"Oh, I'm a corrupt soul," Flinch mocked. "What a convenient excuse to not listen to the truth. Dardan fool. Verago gave you the means centuries ago. He helped to create your precious Talisman of Zavi."
Millan had heard this story more than enough times. "Yeah, which was fused with the Amulet by King Vask, but later broken by Verago when he took the Amulet for himself and betrayed humanity."
"Wrong! Fused with the Amulet? Really? If you believe that then you're just blind, the whole lot of you."
"Demons can be blind too. Like your friend. What was his name? Sonojj?"
Flinch glared at the priest. "Don't talk about Sonojj."
"Why not? I saw him, you know. But, he probably didn't see me. He was swallowed up in the purge like an insignificant pawn."
The jester iymed squeezed the handle of his dagger and pointed the tip at Millan. "I don't care why Erynion spared you. If you mention my friend again, I will kill you."
The priest bit his tongue. He couldn't tell how serious Flinch was. "So, why did the demon lord spare me?"
"Depths if I know. He said you live, and so you live. For now."
"You, too, I suppose."
"What?"
"You live too. For now," Millan said.
Flinch lifted his eyebrow. "What the depths does that mean?"
"You're following a demon lord that leaves death in his wake. Humans, demons. It makes no difference. If you stay with him, you'll end up back in the Depths just like—" Millan caught himself.
A tic appeared above the jester's cheek. "Just…like…what?"
"Just like Sonojj."
Millan held his breath as the blade whooshed past his ear, but the dagger missed its mark. As Flinch moseyed toward the petrified priest, Millan noted how the demon's right arm hung at his side.
"Damn Maligus, my aim is useless with my left hand." The iymed wiggled the handle of his dagger. After he pulled the blade free from the tree, Flinch squatted in front of Millan. "Know this, pig. When this is over, and he no longer needs you, I will make you pay for all of this. Until then, I am loyal to the Devil. And if Verago says to follow Erynion, then that's what I do. Orders and all. Besides, with Ojjuk and Eyzora as his new guides, Erynion will be unstoppable."
"Who and who?" Millan had never heard the names before.
"Ojjuk and Eyzora, the Denhauli. You know, the giant wolves that freed him and helped decimate your city?"
"They're just demons like the rest of you, and they'll fall like the rest of you. That doesn't make Erynion unstoppable."
"You don't understand. They're a direct link to Verago. Through them, the Devil can speak to his demon lord and lead us all to victory," Flinch explained.
"How is that possible?"
"Never you mind that. Just know the demon lord will get what he came for."
"What? King Batar? I doubt a whisper in his ear is going to change anything. He'll never get into Light's Haven. He purges uncontrollably. He clearly doesn't have a good handle on his power. He's unstable. And who knows? Maybe the next time it happens, you'll be caught in it."
"Why are you trying to convince me of this?" The iymed walked away from Millan. "Why do you even care? I already told you my allegiance is unwavering. I am loyal to the end."
"Hmph. Loyal, huh? Didn't your leader tell you not to kill me?"
Flinch feigned confusion. "It looks like you're still alive to me."
"Pfff. Yeah, thanks to your shoddy aim."
Without another word, Flinch flung the dagger once more. Millan froze as the blade whizzed by him and buried itself in the exact same place on the tree trunk.
Flinch chortled. "I guess you're not as clever as I thought."
"Fan izted!" the demon lord shouted sternly.
There was no telling how long he'd been standing there. His long white hair was pulled back, and the Devil's Eye glowed magnificently. The sight of it refreshed Millan's memory of the previous night.
It was only a few moments. With Skully's gift in hand, Millan had prayed over Erynion. The energy had coursed through him. As the sword of light erupted from the conduit, the demon lord's eyes shot open, and Millan was caught in the gaze of the Devil's Eye. Something took hold of the priest and restricted his movement.
Bound by chains, Millan looked away from the Devil's Eye. Filled with shame, he knew what had stopped his attack the previous night. It was simply fear, and he had hesitated. And in those brief seconds, he had wasted so much energy that he had lost consciousness.
"I wasn't going to hurt him," Flinch grumbled as he retrieved his dagger.
"Leave us."
The jester pulled the cloth from his pocket and presented it to Erynion. "It's good to see you awake. You left this on the shoreline yesterday. I thought you might want it back."
The demon lord nodded as he accepted the fabric and placed it back over the Devil's Eye. He had the smallest hint of a smile as he patted the iymed on the shoulder.
"I'll be waiting for you," Flinch called to Millan as he left the area.
Alone with the demon lord, the young priest didn't move a muscle. With a lack of urgency, the beast approached and towered over his prisoner. The demon's presence was imposing, and Millan marveled at how human he appeared to be.
Erynion lowered himself to the ground. "I apologize if my guard frightened or harmed you in any way."
The young priest did his best to stay calm.
"Are you all right? You do understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
Millan barely managed to nod.
"Did Flinch harm you at all?" he pressed.
Another question related to Millan's well-being? Was this guy a demon or not? The young priest subtly shook his head.
"Hmm. How about we start off with something easy. What's your name?"
"Don…Don Millan," he said after some hesitation.
"Don Millan? My name is—" The demon lord interrupted himself, and there was a long pause. "My name is Erynion."
"I know who you are. And, I know what you've done. Why did you bring me here?"
"Because, believe it or not, I need your help."
Millan knew helping a demon meant being a traitor to his fellow man. At first, he struggled to speak, but soon his budding resolve pushed the words out. "If you expect me to forsake my people, I suppose I won't be living much longer."
"I'm not asking you to forsake anyone. If anything, helping me will save the lives you wish to protect."
"Helping you will save lives? Whose lives? Everyone except the king?"
"What?"
"Well, I won't do it!" Millan insisted.
"I don't understand."
"Of course you do. You don't have to lie your way around it. I know what your purpose is. You want me to betray my kingdom and kill King Batar for you. And in exchange, you'll leave the rest of us alone. Tell me I'm wrong."
The demon lord stared blankly at the young priest. "You're wrong. The task of killing Batar is mine and mine alone."
"Well, fine then. Why don't you tell me what you and your army can't do yourselves?"
"Despite what you've been taught about demons, I bear no ill will toward humanity. I know convincing you is practically impossible, but the truth is that I have no more desire to kill innocent people than you do."
"It certainly doesn't seem that way," Millan said snidely, but immediately tightened his lips.
The demon lord seemed to ignore the comment. "You may not know this, but when I was found by your guild near my twisted gate, I didn't fight them. When your people found me on the shore of Lake Ivorus, I put up no resistance. Even though the person who sits before you is a demon, mindless violence is not in my nature."
The irony was that Millan had been present at both instances. He knew Erynion was speaking the truth, but it didn't explain the rest. "What about last night? What about Malarekita? What about—what about Nesinu and Don Skully? You wiped them from the Surface on your very first night."
"Malarekita was beyond my control. I was
being used by the Seductress, a mistake that will never happen again. As for Royal Oak and Nesinu, those incidents do not sit well with me. This is why I need your help."
"What could I possibly do?" Millan asked.
"The purge is a danger to everyone in the kingdom. I have yet to gain full control of my power and suppress the agony. If the purge is released every night that I'm here, there won't be a kingdom left for anyone to live in."
The thought of a purge hitting a new city or town every night scared the young priest. Something had to be done to prevent that scenario from becoming reality, and Millan knew the perfect solution. "Then let me slay you and return you to the Depths. Isn't that what you wanted at the lake? That solves everything."
"Not everything, I'm afraid. Much was revealed to me last night. Memories that were locked behind my identity have shown me the truth."
"What truth?" Millan tried to act nonchalant as he probed Erynion for his secrets.
"I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that I can't tell you. But, I can't allow myself to be killed or cleansed. If I'm slain before my objective is completed, there's no chance of redemption for me."
"Redemption?"
Erynion nodded. "Yes. I must right the wrong of my brother."
"Your brother?" Millan suddenly realized the demon lord may have just given up a vital piece of information regarding his identity. The young priest also understood if he pressed the issue any further and verified Erynion's true past, his chances of surviving this encounter would plummet. "What does your brother have to do with any of this? I thought we were trying to figure out how to stop the purges."
Erynion narrowed his eyes. Millan felt as though the demon was looking through him and reading his thoughts. The young priest did his best to maintain his composure, but his heart was trying to burst through his chest. The longer the demon stayed silent, the higher Millan's anxiety soared. His face felt like it was being held to a flame.
Finally, Erynion broke the horrifying silence. "I know of a way. When I was in Nolka, your priests created a barrier of light to contain me. It failed, but by crossing through it, I felt my own energy drop. The agony subsided momentarily. And again last night, when I was restrained by the priests, I didn't feel the agony when the sun fell. I had some energy, but it was curbed by the holy blessings. I need holy energy to prevent the purge."
"So, you need me for the holy energy. You think my energy will stop the purge? I'm just a regular priest. Last night, I saw someone much stronger than I am try to attack you before your purge went off. She couldn't even get past the barrier."
"Yes, the archdon. I remember you with her now. But what you don't understand is the barrier is part of the purge. The key is to prevent it from even starting, and for that I need your energy."
"Why don't you just use your power? Isn't that what's causing the agony?"
"My mind is just starting to open up. There's knowledge buried deep within, but with the agony plaguing me, there's no chance for me to retrieve it. So, will you help me?"
As the Nesinu priest mulled over the offer, he became mindful of the restraints digging into his arm. Millan wiggled his shoulders to get more comfortable, and the chains jingled as they collided with each other. "So you want me to stay your prisoner and follow you around everywhere as you destroy my kingdom, just so I can blast you with light and stop the purge each night?"
"Essentially, yes, something like that. But my goal is not to destroy your kingdom. The only person I wish to kill is the king," Erynion clarified. "You're a user of holy energy, and I need it to stop the purges, which benefits your people."
"And yours. No purge makes it safer for everybody and everything."
"Yes, that's exactly my point. This arrangement would help both sides. It can potentially save countless lives. So, do you accept?"
Millan had no idea what answer to give. If he refused, he'd most likely be killed and the purges would continue. If he accepted, he'd be sacrificing his life to become Erynion's permanent prisoner. How long would it be before he was rescued or able to escape? Would helping the demon lord mean he was also indirectly killing King Batar? But what if Erynion never got to the king?
The demon lord stood. "I understand this is not an easy decision. Why don't you take a bit and think it over?"
Millan desperately scoured the area for some clue as to what choice he should make. Was it selfish that he wanted to neither die nor be a prisoner? And what prevented Erynion from killing him later when he no longer needed Millan's holy energy?
The young priest glanced down at the metal links that kept him bound. The answer was literally all around him. "Hey. I have another idea."
"You do?"
"Well, it's actually quite ingenious." Millan was proud of himself, but didn't wish to appear boastful.
"Go on. I'm listening."
"You see, I think for an arrangement to be truly successful, both parties have to get what they want."
Erynion dropped to one knee. "And what do you want?"
"Well, um, I really don't want to be here, but I also want to be alive."
"Impossible. How will I get holy energy without a priest? Are you planning to have someone take your place?"
"No, no, nothing like that. There's another way, though. What do you know about enchantments?" Millan asked.
"Not much. Enlighten me."
"A long time ago, a man named Archdon Bamby discovered we can store energy within objects, regardless of whether the energy is light, dark, or elemental. It's called an enchantment. Your iymed all have weapons imbued with dark energy, just like these chains. Now, you're in luck because a don typically doesn't know the first thing about enchanting. But because my teacher was so great, I do."
"You do?"
Millan grinned. "Yes. Yes, I do."
"So, what are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting you take these chains off me. I'll disenchant them to remove the dark energy and then enchant them with holy energy. It'll have a similar effect to the Blessing of Divine Restraint, except I don't have to physically be here."
"And what do you require to do all this?"
Millan sucked in air between his teeth. "Unfortunately, I'm not wonderful at it, so it's going to take time. However long I spend casting the spell, the enchantment will last about three times longer."
"So, let me get this straight. You're going to spend all day casting this enchantment blessing, and it only gives me three days?"
Millan rocked his head side to side. "Well, I still have to disenchant them. And even if I spend the rest of today, that's only about eight hours. Plus, I'll need to eat and rest."
Erynion snorted. "It looks like even this way, you stay my prisoner."
"Hmm." Millan stayed positive as he worked to resolve the time issue. If only his skill was on the level of an archdon. "Well, I may not be great at it, but I know someone who is. So, here's my offer. I'll stay with you and build up the enchantment until it lasts for a few days. That should give you more than enough time to go back north to Nolka."
"Back to Nolka?"
"Yes, the head priest there is Archdon Feranis. He's a master at enchantment. If he spends a day on these, you'll be set for a whole year."
"And if you and I have already parted ways, how will I get him to do this?"
"Good question. You don't. I do. This is to ensure you don't go back on your word and kill me when my part is complete."
The demon lord leaned back. "You think I would do that?"
"I'm sorry, but regardless of what you say, you're still a demon, and so I'm inclined to distrust you."
"Fair enough, but know this. If you're being honest with me, you have my word I won't harm you."
Even though his words were in Kisejjad, they put Millan at ease. "Thank you."
"So, how do you propose we do this?"
"I enchant the chains during the day, and you wear them at night. This will serve as a proper test to make sure the energy is strong enough to keep y
our agony and the purge at bay. When our time together comes to an end, just make sure you show up at Nolka before the third day. I'll take care of the rest, assuming you let me live."
Erynion groaned. "You've made it abundantly clear that you don't trust me. But tell me, how can I be sure I can trust you once you're free?"
"What reason would I have to not fulfill my end of the deal? If I don't play my part, more cities will fall to the purge."
"Starting with Nolka."
The young priest thought of his parents, refugees in the city he had just put in the path of the demon lord. This was the only solution Millan could think of, and he knew failure was not an acceptable outcome. "So, what do you think? Do we have an arrangement?"
Erynion took his time, and the silence made Millan nervous. The demon lord stood up and towered over the priest. "Yes, I believe we do."
Chapter 33
The Council Convenes
Sundancer was greeted by the first morning light. She opened her eyes cautiously, unable to recall when she fell asleep. Hers was one of many beds that lined both long sides of a rectangular room. Most of the beds were occupied, but no one else appeared to be awake. A few stray strands of her hair hovered in front of her face. She pinched them and studied the dark-red hue. Her hair, no longer braided, hung freely along her shoulders. She grabbed a tuft to get a better view when she realized something was amiss. With the blanket crumpled around her waist, her upper body was completely exposed. Someone had undressed her.
Sundancer yanked the cover up to her neck to hide her naked torso and checked the room again. From behind the safety of her blanket, the she searched for some clothing. A middle-aged woman entered the large room and patrolled the aisle between the rows of beds. She wore a pink robe with a pattern of green leaves on spiraling, golden vines. As she neared the foot of the bloodseeker's bed, the woman made eye contact and smiled kindly. "Good morning, Lady Sundancer. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."
"What am I doing here? Where are my clothes?" The bloodseeker raised her voice. "Where's Prima Mashira?"
"Please, be at peace. Her Luminescence is in the building down the street. There's supposed to be a meeting in a few hours. Advisor Ayristark and Advisor Cole are already on their way from Light's Haven. I was told to inform you that you may join them when you and Advisor Razza Merona are feeling better. The advisor is near the entrance"—she motioned to the door—"I believe she's still asleep."
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