by Joe Jackson
“The elder will want to speak with you,” one of the guards said, turning to Sonja. “If you wish to pass through King Irrasitus’ realm, you will likely need to stop in Ruceria and request an audience with the regent.”
“King Morduri isn’t here?” Sonja asked.
“He is currently in Tess’Vorg, visiting with King Emanitar.”
“Probably hasn’t finished with those issues Kari told us about,” Kris said.
The guards both turned back to Kris when he said Kari’s name. “You speak of the Lady Vanador?”
“She’s moving up in the world,” Kris muttered to Sonja. “But yes; you know Kari well?”
“One could say she has left an impression upon the people of this village, particularly our women,” the mallasti said, turning back to Sonja. “Go to the elder; he will advise you whether to stay or go straight to Ruceria.”
Kris gestured for the others to come up the hill. The guards took in the party with a great deal of interest, particularly the paladins among their number. The rest of the village gathered to watch the new arrivals, and Kris silently cursed. It was the simple truth of any military action here on Mehr’Durillia: There was no hiding the fact that he and his friends were from Citaria. The way they stood out immediately, even in relatively friendly territory, meant that things were going to get interesting the moment they reached the border of Si’Dorra.
Perhaps, he mused, that’s something the regent can assist with. I guess it’d be a good thing for us to stop in and see them first either way.
Sonja led the way down to the village proper, past the totem poles that drew everyone’s attention. Kris met every pair of eyes he could as they passed among the villagers, and it wasn’t lost on him that almost every single mallasti here was female. The children were of different ages, but seemed to have been birthed in groups. Kris didn’t know much about village life here on Mehr’Durillia, but the utter lack of adult males made him wonder.
The elder was outside of his large, decorated tent when they reached it, and he recognized Sonja immediately. He bowed his head to her, and she returned the gesture. “You come among us again. Is the Lady Vanador with you?”
“No, she had to stay back home on Citaria,” Sonja answered in infernal. “We are passing through on the way to Si’Dorra, and thought to stop here, both to say hello and ask if we should go and speak with King Morduri’s regent.”
The aged mallasti nodded. “We were most saddened to hear of the death of Lady Vanador’s mate. But come, sit with us, share a meal with us, and we will speak of these things. Then we will send you off to see the Lady Irrasitus when you have been properly fed.”
The central firepit was lighted to prepare some food, and the Silver Blades took seats around it. Kris could see how curious his companions were to be close to mallasti for the first time. He, by contrast, was more curious with his companions and the way they were behaving on this alien world. Thus far, everyone seemed to be taking things in stride, from the people to the looming danger, and that helped settle Kris’ nerves as well. It was possible some people would begin to crack once they started to encounter trouble, but that was something Kris could manage. It was what he did as a general. But people who cracked before trouble even came? They were much tougher to use.
He paid only marginal attention to the conversations at first, as Sonja got reacquainted with those she’d met on her previous stay. By the account of one mallasti woman, many of the remaining males had answered the call of their monarch to go into Tess’Vorg and aid Emanitar in his invasion of Sorelizar. That came as a surprise to everyone, and only then did it start to sink in just what Kari had accomplished while here. And that made Kris grin.
That’s my girl, he thought, but then he glanced over at Sonja to find her ruby eyes on him in return. He smirked and she smiled, and he was satisfied to leave it at that. As much as he considered the Silver Blades friends, he didn’t know any of them that intimately, but he did know that Sonja was highly sensitive to thoughts and feelings. He and Kari still had yet to get anywhere in their budding relationship, but they also had yet to explain it to any of her in-laws. If Sonja was happy with knowing, he assumed the others would probably follow suit.
Conversation shifted to the brewing war in Sorelizar, but the people of Moskarre had no real details to share. Elestram runners had arrived just days before, and the village’s men had answered Morduri’s call. It was a sobering thing to see an entire village of mothers and their young with no men around to hunt for, defend, or otherwise assist with the child-rearing in the village. Yet despite how little he knew of mallasti as a whole, Kris had no doubts that the women could more than take care of themselves and their young when they worked together. If the gnolls of Citaria were any indication, the mallasti women would be fine without their men – for a time, at least.
“So when were you going to tell everyone?”
Kris was brought back to the conversation at hand quickly when Sonja addressed him. He looked around at his companions, who were equally as confused to what she meant. “What are you talking about? I was thinking about something,” he returned.
“Or someone,” she chuckled.
“Did I miss something?” Krycyd asked.
“Are you and Kari mated, then?” Aeligos asked.
Kris held his hands up. “Mated? Jesus, we kissed once. No, we’re not mated. I feel like I should be insulted that you think we even had time to get to that at some point before we left.”
The others chuckled, and Kris put a hand over his face as Sonja began explaining their brief conversation to the mallasti. Soon, he was fixed with many of those golden-, brown-, or orange-eyed stares in addition to those of the Silver Blades. Kris didn’t normally mind being the center of attention – he was a brigadier general, after all – but found himself uncomfortable being in the spotlight on account of his relationship with Kari. Grakin hadn’t died all that long ago, and he was mindful of the feelings of the Tesconis family, no matter how encouraging and welcoming they might seem on the surface.
“You’d better not break her heart,” Sharyn said. “All these big boys will be the least of your concerns if you do.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Kris muttered.
“She is quite a special woman,” the mallasti elder said, which drew everyone’s attention instantly. He was well-spoken in the Citarian trade tongue, and Kris found himself intrigued. “When first she came among us, it was as an enemy, tolerated only because His Majesty had some use for her. She took one of our daughters from us, a sacrifice to buy the freedom of another in Sorelizar.”
Sonja’s eyes teared up, and Kris glanced at Serenjols as he wrapped an arm around his sister’s shoulders. Liria, too, seemed to realize something in the elder’s words, and was lost in tear-eyed thought.
The mallasti elder continued, “The next time she came among us, it was by her personal choice. She brought back our daughter’s ashes, that she would remain a part of this village even after what King Sekassus did to her. It was one of the most honorable acts I have ever witnessed in near to four eras. We still did not appreciate it properly at the time, but we should have. A great change had come over Lady Vanador between those first two visits.”
“The next time she came among us, she brought her own daughter, named for the one our village lost, to honor the girl and her parents. This, too, she did of her own accord, without any prompting from our king or anyone else. It was apparent she did not just speak words to soothe feelings or make herself feel better, but that she had truly come to care for our people. And the last time…”
The elder sighed, looked around at his people, and said something to them quickly in the beshathan tongue. Kris knew nothing about that language, but the way the women’s faces all creased into smiles, those impassive gazes at last cracking, said that they agreed with everything the elder was saying.
“The last time she came here, it was once again at the behest of King Irrasitus. He asked of her a servi
ce in return for the life of our lost daughter: That she help avenge that life in some way. She accepted, but not only did she accept, but she has brought the realm of Sorelizar to chaos, the rule of King Sekassus nearly to ruin, and – as if that were not enough – she sent word to the parents of our lost daughter. She made sure, in the midst of the chaos and the battles and the aftermath, to send word that she had done it for her – for Uldriana – and for her parents.”
“Now I look around at you, at this gathering she has sent here for some reason you need not even explain to us, and we are honored. We are honored that she trusts and cares for us to such a degree that she would send her friends, family, and even her… potential lover to us to be welcomed to Mehr’Durillia. And so it is, my friends, that I welcome you to Pataria, to the village of Moskarre, and to our very homes. Should trouble befall you in your endeavors in the realm of King Arku, return here, and we will care for you.”
“We are honored,” Kris said, Sonja allowing him to do the speaking. “And yes, Kari certainly is a special woman. If you knew the particulars of how she even came to be in this time and place, you’d realize she’s even more special than you give her credit for.”
The elder mallasti nodded. “We know this. We know very little of her on the whole, but her actions and her words tell us enough. She has never had any true reason to care for us or fight for us, but she has. She has demonstrated that time and again, even in the short years we have known her.”
“Most of us wouldn’t even know each other, and certainly wouldn’t be here, if it wasn’t for Kari,” Sherman mused. “It was always a bit strange to me; as odd as it was that she had been resurrected, it was stranger still to me that she didn’t appreciate it. But she’s brought so many people – all of our peoples – together in fairly common causes, and… well, I’m not sure how true it is for the rest of you, but I want to follow her. She seems like a lynchpin, to maybe put it a little oddly.”
Kris made a gesture of agreement. “That’s why I kept her close to me during the War. Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system. I know you all think I just wanted to bed her, but you’re only partially right.” There was some open laughter even from the mallasti elder. “No, she had a way of inspiring people to follow her; I guess you’d say the same way I do. I could tell her what I needed done, and the soldiers would follow her without any argument, which left me free to take care of more command functions. She really was the best second-in-command I’ve ever had the pleasure of serving with.”
“Well, don’t screw it up this time,” Sharyn teased, but there was a look in her eyes that Kris thought he recognized. The werewolf nodded, then, and added, “I wish I had trusted her when I worked with her in Barcon. If I hadn’t killed that demon, maybe she’d know so much more, and we’d be so much better prepared for all this. I thought what I was doing was right at the time, but the more I hear about Kari, and the more I feel like I get to know her, the more I realize I was wrong. I should’ve trusted her. She’s not the greatest demonhunter in history for no reason.”
Corbanis turned to the werewolf but didn’t dispute that claim. Turik Jalar was widely considered the greatest demonhunter to have lived aside from Zalkar, but Kari was changing peoples’ minds. And she was just getting started. Kris looked around at his companions and the mallasti of Moksarre. Humans, werewolves, half-demons, mallasti, rir – all brought together to serve one woman. And that was to say nothing of all the differing faiths just among this group, from Be’shatha to the Ghost to Kris’ own Christian faith, and everything in between. Race, sex, creed, skill set – none of it mattered. They all fit, they all worked together, and they all served the cause with one commonality that overrode every difference:
Karian Vanador.
They finished eating, and soon the Silver Blades gathered up their things in preparation to leave. Kris turned to the mallasti elder. “Any message you’d like us to pass along to Kari when we get back home, aside from hello?”
The elder smiled and translated Kris’ words to the other mallasti. Soon, a female came and stood before the Warlord. “Yes, please,” she managed in an uncertain attempt at the Citarian trade tongue. She held one clawed, furry fist up in defiance. “Tell her: Epaxa chi’pri.”
*****
A light, pleasant rain settled in later that night, and remained persistent until the city of Ruceria came into view. It leant a sense of normalcy to Pataria, and Kris found it soothed a lot of his anxiety. Every detail that made it more like home was something he could plan for or around, and meant his tactical expertise would not be inadequate here. Most of his companions seemed less-than-pleased to trudge through inclement weather in their armor with no proper accommodations for sleeping. What Kris found curious were the ones who didn’t seem bothered by the rain.
Kris was sure he’d met werewolves before, but never one who was open about the fact. They typically did their best to simply pass as human; there were far too many people who were superstitious or just convinced that anything “unusual” had to be evil. Despite his upbringing – he was a prince, for what little that meant these days – Kris was no stranger to racial biases or even discrimination. There was no getting around the fact that he was serilian-rir, no matter who his mother was and regardless of her status as monarch.
Sharyn was completely open about the fact that she was a werewolf, at least among the Silver Blades and their companions. It had only taken Krycyd by surprise, but he took it in stride based on everyone else’s treatment of the shapeshifter. Sharyn gave off such a weird vibe, so much about her saying she was a child of the city, but her bestial side saying otherwise. The rain didn’t faze her at all, and despite the leather gear and the blades she carried in her human form, she seemed at home in the wild. Kris found there was some kindred spirit between them, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Nevertheless, every time their eyes met, she smiled: Sometimes subtly, but other times quite deliberately.
Liria also seemed unconcerned with the weather. The girl was hyper-vigilant at virtually all times, even taking the time to learn tracking and scouting from Gabrius and Aeligos where she could. Kris had been curious at Kari’s suggestion they bring the girl with them; after all, they weren’t planning to traverse the lands of the syrinthians. True, Liria was familiar with the beshathan language, but she represented a risk that Kris had a hard time quantifying when he sat awake at night, laying plans in his head.
Whatever the case, the girl took her role as a demonhunter seriously. At night, when they had the luxury of sparring and sharpening each other’s skills, she had demonstrated a deadly proficiency with her dual blades, and Kris didn’t miss the fact that she had learned Kari’s style at some point. Liria’s presence was just another example of how adept Kari was at picking people based on their skillsets. And, if he was allowing himself to gloat a little bit, it was also indicative of his own expertise at letting others make the call when they knew better than he did.
“What do you think?” Gabrius asked, rousing Kris from his thoughts.
“We don’t want to camp out here on the hillside with the city that close,” the Warlord said, assuming that was what Gabrius was asking. “A large group of people that refuse to come into the city, particularly when it’s raining, has to suggest bandits or assassins, even here.”
Liria nodded. “Refusing hospitality is an insult to the beshathan people, and they will assume the worst of us.”
“Do you know anything about this city?”
The syrinthian girl shook her head. “No, sir,” she slipped. “Aside from the obvious, that is: It’s the capital, it’s supposed to be where King Irrasitus lives. Gabrius and I saw some patrols around the outside walls, but they look preventative, not as though they’re expecting any kind of trouble. Oh, and the main gate is on the east side, opposite the lake.”
Gabrius bobbed his head in agreement with her assessment. “You are developing a good eye and the sharp mind that goes with it.”
Aeligos nodded.
“My suggestion: Let’s get inside the city and take a room at the first inn we see. Nothing devious, nothing suggesting we’re looking for trouble. I might be able to use some shapeshifting spells to accompany Liria out into the city if we want to do a little exploring before we turn in for the night. I’m not sure that’s the impression we want to give of her or ourselves, though.”
Kris shook his head. “Nope, definitely not. Let’s approach in small groups. It’s fine if they know we’re all together, but we don’t want to approach the gates of the capital city looking like a strike force or a band of mercenaries of some kind.”
He turned to the humans and werewolf first. “I think the four of you will be the least conspicuous of all of us, but none of you speak infernal, do you? Hmm, then we’d best have Sonja go first; she can take Krycyd, Aeligos, and Gabrius with her. Sonja, let them know others are coming a few at a time, if you would, then you can wait for the rest of us. Markus, the twins, and Sharyn can go second; I don’t think humans will concern them all that much, but…”
“You think they might smell what I am?” Sharyn asked, nodding to herself even before Kris could answer.
“Maybe. Nobody said anything in Moskarre, at least as far as I’m aware. They may not know what to make of it, even if they do.”
“It’s pretty subtle, even to my nose, and I know what to look for,” Sharyn offered.
“It’s fine, just be wary,” Kris said, and she nodded again. “Corbanis, you and Jol can go up together – the two of you may give them pause even without anyone else. Then I’ll bring up the rear with Liria and Eli.”
“Just wait till I tell Kari you were talking about Liria’s rear,” Eli said in deadpan tones.
The syrinthian girl turned a brilliant shade of rose as the others laughed. “You behave yourself!” she said, pointing a finger at the half-corlyps. “Or I will tell your wife of your crass sense of humor.”
“Oh, believe me, she got several years of it before we were mated.”
