“When I was a young man, our tribe came to a place, a terrible place a valley called the valley of the dead. Here the very ground is made of glass, the forests at its edge are stone trees, that never grow or die. It is said any who enter the valley of the dead never return. It is filled with the skeletons of all creatures, they perish by the hand of the invisible death that walk the glass floor of this unholy place.”

“You're still alive.”

“Yes but all my people are dead. Death followed us until it caught us. We had to enter the valley of the dead for a Torbral was following us. At the far end of the valley lies the land of Arlon. It is truly a terrible place. Many daughters of the Sun stand there taken by the spirit of death. We dare not enter the land, for none of us would have ever returned. It never rains or snows there nor does the wind blow. It is truly a terror filled place. Once we drew near the Arlon, even the Torbral took fear and left.”

“I find it all very hard to believe,” David said. “Sounds like a fairy tale. Lomi said that the Arlon is in all dead monoliths, is that true?”

“It is said that the Arlon is the spirit of the Torbran. Just as man is afraid of the spirits of dead people the Torbran and Torbral are afraid of their spirits for only they have the power to destroy them. Even the Torbral dare not gaze upon the Arlon.”

“Well,” David said. “I think it's a load of rubbish, it doesn't frighten me. I'd like to see it, and examine it. You'll have to take me there.”

The old man smiled. “You are foolish enough to go. But your lasers would not harm it.”

“Does it frighten you old man, the thought of going there?”

“No, for I have been there, I am already cursed, I can only die but once. My spirit has already been claimed by it, I have nothing to lose. But you, you will be consumed by it.”