by Joe Jackson
“Brigadier!” Crowley said, snapping to attention with a salute as the Warlord approached.
“General,” he returned, saluting somewhat casually in return. Kris’ eyes turned up the pier as others began to approach, but then he settled that blue-eyed gaze back on Kari. “I can’t even tell you how good it is to see you again.”
“That’s very kind of you, sir,” General Crowley quipped, sending the two men into a short burst of laughter.
Kris turned back to Kari and she hugged him, and though that took him by surprise at first, he returned the embrace. A part of her warned that he might try to take advantage of her intimate welcome: he had tried to propose or flat-out seduce her many times during the War. But he held her in a solid embrace, the hug of friends too long apart. No doubt he still had feelings for her, but after being apart so long, it was the friendship that came forth first and vehemently.
“Erik,” Kris said, breaking away from Kari. He and Erik shook hands and then shared a tight embrace. “I see the Order still hasn’t managed to get you killed yet.”
“Even after a Devilhunter’s worth of attempts,” Erijinkor returned, though he spared the two Council members a semi-apologetic glance. They laughed off his words.
“Welcome home, Warlord,” Master Perez said. “It is an honor to have you in our city.”
Kris bowed his head gratefully to the human’s words, and though he glanced curiously at Seanada, soon his attention was fixed solely on Typhonix. “What the hell happened to you?” he asked. “Are these your kids?”
“Ha! As if,” Ty grunted, and he handed Uldriana to Kari. Little Gray was busy staring up at Kris with wide-eyed shock. Standing next to Erijinkor, the boy looked convinced that Kris was another of his uncles that he’d just never met before. Ty rubbed Little Gray’s hair playfully and said, “I lost a fight to Taesenus.”
“During the War?”
“No, just last year.”
Kris turned his head slightly to the side. “You mean Taesenus isn’t dead?” Nobody bothered to answer. The silence said it well enough.
All of a sudden, Kris turned back to Kari and beheld her with Uldriana in her arms. “These are your kids?” he asked, to which she nodded and smiled. “Who’s the lucky man?”
Kari swallowed but tried not to cry. “Grakin.”
“Sheesh, I really have been gone too long,” he laughed. “Where’s he at, then?”
Silence fell again, and Kari sighed. “Grakin died earlier this year.”
The Warlord’s breath caught. “Oh, Kari,” he said, touching her jaw tenderly. He turned toward Kyrie then and took her in an embrace. “I’m so sorry, Kyrie. I’ve been so out of touch over on Dannumore. When they told me it’d been four years, I could hardly believe I’d been over there that long. It feels like the Apocalypse ended just months ago.”
“What brings you home?” Erik asked. “You know, not that we’re not glad to see you.”
“War’s over,” Kris answered. “Well, for the time being. I managed to broker a peace deal, but with the bah’qitur, God knows how long it’ll last. At this point, I think they’re just too fixated on who’s right, and not interested in a compromise. But I just recently received the news that I have a baby sister, so I came straight home to see her.”
“A baby sister?” Ty piped up over everyone’s happy chatter. “Isn’t your mother in her seventies or thereabouts?”
“Yes, well, being mated to the god of death has its advantages.” The Warlord laughed, and continued to exchange handshakes and hugs with all those present. He kept Kyrie close by his side, and though others may have questioned that, Kari understood their relationship. At least she thought she did. Kris was the son of Kaelariel, the god of freedom and death, and Kyrie was his father’s High Priestess. Though they looked like they’d make a stunning pair, Kari thought they seemed more like brother and sister, and with the way Kaelariel’s priesthood operated, she guessed that was probably the case.
“I will go inform His Grace that the bah’qitur came simply to deliver you home,” General Crowley said with another salute. “Will you be in the city long, Warlord?”
“Just until I can get transport back home,” Kris answered. “So I’ll be in the city until I find a ship headed to the Strekan Province, or at least as far as Latalex.”
“You can stay with us,” Kari offered and, not surprisingly, Kris agreed without delay. She turned to the Council members. “Masters, would you mind cancelling my classes for today? We have a lot to catch up on with Kris, and not a lot of time.”
“Of course,” Master Perez said.
The crowd began to disperse, though there were still a good number of citizens calling and cheering at Kris from the end of the pier. Fellow veterans of the Apocalypse, more than likely, glad to see one of the War’s biggest heroes returned home safely. As one of the most successful generals of the entire War and the son of Kaelariel himself, Kris drew a lot of attention anywhere his name was mentioned, whether he was there or not. To have him actually in DarkWind was going to be a big deal to the people, especially the veterans. What made all of it extra special was that Kris made sure to wave to or shake hands with virtually all of them.
They started back toward Kari’s home. “You should’ve come back on a less conspicuous ship,” Aeligos commented. “You had half the city up in arms thinking the bah’qitur might be attacking again.”
“That’s their flagship,” Kris said, glancing over his shoulder at the retreating form of the massive sailing vessel. “The Hand of Iel’Shah. Suffice to say getting brought home on that ship was about the highest honor the Emperor could bestow on me. So, Kari, are you going to tell me why you have a syrinthian following you around?”
“I am only half-syrinthian,” Seanada said quietly.
That drew an interested gaze from Kris, and he took note of the outlines of the woman’s wings beneath her cloak. Interest turned to suspicion, but then right back to curiosity again.
“It’s a long story,” Kari answered. “One that honestly makes the timing of your return seem almost…divinely inspired.”
“Oh, this should be interesting,” he muttered.
*****
“So you’re heading back to Mehr’Durillia?”
Kari stopped washing the dishes and turned to lean against the counter. Seanada had the children outside, and despite the interest Kris’ presence drew, they were able to escape to Kari’s estate house and have a quiet, more intimate meeting. There was something so intriguing about the sight of Kris with Kyrie leaning up against him while her husband, Corbanis, sat off to the side. Corbanis and the Warlord had warmly greeted each other, and Corbanis didn’t show any signs of jealousy, but it still struck Kari as a little awkward.
The demonhunter turned and looked out the windows into the yard, where Seanada was keeping watch over the children. The Warlord wasn’t sure what to make of all the changes that had taken place during his absence, and his reaction to Seanada after being filled in made that clear. Kari could only imagine what his reaction to meeting Liria and Se’sasha for the first time would be like; would he accept the syrinthians as allies, possibly even friends, as easily as Kari had? Or would he be standoffish, wary of his father’s world coming under attack from within?
“For the summer session of the Anthraxis Council,” Kari confirmed, drying her hands before she moved to sit by the fire with everyone else. After the stories had been shared, Erik returned to work and Ty went to meet with the estate’s workers. In the quiet of the house, with only Kari, her mother- and father-in-law, and Kris present, she felt the absence of her husband ever more keenly. There was still a trace of him in the house, in the remembrance of their wedding, the reception, their first night making love as husband and wife, and the birth of their daughter. He was a part of the house, and within its confines, Kari felt warm and secure, as much as she missed him.
“Any idea what King Morduri’s going to want from you?”
“Not really, aside
from his assurance that it wouldn’t be anything that goes against my nature,” Kari answered. “But he wanted to wait until I became Avatar of Vengeance, so I can’t help but think it’s going to be something I refuse to do, whether he thinks so or not. So he may be in for a surprise if he does ask me to do something against my nature, because I’ll hold him to his promise and tell him he’s forfeited his payment.”
“Be careful angering any more kings,” Kyrie commented quietly.
“Any more kings? Who else is angry with you besides Sekassus?” Kris asked.
Kari shrugged. “Probably easiest to assume they all are, on some level. Especially after my meeting with Koursturaux; all of them probably see me as a threat now. How long will you be back home in Streka?”
Kris looked at the door of the house, and Kari followed his gaze, half-expecting there to be a knock, but none came. She wondered what had gotten his attention, but then he turned back to meet her ebon stare. “That depends. I know the priests of Tigron did everything they could for Ty, but…” Kyrie sat up straight and beheld him curiously, and Corbanis leaned forward in his seat as well. “The doctors back in Streka may be able to help where the priests couldn’t. The surgeons there are healers of a different sort, and they may have the knowledge to fix what the priests couldn’t. I can’t make any guarantees, but I’d like to take Ty with me and see if we can get his back healed.”
“Isn’t that illegal?” Kyrie asked. “They usually don’t let anyone from outside of the Strekan Province pass into it, for any reason.”
“True. But, again, being the Prince and the son of a deity has certain advantages. They won’t argue with me if I bring a close friend there to get help. Ty may have some wild stories to tell you about what it’s like there, but I think they’ll be able to fix him up.”
“Would I be able to go with him?”
Kris shook his head. “Kyrie, I know I’ve only met Ty a couple of times when he was a lot younger, but if I know him, he’s not going to want anyone else there. Even if they get his legs working again, you’ve seen how atrophied they are. It’s going to take him months to be able to walk again, and his pride is not going to want anyone to see him that weak. I know you want to be there for your son – you both do – but I’m going to advise you up front that it’s best if you don’t go.”
“He does have a point,” Corbanis said calmly to his wife.
Kari nodded in agreement. “So you’ll be gone a few months, then?”
“Oh, I won’t be staying with him either. I figure I’ll take him there, get him settled, and then spend some time with the family and my new sister. But if you need me for something, I think I have some time before the next war begins.” The Warlord cracked a sarcastic smile.
Kari started to respond, but a flash of red hair caught her attention from the yard. Out the back windows, she could see Amastri, the half-elven daughter of King Koursturaux, speaking with Seanada. “Do you know Amastri?” Kari asked absently, still staring out at the half-elf.
“Who?”
“A servant of King Koursturaux,” Kari said, keeping the woman’s lineage a secret. She hadn’t told anyone else about Amastri’s relationship with King Koursturaux. While it seemed like good cause to get rid of her, Kari had to weigh the pros against the cons, and for the time being, that knowledge let Kari keep Amastri – and her mother, to some extent – in line. “If she’s here, that means there’s trouble.”
Kris got up to follow Kari outside, and Kyrie and Corbanis joined them.
Amastri was a strikingly beautiful woman, with pale skin and green, cat-like eyes. Her hair was long and blood red, tied in a high tail that hung halfway down her back. She had the pointed ears and slanted brow that spoke of her part-elven heritage, and as usual she was dressed impeccably in a stunning red dress with black highlighting patterns. It was unusual to see her outside of the Silver Chalice inn, and Kari knew that when the woman came to deliver news in person, it was usually of extreme importance.
“Ah, Lady Vanador, it is good to see you,” she greeted Kari. Her greetings were warmer now, likely because Kari knew of her heritage, they’d worked together on many things in recent years, and the woman treaded more lightly around Kari since Grakin’s death. They weren’t friends – and likely never would be – but they had mutual respect, at the least.
“Likewise,” Kari returned politely. She picked up Uldriana before getting to the matter at hand. “What brings you here?”
“Dire news, I fear. King Sekassus recently killed another vulkinastra,” she said, referring to an albino mallasti. Kari reflexively bared her teeth in a snarl, and nobody missed the reaction – not even her children. Little Gray came to hug Kari’s leg, and Amastri continued, “Tensions are high in Sorelizar according to Her Majesty’s spies, and it would seem this latest murder of a vulkinastra has pushed the mallasti people nearly over the breaking point. There are rumors of uprisings in the south and east of Sorelizar, which is why I first wanted to share this news with Seanada.”
Kari finally looked at the half-syrinthian. Seanada rarely showed much in the way of emotion, but the news clearly perturbed her. Kari recalled that Seanada was raised by mallasti, and if she remembered right, Seanada’s family lived in the southeast of the realm of Sorelizar. Seanada had to be cursing her pledge to watch over Kari, which would keep her tethered here on Citaria while her family was in danger. And Kari understood the half-syrinthian well enough to know that Seanada would never say anything.
“Go,” Kari said, and the half-syrinthian’s golden, slit-pupiled eyes came up, uncertainty in them. “I release you from my service. If the Wraith has a problem with that, tell him to come see me. You go see to your family. If all turns out well, you can meet me again in Anthraxis when I go to see King Morduri, if you want to return to my side. But don’t feel like you’re stuck here, Seanada. Go see to your family.”
“I cannot abandon you and your children,” Seanada protested.
“Seanada, look around. I have the might of my entire Order if I need it. My family is well-protected. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you over the last several months, but you’re here more because the Wraith and I want you here, not because I need you here. Go protect your family, make sure they’re safe. When I come to Anthraxis, we’ll figure things out from there. You do have a way home, I assume?”
“I do, Lady Vanador, though I still cannot speak of it with you.”
Kari turned and stared at Amastri, and the half-elf looked nervous, which was a rare thing for her. “What?” she asked defensively.
“Nothing,” Kari answered. “What else can you tell us about the uprisings?”
“It is mostly civil unrest at this point, not actual fighting. But if the mallasti rebel against King Sekassus, you can rest assured he will crush them without mercy.”
“Could the mallasti stand up to Sekassus if they had proper leadership?” Kris asked.
Amastri considered him for a minute. Kris was someone new to her, but despite the figure he cut standing beside Kari, the half-elf looked unimpressed. “King Sekassus could crush them easily; it is best if a voice of reason convinces them not to provoke his wrath.”
“Easy for you to say,” the Warlord returned. Amastri started to reply, but Kris cut her off. “Keep Kari apprised, and Kari – you keep me apprised. I have to go back to Streka and see to my family, but if there’s going to be a war, you know I won’t stay far from it.”
Kari couldn’t help but chuckle, even in the face of such dire news. “No, I don’t expect you will. But you’ve never been to Mehr’Durillia, have you? Then you’d have to go with me so I could guide you. Well, as much as I’m able to, anyway.” She turned to Seanada. “Why are you still here? Get going.”
There were some chuckles, but Seanada’s was absent. She bowed her head respectfully to Kari. “I will return when I can, Lady Vanador.”
“Good grief, would you just call me Kari already? Farewell, Seanada, I’ll see you soon.”
The ha
lf-syrinthian walked off to the north, deeper into the vineyards, likely so no one would see how she made her egress. There wasn’t a lot of mystery to it, but Kari let the woman keep some of her secrets. She turned her attention back to Amastri. “Any other news?”
“The last sighting of our mutual friend, Taesenus, was in Vistarra. He is very difficult to keep track of, though, so whether he remains there is unknown,” the half-elf answered. She was speaking of the son of the Devil Queen, long thought dead but now becoming an increasingly painful thorn in the Order’s side. He was the one who’d crippled Typhonix, and he had a high price on his head, even from some of the demon kings. “As to other matters, I have heard little of consequence, though Her Majesty looks forward to seeing you again at the summer Council session.”
“Seeing me? So she expects me to meet with her again?”
“It may be that King Morduri’s invitation to you has attracted Her Majesty’s attention, and she may have input on whatever it is he wishes from you. If she has a personal offer for you, she did not say as much to me.”
“Now I wish I was going,” Kris said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Haven’t seen the old girl in years. I think she owes me a few games of chess.”
“The old girl?” Amastri repeated, somewhere between shock and anger.
“Ask her about me some time,” the Warlord replied with an exaggerated wink.
Amastri looked flustered, and it was all Kari could do to not laugh outright. Admittedly, Amastri wasn’t the only one perturbed by what Kris seemed to be suggesting, but in the context of it ruffling Amastri’s feathers, Kari found it funnier than annoying. Kris was handsome and a smooth talker, but Kari imagined that was exactly the type of man that would aggravate King Koursturaux, not attract her. If she liked him enough to possibly be intimate with him, then his status as Kaelariel’s son had to have a lot to do with it.