Matt turned toward Garian and cast another spell of dragon ice, this time foot-long shards of ice hurtling at the sorcerer, who waved his Dragon’s Fire Wand and melted them. But one struck a glancing blow off his shoulder and made him drop the wand. Matt struggled for a spell to levitate the wand to himself, but couldn’t think of one as the sorcerer picked it up and looked at the sky. Matt followed his gaze, and this time only Jolian was coming, a jet of flames whirling in her mouth. He was about to run for the Hall of Worlds when Garian shouted behind him.
“Enough games, Ellorians! Meet your new master!”
Matt turned and saw that the Orb of Dominion now glowed with a golden sheen along its edges, a darker image within and moving but too hard to make out from here. Then a voice spoke from within it, far louder than he expected.
“Obey and serve,” the voice commanded, and Matt wondered if those words acted like a spell to ensnare minds. “Fight no more. My will be yours. Follow the Lords Garian, Voth, Aeron, and Kori as your masters after me.”
“Thank you, my Lord,” said Garian, gazing at them in triumph.
Jolian flew past without breathing fire, and Matt saw that his friends had stopped fighting. Had the Mind Shield spell worked? He didn’t feel any different. How should they behave? He looked at the enthralled to see what they did, as he was supposed to be one of them now, but they had just stopped advancing and stood idly by. For a moment, he wondered if the others were ensnared or safe like him, but then Eric caught his eye and the knowing look in them calmed him. Neither Anna nor Ryan was looking at him, and he sensed he should stop looking around like that or risk attracting attention.
“Ellorians,” began Garian, glaring as he advanced, “stand together.”
Since Matt stood in the middle of everyone, he didn’t move as his friends moved toward him. He tried to seem complacent and just hoped they quickly went to the portal so he didn’t have to pretend for long. The others stopped beside him and turned to face the Lords of Fear, who came within arm’s reach before halting. Waves of cold from Lord Voth made him shiver, the hand closest to the undead knight feeling numb, but the sorcerer directly before him got his attention. Garian handed the Orb of Dominion staff to Kori without looking, his gaze fixed on Matt’s staff.
“The famous staff of Soliander,” he said, eyes alight despite the anger still on his face. “I have always wondered.” He reached for it.
“Do not touch that,” said a calm, menacing voice from within the orb.
Garian’s hand instantly stopped as a look of fear took hold. He retracted his hand. “Yes, my lord.”
“Bring them and the orb to me without delay.”
“Yes, my lord.” He raised his voice for all and said, “To the Hall of Worlds. Follow.” He pushed past them, leaving the orb with Kori, who slipped her hand into Eric’s. As Matt turned, he caught Ryan’s eye and saw the big guy wink at him, sword still in his hand. The other enthralled all waited until the eight of them passed by, then fell in behind, a growing legion of warriors approaching the nearby hall. He listened for Jolian and thought he heard a distant whoosh of flames, but that was all.
“I think I’m going to make you my consort,” purred Kori to Eric. “You disappointed with your sword skills, but the rest was great fun. Maybe you’ll do better at poking me with something else.”
“It is the Lady Eriana who should be a consort,” said Aeron, his voice deep.
“Yes,” agreed Lord Voth, in smooth tones. “Aranor needs a queen.”
“I will raise one from the dead for you,” suggested Aeron, “but she is mine.”
Sounding amused, Lord Garian said, “You will wait in line. I understand our master has a special interest in her.”
Despite the risk, Matt took Anna’s hand to lend a supportive squeeze and found his hand being crushed by the strength of hers. The lords were in front and couldn’t see, but he disengaged as they stepped into the shadow of the Hall of Worlds, a white building painted with planets of blues, yellows, and greens all along it except the tall wooden doors. These now swung open slowly, as if heavy, pulled by more enthralled. Matt suspected the lords knew that the path before them had been cleared so that they couldn’t use the orb on more people, but were they surprised to meet no other resistance to accessing the portal? Garian commanded all but two dozen enthralled to wait outside. As they entered, Matt looked around. Where was Talis hiding?
The Hall of Worlds reminded Matt of an airport lounge stretching before them. They had entered one end of the long, two-story rectangle. Lining the walls were various supplies travelers might need, such as blankets and torches. A few weapons and light armor were also for sale, but much of it was food and drink. A six-foot high wall separated one from the next, each having an open storefront. They all stood empty of people. The hall’s center stood bare except for murals of fanciful beasts on the floor and a stage in the center, a lute and several handheld drums lying discarded. Behind it all against the far wall, dancing golden light shimmered from the nearly two-story portal, its surface rippling as if made of a standing wall of liquid gold. Tall and wide enough for wagons to pass through, it stood unprotected, the
