Ganth finally freed a hand and punched his adversary in the jaw. Scurn stumbled back, falling over the steps. The older warrior reached down to retrieve his sword.

"What's going on down here?" called a voice. Less than a breath later, three temple guards appeared on the steps, weapons drawn.

"He's a traitor!" Ganth quickly replied. "He tried to kill the high priest's prisoner!"

The guards looked at Scurn with surprise, then started down.

"You fools!" Scurn snarled in turn. "That's the fugitive, Kaz, back there! He forced me at sword point to bring them here! I was the one who just shouted!"

The foremost guard looked the trio over. "I think you'd all better come with us. We'll let one of the clerics hear this mess. Now turn your weapons over."

Scurn revealed that he had no weapon. Ganth glanced at his son, then turned the blade so that the hilt pointed at the guards. One of the other warriors reached for it.

The blade slipped from the mariner's hand. As the guard reached to retrieve it, Ganth seized his wrist and pulled him forward hard, knocking the shocked minotaur into Scurn. Both fell roughly to the floor.

As if by magic, Fliara and Hecar appeared behind Kaz. The three wasted no time before charging the remaining sentries. Ganth backed away, seizing his lost sword before rejoining his son and daughter.

Hecar struck the guard who had fallen, knocking him senseless. This gave Scurn the opportunity to grab the unconscious warrior's blade and bring it up against Helati's brother. The attack was weak, but it prevented Hecar from joining Kaz and the others.

For the first time, Kaz saw his youngest sibling in action. Fliara was swift, her smaller stature working for her in ways he would not have expected. Twice she got under the guard of an attacker, bleeding him. Fliara was versatile, using both orthodox and unorthodox moves to confuse her adversary.

Kaz's own opponent was no match and was quickly backed up, leaving Fliara's male alone. He tried to slash at her, but she shifted under him, running her blade into his chest. As he collapsed, Fliara joined her brother in pinioning the sole remaining guard.

All of a sudden, more guards appeared at the top of the steps. This time, there were at least seven. Kaz and his sister found themselves abruptly losing the ground they had gained. Soon they were pushed back near Hecar and Scum, who were still battling.

"We're trapped down here!" Fliara informed Kaz needlessly. "There's nowhere but the cells behind us!"

Three more guards joined the squad. Although not all of the temple sentries could do battle, the small band was being continually pushed back down the steps. Ganth ran one through, but two more appeared. Kaz and his group retreated. Hecar was forced to abandon his duel with Scurn, lest he be isolated.

"The one with the axe!" the scarred warrior shouted. "The high priest will want him alive if possible, but kill the others!"

As Kaz backed even farther, he bumped into a small form. At first he thought it was Galump, but then he saw it was Delbin.

"Kaz! There's no other way out! I looked all around, but I couldn't find a path anywhere-"

Kaz deflected a sword thrust. "Where's Ty?"

"She's here, Kaz! Listen, she thinks she can get us out of here!"

"Don't talk nonsense! Get back!"

"But listen, Kaz! She can do magic! She can!"

He had no time for the kender's babble. "Well, then let her do it! Get us out of here! Take us anywhere!" Kaz succeeded in knocking away one minotaur's sword, but that minotaur immediately retreated, and one of his comrades renewed the press. Kaz cried, "Ty, if you can do it, get us out of here!"

"I don't know, Kaz! Delbin took off the chains, which the high priest said held back my power, but I've never tried it with so many people. Usually it's just myself!"

He had no idea what the young human was talking about. She talked like a kender. Perhaps there was some truth to the story. Perhaps Ty was a mage. If she was, then she was their only chance to escape. It certainly would not hurt for her to try.

"You have to do it, Ty!" Delbin insisted. "Just concentrate hard on getting us someplace else! You should be able to do it! I'll bet you've got a lot of power!"

A pair of guards prevented him from saying more. Kaz fought off their attack and prayed to Paladine that Delbin wasn't crazy this time.

"There's more of them coming!" Ganth cried. "We'll have to break-"

The corridor vanished… to be replaced by a huge, familiar room dimly lit by a few well-placed torches.

"-away and…" the old mariner's voice faded as he and the others realized the change in surroundings.

"What happened just now?" Fliara demanded. "Where are we?"

Kaz quickly surveyed the group. They were all there, his father, sister, Hecar, Delbin, and the human girl. Ty was pale and shivering, but seemed all right, especially considering the fact that she had just done what Kaz had assumed was impossible,… transported them all from one location to another.

"That was fun, Ty! How did you get all of us here? I didn't think you could do that!"

"Where are we?" repeated Fliara. "This looks like it's still part of the temple!"

"It is," Kaz responded. "It's the audience chamber of the high priest, a place we should definitely not be." He started toward the doors. "Come on!"

They had gone only a few steps when every unlit torch in the chamber burst into bright flames.

"Interesting," came the voice of Jopfer. "I found you just in time, didn't I, Young One? Your great powers begin to manifest themselves."

The band turned to see the high priest standing at the top of the dais, arms folded. A satisfied expression covered the tall figure's features.

"At last, this will come to an end."

"Jopfer!" shouted Hecar. "What's got into you? What's happened to you?" Helati's brother started forward, angry at his old friend. "You were never one with much love for the temple. You hated all they stood for, but now you've become the worst of them!"

"The truth would surprise you," the cleric returned, his tone one of mockery. It was almost as if he enjoyed some jest the others knew nothing about.

"Upon reflection, it would do to take a glance at the face of honor," someone said in Kaz's ear.

He looked around before realizing that the voice had sounded like the infernal figure in gray again. It was bad enough that they stood before Jopfer, but did the gray man have to haunt him just now? Still, Kaz turned slightly away from the others and held the mirrorlike finish of his battle-axe so he could see… or not see… the form of the high priest. The others he knew he could trust.

Kaz stared into the axe face, certain that he would see nothing but an empty dais.

What he saw, however briefly it appeared, nearly made him drop the axe. Honor's Face had revealed the truth about Jopfer, but Kaz had difficulty believing it.

Kaz wasted no more time. He had briefly contemplated using the high priest as a hostage, but now, with practiced aim and no warning whatsoever, he threw Honor's Face at the cleric.

The high priest glanced at the whirling weapon, then caught it by the handle when it was mere inches from his chest.

"Dwarven make," he hissed, as if the mere thought of the race disgusted him. His nostrils flared. "And elven taint. A foul but fascinating combination. I shall study it in more detail later."

To Kaz's horror, Honor's Face vanished. He tried to will it back, but the axe would not return.

"Your will is nothing compared to mine," the figure on the dais hissed. "All your wills combined are nothing to me. I am power itself. I am greater than all the race combined!"

"You're mad, Jopfer!" Hecar called. He took a step nearer to the platform. "And you might've been lucky with that axe, but you're still only one minotaur!"