The Twisted Gate

by Matt Glicksman

  "Good, he's awake. Restrain him."

  Sonojj readied himself for the sting of the holy chains. Two pairs of feet shuffled as someone took their position on either side of him. The burning sensation spiraled up his arm and around his torso. The Blessing of Divine Restraint was a spell Sonojj was all too familiar with. The iymed tensed at the initial pain as his energy was slowly pulled from his body. After a few moments, he was able to cope.

  "Now, what were you and your friend doing in the city last night?" The voice was female, but deeper than expected. Her tone was stern, yet uninterested and monotonous. She spoke in a hurried manner, as if she were annoyed.

  Sonojj saw no reason to answer her questions.

  "No eyes. No hands. I see ears. No tongue?" the interrogator asked.

  "Go to the depths," Sonojj said softly in Kisejjad.

  "Heh, typical. Look, let's just get this over with. Tell us what we want to know, and I'll return you to your master. If not…" She left her statement open-ended.

  "If not what? You'll torture me? I've been through this before. Do your worst."

  "No, we don't torture souls. But I promise you'll be locked up for a very long time. It won't be a pleasant stay either."

  Sonojj snarled. "If you keep me on the Surface, I swear to you, I'll be free by tonight. I will hunt you down and send you to the Depths myself."

  The demon strained his ear to listen to her breathing. It was calm. Her tone was unchanged as well. "Mm-hmm. A bold statement given your present situation. You don't even know what I look like."

  "But I know what you smell like."

  The interrogator stepped forward, and her aroma grew stronger. Her robe was clean. The wool was laced with a hint of roasted walnuts, which told Sonojj that her clothing was dyed black. The smell of sweat was minimal, but what he caught was sweet with a slight musty odor, which he attributed to aging. She must have been inches from his face because as she spoke, he knew she had eaten eggs for breakfast. "Take a deep breath."

  He knew exactly where she was. Sonojj shape-shifted, which loosened his restraints. He opened his mouth wide and inhaled deeply. Delighted by the smells, the demon lunged at his captor. As his fangs reached for her throat, he felt a searing pain in his shoulder. His jaw snapped shut but caught nothing except air. He lurched forward again for another bite, but the chains were pulled tight. Sonojj stumbled backward and collided with the wall.

  "Archdon Omana, are you hurt?"

  "Yes, I'm fine," she snapped. "I thought you two were holding him!"

  "Apologies, Your Grace, we didn't realize he was a shape-shifter."

  Wincing from the pain, Sonojj snorted as he slid down the wall until he was sitting. His muzzle receded and his ears dropped to the side of his head, returning him to a humanoid form. What a stupid thing to do. Certainly not worth the pain. But how could he pass up an opportunity to rip out the throat of an archdon? The stench of perspiration on her neck was prominent now.

  "Damn pan-mage demon." Her tone had definitely changed from indifference to anger. Sonojj wouldn't have been surprised if she changed her mind about the torture. "Don't think we'll send you back to the Depths so easily. We'll get the information we want from you. We're done here for now."

  "Until next time, Archdon Omana," he muttered.

  Her scent drifted away. "Release him. Let him lick his fresh wounds."

  The holy restraints disappeared, and Sonojj slumped forward. The metal gate to his cell clanged shut. A dozen footsteps moved away. The squeaky hinges of the prison entrance echoed in the prisoner's ears, followed by the door slamming shut. Left alone, the demon rolled onto his back. He still heard their voices on the other side of the prison door. Despite his desire to rest, Sonojj did his best to focus on their conversation.

  "Anything?" a new voice asked.

  The tone of his interrogator was calm once again. "Nothing yet."

  "You think he'll talk?"

  "Have you seen him? There's no way he can heal while we're holding him. He's a mess. No demon in their right mind would stay here if given the choice. Give it time."

  Another voice cut in, much younger. "Your Luminescence!"

  "Yes, what is it?"

  "This letter was left for you at the Golden Branch."

  "For me? Give it here."

  "What does it say?" asked Omana.

  "It's from Eriph. He received news from Alovajj before he left."

  "And what do the gods of death have to say?"

  "The Den is empty."

  A grin crept across Sonojj's face.

  Chapter 24

  The Hunt

  Inside the rectory of Royal Oak, the Prima entered the office of Head Archdon Scarit. Behind her followed Lady Sundancer and two of her advisors, Razza Merona and Deidok. The Prima took her seat across the desk from Head Archdon Scarit. Her advisors took the only other chairs in the room, leaving Lady Sundancer and Archdon Omana to stand.

  Mashira cleared her throat. "Thank you all for gathering here. Before we run off and hunt down these demons, I'd like to discuss something. First, whatever happened last night regarding Don Millan does not leave this room. When this is finished and we return to Light's Haven, he will accompany us. Any questions?"

  When no one spoke up, she continued, "Good. It's no surprise that the demon we captured has been uncooperative. I asked Don Millan if there was anything he could tell me, but he didn't know what they were doing last night."

  "I don't suppose they were just here to sightsee," Advisor Deidok said.

  Mashira ignored the comment. "It's unsettling. Why would demons sneak into a heavily armed city? They had to have had some objective."

  "Maybe Don Millan interrupted them before they could carry out their mission," Scarit offered.

  "It's possible. But what could be so important that they would take that kind of risk?"

  "Do we really expect this iymed to divulge anything to us? I think we should do as we've always done and cleanse him," Advisor Razza Merona suggested.

  "I have to disagree," the Prima said. "There's a very clear danger out there, and we know next to nothing about it. This demon knows. We just need to give it more time. Right, Archdon Omana?"

  "Right. If we're in a hurry, though, perhaps we could be a bit more persuasive in our—"

  "No! Absolutely not. He may be corrupted, but he's still a human soul. We can't allow ourselves to go down that path. We have to think of something else."

  Scarit cocked his head. "I'm a little confused. Do you believe Royal Oak is in danger?"

  Mashira contemplated the question. Her reign as Prima had begun with such a stressful event, the Assault on Light's Haven. And three years ago, Verago tried to kill Batar during Devil's Breach. But aside from that, the rest of her time leading the guild had been a breeze with little to no demon activity. And now, there was a deep pit in her stomach, something she was unaccustomed to. "Normally, I would say no. But in light of Verago's new demon lord, who has successfully remained on the Surface for four nights, I'm not sure what our enemy is up to. The reappearance of the Seductress after years of nothing. Attacks every night. Towns being destroyed or poisoned. There's something looming on the horizon, and it doesn't bode well for us if we cannot uncover their plot."

  Deidok grunted. "It seems the only part we know is that this demon lord, Erynion, has been ordered to kill King Batar."

  "And we don't even know if that's a real threat. There are so many questions. If you only want to kill one person, why not just send an assassin? And then there's the fact that the king wears the Talisman of Zavi as protection. Batar stood face-to-face with Verago at Devil's Breach and was untouched because of the Talisman. What can Erynion possibly do?"

  Omana stepped in. "No one wants to say it, but perhaps the time has come to extend a sign of peace to our exiled brethren to the south. They always seem to have more information than us."

  The Prima rubbed her neck. "You may recall we tried that after Devil's Breach. It didn't exactly end t
he way we would've like."

  "Perhaps we could take a more diplomatic approach this time."

  The comment stung. Mashira's first instinct was to lash out at the archdon, but there was some truth to her statement. There was a lot of bad blood between Candelux and the Death Gods because of what happened after Devil's Breach. It could have been handled better. The Prima let the comment slide; however, Advisor Razza Merona seemed to decide otherwise.

  The advisor spun around. "Are you blaming Her Luminescence for—"

  Mashira placed her hand on Razza's shoulder. "It's quite all right. I'm sure that's not what Archdon Omana meant to say."

  Omana bowed slightly. "I meant no disrespect. I was simply agreeing that there are many questions, and we should get some answers. The Death Gods are one possible solution. There's an advantage to their methods of interrogation."

  Mashira adamantly shook her head. "No! No! Interrogation and torture are not the same. I won't condone their methods. Right now, we have no reason to believe we need their help or that they could even help if we needed it."

  "I agree," Razza added emphatically. "By looking to the Death Gods for help, we will lose the faith of our citizens. It will appear as though casting them out was a mistake."

  Deidok stroked his chin. "Hmm. Yes, but the decision to cast them out was because they would endanger the lives of the citizens. Is it possible that we are endangering lives now by not consulting with the Death Gods?"

  Silence filled the room, and Mashira felt all eyes on her. "Your point is noted, but maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. This whole situation stemmed from the appearance of Erynion. We know he's out there somewhere. Let's hunt down this demon and resolve this ourselves right now. Head Archdon, how long do you think it would take to assemble a hunting party?"

  Scarit interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the desk. "Oh, I'd say an hour or two. If you want the paladins to join us, I can speak with Sir Illian."

  "Very well. And yes, please, paladins and watchers. We should be ready to leave by noon."

  "At once, Your Luminescence."

  Over the next couple of hours, the priests, paladins, and watchers organized outside of the rectory. Excitement was in the air at the prospect of a demon hunt. The Prima walked through the open doors, followed by her entourage. The individual conversations created a loud murmur as the distant clock rang out twelve times. Mashira looked out over the crowd and nodded in approval. She had left Light's Haven at daybreak, riding furiously toward Royal Oak to take control of the situation. It was time to finally put an end to this disruption. She would return Erynion to the Depths herself if she had to. She brought up her hands and quieted the crowd.

  "There is an evil that Verago, the traitor to humanity, has released upon our kingdom. It has already claimed Nesinu and, with the help of the Seductress, infected Malarekita. Their attempt on Royal Oak last night was a failure, and they are now in retreat, hiding until the night falls once more. Well, we will not give them that chance! It's time for us to hunt these vermin down. We will move swiftly through the forest, striking at any evil foolish enough to rear its head. Erynion and the Seductress will be cleansed!"

  A cheer went up as the crowd dispersed into their teams. Mashira had ordered Head Archdon Scarit and Advisor Deidok to remain behind as a precaution.

  Don Millan emerged from the front of the crowd and knelt before the Prima. "Your Luminescence, I was not told what group I belong to."

  "Archdon Omana, to which group is Don Millan assigned?"

  Omana scanned the list. "It appears Don Millan was overlooked during the creation of the list."

  "You're with me then," Mashira said.

  Millan's eyes lit up. "As you wish."

  ✽✽✽

  I have given you all you need to defeat your brother. There was the voice again. Who was speaking to him? Erynion opened his eyes and found himself in the royal gardens. He was young again. The man who played the villain was lying on the ground. Cheering, Batar and Sereyna ran to Erynion. The game had just concluded. His dream seemed to be the same, except everyone's clothes were different.

  The man stood and brushed the dirt from his shirt. He scooped up Erynion's wooden sword and handed it back to him. "Keep this safe. Who knows when you'll need it again?"

  Sereyna, the little girl, stomped her foot. "Do you really have to leave us, Sir Bix?"

  "I'm afraid so. I've been given a great honor, chosen as a Champion of the Light, like my brother. I have a sacred duty and must always be vigilant."

  "What's vigilant mean?" Batar asked.

  "Watchful. I must always be ready to serve the people where I'm needed. I will help to keep the kingdom safe. But you three. You are the future of our kingdom. One day your father will pass his legacy on to you, A…"

  It was his name again, but why couldn't he make it out? Erynion waved at the paladin. "Hey! What's my real name?"

  Sir Bix ignored the question and strolled over to the other young boy. He tousled the youth's hair. "Be good, Batar. Your role as prince will be no less important than your brother's as king."

  Erynion's eyes widened. "Wait. Batar's my brother?"

  The young Batar grinned at Erynion, whose mind was going a mile a minute. Of course. Sereyna was his sister. It only made sense that Batar was his brother. How had he not made the connection before?

  The paladin moved on to the little girl. "And you, Princess Sereyna, you will be a symbol of beauty for the kingdom. The most fair and virtuous princess the people have ever seen."

  Sereyna giggled, but her smile quickly faded. She opened her arms to hug the paladin. "I'm going to miss you, Sir Bix."

  Bix knelt and embraced her.

  "Yeah," Batar said as he joined the hug.

  Erynion stood back and studied the scene. There was something familiar about the paladin—kneeling—that he hadn't noticed before. He had seen Bix somewhere else.

  "Maybe when I'm back in the city, Erynion will arise once more." Bix curled his fingers into claws.

  The little girl beamed with joy. "Promise?"

  Batar hopped back and assumed a defensive pose. "We'll be ready for you, right, A…?"

  His name again. Erynion earnestly played the spectator, not wanting to miss anything critical.

  "Look at him. He's terrified of the thought," the paladin joked. "You could always get help from the Sanctuary."

  The Sanctuary? That voice. He had definitely heard Sir Bix somewhere else besides this dream. But where? The demon lord stepped back as the image of a body appeared on the ground beside Bix. It was another paladin, bloody and wounded. Neither Bix nor the children acknowledged its presence.

  He needs help now, or he won't make it. The body flickered and then vanished.

  "Am I losing my mind?" Erynion thought.

  Sir Bix bade the children farewell and departed. At the edge of the courtyard, he picked up the large two-handed sword that had been resting against the stone wall. The weapon was split halfway up the blade and formed two tips, instead of one. With the base of the blade wrapped in leather, the paladin slung the sword over his shoulder and faded away.

  Batar tugged on his sleeve. "Come on. Get up!"

  "Yeah, get up!" Sereyna added.

  Creases formed on Erynion's forehead. "What are you talking about? I'm already standing."

  The children ignored his statement. "Get up! Get up!"

  The intense heat from the sun beat down on Erynion. He struggled to open his eye, but the rays of light restricted him to only squint.

  "Get up!" Flinch pulled on his arm.

  "What's going on?" the demon lord asked, only half awake.

  "We have to get going. It's well into the day, and the hunting party is leaving Royal Oak."

  Erynion positioned his hand to block out the sun. "Hunting party? What are you talking about?"

  Flinch quit yanking on the demon lord's arm but kept a firm grip on his wrist. "Long story short, there's a large group of priests and soldiers
on their way here, searching for demons to cleanse. And unless you want to be included in that group, we need to go now!"

  Flinch arched his back and pulled with all his might using his one good arm. Slowly, he helped Erynion rise to his feet. The jester iymed took a few steps before he realized his companion wasn't following. "Come on. Let's go!"

  The demon lord scouted the immediate area. All the plants and trees were dead and barren. "Where are we going?"

  "Not far. Lake Ivorus."

  "Back to the lake?" Erynion still felt disoriented.

  "Yes. Water has the ability to mask our energy, like our auras."

  "Our auras?"

  The jester glared at him. "Are you serious right now? Did you hit your head when you fell asleep? Yes, our auras. You know, the stuff you can see with your Devil's Eye. We need to get going."

  Erynion dawdled toward the iymed but halted after a couple of steps. "But how can they find us? Humans don't have Devil's Eyes."

  "Archdons can sense us, but it's the bloodseekers we need to really worry about. They can track us down to an exact location. The stronger your aura, the easier you are to trace."

  "But water hides us from all of them?"

  "Exactly. Look, can we have this lesson later when we're not being hunted?"

  Erynion lifted the cloth covering his Devil's Eye. A yellow glow in the direction of Royal Oak reminded him of his encounters with the priests so far. There were definitely a lot of them out there. The demon lord slid the cloth back into place. "Fair enough. Lead the way."

  ✽✽✽

  Moving through the forest like a massive wave, the search party marched toward the lake. Each band of fighters was led by a bloodseeker, with Lady Sundancer leading the group with Prima Mashira and Don Millan. Mashira kept her eyes peeled for any movement. There was a snap, and Sundancer handed a skinny branch from a bush to Mashira.