Phoenix Ascendant - eARC

by Ryk E. Spoor

  She was finally starting to grasp the subtlety of Virigar’s power, and in some ways it was more frightening than the vast soul-ripping reality of his power in battle. “He would take over the support of the Justiciars when they were doing things that Myrionar wouldn’t approve of…and he could hide that from even the god!”

  “Gotta be the way it worked,” Poplock said with a bounce-nod. “Even the legends didn’t tell us a fraction of what that monster really could do, and he as much as told us that we didn’t understand. Aran, even the Demonshard couldn’t tell the difference, could it?”

  Aran nodded. “Not really. Being in my hands and feeling my power, it could use that to detect Kyri’s power miles away. It implied there was a subtle difference, but that could just as easily be because she was the Phoenix and I was Condor, and our powers aren’t identical.”

  Kelsley rubbed his chin. “I think I see. Myrionar would not even be able to see events that the Werewolf King concealed, would not know if and when the false Justiciar power was being used. Perhaps Myrionar even was supporting the false Justiciars for much of their career.”

  “A brilliant strategy,” the Watchland agreed slowly. “Myrionar would become aware of injustices associated with the Justiciars but only peripherally, and could not ascertain the truth even with all the god’s powers—as clouding the truth is and was Virigar’s primary power. The loss of its strength due to the destruction of its other temples, and the association of these events with members of its own corps, would mean that it literally could not be sure as to which members of its own worshippers were the enemy. It had to try to act, while being unable to be sure who it could trust, which meant that its own central power of Justice limited its ability to act. Myrionar would be paralyzed by its own principles.”

  “And eventually forced to act by choosing someone outside of the entire structure,” Poplock said. “Preferably a devout worshipper who had no connection to the prior events except, possibly, a negative one—that is, the known unjust events had injured them in some way. That’s how Virigar knew what kind of final representative Myrionar would have to choose, and how that would play out.”

  “Great Balance,” Kelsley said. “Alas, I had such faith in Myrionar that the idea it could be tricked—”

  “Arbiter, none of us realized just how far and deep deceptions could go,” Kyri said. “Now that…now that I am Myrionar, well, I can understand that even a god has limits, and when there are many powers equal to your own…they can be fooled exactly as we can, it’s just on a higher level, so to speak. And Virigar had many other allies, or rather puppets, running around to confuse the issue. Myrionar probably suspected any of a dozen other demonlords or dark gods, which made it that much easier to continue the charade.”

  “Yup,” the Toad said, cramming several berries into his mouth. “Mmph. Probably we’ll be figuring out more scary details of his plans for years. Not so sure that some of them won’t be giving us problems later on; it’s not like he cleaned up everything for us. But that’s for later.”

  “Much later,” Tobimar said firmly. “Right now, I just want to enjoy the fact that it’s all over.”

  Kyri smiled, and took his hand. “So do I.”

  There was something odd—strained—about the smile he returned to her, but he did grip her hand, maybe even more tightly than usual.

  The door burst open; Samni, the Watchland’s Master of House, stood there, eyes wide. “Watchland! An emergency!”

  Everyone had jumped to their feet at the sudden entrance. The Watchland’s brows came down over the blue eyes. “Emergency? What is it?”

  Shouldering past Samni was Devran Thalinde, one of the Eyes; he was breathing heavily. “Something…coming out…of Rivendream Pass. Lot of somethings. That’s why I came straight here, Helsa and I didn’t dare engage that group, or even get too close.”

  “How many?”

  “At least two dozen, judging by the lights I saw moving with them. Moving in formation, too.”

  “Balance! We haven’t had an incursion that large in a generation and a half!”

  “We’re on our way,” Kyri said. “You muster the Eyes and Arms, but the three of us—”

  “Should be more than enough, I would think,” the Watchland said. His eyes finished his thought: and if not, there are no forces sufficient.

  No rest. Is this, perhaps, something Virigar left as a final attack, something like Thornfalcon’s last trap?

  She emerged into the night of Evanwyl and looked towards Rivendream Pass, and to her shock she could see a gathering of lights approaching swiftly. They must have been moving at a tremendous pace already.

  “Kyri, do you think—”

  “I don’t know, Tobimar, but we have to expect the worst.”

  No point in revealing anything we don’t have to. The three set out at a run to intercept the fast-approaching mass of…something.

  As they got closer, Kyri could hear footsteps. Marching footsteps. No, it couldn’t be—

  Crystal-bright light suddenly bloomed in front of them, a singing luminance that showed a column of troops in shining metal and crystal armor, and at its head—

  “Phoenix!” Miri called out with a joyful laugh. “The Unity of Kaizatenzei has found you!”

  Chapter 48

  Tobimar was momentarily speechless, stunned by the sight of the golden-haired Light of Kaizatenzei and the arrayed Colors, Hues, and Shades behind her, people he had not expected to see again for months, perhaps years.

  Then the paralysis of startlement broke, and he sprang forward, for once beating Kyri by a step, and caught Miri up in his arms, swung her around, laughing, to have both of them grabbed in Kyri’s crushing embrace. “Miri, what in the name of the Infinite are you doing here? We thought—”

  “—that we were too busy rebuilding Kaizatenzei?” she finished. “Yes, we thought that at first too. And then one day, I looked up at the same time Shae did, and we both knew what we were thinking: that you’d saved our country—saved us—and we’d sent you off to face Viedraverion without so much as one Shade to help.”

  “But that made perfect sense, Miri!” Kyri said, easing up on the hug but still holding the diminuitive Light’s hand. “You—”

  “It made sense, but it was wrong!” Miri said bluntly. “Our hearts should have known—did know—better. So what if rebuilding the city took a little longer? The greatest threats were gone thanks to you, and we’d given you nothing! So once we realized that, we called for twenty-five of the Unity Guard to volunteer to come on a fast march through the Pass of Night to your aid, and of course every single one of the Guard volunteered. And so I chose my twenty-five—”

  “Twenty-six,” said a calm, precise, hissing voice. “For you could not persuade me not to come.”

  “Hiriista!” Poplock sprang from Tobimar’s shoulder with such force he was momentarily staggered, and Hiriista caught up the Toad, hissing and rippling his crest in delight. How strange to see a mazakh and a Toad so happy to see each other. And how wonderful. Once Poplock had jumped to the Magewright’s shoulder, Tobimar stepped up and grasped Hiriista’s claws and bowed. “We’re glad to see you too, as you can see.”

  Kyri followed suit, laughing. “This is wonderful, Hiriista, Miri,” she looked behind, saw others they had seen, and some they hadn’t, but all smiling, all overjoyed to have found the ones they sought. “…all of you, how wonderful and welcome!”

  Miri laughed as well. “As I was saying, I gathered them all and we came as fast as we could, to help if you needed it, to congratulate you if you didn’t, and,” she looked momentarily grim, “to avenge you if you were beyond help.”

  She brightened again. “But obviously that didn’t happen, and since you came so swiftly at our approach, I venture a guess that you have either defeated your enemy, or found no good way to—”

  She broke off with a gasp, as Jeridan Velion rode swiftly up on his sithigorn, the sound of many other feet in the distance heralding the approach
of Evanwyl’s Eyes and Arms.

  Miri’s blades were in her hands, and she began to shimmer. “You!”

  Tobimar flung himself between the startled Watchland and the furious Light of Kaizatenzei. “No, wait, wait, Miri! This is not our enemy!”

  She paused, then glanced from him to Phoenix, who nodded; Miri then returned her stare to the Watchland. “You are not Viedraverion?”

  “I am not the one who was using that name, no,” Jeridan said. “Though I was a pawn of his, and he used my face when it suited him.”

  Miri gave a sigh of relief. Her knives returned to their sheaths, and a rattling whisper of blades caused Tobimar to look up in surprise. The entire force of twenty-five Unity Guards was sheathing its weapons as well, and Hiriista was letting one of his many jeweled bangles drop back to his chest; they must have all drawn at the same moment as Miri. “That is well, then. We have come too late to aid you in the battle, but it seems you needed no aid.” She paused, tilted her head. “You said ‘the one who was using that name’; do you mean to say that it was not Viedraverion? I assure you, I knew Viedra quite well.”

  “Oh, you could have known him better than his father and it still wouldn’t have done you any good,” Poplock said. “since it was the Werewolf King doing the playacting.”

  The color drained completely from Miri’s face. She wavered, half-fell—would have fallen, Tobimar thought, if Kyri hadn’t caught her. “The Lightslayer…?” she said.

  “Ahhh,” Hiriista breathed. “Yesss, of course, the Eater of Light, the Hunter Unseen. That makes sense of your entire story!”

  But Tobimar was more concerned with Miri, who was shaking, eyes wide, filled with terror and revulsion. “Miri? Miri, what is it?”

  “I saw him!” she said, voice breaking with remembered horror. “In the castle…when I went to get the mirror! He was waiting for me, talked with me, trapped me with his power, making me forget everything, so I couldn’t reveal the clues…”

  Kyri hugged her, as the others gathered around. “We know what he was like, now. We faced him and defeated him, but it was a very near thing, Miri. I would rather have faced Sanamaveridion again, once I realized what he truly was.”

  “Second that,” Poplock said, hopping down and sitting on the still-shivering Light’s lap. “Believe me, he’s the scariest thing I have ever, ever seen. You didn’t have a chance if you didn’t know what you were up against.”

  The Toad glanced up at Hiriista. “Hmm. But if he could act through that mirror…”

  “…that implies that the mirrors have even more capabilities than we suspected. A secure communications method, yes. Open to mental, magical, or verbal communication, yes. But I did not think they could be used as gateways.”

  Miri forced herself to her feet; color was slowly returning. “They can; I can recall it now very clearly.” She looked up, gripping Phoenix’s arm. “You’re sure he is defeated? Not waiting, not—”

  Tobimar touched her shoulder. Those who didn’t know Miri—and the Werewolf King—might mistake her current behavior for weakness, but Tobimar remembered that blank-glowing crystal smile and knew it was anything but. “We were assured that the war was over by Konstantin Khoros himself.”

  Miri blinked. “By my Father…Khoros was here, too?”

  “The whole thing was a battlesquares competition between a lot of sides,” Poplock said. “But hey, instead of standing around outside, why don’t we all go back to the Watchland’s? If,” the Toad said with an offhand glance at Jeridan, “that’s okay with you.”

  “I have not been properly introduced,” the Watchland said, sliding down from his sithigorn and letting the giant bird stride a ways off. “Welcome, travelers, to Evanwyl. I am Jeridan Velion, Watchland, nominal ruler of this country. Who are you that grace our land with your presence?”

  Miri straightened, and her smile held much of its usual brilliance as she then did her spread-armed bow. “I am Miri, Light of Kaizatenzei, emissary of Lady Shae, the Lady of Light and our ruler. This is Hiriista, finest Magewright of the land, and these are others of the Unity Guard, whom I will introduce in detail later.”

  “I have already heard much of you, Light Miri, and we are honored to receive you here. As our friend and mighty hero Poplock suggests, let us return to my home, where your people can refresh themselves, partake of my table, and find lodging appropriate to your station and your mission. We were in fact in the midst of hearing the account of Kyri’s victory when you arrived.”

  “We would be most honored to do so,” Miri said formally, then waved to the Unity Guard. “Come on, everyone! We’ve missed the war, but it looks like we’re still in time for the celebration!”

  “Tonight’s just a little private meeting,” Tobimar said as they started off towards the Watchland’s fortress. “Tomorrow or the day after, pretty much all of Evanwyl’s going to be at the party, though.”

  “And you and your people are of course invited,” Kyri said immediately. “The celebration will be at Vantage Fortress.”

  “Vantage…but that would be your home, yes?” Miri said with a puzzled tone. “Surely the others would be—”

  “Unless I miss my guess, Light Miri, you know our Kyri well enough to guess why,” Jeridan said, echoing Tobimar’s own thoughts.

  Miri looked at her friend with narrowed eyes that still twinkled with mirth. “Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. You’re far too uncomfortable with people celebrating you being a hero, so you want to celebrate them instead!”

  “Well, it’s not that I’m…uncomfortable…”

  “Lessee,” Poplock said. “You would’ve run straight out of Jenten’s Mill if they hadn’t basically asked you to help found a Temple of Myrionar. Lady Shae practically had to beg you to do the service for Tanvol and the others. We ducked out of every other town we helped pretty much as fast as you could make your excuses. Either you’re really uncomfortable with the idea of being called a hero, or you’re afraid they’re gonna catch you stealing the silverware.”

  Everyone burst out laughing; even Kyri joined in after a moment of looking mortified. “Oh, all right, yes, it’s completely embarrassing. I don’t feel any different than anyone else!”

  “Which is nigh-inexplicable to most others,” Hiriista said. “And, also, very likely the reason that you are a hero.”

  “But it is a somewhat unusual trait in an adventurer,” Tobimar mused. “Most of us may not want to be constantly paraded around, true, but we all look forward to the cheers and celebration when we’ve done our jobs well.”

  Kyri nodded at that. “Put that way, it is odd, I guess. I remember my daydreams of being a Guilded Adventurer, and there certainly were scenes of the people cheering me after I’d put down one of the Nine Kings or something like that.”

  “Reality has a way of being rather different—in ways both good and bad—from our dreams,” Jeridan said, leading his sithigorn rather than riding it so he could speak with them on the level. “And I will be the first to admit that your position in this case is vastly different than that of an ordinary adventurer, and the stakes were…a bit higher than most.”

  The mention of different reminded Tobimar of something he’d been trying to avoid thinking about. Different indeed. Kyri…in a very real sense isn’t Kyri anymore. She’s a god now, and I can’t believe that this won’t change her.

  Will it change us too?

  Tobimar tried to push those questions aside. God or not, she’s still Kyri. At least now. And by asking these questions, I might be changing myself. Do I want to lose her because I’m asking foolish questions?

  But on the other hand…were the questions foolish? There were reasons that people worshipped gods and not other people, in general. He stole a glance at Kyri, talking animatedly with Miri, then remembered the transcendant look in Myrionar’s gray eyes. Maybe foolish. Maybe not. But by the Light, try not to dwell on it!

  The doors of the Watchland’s Fortress opened as they approached, a glow of cheerful light making a golden
pathway leading them inside. “Welcome again, all of you. Rest and refresh yourselves, and prepare for a true celebration on the morrow,” Jeridan said. “A celebration now not merely of victory over evil, but of a meeting with friends from the pass that before has shown us only evil; may this be an auspicious omen indeed.”

  He raised his voice. “Samni! Samni! Apologies to all, and there will be double pay for this night, for we have twenty-seven honored guests arriving from beyond Rivendream this night, and I want them to appreciate the hospitality of the Watchland!”

  As they approached, they saw Samni raising one of her white eyebrows. “Twenty-seven? On the road through that? They’ll want baths and rooms and food, and all of it quickly. Thrice pay, I think.”

  “You know best how to keep the household running. Thrice, then.”

  She bowed, and immediately turned, striding inside, her voice carrying with the authority of a Master of House. “No rest yet, all of you! Guests such as we’ve never had, and we’ll outdo ourselves! Thrice pay, and I want at least thrice the speed and thrice the service!”

  Tobimar forced his useless musings away, smiled to hear the enthusiastic response from within. “You have a fine household, Jeridan.”

  “I do, the finest in the land I would hope. Except that of Vantage Fortress, not for lack of trying; I simply couldn’t entice either Vanstell nor Lythos to come here.”

  “You old fraud,” Poplock said. “You wouldn’t replace Samni for anything, and Vanstell wouldn’t know what to do as anything but a Master of House.”

  Jeridan laughed. “Your words are as true as they are sharp.” He turned and bowed at the threshold. “Enter, all of you, and be welcome.”

  Chapter 49

  “Good night, thank you so much for coming!” Kyri said for what seemed the thousandth time.

  The door finally closed behind Minuzi and Arbiter Kelsley, and Kyri breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s all of them.”

  “Well, all except our little group,” Poplock said. His voice was somewhat muffled as he was currently stuffing a silverpeach slice into his mouth.