The friends regroup back in the tunnel and speak with Elysant. It is decided that she should stay here and Daladium, Voran and Swiftmark should search the room to see if they can find anything without waking up the dog/bear thing. They proceed, but while sneaking in, Swiftmark steps on a bone that makes a loud crunching sound. The animal snaps awake and snarls at the group. The friends attack the animal and subdue it with Elysant’s help. Searching the room, the friends find a small sack of jewels in a chest of drawers. Against his instincts, Daladium shares the jewels with the others.

However they have been too loud and the ogre heard the disturbance. He runs into the room, yelling angrily. The friends try to fight him but have a tough time getting through his thick hide, even Elysant with repeated spear strikes cannot wound him. Voran takes a shot with his bow but the bowstring snaps. Daladium casts a binding spell and vines come from the ground and restrain him. He also casts a blindness spell that leaves the ogre partially sightless, and an illusion of a huge dragon. The ogre is paralyzed with fear, but the friends still can’t manage to wound him.

While the ogre struggles, Voran runs away down the hallway and checks one of the other rooms. He arrives in a kitchen with a foul smelling pot brewing stew. In front of the pot stands a younger ogre with a spoon and another dog/bear pet. Using his animal training, Voran calls to the animal then tells it to attack the ogre. The ogre tries to get it to stop, but it bites him and he passes out. The dog looks at Voran expectantly but Voran searches the room, finds nothing and leaves.

At the same time, Daladium and Swiftmark run to the middle cavern and search there. This is a living area with a huge couch, with two sets of butt-prints in it. On the other side of the room are piles of hay. Lying on the hay is a third bear-dog. It smells the friends and attacks, sinking its teeth into Daladium’s arm. He cries out in pain and Elysant comes running. Swiftmark makes a valiant strike with his sword and the dog falls.

The friends, now regrouped, search the living area and find a bag with 100 gold, a fine leather chestplate (which Voran dons) and a small orb. Elysant and Daladium check it for magic and it appears to have a spark. Since they have found what they are looking for, they hastily retreat back through the hallway and out the mouth of the cave. As they leave, they hear the ogre yelling as the illusion wears off and he realizes he was tricked.

The friends climb up the rope to escape, but Voran’s hands slip and he tumbles into the rough water. He tries to swim but waves are crashimg over him and he can’t get a breath. Quickly, Elysant unties the rope and throws Voran the other end. After a few moments of struggling he manages to make his way to the rope then pulls himself up. Spluttering, he checks his equipment and thankfully nothing is missing. Fluffy comes to greet him, as he was concerned for his master.

The friends set off on their horses immediately and travel south for a couple hours, however darkness sets in and they are forced to stop. Voran stays up for a few hours on watch, then uses his magic headrest to sleep for a few hours and recover as if he got a full night’s rest.

Around four o’clock in the morning, Vora is awoken by noises near the camp. With his elven eyes, he sees four people approaching. He wakes the others and Daladium asks “Who goes there?” There is no reply. Swiftmark brings a torch over, and everyone sees that this is the group of adventurers they encountered the other day before they found the cave. Their faces are angry. Voran asks why they are so mad, and at first they do not reply, but finally the leader, Calaan, says “We know that you found the ogre’s cave, which we spent weeks looking for. That means you probably found treasure. Give it to us or we’ll kill you!”

Voran sends his wolf to attack, and the other friends begin fighting as well. Daladium blinds all of them, and Swiftmark makes another amazing strike and takes out one of the elves. Voran, his bow still broken, uses a dagger with not much luck.

After the adventurers are defeated, the friends search them and find some gold, Daladium finds a potion of healing, and Voran grabs a very nice bow from one of the elves to replace the one with the broken string.

Even though it is still early, the friends pack up and leave. By morning they reach Granny D’s house where they are greeted warmly with food and Granny D offers to help Daladium with his injury. Uncle Weasel inquires about their trip and they recount everything, finally handing him the orb. He grins broadly and nods, saying that this is the correct artifact that should help them disarm the door at the Wizard’s castle. The friends thank him again and stay the night.

The next morning the friends pack up to leave, however a somber Swiftmark tells them that he will not be going; his place is here. He had great adventures with the friends and they are welcome to visit anytime, and he will plan to visit Northfort in the near future to see them as well. The friends wish him well and take their leave.

It takes the friends two days to travel to the Rock Island Ferry, then through Washatal island and the ferry to the mainland, and finally cross-country back to Northfort. Once in town they return the horses and get their deposit back, then check into the inn for some rest.

The next day they set off for the Wizard’s castle, on foor this time, and it takes until midday to get there. When they arrive they see that many people have set up camp here, hoping to find a way into the Wizard’s locked chamber. On the fourth floor there are at least 10 people in the anteroom, one actively picking the lock on the great door. The friends see him receive a bad shock and he gives up.

The friends have an idea, and after a moment’s preparation Daladium  creates a very convincing illusion of the Wizard in front of the door. The people there fall for the illusion and flee, screaming, leaving the friends alone.

The friends prepare to use the orb and stand away from the door. Voran activates and tosses it at the door and it flashes. Sensing the door, Daladium says that it is safe to pick lock but he’s not sure how long the effect will last. Voran quickly uses his thief’s tools and opens the lock. The door clicks open just as the effect wears off and the magic hums back to life in the door.

The friends walk through the doorway and enter a dark room. Lighting their torches, they see fine furniture but nothing elae of note. Toward the back of the room is a slightly raised stone platform that, after inapection, seems to have a large rune carved into it.

Daladium steps onto the platform and the rune begins to glow, and after a moment a shimmering circular portal appears above the platform. The friends want to see what is on the other side without entering the portal, so Voran lies down and pokes his head into it, with the others holding his legs.

The friends are dragged through the portal by an unseen force. As they fall through to the other side, they wonder if this is where the Wizard disappeared to, and if he is still there. If yhe portal will take them to another plane, another world, or somewhere else on Kalos. Also, they remember that they did not shut the magic door, so others could potentially get through!

END BOOK 1