“It’s hard to get my skill with a blade back when I’m practicing entirely on my own,” Isalla explained. “I know you’re more experienced than I am, so it’s also an opportunity to potentially improve.”
Kanae’s other eyebrow rose and she blinked, then asked, “Are you sure? I haven’t sparred with someone else in years and may forget to hold back.”
“Of course I am! It’s a bit lonely practicing on my own, too,” Isalla said, smiling confidently. “Besides, I might surprise you.”
“A fair point. Let me put these away and I’ll find my own practice sword,” Kanae agreed. Her amusement was obvious, but she didn’t object any further, to Isalla’s relief.
“That sounds excellent,” Isalla replied and waited as Kanae began putting her purchases away, all but bouncing on the tips of her toes.
She was looking forward to seeing how well she could do when she went up against Kanae. Isalla had learned a lot from Roselynn, after all.
Kanae’s practice sword was a blur as it flashed by Isalla’s to hit the angel’s leg, almost causing her knee to buckle as her block came just a moment too late. Isalla yelped, wishing she had a shield, since she might’ve been able to defend herself better that way. Kanae bounced away from Isalla, looking all too at ease as she held her practice sword in one hand, still in a combat stance.
“You aren’t bad, Isalla, but you lack experience with those who’re significantly faster or stronger than you,” Kanae said, pausing for a moment before adding, “I think you’re also used to being able to move upward or backward as part of dodging… I could’ve sworn you tried to jump into the air that time.”
“That’s because I did. Ow,” Isalla said, wincing as she reached down to rub her leg. She could hardly believe how fast Kanae was. “I think I may need to pick up a shield in the future. It isn’t my preference, but it might help block some of your attacks.”
“Maybe so, but I’d just switch targets. Fully armored, you’re going to be slower than you are now, and you aren’t paying enough attention to what’s around you,” Kanae advised gently. “You don’t want to be too predictable, Isalla. That’s a good way to end up dead.”
“Have you come close to that before?” Isalla asked, raising her sword and tapping Kanae’s, though part of her just wanted to give up now. On the other hand, if she was sore, she might be able to convince Kanae to help her in the bath, which would be rather pleasant.
Kanae didn’t attack seriously this time, instead making slower attacks for Isalla to block. The vibration of their impact caused Isalla’s arms to shiver, but it was good practice, and she fell back step by step. Kanae seemed able to keep up her side of the conversation with little effort, something Isalla envied.
“I’m not dead, so not quite. I’ve come close a few times, though,” Kanae replied calmly.
“Like what?” Isalla asked, slightly breathless.
“A ballista bolt severed my spine once. I really should’ve paid more attention to where I was fighting,” Kanae said, and the response spoiled Isalla’s concentration, allowing another blow to hit her in the ribs, causing the angel to gasp in pain.
“You… you what?” Isalla asked in disbelief, her eyes huge as she fell back and Kanae stopped attacking, reaching up to rub her side.
“I was fighting on a wall and didn’t see a ballista to the side,” Kanae explained, gesturing down at her lower body. “It went in one side and out through my back and spine. I was quite fortunate to survive and to be assisted in recovering.”
“That’s just horrible!” Isalla exclaimed, blanching at the thought. She’d seen ballista before, and the giant crossbows weren’t really intended for single targets. The idea of one hitting someone in the side almost made her stomach lurch. She’d seen some bloodshed before, but something like that happening to someone she knew was quite different. In fact, it was pretty horrifying.
“It certainly wasn’t a high point of my experiences in the war,” Kanae agreed, shaking her head slowly. “The recovery was unpleasant, to say the least.”
“I can only imagine what that’d be like,” Isalla replied, shivering slightly. She didn’t understand why Kanae could talk about something so horrible calmly.
“I hope you never have to do more than imagine it,” Kanae said dryly, then raised her practice blade. “That’s enough of a rest, though.”
“Um, why are you pushing me so hard now?” Isalla asked, taking a step back as she quickly raised her sword.
“You asked me to help you. Enemies aren’t going to go easy on you, so why should I?” Kanae asked, then she attacked.
Trying to fight back, Isalla had to admit that much was true. Even if she didn’t exactly like it.
Chapter 24
Rekkal brushed off one pair of hands while setting some of the jars onto the shelves carefully. He prided himself on keeping the trade house well organized, but the days that a caravan came to town were much harder on him than most days. Pausing, he stretched all four arms as best he could and rolled his neck, feeling two joints pop as he did so and sighed happily.
“Almost done, at least. Did people have to order quite this much from the caravan? I swear, this was nearly triple the usual amount,” Rekkal said, shaking his head and looking at the remaining two crates, along with the one he’d just emptied. “Pays well, though.”
The silk they’d shipped off had brought in a tidy profit, and Rekkal knew that the spices and other supplies his agent in Hragon had purchased would bring in even more in the capital, once the caravan reached there. Not that it brought in quite as much money as Kanae’s alchemical supplies did, when he compared the volume each took. It was really too bad that the healer couldn’t produce more, but the day Kanae had offered to let him help with her alchemy had been educational. He’d never realized just how much time it took to brew some of her salves and other supplies. That likely had been the entire reason she’d let him help, since he’d also stopped asking her for more to trade, he reflected.
“She should be in town a bit later, though. She always shows up when a caravan comes through,” Rekkal muttered under his breath, growing a bit more excited since he had some news that the healer had been asking about. “No wonder the news has been spreading so quick up there… I can’t believe we didn’t hear about any of this before.”
He was looking forward to seeing Kanae. He thought that she’d be stunned, and just maybe she’d be more receptive to his advances.
“What was that?” Kanae asked, looking up from the scroll abruptly, all thought of going over her accounts gone.
Rekkal was grinning at her, the four-armed, lizard-like man looking far too entertained. His amusement wasn’t surprising, considering what he’d just said. Even more, she knew that not many things surprised her anymore, but this certainly did.
“I said that apparently the Flame of Ember was on that island you were talking about, and she was captured in a raid a few weeks ago,” Rekkal said, sounding amused. “Stunning, isn’t it?”
“Just a bit. The family is legendary in the army, and that sword is brutally powerful if the wielder can harness its full potential,” Kanae said, trying to calm herself. “Do you have any idea who the current wielder is?”
“Um, yeah, they did use her name. Roselynn, or something along those lines,” Rekkal said, not noticing as Kanae felt her heart sink slightly. “I’m surprised someone like that was on the island, honestly.”
“It’s a bit of a shock, yes. More surprising is that she was captured at all. I’d have expected any attack to be repelled, unless it was in overwhelming force,” Kanae told him, keeping her dismay hidden as best she could. This would probably upset Isalla, and for good reason.
“I don’t know about anything like that, but what I can tell you is that while there were smugglers that went there before this, they’re avoiding the island like the plague at the moment,” Rekkal said seriously. “The place is like a kicked firebeetle nest.”
“Of course it is. So much for ge
tting some raspberry cordial smuggled in,” Kanae said, sighing and shaking her head.
“It sounds like a fascinating drink, so it’s really too bad. Maybe things will calm down by next year,” Rekkal agreed, shrugging comfortably.
“Possibly,” Kanae admitted, looking back down to the scroll that recorded her profits so far that year. They were doing pretty well on the whole, if not quite as well as the year before. She waited for several moments before asking the question she really wanted answered, though she didn’t really want to know in some ways. There were three demonic domains that bordered Hellmount, and chances weren’t in her favor. “Do you have any idea what happened to the Flame of Ember, then? If they captured her, I doubt they’d just kill her or something.”
“Oh, that’s the part that stunned me! Apparently, they brought her here!” Rekkal exclaimed, grinning.
“Impossible,” Kanae said flatly, looking up. “I’d have heard something if they brought her into town.”
“Not here here, but into Estalia,” Rekkal corrected quickly. “I heard that they took her to the Spire of Confession.”
Kanae’s surprise turned to dread quite abruptly. The Spire of Confession wasn’t the last place she’d hoped to hear about in the conversation, but it certainly wasn’t near the top of the list either. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Oh. That’s… well, that’s going to be interesting for her, I’m sure. They must have flown her, since we didn’t hear about any of this until now.”
“That seems pretty likely to me,” Rekkal replied, leaning forward and grinning. “Now, since I’ve made you a good profit and found some of the information you’re looking for, is there any chance of convincing you to have dinner with me?”
“No, Rekkal,” Kanae replied promptly, finally nodding and rolling up the scroll to hand back to him. He looked a bit hurt, she noticed, but not surprised.
“No? You won’t even give me a chance?” he asked in a wheedling tone. The man was certainly persistent.
“No,” Kanae confirmed gently. “You’re a nice enough young man, but we wouldn’t get along romantically, Rekkal. It’s best to avoid relationships which are doomed to failure, in my opinion.”
“Ah, dammit. Well, I’m going to keep trying,” Rekkal said, barely looking dismayed and straightening slightly.
“You and half the town. Have a good evening, Rekkal,” Kanae replied, shaking her head as she left, glancing down to make sure the jars of reagents she’d picked up were in her basket.
“See you later!” he called after her, then the door shut.
Kanae smiled at the others as she calmly walked out of town, but as she moved, her mind was considering the unwelcome news she’d learned.
Isalla wasn’t going to like it, but she wouldn’t have any idea how bad it actually was. The question was how to break the information to her without bringing Isalla to tears.
The sound of the door opening caused Isalla to perk up. She’d been feeling restless since Kanae had left that morning, as she knew that Kanae had been planning to ask about events in Hragon. She hadn’t even done much in the way of exercising, she was so nervous about things. Part of her hoped that she could make it to Roselynn, while another large part of her didn’t want to leave.
“I’m back, Isalla,” Kanae called out, her voice steady.
“Welcome back!” Isalla said, stepping out of the bedroom to greet the demoness, a warm smile on her face. Her enthusiasm faded slightly as she noticed the look on Kanae’s face, one of worry. That was both startling and made Isalla nervous. “Is something wrong?”
“Take a seat if you would? I got some news, and I’m afraid it isn’t good,” Kanae said, gesturing to the table. She walked over and set her basket on the table, then slipped into a chair herself. “I half wish I didn’t have to tell you, in fact. It’s not what I wanted to share.”
Dread washed through Isalla, and she moved to her chair, pulling it out and carefully slipping into the seat. She licked her lips, then asked nervously, “Is it really that bad? I mean…”
“That depends on a few things. You called your friend Roselynn… is she the wielder of Ember? The fiery sword of the north?” Kanae asked carefully.
“Ah, yes. She didn’t really like talking about that aspect of her life, as she found the fame it brought her a bit suffocating at times. The sword is part of her duty, from what she told me,” Isalla confirmed, her worry growing stronger. “Why do you ask?”
“Hellscour,” Kanae whispered, rubbing her eyes. For a long moment she was quiet, then she sighed, sitting back in her chair. “Her island was attacked by a raiding party of demons a few weeks ago, never mind that I have no idea why they’d be there. Worse, they captured the Flame of Ember, as she’s called. The rumors of her name weren’t reliable, which is why I wanted to ask you. Confirming it… well, I’m sorry, Isalla.”
All the blood drained from Isalla’s face at Kanae’s words. For a long moment she couldn’t say anything, and her pleasure at how things had been going vanished. Isalla couldn’t really think about anything, except for the fact her friend had been captured. That was just so ridiculous, though.
“Are you certain? That doesn’t seem right… Roselynn was always so careful. She would fight to the bitter end, and I imagine the entire island would be in flames before they took her down!” Isalla protested, worry flooding through her.
“I don’t know. All we have to work off of is rumor, Isalla, but on something like this… I don’t see why they’d lie. Apparently, all the smugglers are avoiding the place because the island is swarming with upset angels and the like,” Kanae replied with a helpless shrug. “It’s possible that they managed to catch her while she was out of the fortress and retreated before they could be stopped. I suspect it’d have to be a powerful force to do that, though.”
“I… I just…” Isalla swallowed hard, trying to breathe through her fears. As the possibility of it being true settled in, she asked softly, “Is she… is she alive? You said captured, but I’ve heard of horrible rituals…”
“That’s the part that’s both good and the one which horrifies me more than anything else,” Kanae told her in a grim voice. “She was brought to Estalia, then was taken to the Spire of Confession. The people there… they terrify me, Isalla.”
“Torture?” Isalla asked, her voice trembling now, but with a bit of hope to her voice. If Roselynn was alive, she could be rescued or escape. “I don’t think they’d break her will easily, but if she’s alive…”
“Oh, I wish it was torture. Torture would be positively… simple. It’s easier to resist than what they do, Isalla,” Kanae replied, letting out a soft, unhappy laugh.
“What are you talking about?” Isalla asked, her worry growing sharply. Kanae’s reaction wasn’t helping at all. “You’re making me worry even more than I was before.”
“That’s for the best,” Kanae replied, standing up and walking over to the fireplace to stare into the flames. She was quiet, but after a moment, Isalla realized that her fingers were trembling slightly. Isalla opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, not sure what to say or do. Her worry about Roselynn faded as she grew more concerned for Kanae. Fortunately, Kanae spoke again at last.
“We spoke briefly about the church of Estalia before, and how those who join their priesthood become indoctrinated far too easily. Well, the Spire of Confession is one of their… strongholds, for lack of a better term. The most devoted true believers go there, as do those who they wish to twist.” Kanae’s steady voice was at odds with the way she was trembling. “Some nobles have difficult children, and they donate heavily to get the spire to adjust their attitudes to something more… acceptable.”
“Heavens…” Isalla swallowed hard, her terror for Roselynn growing. “They use magic to change people? That’s really bad, but—”
“No, they don’t use magic. That would be too easy to fix. Oh no, Isalla… they don’t use something so simple as magic,” Kanae interrupted, turning
to smile at Isalla bitterly. “They’re kind.”
“What?” Isalla asked, taken aback and confused.
“They’re kind to you. Oh, they drug those who come there for a few days, with something that makes the victim more accepting of their situation, but that’s over soon enough. Instead, the most empathetic, kind, flattering men and women you can imagine pamper you. They make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world, they become your friends.” Kanae paused, taking a deep breath and shivering slightly. “They don’t twist you personally, Isalla. No, they so wholeheartedly believe in what they’re doing that they find it easy to convince you to change yourself. You willingly ask for magical changes to your body so that you’re more attractive or change yourself to make yourself feel more beautiful. Worse still, the changes to your mentality and outlook on the world are the result of you coming to truly believe in them, so changing them back is nigh impossible.”
“That’s… that’s terrifying, but Roselynn is so strong, she’s always been determined and has refused to change simply because other people have different opinions,” Isalla protested, trying to hide how shaken she was by the explanation. It was somewhat terrifying, but she refused to let herself show her worry.
“I’m sure she is… but it doesn’t matter how powerful of a will she has,” Kanae said simply, looking back to the fire again. “They’re true believers. She won’t detect anything but perfect sincerity from them, which will make it harder for her to resist in some ways. Oh, she might last a while… but eventually anyone will begin to fail in front of them. Demon generals have fallen under their sway before, Isalla, and come out completely changed. Worse still, in the vast majority of cases, those in the spire need a mere week to achieve those results.”
Isalla’s protests died suddenly and she swallowed hard, staring at Kanae for a long moment, then asked with her voice trembling, “A week? But you said that she’s been in their hands for a couple of weeks, possibly more.”
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