by Joe Jackson
The corridor was quiet and warm as he made his way south, and soon he came to a four-way intersection. He thought of his map again, and realized that the keep was not nearly as large as it had appeared on paper: by his best estimate, if he turned left at the intersection, the throne room would be the first door on the right. Glad to have found a quick path to it, he thought about where the porter’s quarters might be, and concluded they would be near the keep’s main doors. He paused in his search, opened the book, and pretended to peruse its pages while he tried to remember if Eryn had mapped any of the stairways for him. He couldn’t recall making any markings that looked like stairs, but assumed they were likely in the corners of the keep. A guard passed by him, but the rir paid him little heed. The hallway to his right appeared to have doors to more dormitories, so Aeligos continued straight ahead.
Farther down the first hallway he found another intersection, and on the right was a staircase leading down to the keep’s first floor. He descended the stairs unhurriedly and passed another terra-rir dressed in finery, and Aeligos nodded to him absently while he continued to look at the book. When he reached the first floor, it appeared to be set up almost the same way as the upper level, and he retraced his direction to the north. He found the double doors leading out into the keep’s bailey, and before them was a wide entry chamber that appeared large enough for the guards to build defensible fortifications and hold in the case of a breach. To each side of the open area were doorways, and Aeligos examined both briefly before he approached the one on the west side. There was a chip missing from the lower left corner of the door. With a grim smile, the rogue knocked lightly in a short, patterned sequence.
The door opened slightly after a moment, and Aeligos slipped in quietly, closed his book, and set it on a short table just inside. Soon Eryn’s arms were around his neck, and she gave him a tight squeeze before she met his gaze evenly. “Where are the others?” she whispered, hardly paying any notice to Aeligos’ shifted features.
“Safely outside, camped a distance away from the keep, waiting for the diversion that the shakna-rir will provide,” he answered in hushed tones.
Eryn beheld him curiously. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to make sure I understood your instructions before I possibly lead my siblings to their deaths,” he said. He watched as she locked the door and undressed. “What are you doing?”
“I’ve been cooped up in this castle avoiding any kind of personal contact for fear of being discovered,” she said. “If your siblings aren’t here and we have the luxury of time, I’m going to take full advantage of it.”
Aeligos shook his head, but when Eryn climbed up on her bed, lay down, and beckoned to him, he did as she asked. He took his clothes off and joined her under the covers, and the two made love quickly and efficiently. There was no discussion about their differences or the issues that threatened to divide them; there was only the passion of two people who had been apart too long and who knew each other as intimately as was possible. Minutes later they were sitting on the edge of her bed, examining Aeligos’ map and notes under the soft light of her lantern, and he gave her a couple of minutes to peruse everything he’d written.
“That’s more or less everything I tried to tell you,” Eryn said. “Gaswell is a good fighter, make no mistake, but he’s been acting very strange lately. He seems to be having doubts about what he’s been doing, but that’s not enough to warrant stopping what we’re here for. If the shakna-rir move this way, he’ll send out his forces to meet them: the army has been idle for too long, and they’re itching for a fight. But Gaswell won’t go out with them. He’s not that kind of leader.”
“What about his lieutenants?”
“They never leave his side normally,” she said. “They’re not battlefield commanders, either. When you infiltrate the keep, they’ll almost certainly all be together, unless Gaswell is sleeping. When do you plan to attack?”
“Tomorrow night, two hours after sundown,” Aeligos answered.
“Sooner than I expected, good,” she said with a decisive nod. “I’ll try to get him into his throne room just after the dinner hour. If you can have Typhonix and Serenjols start a melee in the barracks, it should keep them from being able to lock down the halls, and also keep the guards and soldiers off of you long enough for the rest of you to pin Gaswell in his throne room. The fool’s ancestor didn’t bother putting any back exits in the room, so once he’s in there and you hold the doorway, he’s not getting out.”
“Perfect,” Aeligos said. “What about the prisoners? We have Kari and Sonja going down there to release them.”
“Prisoner,” Eryn corrected. “It’s just a kirelas-rir war wizard. I don’t know why Gaswell is holding her, since he’s made no mention of her people in the plans he shares freely. My best guess is he’s holding her to make people think he’s after Kirelia like his great-grandfather – which I assume you’ve heard all about from the other cities you’ve visited. Anyway, if Kari and Sonja can free this war wizard, she might kill Gaswell for you...from what I gather, she’s extremely powerful. Let them know that they’ll likely only find a single jailor if they come in through the sewer exit, and he’s usually asleep at his post, so they shouldn’t have much trouble. But they should be cautious anyway, since I’m not sure how the guards will react to the armies meeting, and there should be others in the lower level.”
“All right, so that covers Gaswell,” the rogue said. “What are we missing?”
“Tactically, nothing,” she said with a shake of her head. She went silent for a moment, and Aeligos waited for her to complete the thought. “There was more to this at one time. I got here late in the formative stages, but there was a demon here when I joined Gaswell’s forces.”
The rogue nodded. “Kari and Erik killed a sylinth – one of those snake-demons – on the east side of the island…,” he started, but he trailed off when she shook her head once again.
“I know, I’ve heard mention of that one as well, but there was another demon here…what are they called? Mallasti? The hyena-types…it was a female called Emma,” Eryn explained. Aeligos tilted his head curiously in recognition and Eryn paused, but she stuck to her own line of thought instead. “It’s been difficult to figure out just what she’s been up to: obviously, I’ve never been welcome to be around when Gaswell and this Emma were speaking of whatever their plans were. I’ve been able to pick up clues here and there, though, and one of the conclusions I came to was that Emma doesn’t really care about the results of this situation with Gaswell. He thinks she’s going to provide him with soldiers from the underworld, but I know enough about thaumaturgy to know that demons can’t just come here at will. Unless she can open a sizeable portal and maintain it, her promise to him is empty.”
“Is she still here?” Aeligos asked.
“I don’t think so,” Eryn answered. “I’ve seen less and less of her ever since Kari and Erik killed the sylinth, and I could tell when they did because Emma’s behavior changed slightly. The odd thing is: she seemed pleased. I think she’s just been using Gaswell and that sylinth as a diversion while she looks for something. I’ve heard mention of something called ‘Salvation’s Dawn,’ but referred to as an object, not a time. Does that mean anything to you?”
Aeligos shook his head. “Maybe we can ask Sonja, she’s more versed in the arcane….”
“No,” Eryn said with a shake of her head. “Not Sonja; Grakin. Whatever Salvation’s Dawn is, it has something to do with the Temple of Archons. What I can’t figure out is why Emma is here when the Temple is on Morikk, off the west coast of Askies. We need to know what Salvation’s Dawn is, and why she’s looking for it here.”
“All questions for later,” Aeligos said. “As long as you’re reasonably sure that Emma isn’t here anymore, we’ll proceed with the plan tomorrow night.”
Eryn shook her head negatively. “I’m almost positive she’s not here. I suppose that’s one thing we can thank the gods for
. She’s a sorceress, and a very powerful one. I don’t know what the sylinth’s place in all this was, but it was subservient to her. She started becoming more and more scarce after it died, and I haven’t seen her for over a week – not since the first reports of shakna-rir battalions mobilizing from the north started to come in.”
Aeligos was intrigued. “What has Gaswell been doing since then?”
“Biding his time,” she answered, and then she chuckled briefly. “When the shakna-rir army gets close enough, he’s going to let his army loose against them, because he thinks there’s going to be a demon army flanking them. His scouts have confirmed that there’s another force approaching them from the north, but if I know your sweet-talking ways…”
“It’s the provincial army of the northwest, coming to reinforce the Tuvurasti,” the rogue said with a grim smile. “I guess they have some people like us among their number passing along half-truths to throw Gaswell off-guard. It’s funny, too, since I had considered suggesting that they make it seem like they’re going out to confront the shakna-rir for that very reason.”
Eryn smiled and kissed him, and the two giggled, pointedly reminded of how well they went together. “There’s one other thing: I’ve never really been privy to what’s going on, since I’ve just been serving as the porter,” the half-brys woman continued, “but being the porter means I can go all over the castle without ever really drawing too much attention. While I’ve always made sure to not be around when sensitive matters might have been being discussed, I’ve been close to Gaswell, his officers, and those demons enough to tell when something was going on just based on their behavior. And based on that and the fact that Gaswell’s army has never mobilized except for maneuvers, I came to a conclusion after Emma disappeared.”
She paused again, and Aeligos considered what it all meant. His eyes went wide. “This was all a dry run?” he asked.
Eryn nodded. “Someone in the underworld is testing us, Aeligos: testing our world’s defenses and the reactions of the gods to a scenario like this. Emma really is after whatever Salvation’s Dawn is, but she’s just a pawn controlling other pawns. She was taking orders from someone else just as she was giving them to Gaswell and the sylinth. But this whole thing is just one giant diversion. Nothing else makes sense; it’s like committing a petty crime to see what kind of reaction you get, so you know what to expect when you really hit a place hard. They touched this place in such a small way, and look at the reaction they got from the Demonhunter Order and the gods. Now they know what to expect if the Temple is their real target.”
Aeligos nodded but gestured lightly with his hand. “The Temple’s been sealed for as long as our people have been on this world; Salvation’s Dawn must have something to do with unlocking it. I wouldn’t worry too much about that at this point. As far as the demons testing our defenses, what else could anyone have done? At the very least, the demons needed to be driven out, and the threat of near-global war was no exaggeration. If things had been handled in typical fashion, and a massive war broke out…who knows? That may have been something the demons wanted. Or, more likely, it would’ve just helped mask what they were really up to, like when my siblings and I stopped Curlamanx.”
“When you met Emma?” she prompted, surprising him only slightly.
“Yea,” he said with a light sigh. “I don’t know who she serves, but I think it’s safe to say she doesn’t serve Arku, seeing as she helped betray one of his vassals. She was a servant in Curlamanx’ keep, and she knew exactly what I was up to when I started weaving my webs amongst his staff, working to turn them against him and against each other. But she never got in my way. In fact, she almost seemed happy to see what I was doing. Maybe she’s just an agent of chaos, but if this was a dry run like you think, then her intentions likely run darker and deeper than merely chaotic. She’s a lot more dangerous than I had assumed when I met her.”
Eryn shook her head, her mouth tightened into a thin line. “I suppose as long as Emma is really gone, it’s not important right now either way,” she said. “But it’s something we’ll want to go over with Kari and Erik so they can tell the Order, and we’ll want to get Grakin’s insight on Salvation’s Dawn and the Temple. Whatever’s in there, it seems important enough to be of higher priority to the demons than a world war, and that can’t be good. For the time being, I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with the demons, though. We need to prioritize killing Gaswell and preventing this war the gods are leery about. Gaswell may have been part of a larger threat, but now he’s just a man waiting to get killed, and I fully intend to oblige him.”
“That makes two of us,” Aeligos said. “Much as I like this island, I can think of a lot of other places I’d rather be. And--”
“And with your siblings should be one of those places,” she interrupted, and she nudged him. “You’d best get going. I’ll tell Gaswell to be in his throne room after dinner tomorrow for a tactical report from his officers, and then you can do your work. The castle should have little more than a skeleton crew defending it. The men know that beating the shakna-rir army will mean they’ve already effectively captured the island, so they’re fully committed to winning this battle. On the same token, they know that if they get pinned inside the castle they’ll be starved out or else crushed under a siege, so they won’t fall back here unless all other options are exhausted. If Ty and Jol pin the guards in the barracks like I suggested, then all you need to do is bar the front door and the castle’s own defenses will do most of your work for you. Don’t expect to find me about when all this happens, I have to keep up appearances or they’ll know they’re being set up. And make sure you keep those kids out of harm’s way!”
Aeligos kissed her. “I will. Thank you, Eryn; you’ve done a phenomenal job with this.”
“Thank me when we’re standing over Gaswell’s corpse,” she said, and he nodded. “Go.”
Aeligos dressed himself and checked his appearance in the room’s small mirror to ensure his disguise was still in effect. He took the book back with him and retraced his steps to the bedroom from which he’d entered, and he found it was still unoccupied. He put the book back into place on the shelf and then crouched by the balcony door to watch for the patrol to go by on the battlements. Since he’d need his wings to escape, he dispelled the shapechanging effect upon him. Once the disinterested-looking sentry made his way past, Aeligos counted out the minutes again, and slipped outside. He was careful to lock the door as he closed it behind him, and once the way was clear, he glided back over the outer wall and down into a thicket. He stayed hidden in the shadows until he was certain no one had seen or heard him, and then he picked his way back to the campsite cautiously. None of his companions noticed him until he stood among them, which nearly sent the group into a panic.
“Where have you been?” Erik hissed, trying to keep his voice down despite the masking spell and their distance from the keep.
“I was able to slip into the castle,” the rogue answered.
“You did what?” his blue-eyed brother asked.
“I was able to get inside and locate Eryn, and she verified a lot of the information we went over in our strategy,” Aeligos said. “She’s going to get Gaswell into his throne room just after sundown tomorrow, and she went over some other things with me, too.”
“Aeligos, what if you’d been captured?” Erik asked, fixing him with a stern gaze.
“I thought about that. Ultimately I decided that if I couldn’t infiltrate that keep on my own, we wouldn’t be able to as a group. Given the possibility that we all walk into a death-trap tomorrow night, I figured it was a worthwhile risk. Despite what Maktus said, the lot of us dying certainly changes things for me.”
That drew laughs from his companions, and Erik conceded the point. “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “Did you find out anything new?”
“I was right about her letter,” Aeligos said. “There was another demon involved here, but she seems to be gone now. Th
ere’s a lot more to this situation that we have to review with your Order and with Grakin and his church, but right now none of it is really relevant. The demon has effectively abandoned Gaswell, so we’re clear to proceed as planned. I found a spot to break in close to the throne room and the doors are easy enough to open, so I should be able to get us inside in less than a minute. One thing I’m not sure about is if they’ll step up patrols after their forces engage the shakna-rir tomorrow. If they do, it may be a little trickier to slip in, but if not, it should be very easy. Eryn seems to think there won’t be many soldiers about.”
“So the demons were involved with Gaswell,” Kari mused, and she glanced at Erik. When she turned back to Aeligos she added, “Did she mention anything about the dungeon?”
“Nothing specific about the dungeon itself, but she said there’s usually only a single jailor sleeping down there, and that the kirelas-rir girl is the only prisoner,” Aeligos answered. “I think it’s still best if we send both of you down there, just in case there are more men than usual. Eryn suggested we have Ty and Jol go start a melee in the barracks to keep what soldiers and guards remain away from our backs while we engage Gaswell.”
Typhonix backhanded his eldest brother in the chest lightly. “Something we’re good for, finally,” he joked, and Serenjols chuckled.
“Gaswell’s throne room has no exits other than the main door,” Aeligos said. “Eryn says once we pin him in there, there’ll be no escape for him. We’re only going to get one shot at this, so if he has more than just his two lieutenants with him, things could get hectic. What I’m going to recommend is that we have one of the twins watch the door, since with those greatswords they’ll be able to keep anyone from rushing in. In the meantime, Erik, myself, and whichever of the twins isn’t guarding the door will have to try to dispatch Gaswell and his men.”
