Heaven's Fallen

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Opira, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Kanae said, giving a respectful bow. “I’m here to see Bell and take a night’s respite from my travels. With me is Isalla, a friend of mine who needs rest as well.”

  “Kanae, it’s been quite some time,” the statue replied with a nod of her head, her voice startlingly delicate to Isalla, causing her to stare at the statue as she turned her head to examine Isalla for a moment, then continued. “I see. She doesn’t appear to be a threat, and you’re always welcome here, of course. I hope to speak with you later.”

  “And I with you. Perhaps when your brother goes on duty? I’d love to hear about some of your insights,” Kanae said, her smile widening.

  “That would be pleasant,” Opira agreed, and she reached back to swing the gate open.

  “Thank you. Come along, Isalla,” Kanae said, heading for the door into the mansion.

  Isalla belatedly nodded and followed Kanae. Once they were a few steps away, Isalla asked curiously, “Um, Kanae? Is Opira one of the stonekith?”

  “Oh, you’ve heard of them?” Kanae asked, looking back with a hint of surprise on her face. “I run into a lot of people who haven’t.”

  “Yes… I’ve heard about them rarely, but since they live almost exclusively deep below the ground, I don’t know much about them,” Isalla said, thinking back on the tales of human-like beings made of stone-like flesh that lived deep below the mortal world’s surface. She couldn’t think of any other species that fit Opira’s description.

  “I’m not surprised… but in this case you’re wrong. Opira and her brother aren’t stonekith,” Kanae said, shaking her head as she reached the doors. “They’re a pair of golems granted true life and sentience by Egor approximately four centuries ago.”

  Isalla’s eyes went wide in shock, hesitating for a long moment. Egor was one of many mortal gods and was best known as one of the gods of earth and stone. The mantle he bore had gone through at least a dozen predecessors, and which side of the war it had been on had changed several times. Egor was a human who had fought on the side of the Fallen Kingdoms before his ascension, so she wasn’t too surprised that his creations could be found here. It was just surprising that he’d made creatures which could think for themselves.

  “Oh. I… didn’t know he could create something like… well, her. I’d never even thought about the possibility,” Isalla said after a moment, glancing back as Kanae opened the doors. “I…”

  Isalla’s train of thought was interrupted as she heard music from ahead, and took a breath of potent perfumes, ones that brought to mind spring mornings under the sun, fruit, and the heady scent of the sea. She quickly turned to look through the doors, her mouth slightly agape.

  There were walls to the antechamber ahead of them, but she couldn’t see a ceiling, instead seeing a sky full of countless, brilliant stars that were brighter than anything Isalla had ever seen in life. To one side of the room was a pool of shimmering water, and she saw a mermaid with glittering green scales over her lower body sitting on the stone wall of the pool, the pretty brunette rubbing a finger around the rim of her glass as she stared raptly at the demon on the other side of table, a demon who looked a lot like Deka with the numerous horns on his major joints.

  At the back of the room was a bar, and behind it stood two bartenders, both in exquisite clothing. The man had unnaturally pale skin and hair so white that it almost glowed in the light, and it took Isalla a moment to realize he had six fingers on each hand, while his eyes were glowing pools of white light. The woman was tall and muscular, enough that she looked like she could break Isalla in half without trying, her skin almost the color of chocolate and her eyes a slightly lighter shade of brown. The woman had several scars on her uncovered arms, along with one on her right cheek, but all of them were tasteful, as if carefully placed. Or, having experienced what alchemy could do, Isalla thought it likely that any other scars had been deliberately healed.

  There were other men and women in the room, and Isalla kept herself from staring at the angel at one table, though it was difficult. The man had bronzed skin, rugged good looks, and had the sort of physique that made her think he could hold up the sky if necessary, while his brown hair was held back by a hair tie and his blue eyes were piercing. He was warmly chatting with a dwarven woman, and the smile on her face was startling. Isalla felt out of place in the room, since all the patrons were well-dressed, but Kanae walked through the room like she belonged there, heading for the door beside the bar unerringly, ignoring both the stairwell that rose to an upper floor, where more guests were at a balcony table, and the halls that stretched to either side.

  Isalla hurried after Kanae, surprised at how quickly she was moving, and saw the man with white hair look at Kanae with a furrowed brow for a moment, opening his mouth to speak, then froze as Kanae reached for the handle and opened the door. Isalla briefly wondered why he looked so surprised, but she followed Kanae through the door and into a brightly lit, warm cavern. A large pile of cushions was on one side of the room, along with some carefully folded blankets, and there were a couple of chairs in front of a desk at the back of the room, which looked and smelled like it opened to the sandy beach of an ocean.

  Behind the desk was a lamia, wearing half-moon glasses and with raven black hair. She was quite attractive, and most of her body was on display due to the diaphanous black top she wore, along with a thicker belt from which dangled dozens of tiny gold bells. The woman looked up, and her snake-like hazel eyes widened, then she grinned as she exclaimed.

  “Kanae, darling!” the lamia said, and she surged up and over the desk, sending a couple of documents fluttering to the ground as her lower body hissed over them. She descended on Kanae with a hug which drove Kanae to the ground, and Isalla gaped slightly as she stared, then closed the door behind her as the lamia spoke. “What a surprise this is! It’s been an age since you visited, and I wasn’t sure when I’d seen you next.”

  “Hello, Bell. It’s good to see you, too,” Kanae replied, a smile on her face, though her voice was labored, likely due to the weight of the woman atop her. “May I get up?”

  “But of course! I was simply so excited to see you after such a long absence that I forgot myself,” Bell replied, straightening and pulling Kanae to her feet with her, the lamia’s lower body slithering into a coil as she looked up.

  Isalla blinked as Bell looked her over, slightly unnerved by the intensity of the woman’s gaze. The examination didn’t take long, fortunately, and in the moment that Kanae was brushing the sand off her armor, Bell looked away, clicking her tongue.

  “My, my… is this another of your lost sheep? Unlike the others, I’m not sure that she’d fit in here, Kanae. While an angel who has lost her wings is rather unusual, I don’t believe that most of my patrons would be that intrigued. Perhaps if we were to have the temple regenerate her wings, but…” Bell shrugged slightly, and Isalla froze for an instant, startled and just a bit afraid.

  “No, you misunderstand, Bell. Isalla and I are currently… involved. Whether that will last or not is another question entirely,” Kanae said, and Isalla felt her face heating slightly as the demoness continued, leaning forward to gently kiss the lamia’s cheek. “No, I came to avail myself of your hospitality once more. I’m willing to pay for the pair of us to stay, of course.”

  “Indeed? Why, I don’t remember the last time you spent more than a day with someone, Kanae. As for payment, piffle! There’s no need for that. I wouldn’t have my establishment if it weren’t for you, and you don’t take advantage of my offer often.” Bell waved the offer off with a slight sniff, then turned to Isalla with a smile, slithering forward and offering a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Isalla. I’d long wondered who might be able to break Kanae out of her shell, even if I’d hoped to lure her into working here with me.”

  “Um, thank you, Lady Bell. It’s a pleasure to meet you… even if I wasn’t aware you were a lamia. Kanae neglected to mention that,” Isalla
said with a sidelong glance of annoyance at Kanae, taking Bell’s hand, only to be surprised when the lamia turned it and kissed the back of her hand. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “May I ask how you knew I was an angel? Kanae said that it shouldn’t be obvious.”

  “She wouldn’t have told you. Kanae likes leaving people in the dark when she brings them to me… the better to see how they react to those who aren’t what they expect,” Bell replied, clicking her tongue chidingly. At the question, she smiled more and continued. “As for identifying you, your nature isn’t obvious, particularly with your scent changed to seem like a native. That does nothing for how you move, though, nor the other minor signs of an angel. While many aspects of angels are similar to humans, your muscles are not among them, and your bone structure is slightly different. Your kind are also lighter than humans, if only slightly. I notice these things, unlike most others.”

  “Ah, I see,” Isalla said, relaxing slightly. She supposed the muscles for her wings did radiate over a large portion of her torso, including through her shoulders. They weren’t as strong as the rest of her muscles, but Kanae’s vile elixir had helped them recover as well.

  “I must thank you for your hospitality, Bell. While there are other places to stay in the city, I don’t feel as secure in them,” Kanae added, the smile on her face widening slightly.

  “Oh, it isn’t a bother, truly. Your aid was invaluable, and I truly am thankful for it. Even if I wish you’d come work here. You might not be as exotic as some of the others, but your skill at arms and manners make up for it,” Bell said, her smile widening still more as she looked at Kanae, asking in a teasing tone, “Or are you still hiding from someone?”

  “I’m likely to be hiding until the day I die,” Kanae replied, sniffing slightly. “As to working for you, you know my answer. I’ve no interest in performing for the pleasure of random others, not anymore. Those I care about are a different story entirely.”

  “If you say so,” Bell said, shaking her head in exaggerated dismay.

  “Um, pardon me… but how did the two of you meet? It sounds like it was a little interesting,” Isalla asked curiously, looking between the two women, and Bell looked at Kanae for a moment, and the demoness shrugged.

  “It really isn’t quite as interesting as you might think, though I suppose it might sound that way,” the lamia said after a moment. “I used to live in Redflow, and I had a lesser form of my current business there. Unfortunately, the local lord of Redflow wasn’t quite as… protective of businesses like my own, and after a few dozen incidents where violence broke out, I’d had enough. I decided to leave for someplace that would appreciate my business, so I looked for someone to guide me to Estalia.”

  “I was in Redflow to get some rare herbs for an elixir,” Kanae said, shrugging. “One of the people in town had a particularly virulent disease, and I wanted to head it off before the town slowly withered away and died. I ran into Bell when I was preparing to return and decided that earning a little coin on the return trip wouldn’t be amiss.”

  “It would have been easy for both of us, if it weren’t for Wolfheim’s ardent admirer, too,” Bell continued, sighing sadly as she shook her head. “The man decided that an all-out assault on our caravan was necessary to claim Wolfheim, even if he wasn’t interested. The battle was… much closer than I like to think about. If we hadn’t had Kanae’s blade, we’d have all fallen. As it was, she managed to deal so much damage to the attackers that we were able to continue onward, and she even helped heal our injuries along the way. I owe her a great debt, since the attackers would have let her go quite readily.”

  “I dislike bullies and those who think that, just because they’re stronger, that entitles them to take whatever they want,” Kanae added with a calm smile, leaning on the desk. “Besides, they were overconfident. That helped a lot.”

  “I see. That does sound a lot like Kanae, doesn’t it?” Isalla said, slowly smiling as her mood improved. “I haven’t been able to push her far enough to see just how good she is, yet. I’m not strong enough.”

  “You likely need more training as well. Kanae is a master swordswoman,” Bell quickly advised. “There’s a reason I’d love to have her here, after all. Not because of danger, but because some of my patrons want the exceedingly competent to attend to them.”

  “Which they aren’t getting from me,” Kanae interjected dryly. “May I get the room, please? I’d like to wash off the dust and grime, since we’ve been on the road for several days.”

  “Oh, of course. Your usual style, I assume?” Bell asked, moving with startling speed back around the desk, and collecting the scattered papers as she moved.

  “That would be lovely,” Kanae agreed.

  “What about you, Isalla? Are you staying with Kanae, or would you prefer your own room?” Bell asked, pulling out a key from a drawer.

  “I’ll stay with Kanae. I don’t think there’s any need for us to take up two rooms,” Isalla said, flushing slightly as she did so. While she liked staying with Kanae, it was embarrassing to express that aloud.

  “As you like. Here you are, Kanae,” Bell said, tossing the demoness the key as she smiled warmly. “I look forward to seeing you at dinner.”

  “I’ll see you then… and thank you once again,” Kanae said, giving a surprisingly graceful bow, considering her armor and the pack she was wearing.

  “Think nothing of it,” Bell replied airily, waving them off.

  Kanae led the way out of the room, and Isalla did a double take as the sand that had adhered to her pack and armor vanished when she stepped through the door. She also noticed that some of the guests and employees were watching them more closely, now. Ignoring the attention, Kanae headed to their left, past the pool and toward the hall next to it.

  “Kanae, why did the sand vanish off your back?” Isalla asked, frowning as she kept pace.

  “Bell is an incredibly skilled enchantress and illusionist. She’s woven enchantments like what you see on the ceiling, and each room is mutable, allowing her to change the scenery and feel of it,” Kanae explained, slowing down slightly. “The form of illusion is unusual in that it’s quasi-real, allowing you to touch and interact with it, though unless it would injure you or you actively attempt to see through the illusion you won’t notice it’s nature.”

  “Oh. That means that your room is like that, then?” Isalla asked, her curiosity roused. She’d heard of similar illusions before, but she’d never experienced any. There wasn’t much call for them.

  “That’s right. Bell set up an appearance specifically for me years ago,” Kanae confirmed, a note of amusement in her voice.

  Isalla followed a bit more eagerly, now. She was curious to see what sort of room Kanae liked staying in.

  Chapter 33

  Kanae’s room wasn’t what Isalla expected. The door opened into a large gazebo with a glass roof and low walls that allowed them to look out across intricate gardens filled with flowers, some of them glowing under the starlight. The sky was a sort of idealized form of the sky of the hells, not as gloomy as it normally was, and the scent of the flowers filled the air with a gentle, soothing smell. A large bed with white sheets was near one end of the gazebo opposite the door, to their right was a wardrobe, while to the left was a large tub of steaming water that glowed like opalescent pearls as steam rose from its surface.

  “This is amazing,” Isalla said, smiling warmly as she looked around. Kanae approached the wardrobe and started stripping off her armor and pack. Isalla loved how restful the scene was, and it was better than most of the hells that she’d seen “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, honestly.”

  “I like gardens. They remind me of happy times in my life,” Kanae replied, and glanced up, smiling as she added, “Just don’t try to go out into the gardens, hm? The edges of the gazebo are walls, and we can’t go through those, no matter what it looks like.”

  “Ah, good to know. Bell really has mastered illusion magic, hasn’t she?” Is
alla said, following after a moment. The ground below her felt like smooth, tiled stone, and she couldn’t see any flaws to the scenery.

  “She certainly has. I think it’s why she coined this her imaginarium. She can weave illusions of other places that can enrapture people. If she wanted to, I think she could be incredibly dangerous,” Kanae admitted, finishing putting her armor on a convenient rack inside the large wardrobe. Isalla saw there was clothing hanging inside, somewhat to her surprise, though most of it looked more like what the courtesans outside had been wearing. Kanae continued calmly, starting to strip entirely. “Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to be interested in that.”

  “True,” Isalla said, pausing as she watched Kanae strip naked, fascinated despite having seen her naked before. She blushed a little, but not as much as she had at various points in the city.

  Kanae wasn’t trying to put on a show, Isalla knew that much, yet she may as well have been. The demoness was beautiful, with her pale skin and dark eyes and hair, and Isalla still couldn’t believe that the full-figured woman didn’t have any scars, yet she didn’t. The demoness finished disrobing, then walked over to slide into the tub with a sigh, visibly relaxing as the tip of her tail bobbed to the surface.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” Isalla asked after a moment, firmly shoving several quiet worries aside. She didn’t need to wonder how safe they’d be on their journey, not now.