"Excellent. Please enter this room. Once you are inside, it will be locked, and only I hold the key. When you wish to leave, simply knock on the door. I will be right outside."
"Thank you."
Once inside, the Nesinu priest was in awe of the large, golden-framed mirror at the far end of the room. A pair of unlit candles stood in front of it. Facing the room with their heads lowered, one scribe was posted on each side of the looking glass. Both were fully garbed in large cloaks and hoods so that no part of their bodies could be seen. Pasiti walked up to the first candle and lit it. He calmly placed his hand on the first scribe's shoulder before crossing to the opposite side. The cloaked figure delicately grasped the frame of the mirror with both hands. Pasiti lit the second candle and performed the same gesture to the second scribe.
"I'll be right outside." The elder scribe passed them and closed the door.
Millan winced at the sound of metal scraping against metal as the lock slid into place. The reflection in the glass began to distort. Waves rippled out from the hands of the scribes, changing the image near the edges first. Feranis positioned his staff on the ground and used it to lower himself and kneel. Millan and Eriph followed suit and knelt before the Scribe's Mirror. The reflection of the three priests eventually faded and was replaced by the inside of the Sanctuary, the glorious rectory at Light's Haven.
In the mirror were five empty seats, including the modest throne for the Prima. Millan recalled kneeling there in person only a few years ago during his Acceptance. Silence hung in the air as the young priest wondered how long before the Council arrived for the audience. Surely, five minutes had passed by now. Or had it? He had always imagined that such high-ranking officials would be timely, but perhaps they had no desire to wait, and so they showed up a bit later than scheduled. Millan barely made out the sound of the clock tower striking eleven as the low-toned rings struggled to penetrate the thick walls of their room. Millan tried to count them, but it was difficult to make out each ring.
He abandoned his count as the mirror showed the arrival of the Council: the Prima and her four advisors. Each advisor wore a black robe with a white scarf, similar to the archdons, except each scarf had two red stripes at the end of it. Millan recognized the four advisors from when he was inducted into the guild. Advisor Deidok was clearly the oldest, and as he gingerly took his seat, he reminded the young priest of Don Skully. Advisor Ayristark was the Primus before Mashira and had aged well over the years. Advisor Razza Merona was the youngest and the only other female on the Council. And lastly, Advisor Cole was a short, middle-aged man who seemed standoffish to Millan during their only encounter.
In contrast to the advisors, Prima Mashira wore a pure-white robe with a red scarf. Atop her head she wore a gold circlet that most would consider modest given her power and authority. The humble crown kept her long, golden hair in place as it spread out along her shoulders and back. When the Council had reached their seats, the advisors waited for the Prima to sit first before doing the same.
"You may rise, gentlemen," the Candelux leader uttered, and the three priests stood before their leader.
Feranis stepped forward. "Your Luminescence, I apologize for the delay in our meeting and pushing this audience to such an hour of the night, but these matters require your attention most urgently."
"It's no inconvenience, Archdon Feranis. If the events are as you have described in your letters, then we must address them immediately. Please continue."
"Thank you, Prima. To my right is Don Millan from Nesinu. He led the evacuation of the town as ordered by his superior, Don Skully. And on my left, you know Don Eriph, recently returned from his specialty training. He aided us tonight with the demon attack on Nolka."
"Hello, Don Eriph, Don Millan. It's nice to see you both again."
Millan's heart started racing. The Prima actually remembered him?
"And you as well, Your Luminescence," Eriph said confidently.
The Nesinu priest realized he hadn't responded and spoke quickly to catch up with Eriph. "And you as well, Your Luminescence."
"Don Millan, can you explain to me what happened yesterday?" the Prima asked.
The young priest interlaced his fingers. "Of…of course. W-what would you like to know?"
"Archdon Feranis has written his account, but I would like to hear it from you directly."
"Of…of course. W-where should I begin?"
The Prima smiled kindly. "I suppose from the beginning. Please take your time. Whenever you're ready."
Her reaction soothed him, and Millan took a deep breath. "Well, it seemed like any other day. Don Skully and I had breakfast with Tyro, our squire. This was before class. We were going to start teaching him—"
"Don Millan," the Candelux leader interrupted. "I meant the beginning of last night. Tell me what happened that led to your evacuation from Nesinu."
Millan tittered. "Of course. Um, well, I was in the rectory delivering a letter to Don Skully when the ground started shaking. He said we should speak with the watchers. We thought maybe they were fray pods. Based on the intensity of the quake, we expected there to be multiple pods close by. When we arrived outside, the sun was already down. Um, Captain Pirok informed us that no pods had been sighted near the village. Don Skully asked me to go into the rectory and fetch our squire. But by the time Tyro and I rejoined him, Don Skully had changed his mind. He wouldn't tell me why, but he insisted that we evacuate the town. I was to lead everyone to Nolka while he stayed behind to assess the threat."
"And that was the last time you saw him?" Mashira asked.
There was a lump in his throat. "Yes."
"In the letter, Archdon Feranis mentioned a boy who had seen something in the woods. Were you aware of this?"
"Yes, Your Luminescence."
"Tell me about that."
Millan nervously tapped his thumbs together. "That boy hunts in the area around Nesinu for himself and his mother. During the evacuation, I heard he'd spoken with Don Skully while I was in the rectory. Apparently, he saw something during his hunt, and whatever it was made Don Skully order the evacuation. Since I was leading the villagers throughout the night, keeping them safe, I never had the chance to speak with the boy. When we finally made it to Nolka, Archdon Feranis and his priests were very welcoming and helped find shelter for our residents. The only people who were missing were Don Skully and Captain Pirok."
"And your watcher hasn't turned up either?"
"No, Your Luminescence."
"Thank you, Don Millan." Mashira said. "Archdon Feranis, your letter stated that you spoke with the boy and his description leads you to believe we may be dealing with another twisted gate. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Your Luminescence. I understand if you have doubts. I had them myself. Children tend to exaggerate. But, what he described is just like what popped up during the Assault on Light's Haven and again at Devil's Breach."
The Assault on Light's Haven was a significant event where the full force of Verago's army failed to conquer the capital. Since Millan was only seven years old at the time and lived far away in Nesinu, he remembered very little of the incident. However, the mention of Devil's Breach reminded Millan of his visit to Light's Haven for his Acceptance. The stories of what had happened a month earlier were circulating throughout the city. Don Skully warned Millan not to put too much stock in the different rumors, but rather pay attention to the commonalities. All talk about Devil's Breach started the same way. A twisted gate burst forth in the royal gardens, and Verago himself emerged.
"Now, take into account that Don Skully is still missing." Feranis's mention of Millan's mentor brought the young priest back to the present. "This leads me to believe we are dealing with something very powerful, something that could only come to the Surface through a twisted gate. After all, Don Skully was no ordinary priest."
Millan was thrown by the statement. He knew Feranis had been friends with Skully, but what did he mean by "no ordinary priest"?
> "True," the Prima said.
"And in light of what I had learned from this boy," Feranis continued, "I asked Captain Lufira to send a scout to Nesinu. To my knowledge, that scout never returned."
The advisors murmured to one another, but quieted when their leader spoke. "I must admit this becomes more and more unsettling. Please, tell me about the attack on Nolka."
Feranis nodded. "In addition to requesting a scout to investigate Nesinu, I also petitioned the watchers to station a seeker at the gates for the day. As we ate dinner, I was told about a minimal disturbance within the walls detected by the seeker. He said it was faint, but definitely dark energy. I ordered Don Yatiga to look into the problem. Two of our senior squires, Gheron and Benedoli, accompanied her. I bring you this account secondhand from Benedoli."
"I understand. Please continue."
"The source of the dark energy was from a demon that was somewhat of a mystery. He was a large figure with cloth wrapped around his head to cover his right eye. His clothing was tattered, and his pants were stained with blood. Don Yatiga and the seeker discussed the strength of the demon, and how he appeared to be weak. But, he had a human form and seemed to be enduring the agony. When they tried to learn his purpose, he was not very communicative. And so, they surrounded him with the Blessing of Holy Prism for cleansing. As it turns out, he was able to walk right through it."
Mashira raised her eyebrows. "Through it?"
"That's right. But he didn't pass all the way through. He stood in the wall and allowed the light energy to burn him. He made no attempt to attack them. In fact, according to Benedoli, he was thankful for the blessing."
"Did he say anything to them?"
Feranis nodded. "He said his name is Erynion."
"Erynion?" Millan blurted out.
The archdon gave him a sharp look, and the young priest tightened his lips.
"Also, he said his purpose is to kill King Batar."
The advisors on the Council stared at Mashira. Aside from the subtle movements of her fingers, she was still like a statue. "What happened next?"
"Two women came up behind them," Feranis said. "One killed the seeker with a crossbow."
"Demons?"
"One was for sure. She spoke Kisejjad. But the one carrying the crossbow never spoke. However, her demon companion referred to her as overseer."
"Overseer? So the Brotherhood's involved as well." Mashira clicked her tongue. "This keeps getting better."
"After the overseer was dismissed, the other woman—the demon—approached them. And when she stepped into the light, she was very attractive. Red dress. Long black hair. She caught Gheron in a trance."
Mashira shifted uncomfortably on her throne. "The Seductress? What exactly is going on here?"
"I'm not sure. Don Yatiga ordered the squires to run while she remained behind. Not long after hearing Benedoli's account, I received a message from the watchers at the north gate. Don Yatiga had left the city with two unknown figures. Their descriptions matched that of Erynion and the Seductress." His voice quivered. "That…that was the last she's been seen."
"I'm so sorry, Feranis. I know how close you were to her."
There was a long pause as the Nolka archdon wiped the tear pooling in his eye. Millan wished to give the archdon some privacy, and so he focused on the floor.
Feranis sniffed once and then loudly cleared his throat. "While Don Yatiga and the squires investigated the disturbance, the tower bells rang to signal an attack. We were informed by the watchers that the north gate had been sabotaged. When they tried to close the gate manually, the Brotherhood attacked, allowing the fray to push through the city gates."
Mashira pursed her lips. "The Brotherhood again. I suppose they're not as disorganized as we'd like to believe. We must deal with them swiftly."
"Of course, Your Luminescence," Advisor Ayristark said.
"Please, Feranis, continue."
"After the watchers managed to close the gate and we cleansed the fray, a lesser iymed calling himself Reaper appeared. He said the demons that had escaped into the city had taken civilians captive with the intent to kill them. He led us to the center of Nolka where a group of fray were in fact holding five townspeople hostage. We rescued them and dispensed with the fray. Reaper tried to escape, but thanks to Don Eriph, we were able to capture him and ultimately cleanse him. I'm afraid it was too late when I realized this was just a diversion so the Seductress could infiltrate the city unhindered and recover this mystery demon, Erynion."
"And did this iymed have anything to say before you cleansed him?" the Prima asked.
"You mean aside from the typical banter about how Verago will kill us all? He admitted his role as a distraction so another could escape. I can only assume he was referring to Erynion. He made it sound as though this demon was the answer to their prayers, as though he would be unstoppable."
"And do you believe him?"
"I don't know," Feranis said. "I'm suspicious. Usually demons scream about Verago being unstoppable and how if we stand against the Devil, we'll fail. I've never heard one of them talk about anyone else that will lead the demons to victory, not even the greater iymed."
"Thank you. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, Your Luminescence, there is. Tomorrow morning, I'd like to travel to Nesinu with my priests and Don Millan to investigate. At the very least, we need to destroy the twisted gate."
"We will consider your request, but first I'd like to hear from my advisors on this situation."
Advisor Deidok stroked his beard. "A demon strong enough to pass through a holy prism must be a greater iymed. If what you say is true about his experience of the agony and his human form, then that only confirms it. It's possible Verago has created another and sent him to the Surface through the twisted gate witnessed by the young boy."
"Perhaps the Marksman," added Advisor Ayristark. As a squire, Millan had learned all about the five greater iymed that terrorized the kingdom. The Marksman was one, but he was killed sixteen years ago during the Assault on Light's Haven. Since he wasn't cleansed, the priests have been expecting him to reappear.
Advisor Cole nodded. "Yes, I was thinking the same."
"It's a possibility," Mashira said. "But why call himself Erynion? We know his demon name has always been Alejjir."
"The Seductress is known for changing names, why not the Marksman?" Advisor Razza Merona suggested.
The Prima rocked her head side to side. "Fair. What concerns me is how a demon that strong got into the city undetected. It makes me lean more toward the Shade."
Millan's eyes darted between the different Council members as they discussed the situation. He felt honored to witness such an event.
"No one's seen the Shade for over a decade."
"That could be said about all of the greater iymed."
"Fine, but why would the Shade be experiencing the agony? Why would he suddenly have no control over his energy?"
"Maybe he went to the Depths, and Verago gave him more."
"I think we're all forgetting that the Shade's power is to hide his energy, not to appear human. That requires some amount of holy energy. How would that be possible for a demon?"
"It doesn't have to actually be holy energy. It could just be an illusion."
"Putting aside this demon's inherent ability, I think there are more pressing questions to ask. Like, why walk into Nolka when his objective is to kill the king?"
"Confused by the agony?"
Feranis interjected. "According to Benedoli, he was looking for the Brotherhood."
"To what end?" Mashira asked. "Does the Brotherhood in Nolka have something of importance?"
"I don't know."
The Council again talked among themselves.
"Maybe he didn't know any better. Why else would the Seductress put herself at risk by infiltrating the city to recover him?"
"That's right. Even Verago knows how fragmented the Brotherhood is since the Assault. And our sources tell us the
y weren't even aware that Devil's Breach was going to happen."
"Fragmented, but not useless. As shown by tonight's events, they deserve our attention once again."
"And we will deal with them."
"But back to the Seductress. If she was sent to fetch this demon, Erynion, then clearly he's meant to play a critical role."
"Yes, that's true."
"A critical role in what?"
"Good question."
The Prima held up her hands. "I believe there's an important part of this no one has considered yet. The demon's objective is to kill King Batar, but the king wears the Talisman of Zavi. No demon can even come close to him, including a greater iymed."
"What if the demon lied about his purpose?" Razza Merona suggested.
Don Eriph raised his voice. "Or what if this isn't a greater iymed?"
Through the Scribe's Mirror, the Council gazed at the priest with the shield. Mashira folded her hands in her lap. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"If I may, Your Luminescence." Eriph bowed respectfully.
"Of course. Please explain."
"What about a demon lord?"
"Ha!" Advisor Cole exclaimed. "A demon lord? Everyone knows a demon lord is too powerful to survive on the Surface. The agony would dominate it. Look no further than what happened at the Assault."
"That's right," Razza added. "They say based on the scars, it nearly tore its own head off before killing all those demons."
Eriph pressed on. "Yes, but we also know that not all demons can be iymed because of the agony. And even less can be greater iymed. Wouldn't it stand to reason then that there are a very select few that could successfully become a demon lord? What if Erynion is one of those select few?"
Mashira narrowed her eyes. "Why are you so adamant this new threat is a demon lord?"
Eriph looked over at Archdon Feranis.
The Nolka archdon shook his head ever so slightly. "No good will come from this."
The shield-bearing priest addressed the Council. "Because that's the information we received. We sent Don Skully a short letter to warn him. I was on my way to Nesinu to offer my assistance. Unfortunately, I was too late."
The Twisted Gate Page 7