by Joe Jackson
“A gnoll shaman? Near Talon Rock?” Eli repeated. Black fixed Eli with his cold-eyed gaze, but despite his earlier attitude toward the half-corlyps, he merely nodded. Eli turned to Kari and said, “Talon Rock is where Tor was from, before he was orphaned and brought back to DarkWind by some soldiers.”
Kari considered Eli before saying, “You think maybe he’s related to this shaman?” Eli simply shrugged, so Kari turned back to the Earl. “And since then you’ve had BlackWing to deal with?”
Black nodded. “Since the day I got back from that trip.”
“But the Black Dragon Society’s been around since I was…alive the first time,” Kari countered. “And so have you.”
“Not like this,” Black explained with a dismissive wave. “The Black Dragon Society was originally just a thieves’ guild with delusions of grandeur. They were around long before I even assumed the title of Earl of Southwick County, and were a thorn in the side of my predecessor. They always acted like they were some secret society, but they were petty thieves and little more. They’ve always been a pain in my ass, but they were never a threat to my rule or the people of the city; as I said, they were pretty petty, even for a thieves’ guild. Once BlackWing assumed control, though, he turned them into an efficient assassin’s guild and a major black market. They still operate the same criminal ‘enterprises’ they did when they were just a thieves’ guild, but under BlackWing, they began competing with the Blood Order of DarkWind and the Five Clans of Oge. And then, of course, they started trying to murder me.”
“Are you aware that my Order thinks you’re BlackWing, and that you’ve always been the head of the Black Dragon Society?” Kari asked.
The Earl gave her a sour look but seemed to be putting some effort into not lashing out at her again. “I am well aware of that, yes,” he answered. “That’s why I tend not to ask your Order for help or allow any more of Zalkar’s people into my city than absolutely necessary to help keep the peace. You have to remember something else, Lady Vanador: your Order hasn’t always been kind to half-demons. Not so long ago, you used to hunt our kind along with full-blooded serilian demons. You should remember that from your…previous life.”
Kari nodded. She didn’t want to argue the point, especially since they were already far off-topic as it was. “Well, all the same, I’m here to help you get rid of this assassin who’s now made two attempts on my life,” she said. “Since it seems I’ve already spoken with BlackWing, why don’t you tell me what you know so far? You’ve already said you know it’s a succubus; tell me what else you’ve figured out.”
Black deferred to the marshal, who began to speak. “The killings started several weeks ago. At first it simply looked like random killings, but once we had a few of them, we started to notice the details that pointed to it being one assassin. What we couldn’t find, though, was any connection between the victims: they are of different races, genders, creeds, professions; it doesn’t fit what we would normally expect from a serial killer. So trying to track down and capture this assassin has proven trickier than usual.”
“Things got even stranger after the first half a dozen murders, when we started to find puncture wounds on the necks of some of the victims,” Marshal Saracht continued. “Our immediate concern, of course, was that we might have a vampire in our midst, but that suspicion was quickly altered when some of the murders began taking place in daylight. While the vast majority of the murders have happened at night, the few that occurred during the day that also had bite marks spoke to this being a succubus, not a vampire.”
Kari nodded, impressed that the marshal would be familiar enough with vampires and succubi to make such a distinction. “Well, she’s a half-succubus,” Kari corrected, which clearly surprised the marshal and Black –Kari found that somewhat comforting. “She’s also half-syrinthian, and she seems to be drawing life energy from as many people as she can. I don’t know exactly what she’s up to, other than the usual murder and mayhem, but she’s far more dangerous than probably any assassin you’ve ever dealt with before.”
“If BlackWing came looking for your help, then I’m inclined to agree,” the Earl said, and Kari didn’t correct him by telling him they suspected it was a trap. The Earl then turned toward Eli and asked, “So who is your companion here?”
“This is Elias Sorivar. He used to work for my Order back before the Apocalypse. Since he’s had a run-in with this succubus now and is fairly familiar with hunting demons, I thought I’d bring him along. Is that going to be a problem?” Kari asked.
Black held Eli’s stare for several long moments but ultimately shook his head. “Not at all. Everett, let your men know this one is allowed to remain within the city for as long as Lady Vanador is here, and that he is to be treated as though he is a member of her Order,” he said.
Kari wondered if the last was a good thing or not, but she gave no voice to her thoughts as the marshal replied, “As you wish, my lord.”
“I’ve got a couple of paladins in the northeast district of the city stirring up trouble; I take it that’s your doing as well?” Black asked, though in his eyes Kari could see he already knew the answer.
Kari crossed one leg atop the other, and tried to give a reasonable answer without hesitating and making her omissions too obvious. She didn’t want to tell Black too much about her plans or what she knew, on the off chance his denials were just part of a larger deception. On the one hand, Kari was inclined to take Eli and the marshal’s faith into consideration where Kaelin Black and Blackwing’s identities were concerned, but on the other, she couldn’t afford to give the succubus or BlackWing any more advantages. Kari was never very comfortable lying to people, but she recalled Aeligos’ distinction in calling BlackWing’s words half-truths, and decided she had to be satisfied with using them herself right now.
“They worked with me in a previous mission, and were nearby and available,” Kari said. “I was hoping that having a couple of paladins in the city might make the succubus think twice about killing anyone else, and then I can concentrate fully on my hunt. If that’s a problem...”
Black waved his hand again, and in his concerned expression and mannerisms, Kari could see that he was troubled by the entire situation. “No, not a problem. I just wasn’t sure why they were here until now. With them stirring up the people, I’m going to put an end to martial law and let them work with the people to help try to find this assassin. Unfortunately, they also brought their mentor, Lord Garant, with them, and he’s being a righteous pain in my ass wanting to deal with inter-county politics when I’ve got an assassin on the prowl. So it’s going to fall entirely on you and your companion here to find and kill this assassin without much help from me. I’ll assign my men to patrol the streets so that if a fight breaks out, either you or your two paladin friends shouldn’t have to wait long for help.”
“That will be very helpful, thank you,” Kari said, though she had to admit to herself that she felt very strange thanking Kaelin Black for anything. “Have there been any recent killings?”
“Only two in the last few weeks, and both of them were guards,” Black said. Kari wasn’t sure whether it would occur to Black that the succubus seemed to want her in Barcon and that was why the killings slowed down. Black didn’t seem to clue in to her contemplations, and he continued, “Marshal Saracht tells me that he found you almost as soon as you’d entered the city. If you haven’t found a place to stay, I’m sure I can put you up somewhere suitable.”
“I already have a place in mind, but thank you,” Kari said, and something else occurred to her. “I'm curious how you knew I was coming?”
Kaelin Black smiled, but it was one of the most unsettling things Kari had ever seen. He seemed to be smiling genuinely, in a teasing sort of way to say ‘I’m not spilling my secrets,’ but with all of Kari’s doubts with regard to his identity, it sent a shiver down her spine. Rather than be comforted, she felt the noose tightening about her neck, and the trap getting so much closer to being
sprung upon her.
“Let me know where you’re staying, so I can have a guard detail posted around your inn,” Black said almost amicably. “I don’t want this assassin catching you in your sleep; she seems to operate primarily at night.”
Hard to argue with that, Kari thought, and she wondered if perhaps she was simply being too sensitive and too guarded when dealing with Black. Part of her assumed he wanted to know where she’d be staying so he could send the assassin after her, but she tucked those fears aside. If it turned out he was being genuine and could prove to be an ally to her, she didn’t want to be a fool and either alienate him or turn him into an enemy outright. “We’ll be staying at a little inn over in the temple district called The Bloodied Blade,” she answered.
“Not exactly,” Black interjected. “That place was sold a few years back; don’t remember what the name was changed to, but the inn is still there. If that’s where you’re staying, I’ll have my best guards keep watch over the building.”
“One question, if I may, your lordship,” Eli said, and Black gestured for him to speak. “Do you have any contacts within the Black Dragon Society, maybe through your guards?”
Lord Black’s eyes narrowed somewhat. “As a matter of fact, I do, but if you think I’d share that information with anyone, you’re sorely mistaken. The Black Dragon Society has plagued me for decades for good reason, and I can’t make the mistake of exposing my spies.”
Eli simply lifted the sleeve of his tunic, and neither Black nor the marshal could hide their shock. The Earl nodded, seemingly to himself, and then he rose to his feet before gesturing for his guests to do so as well. “I’ll need a couple of days to see if my contact is willing to deal with you,” he said. “Just understand that you can’t let anyone know you’re working for me if you’re going to tangle with the guild. If you intend to work with or through the guild to aid Lady Vanador, then you need to act like you’ve gone rogue and keep yourself separate from her, else you will put her life and her work here in serious jeopardy.”
Kari was surprised by the tone of Black’s words, but Eli answered before she could voice her thoughts. “I grew up learning what discretion means on a daily basis,” Eli said.
“Well, go and get yourselves settled at the inn,” Black said as he walked his guests to the door. “If you need to speak with me, get in touch with the marshal and he’ll bring you to me when it’s convenient and safe. Keep me updated as much as you can on your hunt, even if it’s just through the marshal, and if there’s any way he or his men can be of assistance, I will put them at your disposal. Good afternoon.”
“Farewell, Lord Black,” Kari said politely, and Eli bowed his head as they departed.
Kari led Eli from the tower and toward the temple district, and she couldn’t help but wonder how thick the webs she’d just walked into truly were. She was more concerned for Eli if he was planning on dealing with the assassin’s guild, and the thought of not even being able to sleep at night for fear of having the assassin led right to her filled her with a mental fatigue. She considered the inn’s proximity to her deity’s temple, and thought of something that would at least keep their resting place secure. She resolved to go to the temple as soon as they were settled in. With the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind, she led Eli to the inn formerly known as The Bloodied Blade.
Chapter XI – One Small Favor
The only thing that looked different to Kari was the small wooden sign hanging from the front porch. While the old one had depicted one of Garra Ktarra’s legendary axes coated in the black blood of a serilian demon and the words “The Bloodied Blade,” the new one was cleaner and, perhaps, more welcoming. It depicted a simple platinum coin, and was engraved in both common and the rir language with the words “One Small Favor.” It was an odd name for an inn to Kari’s thinking, and the way Eli’s brow knitted when he beheld the sign told her that he felt the same way. The front porch was empty and the inside seemed quiet, so Kari entered with Eli close behind.
The inside was little different than Kari remembered from when she passed through before her trip to Tsalbrin. One Small Favor had a country-inn feel despite its location in the big city, and its furnishings, while worn, were inviting to the eye. The common room had a good fire burning in the hearth that served to ward off the chill of the spring afternoon. Kari took in each minute detail as she stood just inside the door, gently scraping her feet on the welcome mat. The wooden chandeliers were extinguished in favor of the strong sunshine that streamed in through the narrow windows on the inn’s northeast side, and the broader windows on its southeast side. Most appealing was the scent of roasting game birds wafting from the kitchen, and Kari’s stomach rumbled quietly in anticipation of a proper meal.
It was early in the afternoon, so the common room was empty, and while Eli took a couple of minutes to look around, Kari scanned the posting board that hung beside the door. It was covered with all manner of bills advertising services or else offering payment for them. Kari was glad to see there was little in the way of emergencies: no Wanted posters left by the Earl or his men; no recruitment notices for mercenary companies; and nothing that suggested there was any sort of unrest outside of the city itself. With nothing of interest to see, Kari gestured toward the bar with a nod of her head, and she ran her fingers across the smooth surface of one of the tables as she and Eli approached and sat down on the bar’s high stools.
Kari remembered Dave and Millie, the kind innkeepers who had taken such good care of her right after the War ended, and how they had tried to refuse payment when all was said and done. Barcon was a primarily human town, and Kari wondered if they had sold the inn to younger humans – perhaps their children or grandchildren. Dave and Millie had looked as though they weren’t too far from retiring when Kari stayed here three years before. She remembered ordering a double-godhammer, and the amused reaction she’d gotten, and she paused in thought, realizing it had been some years since she’d had one of the potent beverages. Normally, the reaction she got when ordering one suggested the people thought she was a drunk, but as she tried to recall the last time she’d had one, she was satisfied that she wasn’t. Perhaps at one point she had flirted with being so, back in the days when she was dying of her terminal illness and had to deal with the storm of emotions that brought with it, but she had quit drinking without a problem when she’d gotten pregnant, and simply hadn't picked the habit back up.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Eli tapping on the bar, but she realized as obnoxious as it was, he was doing it simply to attract the attention of the innkeeper. It served its purpose, and after only moments, a terra-rir woman of perhaps a few more years than Kari emerged from the back room. Like most of her people, the rir woman had shockingly white hair and deep green eyes. Her hair, still vibrant for a woman her age, was carefully brushed and braided into a wide tail, and her eyes creased at the corners as she smiled in welcome to her customers. She was middle-aged but still quite pretty: the signs of a life of toil showed, but hardly spoiled either her figure or the features of her face.
She approached the bar from the other side, but stopped suddenly when her eyes met Kari’s. The woman put her hand to the end of her snout. “By the gods,” she muttered, loudly enough for her guests to hear, and Kari and Eli exchanged a glance before looking to the woman for some explanation. “You…you’re Karian Vanador, aren’t you?”
Eli chuckled and Kari smiled. While most people knew Kari by name and certainly by reputation, she was often mistaken for a serilian-rir at first. People usually didn’t recognize her until they figured out she was a terra-dracon, either by seeing her teeth or, in rare cases, picking up on other subtle clues, such as the thickness of her wing muscles. With the service Kari had put in as a lieutenant colonel for the Thirty-Fifth Light Division during the Apocalypse, most of the people of the southlands were quite familiar with her name and deeds. Kari assumed she was about to be offered free food and lodgings, as was common for demonhunters of any ran
k, and especially for those held in as high regard as Kari.
“Shield of the Heavens, by Zalkar’s grace,” Kari finished warmly. “My companion and I will need rooms for a week or so, and meals to go with them, please.”
The woman continued to stare at Kari, and there was a warmth in her expression that left Kari to wonder. It was all the demonhunter could do not to fidget under the intensity of the woman’s gaze. “You don’t remember me, do you?” the innkeeper asked after a few moments. “I suppose you wouldn’t; we were never properly introduced. My name is Alyssa Sil’Nurra. We met in the market square a few years ago: you told me my husband had been killed in the War.”
Kari put her own hand to the end of her snout, but quickly blinked back the tears that threatened to flow freely. “Oh, I do remember you,” she said quietly. Her mind whirled through the memory of her last trip through Barcon three years before. Alyssa’s daughter had asked Kari for a coin to buy food, and Alyssa had been so apologetic for imposing, despite their obvious need. Her husband, assigned to the Eleventh Light Division that broke the siege of DarkWind, had been killed when the company was wiped out. Kari had given the woman some coins to keep her and her daughter afloat while they dealt with the loss. Kari never thought she’d come face to face with Alyssa again, so this chance encounter sent a shiver down her spine.
