Serpents Rising (Eve of Redemption Book 3)

by Joe Jackson

  Kari smiled and looked over the massive gathering. When her eyes caught Typhonix’ shock of blonde hair, she saw that he was with his class of cadets. Kari was nervous about taking command, but she considered Ty and his attitude, and the fact that he had settled well into the role of drill instructor. She realized that the ability to lead wasn’t always something people could see in themselves until it was called upon. She looked from face to face among the headmasters, and wondered if any of them had dreamed they would spend the majority of their careers teaching instead of hunting. Had they, too, dreamed of one day becoming Avatar and leading the Order?

  “Attention!” Lord Allerius bellowed, shocking Kari. She turned and saw that the Council was arriving in the main square with a terra-rir male she didn’t recognize. The Council rarely made appearances before the cadets: since they were there to guide and aid the Avatar or other head, they didn’t typically interact with the hunters or cadets. Normally if a hunter was called before the Council, it was for disciplinary reasons, and most of the hunters Kari knew personally were intimidated by the priests. Kari, too, had been a little intimidated when she stood before them to be promoted to the rank of Sword of the Heavens three years before. She wondered who their guest was.

  “At ease,” Master Perez directed the gathering. Master Bennet may have been head of the Council, but Master Perez was the most highly-decorated military officer among either the clergy or the Order, and so he was usually placed in command of these types of proceedings. “Lord Allerius, step forward.”

  Albrecht approached Master Perez and gave him the demonhunter salute, touching his fist over his heart and bowing his head. “Lord Albrecht Allerius, Lady Vanador has been promoted and is now the highest ranking member of Zalkar’s Demonhunter Order,” Master Perez announced in a loud, clear voice that carried across the campus like it was a battlefield. “You stand relieved of your duties as Commander of the Order, but shall remain Lady Vanador’s second-in-command. You are hereby assigned the office of Lieutenant Commander of the Order, to be Lady Vanador’s right hand, and carry out her wishes in her absence.”

  “I accept this office and the duties and responsibilities that come with it, for as long as the Unyielding deems me fit,” Lord Allerius returned formally with another salute.

  “Lady Vanador, step forward,” Master Perez ordered, and Kari stepped before him and saluted him the same way Lord Allerius had. “Before your promotion is made official, His Grace, Duke Krycyd Jalar of Sutherland and Lord of the Avenger Order would like a word with you in the presence of our entire Order.”

  “Your Grace,” Kari said formally with a bow, suddenly keenly aware that she hadn’t introduced herself or properly greeted the Duke of Sutherland. While it was understandable since she didn’t recognize him, she still considered it a lapse in decorum. Thankfully, his expression and mannerisms said he didn’t.

  Krycyd Jalar was a handsome man, and Kari couldn’t help but note the similarities between him and Kris Jir’tana, her commander during the Apocalypse. They had the same blue eyes, though the Duke’s hair was a stark white as was common among the terra-rir, combed back and gathered into a tail so that he could wear it long in the tradition of warriors without seeming unkempt. His features were handsome, but there was a hardness that lay just below the surface that betrayed his position as a paladin and the Lord of the Avenger Order. His attire was all at once practical but stylish: a set of armor that was part hardened leather with plates upon it, inlaid with the mark of the Avenger Order and a golden eagle that denoted his position as its head.

  “Lady,” the Duke of Sutherland returned with a polite nod. “It was brought to my attention several weeks ago that you aided the Earl of Southwick with a rather serious demon infestation. Lord Black and my agent, Marshal Saracht, both spoke very highly not only of your efforts, but of the way you held yourself and the respect you showed both of their positions. The marshal indicated I should give you a commendation for valor, but to be honest, Lady Vanador, I think such a thing to be rather trivial given your position and history. You do not need me or anyone else hanging a medal from your breastplate to let everyone know of your deeds.”

  He paused a moment, so Kari took advantage. “It was an honor to be of service, Your Grace,” she said formally with another bow.

  The Duke of Sutherland chuckled, but Kari sensed he wasn’t laughing at her. “I have spoken at length with the Duke of Brunswick regarding this, and we have come to an agreement. As I have no authority to bestow land or titles upon his citizenry, I had to first negotiate a way to do so with him. I will not go into details; they should be of little concern to you. What you should be concerned with, however, is the estate now in your legal possession, and the title of Baroness he has agreed to bestow upon you.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kari said, though that wasn’t exactly true. She understood exactly what the Duke was saying; she simply didn’t understand why this had come to pass. Kari had never considered herself anything close to noble, and in fact hadn’t been entirely pleased with being bestowed the title of Lady when she reached the rank of Sword of the Heavens. Kari had grown up a street rat, trash from the bustling city of Solaris, and while she had cleaned herself up and made something of herself over time, she still had a hard time seeing herself as a member of the nobility. In all honesty, she preferred being part of ‘the common rabble.’

  “As I said, I will not go into too much detail,” he said with a wave of his hand. “At this point it is simply another feather in a cap that has quite a few of them. The Duke of Brunswick will no doubt bring you to his court to explain this matter in due time. And though I will not bore you or this gathering of fine hunters with the details, I wanted you to know that this is a gift from me, as recognition and thanks for what you have done on behalf of my people.”

  “Thank you, my…er, Your Grace,” Kari said, catching her error. “I’m not sure I’ll fit in well among the nobility, but I’ll try not to disappoint you.”

  “Pfffft,” the Duke of Sutherland sounded with a dramatic gesture that sent muffled chuckles through the gathering. “Lady Vanador, it is most of the nobles who will have trouble fitting in with you. You are a woman of strength and character, one who puts the welfare and the defense of god, kingdom, and commoner alike ahead of all else. That is what nobility is about, not dressing in fancy clothes and strutting about like peacocks at balls and social gatherings. The nobility was established to lead and defend our people, and those are two things you do better than almost anyone I can think of. In the end, the title of Baroness is just that: a title. It is what you do that makes you noble, Lady Vanador, not this title. I hope you always remember that.”

  Kari wasn’t sure what to say, and the hundreds of sets of eyes watching her did little to help with her speechlessness. She stared at the Duke for several long moments, but then she saw him not as a Duke, but as the head of the Avenger Order and a descendant of Turik Jalar, her contemporary in her previous life. “In honor, strength,” she began the salute of the Avengers.

  “And in strength, victory,” he finished, and he straightened up and graced her with a crisp military salute. The entire Order – including Lord Allerius and even the priests of the Council – mimicked his salute in the demonhunter way. Kari knew there was great significance to being saluted by the head of a fellow order – and a Duke at that – and she touched her fist over her heart and bowed her head. He added, “Love justice, but do mercy, Lady Vanador. And should you need the aid of the Avenger Order in anything, you have only to ask, and you shall receive.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. The Duke of Sutherland nodded politely to her again and then took a place off to the side to watch the rest of the ceremony.

  Kari hoped she could keep her head on straight for the rest of the ceremony. She was now a Baroness, but she didn’t really know what to make of that other than she was a step up from whatever her previous Lady title had meant. The Duke had also mentioned an estate and land
, and Kari wondered where that might be located. She had felt somewhat ashamed for living off of Grakin’s mother for the previous three years, and she looked forward to either being able to stand on her own two feet, or maybe even return the favor and let Kyrie live with her and Grakin for a change. She pushed the thoughts aside as best she could; the Duke of Sutherland had said the Duke of Brunswick would explain it to her in due time.

  Master Perez stepped forward once more. “Now then, Lady Vanador, the Council of the Order recognizes the promotion given to you by High Priest Attir Surallis. As the only hunter of the rank of Hand of Zalkar or above, you are now the highest-ranking demonhunter in the Order. The command of the Order is now yours, should you accept this position. What say you?”

  “I accept the position and the duties that come with it, until I am either unfit to lead or outranked by another hunter,” Kari said, trying to somewhat mimic what Lord Allerius had said. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to say, if there was anything specific expected of her. “By the grace of the Unyielding, I accept this command.”

  “Then by his grace, as his priests, the Council recognizes you as the Grand Commander of the Demonhunter Order. Though you do not hold the position of Avatar of Vengeance, you will henceforth command the Order as though you do, until such time as you relinquish your command, are surpassed by another hunter, or are otherwise relieved of your duties by age, deity, or death. Grand Commander and Baroness Karian Vanador, stand and be recognized.”

  Kari turned and faced the gathered members of the Order and stood at attention, and the sound of them all snapping to attention and hitting their fists over their hearts echoed through the square and Kari’s soul. “Ma’am!” they shouted in unison, and again the booming sound echoed through her. Kari returned the salute.

  When Kari turned and looked to her left, she saw that the Duke of Sutherland was likewise standing at attention and saluting her again. Kari’s career had been almost exclusive to the continent of Terrassia in her previous life, and very little of her work since her resurrection had involved the Avenger Order. That left her to wonder exactly what the relationship between the two Orders was like, and whether she should or even needed to work to bring them closer. It seemed the Duke of Sutherland and Lord of the Avenger Order already held a great deal of respect for her – no doubt being a descendant of Turik Jalar had a lot to do with that – and Kari couldn’t help but imagine what the two Orders working in tandem could accomplish. That made her wonder what, if anything, the Avenger Order might know about Emma or the underworld.

  Headmaster John Campbell, a middle-aged human in charge of physical training, stepped forward and addressed Kari for the first time as Grand Commander. “Ma’am, what is your first order as our new head?” he asked loudly and clearly.

  Kari glanced over her shoulder at Lord Allerius, who gave her a muted smile; he would be of no help to her in this. She turned back to the headmaster and said, “Get back to work. We don’t get paid to stand around looking pretty.”

  There was muffled laughter from among the cadets and hunters. Headmaster Campbell saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am!” before turning to the rest of the gathering and bellowing, “You heard the Commander! Cadets, back to your training!”

  “Your Grace, could I talk to you in the meeting room for a while?” Kari asked the Duke.

  “Certainly, but first, Lady Vanador, let me just say that should you come to visit me in my court, there you should refer to me as His Grace, the Duke of Sutherland. When I come to visit you here on your campus and in the Duchy of Brunswick, you may simply call me Krycyd,” he said with a disarming smile.

  Kari couldn’t help but see that same charm that Kris Jir’tana had possessed in Krycyd’s smile and in those intense blue eyes. “And you can call me Kari; that’s what my friends call me,” she said, extending her hand. The two shook and then Kari addressed her superiors and new lieutenant commander. “Lord Allerius, Masters, I think it’s best if we all speak together.”

  They retired from the campus’ main square while the cadets began their training once more. In the back chamber of the temple, the Council took their seats behind their long table, and Kari, Albrecht, and Krycyd stood before the Council. Kari was thinking about her upcoming meeting with Amastri that night, and she figured as long as she had the Lord of the Avenger Order visiting her city, she may as well see what information she could get out of him. If he knew anything about Emma, her possible connection to the Temple of Archons – or indeed anything about the Temple – or anything about the underworld, it could only serve to help make sure Kari’s pending mission there was as low-risk as possible.

  Everyone sat patiently waiting for Kari to address them, so she finally spoke. “Krycyd, I was wondering if you know anything about a mallasti named Emma?”

  “Emma? Oh yes, quite an elusive creature, that one. Our paladins have encountered her on several occasions over the last decade and a half, and several have been gravely injured trying to apprehend or kill her,” he answered.

  “Have you ever figured out what she’s up to?”

  Krycyd shook his head. “No, Kari,” he said. “As I am sure you can understand, it just may be even more difficult for members of my Order to get information from demons than it is for your own. These underworld demons are sensitive to the auras our paladins possess, and can sense us coming from some distance away. Emma has long been wary of members of my Order, and, though it is surprising that she has not killed any of my men, she has disabled several of them, some more permanently than others.”

  “And does your Order know anything about the Temple of Archons?” she asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. If the priesthoods of the pantheon collectively couldn’t tell her much, she doubted an order of paladins would know more. Still, she reasoned it couldn’t hurt to ask, and might in fact help if she made Krycyd and his men aware of the issue.

  “I know only the most basic of things about it: the language upon its face is unreadable, the locking mechanism requires seven jade seals to open, and there is doubtless something very valuable inside. I take it you are suggesting that Emma is interested in the Temple somehow? That she seeks to open it and steal whatever secrets or power lie inside?”

  “For herself or her master; either way, it’s a problem,” Kari said with a nod. Krycyd seemed to give it some thought, but there were other members of Kari’s Order that could fill him in on the details, not the least of whom were sitting in the room with them. She decided to keep going with her questions rather than go over things again. “What about the underworld, does your Order know anything about its workings or how to get to and from there?”

  “Good heavens, no,” the Duke said. “As I said, these underworld demons can sense our auras from a fair distance; one of my Order going to the underworld would be suicide.”

  “So if I told you I might be planning to go there, you’d tell me I was crazy?”

  Krycyd beheld her curiously; Kari wasn’t sure if it was because he found her intention alarming or amazing. She surmised probably a combination of the two. “You can at least hide the fact that you are a demonhunter,” he said after a few moments. “Unless under the effects of a Blood Oath or if you are an Avatar of Vengeance such as Turik Jalar was when he travelled there, the demons likely could not tell you apart from any other adventurer who was marooned there. I would tell you that such a plan is risky and unwise, but depending on why you go and how you conduct yourself, it may not be suicide. What do you seek in the underworld?”

  “Information, in a sense,” Kari said. “I was just hoping you might be able to tell me something about the underworld so I can get in and out without drawing everyone’s attention.”

  “I regret that I cannot,” he said. “I would offer you the services of my paladins, but they would only accomplish what you are trying to avoid. Have you spoken with Lord Chinchala at all? He may be able to tell you things that would help, being a demon king himself.”


  Kari hadn’t really thought about that. She was wary about asking a demon king about how to stir up trouble in his homeland, whether he’d allied himself with the pantheon or not. All it would take would be one wrong word said to the wrong person or demon, and Kari could find herself the target of a lot of interest. On the other hand, if he was willing to talk, he would know a lot more about the underworld and its workings than virtually anyone else. It brought her back around to her thoughts a few weeks earlier when she’d wondered why no one had ever just asked him about it in the first place. She imagined they had, and he hadn’t liked being questioned about it. After all, he still had family in the underworld, and his alliance with the pantheon was probably already seen as a betrayal.

  “Maybe I should,” Kari said quietly. She turned to the Council. “Masters, is there any way you can get in contact with Lord Chinchala? I can ask my mate or my mother-in-law to have Kaelariel contact him if not.”

  “It would be much easier and quicker for your family to do so,” Master Bennet said.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you, Kari?” Krycyd asked. “I am expected back at Duke Bosimar’s court shortly.”

  Kari shook her head somewhat absently. They shook hands again and Kari said, “Just one personal question, if you don't mind. I'm just wondering how you manage to run your Order and act as Duke? How do you find the time?”

  “Dereliction of duty, mostly,” Krycyd said dryly, drawing chuckles from some of the Councilors. Kari was shocked, but then the Duke cracked a smile and added, “I'm joking. I delegate a lot of my authority, honestly. My sister, Rosetta, handles much of the day-to-day requirements of the duchy, leaving me to concentrate on my Order, as small as it may be. You would do well to remember that Lord Allerius has run your Order impeccably since the loss of your Avatar, and you should take full advantage of that when you feel stretched thin. You have many capable headmasters serving you as well; utilize them to full effect.”