by Joe Jackson
“I know only that their names were whispered, on those odd occasions where they were mentioned,” Liria said with a shake of her head. “I suppose an assassin’s guild is a close enough approximation of what they are, for all I know of them.”
Kari muttered a Hmph but didn’t press the girl any further. She led Liria and Little Gray into the back chamber of the temple, and crossed the floor quickly. She embraced Sonja without even stopping to salute the Council first, though there were no complaints. Kari wanted to ask Sonja a thousand questions, but her sister-in-law’s mannerisms seemed to answer the biggest one already. Kari recognized decorum and saluted the Council. Liria mimicked her motions beside her, and Little Gray drew laughs from the human priests when he did the same.
Master Bennet met Sonja’s gaze. “Speak freely,” he intoned encouragingly.
“Everyone’s fine,” Sonja said first, undoubtedly sensing Kari’s tension and doubts. “We got separated from Sherman and Sharyn in Ballycastle, but I’m sure they’ll catch up to the others soon. We have the Tilcimer pinned down in some sort of laboratory complex that…we think belonged to Seril.”
“A labor…what?” Kari echoed.
“We chased the Tilcimer to what looked like a cave, but it turned out to be a warded sanctuary where it seems Seril conducted all sorts of experiments,” Sonja explained. “We found all manner of journals about what she was doing to gnolls and other creatures, and even some about how she had created her various serilis-rir.”
“So it was just one demon like your parents suspected?” Kari prodded.
Sonja’s expression changed briefly, but then she nodded. Kari guessed her sister-in-law hadn’t really considered that Kari had sent Corbanis to aid the rest of them. “Is,” the sorceress corrected. “I think they have it trapped in the complex, but Erik asked me to teleport back here to give you this.”
Kari took the offered journal with reverence, understanding that if Erik had sent away one of his team to bring a book to Kari, then it must be of tremendous importance. She turned and looked at Liria, but didn’t send the syrinthian girl away. She was Kari’s personal assistant now, and Kari had to start putting trust into her to gauge whether she could continue to do so. Liria glanced down at Little Gray and Kari nodded, so the syrinthian girl released the boy’s hand.
“Auntie Sonja!” Little Gray yelled, running in for a hug from the sorceress.
Kari smiled but turned back to the book. It was written in serilian, and despite how long Kari had served as a demonhunter, she had never learned the language of her enemies. “What is it, exactly?” she asked.
Master Arinotte held his hand out for it, and Kari walked over and gave him the journal. The dark-skinned human perused it for a couple of minutes, and the other Councilors waited anxiously for his thoughts. Sonja showed him the particular page, and after reading for only half a minute, the human’s eyes widened with alarm. “By the Unyielding, if this is authentic…”
“We’re almost positive it is,” Sonja said.
“What is it?” Kari asked again.
Master Arinotte translated the passage: “And though it is a mindless killer, the Tilcimer shows no fear, no signs of loyalty; its allegiance cannot be bought or even coerced. This is my contingency, my poisoned well, as it were: that should my efforts at last prove to be completely vain, I will leave Citaria with a plague that will carve the name Chiylija S’Bakthra into their hearts and minds forevermore. Or, at least until they die screaming in flames.”
Kari was confused, but she didn’t miss the most important detail. “S’Bakthra,” she repeated, and she met Sonja’s eyes for just an instant before she turned to the Council. “Does this mean what I think it does?”
“The Crimson Huntress bears the surname S’Bakthra,” Liria said quietly.
Even the syrinthian girl was able to put it together, and Kari shook her head. If there was a connection between Seril and Koursturaux, then all of Citaria might find itself the target of the demon king’s schemes going forward. Or, perhaps Koursturaux had been involved in Seril’s plots and attacks all along, using the Citarian goddess to enact her own plans here. There were so many possibilities, none of them good, and Kari nearly spat when she realized how close she had come to accepting an invitation to the demon king’s realm.
This changed everything. Kari had half a mind to march over to the Silver Chalice and arrest Amastri, holding the half-elf prisoner until she could get answers. But she knew she had to be cautious and take her time in reaching a proper decision in light of the facts. Thus far, she knew only that Seril and Koursturaux were related somehow; what that meant in the grand scheme of things was still beyond her comprehension. She decided the best thing to do was to engage minds sharper than her own, and she had a room full of those.
She had to curb a laugh when Master Perez asked, “What does this all mean?”
“Well, one thing is for certain: it clearly means that Lady Vanador’s dealings with King Koursturaux are more dangerous than even she had feared,” Master Bennet said. “It is going to take some time and considerable caution to unravel the demon king’s involvement in our history, let alone our future.” He looked beyond Kari to the syrinthian girl among them. “Young lady, do you have any insights into this?”
“Not really, Master. I’m sorry,” she said. “I know precious little about politics outside of King Sekassus’ realm.”
Master Bennet waved off her apology, but Master Goldberg asked, “You never recall hearing the names Seril or Chiylija before on your homeworld?”
“No, Master,” Liria answered. “If your Seril had dealings with the Crimson Huntress, the people of Sorelizar would be mostly ignorant of it.”
Kari smirked, and the Councilors didn’t miss it. “I’m just laughing at her reaction,” she explained with a gesture toward Liria. “You asked about her homeworld, and she referred to it like it’s a foreign place now.”
That drew all of the Councilors’ gazes back to Liria, and the syrinthian girl blushed. “This is my homeworld now,” she said meekly.
“Are you going back to help?” Kari asked her sister-in-law.
Sonja shook her head. “Erik said to stay put. I think he was nervous about my return drawing anything’s attention when they already have their hands full. But he wanted to make sure this information got back to the Order in case the worst came to pass fighting the Tilcimer. My father knows a lot about it, though, so I’m pretty confident they can kill it.”
“Assuming it’s alone,” Master Arinotte said, and Sonja nodded. “If the complex you found was indeed one of Seril’s…laboratories, for lack of a better term, there could be other things there that may aid the Tilcimer in its cause.”
“It looked like a lot of hunters were making ready to leave; are they being sent south to help?” Kari asked, and Masters Arinotte and Perez both confirmed it. She turned to Liria. “Go tell Lord Allerius to get them moving immediately, and then you can get back to your classes.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the syrinthian girl answered with a salute. “Will you need my assistance when my classes are done?”
Kari shook her head. “No, stay here on campus with your classmates for the night. I’ve a feeling I’m going to be meeting with someone tonight, and I’d rather you weren’t there.”
Liria looked confused, but she didn’t argue. She saluted Kari again and took her leave.
Once the syrinthian girl was gone, Kari asked Sonja, “Was there anything else you didn’t want to share with Liria here?”
“We captured the elite demon Atauridar; from what my father and Gabrius said, he was one of Seril’s generals. I don’t really know much about him, myself. The name sounds familiar, but it doesn’t really mean much to me,” Sonja answered. “They’re holding him in a cell within the complex, but if things go badly, it’s entirely possible the Tilcimer might let him go.”
“You are holding Atauridar prisoner?” Master Perez asked, leaning forward.
“He was Seril�
�s southern general, wasn’t he?” Kari piped in.
“He assumed control of her western legions after you defeated Taesenus,” Master Goldberg said. “That was our missing link in our historical records that you were able to help clear up. After you defeated Taesenus, he abandoned his legions and returned to his mother’s side. Atauridar, an elite demon, took over command of the western legions and drove them south to attack Barcon. He was also directly responsible for the massacre at Petersburg.”
“So, as I’m certain you can understand, Atauridar is a much-wanted man,” Master Perez added.
“Hmph,” Kari muttered. She turned to Sonja. “Would you go give directions to the complex to Lord Allerius, so he can direct the rest of our hunters that are leaving?” Sonja agreed, pausing only to give Kari a quick hug before she departed the chamber. When Kari turned back to the Council, she could see they were pleased with the amount of information the mission had uncovered, but there was still uncertainty there. The same uncertainty Kari could feel in her gut, she had no doubts about that. “Midsummer is in two days, and I’ll be bringing someone to meet with you.”
“Regarding what?” Master Bennet asked.
“Possible allies to the Order. With everything going on, I think we can use all the help we can get, and this help might come from someplace we’d never look,” Kari said.
“You’re not considering allying with some forces from Mehr’Durillia, are you?” Master Arinotte asked, leaning back in his seat and eyeing Kari skeptically.
She could well understand the sentiment. Trusting a syrinthian was strange enough, Kari didn’t think she’d be too keen on trusting any of the other Mehr’Durillians. Not for some time, anyway. About the closest she could imagine coming to that would be trusting the ones that lived and served under Celigus, and even then, after everything that had been revealed in recent months, she wasn’t even sure she trusted him anymore. His relationship with Koursturaux and her relationship with Seril certainly muddied the waters.
Kari waved away Master Arinotte’s concerns. “No. You’ll see. But we have a problem to discuss,” she said as she sorted through her thoughts. “If it turns out Seril was related to King Koursturaux, then we have to question Celigus’ motivations going forward.”
“Why is that?” Master Perez prompted.
“Because Celigus and King Koursturaux are…kast’was, if that’s how you make it plural,” Kari answered. The Council was confused, as she expected. “A kast’wa is something unique to the kings; it means mate, but only in the sense of breeding. It doesn’t in...indicate political ties or anything like that. So the fact that Celigus and King Koursturaux occasionally like to…er, knock boots may have nothing to do with Celigus’ plans for Citaria.” She tried to ignore the scattered chuckling of the Council. “But it’s something we’ll want to keep in mind when we deal with him going forward.”
“One wonders if that’s what the Fall of Terrassia was all about,” Master Goldberg mused, referring to Celigus’ arrival on Citaria back during Kari’s prior life. The demon king arrived on the continent of Terrassia when he first came to Citaria, and after Kari’s death he conquered all but the elven kingdom, all in a matter of a few years. He had ruled the continent peacefully and brought prosperity to its many kingdoms, and allowed them to rule themselves to an extent. After five years, he had relinquished control back to the monarchies and other governments, and simply left. Even Typhonix and Aeligos had little idea what he had been or was up to when they told Kari the story. She had been alive when Celigus arrived on Citaria, but died before he ever began his conquest.
“I’m going to work on distancing myself from King Koursturaux,” Kari declared. “It might take some time, though, and I may not be able to back out of my agreement to go and meet with her in Mas’tolinor without spiting her. But I think the Tilcimer has inadvertently helped us crack the mask she wears.”
“Tread very carefully, Lady Vanador. Remember that Amastri is a skilled manipulator, and she may try to distort the facts to suit her master’s goals,” Master Arinotte said. “I would suggest you continue ‘working’ with them to pinpoint Taesenus’ whereabouts, but otherwise stay clear of any plots and schemes of theirs, no matter how beneficial they may appear to the Order.”
“Understood, Master,” Kari said with a salute. “I was going to ask, Masters, when am I required to take my leave of absence?”
“Whenever you wish, though we will force you to if you haven’t done so by the end of your ninth month,” Master van Holtzer said with a smirk.
“Oh, thank the gods for that,” Kari said. She saluted them again. “By your leave, then.”
With their permission, Kari departed the chamber and the temple, and stood on its white front steps to watch the gathering of hunters selected to go south. She prayed silently to Zalkar and Sakkrass, asking that they guide her friends and family to victory, and make these additional hunters unnecessary. She was confident in the abilities of Erik, Corbanis, and the others, but she didn’t like her friends being away and in danger while she was powerless to help them.
That thought brought Liria’s words to mind, and Kari turned and saw the syrinthian girl engaged in sparring exercises on the main square. The other cadets weren’t exactly warm toward her, but they treated her with respect as a fellow recruit, at least. Liria hadn’t complained about it, anyway. Kari thought of her two brothers-in-law, and how once upon a time, a half-demon coming to the campus to apply was just as likely to receive a beating as to be sent away to the sound of laughter.
Things change over time. Slowly, but they do, Kari thought. She touched her lower belly as her breath caught, and tears welled in her eyes briefly as a soft breeze blew through her mind.
*****
Gabrius led the way down the stairs and through the tunnels. His sense of smell was thrown by the stagnancy of the air and the lingering smell of mold, mildew, and rotted corpses. The walls turned from painstakingly carved stone to rough rock as the stairs descended into darkness. There was the scent of water coming from farther below, but it, too, was stagnant and not at all pleasant. Gabrius assured them all he could still smell the traces of cinnamon scent that the Tilcimer left behind, and kept them moving downward.
Sonja’s arcane light source stayed close by Erik, casting a wide circle of illumination, but Erik knew that it would make them more obvious from a distance. He tried not to dwell on that; the sound of his heavy armor and that of Jol, Corbanis, and Gabrius echoed down the steps. His father also assured them that the Tilcimer would not make the mistake of engaging them in tight spaces, and the stairs were only wide enough for two people to walk abreast. Erik wondered what sort of area they would find at the base of the hand-carved steps, and how deep into the mountain the complex extended.
The temperature was pleasant even for the group of half-demons. Erik wondered if they might be descending near someplace with volcanic activity, and hoped dearly that such would not be the case. While being half-demon meant they were virtually immune to flame, lava and its poisonous gases or extreme heat sources would still kill them. Erik wondered if that might have something to do with where the Devil Queen had made her abode, and how that may have affected her creation of the serilis-rir. There were so many questions that lingered after the Devil Queen’s death, and parts of this complex might hold the answers to many of them.
The stairs eventually emerged into a wide room that looked like it had been blasted from the rock by arcane power. There was a fireplace, incredibly fashioned when juxtaposed next to the rough-hewn rock all around it. The distant whistle through its unnatural chimney could be heard, and there were two carved stone chairs before it, layered with dilapidated furs, blankets, and pillows. The chairs partially faced each other, while also facing the hearth, and Erik got the distinct impression that Seril met with important people – or beings, more likely – in this place.
“Think this is where she met with Koursturaux?” he asked Aeligos.
Aeligos twisted h
is lips to the side slightly, but shrugged. “Hard to say. As much as them sharing a surname might mean, it could also mean very little. I’m sure the Order is best served assuming the worst, but if Koursturaux is as old as she’s reputed to be, the gods only know what kind and how many relationships she’s had over those millennia. Hell, she and Seril could’ve been lovers for all we know.”
“That seems unlikely,” Serenjols interjected. “King Koursturaux, to our knowledge, never directly intervened in any of the conflicts involving Seril. To me, such would indicate that they were not close, no matter what their names might otherwise suggest.”
“Perhaps not, but if King Koursturaux is as old as she is reputed to be, such a relationship could have been from a time before our world was even born,” Gabrius offered.
Aeligos nodded his agreement, and Corbanis spoke. “Ah, I wish your mother or sister were here,” he sighed. “Either of them might be sensitive enough to feelings to get an idea of what transpired here.”
“Even though these meetings took place decades ago?” Erik asked.
Their father nodded, glancing around. “I’m not sure about your sister, but your mother is typically very attuned to emotions, so much so that strong ones leave traces on places or people, and she can detect them even across time.”
“Sonja can, too,” Aeligos said. “We saw that when we visited Morikk.”
Erik sat on the arm of one of the chairs, staring at a kettle that hung beside the fireplace, and a short, round table that held a tray with an old ceramic pot and two cups. The pot, white with a floral pattern, matched the cups, and for some reason, it struck Erik as comical for being so out of place. All he could think of was the Devil Queen sitting and having a cup of tea with a Demon King, and the entire situation just seemed unnatural. He thought when he got back, he was going to have to ask Kari all about her experiences among the kings.
Gabrius had gone conspicuously silent, staring into the fireplace, and Erik turned to him. “Not to upset you, but did your father ever tell you anything about Seril?”
