More time goes by as Rathi considers Domovoi and Dovri’Nisi’s invitation, weighing it against his inexplicable desire to stick around and somehow earn Jerek’s acknowledgment along with remaining with the priests. One evening finds Rathi sitting on the temple steps, alongside but ignored by the warknight, who is also seated there and playing a soft tune on his flute.
Suddenly an attack comes from the woods around the temple. The bandit leader and her surviving men have returned with numerous reinforcements, seeking revenge for their humiliating defeat at Jerek’s hands. The warknight immediately leaps to the fray and this time brings an astounding array of magics to bear as well, shielding himself against the raider’s arrows and arcing bright bolts of energy from N’serric’s blade.
This time the bandits are slaughtered to the last, but in the aftermath, Jerek finds that in the initial volley of arrows fired upon him, his shield-magic protected only himself. Rathi, an innocent bystander of the bandits’ revenge, is dead.