After being knighted by Prince Miyon of Cunaxa, Masul challenged Pol to a duel, but Pol, being only fourteen and not yet knighted, was unable to fight. Maarken, his older cousin, fought Masul in his place. In a fair fight Maarken would have won, but sorcery assaulted him, blurring his vision with shapes of phantom warriors. Masul toyed with Maarken, knocking him around as he tried to fight dozens of shadowed enemies. Masul was about to kill him, when Rohan intervened; Rohan killed him with two well-thrown daggers.