by Joe Jackson
Chapter III – The Silver Blades
Evening had fallen when Kari left the temple plaza and made her way to the docks in the western quarter. The smell of the open ocean overpowered even the smoky warm scents of wood stoves, and the terra-dracon female was pleasantly surprised at how clean and secure the docks seemed. Port towns were normally rough, even more so by the docks, but there was a full complement of guards keeping watch over the area. It was quiet, and the calm about the port was such that the lapping of the water against the pier was nearly the only sound in the air.
Kari turned up the road toward the north-most pier where she would find the inn Master Attir had mentioned. Guards of several different races watched her as she passed, marking the intentions of the winged, well-armed woman, unable to see her dog tags in the sparse light of the streetlamps. She ignored their stares for the most part and quickened her pace, and she dodged the few people milling about enjoying the breeze off the water. It was a little too chilly for Kari’s liking, but fortunately she soon found herself at the north end of the docks. A massive sailing ship was secured to the pier, and directly across the street from it was a homey-looking inn called Land’s End. It was well tended and all of its doors and windows looked intact, which she assumed meant it didn’t see many barroom brawls: a rare thing for dockside inns and taverns. All of the curtained windows showed firelight from within, and without further hesitation, she shouldered her way quickly through the front door and shut it behind her.
The inside was far more crowded than the quiet outside suggested, and Kari noted the many faces that looked up as she entered. The air was clear of the smoke that clouded many inns’ common rooms, and most of the tables were full, with a good mixture of races making up the crowd. Kari guessed that many were waiting for a transport to someplace warmer, either farther north along the west coast or else one of the northern continents, where spring would be settling in. A lone half-demon stood chatting with the innkeeper while waiting for his drink, and Kari approached the men.
The innkeeper was human, and the worry lines and weathered features of his face suggested retired military or adventurer. His grey brows rose only briefly before a smile appeared, his stark blue eyes taking the woman in as she approached the bar. “What can I do for you, ma’am?” he asked amiably.
“I’d love a double-godhammer, please,” Kari said, which drew a grunting laugh from the man as he pulled up a glass from underneath and began placing bottles on the bar. Kari regarded the half-demon beside her; he'd only glanced briefly at her from the corner of his eye. He looked like he could be half-guardian, but he wasn’t what she was expecting if he was Erijinkor. “You wouldn’t be Erijinkor Tesconis by chance, would you?”
“By the grace of the gods, no,” the half-demon answered. He stood up straight to face Kari. He was probably the most handsome half-demon – and probably rir of any type, for that matter – that she’d ever met, barely taller than she and not quite as muscular except in the legs. He was dressed in black trousers and a shirt that she could barely distinguish from his flesh, and his eyes and hair were ebon like her own. His mane was long in the back but cut in a fashionable style on the top, and he flashed a boyish smile as Kari looked him over. “Erik’s my older brother; you’re looking for him?”
“My name’s Karian Vanador,” she said, deciding against her typical introduction. “I was told I could find him here, seems we’ll be working together.”
“Ah, well, I’m Aeligos,” he said, extending his hand. “I take it you’re joining our little pleasure cruise over to Terrassia?”
There was a distinct change to the light in his eyes as he spoke, and Kari figured that their mission was supposed to be kept secret as much as possible. “I guess so,” she said as she shook his offered hand. She took the drink from the barkeep and reached down to her purse, but was waved off by the half-demon.
“I’ve got it,” Aeligos said. “If you want to meet the rest of my siblings, they’re seated in the corner over there.” He gestured toward a large table that occupied an entire corner of the room, where almost half a dozen half-demons sat playing cards. “Erik’s the blue-eyed one.”
“Thanks,” Kari said, raising her drink in salute, and she patted Aeligos on the shoulder as she turned toward the table. He went back to speaking with the barkeep, apparently about the fact that he was stuck in a single room with all of his brothers. Kari chuckled and guessed the inn was likely full due to the imminent voyage of Karmi’s Sword, and that the rooms were being rationed out rather than offered to the highest bidder as might normally be the case.
She looked over the group at the table. There was a single empty chair where Aeligos had apparently been sitting. There were three men and two women at the table, all half-demon, though one of the females was a half-brys, while the others were all half-guardian like Aeligos. The half-brys was tiny by comparison sitting amongst the half-guardians at the table, but if she was intimidated at all, she didn’t show it – hardly surprising for a half-brys: they were calculating and near-fearless. Kari doubted the woman stood even five feet tall, and she had the long, silky black hair and crimson eyes prominent among her kind.
All three of the males at the table were impressively large. The blue-eyed one on the far side was very tall and broad through the shoulders, but well proportioned and with a long, thick mane of black hair tied back in a tail. With his attention on his cards and a stone-faced expression on his features, Kari saw he had a strong chin and an imposing countenance. To the right of Erik sat an even taller, stronger male with thick, curving black horns on the sides of his head, long, straight black hair, and dull red eyes. On Erijinkor’s other side was a slightly shorter but barrel-chested male that looked as though he could crush the life out of someone with his bare hands. While it was not unusual for half-guardians to be tall and strong, all three of them seemed well beyond the norm. Even more intriguing than the massive muscles of the shorter brother was his shock of blonde hair, unkempt and wild, and which was complemented by emerald eyes. He was handsome, though his coloration was unusual for a half-demon, even of the half-guardian variety.
The second female, also a half-guardian, was the only one to look up at Kari when the demonhunter approached. The half-guardian woman was also tall, falling somewhere between the shortest of the three brothers at the table and the blue-eyed one as far as Kari could tell while they were all seated. She had the red eyes common to half-demons of all types, and a full head of scarlet hair tied down in lovely twin braids. She smiled at Kari and motioned her forward, and the others at the table finally took notice of the terra-dracon woman.
“Hello,” Kari said, suddenly feeling out of place and somewhat overwhelmed for some reason she couldn't put her finger on. “Is this the table for the pleasure cruise?”
The others laughed, and the blue-eyed male rose from his seat and approached. He saluted Kari by bumping his fist on his chest. She returned the gesture, and he extended a hand, which she shook. His grip was powerful yet careful, as he was obviously mindful of his strength. “Erijinkor Tesconis, Demonhunter,” he introduced himself formally. “Most folks just call me Erik so they don’t confuse me with the guardian demon of the same name.”
“Karian Vanador,” she said, introducing herself more casually again. She motioned over her shoulder with her thumb. “I already met your little brother Aeligos.” It felt odd to refer to Aeligos as "little," but with the way Erik towered over her, it was somewhat fitting. Erik was easily two hands taller, perhaps more, which put her face in line with his muscular chest. He was wearing a light grey tunic with cuts in the back to allow his wings through, and she could make out his dog tags hanging below.
“Nice to meet you, Karian,” he said, a question in his eyes though none came forth from his lips. Kari guessed it was because she didn’t introduce herself formally; she assumed he’d know who she was anyway, and if not, that she should honor Attir Suralis’ request.
“Kari, if you please,” she corre
cted. “I don’t like being called Karian.”
He bowed his head deferentially and gestured toward the seat his younger brother had vacated. “Kari it is,” he said and moved back around to his own chair. “Do you gamble?”
“I’m a demonhunter,” she said. “Every time I leave town it’s a gamble.” The group got a laugh out of that comment, but Kari didn’t like the way the blonde looked at her. When she tried to meet his gaze, he looked down at his cards and returned a neutral expression to his face.
“What’s the game?” Kari asked.
“Poker,” the blue-eyed male answered. “We can deal you in on the next hand. We can play for money if you prefer, but at the moment we’re playing for the right to choose which watches we keep during the nights on the ocean.”
Kari sat down. “Whatever’s fine,” she said. “I heard a little about you and your siblings during the war, but I don’t remember names very well unless I connect them to a face.”
“Oh, of course,” Erik said. He gestured first to the scarlet-haired beauty beside Kari. “This is my sister Sonja; she’s the brains of this group. Next to her is Eryn. She’s not actually one of the group but she’s got Aeligos enthralled so she’s traveling with us for the time being.”
The half-brys woman half-smiled at the comment, and Kari beheld her curiously for a moment before she looked back over her shoulder at Aeligos. It seemed an odd couple to her, but she remembered that half-demons were always more like each other than any other race, so in a way it made sense, even if it was a bit of a mismatch. Kari looked to the horned male to Eryn’s right as Erik introduced him as Serenjols, or just Jol as he was more commonly called. The horned male nodded politely but said nothing, and Erik explained that Jol was usually shy, so Kari shouldn’t take it personally if he didn’t speak to her.
“And my blonde brother here is Typhonix,” he finished. “We usually call him Ty, though loudmouth and jackass get used as often as not.” Erik took a backhanded punch to the chest for the last comment. It nearly knocked the wind out of him, and he rubbed the pain away with a crooked smile. Sonja laughed at the exchange, and Kari gave a muted smile, though in the back of her mind she marveled at how quickly and powerfully the blonde had struck.
“You traveled with Kris Jir’tana and his brigade, did you not?” Sonja asked, fixing Kari with a sparkling ruby gaze. Her voice was a little on the deep side but still musical and definitely feminine.
“Yea, the Thirty-Fifth Light Division; we traveled down through the Barrier mountains, starting with the liberation of Atrice,” Kari answered.
“You were the ones that found what was left of the city of Seren?”
Kari didn't answer. She closed her eyes and blew a long, quiet sigh through her nose. Of all the things she'd gone through either in her previous life or during the War, that was the single worst thing she'd ever seen. The entire city, still and lifeless, its streets littered with the shredded and rotting corpses of every man, woman, and child that had lived there. Not one survivor had been found, and Kari remembered all too well spending days helping to bury the dead. "Yes," she answered at last. "I'd really rather not talk about it."
“It never made any sense; all of the cities and towns we came across had been occupied and enslaved," Sonja said. "We could never figure out why Seril had the people of Seren slaughtered to a man.”
“Nothing she ever did really made any sense,” Erik said with a shake of his head. He rolled his eyes and dropped his cards face down on the table. “Fold. Anyone else notice I lose every hand that Eryn deals?”
Kari was glad for the abrupt departure from the subject and turned toward Eryn. “Aw, is the big demonhunter getting his feelings hurt?” the half-brys female taunted with a wicked little smile. Her voice was cold and confident, which was common for her kind, though Kari had rarely ever encountered female half-demons, let alone two at the same table. That cold, expressionless look returned to Eryn’s face after a moment. “It’s just luck. If I was cheating, I’d at least make it look good so I’d stand to win more.”
“And she’d probably cheat someone that was more likely to beat her,” Ty added without lifting his eyes from his own hand. “Not the one who bets on a pair of fours.”
“You’re not doing much better,” Erik told his shorter brother, and he leaned to the side to try to get a glimpse of the blonde’s cards.
Typhonix put his cards against his barrel of a chest and glared at his elder brother, and Kari wondered if another punch was forthcoming. “I don’t usually gamble unless someone’s going to get their head broken,” the blonde grumbled.
Kari was amused at the exchange, as rude as it sounded. She'd never had any brothers, so it was always amusing to her to see the way brothers behaved toward each other. She looked down at her own cards. It had been ages – literally – since she’d played cards, and the mention of pairs brought the game back to her only slightly. She remembered having all of one suit or all numbers in a row was good, as was having a lot of picture cards. She shook her head at herself, knowing she was likely to get crushed. As it was, her hand wasn’t particularly promising.
She was surprised as someone lightly touched her shoulders, and Aeligos whispered in her ear. “They think you’re clueless. Make sure you use bluffs to your advantage. Ask for two cards, drop the five and the seven, and try to get a flush. Odds should be pretty good.”
“Fold,” Serenjols grumbled, and he dropped his cards on the table. After smirking at Aeligos, Sonja did likewise.
“To hell with this,” Typhonix said, tossing his cards down on the table, and he rose to his feet. “I’m going to get a drink. If anyone wants anything, they’re welcome to get it themselves.”
“Such a gentleman,” Eryn muttered without looking up, and the gruff blonde’s siblings chuckled. “How many cards?”
“Um, two,” Kari said, and she dropped the cards Aeligos had indicated face down and slid them to the center of the table. She picked up the cards the half-brys woman dealt her and grimaced, realizing she hadn’t gotten the ones she was looking for. She glanced over at Eryn and the half-brys woman was watching her intently. Kari realized she had just given away her bad hand, and she rolled her eyes, which drew chuckles from the others. She folded. “I think I’m a little out of practice.”
“You’re too easy to read,” Eryn said. “Stick to friendly games, and don’t play with Pretty Boy behind you. He cheats.”
“I do not,” Aeligos said with a wounded expression.
“We’ve got a long trip ahead of us, and an early morning tomorrow,” Erik said as he rose to his feet. “I want everyone in bed within the next half-hour. No exceptions.”
Sonja nudged Kari’s arm lightly. “You can stay with Eryn and me. There are no more rooms available anyway. You’ll have to sleep on the floor, but it beats sleeping down here.”
“That’s fine,” the terra-dracon woman said, sitting back to enjoy her drink.
“Will you be down here for a little while?” Eryn asked Sonja and Kari, and the two women gave non-commital shrugs. Eryn looked up toward Aeligos and nodded her head toward the stairs, and the two made their way up to the rooms.
As they moved toward the stairs, Kari saw the stark contrast between the two. Aeligos stood at least two hands taller than his mate. Kari could only imagine what it was like for Eryn to look up at either Erik or Jol. Kari turned toward Sonja, but the woman appeared lost in thought, sipping her own drink from a tankard. From the smell on her breath Kari guessed it was just ale, and Sonja didn’t seem anywhere near intoxicated. Erik and Jol said goodnight and made their way upstairs.
“If you think sleeping on the floor is bad, imagine what it’s like in their room,” Sonja said, breaking the short-lived silence once the men left.
“All four of them are in the same room?” Kari asked.
“Four?” Sonja repeated. “Five. Our other brother, Grakin, is already upstairs sleeping. He hasn’t been feeling well these last few days.”
�
�Why doesn’t Aeligos just sleep with Eryn if they’re mates? Or did you just not want your brother in the same room with you?”
Sonja shrugged. “They’re not mates,” she said. “Far from it. They just have sex a lot. Give it a few days, and you’ll see what I mean. Eryn’s a bit open about her sexuality, but she’s a fiery girl and very private where just about anything else is concerned. Try not to take it personally if she’s short with you, it’s a half-brys thing.”
“I know it,” Kari said, and Sonja chuckled for some reason. “Why’s Jol so quiet?”
“We’re not sure,” Sonja said with a shrug. “He’s never been talkative, but he’s been even quieter these last few years. I figure it’s to balance the fact that Typhonix never shuts up.”
Kari chuckled at the sibling rivalry. “You have a lot of brothers,” she said, but then she looked sheepishly at the larger woman. “Sorry, I didn’t mean any offense.”
“None taken,” Sonja said with a half-smile. “Our father wanted a big family: he wanted to name his many sons after the twenty-one guardian demons.”
“Tell me you don’t have sixteen other brothers…?” Kari returned, shocked.
The scarlet-haired beauty laughed and crossed her muscular arms lightly over her ample breasts. “Thank the gods, no,” she said. “It’s hard enough being the only girl in the family, if I had any more brothers I think I’d lose my mind.”
Kari nearly asked about the woman’s mother, and why she had said she was the only girl in the family, but she went quiet instead. It was probably a rude question, whether Sonja minded or not, and the intended questions brought up too many memories of Kari's own past. She pushed down the thoughts and took a long sip of her drink, and Sonja patted her shoulder as she rose. Kari beheld Sonja curiously, knowing that her brother and his girlfriend were upstairs in the girls’ room.
