"What are you doing?" said Furlus. "If this is a trap, why are we going along with it? I say let's settle this the way an Olrog would! As you said, the boy could lose his sanity. We should not risk this, Taris."
"Leave this to me," said Taris, placing his hand on Lannon's shoulder. "I have prepared myself well for this situation."
Lannon stared at the Goblin Lord, hesitating. The Eye was still unlocked, waiting to either be sent forth or be sealed away. But what was this talk of him being driven mad? What would he see when he probed the Goblin?
"Do not be afraid," said Taris. "You can do this, Lannon."
Taris' words eased Lannon's mind somewhat, and he slowly reached out with the Eye, probing the outer surface of the Goblin Lord. He intended to proceed with caution, but the Eye was suddenly sucked into the Goblin Lord, revealing its secrets in a rush of feelings and images. Lannon saw and felt something abhorrent to nature, a mutating of life that had come to resemble a sort of living death. A dark power bound this creature together-one that radiated from its heart, which was protected by a thick shell of bone and existed in the lower back. As long as this heart was intact, it could bind the creature back together again under most any circumstances. To kill the Goblin Lord, the heart would have to be utterly destroyed-burned completely into ashes by magical fire.
But the Eye of Divinity probed deeper, revealing that the Goblin Lord did not actually possess the power that it appeared to possess. It was only a powerful illusion placed in the minds of those who confronted it. Goblin Lords did not regenerate after being cut into pieces, because it only appeared that they were cut into pieces. The blades actually hacked through empty air. The Knights would have to see through that illusion and destroy the Goblin Lord's heart that was the source of all its power. It would not be an easy task, but it could be done.
Lannon had seen enough, and he tried to draw the Eye back inside him. But this Goblin was a puppet controlled by the Deep Shadow, and Lannon could not stop himself from delving into it. The Eye groped about, finding the threads that bound the Goblin to its master, and then it followed them to the source.
Lannon found himself drawn into a realm from which he could not escape. He felt a sense of coldness and loss beyond reason. It was as if his flesh had been stripped away, and all that remained of him was a ghostlike entity trapped in the Shadow Realm. Ages seemed to pass in the black silence, and Lannon's life of before became vague and shadowy, dreamlike. Lannon suspected that once he had dwelt in another world outside the Shadow Realm, but that it had been so long ago that the gateway to that world no longer existed. Regardless, he certainly could not find it in this endless void. Lannon felt that he would dwell in the Shadow Realm for infinity.
But then came Taris' whisper, faint and distant, telling him to abandon that place and come back to the world of the living. The whisper inspired hope, making Lannon wonder if indeed there was something beyond the great darkness, and he willed himself towards the sound of it. The whisper sought to lure him on, but Lannon lost his grasp on it. He thought he would never regain it.
Yet the whisper suddenly called to him again, much fainter than before. Lannon followed it, and this time it grew louder, until it became a command to wake him. Green eyes gleamed in the darkness, and burning fingers reached into his soul.
"Wake up!" Taris commanded.
Lannon's eyes sprang open and he sat up, his body trembling. The others stood over him looking relieved. The Eye of Divinity had drawn all the way inside him, and the Goblin Lord was gone from the passageway.
"We need to burn their hearts," said Lannon.
Chapter 16: Dark Evidence
Everyone was gathered around Lannon, exchanging anxious and concerned glances. Lannon stood up. He felt strangely refreshed, as if he had just awakened from a long slumber. His body felt light, his mind bubbling over with enthusiasm. In an excited voice, he told them exactly what he had seen-where the Goblin Lord's heart was located in its body, how it was encased in a protective shell of bone, and how the heart must be thoroughly destroyed.
"It's just an illusion," said Lannon. "Whenever Knights attack the Goblin Lords, they aren't actually making contact with them. So the Goblin Lords only appear to be invincible. But they're still very powerful, which is why it's necessary to destroy their hearts."
Taris smiled. "Sometimes, one only needs to appear invincible to actually be invincible. Their plan worked perfectly. Until now, that is."
"That was easy enough," said Furlus. "But we're not through yet. That Goblin Lord has escaped, and we still have the assassin to deal with."
"As soon as you blacked out," said Taris, "the Goblin fled down the tunnel. It must have realized it had overstayed its welcome."
"What happened to me?" asked Lannon.
"The Deep Shadow drew you in," said Taris. "When the Eye of Divinity looked upon it, it bound you tightly in its web and would not let you go. You could have been lost to us forever in the phantom mists, but I managed to call you back by means of my sorcery. It was a risky gamble, but a necessary one. However, our foes made just as large of a gamble-and they lost."
Lannon shuddered. "I might never have come back?"
"It was a possibility," said Taris. "One does not escape the Deep Shadow's clutches easily. It takes an incredibly strong will to do so. But take heart, Lannon, in your accomplishments. You are alive, and the Goblin Puzzle is solved."
"We need to get word to Cordus at once," said Furlus, "so that he can send a messenger to our Knights. At last, we know how to kill the Goblin Lords!"
"How will the Knights do it?" said Lannon.
"The fire of sorcery," said Taris. "They will use their burning blades. It will be difficult, for the heart is obviously well protected on these creatures-but it is certainly possible now that we know exactly where to focus our attacks. The main difficulty will be seeing through the illusion and actually making contact with the creatures, but I feel that too can be accomplished. The upper hand will now be ours!"
"Let all Goblins fear!" said Furlus. "The tide is about to turn. We will avenge our fallen Knights and rid Silverland once and for all of the evil."
"Jerret Dragonsbane," said Taris. "You should go back to North Tower to tell Cordus what we've discovered."
"But we need him," said Vorden, "in case Lannon has to call out the Eye."
Taris smiled knowingly. "I think Lannon has gone a step beyond that. From now on, he'll only need two of you to help him with the task."
"What about me?" said Aldreya.
"You shall stay with us," said Taris. "And learn."
Jerret looked both disappointed and a bit relieved. "Okay, I'll go. I guess someone has to." With that, he departed, stepping around the Bloodfang's corpse with a shudder. He did not look back.
"It is not wise to send him alone," said Furlus. "The knowledge he bears is too important."
"I can trail him," said Shennen. "I will keep myself hidden. If any harm befalls Jerret, I will make sure Cordus gets the message. Also, if I do not return soon, you will know there has been trouble."
Furlus nodded. "Have at it, then. We will wait for you here."
Shennen slipped off into the shadows.
"What now?" said Lannon, glancing down the tunnel. "Shouldn't we go after the Goblin Lord before it gets away?"
Taris studied him piercingly. "Relax yourself, Lannon. You've just gone through a terrible experience. It is strange how quickly you seem to have recovered, and I don't trust what my eyes show me. Just try to stay calm and focused."
Lannon nodded, but he could not do as Taris asked. He was too excited over his accomplishment, and he wanted to take some sort of action.