Preludes to War (Eve of Redemption Book 6)

by Joe Jackson

  There was no longer any mystery to the quiet, subdued nature of what should have been a bustling city. If there were demons, true demons here in the city, the people would be terrified and uneasy, whether they could see them or not. Kari’s preternatural senses in her mallasti form picked up the faintest traces of brimstone, and she could feel the cold on her tongue and upper lip despite the protection of her fur coat. She stood firm despite her uneasiness, but she imagined it was not so simple for the beshathan common folk.

  The demon looked around, the black pits of its “eyes” scanning the area, having no doubt sensed Kari and Seanada, even if it couldn’t see them. As the seconds slipped by and she didn’t move from her spot, Kari remembered her encounters with these beings. She remembered what one of them had done for decades using Kaelin Black’s alter-ego. She thought of all the chaos and death wrought by the one that had possessed Annabelle. And then she recalled that fortress on the edge of nothingness, where she had battled that very demon and sent it screaming to its death in the light.

  Kari pulled forth her waushims, and the sound of them sliding from the belt loops was enough to get the demon’s attention. It still couldn’t pinpoint where she was, but it definitely felt her presence – perhaps her very life-force. Kari cracked a savage grin at what happened next: that golden light that emanated from her scimitars when she faced the demons or the undead now graced the edges of these mallasti-made weapons. She didn’t bother to wonder if the light didn’t come from her scimitars at all, but from her; she merely strode forward cautiously, considering the best way to strike this demon down in a single, unseen blow.

  It backed away, its attention focused on the edges of her waushims. It must have seen the light even while the rest of Kari was invisible, and now she could tell that it was the uneasy one. It hissed something in that foreign tongue that was almost painful to hear, but Kari neither knew nor cared what it said. She lifted her left-hand waushim at a strange angle, drawing the demon’s eyes along with it, and then the other struck forth in a blinding slash.

  No sound emanated from the creature other than the barest of sighs, and as the “head” of the shadowy being floated off from the rest of it, the entire thing dissipated. The cold dispersed as well, letting the warmth of day flow back into the alleyway, and Kari blinked, surprised that killing a demon could be so simple. She lifted her waushims and stared at them as the golden hue faded from their bloodless edges. As she glanced over her shoulder, she could sense that Seanada was shocked by what she’d just seen.

  Kari moved over and whispered in her ear. This close, she could actually see Seanada. “I cannot write the beshathan language yet; I want you to carve epaxa chi’pri into the wall here.”

  Seanada didn’t raise any argument, smiling as she drew forth one of her longswords and did exactly as ordered. Even with the heavier weapons, her strokes were accurate and light, and she etched the symbols into the wall. “This is our battle cry now, yes?” she whispered when she and Kari turned to leave the alleyway.

  “It seems to strike the right chord,” the demonhunter confirmed. Once they had ducked into another alley and the area looked clear, Kari halted and Seanada turned to face her. “I hate to ask this with the way it will sound, but as a half-succubus, can you detect the demons? Can you tell me how many there are in the city?”

  “Not directly, no,” Seanada answered. “I am no more attuned to their presence than that one was to mine. However, I am better attuned to the behavior and emotions of the people, and can use that to deduce whether there are more, and how many.”

  Kari nodded, and the half-succubus assassin seemed to fall into herself, her eyes closed while she swayed lightly in place. Kari wondered if this was like entering the dream, and how her friend might see the city and its people while extending her senses this way. Seanada likely saw these powers as evidence she was an abomination, but Kari enjoyed the thought of using something demonic against the demons themselves. In essence, Seanada’s existence and sense of duty were an abomination to the demons, and that made her indispensable.

  “There are only a few more; no more than three. They are patrolling the city, looking for any sort of disturbance. You must remember, Kari, that these serve the Overking, not Sekassus. This may point to some major concern on the part of the Overking, as though he sees your work as being aimed at him as well. Killing that demon may have been a mistake.”

  “Killing a demon is never a mistake,” Kari said, and Seanada turned an impassive stare on her. “I’m not going to have this discussion with you again. You know how I feel about you.”

  Surprisingly, the woman smiled, and gestured farther into the city. “There is at least one prince here as well. The sense of dread in the city center is similar, but not the same as that I feel on its edges where I believe the demons patrol. So, while I advise against killing any more of the Overking’s spies, there is one major target here, at least.”

  “You up for killing another prince?” Kari asked.

  “Of course, though we would be wise to scout his position invisibly,” she answered. “Do you mean to fight him fairly, or to simply do what needs to be done?”

  “No offense, but I’m not an assassin,” Kari returned. “And it will serve much more of a purpose if he sees death coming, and everyone remembers he was outdueled by a vulkinastra.”

  “I cannot see you, but I can hear you. I know you are there,” came a voice from behind them, and both women turned to the speaker. “Come with me, Mastriana, for there is something you must know.”

  Kari saw that the mallasti woman’s eyes were clouded over, robbing her of sight, but apparently enhancing her other senses. She led Kari and Seanada back to where she had been washing her things, and ushered them into her home. She sniffed and flicked her ears in both directions before she entered and shut the door behind her. Then she bowed down and kissed Kari’s feet, despite the fact that she was still invisible.

  “Epaxa chi’pri,” the woman said. “I felt the words you carved into the wall. You have come to free our people from the rule of King Sekassus, yes?”

  “Yes,” Kari said without hesitation.

  “There is something you must know. A great trap has been laid for you. The prince, he is not the prince at all, but an impostor. The king has had one of his servants disguised to look as one of his sons, while his son has likewise been disguised to appear as a servant. Any attack on the prince would be an attack upon a decoy, allowing the attacker to be ambushed themselves.”

  “What about the demons?” Kari asked. “Why has the Overking sent his servants to keep an eye on things here?”

  The old mallasti woman looked confused. “They are always about us, though not in great numbers. The larger cities are watched for signs of uprising or sedition against the Overking. I do not believe they will interfere with you, but make certain your rebellion is aimed solely at King Sekassus, my lady.”

  Kari took the woman’s searching hands and lifted her to her feet. She pulled the mallasti woman’s hands to feel her face, and allowed her nose close enough to smell her. Tears fell from those otherwise useless eyes, and the mallasti woman fell to her knees before Kari again. “Four thousand years I have suffered under the rule of this king,” she said. “I ask only to live long enough to see him fall, to see my people free.”

  “You will,” Kari promised her, then leaned down to whisper in her ear. “And there is something else you must know: our Great Mother is not dead, and she will receive you when you pass from this place. We must go now. Walk always in the peace of the Great Mother, sister.”

  The mallasti woman preceded them out the door so it wouldn’t be obvious to any other witnesses that someone invisible had left the home. She went back to her washing, the soap and the water being mixed with the tears that continued to fall from her face. Seanada watched the old woman for a minute, then fell into step beside Kari.

  “Is there something you know that I do not?” the assassin asked. “Are you saying these
things solely to give my people hope, or have you had some revelation I am unaware of?”

  “A little of both,” Kari answered. “Giving the people hope is my goal, obviously, but when we fought Prince Fesarri the second time, I felt something. I’m not sure what it was, but I thought I saw a pair of orange mallasti eyes open, as if awakening. Perhaps it was Be’shatha, and perhaps not, but with everything that’s been happening, I can’t imagine it’s coincidence. The mallasti…your people have been trying to awaken the Great Mother for thousands of years, and this battle cry – epaxa chi’pri – suggests that maybe it has to come from outside your own faith. I don’t know. As I said, I can’t really explain it. I just have this feeling.”

  “As do we,” Seanada said with a nod. “My Master and I have discussed you at length when not in your presence. This plan of his is working better than he could have ever hoped, and he believes it is because of your involvement specifically. I hope both of you are right. I may not know where I stand with the Great Mother, but I know where my people stand, and there can be no better outcome than for Be’shatha to reawaken.”

  They continued through the many alleyways of the crowded portion of the city. Mallasti and elestram homes dominated this section, but they weren’t as meticulous or even quaint as Kari would expect. They were like the lower-class hovels of the southern, rougher portions of DarkWind, and that told her a lot. The streets were cramped and narrow, but there wasn’t a lot of traffic, so the women could keep themselves hidden.

  Eventually they reached the center of the city. It was a grand market square with all the amenities Kari expected for a city center. Eateries, hostel, general goods, and a few offices she didn’t know the immediate usage of dominated the square. There was a smithy nearby based on the slightly smoky air and the associated smell, as well as a stable for the beasts of burden that drew carts, wagons, or coaches through the city. Despite the presence of the animals and the nearby smithy, the city center was clean and inviting, its streets cobbled rather than the typical hard-packed dirt of the other Sorelizarian towns Kari had passed through recently.

  Kari found a place to lean against a building that was well out of the way from any traffic that might pass. Seanada took up position across the road, wanting a different viewpoint, and the women exchanged glances every so often. As the hour approached high sun, the traffic in the city center grew heavier, and Kari could now better see the subdued emotions of the mallasti and elestram people. Syrinthians were common here as well, but they didn’t seem to have the same fear as their beshathan neighbors.

  That struck Kari as odd; the syrinthians were no less a conquered, subdued people than the beshathans. Her mind processed what she was seeing, and she smiled quietly as she realized these were spies. Whatever prince had come to Shisaevas had cast his net wide, and was eager to capture and kill “Mastriana” before she had the opportunity to kill him. It was possible that such meant it was one of the weaker princes, but Kari wasn’t sure; they might all be wary of her at this point, strong and weak alike.

  If there was a prince present, he kept himself out of sight. Kari wondered if the Wraith had flushed out The Vandrasse, or if she might already be here. Kari was satisfied that Seanada could handle The Vandrasse, and then she could handle whatever prince was here. Still, there was being confident, and then there was being arrogant. Regardless of their individual prowess, it would be better for Kari and Seanada to engage their enemies as a team. To do otherwise was to invite disaster.

  Kari stood up straight suddenly, and Seanada didn’t miss it. She made her way to the demonhunter’s side and quietly asked what was wrong. “Everything,” Kari whispered. She gestured to the passing throngs. “It took me a minute to figure out what seemed wrong here. It’s the syrinthians. They don’t look either afraid or uneasy. At first, I thought they were spies. But now…”

  Seanada perked up. “They are under my mother’s influence. Ketava, how could I have not noticed it myself?” She looked back and forth and grimaced. “That makes this far more complicated. We could face dozens, scores, or even hundreds if we strike.”

  “Maybe,” Kari said, her features shifting to a smile. “Or maybe we use their own trap against them.”

  “Explain?” Seanada asked, the inflection one of curiosity and not demand.

  “The syrinthians aren’t afraid. Maybe we make the beshathans aware of that.”

  The assassin smiled. “You will be an obvious mark; leave this step to me.”

  Kari nodded and gestured away with her head, and Seanada walked off, keeping out of the way of traffic. She wasn’t sure what her companion was about to do, but Seanada was at least as well-spoken as Kari, and apparently better educated. She would know the hearts and minds of the mallasti foremost, but the beshathan people as a whole, and better understand how to rally them against their syrinthian neighbors.

  If the syrinthians were just under The Vandrasse’s influence, Kari didn’t want to see them truly hurt or killed, but it would be necessary to render them inconsequential to any coming fight. A good donnybrook would do the trick, Kari thought. Yes, a city-wide brawl would create just the right amount of chaos for Kari to find the prince, slit his throat, and then seek to turn the people not just against Sekassus, but against The Vandrasse more immediately.

  And the beautiful part of it was that the syrinthians, when they realized they’d been used by The Vandrasse, might lead the “charge” against both.

  It was going to be an interesting day…

  Chapter XVII – Battlegrounds

  Kari walked about the city square a few times, afraid of getting leg cramps if she stood still for too long. Seanada had been gone for at least an hour, and still there was no whisper or sign of trouble coming. The demonhunter trusted that her companion would get the job done, but standing still left Kari with far too much time to think, and she didn’t want to get lost in her own mind when battle was coming. She needed to stay focused, her mind and body empty of anything but the anticipation of accomplishing her goal.

  The trouble was, she was acutely aware of the emptiness in her mind. She was all but certain she had felt Be’shatha awaken, or at least acknowledge her efforts, during the second encounter with Prince Fesarri. In recent days, though, she had felt nothing – not even when she spoke so vehemently of the Great Mother’s return to the blind woman. And what was worse, she came to the chilling realization that two other presences in her life were distinctly absent: Zalkar and Sakkrass.

  How badly did I disappoint them by sleeping with Morduri? she wondered. What were the consequences going to be for that one night’s indiscretion? Would Zalkar go as far as to strip her of her rank and position as Avatar? Did they even care? Was their silence due to something in her mind, something she was doing subconsciously out of a feeling of guilt?

  Kari sighed and let forth a silent growl. Get a hold of yourself, she thought. They’ve been quiet plenty of times, and it’s usually because they trust what you’re doing. If they have something to say, they’ll wait until you’re a little more ready to listen.

  As much as she believed it was true, it didn’t stop her guts from cramping up. The last thing she needed was to get sick here when she was prowling invisibly among the people. She was confident in her assessment of Morduri and Emanitar, but that confidence might not extend to her divine patrons. She was so focused on working toward the goals she had set with Morduri and the Wraith that she failed to consider what her father and her deity might think.

  Ketava, Kari thought, dashing around a corner to lose her lunch somewhere out of sight. What the hell is wrong with me?

  She’d never been so uptight or nervous before, not even during the eight years of the Apocalypse. Was it possible the mallasti body simply reacted differently to the stress? Kari’s face dropped as she considered what else it could be: Diszaro’s transmutation might be coming to an end all on its own. If that was why she was feeling queasy the past couple of days, then disaster was coming: in her normal f
orm, Kari could never rally these people, her battle cry of epaxa chi’pri be damned.

  Despite being invisible, Kari looked both ways down the quiet alley before she squatted behind a well-placed rain barrel. It was completely unexpected; she had her body tuned perfectly to that military schedule. She normally took care of her needs at the same time every day unless she was seriously ill, except when she’d been pregnant, of course. Now, she felt like she was losing control of this mallasti body altogether. If she had to fight Amnastru in her normal form, that was one thing, but if she lost the transmutation before then, it was going to cause a number of complications she doubted even the Wraith would be able to counter. She prayed silently to her many patrons that the enchantment would hold out for at least a few more days.

  When she returned to the city center, something had changed. Where traffic had been flowing smoothly just a few minutes before, now there were small congregations of beshathans here and there. The noise and the cacophony of conversations made it nearly impossible for Kari to tell what was being said, but she got a whiff of the undertones of anger and fear. She turned as Seanada came up behind her.

  “Are you feeling all right?” the assassin asked quietly as they stood at the edge of the now crowded central square.

  “Just a bit queasy these last couple days,” Kari answered. “Nerves, I think. Though I was afraid it could be the transmutation coming to an end.”

  “That should be an impossibility; Diszaro’s work should hold strong until you willfully dismiss the enchantment. I also find it hard to believe it is nerves. I have yet to see you sweat under any circumstances.”