by Tony Donadio
“Agreed,” Incanus Thad boomed. “It must be adjusted.”
Liana chuckled.
“Careful,” she warned. “You might be overplaying your hand.”
“The succubus speaks with wisdom,” Zomoran said. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “She is, after all, the one among you best acquainted with the kind of fire you now dare to play with.”
He turned to watch the Slayer as it drew its sword. Black lightning ran down the ebon blade and over its fiery runes. Incanus Thad slowly raised its axe.
“Still, it is to be expected,” he continued. His tone was unworried, almost conversational. “You are demons, after all. You would not be devotees of the Way of the Will, were you not prepared to overthrow me.”
Without warning, he lifted his staff. Dark energy ran along the shaft as he shouted a single word.
“Karach!”
Incanus Thad collapsed like a gigantic puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut. It crashed to the floor and spasmed uncontrollably, as though suffering a seizure. Destruction flew from its hand to clatter uselessly to the tiles.
It was followed moments later by the Slayer’s blade. The fire demon stood rigid, head thrown back, and emitted a single, high pitched shriek.
“My price,” the magus said acidly, “since you seem to have forgotten it, was a contract with your master — one bound and enforced by its own magic. That it and I would be partners in bringing dominion of the Dark to Kalara, and that I would order and rule the world in its name. You are bound by geas of obedience to your master’s will — and through that contract, by obedience to mine.”
He strode toward Incanus Thad. It lay on the tiles of the throne room, writhing in agony. It growled as he placed his boot on the giant demon’s throat.
“Whom do you serve?” the magus demanded menacingly.
“I serve — AARGH!”
“Again, demon. Whom do you serve?”
“I serve my master, Lord Borr!”
“And in its absence?” Zomoran pressed. “Whom do you serve in Kalara, in executing the mission of this horde?”
Incanus Thad’s back arched. “You!” it cried. “I serve Warlord Zomoran, the Black Magus!”
Zomoran removed his boot from the demon’s throat. It gasped in sudden relief as he turned to the Crimson Slayer.
“Whom do you serve?” he demanded.
“I will burn you to ash, wizard,” the Slayer hissed. “After I take your soul with my blade!”
It flew through the air to slam against the far wall of the throne room. It began to shriek again. This time it did not stop.
“Wrong answer, demon. Again. Whom do you serve?”
The Slayer screamed for nearly half a minute before it finally gave in. When the magus turned to Usnaroth, the winged demon repeated the declaration of fealty without being asked.
Liana laughed.
“I told you that you were overplaying your hand,” she said. “A geas is nothing to —”
Zomoran spun toward her, again raising his staff. The succubus’ words were cut off in mid-sentence. Her wings unfurled as her body arched — and she, too, shrieked in pain.
The magus let her continue to scream as he walked slowly toward her. His eyes narrowed cruelly as he idly ran the tip of his staff along the lines of her naked form.
“You are the most dangerous of them all,” he told her icily. “Surely you did not think I would neglect to enforce my spell on you as well? While you scheme to work your magic to slowly seduce me to your will?”
“No!” she wailed. “No, no!”
His lips quirked into a smile. “I thought not. Now, whom do you serve?”
“I serve you!” she shrieked. “I serve Warlord Zomoran, the Black Magus!”
“I do not trust you, succubus,” he said. “Say it again. Whom do you serve?”
He forced her to repeat the pledge, screaming it over and over, until she had been reduced to sobbing. When he finally released her she crumpled to the floor in a quivering heap.
Zomoran walked slowly back to the throne and re-seated himself. He looked at the assembled demons, one at a time. When he was done he spoke again.
“I trust that is now settled,” he said. “Are there any questions?”
Incanus Thad had recovered its composure, and its axe. It gestured to the Hellman officer.
“What about him?” it demanded.
“Lord General Y’Thra and his Hellmen are of this world,” he explained. “They are not part of your horde and owe no geas to Lord Borr. I have … other means of securing their allegiance.”
Y’Thra drew his sword and dropped to one knee before him. “As you command, My Lord,” he said.
Zomoran nodded to him in a gesture of acceptance. Then he turned back to the others.
“Now, as I was saying,” he continued, “we will have to adjust our tactics. Without the might of the full Horde behind us we will not be able to simply sweep across the world as we had intended. Until we can find and open another gate to Lord Borr’s realm, our plan to conquer Kalara will need to proceed with greater caution.”
Liana struggled to her feet, still shaking. She tried to furl her wings about her again, but seemed to have trouble controlling her movements.
“What do you command, My Lord?” she asked. Her voice was meek.
Zomoran smiled. “We will take Carlissa by lightning war,” he replied. “I have already assigned objectives and am preparing written orders for the companies. You will oversee their execution, Incanus. I want them to march immediately, preferably by dawn.”
“What about the Elf-Queen?” Y’Thra asked. “Her citadel is dangerously close to Lannamon. What if she decides to strike at us here?”
“We will keep a force in the city,” Zomoran replied. “One large enough for that contingency. It will become our new capital and base of operations.” He smiled again. “But Talina will not attack us. I am confident of that.”
The others exchanged glances, but said nothing.
“Once we have Carlissa we will be in a better position to search for a new worldgate artifact,” he continued. “There are ancient clues to others than the one that was destroyed. I expect at least one to be in or near the kingdom. We will re-establish our link to the Horde, and to your master, Lord Borr. That I pledge to you.”
The demons seemed to relax at his words. Liana finally managed to recover her composure enough to furl her wings around herself once again.
“And after Carlissa?” she asked.
Zomoran sighed. “Then we will be forced to pause and take stock of our options,” he said. “Lieutenant — excuse me, Captain — Usnaroth, what is your report on our troop and casualty counts?”
“Troop counts were lost with the command post,” the demon replied. “We have our sergeants repeating them now. I estimate that about thirty thousand came through to this world. About a fifth of that — six thousand or so — fell in battle with the Carlissans or in the destruction of the gate.”
There was a long silence. Zomoran began to drum his fingers along the throne’s arm.
“Less than twenty five thousand,” he said. “Plus another eight thousand Hellmen, along with three score dragons and twice as many giants. Still more than enough to take Carlissa, and likely Elde and Rayche as well if we choose. But we must be wary of overextending ourselves.”
“And if all Kalara unites against us?” Y’Thra asked. “What then?”
Zomoran turned to look at Liana. The succubus flinched almost imperceptibly under his steady gaze.
“That will be our task,” he continued. “I have a plan. She and I will work on it together.”
“And the city?” Y’Thra asked. “Shall we —”
Zomoran shook his head.
“Your hellmen may have the night,” he said. “To sate yourselves and to take slaves — as long as it is done in accordance with tradition and with the ritual. But there must be no more destruction, and the Taking must end at first light. Order must be rest
ored, and the people brought in line and set to work. Putting out fires, making repairs, tending the wounded, restoring commerce.” His eyes hardened. “Your captives as well, Y’Thra. They are now chattel of the Dark and not only for your pleasure.”
The Hellman general nodded. His face was stoic, but a light of anticipation burned in his black eyes.
“That will be difficult,” Liana said. “The people are terrified and in hiding. They will have to be flushed — or coaxed — out.”
Zomoran nodded. “I will write a proclamation,” he said. “Declaring an end to the hostilities and a promise of safety for all who submit to my rule. Lannamon has been conquered, and its people need to learn that its new masters can be merciful — to those who obey them.”
He looked around the room and waved a hand in dismissal. “You all have work to do. Begin preparations for the lightning war and return to me in two hours. I will have written orders ready for you then.”
The Secret
Liana made her way along the corridor toward the ruins of the Great Hall. Incanus Thad shuffled alongside her, its enormous form stooping to keep from brushing the ceiling. For the moment, they were alone.
“The magus is more dangerous than we anticipated,” the Horde Captain said. Its booming voice was surprisingly quiet.
Liana shook her head. “No,” she said softly. “Lord Borr understood the danger. But it expected to be here to counter it. Without its protection we are gravely vulnerable.”
“Could he have orchestrated this?” Incanus Thad whispered. “To trap us here without our master, and under his power?”
She shook her head again.
“If he had, then he would not have been able to dominate us,” she replied. “That is how the magic of the geas works. The contract binds him as well. He can enforce it on us only if he too pursues it in good faith.”
She pursed her full, red lips in thought.
“And I think that was part of his demonstration,” she added. “To show us who is master, surely — and he is, at least for the time being. But also to reassure us that he really does intend to hold up his end of the bargain. To open a new gate to the homeworld, and to bring Lord Borr back to Kalara.”
There was a long silence. The pair walked through the Great Hall and what remained of the palace gate. A group of demon lieutenants stood there on the High Road, waiting for their arrival. Incanus Thad stopped before approaching them.
“So what do we do?” it asked.
“We bide our time,” she replied. “None of us possess the power to free ourselves from his domination, and we still have a mission to fulfill. To aid him in subduing this world for our master, and to prepare for its inevitable return.”
Incanus Thad growled in assent. Then it suddenly lowered its great head next to hers. Its eyes rested briefly on the blood red pendant that peeked out from the spray of black wing feathers that folded over her breasts.
Does he know?
Her eyes searched its, their gaze betraying just a hint of worry. No.
Can we hide it from him?
I believe so. We keep the secret in loyalty to our master, so the geas will protect it. But we must be careful, Incanus. We must not make the mistake of underestimating this Black Magus of Kalara.
The Horde Captain nodded, straightening to its full height.
“Then let us get to work,” it said aloud, as it resumed walking toward the waiting officers. “We have much to do, and the kingdom will not conquer itself for us.”
Liana’s eyes sparkled as she trotted alongside the great demon to keep up with it. “You might be surprised, Incanus,” she replied cryptically. “You might be surprised.”
The Truce
Let it be known that Warlord Zomoran, Black Magus and ruler of Carlissa, does now declare an end to the battle of Lannamon. In his grace and beneficence he extends his mercy to you, the people of this city. But to enjoy that mercy you must come out of hiding and give your oath of loyalty to the new order. Come forth, submit to his wise and just rule, and pledge your aid in the reconstruction of this war-torn nation.
All who do this will receive the Warlord’s personal guarantee of protection as subjects of the Dark. Those who refuse will be hunted down, and a public example shall be made of them.
You have until sundown to comply, and to receive your mark of registration. Clerks will be stationed throughout the city to facilitate the process. They may be recognized by a standard bearing crossed golden feathers on a red background …
Orion stepped away from the window. The morning sun shone through it onto his shoulders, framing his dark brown hair in its light. He usually kept it neatly combed, but now it was a disheveled mess.
Diana looked up at him from her makeshift cot. They had tried at first to set and keep watches, but finally succumbed to exhaustion. They had slept until the criers had woken them with the rising of the sun.
“That’s the third one,” she said slowly. Her long auburn hair was even more disheveled than his, but she seemed not to notice it. “What do you think? Is it a trap? Or do they mean it?”
He sat on one of the boxes and regarded her. There was a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I saw one of their ‘registrars’ down the hill,” he said at last. “A few people came out and approached him. They looked really scared. But they weren’t killed, and they weren’t taken.”
“What happened to them?”
“The registrar wrote some information in a ledger,” he explained. “Then he gave them some kind of yellow pin to wear and sent them on their way.”
“Then you think the truce is sincere?”
“I do. Or as sincere as bureaucrats of the Dark can be expected to be, at any rate.”
He paused to look thoughtfully out the window again.
“And it makes sense,” he went on. “Thanks to the Archmage, they need us now. If for nothing else, to replace the demons that would have come through the gate.”
She nodded. “Conscripts for the army. Slaves to re-build the city, and to do its work.”
“Yes. The people will have to live under their rule, but they’ll also have to treat us more leniently than they would have otherwise. They’ll try to turn the people, to intimidate or seduce them into accepting evil and making it a part of their lives.”
She got to her feet. She looked at the stairs that led out of their hiding place.
“We need to decide what to do,” she said.
“We can’t stay here,” he replied. “They’re sure to search this house when they start their hunt. They’ll find us.”
“We could try hiding in the city,” she offered. “Moving from place to place to avoid being caught, making our way east. Then north into Elde, to seek the Elf-Queen’s protection.”
He shook his head.
“We won’t be able to go out during the day without being spotted. And if we wait until night, we’ll be hunted as we try to escape. Neither of us knows the streets well enough to hide from an army of demons.” He sighed. “I’m not sure anyone does.”
“Then we’ll have to give up,” she said. Her voice was resigned and matter-of-fact. “Come out of hiding, put on their ‘registration’ pin, and lie our way through whatever loyalty oath they ask us to take.”
“I don’t see any alternative. And then?”
She turned to face him. Green fire blazed in her eyes.
“Then we fight them. In secret, however we can. We work to undermine the Warlord’s reign from the inside.”
“How?”
“My father will help. My people know what it is to oppose the Dark, and they’ll never accept a Carlissa overrun by demons. I’ll work with him. We’ll start or join a resistance.”
Orion sat for a long time, thinking. Finally he nodded.
“It makes sense,” he said. “Now that he has no way to bring in reinforcements, Zomoran has an incentive not to antagonize his neighbors. At least, not the ones he’s not prepared to invade and conquer outright. My g
uess is that he’ll make peace overtures to some of them, to try and head off the formation of an alliance. That should protect your father’s diplomatic status for now.”
He looked levelly into her eyes. “And yours,” he added. “As long as you’re not caught.”
She smiled. “I’ll be careful.”
He stood up, his expression determined.
“We need to get you back to your family,” he said decisively. “They’re the only ones with a hope of keeping you safe. And they must be sick with worry for you.”
She nodded. To his surprise she reached out and laid a hand on his arm.
“Come with me, Orion,” she said. Her voice was earnest. “You’ll be safer with us. Father will reward you for protecting me, and for bringing me home to him.”
“Protecting you?” he said, chuckling. “Half the time it seemed the other way around.”
She frowned at him. “Don’t joke. I’m being serious.”
He shook his head slowly.
“I’ll escort you there,” he said. “It’s a long walk to the High City, especially now that there’s a lake where the crossroads used to be. But I need to head home as well. To see my own family, to make sure they’re all right. We may not be close, but I owe them that much.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. They’re on the first level of the Upper City South, so bringing you home is almost on the way.”
When they climbed the stairs and left the house, they saw that activity had finally begun to grow again on the streets of Lannamon. More and more people were cautiously coming out, as they saw that others who did so were not harmed. Many of them shook and sobbed with fear, but they did come out.
Faces grimly determined, the pair descended Cherry Hill and set out on the road to the west.
Checkpoint
After about five minutes Orion and Diana encountered a line of Hellman soldiers barring their way. They were waving pedestrians to the side of the road where a large tent had been set up. Diana took in a sharp breath as one of them approached.
“No one passes without a registration badge,” he said. His tone was firm, but he sounded bored.