- Rather than do another favor for Merklyn in exchange for a power-staff recharge, Darkstorm seeks out the ancient witch Heskedor for a curse to place on Leoric. He is given a potion that will prevent Leoric from turning from a lion back into a man - permanently, if it isn't reversed by third sunset on the same day. The Darkling Lords run the Dagger Assault disguised as an animal through a village whose inhabitants are superstitious against all magic and, when Leoric is called to help, spray him. It also turns him from blue to red and Darkstorm convinces the people that this is what Leoric was killed by so must be destroyed. Fletchen, a young woman from the village, gives the Spectral Knights word, but they don't know the truth about what they're looking to take down either...—brainybrailler@comcast.net
- The Darkling Lords have come to Merklynn to have their Power Staffs recharged. Merklynn asks them to go on a quest in exchange, but Darkstorm retorts that he and his followers will not go on another quest and will look elsewhere for magical assistance. As the Darkling Lords leave, Merklynn predicts that they will be back.
Later, Darkstorm and Mortdredd arrive at the cave which is home to an old witch named Heskedor, where Darkstorm tells her he has come in search of a spell or potion to use against Leoric. After several hours searching through old tomes, Heskedor reveals that there is a potion which will trap a Spectral Knight in their animal form, permanently if the spell is not broken by the setting of the Three Suns. Having obtained the potion, Darkstorm devises a plan to lure Leoric into a trap, using the superstitious inhabitants of a village near New Valarak as unwitting pawns. This plan involves disguising the Dagger Assault as a monster and recklessly driving it through the village, demolishing several cottages and causing the people to believe there really is a monster on the loose.
The villagers meet to discuss how they should deal with this supposed threat. None of them know anything about the ways of monsters, but a young woman named Fletchen suggests they ask Leoric to come and slay the monster, which is exactly what Darkstorm expected. Shortly after, several villagers including Fletchen and her father Gleering arrive in New Valarak, where Gleering tells Leoric that an evil magical beast is preying on their village and needs to be slain. Arzon retorts that things aren't evil just because you don't understand them, but Leoric rebukes him for talking out of turn. Fletchen then says the fact that the monster has left children hungry and homeless proves it is evil and begs Leoric to help her people. Leoric, charmed by her beauty, immediately agrees and heads north with the villagers.
When Leoric goes to confront the monster, he quickly discovers that he has been tricked and the Darkling Lords leap out and surround him. He tries to fight them, but they have him outnumbered and he is left with no choice but to use his Totem. The moment Leoric has transformed into his Lion form, Darkstorm throws the potion at him. When the villagers see Leoric in his animal form, they think he is another monster and throw spears at him. Leoric tries to change back into his human form, but is unable to do so, confirming that Heskedor's potion has done its job. As Leoric flees, Darkstorm tells the villagers that he and his followers are also hunting the monster. Fletchen then asks where Leoric is. Darkstorm tells her Leoric was killed by the monster, then as Fletchen walks away in tears tells the villagers that they can slay the monster if they join forces with the Darkling Lords.
Once Fletchen has regained her composure, she tells Gleering she will go back to New Valarak to break the news of Leoric's supposed death to the other six Spectral Knights. On hearing the news, Cryotek and Ectar immediately decide the Spectral Knights must slay the monster in order to avenge their fallen leader, and the others agree. A short time later, however, Lexor sends Fletchen who is part of a hunting party to search some monoliths where Leoric is hiding. When she encounters Leoric, Fletchen fears she is about to be killed, but then notices that Leoric is scratching his name on one of the stones and realises that, rather than being killed, Leoric must have been bewitched. However, the other villagers (including Gleering) still believe Leoric is the monster and refuse to listen when Fletchen tries to convince them otherwise. Leoric flees with the Darkling Lords in pursuit, as Fletchen gives chase.
Eventually, Leoric falls into a trap laid by his fellow Spectral Knights, who are about to dispose of what they believe to be the monster that killed their leader when Fletchen appears on the scene and shouts at them to stop. The Spectral Knights then free Leoric from the trap. When Fletchen notes that none of them seem surprised by Leoric's transformed state, Arzon tells her that they are all magic-users. Hearing this, Fletchen (who believes magic-users are evil by definition) backs away, but Ectar asks her whether Leoric would have volunteered to help her people if he were evil and Cryotek backs Ectar up, saying the Spectral Knights are not in the business of attacking things they don't understand. The conversation then turns to why Leoric hasn't changed back into his human form, and Fletchen says he has been bewitched. Arzon consults the Bearer of Knowledge, who says Heskedor is the only one with access to the potion which Darkstorm used on Leoric and tells the Spectral Knights where her cave is located.
Witterquick uses his Power of Speed to get to Heskedor's cave, where he finds her extremely reluctant to hand over the antidote the Spectral Knights need to free Leoric from his Lion form. Eventually, however, he forces her to give him what he came for and heads back to the village in his Cheetah form (with the bottle containing the antidote in his mouth) having exhausted his Staff's power getting to Heskedor. Meanwhile, the other Spectral Knights can do nothing except wait and hope Witterquick returns before the last of the Three Suns sets. Just as the last Sun is nearly touching the horizon, the Spectral Knights find themselves surrounded by the Darkling Lords and the villagers, three men from the village having seen Fletchen with Cryotek, Leoric, Arzon and Feryl and reported to Darkstorm. As the battle rages, Witterquick arrives with the antidote and douses Leoric with it, turning him back into his human form.
Leoric leaps up in front of everyone and shouts at them to stop fighting, saying the monster was all a ruse concocted by Darkstorm. In response, Darkstorm orders the villagers slain, but Cryotek uses his Power of Strength to put the Dagger Assault's weapons out of commission and the Darkling Lords are forced to retreat as the villagers hurl spears at them. Later, the Spectral Knights return to the village to help rebuild, and a romance begins to blossom between Leoric and Fletchen.
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