by Joe Jackson
“There are others, some of whom created peoples on Mehr’Durillia, and others who did not. There were seven master deities in total, and they populated each other’s worlds with their many and varied folk to build trust, brotherhood, and alliance between them. You can see the work of the Great Bull Viggaru upon Mehr’Durillia: he is the creator of the harmauths, but my mother said one can also see his work here on Citaria, in the form of the minotaurs and what you call ‘Sylvan Beasts.’ Ambergaust the Golden Lion put his kwarrasti upon your world; Mother recalled that Eli and Danilynn traveled with one when she met them. Whether or not the aquatic lord Xinxis has put his merfolk on this world, I am not sure, but the final of the seven deities, Arakiel, is your own creator, known to you as Gori Sensullu.”
“So you see, there are seven principal deities, and seven seals or keys to open this great mystical Temple your world possesses,” Se’sasha said, holding her hands up to see if everyone was following. She was answered by naught but nods, so she continued, “You asked what is in that Temple, and though I cannot tell you exactly what it is, I can infer what it must be…”
“It’s their meeting place?” Aeligos prompted as she trailed off.
Se’sasha met his eyes and nodded sagely. “It is their Temple: not just to Arakiel or to any of his siblings, but to all of them. It is not just their Temple and meeting place, though: if the demon kings were to capture it, it might break their hold upon these worlds, or make it more difficult for them to work together against their enemies. As it stands, Be’shatha and Arakiel have both been slain, and Ashakku is under attack: the siblings are in dire peril.”
There was silence again, so Kari asked, “You learned all this from communing with your mother?”
Se’sasha made a gesture of partial agreement. “No, I learned a lot about the deities from my mother’s spirit, but until I saw the Temple and the way it reacted to your touch, I had no idea such a place even existed. What do you know of those other seals or keys to the Temple?”
“They’re supposedly guarded by powerful creatures in places no one knows about,” Kari said with a sigh. “I find that hard to trust, though. I’m wondering if we should look into getting them all together to keep them safe.”
“No, being in one place would just make them easier to find,” Ty said, and Aeligos agreed with him.
“As far as the other seals, we have to trust that Gori Sensullu did enough to keep them safe for the time being,” the rogue said. “Should we go tell the Council?”
Kari shook her head. “I think there’s a mole in the Order,” she said, getting everyone’s attention in a hurry. “The last time I spoke to Amastri, she knew where we were going with Se’sasha and why, and she also knew I’m pregnant. She’s a hell of an information gatherer, I’ll give her that, but there’s no way she’s finding these things out on her own. And since all of this was supposed to be kept a secret among the Order, someone’s talking. In any case, I need to go talk with our resident not-demoness and then get to the campus of the Order.”
“Don’t do anything rash,” Aeligos said casually, as though he expected Kari wouldn’t.
She waved off the comment. “I’m going to talk,” she said. “In the meantime, Kyrie, I think you should go talk to Sonja. She’s taking this all really hard. Aeligos, can you help get Ty over to Tigron’s church with Eli?”
“We’ll manage,” Ty said, trying to smile. He patted his mother’s hand and gestured for her to go upstairs and talk to Sonja.
Kyrie walked over and hugged Kari tight, and the demonhunter was at a loss as to what she should feel. She’d gotten one of Kyrie’s sons hurt, put almost all of them in danger, and all she’d come back with was information about the Temple. She wasn’t sure that was enough to warrant getting people killed – people like Ursula and Richard. Reality sank in after a minute, though, and she realized that whether it was overt or not, she was wrapped up in a war with the demon kings of Mehr’Durillia. There was no escaping the death and destruction to come; all she could do was try to navigate her people through it, and keep as many of them alive as she could.
Kari left the house alone soon after. She was sure Erik would arrive home as soon as word spread that they’d returned, and she’d left instructions for him to take Se’sasha back to the Order’s campus. She strode purposefully toward the Silver Chalice, half of her wanting to draw a sword and just decapitate Amastri when she arrived, while the other half wanted to beat some information out of the woman first. The latter half was going to win out, but she knew she had to be tactful, and couldn’t hurt Amastri unless the situation – or her explanation – warranted it.
The Silver Chalice was just starting to get crowded in the late afternoon, and Amastri was surrounded by her throng of enthralled men. That did little to improve Kari’s mood, but she kept her swords sheathed and her expression as non-hostile as she could while she approached. Before she even reached the table, Amastri had one of the men surrender his chair, and the part-elven woman gestured for Kari to sit without hesitation. She looked Kari over, puzzled, and the demonhunter guessed Amastri was wondering where the katana was.
“I have something for you,” Amastri offered tentatively after a brief silence, “but I was expecting you would also have something for me. It appears you do not.”
Kari didn’t say a word; she simply tried to burn a hole through the part-elven woman with her glare alone. Amastri was either truly ignorant to Taesenus’ attack, or she was trying to use her charms and acting to bluff Kari. Memories of being kicked in the belly by the Demon Prince and of seeing the bones of Typhonix’ spine while the priests worked on him flooded back to Kari’s mind. She glared at the men around her, who stared at her as though she was intruding on their good time, and her anger reached its boiling point.
“Get lost,” she growled to the many men around them. They looked to Amastri to see what she had to say, and though it seemed the part-elven woman was about to give the orders, Kari didn’t wait. “Don’t look at her; she’s a guest here. I’m the head of the Demonhunter Order, and I’m telling you to get away from us, now.”
Amastri stayed silent, a look of worry upon her face, but one of the men straightened out beside Kari as if trying to intimidate her. Her left hand dropped down to the hilt of the scimitar on her right hip. “I’m not going to ask you again,” she said without even taking her eyes from Amastri. Her words got the attention of more than just the men around her. The entire place went quiet, and though at first Kari thought Amastri might be controlling the patrons somehow to defend herself, the people soon began to head to the exits.
Even the barkeep didn’t bother to stay in the room to complain that Kari had just cleared out his inn right before supper. Soon enough, only she and Amastri remained, and the woman stared across at Kari as though expecting trouble. “Lady Vanador, what is the meaning…”
Kari held up her hand, silencing the woman. “Just give me whatever it is you have for me,” she said. “Then maybe I’ll explain things to you.”
Amastri pulled out a folded letter with a wax seal, and handed it across the table to Kari. It was tough but smooth tan paper, carefully folded and sealed by red wax with the image of a rose stamped within it. Kari was curious, but she assumed it had to be from Koursturaux herself. She knew of certain arcane traps that involved reading things that triggered explosions or other trickery upon the reader, but she thought Koursturaux had to be above such things. She glanced at Amastri briefly before breaking the seal, and then Kari began to read the meticulous flowing script, written in the common Citarian trade tongue:
Lady Vanador,
This is the price you must pay for meddling in the affairs of the Overking. It is clear you expected that you could keep your friends safe from harm and escape from the clutches of the kings without consequence. This is folly. You will never treat with the kings and profit in the end: every deal, every trade, every offer of mutual aid will end with the kings getting the better of you. So it has been for te
n eras, so it shall be for ten more.
I offer you these words of advice, mortal: unless you wish to see more of your friends suffer and die, turn back from this road you walk. Already, one death has warped your heart and your mind; you do not have the willpower to combat the Overking and his subjects. With each step you take, more friends and loved ones will suffer, more will die, and eventually, you will face defeat. I have seen the efforts of your lives and they are quite impressive, but it does not seem to me as though you possess the fortitude to see this through.
Protect your world as you see fit, Lady Vanador, but know that declaring war against the Overking or any of my peers will bring you naught but sorrow. The choice is yours.
There was no signature at the end of the letter, merely another red wax splotch with the rose impression in it. Kari looked up at Amastri and wondered if the woman had any idea what was written in the letter. Kari crumpled the letter up and tossed it back at Amastri, who tilted her head to the side, her eyes flicking as if she was deciding whether or not she should run. Kari thought about what to say for a minute, but ultimately threw decorum to the wind.
“Tell your king that she can take her letter and shove it up her backside,” she said.
Amastri’s cat-like eyes went wide. “Lady Vanador!” she exclaimed in protest.
Kari waved off Amastri's protest with a sharp gesture. “You might be wondering why I don’t have the sword I told you I’d be bringing, but then I’m guessing you probably already know. You might think I’m an idiot, Amastri, but I’m not. Aside from my friends and those who serve under me, you and your master are the only two…‘people’ who knew where I was going, and that I’d have that sword with me. So I’d like you to explain to me just how Taesenus knew we’d be there, and was waiting for us.”
Amastri started to open her mouth, but then stopped and closed it. Kari guessed she was about to utter something preposterous like “Who is Taesenus?” If that was the case, it was a good thing she’d shut her mouth, because Kari was pretty sure she’d have drawn her swords and taken a swing at the woman if she had. Kari had said she wasn’t going to hurt Amastri, but after reading the insulting letter from Koursturaux, she was quite convinced that she'd been betrayed, and thought the only way Amastri would leave this meeting alive was if she was completely and totally honest.
“Where is the sword?” Amastri managed at last, slowly, carefully, and very respectfully.
“Taesenus has it,” Kari answered coldly. “He also crippled my brother-in-law, and hurt a lot of my friends in the process. So again, I want you to explain to me how he knew where we would be with that sword, when you and your master are the only two who knew that outside of my Order.”
“So he stole it?” Amastri worked out after a brief hesitation, and her expression of fear turned to one of anger. Kari wasn’t sure what to make of it; the woman was either a very good actor – which Kari knew she was – or she was at a loss herself. Kari supposed it could very well be a mix of the two. Amastri continued, “I am not supposed to tell you this, Lady Vanador, but under the circumstances, I must take certain liberties despite Her Majesty’s wishes. Her Majesty wanted that sword specifically to keep it away from…Seril's son. That he took it from you when it rightfully belongs to Her Majesty is not going to be tolerated.”
Kari tilted her head. “So he doesn’t work for your king?” she pressed.
Amastri shook her head. “Honestly, Lady Vanador, I did not even know he was still alive. Her Majesty has only told me what I needed to know of this situation, and aside from wanting to keep it from your Seril’s sons, I was not told much else. I will swear to you, on the keen edge of one of your angel’s blades, that at no time did I inform anyone of your destination, and I am unaware of any reason Her Majesty would have done so. In fact, I can think of many reasons Her Majesty would not have done so. I understand the reason you are suspicious of us, Lady Vanador, but your suspicions are wrong. If someone has betrayed you, then as you say, it must have been someone else who knew: someone in your Order.”
Kari had her suspicions on that, but she wasn’t about to share them with Amastri. The trouble she had was there was no reason for her to trust Amastri or Koursturaux, and yet she kept finding herself coming back again and again. Something Amastri had said occurred to Kari after some time, and she asked, “Seril’s sons?”
“Her Majesty’s words, not mine,” Amastri said. “I know Seril had at least two children, but to my knowledge, both of them are dead. It seems that at least one of them is not, from what you say. It seems we are both in the dark on this, you and I.”
Kari shook her head. “Annoying, isn’t it?” she muttered.
Amastri chuckled. “Quite,” she agreed. “Such is the unfortunate life of a go-between.”
“Taesenus mentioned the Lord of Destruction when we fought him,” Kari offered. “Is it possible he’s working for Abaddon?”
Amastri made a face as though she wanted to correct Kari for not saying King Abaddon, but she held that back. “I suppose it is possible,” she said. “If that is the case, then Her Majesty will be quite interested to look into the matter.”
“See that she does,” Kari said. “And I expect you’ll get back to me with whatever the two of you find out. This bastard nearly killed my brother, and wounded several of my friends. I want his head on a stake, and I expect that you’ll help make that happen – free of charge.”
“I will see what I can do,” Amastri said. She picked up the crumpled letter and started to flatten it back out, as if trying to hide the fact that Kari had crumpled it up. “I take it you do not truly wish me to tell Her Majesty what you said earlier?”
“Oh, no, I still want you to tell her that,” Kari said. “And you can tell her that if the reaction to her letter seems inappropriate, she’s welcome to come talk anytime she likes.”
Amastri’s face at last managed that disconcerting smile. “Be careful what you wish for, Lady Vanador,” she said evenly.
Kari shook her head and left the Silver Chalice. There was still quite a crowd outside, but they’d apparently waited for the demonhunter to finish her business before they went back in. Kari walked through them but no one bothered her; they were too busy trying to squeeze back into the popular inn. It was almost supper time, but Kari had too much to do to even think about taking a break to eat. She had to get to the campus and inform them of Ursula and Richard’s deaths, get preparations underway for a funeral, and let the Council know that the Order seemed to have a mole among its number.
Kari walked as quickly as her sore, achy body would let her, and she thought about what Koursturaux’ letter had said along with what Amastri had said. If there was a mole among the Order, they weren’t just telling the demon king and her servant what Kari was up to: they were apparently selling that information to whatever king was willing to pay for the information. They’d also let on about just how much Kari and the Order were learning, which meant the kings would more easily be able to counteract Kari's own countermeasures. It was an infuriating situation, but at the same time, it made Kari realize the demon kings were afraid of how much Kari knew: so much so that one of them was trying to urge her to stop pursuing her leads.
The problem with that theory, Kari mused, was that Koursturaux had been on Citaria before. She’d left without trying to conquer the world or even go see to the seal on the Temple of Archons, so what was she really after? The only thing Kari could really come up with was that Koursturaux was content to use patsies – like me, she thought – to get the Temple open without getting her hands dirty, and then either she or her alleged former lover, the Overking himself, would swoop in and claim the prize. And, Kari mused, in taunting Kari and the Order, the demon king could dupe them into thwarting all of her enemies.
She entered the campus of the Order and was saluted crisply by the two guards at the gate. She saluted them absently in return and made her way to the administrative building, where she handed the slain hunters’ tags to V
irginia, one of the human secretaries. The secretary nodded solemnly, and Kari knew she would start getting the paperwork done and take care of the funeral arrangements. She’d also look up what surviving kin the hunters had, and if they lived locally, Kari would go to their homes along with Lord Allerius to express their condolences. There would also be the matter of a pension for surviving spouses or children, but Virginia would take care of all of that for Kari.
Kari went to the temple next, and was surprised to find the Council already convened when she entered their chamber. She’d hoped to find one or two of them there working, and she wondered if Se’sasha was giving them a debriefing on everything she’d learned already. As soon as they saw her, the Council waved her forward quickly, and upon their faces she could see deep concern. She wondered if Erik had already brought back word of what had happened to Typhonix, or if they were otherwise aware – perhaps through Kaelariel – of the reappearance of Seril’s son.
“Ah, Lady Vanador, just the person we need to see,” Master Bennet said. “We have just received distressing news.”
“So you know about Taesenus and Typhonix already, Master?” Kari asked.
All sound in the chamber ceased in an instant, and the nine human males sat staring at Kari as if she’d just unleashed a stream of epithets. “About Taesenus and Typhonix...?” Master Arinotte repeated. “What do you mean by that?”
