Rushing down into the tunnels, Varkasan could not help but feel a grim sense of danger as they descended. Having witnessed Azure's power firsthand, he was reluctant to face it again, especially so soon. But he had a duty to perform, and his fear had to be put aside. [i]"Besides, we have more Inquisitors here to fight him with. The odds are better than last time..."[/i] Varkasan thought. Or at least, hoped.

After wandering the maze-like caverns for a short while, they came across the strange blue crystal formations; the signature of the Azure Sorcerer. "Is there anything special about this crystal? Did you see him use anything similar?" Sebastian asked."Yeah, the crystal consumes you, and traps you inside. Probably best if you didn't touch it..." Zander answered."He's right, sir. Azure conjured these things and used them to slaughter Levran and his force. Don't touch them, whatever you do. Everything his crystals came into contact with turned into crystal as well. It is... a disturbing sight..." Varkasan said, glancing at the crystallized bodies of the dwarves. Acknowledging them, Sebastian created a radiant ball of light to clear a path through the crystals. It shined so bright and hot that Varkasan had to keep his distance from it while averting his eyes. The walk with the ball of light did not last long however, as the group began hearing the sounds of clashing steel and cries of pain. "Oh no, Azure is in the workshop!" Sebastian exclaimed as he began running in the direction of the noise.

Reaching a room, they were surprised to see the Azure Sorcerer retreating from a doorway and hastily constructing a crystal wall. Before any of them could react, the wall shattered as something sped past it, but it was too swift for Varkasan to see. He would've given more thought to the mysterious wall-breaker if they did not have more pressing concerns at the moment, namely the doors locking them in and the leader of the Azure Covenant standing before them.

"Looks like I got here just in time to meet the infamous Azure Sorcerer. Thanks for saving us the trouble looking for you." Sebastian taunted the Mage. "Hmm, another Inquisitor. I wonder how long you will last." Azure responded. It did not take long for the situation to escalate into a battle between the two powerful warriors. Varkasan and Zander were ordered to stay back.

The two fighters fought wildly, with a strength and skill that Varkasan had never seen in both a Paladin or a Mage before. Sebastian initially gained the upper hand, but Azure quickly turned that around after drawing a ruby sword with magical properties. Azure was able to bring down Sebastian using it. Varkasan had already enchanted his blade and was about to intervene, when he heard several footsteps coming up behind him. Varkasan turned around to see the reinforcements arrive just as Azure fled into the other tunnels. The Inquisitors seemed to think it more important to tend to Sebastian instead of chasing after Azure, but Zander seemed to think differently.

Brandishing his axe, the large Paladin marched forward in the direction of Azure's retreat. "I'll kill him!" He exclaimed. "Zander, it's too late! He's probably teleported off by now. There's no way we can catch him now with his movement magic." Varkasan called out to his comrade as he knelt down next to the wounded Inquisitor. With his help, the rest of the Paladins carried Sebastian back up into the fortress.

-----
(Some time later)

Still in his armor, Varkasan sat on the bed of his room. He was relieved to hear that Inquisitor Sebastian would survive, but everything was still happening so fast. Two Inquisitors brought down by the Azure Sorcerer, countless Paladins dead, and the safety of Meldiniar hanging by a thread as the Azure Covenant's plans were set into motion. [i]"And to think I was sparring with my friends in the Covenant of The Guardians not more than two days ago...[/i] He thought.

He wondered what he would have to do next. Obviously, he was going to be trained into becoming a Witch Hunter. [i]"But when? And what manner of trials await us?[/i] He thought to himself. Standing up, he looked outside of the window of his room, half-expecting to see Mages begin storming the fortress. With everything that has happened, nothing would surprise Varkasan at this point. Continuing to look outside the fortress, trying to enjoy the view from the plateau, he still could not shake off the urge to act. But until he received new orders, he would have to sit and wait.