Just after the vis was finally caught the magi prepared to return back down the dark path that led to Brandon and their tent. As they started to move off the mound a gale blew up, and a great sandstorm arose, moving northwest across the breck towards them at great speed. In the middle of the onrushing sand could be seen a huge humanoid figure, darker than the night sky...

Lucius turned and fled, as did Grgory who amazed everyone by the speed with which he ran away. Lucius saw him encounter Black Shuck ahead; the mage and the faerie hound locked eyes for an instant, and then Gregory vanished...

Meanwhile the storm swirled around Janus and Byron, but they remained unscathed, apparently standing in the eye of the 'hurricane'. The figure solidified and dimished in size until it beacame an old man dressed in a tattrered and windblown pale yellow robe, playing a silver flute. He was quite clearly a faerie by his eyes of elaborately cut quartz...