Impossibly, for an instant, the stone in his amulet glowed black. Recoiling, he nearly flung the thing away, but retained his composure and silenced it.
"Demons!"
The sylph backed away, hands to her mouth, unnoticed.
"Belloc, how can this be? I thought demons could not endure the light of day! And how could I detect them from so far away?"
"They had aid," replied the wizard, his face a study in comprehension, "for they cannot endure the light of day, nor is their power so far-reaching. But whatever has aided them must be powerful indeed, for even the weather has been affected. Do you not feel it? This is not a natural wind."
"Then it's no wonder the elves are being secretive."
"Yes, I'm afraid they may have already encountered something that slipped by us during the night. If it was a demon, or something worse, the elves will be badly overmatched. Arrows are useless against demons for they simply burn to ash. Swords melt at their touch. Their breath is said to be hot like the maw of a forge that melts iron."
With a glance at the east, as though he expected to see the enemy's hordes coming over the horizon to assail them, Anest said, "What will you do?"