinct cracks appeared. His hand swept past, but the cracks did not vanish. More hairline fractures spread around them, like a shattered car window cracking in every direction.

The evil spirit shuddered violently and let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

Even Sarevok could not help turning to look. His eyes lit up, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.

"A Barbarian!" he said. "You really thought this through, bringing a Barbarian as backup. Once they go berserk, they recognize no one. They attack whoever they see and won't stop until someone dies."

Gorion did not answer. He had no strength to spare for conversation.

Sarevok had no objection to performing a monologue. On the contrary, he was happy to show how unruffled he was. "Why do you keep stalling? Are you hoping the Grand Sage of Shadow Valley will arrive? Don't dream of it. He can't get here that quickly."

"Want to know why? Because someone doesn't want him interfering. The world is vast, vaster than any of us know. There will always be people who want to do one thing or another, and people who want to stop them. No one can truly do as they please." Sarevok looked like a philosopher or a bard as he spoke, but his furious assault never slowed. "In a world like this, we have no choice but to keep moving forward, keep climbing higher. With every step upward, there's more you can do and fewer people who can stop you. Until..."

He left the rest unsaid, ending instead with an enigmatic smile.

While he spoke,