by Joe Jackson
“Please let Lord Allerius know I’ll be back on campus in a while,” Kari said to Virginia, one of the secretaries, and the human woman nodded.
Kari gestured toward the door and preceded the Duke outside. “I understand you fought quite a battle in Barcon that drew the attention of the Duke of Sutherland,” he commented as they walked leisurely toward the campus’ main gate. “As a former soldier and general, I have ever been a student of history, Lady Vanador, and your story has always fascinated me. Most are awe-struck by the work of Turik Jalar, and indeed, the Avatar was a fantastic fighter and leader by all accounts. However, I was always more intrigued by your own accomplishments, for what you did, you did in half a lifetime, and without the backing of the entire Order.”
“Turik Jalar threw a list of demands at the feet of the Overking of the underworld, Your Grace,” Kari said with a gentle shake of her head. She didn't bother calling the world by its correct name. “I don’t think I’ll ever manage to do something quite like that.”
The Duke looked around to see if anyone else was in the vicinity, and then kept his voice down. “Yet if what I have heard whispered is true, you are planning to go to the Overking’s very world and pluck something that the demon kings surely do not wish taken from them, no?” he asked with that warm smile again.
Kari couldn’t smile in return; she was already aggravated that word had somehow spread to the Duke himself that she was planning to visit Mehr'Durillia. Damansha seemed the most likely guilty party if word had reached the Duke so quickly, but Kari tried not to get too worked up about it, particularly in the Duke's presence. People finding out about her plans didn't put her in any more danger, really, and only made it more likely that the families of her prisoners were executed by Sekassus. It was something she was trying to avoid, but in all honesty, she wasn't even sure why.
She smiled after a few moments, not because she was happy he knew of her plans or even because of how awestruck he was with her accomplishments, but just because of the way he spoke and treated her. He was a very well-mannered and practiced speaker, and Kari wondered if that had molded him to become Duke, or if becoming Duke had molded those qualities in him. If he’d been a general under his father, she imagined the former was probably the truth. “Well, I’m not sure how that's going to go, Your Grace,” Kari said. “It'd probably make my friends choke to hear me say it, but I think it sounds a little too easy. I’m very suspicious about it all.”
The warm smile disappeared from his features and he nodded. “You are a wise leader, Lady Vanador. That is why you are suspicious when things seem too easy. Your friends may not see it this way, simply being happy with the prospect of surviving and making it home, without considering the possibility that they may be allowed to do so to serve some other end. Believe me when I say to you that I understand what you think and feel regarding this. Any time I manage to negotiate something with one of my Earls, or one of my fellow Dukes, and things go too easily, my first assumption is always that I missed something. It is this diligence that will keep you and, consequently, your Order, safe from the machinations of the demon kings.”
“I certainly hope so,” Kari said, then quickly added, “Your Grace.”
The Duke smiled again, and once they passed through the main gate of the campus, he gestured toward a stately carriage. There was a young rir male sitting in the driver’s seat dressed in a formal garment almost like a tuxedo. His hair was cut meticulously short and brushed into a neat and formal style. He hardly turned to look at what went on around him, but when Kari and the Duke approached, he hopped down quickly, opened the door, and offered his hand to assist Kari in getting up into the back. He bowed low while the Duke climbed up into the carriage, and the Duke ordered him to take them northward to the DeSales Estate. The Duke took a seat with his back to the driver so he could speak face-to-face with Kari.
“You will, of course, be allowed to change the name of the estate to whatever you wish,” he said once the driver got the carriage underway.
“What happened to the previous occupants?” Kari asked, and again she had to amend her question by adding Your Grace to the end of it.
“Sadly, the DeSales family has been wiped out,” the Duke returned. “I understand there was some incident several years back, and those who survived it were unfortunately slain in the War. I have since been running the vineyards and groves as property of the duchy, so that the land did not go to waste, but now it will be yours to do with as you please. If you wish to keep the vineyards and groves producing, I will assign my workers to you at no charge, assuming you pay them a fair wage.”
Kari nodded but didn’t want to think about trying to run a vineyard or an estate right at that moment. It was enough work being a mother and the head of the Demonhunter Order; the last thing she needed was a household and land to run. Workers, wages, income, expenses – it was too much for her to really consider. She supposed it might be something for Aeligos to do while things were quiet; he was shrewd, intelligent, and very good with numbers. That also brought Typhonix to mind, as he was – strangely – a student of economics and might have a lot of pointers on how to run things. She almost laughed as she considered she’d have to pay them a fair wage, too, to run her household for her.
They passed out of the north end of DarkWind and along the wide road that circled the city. The roads were still being repaired from all the damage and neglect they’d suffered during and shortly after the War, and the walls around the northern estates were also in need of repair. Still, the land itself was recovering, being managed diligently by the landlords and the workers who tended the fields. Even before they entered the DeSales Estate, Kari could see that the land was very well-kept and would be a prosperous holding for her. Its vineyards stretched in rows for what seemed like miles, and only the pocked road leading up to the house gave pause to the endless march of vines.
Kari knew there was something there to be learned about the Duke taking money out of the estate but not putting any back into it, but she kept that thought tucked neatly in the back of her mind. What troubled her about it was that she would have to do the same thing until she had the funds to have the road repaired. As it stood, she still had almost no money to her name: what wages she earned as a demonhunter, she gave to her mother-in-law to help with the upkeep of the house and its pantries. If she was now the baroness of this estate, she would have to find some money somewhere to make sure its workers weren’t just paid, but also taken care of in terms of having a safe and efficient environment in which to work. It seemed running an estate might be similar to commanding the Order, in some regards.
“Your Grace, what are my duties as one of your baronesses?” Kari asked. The carriage was approaching the house at a fair pace, but they had time to chat and she didn’t want the Duke to think she was being closed off to him.
Duke Bosimar waved a hand dismissively. “Normally, a baroness would be expected to keep a standing militia to defend not only her land, but that of the duchy when called upon,” he explained. “However, the baronies here are protected by my own army, which is funded by taxes due and paid by the baronies each year after harvest. You have my ear as a baroness: since this county has no Earl, you may access my court at your leisure to express concerns, or else hear those of your neighbors. To be honest, Lady Vanador, the title is more one to distinguish you from non-landowners. Your mother may own a beautiful home in my city, but you are now a landowner, and will be afforded a good amount of respect on account of it. Of course, you likely will not notice this respect because of that your position already commands.”
Kari chuckled and bowed her head respectfully as the carriage pulled up in front of the house. Like the road, the house was in need of repair: painting, new shutters, and some shingles that were missing. Kari wasn’t a carpenter, but she knew that missing shingles meant there was probably a number of leaks in the roof, and if that was the case, the floors were probably damaged. She tried not to get overwhelmed with the thou
ght of how much the repairs would cost, again reminding herself that she had time and, more importantly, somewhere else to live until those repairs could be realized.
The Duke took the time to show Kari around the inside of the house, and just as she’d expected, the floors and ceilings were damaged by water in many places. The ground floor was comprised of a grand, open foyer with a dual staircase leading to the second floor – not unlike the keep of Markus Garant in Lajere. There were two sitting rooms; a library; a long, open dining room; and a kitchen big enough to prepare feasts for the dining room when full. There was a short hallway that led to an attached outhouse, which would be nice during the cold winters. All six of the bedrooms were located on the second floor, along with a second library and reading room. All in all, it was a grand, stately house, damaged as it was, though the books were mostly molded over or rotting, and the curtains and tapestries had been stolen for fuel, blanketing, or other needs.
The Duke showed Kari out to the master bedroom’s balcony, which faced north to overlook the fields. While the southern half of the property was a vineyard, the northern half was an olive grove that climbed up into the distant hills. Kari was impressed; a vineyard would be profitable enough, but both grapes and olives would pull in a small fortune every year. She’d never worked a farm in her life, but she knew this much: wine and olive oil were high-demand items, and with the size of the land she had just inherited, she stood to make an awful lot of money from them. All that remained, she reminded herself, was to find the coin to keep the place going until the money started flowing in the right direction.
“How far out does my property extend, Your Grace?” Kari asked quietly, surveying her land with a discerning eye.
“Out to those hills in the north,” he said. “Beyond that is generally considered no man’s land, so if you can extend your crops a bit further and keep your lands safe and under control, I certainly will not complain. Although I imagine if the DeSales family opted not to expand in that direction, the land is either unsuitable or simply too much to control.”
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind, Your Grace,” Kari said. “I was more interested in whether or not I could build a temple on my land.”
“A temple? To whom?”
“To the god of the czarikk, called Sakkrass,” Kari answered. The Duke was equal parts surprised and confused, and waited for Kari to elaborate. “I grew very close to their people in the years since the Apocalypse, and I have a rather unique relationship with their god.”
“And you hope to attract some of the lizard-folk to your land by building this temple?” the Duke asked.
“Maybe,” Kari said, and she shrugged. “I guess I'm not really sure what I expect. I just feel like it's something I should do.”
He regarded her for a silent minute. “You realize I must refuse on principle, if nothing else,” the Duke said. “This Sakkrass is completely unknown to me, or any of our people, with the exception of yourself and perhaps a few others. I do not wish to insult you or this deity whom I do not know, but erecting a temple to some unknown god outside of my city…this is something my citizens would not likely tolerate. So I will lay this stipulation upon the both of you: if you wish to build a temple to the czarikk god, then you must first convince me that he is worthy of my trust. Tell him to give me some sign that I can trust him, and I will consider your request. Until such time, the answer is no. Understand that being a landowner will not allow you to circumvent my word on this matter.”
“I wouldn’t even try, Your Grace,” Kari returned with a respectful bow of her head. “I may be the head of the Demonhunter Order, but I’m still a woman under authority, and I will always respect that authority.”
That made him smile genuinely. “I see I should be thankful to the Duke of Sutherland for negotiating this bargain with me,” he said, but then he put his finger before the end of his snout. “Not that I shall ever tell him that, you understand.”
He let out a hearty chuckle and Kari joined him. She was glad to see that her relationship with the Duke was off to a healthy start. With her doubts about the Blood Order, she wasn’t sure how she’d deal with him when they finally met. She followed him down and out of the house, and soon they were in the carriage again, headed back to the campus of the Demonhunter Order. They made small talk along the way, and the Duke gave Kari some advice on raising the funds to have her land and home repaired. He assured her that the upcoming harvest’s profits would be hers to keep, but that the harvest was still some time away, so she would need to take care of things in the meantime. His first suggestion was that she try to borrow it from her own Order, since she could return the money threefold if she wished.
Once back at the gates to the campus, Kari thanked the Duke for his gracious gift to her, even though it was technically from the Duke of Sutherland. She expressed her gratitude for his suggestions about raising capital to get the estate in order. He left her with a cordial goodbye, and Kari walked back onto the campus, trying to ignore the wide-eyed stares of the guards at the gate. Considering the previous Avatar had been the Duke’s son and probably never received such treatment, Kari could well understand the guards’ shock. Then again, she thought perhaps their wide-eyed stares were more in line with seeing something scandalous. She rolled her eyes at herself and tried not to dwell on it: hunters were trained not to partake of gossip, for all the good it did in the end.
Kari returned to the administrative building, but before she could even head to her office she noted the bustle of activity. She suppressed a sigh; this was what being in charge was going to mean for the better part of the next decade or so of her life. She waited while the other hunters and secretaries chatted excitedly amongst themselves, but it wasn’t long before they noted their commander’s presence and saluted her respectfully. It was only then that Damansha approached from among the hunters, and Kari wondered if someone had already come to collect on the bounty she’d placed on Sekassus’ agent.
“Lady Vanador,” Damansha began, maintaining decorum in front of Kari’s Order, “the Commandant asked me to come and make your Order aware of the reports that a werewolf has been spotted in the city.”
Lovely timing, Gil, Kari thought. “A werewolf?” she echoed. “When did this happen, last night?”
“Some of the reports came in last night, yes, but they were mostly dismissed as foolish,” the watch captain answered. “But other reports filtered in just this morning, under daylight, and even a pair of our watchmen witnessed the creature’s presence. No injuries have been reported, and the beast fled when confronted, and our watchmen had little luck trying to track it. So the Commandant has formally requested the help of your Order in tracking down and killing the beast, since our watchmen are not trained to deal with such a creature.”
“I don’t suppose it was silver or gray, and female?” Kari asked. Damansha’s shock answered the question well enough. Kari sighed and held a hand up, expecting protest before she even began to explain. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but go tell the Commandant there’s nothing to worry about. To try to keep this short, I know who this werewolf is, and she’s not a danger to the city. I asked her to come here so I could introduce her to the Council.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” Damansha asked. “With all due respect, Lady.”
“She helped me kill the assassin down in Barcon,” Kari said, and Damansha’s jaw dropped open along with those of several of the hunters present. “Like I said, she’s not here to hurt anyone. I don’t know what she’s thinking, prowling around scaring people, but she’s here at my request. I’m not sure you’ll have any luck trying to catch her, but she should make her way here to the campus eventually. And then I’ll have some words for her.”
“I’ll have some myself,” Damansha said quietly. “Lady Vanador, are you certain this is the same one you…worked with?”
“I asked her to come up for midsummer, but it seems she’s a little early,” Kari said. “I’ll tell you
what: tell the Commandant what I said, but that if she hurts anyone, my hunters will be at his disposal to capture or kill her. I’ll pass along the orders through the ranks here. And tell your watchmen if they see her again, to call her by the name Gil, and to tell her to get her ass here to the campus before we come looking for her.”
Damansha saluted Kari respectfully, as did the hunters listening to the conversation. “As you wish, Lady Vanador,” the half-elite watch captain said. “If you’ll forgive my saying so, my lady, I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I,” Kari said, dismissing the watch captain and her hunters with a gesture. She made her way back to her office before anyone else could waylay her with bad news.
Chapter VI – Apprehension
The days passed slowly, and though she didn't say as much to her family, Kari had already made the decision to go. Eliza's assurances that visiting Anthraxis would be safe was what tipped Kari in favor of going. At the very least, she figured she could get information while she was there, even if she decided to have Eliza bring her back home without ever leaving the city. And with the council of the kings set to meet when Kari arrived, the demonhunter figured it might be helpful to put faces to the names she knew – after all, it seemed at least some of the kings already knew who she was, and possibly even that she was Salvation's Dawn.
Kari's footfalls brought her slowly toward the southeast district, into the rougher part of the city south of the docks, and not far from Charlie's Boarding House, where the first encounter with Turillia had begun just months before. The latest report of a werewolf sighting had come from this area, and after six days of reports coming in, Kari wondered what Gil was doing and why she hadn't come to the campus yet. Kari began to wonder if it was, in fact, Gil, or if it might be one of the others from her pack or a completely random werewolf. The witness reports that the creature frequently talked to itself certainly lent a lot of confusion to the situation.
