by Joe Jackson
“We’ll see if we have enough chairs and you can join us for dinner,” Kari said.
Kyrie sighed loudly and went back into the kitchen, and her husband followed after her. Emma’s eyes scanned the many faces before her, and she absently stroked Little Gray’s head while the boy held onto her leg. Her eyes lingered on Aeligos for a minute, the touch of a smile playing across her countenance, and then she settled her gaze on Eryn. The half-brys woman engaged the mallasti in quite the staring contest.
“You were the infiltrator,” Emma offered at length, and Eryn nodded. “This one was most impressed with your skillset.”
That opened up many questions about Emma’s involvement in the incident on Tsalbrin years before, but at the same time, Kari knew she’d get no answers. As it turned out, she didn’t get the chance anyway.
“I don’t care, I want her out of this house!” came Kyrie’s strained voice from the kitchen, ending all conversation in the sitting area.
Emma shambled toward Kyrie, and the priestess straightened up before her. They were about the same height, their eyes equally intense as their gazes clashed. “Priestess, this one understands your trepidation and anger. But she has made a promise to Lady Vanador that she will cause no issues while she is a guest of this household. Indeed, as is custom among her own people, this one will defend this household and all within it while she is a guest here. When this one has taken her leave, you may revoke her welcome, and she will relinquish her rights to visit here willingly. This one gives her word on that.”
Kyrie held the carving knife up and pointed it at Emma’s face. “Be thankful this isn’t my house, or you’d be picking yourself up from the dirt outside,” was all she offered in response before she returned to preparing dinner.
“Have a seat,” Kari said as she approached Emma.
“The slave does not eat with the master or their guests,” the mallasti girl returned.
“That’s fine. But you’re not a slave here. Sit and eat with us.”
Emma beheld Kari with those orange eyes, and she closed them and bowed her head slowly, deliberately. Something passed between Eli and Danilynn, but they said nothing when they came to the table.
Little Gray jumped into Emma’s lap as soon as the mallasti was seated. “I’m sitting with Fuzzy Lady!” he yelled excitedly.
“Little Gray, her name is Emma. Can you say Emma?” Kari corrected.
“Fuzzy Lady!” he insisted. The sound of Emma chuckling brought everyone’s attention back to her, but no further words were exchanged.
Kari excused herself to go get Uldriana from upstairs. When she returned, she wasn’t surprised to find Eli on one side of Emma, with an empty seat on her other side. Kyrie sat across from the mallasti, her normally kind and reserved features hardened to just shy of a scowl that never left Emma. There was no talk around the table, an unheard-of thing in this household. Kari took a seat beside Emma and glanced at the mallasti girl before everyone else joined hands and Kyrie said a blessing over the meal.
It was a tense dinner. Everyone had questions they wanted to ask Emma, but Kari could see they all knew they’d get no answers. With Damansha and Danilynn’s new children present, they dominated most of the discussion. Kyrie and Sonja were already helping the new mothers. All had been arranged so they could have their babies right in Kari’s home and pool all the available help between their children and Kari’s. It was the major advantage of having such a big family: there was so much help between family and friends in virtually any situation.
With the arrangements for the children all taken care of, and Aeligos offering to take over Ty’s work while he was gone, Kari felt confident in leaving for Mehr’Durillia the day after tomorrow. She’d have to let the Council know she was going, and make contingencies in case something happened and other hunters needed to follow her to Anthraxis and question her whereabouts. Erik and Corbanis quickly volunteered to do that, and Kari left the details to her experienced father-in-law.
Once the children were asleep and everyone was winding down, Kari went to her room to pack her things. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be gone, but if she was headed to Moskarre, she was confident she’d only need to supply for a few days. The village could supply her with any other sundries she needed, and if she was to accompany King Morduri somewhere, she was sure he would arrange for her logistical needs.
Glancing at her bed, she already felt an ache of longing. She wasn’t sure she could make love to Kris in the bed she had shared with Grakin, but in the back of her mind, she wished she already had. She wasn’t sure how keenly their immediate separation was going to hone the edge of that emotional blade, but she was curious to see how she’d feel. She didn’t just want to have sex with Kris; she wanted to have a relationship with him. It wouldn’t ever be the same as the one she had with Grakin, but it might be just as good on its own merits.
Emma arrived and, without a word, began to help Kari pack. The demonhunter didn’t miss the way the mallasti girl’s gaze kept returning to the bed. “This one offers her condolences on the loss of your mate,” she said. “She is no stranger to the loss of family, and hopes that your grief is short-lived, and magnifies the memories of your love.”
Kari nodded. “Thank you. I assume you probably lost everyone, if you ever had anyone before you were sold into slavery?”
“Indeed. King Morduri, too, knows what it is to have lost family. This one would advise you to build on that facet of your relationship, should things not go the way you would like.”
The demonhunter scrunched up her brow. “You’re giving me advice on how to deal with your mate?” She waved off her own words. “I know he’s not technically your mate, but still.”
“This one’s primary task is keeping you alive and safe, Lady Vanador. Even at the cost of her own life. That supersedes any other wants or desires in her life, even those that pertain to a man she might like to have as a mate.”
“Is there any way to earn or buy your freedom from the Overking?”
Emma didn’t answer for a minute while she helped fold or roll up clothes for Kari to put in her pack. “There are some kings that might have something valuable enough to purchase this one from the Master, but otherwise, no. This one is far too valuable to ever release on a whim, and so there is no hope of earning her freedom. And the price for her would be one you could not possibly comprehend.”
“So Morduri would have nothing he could trade for you, then?” Kari pressed, receiving a shaking head in response. “So you stand to gain from someone overthrowing your master.”
Emma’s eyes smoldered dangerously. “Lady Vanador, cease this line of questions and thoughts. This one will not discuss such things with you. Remember that despite her orders to safeguard your life, her first loyalty is to the Master.”
“I had to ask,” Kari returned with a shrug.
“This one supposes you would, yes,” the mallasti sighed, rising to her feet. “Your child has requested that this one sleep in his room. If her use of the floor is acceptable to you, this one will retire for the night there.”
Kari smirked. “If he keeps you awake, you have my permission to use your arcane magic to make him sleep til morning.” Emma snorted, a touch of humor on her hyena-like countenance as she bowed and turned to leave. “Good night, Emma. Sweet dreams.”
The mallasti girl turned a shocked gaze upon Kari, but said nothing. She bowed her head again and made her way to Little Gray’s room. Kari wondered at the reaction, but she finished her packing. Then she knelt beside her bed, prayed to Zalkar and Sakkrass, and climbed under the covers. The Duke still had not made his decision on granting Kari permission to have a temple to Sakkrass built, but the ever-present whisper of Zalkar in her mind told her to be patient and not push too forcefully. She trusted in that, but maintained her promise to both of her deific patrons that she would get it done, one way or another.
Lying down, she was slightly troubled by Kyrie’s reaction to having the mallasti in the house, bu
t she had slept under stranger conditions, so it didn’t bother Kari all that much. What bothered her more was the mallasti’s staunch denial of wanting anything to do with overthrowing the Overking. Having such an ally on Kari’s side would be tremendous, and she thought of the two elestram rebels that were so close to King Koursturaux.
Subtlety was going to be the best weapon going forward.
Chapter III – A Modest Proposal
The Order’s council certainly wasn’t looking forward to Kari visiting Mehr’Durillia again, particularly alone. As Avatar of Vengeance, though, they didn’t have the authority to keep her from going if it’s what she thought was best. The vast majority of the time, they encouraged her even when they didn’t agree with her, dating back to before she had become Avatar. Now, she had the authority to override their advice on many issues, though thankfully, she hadn’t needed to do so as of yet.
The priests were pleased that she had already put contingencies in motion. Corbanis and Erik were arranging a later visit to Anthraxis with the help of Eliza Chinchala whether Kari came back on schedule or not. She was satisfied with it as well. Corbanis and Erik may not know much about Mehr’Durillia, but they were already consulting Danilynn, Eli, Sonja, and Aeligos for their thoughts and knowledge. If they went, they would be prepared; Kari trusted that Erik and his father would see to that.
Kari wondered if there would be a law or other deterrent against keeping a permanent presence in Anthraxis. Certainly, having a couple of hunters or administrators from the Order stay in the city and keep eyes and ears open for the goings-on of Mehr’Durillia as a whole would be preferable to depending on people like Amastri. More than that, such a presence might serve to keep the kings on their toes, making them second-guess their immunity to resistance from the people of Citaria. It would be a dangerous assignment and unnerving at the least, but it would signal a shift in the balance of power between the demon kings and Citaria.
She approached the clerk in the customs office, a step behind Emma. The mallasti had delivered Kari safely to Anthraxis as requested, and as usual, the first order of business was to declare herself and her reason for visiting Mehr’Durillia. How Kari wished the same held true for Citaria: that anyone breaching its dimensional barriers would get funneled right to the campus of the Order, where they could be questioned and possibly sent back where they’d come from. The Overking had the single most effective form of defending his home world that Kari could even imagine; she had to give him that.
“Emmalikas, returning from Citaria with a guest,” the mallasti said. The elestram female sitting behind the counter turned cold golden eyes onto Kari, and she stepped forward.
“Karian Vanador, Avatar of Vengeance, here to visit King Morduri in his home realm of Pataria by his request,” she announced herself confidently.
The elestram turned her silent gaze back to Emma. “This one shall inform the Overking, as is right and proper,” the mallasti said.
They were waved off without a word, the elestram making notations in her journal. Emma led Kari outside. “Be safe in your travels; this one does not wish to have to find another Salvation’s Dawn should you fall.”
“Why Emma, that sounded almost friendly,” Kari teased. “If the Overking says anything, you can tell him I said it’s not me dying that he should be concerned with.”
The mallasti girl blinked slowly, no other change in her expression. “This one shall refrain from passing along any such foolish threats.”
Kari chuckled. “Thank you for the help. I’ll see you again soon, I’m sure.”
Emma bowed her head deferentially and made her way to her master’s obsidian tower, the forty-story keep that dominated not just Anthraxis, but the world as a whole. Kari glanced up at the symbol of the Overking’s authority, the seat of his power, and she snorted. She turned north toward the city gates, passing through without comment or action from its erestram guards.
The dusty crimson expanse of dead grasslands stretched before her to the hills in the north. Kari remembered that as soon as she passed out of the realm immediately around the city of Athraxis, the crimson haze would fade from the sky and the land. Pataria was beautiful country, and had stood as such a stark contrast to the Overking’s home when Kari and her friends first visited Mehr’Durillia. Now, Kari found she looked forward to seeing the grassy meadows of the north, speaking with the realm’s king, and possibly spending some time with the people of Moskarre.
How quickly things changed these days…
She felt exposed out on the dusty plain, but she recalled the assurances Morduri had made to her and her companions when they visited the first time. Supposedly, nothing would dare attack her within the Overking’s realm, and there were no wild beasts to consider. Kari would sleep under a simple blanket this night – Morduri said it never rained here either – all the better to cut a less conspicuous figure in the open land. With a swift pace, she figured she could easily reach Pataria and then the village of Moskarre by sundown tomorrow.
The two days passed quickly, and despite her more sedentary nature these days – taking care of children and working on the Order’s campus – she kept up a brisk pace. Kari had spent so much of her previous life traveling alone between cities, it was second nature to her even so far removed from that time and lifestyle. When the situation demanded it, she could call upon the self-sufficient nature that made her such an effective hunter, both then and now. And when her constitution failed, she had the power of Zalkar to call upon at will as Avatar.
Kari had only been to Moskarre twice, but she seemed to have left quite an impression both times. Perhaps King Morduri was there waiting, and had told his people to be on the lookout for her, but whatever the case, the guards waved her up the hill into Pataria without delay. She remembered the defensive, even frightened reaction she had gotten from the mallasti the first time she and her friends visited – and they’d been led there by King Morduri himself. Now, they seemed less afraid of Kari – even welcoming, she might have said.
She greeted the two males in infernal when she reached the top of the hill, apologizing for the fact that she still couldn’t speak more than a handful of words in beshathan, their native tongue. They waved away her apology, their normally impassive gazes giving way to slight smiles. She was pointedly reminded of how quickly things could change once again as the thought that these hyena-folk males were handsome passed through her mind. She had always considered gnolls and especially mallasti to be troublesome and savage, but her perceptions had changed quite a bit in recent years.
The two guards pointed down the way, and Kari saw King Morduri beside the football field, watching the youths play their game. Moskarre had been hit hard by conscription from the Overking, losing most of its males and even many of its females to the war on Irrathmor. Those who remained had their hands full caring for the youths, but it seemed as though their partaking of ball sports hadn’t been affected. There was a cheer from the adults as a goal was scored, and even their elestram king applauded the efforts of the youngsters.
Kari waved a brief farewell to the guards and made her way toward Morduri. He was tall, though her perceptions were skewed due to the sizes of most of her in-laws. Morduri was actually a tad shorter than Serenjols – unless you took the king’s long, pointed ears into account – but stood about seven feet tall nonetheless. Where Jol was muscular and bulky, the elestram king had a lean strength to him, well-toned and obviously not a fan of sitting idle. His fur was tan with darker brown or black highlights here and there, and Kari remembered the beautifully eerie glow of the demon king’s purple eyes.
Morduri, as Kari understood it, was a wanderer, ruling his realm from among the people rather than from a palace somewhere. As such, he usually carried his possessions with him, but traveled light. Now, though, she could see he had been in the village for a few days, wearing naught but half-trousers and a leather vest while he watched the youths. He looked at ease, and that made Kari hopeful there wasn’t something
dire he wanted her help with. She, too, felt a bit at ease here among the mallasti of Moskarre, and Kari thought perhaps he was going to have her do some menial work around the village to help pay for the life of the daughter they’d lost.
That sobered Kari up a bit, but didn’t completely dampen the ease of spirit she felt. She looked around at the gathered adults watching the sporting contest, and spotted Cestriana there with her mate, Amalikor. She wanted to go say hello to them, but she had to observe decorum. She made her way straight to King Morduri, and approached at an angle so he would see her coming.
“Lady Vanador,” he said, turning to her. “I appreciate you answering my early summons. I would not have interrupted your doubtless-busy schedule, particularly in the wake of your mate’s passing, but the appropriate time has come for you to honor your debt to me.”
“Your Majesty,” Kari greeted him in return with a respectful bow. He acknowledged her discipline with a short nod, then turned back to the game. “I don’t mind helping out around the village, with how short of adults it seems. But how long would you expect me to stay here and serve?”
He turned a confused expression on her. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he chided. “What I will ask of you will help these people far more than hunting for them or caring for some of their pups. A unique situation has come into being, and I intend to take full advantage of it by using you to do what I cannot do myself.”
Another goal was scored, and the two stopped speaking briefly to applaud the youths’ skills. “What exactly did you have in mind, Your Majesty?”
“As you may have heard, King Sekassus recently murdered another vulkinastra. This has predictably angered the mallasti of Sorelizar, but there is something different about this. I have to suspect it has a lot to do with how you escaped his clutches after your visit there, which cost him no small amount of face with his people, not to mention our peers on the Council. Your defiance after Uldriana’s death may well be what has given hope and conviction to the mallasti of Sorelizar in the face of this latest atrocity.”
