by Joe Jackson
Lady Vanador,
This is the price you must pay for meddling in the affairs of the Overking. It is clear you expected that you could keep your friends safe from harm and escape from the clutches of the kings without consequence. This is folly. You will never treat with the kings and profit in the end: every deal, every trade, every offer of mutual aid will end with the kings getting the better of you. So it has been for ten eras, so it shall be for ten more.
I offer you these words of advice, mortal: unless you wish to see more of your friends suffer and die, turn back from this road you walk. Already, one death has warped your heart and your mind; you do not have the willpower to combat the Overking and his subjects. With each step you take, more friends and loved ones will suffer, more will die, and eventually, you will face defeat. I have seen the efforts of your lives and they are quite impressive, but it does not seem to me as though you possess the fortitude to see this through.
Protect your world as you see fit, Lady Vanador, but know that declaring war against the Overking or any of my peers will bring you naught but sorrow. The choice is yours.
There was no signature at the end of the letter, merely another red wax splotch with the rose impression in it. Kari looked up at Amastri and wondered if the woman had any idea what was written in the letter. Kari crumpled the letter up and tossed it back at Amastri, who tilted her head to the side, her eyes flicking as if she was deciding whether or not she should run. Kari thought about what to say for a minute, but ultimately threw decorum to the wind.
“Tell your king that she can take her letter and shove it up her backside,” she said.
Amastri’s cat-like eyes went wide. “Lady Vanador!” she exclaimed in protest.
Kari waved off Amastri's protest with a sharp gesture. “You might be wondering why I don’t have the sword I told you I’d be bringing, but then I’m guessing you probably already know. You might think I’m an idiot, Amastri, but I’m not. Aside from my friends and those who serve under me, you and your master are the only two…‘people’ who knew where I was going, and that I’d have that sword with me. So I’d like you to explain to me just how Taesenus knew we’d be there, and was waiting for us.”
Amastri started to open her mouth, but then stopped and closed it. Kari guessed she was about to utter something preposterous like “Who is Taesenus?” If that was the case, it was a good thing she’d shut her mouth, because Kari was pretty sure she’d have drawn her swords and taken a swing at the woman if she had. Kari had said she wasn’t going to hurt Amastri, but after reading the insulting letter from Koursturaux, she was quite convinced that she'd been betrayed, and thought the only way Amastri would leave this meeting alive was if she was completely and totally honest.
“Where is the sword?” Amastri managed at last, slowly, carefully, and very respectfully.
“Taesenus has it,” Kari answered coldly. “He also crippled my brother-in-law, and hurt a lot of my friends in the process. So again, I want you to explain to me how he knew where we would be with that sword, when you and your master are the only two who knew that outside of my Order.”
“So he stole it?” Amastri worked out after a brief hesitation, and her expression of fear turned to one of anger. Kari wasn’t sure what to make of it; the woman was either a very good actor – which Kari knew she was – or she was at a loss herself. Kari supposed it could very well be a mix of the two. Amastri continued, “I am not supposed to tell you this, Lady Vanador, but under the circumstances, I must take certain liberties despite Her Majesty’s wishes. Her Majesty wanted that sword specifically to keep it away from…Seril's son. That he took it from you when it rightfully belongs to Her Majesty is not going to be tolerated.”
Kari tilted her head. “So he doesn’t work for your king?” she pressed.
Amastri shook her head. “Honestly, Lady Vanador, I did not even know he was still alive. Her Majesty has only told me what I needed to know of this situation, and aside from wanting to keep it from your Seril’s sons, I was not told much else. I will swear to you, on the keen edge of one of your angel’s blades, that at no time did I inform anyone of your destination, and I am unaware of any reason Her Majesty would have done so. In fact, I can think of many reasons Her Majesty would not have done so. I understand the reason you are suspicious of us, Lady Vanador, but your suspicions are wrong. If someone has betrayed you, then as you say, it must have been someone else who knew: someone in your Order.”
Kari had her suspicions on that, but she wasn’t about to share them with Amastri. The trouble she had was there was no reason for her to trust Amastri or Koursturaux, and yet she kept finding herself coming back again and again. Something Amastri had said occurred to Kari after some time, and she asked, “Seril’s sons?”
“Her Majesty’s words, not mine,” Amastri said. “I know Seril had at least two children, but to my knowledge, both of them are dead. It seems that at least one of them is not, from what you say. It seems we are both in the dark on this, you and I.”
Kari shook her head. “Annoying, isn’t it?” she muttered.
Amastri chuckled. “Quite,” she agreed. “Such is the unfortunate life of a go-between.”
“Taesenus mentioned the Lord of Destruction when we fought him,” Kari offered. “Is it possible he’s working for Abaddon?”
Amastri made a face as though she wanted to correct Kari for not saying King Abaddon, but she held that back. “I suppose it is possible,” she said. “If that is the case, then Her Majesty will be quite interested to look into the matter.”
“See that she does,” Kari said. “And I expect you’ll get back to me with whatever the two of you find out. This bastard nearly killed my brother, and wounded several of my friends. I want his head on a stake, and I expect that you’ll help make that happen – free of charge.”
“I will see what I can do,” Amastri said. She picked up the crumpled letter and started to flatten it back out, as if trying to hide the fact that Kari had crumpled it up. “I take it you do not truly wish me to tell Her Majesty what you said earlier?”
“Oh, no, I still want you to tell her that,” Kari said. “And you can tell her that if the reaction to her letter seems inappropriate, she’s welcome to come talk anytime she likes.”
Amastri’s face at last managed that disconcerting smile. “Be careful what you wish for, Lady Vanador,” she said evenly.
Kari shook her head and left the Silver Chalice. There was still quite a crowd outside, but they’d apparently waited for the demonhunter to finish her business before they went back in. Kari walked through them but no one bothered her; they were too busy trying to squeeze back into the popular inn. It was almost supper time, but Kari had too much to do to even think about taking a break to eat. She had to get to the campus and inform them of Ursula and Richard’s deaths, get preparations underway for a funeral, and let the Council know that the Order seemed to have a mole among its number.
Kari walked as quickly as her sore, achy body would let her, and she thought about what Koursturaux’ letter had said along with what Amastri had said. If there was a mole among the Order, they weren’t just telling the demon king and her servant what Kari was up to: they were apparently selling that information to whatever king was willing to pay for the information. They’d also let on about just how much Kari and the Order were learning, which meant the kings would more easily be able to counteract Kari's own countermeasures. It was an infuriating situation, but at the same time, it made Kari realize the demon kings were afraid of how much Kari knew: so much so that one of them was trying to urge her to stop pursuing her leads.
The problem with that theory, Kari mused, was that Koursturaux had been on Citaria before. She’d left without trying to conquer the world or even go see to the seal on the Temple of Archons, so what was she really after? The only thing Kari could really come up with was that Koursturaux was content to use patsies – like me, she thought – to get the Temple open without getting her hands dirty, an
d then either she or her alleged former lover, the Overking himself, would swoop in and claim the prize. And, Kari mused, in taunting Kari and the Order, the demon king could dupe them into thwarting all of her enemies.
She entered the campus of the Order and was saluted crisply by the two guards at the gate. She saluted them absently in return and made her way to the administrative building, where she handed the slain hunters’ tags to Virginia, one of the human secretaries. The secretary nodded solemnly, and Kari knew she would start getting the paperwork done and take care of the funeral arrangements. She’d also look up what surviving kin the hunters had, and if they lived locally, Kari would go to their homes along with Lord Allerius to express their condolences. There would also be the matter of a pension for surviving spouses or children, but Virginia would take care of all of that for Kari.
Kari went to the temple next, and was surprised to find the Council already convened when she entered their chamber. She’d hoped to find one or two of them there working, and she wondered if Se’sasha was giving them a debriefing on everything she’d learned already. As soon as they saw her, the Council waved her forward quickly, and upon their faces she could see deep concern. She wondered if Erik had already brought back word of what had happened to Typhonix, or if they were otherwise aware – perhaps through Kaelariel – of the reappearance of Seril’s son.
“Ah, Lady Vanador, just the person we need to see,” Master Bennet said. “We have just received distressing news.”
“So you know about Taesenus and Typhonix already, Master?” Kari asked.
All sound in the chamber ceased in an instant, and the nine human males sat staring at Kari as if she’d just unleashed a stream of epithets. “About Taesenus and Typhonix...?” Master Arinotte repeated. “What do you mean by that?”
Kari glanced at each of them but shook her head. “Tell me what news you’re talking about, Masters,” she said.
“We have just received messages from our church in the southern city of Marsdale,” Master Perez began to explain. “It seems reports began to come in to the Earl of Marsdale that smaller villages in the north of his county were sacked. From what we have been told, the Earl went out to see to the problem himself, and is feared dead.”
“Iron Clyde is dead?” Kari balked.
Master Arinotte cocked an eyebrow. “You knew the Earl?” he asked.
Kari nodded absently. “I met him when the Thirty-fifth Light Division made its first trip to the southern end of the Barrier Mountains,” she said. “He seemed like one of us, you know? Had no patience or tolerance for the serilis-rir, and took every opportunity to help the Warlord flank Seril’s forces and drive them back north. Probably one of the grittiest warriors I ever met.”
“Indeed,” Master Perez said. “The Earl is a potent force for keeping piracy from the waters along our southern and western coasts, particularly the routes to the holy city. For the time being, we should assume he is containing the problem but needs our help. And that, Lady Vanador, is where your duties come into play.”
“I’ll get right on it, Master,” she said with a salute. “I’ll assign Erik to leading a force to Marsdale to see what they can do.”
“But now what is this you said about Taesenus and Typhonix?” Master Bennet asked.
Kari breathed out a long sigh. “We had a fight with Taesenus when we took Se’sasha to her mother’s grave,” she answered. “It would seem he’s not dead, but my brother Typhonix is lucky to not be dead himself. As it stands, he’s para...paralyzed from the waist down. His brothers are taking him to Tigron’s temple to see if they can do anything for him, but my mate wasn’t able to fix it, so I’m not sure Tigron’s priests will have any more luck.”
“Master Arinotte, send our top healers to Tigron’s temple to aid with Typhonix’ recovery,” Master Bennet said, and he was answered by a nod from the younger priest. The elder then turned back to Kari. “Taesenus is alive, you say?”
“Yes, Master,” Kari answered. “But not for long.”
~~~The End~~~
Thank Yous & Acknowledgements
Serpents Rising could not be considered a completed work without a list of thank-yous and acknowledgements. This book benefitted from some great feedback from my beta readers, and even required a complete rewrite to tighten up one of its subplots. As with my previous works, a number of people have helped with this in some way, even going back to those who aided in the building of the world itself.
My highest thanks still go to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has given me the time, the talent, and the wherewithal to continue this series. All the glory belongs to Him.
Editing thanks go to my wife Crystal, and to Erin Groppe. Thanks to Katie Merrick, who gives me feedback on the first drafts. Thanks to James Stringer, Cori Dyson, and Alexandra Engellmann for beta reading and making suggestions that helped make this a stronger work.
Thanks again to Richard Samanic, who introduced my friends and I to the world of AD&D, wherein the majority of this series’ world-building was accomplished. And thanks must be given once again to the players who helped me build the world up through Richard’s and my own campaigns: Robert Rothman, Pascal, Lenny, Dave, Mike Orlandi, Dave Christopher, Vincent DeBoer, Thanas Tsioplakis, Louis DeBoer, Erin Groppe, and Rachel DeBoer.
Thank you to Adam Wayne for the spectacular cover image. Adam’s cover art has been phenomenal, and such a blessing to show the readers just what Kari looks like.
I will also repeat my thank yous here for some of my favorite fantasy authors, whose works helped to inspire me by way of their masterful storytelling, their technique, and/or their brilliant characterization: RA Salvatore, Tad Williams, Raymond E. Feist, Elaine Cunningham, and Alison Sinclair. And this list is only of those in the Fantasy genre; there have been plenty of other influences as well. Other names will join this list as my reading expands and my writing progresses.
And, of course, thank you, my readers, for continuing to join me on these adventures. If you enjoyed this work, please consider leaving a few words (not a term paper, unless you like) in review on Amazon.
Appendix A: The Many Unique Races of Citaria
Terra-rir (TEH-ra reer): the first of the rir, black-skinned, silver-blooded, mammalian draconic species created by Gori Sensullu. Very similar to humans in anatomy with the exception of more draconic heads, tails, and small claws on their hands and feet. They are born of a magical process which involves a pregnancy, but they have no navels.
Terra-dracon (TEH-ra drah-CONE): a mutation of terra-rir that possess leathery dragon-like wings; highly susceptible to a genetic defect called Dracon’s Bane that slowly kills them.
Terra-bengal: subspecies of rir that possesses white tiger-like stripes, and soft pads on their feet; much more lithe and graceful than a typical terra-rir.
Shakna-rir (SHOCK-nuh reer): green-skinned, desert-dwelling variants of rir; matriarchal, highly populous, and very militant; resistant to heat and flame.
Fures-rir (FYOR-iss reer): matriarchal, cold-dwelling variants of rir; all possess hair and eyes in shades of blue and are virtually immune to their cold climate.
Kirelas-rir (kur-ELL-ahs reer): mystical variant of rir differentiated by stripes on the sides of their snouts and mental powers; reclusive and few in numbers.
Seterra-rir (seh-TEH-ra reer): red-blooded variant created to be more human-like; their pregnancy is like that of humans, and accordingly, they possess navels.
Serilis-rir (SEH-rill-iss reer): also known as serilian demons; red-skinned, vicious creatures that come in six varieties, each with their own characteristics, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. The types are called solas, kryon, corlyps, brys, elite, and guardian. All serilis-rir are male except for the solas, who are genderless.
Serilian-rir (sur-RILL-ian reer): the result of a serilis-rir crossbreeding with any other type of rir. Also commonly called half-demons, they are as varied as their fathers’ types, and are accordingly named (half-kryon, half-corlyps, hal
f-brys, half-elite, and half-guardian). Persecuted and despised by most people throughout history.
Bah’Qitur (BAH kih-TOOR): commonly miscalled bakatur; the bah’qitur is a very large, human-like race that has some reptilian features. They are very aggressive but are also a highly devout people. Virtually exclusive to the continent of Dannumore.
Czarikk (Sah-REEK): the lizardmen of Citaria come in two varieties: the more humanoid mulrassa, and the more reptilian sulrassa. Very reclusive people.
Luranar (LOO-ruh-nar): bipedal wolfmen common to the southeast of the continent of Terrassia; considered savage and uncivilized by outsiders, though those who travel through civilized lands are typically well-behaved and therefore accepted.
Kwarrasti (Kwah-RAHS-tee): bipedal catfolk common to the southeast of Terrassia; nomadic and aloof, they are somewhat reclusive and rarely travel into more ‘civilized’ lands.
Appendix B: The Merged Citarian-Koryonite Pantheons
The Citarians: These are the principal deities exalted by Gori Sensullu to keep watch over Citaria.
Gori Sensullu, “The Creator”: more common name for Arakiel, the creator of Citaria and its indigenous peoples; killed at the end of the Apocalypse.