by Joe Jackson
“If your travels across Mehr'Durillia are going to last for a month or more as you think, then you are going to learn a great deal about our world and its peoples. I won't lie to you, Kari: you are going to be quite surprised by much of what you learn. My father, siblings, and I have been unable to tell you much of anything because of the threat of retaliation and banishment, but the information is not exactly a secret. If I may suggest something, do your best to befriend as many people as you can while you are there, and learn everything they can tell you. Then, when you come home, not only will you have this priestess to draw from, but first-hand experience dealing with the people of Mehr'Durillia. And then you will better know how its kings operate, and how to counter them.”
“So your father is already considered a traitor to the Overking?” Kari prodded.
“To an extent, yes,” Eliza answered. “For the time being, he has maintained a strict neutrality between our two worlds, and so the Overking still views him as a potential pawn. But if we were to betray the Overking's secrets or make it plain that we were feeding you information to foil the kings' plans, that would carry much more dire consequences. Banishment from our home world would be a best-case scenario; at worst, we might even be hunted down by the very creature who saved your life only days ago.”
“You mean the elestram, the Wraith?” Kari asked, sitting up a little straighter.
“Aye,” the half-succubus said. “I wouldn't be too sure he's an elestram; you're the first person I've ever heard confirm just what he is. He didn't earn the nickname the Wraith by being someone who's seen often or in his true form. But when he's been sent to execute someone by the Overking's orders, their death is all but assured.”
Kari considered that. “So he works for the Overking?” she mused.
“No, he's a mercenary,” Eliza corrected. “He works for whoever pays him. Doubtless only the kings can afford his services, though.”
“So can you take us to the…um, Mehr'Durillia and back?” Kari asked.
Eliza nodded. “Yes, I can do that,” she said. “And I can remain in Anthraxis until you've returned, and bring you home. Just make sure you understand that I am Celigus' daughter, and I cannot legally enter another king's domain without their express permission – which I'm unlikely to ever receive. So I will be useless to you in terms of helping with your overall rescue mission. I can, however, show you around some of the city and introduce you to both King Koursturaux and King Morduri.”
Kari shook her head. “Amastri said we're not to talk to or im…implicate?” she stuttered, and Eliza nodded. “We're not to talk to or implicate King Koursturaux in any way.”
Eliza put her hand over her mouth, and she blew out a long sigh through her nose. “I can tell you that means it's going to make King Sekassus very, very angry. I'm sure it already goes without saying, but make certain you're out of Sorelizar before the Seven Days' Grace expires.”
Kari snorted. “There's one other thing I hope you can tell me about, something you and Amastri haven't really talked much about. From what Amastri's told me of this plan, we have to cross the realm of…Tess'Vorg, home of King Emanitar? Is there anything you can tell me about him, and whether or not crossing his realm is going to be a mistake?”
Eliza took in a deep breath and thought to herself for a minute. Kari figured she had to be careful just how much she said, but that she knew a lot about the subject. Kari hated to put Eliza in such a position, risking betrayal and its consequences, but she trusted that Eliza would know how to toe the line properly to keep herself safe while helping as much as possible. Again there was that strange feeling of trusting a demon to verify information given by a mortal, but Kari brushed it aside. She tried to simply look at Eliza as an ally, and not worry about what other label one could put on the woman.
“King Emanitar presents an interesting range of possibilities,” Eliza said at last. “No one is quite sure if King Emanitar is exceptionally cunning or if he simply has no ambition. You must understand that despite his relatively low station among the Council – he is eleventh among the kings, just outside those considered the major kings – he is possibly the oldest and certainly one of the most powerful among them. Some believe he is allowing the Overking to demote him again and again so that he can destroy as many kings as he likes – again, he is among the most powerful of the kings. Others – including the Overking – believe he is simply defeated in spirit, and that King Emanitar no longer has the ambition to advance his station.”
“Personally, I don’t know King Emanitar very well, but I have spoken with him from time to time when I accompany father to a Council session. I believe both sides may be wrong, and that King Emanitar is simply content with where he is and what he has, and so his rank means as little to him as invading or cowing his neighbors. My instincts tell me that the biggest danger King Emanitar will pose to you is in the realm of curiosity: you may, if you cross his realm, pique his interest enough that he may detain you, for lack of a better term, to sate that curiosity. He may take a great interest in you as a demonhunter, but then again, perhaps not.”
“You don’t think he’d harm us, though? Or make us go around his realm to avoid any sort of…implication in this plot?” Kari asked.
“Not likely,” Eliza answered. “Especially if he knows you’re going to do something that will make King Sekassus angry. I’m not sure of the details, but something happened between King Emanitar and King Sekassus many years ago, and neither makes any effort to hide their animosity. King Emanitar typically shows little in the way of emotion toward any of the other kings except for King Koursturaux and King Morduri, but his hatred of King Sekassus is no mystery to anyone.”
Kari tilted her head. “So they might involve King Emanitar in this plan…?”
Eliza thought about it a few moments, but ultimately she shrugged. “I’m not certain. King Koursturaux was once kast’wa to King Emanitar…she was his mate, you might say, though the bond was not like what your people call being mated. A kast’wa is something unique among the kings; it is more a political mating, you might say, aimed at creating princes of power but with otherwise no ties between the pair. As for King Morduri, his father and King Emanitar were friends for many centuries, and as I have heard it, King Emanitar was as an uncle to King Morduri – a rare thing among the kings and nobles of my homeland.”
It was definitely surprising for Kari to hear. At the least, it eased her tensions about crossing Tess’Vorg and whether or not Emanitar could be trusted at all. She wasn’t sure what to make of the trio, but the fact that they were all interconnected posed another possible issue for Kari. Koursturaux and Morduri were apparently arranging some sort of plan to annoy Sekassus, and caught in the middle was Morduri’s “uncle” and Koursturaux’ former mate, or whatever they wanted to call it. And then there was the fact that Emanitar hated Sekassus with a passion. It made Kari wonder if all three of them were actually involved in this plot, regardless of what their feelings might look like on the surface.
Another thing that made Kari wonder was how Koursturaux and Emanitar had ever become lovers in the first place. While Eliza had said it was a political thing, that still didn't explain why a creature fitting the description Eli had given of Koursturaux would be in any way attractive or attracted to a mallasti, which is what Emanitar was, from what little Kari knew of him. That the kings might be able to produce children when they looked so vastly different was a shock, and the thought of what such children might look like or how powerful they might be was staggering.
“So you think this might work? This plan of ours?” Kari asked, honestly curious for a completely outside opinion.
“I see no immediate concerns that would lead me to say no,” Eliza said. “My homeland can be very dangerous, Kari, but it’s not as though you will arrive there and be killed on sight. As much as you want to learn about the kings and their capabilities, they want to learn about you and yours. That’s why they work so hard to plant spies among your people
, and why they are eager to entangle you in their plots and schemes. If this world is one the Overking is interested in conquering, then every trip you make to Mehr’Durillia gives him that much more information about you, your Order, and how you do things. It is like a delicate game of chess played with living pieces.”
Kari nodded. That was about as positive an answer as she was likely to get. The best and safest option, she knew, was to simply leave Se'sasha to her fate and remain home. It might make Danilynn and Eli unhappy, but it would also keep them alive – not to mention Kari herself. More than that, though, it meant the Order would still be blind to what was truly going on in the lands and the minds of their…Mehr'Durillian adversaries. With the increased interest in the Temple of Archons, being blind or ignorant were things they could ill afford anymore. In the grand scheme of things, Kari understood, as much as she didn't like it, that three lives weighed in the balance against the millions that could be saved were inconsequential.
“Let me ask you a couple more questions,” Kari said at length, and Eliza nodded. “What can you tell me about a mallasti sorceress named Emma, or…Emmalikas, if I remember right?”
“She's one of the Overking's slaves, but slave casts a shadow over the importance of her position,” Eliza said. “She is his closest and most highly regarded servant. No doubt you will see her when you visit Anthraxis, considering the Council will be in session at the time. I know your Order has been trying to find out about or capture her for some time, but that will be more easily imagined than accomplished. She is the Overking's eyes and ears, and with the amount of time she has spent on Citaria, I imagine she has also been acting as his hands, making certain those under him do not lay claim to anything here before he does.”
“That's what we were starting to suspect,” Kari agreed. “She seems to show up whenever some king or other tries to invade or work some trouble here, and puts a stop to it one way or another.” Eliza nodded again. “So what can you tell me as far as how powerful she is? I heard a wizard say that calling her an archmage would be an understatement. I don't know a lot about the arcane; how many different ranks are there, especially above archmage?”
Eliza put her hand to her chin and cocked her head. “Honestly, Kari, how detailed an answer are you looking for? The nuances of the arcane are many and varied, and understanding them is one of the fundamental building blocks of learning to wield it. If I were to explain it all to you, it would be the equivalent of an apprentice learning the basics from a master. You're not interesting in learning to be a wizard, are you?”
“Gods, no,” Kari said, and the half-succubus chuckled. “I don't think I have the mind for that sort of thing. Education has never exactly been my strength.”
“I think you sell yourself short in that regard,” Eliza countered. “But no matter. To give you a short answer, the term archmage is a title given to recognize mastery of the arcane; it does not necessarily denote strength or power. An archmage is simply one who has mastered the varied theories of the arcane, and can adeptly call upon any and all of them. The assumption that it has to do with power is a common misconception, even among practitioners of the arcane.”
“Are you an archmage yet?” Kari interjected.
The half-succubus nodded. “Yes, I've been considered an archmage for some years now. Myself and the other members of the High Council of Wizardry are all archmages, most of us with scores, if not hundreds of years of experience and mastery in the arts. Much of my power came from my father, but I was tutored by Archmage Percival Cintalas of SouthWind, though my mastery took many more years than it should have because of my decision to marry and have children. I suppose to help answer your question, I could point out that Emmalikas is far, far more practiced and powerful than I am. There are only a couple of my fellow archmages on the High Council who could stand against her in a contest of arcane might, but that would not be a pretty sight, I assure you.”
“So she’s a weapon,” Kari mused.
“Very much so, but one the Overking has not used to full effect yet,” Eliza confirmed. “Don't make the mistake of thinking she is friendly or harmless because she stays in the shadows and works through manipulation. She is exceedingly dangerous, due in no small part to the misconception that she is simply a spy or observer.”
Kari considered that, recalling how Eli always insisted Emma was just an observer and that he considered her a friend. It was a dangerous trap to fall into, and Emma's abilities as a manipulator seemed so much more potent in light of having fooled Eli and his companions. True, there was the mitigating factor of their companion Tor being Emma's child, but that was something they hadn't found out until after their dealings with Emma were complete. The more she was exposed to the schemes of the underworld – Mehr'Durillian, whatever the case may be – kings, the more she understood how easy and how dangerous it was to get wrapped up in them.
It was a lot for Kari to think about, but Eliza's words and her willingness to take Kari and her friends to Mehr'Durillia eased some of the demonhunter's tensions. Such an undertaking was still incredibly dangerous, but on top of everything else she stood to gain, Kari thought of one other thing that urged her toward going. She realized a trip to Mehr'Durillia, during which she learned a lot and from which she returned safely, might make the kings worry about Kari and her Order for a change. All she had to do was give them the impression that she was learning their secrets as quickly as they were learning those of Citaria, and with that thought, Turik Jalar's own seemingly brash actions made a lot more sense. It almost didn't matter what demands he had laid before the Overking – the mere fact that he had done so must have made the kings leery about crossing him.
“Well, thanks so much for coming and agreeing to help,” Kari said, to which Eliza simply bowed her head politely. “You mentioned you were married; how are your husband and kids?”
A strange expression crossed Eliza's face momentarily, and Kari got the impression she had misspoken. “I married a human,” the half-succubus said, no trace of being upset in her even voice. “He died many years ago. My descendants live mainly in and around the city of Solaris on Terrassia, but none of my children or descendants inherited my longevity. It's a strange thing to have gone through…to watch your loved ones die while you remain young.”
“I can believe that,” Kari said quietly, and though Eliza seemed to pick up on what she meant, the half-succubus was too polite to get inquisitive. “Well, I'm sure I've already taken up too much of your time. For the moment, I've made the decision to go. So if you could return ten days from now and take some of us to…Mehr'Durillia, I'd appreciate that. Even if your father did think it would be a bad idea.”
“Father is concerned about doing anything to upset the fragile state of his relationship with the Overking, since some of our family still reside in Sansrigar,” Eliza said. “Try to think of his refusal to help and his advice not to go as a formality, and not his true feelings on the matter. Accordingly, while I'm certain he will not ignore you if you see him in Anthraxis, do not expect to spend time in his presence; he will want to keep up appearances.”
“Understood; thank you,” Kari said. She rose to escort Eliza to the front door, but once they had said their farewells, the archmage rose to her feet and, with a gesture, vanished from sight with a pop.
*****
Kari took the time to relay her conversation with Eliza and her decision to the Council of the Order, as well as most of her family. When she returned to her office, the first thing Kari noticed when she entered the administrative building was that everyone was on their feet. It took her only moments to realize why when she saw the handsome but weathered face of Duke Christopher Bosimar among them. The Duke had obviously once been a very attractive man, and Kari could remember, even from her brief encounter, that his son, Jason, had inherited those handsome features. The Duke had his black hair cut short with the top in spikey rows. Kari knew he had once been a soldier – a general in his father’s army – but he’d c
ut his hair short when he ascended to the position of Duke himself. He still had well-defined muscles and only a few age-lines across his snout and cheeks, and his shrewd black eyes took in Kari as she approached.
“Your Grace,” Kari greeted him formally with a respectful bow. Kari had never paid all that much attention to the nobility or etiquette, but now that she was a baroness and landowner, she knew that she might be called to the Duke’s court from time to time. Kari didn’t suspect she would ever become a true “lady” of the court, but at the same time, she was well-respected on account of her position as head of the Demonhunter Order and a hero from the past.
“Lady Vanador,” the Duke returned in warm, even tones. “I had hoped to discuss this new title being afforded to you on account of the Duke of Sutherland. If you have the time…?”
Kari knew that despite the phrasing and the inflection that made it sound like a question, it wasn’t really a request. The Duke was a busy man, and if he was affording Kari his time, then she was expected to drop everything and attend to his agenda. “Yes, of course, Your Grace,” she said, but she was keenly aware of the fact that she was armed and armored. “Should I go get changed into something more presentable?”
The Duke waved off her concerns. “Not at all,” he said. “In fact, as we will be traveling to see your property, it might be best if you come as you are.”
He smiled, and Kari could see a lot of that same charisma that Jason had possessed in the father’s features. Many people disliked or distrusted the Duke because he was unable to get rid of the Blood Order – the assassin’s guild that ran the city’s illegal activities. The majority, on the other hand, felt he did an excellent job keeping the Blood Order relatively under control and also keeping the city prosperous despite the guild’s illicit activities. Kari fell somewhere in the middle. She respected the Duke due to his position and the fact that he was Jason Bosimar’s father, but she certainly felt he could try harder to eliminate the guild. She kept her opinions to herself, though: he was the Duke, and his position was worthy and demanding of respect, and as the head of a world-wide law enforcement agency, she gave it to him implicitly.
