by Steven Drake
“The title isn’t necessary,” Darien said. “I’m not a knight or a noble. You could say I don’t believe in such things.”
“Very well, Darien. If you insist. What is Zandrek involved in?”
Darien sighed and started speaking in a low voice. “The men who came to abduct Mirisa several weeks ago had a leader, a powerful mage named Carliss. He was a member of a mage order called the Order of the Shade. I believe it’s likely they taught him the magic he knows.”
“And this Order of the Shade? What do you know of it, and how?”
“I know them because I was a member of the Order of the Shade, many years ago. They serve as spies, assassins, and generals for the Demon King.”
“The Demon King.” Elira’s face went white. “Surely you don’t mean the demons have returned.”
“He isn’t a real demon,” Darien said quickly and with obvious irritation. “He only names himself the Demon King to inspire the kind of fear you just displayed. He’s simply an ordinary mortal who gained access to extraordinary magics that allowed him to mimic the powers of the ancient demons.” Elira calmed somewhat.
“If what you say is true, Zandrek has committed an unspeakable crime, but, forgive my frankness, why should we trust another mage, one who admits he used to be a member of this ‘Order of the Shade’?”
“That’s not fair, Elira,” Zitane said. “Magic is not forbidden here. I trust Darien, and if you trust me and my sister, then you may trust him.” Elira looked to Mirisa. Elira had always been a friend, a sparring partner, and an honest soldier of Catarina. She had become the first woman to serve as captain of the Falling Leaves in a century, and she more than deserved the honor. Now Elira was asking Mirisa for her own opinion on whether Darien could be trusted. Without hesitation, Mirisa smiled and nodded confidently. Elira nodded back and smiled in an expression of approval.
“Magic is not a threat to you,” Darien said curtly. “Most magic has nothing to do with demons. I would be interested to hear your history and learn why you have been taught to fear all magic. I gather it would answer many of my questions, but there is a more pressing matter to handle.” Darien stood up taller for a moment and then sighed deeply. “The Shades are a grave threat. Many are as strong as I am. Some are stronger. I need to know how deeply your prince is involved with them. He may have only hired them to abduct Miri and teach him magic. If that’s the case, then you can have him back, and do whatever you wish with the information you have.”
“And if he’s allied himself with these Shades?” Elira asked apprehensively.
“Then I want to know why they’re interested in Zandrek and his kingdom. The Demon King may have designs on your land. He stands to gain a great deal if he can establish an ally in this region.” Darien leaned back against the wall again. “Either way, we need to interrogate Zandrek.”
“You think that snake will tell the truth?” Kellan said. “A man that threatens to starve a city over a woman can’t be trusted.”
“No, I don’t,” Darien answered. “He’s obviously a coward, and accustomed to deception.” Darien paused for a long moment, blinking his eyes slowly. “However, there is a technique I can use to get the truth out of him, a spell that will prevent him from lying.”
“You can do this?” Zitane asked.
“Yes. It’s called domination magic, the ability to subtly influence or control the minds of others. That’s what the Shades used to force Norin to do their bidding. I used a similar technique when I questioned him to make sure he was telling the truth. With Norin, it was easy, because he was too afraid to resist. That won’t work with Zandrek. He will almost certainly resist, and the process of breaking that resistance is extremely painful. I would not attempt it without permission.”
“How painful is it?” Zitane asked.
“If the Shades have taught him to resist domination magic, or if he has enough awareness to feel the power of my magic and try to stop me, he will experience what is called soul pain. It’s not something that I can describe exactly, certainly not like physical pain, but miserable. I have experienced it, and it feels like a pain deep within, and it moves from place to place, worst when it gathers in the head and neck. It also causes the victim to experience a deep, primal fear, much worse than anything most have experienced. It’s like having one’s soul ripped apart, slowly, and reduced to nothing.”
“But it’s just pain right?” Zitane asked. “There’s no permanent damage.”
“Well, there’s always some risk. It depends on what the Shades have taught him, and whether they’ve put any spells on his mind already, but I’m familiar with their tactics. For me to use Shadow Sight to interrogate him just once, the risk is minimal.”
“I don’t know,” Elira said. “I worry for our kingdom. The king’s behavior has been increasingly odd, and his new ambassador gives me chills. I fear that we are deeply involved already, and I want to know more, but to knowingly subject the crown prince to further magic.”
“It’s up to you,” Darien said. “I won’t ask you to set aside your laws, but I will tell you that the Shades have no respect for any law but their own, and they have only one. The strong rule, and the weak obey, or perish.”
Elira looked meaningfully to Zitane. It seemed an entire conversation passed between them. Elira needed Zitane to oppose Zandrek. They had been friends since before Zitane had found Mirisa in the snow, and the captain of the Falling Leaves often spoke of her admiration of the younger twin. She had been among those who suggested that Zitane should oppose his brother, and now, without words, she asked again. If Zitane allowed this interrogation, it would cross a line, it couldn’t be undone, and it would make her a rebel. If she agreed to this, it would make her return to Catarina difficult, if not impossible. She would not agree unless it was for the good of the kingdom. Miri held her breath as she watched them stare at one another.
“We have to do this,” Zitane finally declared. “We have to know if there is a threat to the kingdom. If Catarina is really in danger, I have to do something.”
The few gathered exchanged looks of resolve. The matter had been decided. When she looked to Darien, she caught a hint of something, a faint trepidation. He did not enjoy this, whatever it was. They made their way back to the cell. Zandrek was struggling with the chains, cursing in harsh whispers. When he heard the key click in the lock, he looked up, and locked his eyes on Elira Valtar.
“Elira,” Zandrek said, “I demand you get me out of here at once. They cannot hold me here like this.”
“You bring an army to our gates and threaten to kill us,” Kellan said. “We can and we damn well will hold you. You’re lucky these people don’t want to kill you. If it were me, I’d mount your head on a pike as a warning that no one should threaten the people of Exire.”
“You vile, wretched, stinking, human vermin. I’ll not be insulted by the likes of you.” Elira turned and walked back down the hall. “Elira, come back. Elira…” His voice trailed off and his expression fell. The venom in his voice dropped into pleading, but Elira had gone. Darien walked into the cell, and Zandrek spat at his feet. Darien’s only reaction was a confident smile.
“Now, Prince Zandrek, you are going to answer my questions.” Darien’s voice and manner suddenly changed, and the man Miri knew was suddenly gone, replaced by a figure of raw fear. This was not simply the appearance of threat, as she had seen before. The magic was the same, but this time, there was real intent behind it, a genuine animosity that she felt, enough to fill the room. It seemed to hang in the air like a fog. Miri had never seen Darien like this, but she couldn’t muster much sympathy for Zandrek. He deserved everything coming to him. She shuddered slightly, mainly out of relief that this power would be focused on someone who genuinely deserved it. “You will answer, and you will answer honestly, or you will suffer.”
“I will tell you nothing,” Zandrek said stiffly, but his voice already quavered. “I know what you’re doing. I won’t let you.”
“Is that so?” Darien said coldly. “They taught you to resist domination magic, yes?”
Zandrek’s eyes went wide, and he pushed backwards against the wall. His face contorted and he opened his mouth in a silent scream. Tears formed in his eyes, he clenched his fists so hard that blood trickled from his palm. He fell sideways against the wall, but his eyes still were locked open. He pushed his legs futilely against the straw. Miri felt the energy around her like a stifling hot steam, then something broke, the pressure seemed to release. Zandrek’s mouth fell open, and he stilled.
“Who taught you magic?”
“There were three…” Zandrek’s voice had changed. He spoke in a listless monotone, with a disturbing lack of emotion, or even awareness. “Carliss… Maleera… Kendra…”
“Kendra the Twilight?” Darien asked. Miri felt something, a twinge of anger mixed with something else she couldn’t understand. Darien recognized that name.
“Yes,” Zandrek said vacuously. “She commanded the others.”
“How did you meet them?”
“I first heard of them when I hunted the unicorn. The man who sold me the map, he said they granted power for a price.”
“Dammit all. I should have known,” Zitane added. “I knew that man felt wrong. He sold us a map that was supposed to tell us where to find a unicorn. That was almost twenty years ago now.” Darien gave the slightest nod to acknowledge Zitane, but kept his eyes fixed on Zandrek.
“You sought them out?” Darien asked.
“Yes. I want their power. I want the power that belonged to our ancestors, the power to move mountains, to live forever.”
“What did they ask of you?”
“Weapons, money, supplies, at first, but more than that, they wanted to be taken to where we found Mirisa.”
Miri gasped. Why would they want to know about me?
“What is their interest in Miri?” Darien commanded sternly.
“They have none…” Zandrek blinked and coughed. “Ordered to leave her alone…”
“That makes no sense,” Darien said, his anger rising. “Do not lie to me.”
Zandrek whimpered and sniffed. “I, I overheard them. The Shades must not harm Mirisa Algalon…”
Mirisa froze. She had never heard the name Algalon before. Where did it come from, why did it seem familiar, and what did Zandrek know?
“What do the Shades know about Miri?” Darien spoke quickly and angrily. “Tell me now.”
“I… do not know. I only overheard them, I will not let them have Miri. She is mine…”
“She does not belong to you.” Darien almost shouted and Zandrek shrunk back against the wall, clenching his fist and struggling again. Then he stopped, and his mouth hung open wider, allowing drool to drip to the floor. “If the Shades do not want her, why did they want to find the place where you found her?”
“Something else there, with Miri. They would not tell me what it was. I led them to the cave where we found Mirisa, but they let me go no farther. After that, they gave me all I asked.”
“Wait a moment?” Zitane asked. “If they gave us that map to find the unicorn. Why would they need Zandrek to find it again?”
“Answer him.” Darien added.
“Entrance, couldn’t open.”
“I don’t understand.” Zitane said. “It was just a hidden passage at the back of a cave. There wasn’t any gate or key or anything.”
“What do you mean they needed you to gain entrance? What did they tell you?” Darien asked.
“Needed… my blood… to pass the boundary.”
“Blood.” Zitane said, suddenly thoughtful. “Like the blood of our family, perhaps?”
“This means something to you?” Darien asked Zitane in his normal voice without turning his head.
“Maybe, I’ll explain later.” Zitane said. “For now, let’s find out what the Shades are doing in Catarina?” Darien nodded almost imperceptibly.
“Zandrek, what did the Shades give you in exchange for your help?”
“They taught me magic, gave me enchanted weapons, armor. They eliminated my enemies. They were supposed to kill my brother, and the ogre, then bring Mirisa to me.”
“So, Mirisa wasn’t their only target,” Zitane said. “I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me. Did they come to Catarina, are they there now?”
“Yes, they came to Catarina too, broke the seal on the catacombs, took something… Ambassador Karyx, still there.”
“By the light.” Zitane gasped. “Zandrek, you didn’t…”
“You know what he means?” Darien asked Zitane.
“Yes, there’s a section of the palace underground that’s been sealed since the first King of Catarina,” Zitane explained. “When the first King sealed it, he declared it should never be opened, on pain of death. Father would never have allowed that, they must have influenced him.” The pitch in Zitane’s voice quickly rose. “What have they done with the King?” Dammit, Zandrek, he was our father. He loved you most of all. He gave you everything.
“Have they done something to the king?”
“Answer him, now,” Darien commanded.
“Yes, Ambassador Karyx gave him something, supposed to influence him, make him listen to me.”
“He already listened to you, Damn you Zandrek.” Miri had rarely seen her brother lose his temper, but she could see he was about to lose it now. “He loved you best, gave you everything, he doted on you constantly. He would have done anything you ask. How could you, you… you…” Tears formed in Zitane’s eyes and he raised a fist to hit his brother. He swung hard, but Darien’s hand struck out like a coiled viper, gripped Zitane’s wrist, and held him still. Darien himself didn’t even turn his head, maintaining his eye contact with Zandrek, and the spell that was controlling the elder prince’s mind.
Miri went over to her brother, hugged him, and pulled him away from Zandrek. This wasn’t the time for retribution.
“You know this Ambassador Karyx?” Darien asked Miri.
“Yes, he was so secretive. I didn’t like him,” Miri added. “He had the strangest eyes. Do you think he might be one of those Shades? I never saw any of the magic light in him, though, so maybe not.”
Darien nodded very slightly to acknowledge he had heard, and continued, focusing even harder.
“Now, Prince Zandrek, I have only one more question. Where is Sorrowmont Fortress?”
“The trollspires… west… south… I can’t… ngh.” Immediately Miri felt a change in the air, a volatility, like a vibration that had not been present before. Darien seemed to tense. Zandrek’s hand flew to his forehead, then his eyes rolled back in his skull, and he fell backwards. Darien lurched backwards as well. Mirisa rushed to his side and caught him before he fell.
“Are you alright?” Mirisa said.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Darien said as he shook his head. “Just a headache.” Miri held her hand to Darien’s forehead. She reached out with her power, and felt the pain, then pushed her power outward. “Nghh…” Darien sighed and breathed a deep breath. “That’s much better, thank you. Your gift is amazing.” Then he actually smiled at her, something deeper than usual. She felt blood rush to her cheeks and turned away.
“What did that mean?” Zitane asked. “Why did he just pass out? Will he be alright?”
“He’ll be fine in a few hours,” Darien answered. “He was under a powerful compulsion, to prevent anyone doing what I just attempted. They don’t want anyone finding out where they’re hiding. He said something about the trollspires. Anyone know what that means?”
“The trollspires are a rock formation, out east at the edge of the desert.” Kellan said. “Never been that far east myself, but I’ve heard of it.”
“How far?” Darien asked eagerly.
“Week’s ride in good weather, twice that on foot, east and south of here,” Kellan answered. “They call it the trollspires because the troll tribes control those lands. I know a few men been out that way, not recently mind you, bu
t I’ll ask what they’ve heard.”
“Thank you, Kellan,” Darien said. “It’s not much to go on, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Darien, what did he do to the king?” Zitane asked. “Will my father be alright? He said that ambassador gave him something…”
“Most likely, your father is under the effects of a spell of domination, similar to the one I just used on Zandrek. Whatever they gave your father, it probably was for the purpose of influencing him or controlling his actions. I know several possibilities, but we can’t be sure until we examine the object.” Zitane blinked back the tears that still formed in his eyes. “If they used an object, it meant they didn’t have confidence they could dominate him directly. They probably gave him something to muddle his thoughts, and that actually makes it easier to recover, not harder.” Zitane perked up quite a bit with that revelation. Miri smiled at Darien’s unexpected sensitivity.
“Do you think you can save him?” Zitane asked nervously. “I mean, could you undo whatever they did?”
“Probably. It depends on what was done and what they gave him.” Darien gave an obviously guarded response. “I can break most enchantments, provided I’m stronger than the mage who laid them in the first place. I could break the spells of any of my fellow Shades, but if the Demon King has sent one of the Black Council, it may be beyond my ability.”
“Black Council?”
“The Demon King’s most powerful servants. They began as Shades, and in return for their loyalty, he granted them even more power. Each of them has been altered by blood enchantments that give them greater strength, speed, endurance, and agility as well as unique abilities. All of them are directly connected to the Demon King, so he can see through their eyes if he chooses.”
“By the light, how many of those are there?”
“Originally, five, but there are now just four left.”
“Someone killed one of those monsters?”
“I did, actually, albeit with considerable assistance.”
“Well, I suppose that’s good to hear.”
Zitane shook his head and stared at the ground, trying to take in everything that had been said. Miri used the momentary silence to ask the question that had been running through her head for several minutes.
