by Joe Jackson
Amastri reversed the crossing of her ankles and got comfortable in her seat. “Pataria is a few weeks from the border of Sorelizar by foot. You will need to cross the realm of Tess’Vorg to reach Sorelizar. Tess’Vorg, also called the Fields of Gold, is the realm of King Emanitar Te’Mordrin, who in many respects is like King Morduri. King Emanitar is the eleventh of the Council, but is one of the oldest of the kings: do not mistake his rank for weakness. As with Pataria, if you do not cause trouble within King Emanitar’s realm, he is likely to ignore your presence, so your travel from Pataria to Sorelizar should be relatively free of danger.”
“Relatively?” Kari repeated. “What kind of trouble should we expect?”
Amastri shrugged and gestured lightly with her hands. “Well, Lady Vanador, our world has its dangers, just as yours does: inclement weather, banditry, wild animals. Fortunately for you, things are quiet in the underworld these days, so you will not cross through battlefields or encounter armies in your travels. You will, however, need to be on guard and well prepared, just as though you were travelling across your own lands here. The people of my homeworld may be much different than yours, but the world itself is full of many of the same dangers.”
“Now, that being said, the realm of Sorelizar is quite different than either Pataria or Tess’Vorg. King Sekassus affords citizens and visitors to his realm few, if any, of the freedoms they might enjoy in the neighboring kingdoms. Accordingly, you will need to be on your best behavior while crossing Sorelizar: if you offend or break the laws of Sorelizar in even the slightest way, your life will likely be forfeit. Fortunately, the simple act of traveling through Sorelizar should not result in the breaking of its laws unless you do something extraordinarily foolish, such as hunting or nosing around in the business of others, particularly the king.”
Kari nodded and Amastri bobbed her head appreciatively. “So let us get to the heart of the matter: once you have crossed Tess'Vorg, you will arrive at the city of Saristor, on the border of Sorelizar and Tess’Vorg. There, you may meet with either the resident prince, Vassiras, or one of his servants to announce that you are taking tribute to the king to negotiate an exchange. Once you have done this, then by the Overking's Law you will be protected for some time – it is referred to as the Seven Days’ Grace – allowing you to reach King Sekassus and make the offer. Vassiras is King Sekassus’ youngest son, calculating just like his father, but he is a politician, and does his fighting with words far more often than with violence.”
“So he can be negotiated with, too,” Kari said, and Amastri nodded. “I take it your king will also arrange something with him?”
“Not necessary,” Amastri returned with a wave of her delicate hand. “You may speak with the prince all you like, but if you go to negotiate with his father, there will be little he can do about it. Even detaining you for too long will likely draw the ire of his father, so it is most unlikely he will even waste your time when you pass through his city. From Saristor, there is a long but straight road to the capital city, Sorelizar, wherein King Sekassus makes his home.”
“So what is this thing I’d be offering him, anyhow?” Kari asked.
“That, Lady Vanador, I do not know,” Amastri said. “Whatever it is, you may assume it is of great value, and that its procurement is well worth the price you have agreed to. However, it is something I am ignorant to. Her Majesty said that King Morduri has it and will hand it over willingly once bartered with, and that is all you need concern yourself with.”
Kari shook her head lightly; again, Amastri was suggesting she shouldn’t ask the why of a situation, which clearly told Kari that she should. Ultimately, she decided once again to take the plan at face value for the time being. In the case of bringing barter before King Sekassus, if it was demons harming demons, that was a small price to pay for Se’sasha’s freedom. Amastri was being thorough; Kari had to give her that. Still, there was one big question that nagged at Kari. “What’s to stop Sekassus from killing me after I give him what he wants?” she asked. “I have to know I’m not going to hand him something and then be tossed into his dungeon or just killed.”
Amastri nodded, following and understanding Kari’s concerns. “This may sound absurd to you, demonhunter, but there are rules for living under the Overking,” she said. “Such is the basis of the Seven Days’ Grace I told you of. Most of the kings may be at war with each other on some level, but there are rules to ambassadorships and how emissaries must be treated. If you go there to negotiate in good faith, you are supposed to be protected by those same laws. To be completely honest, the fact that you are an outsider – and a demonhunter at that – means virtually no one would mourn your death or rush to hold King Sekassus responsible if he did decide to take your life.” Kari was doubtful, and was sure her expression showed it. “Consider, however, that this is why your Turik Jalar was able to do what he did and not lose his head in moments. There is no other way to put this, Lady Vanador: either you trust in those same laws to some degree, or do not set foot upon my world. It will not, cannot be your strength of arms that keeps you safe while on the Overking’s world.”
Kari grunted. It was a lot to swallow, but she had to admit to herself that going to the underworld was dangerous whether there were laws to protect her or not. Just finding out there were such laws was already an improvement from what she was expecting, so to distrust those laws didn’t make things seem any worse in the end. Kari was never one for politics, so the laws of the Overking made little sense to her on the surface. She was sure Aeligos could probably give her a good indication of why the Overking might have such laws, but she resolved to ask him about it later.
“If Sekassus releases Se’sasha, would he be willing to let her leave his realm, given she’s his high priestess?” Kari asked. “Is there any way we can negotiate to make sure she's released to our custody?”
“With the amount of interest I am told this item will garner from him, you may likely negotiate whatever terms you wish,” Amastri answered. “If you wish her released to your custody, then you must be certain to negotiate that exactly. Do not assume anything. Spell out every detail of what you expect in trade from King Sekassus, else he will fill in the gaps for you, and you may leave with a corpse, or even the wrong person.”
Kari nodded. That was a big relief; simply getting Se’sasha released wouldn’t serve any use whatsoever except to perhaps make Danilynn and Eli feel better. As much as Kari wanted to help them fulfill their promise, it wasn’t her priority. She needed information, and saving the life of a syrinthian priestess seemed like a very good way to get it, whether from Se'sasha or from the prisoners once Se'sasha was rescued. “How do we get home?” Kari asked, wanting to make sure she got the full picture from Amastri.
“Once your dealings with King Sekassus are finished, you will head south and into the Overking’s realm, to the city of Anthraxis,” Amastri said. “There you can either meet with this archmage who will be providing your transport, or some other means can be arranged to bring you back here.”
Gods, I must be out of my mind, Kari thought, trying to keep a straight face. The information she’d received was thorough and almost what she’d hoped for, and yet now the plan seemed even more foolhardy than it had when she knew nothing. She was going to walk into Sorelizar and announce her presence to a demon king who very likely wanted her dead, and then probably anger him even more by dangling some mystery item before him. And what was worse was that she was expected to trust not one, two, or three, but four different demon kings to not simply strike her down the minute she was on their world. Kari thought perhaps Celigus was right, and the entire idea of going to the underworld was foolish.
“You may, at your discretion, take a less direct route to Sorelizar,” Amastri offered. “If you follow the southern borders of Pataria and Tess’Vorg, they both border the Overking’s realm. If, at any time, you feel you are in danger, out of your element, or even just homesick, you can head to Anthraxis and find your way home.
As strange as this may sound, you will be completely and perfectly safe within the Overking’s realm and the city of Anthraxis, unless he specifically has a reason to want you dead. Despite your accomplishments and reputation, Lady Vanador, I sincerely doubt the Overking even knows who you are. You are a hero to your people, no question, but you are of little consequence to him.”
Kari glanced at Aeligos for a moment. “How many of us should go?” Kari asked.
Amastri seemed confused. “How many of you planned to go?” she returned. “I was under the impression it would be you and perhaps Danilynn.”
Kari shook her head. “No, I was planning to take Eli and Aeligos with me as well,” she said, “and perhaps my sister-in-law, and maybe one or two others.”
“No, Lady Vanador, that is neither possible nor advisable,” Amastri said. She sat up straighter in her chair, and Kari was surprised: the woman looked genuinely concerned by what Kari had just said. “Ketava, I forget how little you and your Order actually know of my home. I would suggest you take as few people with you as possible, to avoid drawing attention–”
“Well, I had figured that, but I thought–”
“…and that you do not bring males with you at all,” Amastri finished. She glanced from Kari to Aeligos and back again, then let out a subdued sigh, something Kari had not heard from her before. “To keep this as brief as possible, Lady Vanador, the Overking finds females to be weak, and this viewpoint is shared by most of the other kings. In many of the kingdoms, you will find that women are closer to being property than people. Considering this, I suggest that a small group of women traveling uninvited across the land would draw much less attention, since it is most likely others will assume that you may be the property of a noble or even the king. If you bring men with you, however, they may be mistaken for your owners or mates and be the target of violence aimed at claiming you as property.”
Kari blinked. “Did you catch all of that?” she asked Aeligos.
“She’s basically saying it’s safer not to travel with males,” he said. “If you travel with just women, anyone looking at you will assume you’re probably the property of someone more powerful than themselves. Is that about right?”
“Yes,” Amastri answered. “If you wish to bring others with you, I would advise you to take only Danilynn and perhaps your sister-in-law. I would advise you bring no males with you, and do not bring more than two or three others along, or you will be too conspicuous. As it stands, rir travelling through the realms will be a curious enough thing.”
Kari shook her head; this was a bad development. Danilynn and Sonja were both quite capable in their own right, but at the very least, Kari wanted the espionage expertise of Aeligos along with her as well. She thought perhaps she could ask Eryn to go, especially in light of the half-brys woman saying things were quiet for her right now. Still, even with Eryn going along, just four women traversing the underworld to go meet with a powerful demon king sounded like a recipe for disaster. Kari considered perhaps she should just forget the entire plan. “So no men?” she asked.
“I do not recommend it,” Amastri said, but then she shrugged. “On the other hand, you may bring them with you to Anthraxis, and simply leave them there should Her Majesty and King Morduri agree with my assessment. That is up to you, Lady Vanador. I am only telling you what I think will be the best course of action. Clearly, Her Majesty and King Morduri will be better able to advise you on that matter.”
Kari nodded; that seemed less a threat than a warning. “Where is your king’s realm?”
“Her Majesty’s realm, Mas’tolinor, lies to the west of Sorelizar, on the far side from Tess’Vorg,” Amastri said. “At no time are you to enter Her Majesty's realm. As I explained, she aids you for her benefit, not yours. While it will be little mystery to King Sekassus who has aided you in frustrating him, you are not to directly interact with or implicate Her Majesty in this matter. You will not be welcome to enter Mas'tolinor, certainly not immediately after infuriating the Cobra Lord, and so you are advised to stay far from Her Majesty's realm, and instead return straight to Anthraxis when your exchange is complete.”
“Why does King Koursturaux care? She's more powerful than Sekassus, no?”
Amastri’s shook her head and said, “Ketava; you do not understand the laws of the Overking. No king of higher station may attack or else besiege those below them in any way unless first attacked. This is how the balance is maintained among the Council, so that the entirety of the Overking’s domain does not fall under the control of solely the Ancient Ones. It is easier for the Overking to control his subordinates if their power and influence is more widely divided, and so his rules protect the weaker ones from those above them in both rank and power. Her Majesty wants no direct part of your plans to maintain her…innocence, I suppose you would say, in this matter.”
So the Overking plays the kings against each other with his own rules, Kari thought. The underworld was a lot more complicated a place than she’d guessed even just a few days before meeting Amastri for the first time. She realized in that moment just how important her plan was: if she could rescue Se’sasha and the girl was willing to talk, this sea of information upon which Kari and her Order floated adrift would become a much more familiar place. Even if everything else during the journey went in their favor, Kari knew that still required that Se’sasha would actually talk, but that was a more acceptable risk than going to get her in the first place. The more she thought about it, Kari started to believe that rescuing Se’sasha might also make the other syrinthians she held prisoner more willing to talk.
“But the same won’t be a problem if we were to go into Sorelizar from Tess’Vorg and cause trouble?” Kari asked. “Couldn’t King Sekassus attack King Emanitar if we do that?”
“In theory, yes,” Amastri said. “You are missing the subtle point: King Emanitar can legally invade Sorelizar; King Koursturaux cannot. King Sekassus would not fare well in a war against either of them, but if Her Majesty attacked unlawfully, then it would be the Overking who would enact the penalty, not King Sekassus. Understand?”
“I think so,” Kari said. It seemed to make sense, like the troublesome types in school who provoked people to punch them in order to get their enemies in trouble. It seemed Amastri was saying that Sekassus wasn’t strong enough to stand against either Emanitar or Koursturaux, but only Koursturaux would get punished if she attacked first. And so, in what was likely typical demon king political fashion, Koursturaux was all too happy to shift the blame onto Emanitar or Morduri and let them deal with any repercussions.
“Whose realm borders Sorelizar to the north?” Aeligos asked.
“To the north lies Si’Dorra, the Weeping Woodlands, realm of King Arku Chinchala,” Amastri answered. “It is not a place your kind should visit, considering the defeat you handed King Arku just scant years ago.”
“That’s a fact. Is there anything else you can tell me?” Kari asked, though she wasn’t sure whether Amastri’s claim that she would tell everything freely was an honest one.
“Just one thing with regard to logistics: you will not be able to spend your gold while you walk through the realms of my home,” the woman said. “While gold does hold value, one of the Overking’s more archaic laws makes it illegal for commoners or even nobles to possess it. Only the kings and the Overking may possess actual wealth. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of acquiring a sack of marks for you to do business while in…the underworld.” From her purse she produced a pouch of something that clattered and placed it on Kari’s desk. “Consider this a part of what you have bartered for with my king.”
Kari nodded her thanks, but she had a hard time putting it into words. “Aeligos, anything else you want to ask?”
“Where is King Celigus Chinchala’s realm compared to Sorelizar?” he asked. Kari was glad for his thinking; if all else failed, Kari and her friends could flee to Sansrigar to evade capture by one of the other kings.
“Southwest of Sorelizar
, along the southern border of Mas’tolinor,” Amastri answered, but she shook her head as she did so. “There is no direct way to get there from Sorelizar or the Overking’s realm; you would have to pass through Mas’tolinor or, worse yet, through Vistarra, the realm of King Abaddon. You are not welcome to pass through my king’s realm for the reasons I have already told you, and your life would be in great danger if you set foot within King Abaddon’s realm. You are advised to do as I told you, and stay far from the realms of the other kings. You will not be afforded the same courtesies of King Emanitar and King Morduri should you venture into the wrong realm.”
“I have only one last question, then, if you’ll allow my curiosity,” Kari said, and Amastri tilted her head and nodded. “Since you mentioned Turik Jalar, I wanted to ask: were you in the Overking’s palace when he supposedly laid his list of demands before the Overking?”
Amastri laughed, but it was jovial, if Kari’s ears didn’t deceive her. “No, I am not that old,” Amastri said. “I have heard Her Majesty mention it from time to time; it is always an interesting tale to hear. Perhaps someday, should Her Majesty find you of use again and grant you the honor of a face-to-face meeting, she will be willing to share the tale with you.”
“You’ll forgive me if I say I hope that never happens,” Kari said evenly, and the woman laughed again. “I think we’re done here. I'll let you know what I decide–”
“There is no need for that unless you require me to transport you to Anthraxis myself,” Amastri interrupted. “Rest assured that King Morduri will be waiting for you to make contact, and if you do not, then it will be assumed that you backed out of the deal. In that case, there will be no debt or duty between us. If you decide to go, do so quietly, so that as few people will know as possible.”