Preludes to War (Eve of Redemption Book 6)

by Joe Jackson

  Kari shrugged. “I’ve always been more a woman of action than words. But since I came here to Mehr’Durillia the first time, I realized that taking action isn’t always…well, the right course of action. Sometimes we have to inspire, encourage, and stand back and let others take action. Like I told these people, I can’t make them free. I can kill their princes – I might even be able to kill Sekassus by some miracle – but that won’t make these people free. At some point, they have to stand up and make themselves free. And…”

  Seanada nodded when Kari trailed off. “And if they can shake off the bonds of King Sekassus, the people as a whole can shake off the bonds of the Overking. But that is quite the far-reaching goal, Kari. As you just told me, we must take this one step at a time. First, we kill Prince Amnastru. Then we rescue our family. Then we see if we can start a war between Kings Sekassus and Emanitar. From there…who knows?”

  “Right now, we need to get some sleep. That’s an order, soldier. Come, let’s get to bed.”

  Seanada slipped under the covers and snuggled up against Kari, laying her head on the demonhunter’s breast. It was a telling gesture, underscoring just how nervous Seanada was despite all of the calm and confidence she put forth. Her family was in danger, and she had to feel powerless waiting on reports and updates to do anything about it. It made Kari think of what Kris had said about having to drink himself to sleep, and she was glad for the ability to center herself, find that calmness of soul to fall asleep in almost any circumstance.

  And even better, nowadays, nightmares of her father didn’t wake her consistently.

  Kari’s dreams were unfocused, but formed a patchwork of things she’d heard, learned, and figured out over the previous few weeks and years. She was inspiring the beshathan people, who viewed her as some priestess, if not a direct reflection of the Great Mother. King Emanitar was Be’shatha’s son. King Morduri regarded the death of the Great Mother as a failure, despite the fact that he hadn’t even been born when she was killed.

  If Kari could inspire the people the way she had, what would Emanitar and Morduri think when they beheld her, heard her words, and saw the way the people reacted?

  Suddenly, she found herself a little unsettled, remembering again the whiskey bottle next to Kris as he slept fitfully in a chair, waiting for reports, by his own words. Kari drank only as a sweet treat after dinner these days; she couldn’t even remember the last time she had a double-godhammer. The thought of alcohol fell from her mind, though, leaving instead the memory of Kris rather than his whiskey bottle.

  She was mindful of the fact that a half-succubus was sleeping up against her. Was it the touch of her friend that was setting off her deeper desires so poignantly all of a sudden? Kari shook off the feelings, forcing herself fully awake, and she settled her head back down into her pillow. She thought of her children instead. There would be plenty of time to think about Kris and any future with him. For now, she thought her dreams should focus on getting back to her children, alive and quickly.

  It was going to be nice to get back to Citaria. As wild and unpredictable as the city of DarkWind and the world in general could be, it was a great deal less tense or dangerous than starting a civil war on a world ruled by demon kings. Kari looked forward to getting home, having some others look into things for her for a while, and taking a bit of time to spend with her children, like a proper mother.

  First, though, she had another mother to deliver back to her child…

  Chapter XIV – Hesitance

  Seanada was already gone when Kari woke the following morning. While she didn’t feel the need to get dressed, Kari had an image to uphold. She donned her clothing and armor before strapping on her belt with its waushims. Even if today turned out to be a day of nothing but talk and physical labor, Kari wanted the people to see not just a vulkinastra, but a symbol of hope. And, if it turned out Amnastru came straight for her, she wanted to be prepared.

  Arriving downstairs, Kari found Seanada sitting in her usual chair, reading the book of mallasti folklore near the fire. Only the fact that the woman wore the form of a mallasti was any different than the last time Kari had beheld her in this situation. A single bowl of breakfast sat on the counter, and Kari couldn’t help but smile. Seanada glanced over and let a bit of a smirk slip through her impassiveness.

  The house felt empty, though, even with a large mallasti family occupying it as guests. Kari didn’t get to know Ilsara all that well, and she was only casually acquainted with Aedrien despite having traveled with him for a couple of days. Still, she could feel their absences quite keenly, and the fact that the woman had welcomed Kari into her home had a lot to do with that. It reminded Kari of what Seanada had said about inviting one’s enemies to share a meal, and she realized that whether Ilsara considered Kari a friend or enemy, the woman had bestowed a great honor upon her.

  The empty feel of the house made Kari wonder about her own home, and how much her children and her family felt her own absence. She realized she owed it to them to spend some time at home, even if that meant shifting some of her duties onto others. War was coming, but the more Kari accomplished here, the more comfortable she was with that, and specifically with the feeling that it would happen on Mehr’Durillia and not her own world. She feared for the beshathan and even syrinthian peoples, but they had to fight for their freedom, had to be willing to pay for it with blood, sweat, and tears.

  Kari took her bowl of breakfast but headed outside. The farming folk of Gaeshokk were early risers, just as many of Kari’s employees were. They straightened out and stared at Kari as she descended the steps to the street, but these were not the impassive or distrustful stares she had received so often in her rir form. These were stares of pride, of hope, of longing – and in some of the latter cases, not for freedom. Kari kept her impassive expression up as well as she could; the Wraith had warned her that she would be a tempting target for suitors.

  Boy, wouldn’t they be surprised if I went to bed with them and then dispelled this shape-changing enchantment, Kari thought, stifling a guffaw and covering up the resulting snort with a sneeze. It occurred to her that this was the reason they were hesitant to take up Seanada’s cry of epaxa chi’pri; they didn’t know Kari was an outsider. They may have seen her as a foreigner at least as far as being from another realm, but would that have had the same impact? It didn’t seem to be so at that moment.

  She walked the streets of Gaeshokk, giving an encouraging nod or polite bow of the head whenever she was greeted by the people here. It was amazing how quickly she’d picked up the beshathan tongue practicing with the Wraith and Seanada. Elvish had taken her quite a while to learn to speak fluently, even living amongst them for a time. Kari considered all of the facets of her visit and work here so far, and then of the vision of Be’shatha’s eyes opening.

  Of course, she thought as she remembered her prayer while she knelt over Seanada. She had pledged herself, asked in no uncertain terms for the Great Mother to use her. Did this all mean the Great Mother was, in fact, not only alive, but not truly asleep? Was she simply waiting for her people to do what Kari was now encouraging them to do? Was it all just a matter of her people showing a willingness to fight and die for her?

  That made Kari consider Emanitar and his defeatist spirit when it came to fighting against the Overking. How disappointing it must be for the Great Mother to see her sole child give up on her and her world, and become a party to the evil that infested it, no matter how unwillingly. Perhaps all it would take to rouse the Great Mother was for her son to be reinvigorated, to take up arms against the usurpers again.

  But he slept with King Koursturaux! Kari remembered with a shake of her head. Was Emanitar too far gone to help usher his mother back to this world? Or was he still a possible focal point of the peoples’ hope, one that could be sparked back alight by Kari’s outsider faith?

  It was a messy situation, one Kari wasn’t sure she was equipped to think about, much less handle. Her faith in Zalkar and Sa
kkrass was solid now, and she was learning to love whatever might be left of the Great Mother. But she was still far from what she would consider devout, or properly educated to spread faith except through actions. If the people needed to be encouraged to fight for Be’shatha, Kari could lead them in that. But did she have the strength of faith to spark a flame within Emanitar again?

  Did anyone?

  Kari stood at the corner of a wide field, munching on some of her cereal and fruit while she watched the farmers do some early-morning weeding between rows of plants. The people looked up and many of them smiled at her, but they kept at their work. Faith was such a mystery to Kari at times, but she realized she was much better at – and much better off – leading by example, and not merely by words. The fact that she still knew so little of the Great Mother or her people only magnified that.

  She wished she had the time to spend in a mallasti village such as Moskarre to learn the oral histories of these people. They still told their origin stories, so Kari was sure she could glean much about the Great Mother and her rule from those. She wasn’t certain whether those who lived in these more hybrid towns did the same; Seanada had a book of mallasti folklore, but her mother had not shared stories or songs while Kari was their guest.

  “Runner incoming!” came a call from the north end of the town.

  Rakes, hoes, and shovels were abandoned as people made their way toward the call. Kari set her breakfast on Ilsara’s front porch and made her way as swiftly to the north as she could without actually running. She wanted to seem calm and in control, no matter how urgent the coming message might be or how desperate she was to hear it. She thought of Kris and how he always kept calm and level-headed, no matter how dire the situation.

  Never let them see you sweat, he said, which Kari had found amusing at the time since he was serilian-rir. It’s okay to sweat – just don’t let them see it.

  Kari reached the north end of the town and saw that the messenger had decided to wait for her to make an appearance rather than try to get through the wall of townspeople that was only growing larger by the minute. It was one of the elestram soldiers that had been sent out to scout the roads and next few towns north for Amnastru’s presence. In any other circumstance, it would have taken scouts days to move there and back, but Kari was glad she had elestram to handle these issues. With their speed and stamina, they could make the trip much more quickly than just about anything that couldn’t fly at considerable speed.

  The elestram bowed his head graciously to Kari when she wedged her way to the front of the gathering. “Lady Te’Dastra, I have word of our enemies. Would you prefer this report in the privacy of your dwelling?”

  Kari shook her head. “We all need to know what’s coming. Speak freely. You have returned quickly; are they already on their way here?”

  The elestram shook his head. “No, my lady. I encountered some of the soldiers from Yugava farther north, but they had been recalled. I asked if we should send some of our own soldiers their way to bolster the Prince’s ranks, but they advised me to come back here and see that the town is prepared for battle. It is said that there has been a swelling of forces on the border to the east, and that Prince Amnastru’s eyes have been drawn toward King Emanitar and his realm.”

  “So Prince Amnastru is in Yugava?” Kari asked, and the messenger nodded. “How far to the north is Yugava?”

  “Three days by wagon train,” he answered. “I met the soldiers on the road; I did not run all the way to Yugava, obviously.”

  “Any sign of your brother we sent out as well?”

  “No, Lady Te’Dastra.”

  “How many soldiers did you encounter?”

  “It was the rear guard of their battalion; I believe they would have numbered near to two hundred before they turned, and the ones I encountered lagged behind to watch their rear.”

  “Ketava,” Kari muttered. “I hope our sister made it to Ewuaswi safely. You have done well. Go and get some food and rest at the lady Ilsara’s home.”

  The elestram runner bowed his head thankfully and made his way toward Seanada’s home at the direction of some of the townsfolk. He still received some distrustful looks from the people who had come from Haestronn, but Kari couldn’t concern herself with that just yet. Now she knew exactly what Kris had been talking about. Reports, reports, reports. How did any general sit still when desperately waiting for so many reports to come in?

  Seanada appeared among the crowd and made her way to Kari. “What news?” she asked, and she listened silently while Kari relayed everything they’d been told. “If two hundred were sent here, that was merely their vanguard. Prince Amnastru must actually have a legion with him as Prince Vassiras suggested. We do not have the numbers, equipment, or training here to stand against such a force. Perhaps it is best if we leave; Prince Amnastru is unlikely to stay in any one place and harm its residents while we elude his grasp.”

  “I see three possible destinations if we leave: Ewuaswi to go treat with King Emanitar in person; Yugava, where we can try to engage Prince Amnastru directly; or Saovonn, where we can see if another prince has taken up authority there.”

  “Going to Ewuaswi is the only option that makes any sense, but if we go that way, it will allow Prince Amnastru to guard the border against any return. Attempting to confront him when he has a legion with him is suicide, and going to Saovonn makes little sense unless we plan to continue north, from town to town, until we reach a major city to attempt to turn it. That is a risky proposition.”

  “Go,” said one of the mallasti elders. “You have done enough here. The princes are scattered to the wind trying to put out little fires. The king’s very palace has been assaulted and damaged. King Sekassus’ grip on his realm is tenuous now, and more people will rise up as he loses control. You should flee to Tess’Vorg before you are captured and any hope we have is extinguished.”

  “Flee to Tess’Vorg?” Kari repeated. “With all due respect, elder, I am not fleeing to anywhere. If I go to Ewuaswi, it will be to bring an army back with me and capture these lands, to add them to King Emanitar’s. I did not come here to cause chaos and cost your people their lives. I have come here to free you, from King Sekassus at least, and I will not quit the field until considerable steps have been taken to see to that end. I will not abandon you; I will die before I give up on my brothers and sisters.”

  “Ewuaswi makes the most sense,” Seanada repeated. “But do you think we can convince King Emanitar with our body of work thus far?”

  “I don’t know,” Kari answered. “All it will cost us is time for now. We will need to be cautious crossing the border, but we should not be gone long. If King Emanitar is in Ewuaswi, which all our information points to being true, we can make our plea before him. If he invades, we will return here first with him. Then we will see how best to isolate Prince Amnastru and see to the rescue of Ilsara and her son.”

  “Let us pack you supplies for your journey,” one of the mallasti women offered, and she grabbed a couple of other women and moved off to her home.

  “Do you want some of us to accompany you?” asked one of the elestram soldiers, a small marking on his shoulder indicating he might be a minor officer.

  “No need,” Kari assured him, “but thank you. If we encounter trouble, we two are no strangers to fighting, and if it is something considerable, the presence of a few soldiers will not be enough of a difference.”

  “Understood. We will stay here and keep watch over the town, then.”

  “Please do.”

  “This buildup, if it is true, has bought us precious time. I only fear for the fates of Ilsara and her son,” Seanada said, managing her emotions well in front of the gathering.

  “He has no reason to harm them until he confronts whoever he thinks connects them to the Ashen Fangs,” Kari blabbered, trying to get the attention of the townspeople off of the subject. “One step at a time, Isharra.”

  “One step at a time,” Seanada agreed with a bow of her
head.

  The little group of mallasti women came out with their supply packages after a short time, and Kari had to stifle a laugh. She was expecting a couple of shoulder packs with food, water, and perhaps some first-aid supplies. Instead, they got bags stuffed to overflowing with food, with water canteens strapped to the sides, and blankets and sundries strapped to the top or stuffed into every available pocket or space under the tie-downs.

  “Great Mother watch over you,” the women blessed Kari and Seanada as they put on the backpacks.

  “We will return, I swear to you by her holy name,” Kari returned. “Please watch over Ilsara’s home and the guests from Haestronn.”

  The people watched Kari and Seanada leave with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and longing. It was exactly what Kari remembered seeing every time Kris Jir’tana’s brigade had left one of the cities they’d liberated. It was easier to keep hope aflame when there was the presence of those capable of giving it. Watching Kari and Seanada leave for Tess’Vorg had to feel like watching hope leave the village, at least temporarily. Kari fought the urge to look back; she knew it would not be taken the right way.

  Once they were well away from the village and the dimness of the woods stripped away some of the light, Seanada finally looked back and actually smiled. Kari wasn’t expecting that, especially in light of Seanada’s words about saving her mother and brother. “What’s amusing?”

  Seanada snorted and they walked on a bit. “It has to do with being half-succubus,” she answered at length. “I pick up on amorous thoughts and feelings, though I cannot read them, not like your sister-by-marriage can. Your words, though, have a very clear impact on the men, and more than a few of them desire you as a mate.”