Heaven's Fallen

by Benjamin Medrano

  “True, but it still makes me worried. Our incredible Kanae of many charms has been a staple of the region for decades, and everyone will worry if she leaves,” Manog replied, sounding a little calmer. “My reaction is a mild one, not like those of so many others.”

  “They’ll just have to live with it,” Kanae said, stirring the soup again, and Isalla saw her tail give a slightly annoyed-looking lash. “I’ve spent longer elsewhere in my life than I have here. Perhaps not longer in one place, but I’ve never made a secret of the fact I’ve chosen to settle down here temporarily.”

  “Five centuries is temporary?” Isalla muttered under her breath, but neither of them seemed to notice. It was just as well, since she felt guilty as soon as she’d spoken.

  “Very well. I see that I’m going to have to acquiesce to the reality of our situation,” Manog admitted, sighing before he asked, “May I at least know when you expect to leave?”

  “Tomorrow morning,” Kanae said, and Manog stopped dead in place, looking stunned, but Kanae didn’t pause as she continued calmly. “That being the case, we need to pack once dinner is done, so I’d appreciate some privacy.”

  “If… if you say so, Kanae. I will bid you good eve, and hope to see you on the morrow,” Manog replied, bowing deeply, then headed for the door. Isalla’s sense of guilt grew stronger as she watched him go. Kanae’s explanation had obviously shocked the man.

  Once Manog was through the door, Kanae spoke again. “Would you mind locking the door, Isalla?”

  “Sure,” Isalla replied, levering herself out of the chair and walking over to the door to lock it. She hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, “Did you have to be so harsh with him? Aren’t you coming back?”

  “Most likely, but I only told him the truth,” Kanae said, sighing and shaking her head as she looked up at Isalla. “What we’re doing is dangerous, Isalla. If we’re caught, I won’t be back. Yes, the attack on you means that we had less of a choice in what to do than we would have otherwise, but…”

  The demoness tapped her spoon on the edge of the pot to mostly drain it, then set it aside, shaking her head, and a thread of worry made its way through Isalla as she saw the concern on Kanae’s face. The look was so rare that it just… startled her. And made her worry.

  “I told you I was taught in the Spire of Confession before,” Kanae said at last, breathing out slowly. “What worries me most is that we might encounter one of those who taught me. There were several of them, and I doubt they’ve passed on, no matter how long it has been. If they are there, I’ll be in danger. No, I’ll be the danger, Isalla, because they’ll likely be able to influence me.”

  “Oh,” Isalla said, swallowing hard as she frowned in worry. She hesitated for several long moments before walking over to Kanae, asking in concern, “Is it really that dangerous for you?”

  “Probably not. I intend to take measures, but if we do, if they recognize me… it will cause problems,” Kanae said, looking Isalla in the eyes seriously. “We’ll have little choice but to rush at that point. They’ll come for me, Isalla, I have no doubt about that. If that happens, we’ll come here, yes, but we’ll have to rush to get you up Hellmount to have any hope of you escaping.”

  Blinking, Isalla frowned deeply, then asked. “Kanae? You seem awfully certain about their reactions, and it makes me wonder why. It’s been more than a millennium, hasn’t it? Why would they remember you?”

  Kanae hesitated, and the angel could practically see her struggling to decide what to say. A moment later, Isalla felt a rush of guilt, and added gently, “You don’t have to tell me, Kanae. I can see you’re struggling, and—”

  “Wait,” Kanae interrupted, cutting Isalla off. Isalla fell silent and saw Kanae place her hands on the counter for a long moment. Finally, the demoness spoke. “I’m going to tell you, but not now. Not everything, anyway. I’m far more important than I made out, or was more important, at any rate. I’ve changed my appearance and name to avoid being found, and I’ve not even spoken my original name in centuries for fear that they’d track me down magically. You may not remember, but have you ever wondered how I rescued you from your fall? If you’d hit the ground, it would have killed you instantly.”

  “I…” Isalla paused, blinking in surprise as her thoughts raced, speculating on who Kanae might be. Kanae being more important than a common soldier made a certain amount of sense, but her question dredged up a few memories of Isalla’s descent. They were fuzzy, and she’d begun to think she’d imagined them. After a moment, Isalla spoke cautiously. “I vaguely remember just… stopping. I thought I might have been hallucinating, since I haven’t seen you do anything similar, but I thought I saw you using magic. It could’ve been a magic item, I suppose, but…”

  “That would make sense, wouldn’t it? It was the excuse I had in mind, actually. That this ring was enchanted,” Kanae said, smiling and showing a silver ring on the middle finger of her right hand, then continued. “No, I’m a mage. I’m out of practice, having not used magic much over the years, but I’m primarily skilled in personal defense magic and telekinesis. That’s how I stopped you from hitting the ground.”

  “Oh, I see,” Isalla said, relaxing slightly as she nodded, feeling happier that Kanae trusted her as much as she obviously did. She considered, then frowned. “Why would that be important, though? There are plenty of magi on both sides of the war.”

  “It’s just an example of how wary I was, Isalla. I’m not going to tell you who I truly am unless they recognize me, or until you’re about to leave the hells. It’s just too much of a risk, in my mind,” Kanae said and smiled thinly as she added. “I may be a touch paranoid about this, but it’s because I don’t want to bring down a disaster on our heads.”

  Isalla looked at her for a long moment, blinking. She racked her brain, trying to figure out why Kanae would be that worried about being discovered, but she couldn’t quite understand it. She didn’t think Kanae was an archdemon, and the idea of her being an older general flitted through her mind, but even that didn’t quite explain it. But in the end, she nodded slowly, deciding to trust that Kanae knew what she was doing.

  “Alright, Kanae. I don’t quite get why, but I understand,” Isalla said, nodding, then smiled as she added, “I’ll hold you to explaining later, though.”

  “I’m sure you will. Now, let’s get some food and pack,” Kanae said, her tone turning brisk. “It’s a long trip to the spire, and we’re not going to be taking the most direct route, since neither of us can fly.”

  Isalla laughed and nodded, then headed to the cabinet to pull out a pair of bowls. At least it did feel like Kanae was starting to trust her.

  She just wished the woman hadn’t piqued her curiosity. Now she was going to be speculating for the entire trip, and Kanae had already been an enormous distraction.

  Chapter 30

  They set out early the next morning, just as Kanae had said they would. Isalla had woken up to see Kanae methodically strapping on her armor, checking how each piece fit before moving to the next, an odd look of concentration on her face. It had been fascinating, and Isalla had watched from the bed as Kanae slowly prepared for the trip, transforming from the brisk doctor who lived in the outskirts to a trained warrior. Watching her, Isalla quickly realized that she didn’t doubt that Kanae was more important than she pretended to be, not when she looked like that. It also made Isalla even more confident about following Kanae’s guidance.

  Eventually, Isalla had dragged herself out of bed to get ready, which hadn’t taken her nearly as long, since she didn’t have armor like Kanae did, and she’d packed most of her things the night before. It was slightly disappointing, but not so much that Isalla couldn’t deal with it. Instead, she put on the new cloak and hat Kanae had gotten for her the previous day, and in short order she was ready to go.

  “Do you think it’ll be safe to leave my armor and sword hidden?” Isalla asked, glancing at the floor in the corner. The previous night she’d been show
n the hidden compartment where Kanae had hidden her equipment. She’d been told there was a password to be spoken before opening it, but she was still nervous about leaving her gear behind.

  “Yes. If they don’t know the password, it’ll set off a minor ice spray trap, which will make them think that’s the enchantment, and they’ll open it to find a lockbox with a modest amount of money in it,” Kanae said, smiling slightly as she adjusted her cloak. “Your armor is in a folded space, along with a few more valuable items, so it’ll be fine.”

  “Ah, that helps,” Isalla said, letting out a breath of relief. She knew the password already, so if necessary, she could get in without Kanae, which reassured her.

  “Indeed. If anyone manages to break in, I’ll be surprised. I spent a lot of money hiring magi to ward the house, and more time adding my own additions,” Kanae said, rolling her shoulders, then nodded firmly. “There. Time to go. You have your key?”

  “I do,” Isalla said, feeling like a few butterflies had taken up residence in her midsection. As much as she wanted to find Roselynn, she was nervous about going out into the hells. The world down here was just so dark that she always felt out of sorts. Sure, rain was rather common in the heavens, making it even odds about whether they’d have sunlight on a given day, but at least it was usually brighter. Only Kanae’s company reassured Isalla.

  Kanae headed for the door, interrupting Isalla’s thoughts, and the woman paused by the kitchen hearth, murmuring a word to extinguish the magical flame there. Isalla briefly wondered how well the food they were leaving behind would hold up, but since most of it was jarred, she didn’t think it would spoil quickly. Instead, Kanae took the wrapped food she’d prepared for their trip from the table and headed for the door, opening it cautiously, then letting Isalla out. When she locked the door, the click felt oddly final, which sent a shiver down Isalla’s spine.

  “There we are,” Kanae murmured, putting the key away and taking a breath, then smiling. “Now it’s time to go. We’re going to skirt around the town, Isalla, which could cause us to encounter something predatory, but it isn’t likely.”

  Isalla blinked, then asked, “Why avoid the town? I thought that you might say goodbye to Manog. He said he wanted to see you today before we left.”

  Kanae started toward the trail, and Isalla followed quickly. Kanae’s pace wasn’t quick, but it wasn’t slow, either. It was the sort of pace that was ideal for long distances, Isalla thought, though she had to smile at the sight of Kanae’s tail swaying in its own segmented armor. After a moment the demoness spoke, her tone slightly disapproving.

  “Yes, he did. And if I thought it would lead to a good result, I’d visit town,” Kanae said, her head turning from side to side to keep watch. “The thing is, if we go there, he’ll have gathered other people to plead with us to stay, to ask us to do something for them when we leave, or even for us to escort Brialla to the capital, since that’s where they think we’re going. We’d be lucky to get out of town before noon, and with what we’re going to be doing it just isn’t a good idea to let them interfere.”

  “Oh. You know them better than I do, but… you’re probably right,” Isalla admitted, frowning as she thought about the townsfolk. They were mostly good people, but at the same time, they were people. She knew enough of them from the heavens to know that if you gave too much, some people would take advantage of you. It was sad but true. So she sighed and shook her head. “I do feel bad for Brialla, though.”

  “She’ll be fine. If they want to take her to the capital to join the queen’s priesthood, they can pay the minor amount the caravan would charge to take her there,” Kanae replied absently. “It really isn’t that much, and we’re not going there, so—”

  Isalla caught a flicker of movement from their right, and she quickly jumped back, her hand going to her sword. She had her blade halfway out when Kanae’s sword cleared its sheath and there was the sound of a blade hitting meat. Isalla blinked as she held her sword, looking at the writhing lower body of a snake nearly five feet long, the head having been cut clean off.

  “Good job, Isalla. You’re fast enough you could’ve killed it before it hit you,” Kanae said approvingly, smiling as she cleaned the blood from her sword and sheathed it.

  “Thanks, but I’m still not as fast as you,” Isalla replied, sheathing her sword again and shaking her head. She was a little depressed about how much better Kanae was, but the compliment did improve her mood.

  “Yet. You’re not as fast as me yet,” Kanae replied, a hint of laughter in her voice. “Never say never, and all that.”

  “True enough,” Isalla admitted, the correction bringing a smile to her face. Kanae was supportive, that was for certain. She couldn’t imagine how much practice the woman had put in, but at least she thought Isalla could catch up with her eventually.

  Thomas let out his breath slowly, hiding behind the tree as the patrol of demons passed. They weren’t terribly strong as far as he could tell, and he’d likely be able to kill them without trouble if he tried, but that would risk giving away his location. It was fortunate that he’d been able to learn that Samantha had been killed the previous night, as it’d given him time to get out of the immediate area.

  “I can’t believe she was caught. That angel must be stronger than any of our leads suggested,” Thomas murmured, his voice barely audible to himself, let alone the guards as they ambled along toward the town again.

  He was a little frustrated at the thought of Samantha dying, but despite that, Thomas wasn’t about to lose his cool. While he’d liked Samantha pretty well, he’d never had illusions of true trust where she was concerned. Each of them looked out for themselves, and while he’d take the chance at vengeance if it fell into his lap, he also wouldn’t put himself in danger for her memory.

  For now, he just had to get back to report in on Isalla’s whereabouts. Sure, she’d likely move soon, but Thomas considered fifty gold to be better than nothing. He valued his life more highly than the reward the employer was offering.

  Once the demons were far enough away, Thomas allowed himself to breathe more easily and started toward Hellmount, glancing up at the huge mountain as he moved through the trees. The mountain was truly immense, and he wasn’t looking forward to climbing it, but it wasn’t as though he had another choice.

  “Don’t worry, Smiles… I’m sure one of the others will manage to get her for you. For now, it’ll just have to wait, though,” Thomas murmured, and he settled in for the long trip.

  As dangerous as the trip up the mountain might be, Thomas was confident he could get past the creatures living on Hellmount without too much trouble, especially since he’d kept close attention to the route they’d taken on the way down. The monsters might be bolder, but he was skilled enough as it was.

  Chapter 31

  Isalla slipped back so the sword missed, then took advantage of the demon’s opening to counterattack. She really wished that she had a shield, but she worked with what she had, not with what she wanted. Besides, Kanae had promised to buy her a shield in the next city.

  The female demon hissed in pain as she fell back bleeding, a deep wound in her side. The woman’s wings beat quickly to try to keep her upright, but Isalla didn’t give her a chance to recover, instead darting after her. The woman tried to parry Isalla’s flurry of attacks, but she wasn’t as good as Kanae, and she only blocked two blows before the third struck home and the demoness crumpled to the ground.

  With her opponent dealt with, Isalla spun around to help Kanae, who’d been facing two more bandits herself, then froze for a moment, blinking as she saw Kanae pull her sword free of the one whose skin was covered in hundreds of needles. The other one was already on the ground bleeding out, and Kanae flicked her sword, then cleaned it off on the armor of the other demon, glancing over at Isalla as she smiled.

  “Well done, Isalla. Flying opponents are always tricky when you’re not capable of flight yourself, but you dealt with her handily,” Kanae said, s
heathing her sword. “Are you hurt?”

  “Um, no, I’m fine,” Isalla said, her breath still coming heavily as she looked over the two that Kanae had defeated. Despite the other woman’s praise, Isalla was shocked at how quickly Kanae had defeated two opponents, then looked back at the winged woman and added, “I nearly got hit initially, but she was more aggressive than skilled. I don’t think she trained with a rapier… she kept acting like it was a longsword or something like that.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she simply didn’t have one, or she did and it broke. While these three were reasonably skilled, they had to be desperate to attack us,” Kanae said, shaking her head as she crouched next to one of them, frowning. “With me in armor, and both of us armed, they had to have known their chances of defeating us were poor, and none of them tried to retreat.”

  “Do you think that they were assassins, too?” Isalla asked, cleaning her sword after a moment, then sheathing it. She tried not to look at the body of her victim, since she really didn’t want to think of her as a person at the moment.

  “Hm, doubtful. They focused a lot on me, and I think they’d have teamed up against you if they were trying to kill you,” Kanae said, and Isalla felt faintly squeamish as she saw the other woman open one of their belt pouches, then the next, pulling out a handful of coins and nodding. “I thought as much… they’re very poor. Likely desperate, then.”

  “Ah. I… well, we had to defend ourselves,” Isalla replied, taking a deep breath as she tried to settle her stomach. “Not how I wanted my first real fight since coming here to be, but there wasn’t much of a choice.”