by Joe Jackson
He was silent for a minute, and Kari understood that meant he was upset. She took off her armor and padded clothes, and gave her undergarments an appraising sniff. They certainly smelled like they belonged to someone who’d been on the road for a couple of weeks, but thankfully they hadn’t rubbed their scent off on her too much after her shower. She dropped them into the laundry bin and turned to face Grakin, naked. He still stared at her in such a way that suggested even being apart for several weeks wasn’t overriding how upset he was at Kari’s stated plan.
“Obviously I cannot forbid you to go through with this,” he said at last. “But as your mate, I am begging you to reconsider.”
“Grakin, when I was considering chasing Turillia down to Barcon, you told me to trust my instincts. That’s what I’m doing now,” she replied, but he cut her off.
“This is different!” he snapped, as close to yelling at her as he’d ever come. “When you went to Barcon, you were going to hunt a dangerous demon in a dangerous city, but you were still on our world. You were going to a city of our people to hunt an outsider. If you go to the underworld, you will be the stranger in their land: you will stand out, an obvious target and a demonhunter, no less! Imagine a demon coming to the campus of your Order; what you are planning is essentially the same insanity!”
Kari held her tongue for a minute and made no move to get dressed. She blew a light sigh through her nose and said, “Grakin, the Council of the Order – and I assume most of the priesthoods of the pantheon – think the Temple of Archons holds the means to become a god. If the demons get their hands on that, we’re all in big trouble. And I’m apparently the final key to opening the Temple, and some of them know that already. The days of my Order being re… reactionary when it comes to underworld demons are over. I have to get us the information to be able to fight back, and I think this is the only way.”
“But the risk–”
“Will be as small as possible,” she finished for him, and she closed the distance between them and laid her hand on his chest. She met his eyes and used her facial expression and body language to try to ease his worries as much as she could, or at least more than she knew her words would. “I’m not going anywhere until I know exactly where I’ll be landing, what I can expect there, and whether or not I can safely get where I need to go and home again. Again, I’m not going to do what Turik Jalar did; I’d rather the history books don’t even mention this if I end up going.”
Grakin pulled her into his embrace, and Kari let out a content sigh. “You are too brave to be my mate,” he said quietly, but his words didn’t alarm Kari; she knew what he meant. “I will say this and no more: I am worried about you. I do not want you to go, and I am begging you not to. But should you go, I will pray ceaselessly for your safe return, for it will be the only thing I can do to keep myself together.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, at a loss. Kari never wanted to hurt her mate or her child, and she knew that leaving them again so soon would do so. But there were implications to what she’d learned and what she stood to learn, and she didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of her first act as head of the Order being to send someone else to their death. Kari understood that a time would come when she had to do exactly that, but in this circumstance, she chose to lead by example. Turik Jalar may have laid a list of demands at the Overking’s feet, but Kari felt she was going to do one better: she was going to come back with someone who could give her the information she needed to cripple any demon offensives going forward. To her, that was worth the risk.
“Do not be,” he said after a few moments. “I love you for who you are, Kari, and I would not change a thing about you, even were I able. I fear for your safety, but your valor leaves me in awe, and I am very proud to be your mate.”
They shared a passionate kiss for a minute, and then Kari led Grakin over to the bed. He undressed when they reached its edge. They made love quietly, mindful of noises and voices carrying in the large house full of people. It was not simply sex: Grakin made love to her despite his fears and his desire for her to stay home with him and their son. He was upset and scared, but it didn’t carry over into the way he made love to her. They cuddled close when they were done, and Kari fell asleep in the warm quiet of her mate’s loving arms.
*****
Kari was never one for a lot of fanfare. The Council of the Order, however, had other plans. When she arrived at work the following morning, she found nearly the entire Order on the grounds in formations, awaiting the arrival of their new commander. Kari had hoped, in the back of her mind, that being promoted directly by Master Attir Surallis and simply informing Lord Allerius face-to-face would have allowed her to dodge the publicity. Instead, she found the Order awaiting her arrival to perform the ceremony that would appoint her as the new head, the first person to be promoted to the rank of Hand of Zalkar since Jason Bosimar had accomplished the feat almost twenty years earlier.
The sight of everyone in formation put Kari in a somber mood. She had never seen a change of command, either during the years when she’d attended the Academy or those years she’d worked on its campus as an administrator. The only time she saw the entire Order gather in this way was for funerals, and though she knew that wasn’t why they were gathered so today, the thought stuck with her. The gravity of the situation and the possible self-imposed mission before her weighed heavily on her thoughts. She imagined that if even the slightest thing went wrong or the smallest lie were offered by Amastri, the Order just might be gathering this way for a funeral in a few weeks - possibly several.
Lord Allerius was standing before the gathered headmasters, hunters, and cadets, dressed in shining steel plate mail. Kari had never seen Allerius dressed for a mission, and the sight of him in his armor with his polished greatsword strapped across his back was impressive. She often had trouble thinking of him as a highly-decorated officer and hunter because he’d served as an administrator for so long. She knew that people viewing him that way left a sour taste in his mouth, but contrary to his feelings, Kari didn’t see his administrative position as a weakness. Instead, she saw it as one of the ultimate signs of strength: it was as though Zalkar was saying Not only is this one fit to be my champion, but he is fit to lead my other champions as well.
Kari thought on that a moment and realized it now applied to her as well. It was strange to think that just three short years before, she had wondered what her place was in Zalkar’s plans and why she had been resurrected at all. The thing she had chafed at and seethed against for the entire eight years of the Apocalypse, she now viewed as a blessing. She had been given a second chance at the life she had missed out on after dying young of a terminal illness. She now had a mate, a child…and the entire Demonhunter Order at her command. Or at least, she would in a little while, officially.
“You seem pensive, my friend,” Lord Allerius said quietly when Kari approached.
“You know, I’ve dreamed of this for most of my life, but I don’t think it ever occurred to me that it would ever be more than a dream,” Kari said. “I’m not sure if that’s because I knew my days were numbered, or if the…enormity of it seemed too much. I’ve wanted to reach the position of Avatar all my days as a hunter, but I never imagined I’d actually become head of the Order. It’s…a little intimidating.”
Allerius smiled and clapped her on the shoulder. “As I said yesterday, it is a position you will fill well, and the men and women under your command already respect you as a hero. From what I’ve seen and heard in the last few weeks, you are already well on your way to a long and successful tenure.”
Kari smiled and looked over the massive gathering. When her eyes caught Typhonix’ shock of blonde hair, she saw that he was with his class of cadets. Kari was nervous about taking command, but she considered Ty and his attitude, and the fact that he had settled well into the role of drill instructor. She realized that the ability to lead wasn’t always something people could see in themselves until it was called upon. She loo
ked from face to face among the headmasters, and wondered if any of them had dreamed they would spend the majority of their careers teaching instead of hunting. Had they, too, dreamed of one day becoming Avatar and leading the Order?
“Attention!” Lord Allerius bellowed, shocking Kari. She turned and saw that the Council was arriving in the main square with a terra-rir male she didn’t recognize. The Council rarely made appearances before the cadets: since they were there to guide and aid the Avatar or other head, they didn’t typically interact with the hunters or cadets. Normally if a hunter was called before the Council, it was for disciplinary reasons, and most of the hunters Kari knew personally were intimidated by the priests. Kari, too, had been a little intimidated when she stood before them to be promoted to the rank of Sword of the Heavens three years before. She wondered who their guest was.
“At ease,” Master Perez directed the gathering. Master Bennet may have been head of the Council, but Master Perez was the most highly-decorated military officer among either the clergy or the Order, and so he was usually placed in command of these types of proceedings. “Lord Allerius, step forward.”
Albrecht approached Master Perez and gave him the demonhunter salute, touching his fist over his heart and bowing his head. “Lord Albrecht Allerius, Lady Vanador has been promoted and is now the highest ranking member of Zalkar’s Demonhunter Order,” Master Perez announced in a loud, clear voice that carried across the campus like it was a battlefield. “You stand relieved of your duties as Commander of the Order, but shall remain Lady Vanador’s second-in-command. You are hereby assigned the office of Lieutenant Commander of the Order, to be Lady Vanador’s right hand, and carry out her wishes in her absence.”
“I accept this office and the duties and responsibilities that come with it, for as long as the Unyielding deems me fit,” Lord Allerius returned formally with another salute.
“Lady Vanador, step forward,” Master Perez ordered, and Kari stepped before him and saluted him the same way Lord Allerius had. “Before your promotion is made official, His Grace, Duke Krycyd Jalar of Sutherland and Lord of the Avenger Order would like a word with you in the presence of our entire Order.”
“Your Grace,” Kari said formally with a bow, suddenly keenly aware that she hadn’t introduced herself or properly greeted the Duke of Sutherland. While it was understandable since she didn’t recognize him, she still considered it a lapse in decorum. Thankfully, his expression and mannerisms said he didn’t.
Krycyd Jalar was a handsome man, and Kari couldn’t help but note the similarities between him and Kris Jir’tana, her commander during the Apocalypse. They had the same blue eyes, though the Duke’s hair was a stark white as was common among the terra-rir, combed back and gathered into a tail so that he could wear it long in the tradition of warriors without seeming unkempt. His features were handsome, but there was a hardness that lay just below the surface that betrayed his position as a paladin and the Lord of the Avenger Order. His attire was all at once practical but stylish: a set of armor that was part hardened leather with plates upon it, inlaid with the mark of the Avenger Order and a golden eagle that denoted his position as its head.
“Lady,” the Duke of Sutherland returned with a polite nod. “It was brought to my attention several weeks ago that you aided the Earl of Southwick with a rather serious demon infestation. Lord Black and my agent, Marshal Saracht, both spoke very highly not only of your efforts, but of the way you held yourself and the respect you showed both of their positions. The marshal indicated I should give you a commendation for valor, but to be honest, Lady Vanador, I think such a thing to be rather trivial given your position and history. You do not need me or anyone else hanging a medal from your breastplate to let everyone know of your deeds.”
He paused a moment, so Kari took advantage. “It was an honor to be of service, Your Grace,” she said formally with another bow.
The Duke of Sutherland chuckled, but Kari sensed he wasn’t laughing at her. “I have spoken at length with the Duke of Brunswick regarding this, and we have come to an agreement. As I have no authority to bestow land or titles upon his citizenry, I had to first negotiate a way to do so with him. I will not go into details; they should be of little concern to you. What you should be concerned with, however, is the estate now in your legal possession, and the title of Baroness he has agreed to bestow upon you.”
“I don’t understand,” Kari said, though that wasn’t exactly true. She understood exactly what the Duke was saying; she simply didn’t understand why this had come to pass. Kari had never considered herself anything close to noble, and in fact hadn’t been entirely pleased with being bestowed the title of Lady when she reached the rank of Sword of the Heavens. Kari had grown up a street rat, trash from the bustling city of Solaris, and while she had cleaned herself up and made something of herself over time, she still had a hard time seeing herself as a member of the nobility. In all honesty, she preferred being part of ‘the common rabble.’
“As I said, I will not go into too much detail,” he said with a wave of his hand. “At this point it is simply another feather in a cap that has quite a few of them. The Duke of Brunswick will no doubt bring you to his court to explain this matter in due time. And though I will not bore you or this gathering of fine hunters with the details, I wanted you to know that this is a gift from me, as recognition and thanks for what you have done on behalf of my people.”
“Thank you, my…er, Your Grace,” Kari said, catching her error. “I’m not sure I’ll fit in well among the nobility, but I’ll try not to disappoint you.”
“Pfffft,” the Duke of Sutherland sounded with a dramatic gesture that sent muffled chuckles through the gathering. “Lady Vanador, it is most of the nobles who will have trouble fitting in with you. You are a woman of strength and character, one who puts the welfare and the defense of god, kingdom, and commoner alike ahead of all else. That is what nobility is about, not dressing in fancy clothes and strutting about like peacocks at balls and social gatherings. The nobility was established to lead and defend our people, and those are two things you do better than almost anyone I can think of. In the end, the title of Baroness is just that: a title. It is what you do that makes you noble, Lady Vanador, not this title. I hope you always remember that.”
Kari wasn’t sure what to say, and the hundreds of sets of eyes watching her did little to help with her speechlessness. She stared at the Duke for several long moments, but then she saw him not as a Duke, but as the head of the Avenger Order and a descendant of Turik Jalar, her contemporary in her previous life. “In honor, strength,” she began the salute of the Avengers.
“And in strength, victory,” he finished, and he straightened up and graced her with a crisp military salute. The entire Order – including Lord Allerius and even the priests of the Council – mimicked his salute in the demonhunter way. Kari knew there was great significance to being saluted by the head of a fellow order – and a Duke at that – and she touched her fist over her heart and bowed her head. He added, “Love justice, but do mercy, Lady Vanador. And should you need the aid of the Avenger Order in anything, you have only to ask, and you shall receive.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. The Duke of Sutherland nodded politely to her again and then took a place off to the side to watch the rest of the ceremony.
Kari hoped she could keep her head on straight for the rest of the ceremony. She was now a Baroness, but she didn’t really know what to make of that other than she was a step up from whatever her previous Lady title had meant. The Duke had also mentioned an estate and land, and Kari wondered where that might be located. She had felt somewhat ashamed for living off of Grakin’s mother for the previous three years, and she looked forward to either being able to stand on her own two feet, or maybe even return the favor and let Kyrie live with her and Grakin for a change. She pushed the thoughts aside as best she could; the Duke of Sutherland had said the Duke of Brunswick would explain it to her in due time.
/> Master Perez stepped forward once more. “Now then, Lady Vanador, the Council of the Order recognizes the promotion given to you by High Priest Attir Surallis. As the only hunter of the rank of Hand of Zalkar or above, you are now the highest-ranking demonhunter in the Order. The command of the Order is now yours, should you accept this position. What say you?”
“I accept the position and the duties that come with it, until I am either unfit to lead or outranked by another hunter,” Kari said, trying to somewhat mimic what Lord Allerius had said. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to say, if there was anything specific expected of her. “By the grace of the Unyielding, I accept this command.”
“Then by his grace, as his priests, the Council recognizes you as the Grand Commander of the Demonhunter Order. Though you do not hold the position of Avatar of Vengeance, you will henceforth command the Order as though you do, until such time as you relinquish your command, are surpassed by another hunter, or are otherwise relieved of your duties by age, deity, or death. Grand Commander and Baroness Karian Vanador, stand and be recognized.”
Kari turned and faced the gathered members of the Order and stood at attention, and the sound of them all snapping to attention and hitting their fists over their hearts echoed through the square and Kari’s soul. “Ma’am!” they shouted in unison, and again the booming sound echoed through her. Kari returned the salute.
When Kari turned and looked to her left, she saw that the Duke of Sutherland was likewise standing at attention and saluting her again. Kari’s career had been almost exclusive to the continent of Terrassia in her previous life, and very little of her work since her resurrection had involved the Avenger Order. That left her to wonder exactly what the relationship between the two Orders was like, and whether she should or even needed to work to bring them closer. It seemed the Duke of Sutherland and Lord of the Avenger Order already held a great deal of respect for her – no doubt being a descendant of Turik Jalar had a lot to do with that – and Kari couldn’t help but imagine what the two Orders working in tandem could accomplish. That made her wonder what, if anything, the Avenger Order might know about Emma or the underworld.