TL;DR

• Tulasa and Ghanna fight off Shiisa as the shade attempts to enter the Infinite Stacks.
• The Invader takes Krenzi, Duke, and Socrates into the Stacks along with the demons Maiven and Amoria.
• The sorcerers resolve to seek sanctuary in Adûnibad in order to recover from their injuries.

Mercy

As he stands over Mentari’s unconscious body in the makeshift smithy, Duke gazes at the blade Amoria. Duke offers to make her his own, but Amoria begs him to spare her master.

Krenzi and Duke discuss the situation until the doorflap opens, and the Hound Socrates comes in, disguised as a Klav woman. He is pleased to see that Duke is free and begs for the help of Duke and Krenzi to escape the Hudbeklaaid war camp.

The Invader detects that, somewhere, Tulasa has opened the Infinite Stacks. He reveals this to Krenzi, who orders the demon to take them there.

Doubt

Gazing into the eyes of Tulasa on the peak of Heksepunt, the shade of Shiisa slackens her grip on the Warden’s neck as she searches for his name. At last, she begs him to slay the Eater of Knowledge to recover the memories he sucked out of her, so that she will can rest in peace.

Ghanna and Tulasa are still skeptical of her request, suspecting that she is the same demon that took Ausmundt’s form. Tulasa cuts his hand and cautiously offers her some blood to sate her thirst.

Shiisa lunges to drink from the wound, and Tulasa immediately opens a door to the Infinite Stacks. In the chorus of voices Tulasa and Ghanna heard before, Shiisa calls upon the shades of the Deenryk to strike Tulasa down before he can escape while grabbing Tulasa’s arm.

Ghanna rushes into the open door, finding herself among the piled books. Dozens of spectral figures, ghostly skeletons clad in rags and tattered flesh, erupt from the standing megaliths surrounding them and rush into Tulasa’s body. He collapses into the open door of the Infinite Stacks.

Still Shiisa keeps her grip on Tulasa’s wounded arm. Ghanna fires two well-aimed shots at the demon. Tulasa musters all his strength to call upon the Curator, the scribes, and all the shades of former masters of the Infinite Stacks to keep this demon out.

They rush forth, forming from clouds of dust coating every surface of the ancient library. They slam the door on Shiisa’s arm until she loses her grip on Tulasa. They close the door.

Ghanna immediately throws the mantle of the Loving Caress over Tulasa, who is in critical condition after the spectres rushed into him. He slowly begins to stabilize.

Into Adûnibad

Out of a shadow, the Invader appears with Krenzi and Socrates before going back for Duke, Amoria, and Maiven.

The sorcerers share some of their experiences and decide to take refuge in Adûnibad in order to recover. Duke offers the use of an old base in the city.