Cecil thinks the cathedral should be burned down, since the orcs are definately evil, they are in league with the Black Robes (seeing as they've opened the portal), there are too many to fight, and nobody can think of a plan to break the portal without starting a fight. He sees not doing anything about it as unwise, and having a high chance of biting the party in the butt, so to speak. Rurik wants to burn it down mainly because he can. Wan and Aeron are of the opinion that burning the cathedral is wrong, or at best unhelpful. Telven agrees with Cecil, but when he sees the debate going nowhere, he chases after the dark-robed guy on horseback. Wan soon follows, as does Selmer, while Cecil and Rurik prepare to burn the building down anyway.

Sometime during this, Aeron slips away, taking the Halco stone on the long journey back to his hometown Jamaica. Aeron never really wanted to adventure and has been looking for a chance to unentangle himself of this whole business.

Wan and Telven trail the robed fellow until he makes camp. He sets up a tent and prepares a fire. Wan and Telven approach for a better view as the man walks toward the fire, gestures, and sends a bolt of fire into the heavens. (Probably some sort of signal, they reason.) Telven sneaks in to get the drop on the guy, but is heard and combat ensues. Meanwhile, Cecil, Rurik, and the prisoner Karn come to the tree where their party has tied their horses. They do likewise and approach with caution.

The robed individual -- a drow, it is found -- has reinforcements coming too, however. A barbarian and a mounted fighter come to his aid. Wan manifests greater concussion. Telven attacks, while maneuvering so as to avoid being double-teamed. Selmer attacks as well, trying to draw them away from the manifesting (and poor melee combatant) Wan.

The mounted warrior trys to protect the drow caster, but is hurt badly. The drow realizes he's in trouble and bails, running for his horse and dropping fog clouds. Despite a valient effort by Wan, Rurik, and Selmer, he manages to get on his nearby horse and speed away. Wan is able to keep pace with the horse through his psionically-enhanced running abilities, and Telven claims the mounted warrior's horse to take pursuit as well. The rest follow, but soon realize they can't keep up. The drow, Wan, and Telven race down the beach, until they reach a base of some sort, which the drow runs inside and calls for help. Wan and Telven turn and head back to the others, where the find Cecil checking the horses and Rurik looting bodies. They inform them of the base, and proceed on a path around it, weary from the long day's riding and fighting, but unable to sleep with pursuers hot on their trail.