Embrace of the Medusi (The Overlords Trilogy Book 2)

by Toby Andersen

During the day, Naus kept the mountain in his sights, angling the mare with his knees, as he began to read. He had to look up and check his surroundings regularly; the mare was fast, terrain changed before he could realise it, and there were Medusi everywhere. Luckily, she shied from these, giving him fair warning. The blooms had become something else, breeding exponentially, in such vast numbers that they covered great swathes of the land. In some places they got so thick as to bundle on top of each other, rising high and blowing in when the breeze picked up.

  It was possible they didn't yet blot out the sun, but it was starting to get that way.

  The author was yet another learned Cleric, who’s name had been lost. Maybe books written by Clerics were all brought in under one canopy, the individual authors anonymous within the whole. It would suit a cult that supported a hive mind, he thought.

  The introduction was really all he needed to read:

  The Order of the Medousa began as many of the world’s largest organisations do; as a small cadre of likeminded individuals, led by a charismatic leader.

  Following the end of the War of the Overlords, there was a period of significant peace. Cities appointed new leaders and began to rebuild, not just their homes, but also their standing armies. No one wanted to succumb to another magical war like the one they had just survived.

  It was almost five hundred years later that the Order was formed.

  A woman appeared in the far east. She wandered the wilds of Arceth over a few decades gathering a large following who worshipped and adored her. She was thralled to a large Medusi many at the time believed had once counted Cepheus its thrall. It is said she performed miracles and healings, but nothing is substantiated. She loved those that came to her, and she greeted children especially warmly.

  After a time, her intentions seemed to change. She consolidated her loose following into an organisation. She appointed priests to oversee the daily administration and she began a campaign to invite the rich and powerful to join her. Without political power at the time, she had little money, but in only a few years she amassed great wealth. Rich landowners, and wealthy merchants were enticed to join the burgeoning cult, and either gifted their wealth to the organisation, or left their fortunes in their wills. Soon they owned land and buildings, banks and businesses.

  Around this time, details of the beliefs of the cult began to reach far and wide. They believed their sorceress was a kind of Goddess, a mother nature figure. There were allusions to rampant experimentation with Medusi and the techniques behind thralling. Many outsiders believed she was trying to recapture the power of the Overlords, but beyond her own power this was never proven.

  The cult became known as the Order. Amongst its converts, thralling became commonplace, notable because outside of it, thralls were still regarded with hatred and suspicion. The Order can be credited with the growing acceptance of thralls and of other similar cults like those of the watchers, in the coming decades.

  The Order established a temple in the centre of Terracon, a place where the Medusi research and training of thralls could be continued with no outside scrutiny.

  During the research for this book, I was able to gain an audience with the sorceress, who by this time was styling herself the Medousa, Goddess of thralls and Medusi. Her jaw was missing, her skin grey, and she commanded a magic that let her speak directly into my mind.

  We talked about a great many things, she had discovered I was writing a history of the Order. I asked her many questions to which she would not answer, until eventually, she caught me in an ultimatum; she would grant me the answers to every question, but in return my book would never be published outside of her own temple. If I refused I could leave, but I would get no further answers. If I agreed I could finish my work, but I could not take it with me.

  I weighed my own curiosity against my desire for fame and fortune. If you are reading this book, most likely you are a fellow Cleric as I became, having reached the necessary rank to learn these answers for yourself. I realised what I desired above all was to know the answers to my questions, the book itself was secondary. I had little in the way of family to miss me.

  I asked my questions again.

  She told me she had lost her jaw during a duel for the very Medusi that hung above her, which she named Amnion. The duel had been with the Overlord Cepheus, and immediately following it she had taken the Medusi for herself. It was one of two original Medusi from which all others descend.

  She told me she had once founded and ruled over an Empire now falsely attributed to the House of Nectris. She had destroyed the Overlords one by one, and put an end to the war, but in so doing had been forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. She had become a thrall to save her people.

  She told me her name was Noctiluca, that she had changed it from Eleutheria, because she had left the life of the first Empress behind when she joined with Amnion and gained her powers.

  Naus read the last paragraph over more than once.

  Noctiluca was Eleutheria.

  Eleutheria was Noctiluca.

  They were the same woman; the woman he had followed and betrayed, now led a crusade to thrall the world. It was shocking, earth-shattering information, but he found he wasn’t shocked.

  Somehow I've always known, he thought.

  He sat atop the mare but he didn’t see the world around him. His mind was cleaned out by the revelation. He’d been trying to gain access to the same woman for hundreds of years. The Medousa, the Goddess of the Order, was the same woman he had served faithfully for decades a millennium earlier. No wonder she never let me in the Temple!

  And that meant she was also over a thousand years old. Whatever curse afflicted him, afflicted her also. She had not only survived the War of the Overlords, but had come out of it a new woman, a changed woman, thralled and terrible. She’d been terrible and fearsome as Eleutheria; as Noctiluca she had become the Goddess of darkness.

  Naus looked up, seeing his surroundings again for the first time in half an hour. Ahead lay the Cartracian mountains.

  He needed to share this information. No one knew that the Medousa was also the First Empress. He had to find a Cephean so that he could tell Totelun and Cassandra what he had discovered. But where was there a Cephean now.

  He would have to travel back to Theris, make his way into the palace. He would confront Eleutheria, bring an end to this chaos once and for all. He could find out why she did it and Cassandra and Totelun would hear it all.

  Naus thought of the moment he and Totelun had been just one door away from seeing her face; he would have recognised her then, he knew it, had Totelun not held him back.

  It was a terrible idea. Not just that, a death sentence, he thought. She might meet me, but she won’t let me leave. I must try to kill her, right there and then, and leave Totelun to destroy the rest of the Medusi. Didn’t she all but invite me, through Crescen?

  There was an alternative; turning South now led back to Theris, but turning North round the mountain was the direction of Argentor and Aurelia.

  He stared at the Cartracian mountains in the distance. South to confront the woman who had ruled his life, to possibly end this thing, and reveal the secret to everyone. North to Aurelia, and safety.

  Had Brinyr been sent to stop him for a reason? Is it my destiny to face her? What is my destination?

  Looking at the mountains, he sighed gravely.

  He knew there was only one course to take.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Aurelia

  She was there once again, just as she had been every night for weeks now, but the scene had changed.

  Something was different this time. Where before she had watched everything through a smoky veil, now she could see clearly. Only the faintest shimmering heat haze remained. The underground throne room where Noctiluca felt most comfortable, the dark chamber, the pillars, the burning torches. And above it all the greatest Medusi of them all, the one attached to the Medousa herself.

  But yet again s
he could only watch as the Medousa stood, tall and willowy and horrific, descending the steps to meet the mysterious figure in the long robes as they approached.

  I knew you’d come, said the Medousa.

  She flinched, too busy trying to see beneath the hood of the stranger to brace for the power of the Goddess’ voice.

  The figure wheezed a little; their breathing seemed difficult, like they had an injury to the chest. That hadn’t been the case before. As they reached up and removed their hood, she could see old wrinkled male hands.

  The hood settled on their shoulders, and she could finally see.

  Nausithorn! She felt the waking world pulling her away once again. She fought it as she always did. Held on just a moment longer.

  ‘It’s been a long time, Eleutheria,’ said Naus. ‘A very long time.’

  *

  There were guards on every one of the eight tall thin doors into the large sparse chamber where Aurelia waited to be taken to her execution. She had woken with the taste of blood in her mouth, and it lingered still, that metallic tang, as she thought about the next hour.

  The last hour of her life.

  She had been brought here, told to wait alone, contemplate her failings, and then be led to her death. It seemed inevitable now. She had gambled everything on Nepheli and the girl had abandoned her.

  The room held a stone table, just a single slab propped up on four short sturdy columns. She wondered absently how it had been transported inside. Otherwise the chamber was empty.

  Aurelia felt the same.

  Cleaned out. She had nothing left to give.

  That morning she’d heard the news they all had; Medusi sighted far across the southern valleys, in amongst the forests only a few days away, unless the winds were with them. The scouts had reported a wave of the evil creatures a few miles across, thousands maybe tens of thousands of them. She shuddered to think of what was about to happen to Argentor. She wouldn’t be here to see it.

  She remembered watching a similar wave take her own city, thrall her people. She had promised herself she would find an army, fight back. Destroy the Medousa and free her people. But she had failed.

  In an hour it would no longer matter.

  Faibryn had never stepped in to argue for his betrothed. He had been silent throughout the last few days. Time marched on and he had found a perfect excuse to be absent when it mattered most. She was going to be executed, and he had reportedly taken to the valleys to scout the enemy in person.

  What did I expect? she thought. The man was a traitor, he’d committed treason against the city, against the human race itself. He was probably out there ushering them into the city. He wants me dead, he said as much to his Goddess.

  Outside in the square in front of the palace buildings, the Argentori citizens would be assembling around a stage where she was to be executed. She couldn’t hear them from here, but she could imagine them baying for her blood.

  She barely wanted to think about Chrysaora. The poor woman had been locked up, lest she interfere with the execution. They thought she might try to free her mistress, and Aurelia thought it a good bet. The woman hated bonds so much, and distained the laws of a country that was not her own. What will happen to her when I’m gone?

  Aurelia felt tears form as she contemplated just how badly she had failed in her plan. Now she was going to die.

  When she heard one of the two sets of doors click open, she hurriedly rubbed the tears away. They will not see me cry.

  Lucinda Marchioli closed the door behind her quietly.

  ‘You are not supposed to be here,’ said Aurelia, ‘but I thank you for it.’ The first, maybe even the only Argentori to show her compassion when she was a prisoner on horseback.

  Lucinda smiled in a sad manner and stood by the far wall.

  ‘What are you doing?’ asked Aurelia.

  But Lucinda didn’t answer. Was she here to witness the execution, or just make sure Aurelia didn’t take her own life first?

  It turned out she was just the first of many.

  One by one the ladies of the court arrived, arranging themselves on one side of the chamber with Lucinda; their husbands and relations began to congregate around the large table, the most powerful men in the city. Hyacinth Fenilein and her husband Niles, head of the guild of lawyers; Evangeline Sepolis and her father the Baron, in charge of trade and merchants; Felicity Tavular the gossip queen minus her husband, and finally the worst of them all; Meredith Larkisron followed in by her significantly older husband, the Chancellor of Argentor, who she’d described as a frightful bore.

  The ladies who had insulted and ostracised her, turned their backs on her, committed to a campaign of bullying and defamation designed to destroy her. Was this just a gathering of all those who wanted to gloat over her execution? Were they here for front row seats?

  Again, Aurelia felt tears threaten, but she vowed she would not give them the satisfaction.

  Behind them came their husband’s entourages, faces she had seen around the court, lesser ministers and heads of less infamous guilds, maybe twenty or so all told. The room was becoming crowded.

  The next to arrive was Dante Tavular, the now official Grand Premier elected after the episode with Verismuss’ body parts in the council chamber. With Verismuss confirmed dead, Tavular had walked a purely symbolic vote. He took a seat at the table, his eyes finding the other powerful men in the room. He was followed in by Ennius and a small cabal of Premiers, five in all, one of them the leader of the Primes. Ennius walked towards Aurelia as if he couldn’t help himself, but came up short at a cleared throat from Tavular. The old man winked at her – had she seen that? – and then sat down deliberately looking away.

  What on Arceth is going on?

  Terietta was the next to sneak into the room; as she scanned the room and met Aurelia’s eye, she quickly glanced away.

  Everyone was silent, almost no one would look at Aurelia.

  ‘What is happening here?’ she asked into the silence. No one answered for a moment. It was like they all felt guilty, her powerful escort to her execution. ‘Well?’

  Lucinda was the one who answered, though she got some stern stares for it. ‘Just wait a little longer.’

  ‘For what? For who?’

  ‘You’ll see.’

  If Faibryn walks through that door, I am going to scream, she thought. That would be the ultimate betrayal.

  A few minutes later, she had her answer.

  Ferdinand Opetreia pushed the doors wide open to admit his small force of officers, generals and commanders from Argentor’s army. He took a seat with the other men and his generals stood behind him.

  Behind them came the final two.

  Chrysaora first; the look of set defiance on her face as she strode over, almost brought Aurelia to tears again. Her bodyguard stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder in silent support.

  She was followed in by Nepheli Opetreia, who closed the doors behind her, whispering to the guards outside that they were not to be disturbed, not for anything.

  Nepheli turned, her back to the doors. She took a deep breath and stepped up to Aurelia in the centre of the room. She looked right at her as she approached. Even if Aurelia wasn’t tearful, Nepheli was; her bright green eyes were red-rimmed and wet. She reached out her arms and embraced Aurelia.

  After a moment, Aurelia embraced her in return.

  Something had happened.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Aurelia, darling’ she said, her voice wavering. She wasn’t the same sure-of-herself woman who had befriended Aurelia all those months ago. This was a Nepheli who had been broken and rebuilt. Aurelia knew what that felt like. ‘Please forgive me. I had my head up my ass. If our Duke can see past the end of his nose, then so can I.’

  ‘You are forgiven.’

  ‘And we are friends again?’

  Aurelia laughed a little. She hadn’t expected that today. ‘Yes, friends again. Now tell me what is going on before I break your fingers.’

/>   ‘I am making it up to you,’ Nepheli said. She gestured to her father. ‘We can speak freely, everyone in here knows everything.’

  General Opetreia stood up abruptly. ‘The execution has been postponed indefinitely,’ he said. ‘There’s no one waiting outside for your head to roll.’ He sat back down in silence.

  Aurelia didn’t know what to say. A huge weight left her, her shoulders fell. She touched Chrysaora’s hand.

  Her gamble had paid off. She remembered when she’d had the idea to involve Nepheli, to show her the proof, she had been banking everything on her and it had paid off.

  ‘This is what should have happened when you first arrived,’ said Nepheli. She spread her arms wide, smiling for the first time. ‘A gathering of everyone my network can reach. The leaders of our city. Come to hear you.’ She leaned in and whispered. ‘I told you we ladies run this city really. This is what we can achieve.’

  Lucinda stepped forward. ‘Let me chair?’ Nepheli nodded, happy to let someone else explain. Lucinda fixed her gaze on Aurelia, but addressed the room. ‘We have all heard what happened, what was witnessed by Nepheli in an abandoned temple on the outskirts of our city. Our Marquis, our Duke in a few days, Faibryn Argentor was heard admitting that he systematically poisoned his father, and that he is working for the Order of the Medousa to give up the city.

  ‘If this happens, the worst of what Aurelia once described will come true. The city, every last man, woman and child, will be killed or thralled. We have all heard the scouts this morning. A bloom of Medusi unlike any this city has ever seen is approaching. Everything Aurelia warned of is happening. The Goddess of the Medusi is real, and she is coming.

  ‘Our true enemy is out there. She’s not in here. Aurelia is innocent of the crime she was accused. You have all agreed that you trust the word of Nepheli Opetreia in this. That she would not lie. It is the trust we place in her that allows this meeting to take place.’

  There was silence for a moment until Terietta raised a hand. ‘I have something to say before we carry on.’