by Joe Jackson
Kari had to make an effort not to laugh; the comment reminded her of something Ty or Eli would say, if a little less crudely. “But if I promise you a service...?”
“I will still hate this deal, but I will honor it,” he said with a sigh.
Kari tilted her head to the side; there was still one thing that she found odd about all of this, and she wondered if she should give voice to it. “With all due respect, I can hardly believe I’m standing here negotiating with a demon king as if I’m his equal,” she dared.
The demon king let out a single, short, grunting laugh. “As I've said, I don't typically stand on ceremony,” he returned. “The kings and nobles you expected – indeed, that you're probably accustomed to on your own world – for everything they gain in power, they lose in control. Oh, certainly, Lady Koursturaux and Lord Baal have iron-fisted control over their realms, but they don't hold the hearts and minds of their people, only their lives. I'm sure you have already heard many things about me…that I am a cowardly wanderer, afraid to sit the throne; perhaps that I am queer; that in over a thousand years I still haven't matured enough to understand my role or my possible destiny; or that I am only a shadow of my father.”
“Only the last of those things is true, Kari: I am not the man my father was. He was a great king, a proud and fearless leader that built up a relatively small realm into a kingdom of prosperity and security. As his sole heir and prince, I traveled the lands of Pataria, keeping track of and watch over my father’s people. In those many, long years, I learned that what I just said with regard to my peers on the Council was ultimately true for my father as well. While he had the lives of the people in his hands, their hearts and minds belonged to me.”
“I have traveled among the people of Pataria for centuries. I have seen them give birth and take each other in marriage; I have seen them at war and at peace; I have seen them in times of famine and in times of abundance; in times of joy and in times of sorrow; I have seen them cremate an elder of four eras, and seen them welcome a child with limitless potential. Their hearts and their minds belong to me now, Kari; they will fight for me, and they will die for me, not because I am their king or they are afraid of me, but because I am one of them.”
Kari beheld the demon king, utterly fascinated. His words showed not only unexpected depth to his own character, but to that of his people as well. Even Kris Jir’tana, who was the prince of Askies in title if not in practice, who had fought so hard and so long during the War for the freedom and prosperity of his people, would be hard pressed to lay such a claim as the one Morduri just had. That being said, however, Kari understood there was a deeper point the demon king had yet to make. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me this,” she prompted him.
“You and Lady Koursturaux have asked me to take something from my people and offer it freely to you,” he said. “I want you to understand that I do not do so lightly, and the reason why I ask something of you in return. I will give you the thing you have asked of me, but what you give in return will be something for my people, not just for me.”
Kari got no sense that he was lying. A part of her assumed he was, and warned her not to take him or any of his peers at their word, but the better part of her wondered if it could all be true. Was it possible to find grace, honesty, loyalty, and even love in the heart of a demon, let alone a demon king? Hadn’t they already, to an extent, in Celigus Chinchala? If Morduri’s words were true, Kari would feel better about performing a nameless service for him in the future – not completely satisfied, but certainly curious what he would ask on behalf of his people for whatever item they were asked to give up. At last, that curiosity got the better of her. “When would you call upon me for this service?” she asked.
“When you become the Avatar of Vengeance,” Morduri answered immediately. Kari’s brows rose, and the demon king chuckled and added, “So you see, even I will have a vested interest in your success, if you should agree to my terms.”
“Are you going to get in trouble with Lady Koursturaux for changing the agreement, though?” Kari pressed.
Morduri turned and waded back toward the waterfall, where he rinsed off again and stared out at Kari from beneath the cascade with those purple eyes. “Undoubtedly, but the Lady’s anger waxes and wanes, and in time she will understand and, presumably, accept the reasoning for my addendum. In any case, that is not for you to concern yourself with. What you have been offered gives you the means to accomplish your goals in relative safety, with only a small price to be paid overall.”
Kari nodded; Morduri’s demand only changed things slightly. Considering how wary she was of getting caught up in Koursturaux’ future schemes, she had to give Morduri credit for making it clear he wanted something ahead of time. “Will you take offense if I ask for some time to consider your terms?” she asked.
“You may take the next seven days to do so,” he answered, coming back out from under the water and shaking his head vigorously. The effect on the fur of his ears was amusing, but Kari made sure to keep her mirth in check. “When I leave the city at the end of this Council session, you will either accompany me, or I will assume you’ve turned down my offer.”
Kari bowed her head politely. “Thank you,” she said, and she made her way to the edge of the pool and started to climb out. She didn’t see any towels nearby, and when she turned to ask the demon king where she might find one, she found he was taking in a double eyeful of her naked form. Normally, being seen naked wouldn’t even faze her as a rir, but the fact that her observer was a demon king certainly changed her perceptions. Still, his gaze, while intrusive, seemed more curious than lusty. “Erm, where are the towels?”
One of his cheeks twitched in amusement, and he made his way to the edge of the bath and climbed out himself. Kari’s instincts about his size were accurate: he was at least as tall as her brother-in-law Serenjols, even before taking the long ears into account. His shoulders were broad and muscular, testament to his gamesmanship and hunting, but the rest of him was lean. He had no marks, brands, tattoos, or shaved areas anywhere else upon him now that she could see his entire body, and his genitals were tucked away in an efficient and fairly modest sheath.
He seemed to take her naked form in more carefully up close, but only for a few moments before his gaze came back up to meet hers. “I usually sit out on the balcony to dry off,” he said.
“Where everyone can see you?” she queried.
Morduri chuckled aloud this time. “The only people who would see us this high up are nosey valirasi, and I keep my bow out on the balcony for just such an occasion,” he said, and though he had laughed before he said it, his expression and tone told Kari it was no joke.
He gestured toward the door exiting back to the bedroom, but Kari pointed at another door directly across the way. “Where does that door go?” she asked.
“To Lord Emanitar’s room,” he answered. He nodded to Kari’s unspoken question and added, “We share floors, usually with another king we can get along with. That’s a difficult thing to manage when it comes to some of my peers.”
“And Emanitar is sort of like an uncle to you?” Kari prodded.
“Lord Emanitar, and yes,” he said. “Take care that our casual conversation does not lead you to insult one of the other kings, Kari.”
“Of course. Sorry,” she said.
He hardly acknowledged her apology, but followed her into his bedroom and across to the balcony. Kari stepped out onto the sun-soaked terrace, bright and hot under the risen, blazing sun. Anthraxis was arid, and within moments of stepping out on the balcony, Kari could already feel the water beginning to evaporate from her skin, cooling her down a bit even in the sun. She stepped to the railing and looked over, and her hands gripped the rail in surprise. Morduri’s floor had to be almost two-thirds of the way up the tower, and the ground was far below them. Kari had looked out from such heights fairly often during the War, when her unit was stationed up in the Barrier Mountains, but to look down
from a balcony on a tower from such a height was something entirely different. The diminutive forms of demons walking down below was surreal.
Morduri sat in a carved stone chair and gestured for Kari to do likewise if she wished. She was dry after only minutes of standing in the sun and the arid heat, but the elestram king looked as though his fur might take a while. He leaned back and put his feet up on the railing, showing off his long, lean, muscular legs. Kari got the impression he could probably run for hours without stopping, making any hope of escaping the hunter slim at best. In the back of her mind, she wondered if it was only animals and game that he hunted, but despite the openness of their conversation thus far, Kari didn’t dare give voice to that curiosity.
“What’s your home like…Pataria, did you say it was?” Kari ventured after a few silent minutes passed between them. She was nervous being in the presence of a demon king, but only a little bit, now that she had the impression that Morduri wasn’t psychotic. Still, she felt out of place, and the longer and deeper the silence grew between them, the more Kari suspected she was overstaying her welcome.
The elestram turned his purple gaze to her after a moment, and the slight flick of his head to the side gave Kari the impression he was trying to figure out if she was really interested or just asking to have something to say. “As realms go, it’s fairly small; one can cross its length or breadth in little more than one of your weeks. Still, its terrain varies from corner to corner: the northwest, near Lord Arku’s realm of Si’Dorra, is hilly and covered in pines; the northeast is flat plain but begins to climb into steep hills as it approaches Lord Lestanaek’s realm of Ekkristis; the southeast is rolling, grassy hills and river valleys; and the southwest is open plains, mostly used as farmland.”
Farmland? Kari thought, stifling a laugh. She supposed again that it made sense that the demons would have to raise crops; if not for their own consumption, then for that of their food animals. Still, she tried to imagine any of the elestram, erestram, mallasti, valirasi, syrinthians, or even succubi that she had fought over the course of her career being farmers, and the corner of her mouth curled up in a laugh despite her efforts. Already she was learning so much, and with the new knowledge came a change in perspective: though they might be demons, these creatures had many of the same weaknesses and dependencies that the people of Citaria had. And all of that could one day prove quite useful, as common and seemingly unimportant as it might be to the “people” of Mehr’Durillia themselves.
“Are there any big cities in your realm?” she prodded, far more interested than her light tone hopefully made it seem.
“Only the capital city of Ruceria, where my father’s castle is,” Morduri answered with an airy gesture, as though he didn’t want to get into too many details. “I have not visited there since I inherited his throne some years ago. My mother does a sufficient job running the day to day affairs of the throne, leaving me to be a king among the people, rather than over the people.”
“Your mother’s still alive?” Kari asked. “But wouldn’t that mean–”
“There are no demon queens, Kari,” he interrupted. “Lady Koursturaux and,” he paused and coughed deliberately, “Lady Darkstorm did not inherit their thrones, or acquire them through marriage. They are kings, and you would do well to always remember that when you address or speak of either of them. If Lady Koursturaux takes a liking to you, you may be allowed to refer to her as The Crimson Queen, but if you make the mistake of referring to her as a queen in any other way or circumstance…well, let us just say it’s a mistake you’ll likely only make once, and certainly not more than twice.”
Kari made a mental note of the warning. “So your mother serves you?”
Morduri rose to his feet, and Kari got the distinct impression she had asked one question too many. “Yes. Despite being my mother, she is my subject, and she serves my court the same way she served my father’s. Now, I must ask you to leave so I may get ready for the day’s session. Touch the wall of the lift, and it will admit you. You needn’t do or say anything once inside; it will take you to the foyer on its own.”
Kari nodded. “Thank you for your time, Your Lordship,” she said formally, trying to end their meeting on the best possible terms.
Morduri didn’t extend any of the same niceties, but there was a graciousness in the way he bowed his head. Kari got dressed quickly and returned to the lift. Just as he had instructed, she opened it, and had no sooner stepped on the glyphed pad than she found herself in the foyer. She immediately cast her glance toward the staircases, intending to find her friends and go get something to eat, but a pair of nearly-glowing orange eyes caught her attention from across the opening in the floor.
Emma was across the way, speaking with what appeared to be an elf, but Kari knew that whatever the creature appeared to be, it was an incubus. Emma didn’t look directly at Kari, but the demonhunter had little doubt the mallasti saw her, and Kari wondered if the mallasti slave girl would try to avoid her. Despite her hunger and her desire to go over what she’d learned with her friends, Kari circled the open floor and made her way to Emma. As Kari drew near to her, the mallasti finally looked up, and the incubus, after glancing at Kari, took his leave.
Kari stepped before Emma, and her mind worked to reconcile the fact that Emma was taller than she was. For some reason, whenever Kari thought of the mallasti girl, she thought of her being small and insignificant in some way that was difficult to define. Kari knew that Emma was incredibly powerful, and that the strange perception she left in the minds of others might be some trick to conceal and thus intensify her power. Whatever the case, the mallasti girl stood straight when Kari faced her, folding her clawed, furry hands before her and then bowing her head ever so slightly.
“How may the Overking’s servant be of service?” Emma asked.
You know damned well how you can be of service, Kari thought, but she didn’t put it into those words. She remembered that Emma was telepathic to a degree, but there was no change in the stoic demeanor of the mallasti girl, so Kari wasn’t sure if Emma heard her thoughts. She decided to be tactful, and asked, “Why did you run away when I wanted to talk to you?”
Is this a conversation you want to have here and now? came the soft but still oddly-accented voice of the mallasti girl into Kari’s thoughts.
Just answer the question, Kari thought back, unsure if Emma would even “hear” her.
“This one is here to serve visitors to the Overking’s palace, not to answer questions,” Emma answered evenly. “Is there somewhere this one may guide or direct you to, or would you like to request a personal audience with His Majesty?”
“Is Lord Chinchala around?” Kari asked, suppressing a sigh.
Emma blinked slowly, though her facial expression didn’t change. “You will find it impossible to gain the attention of any of the kings so close to the start of the day’s session,” she said. “This one is otherwise unaware of the schedules or desires of the kings; she can arrange an audience only with her own Master.”
You’re beginning to really aggravate me, Kari thought.
Only just now? came Emma’s silent reply, and it was all Kari could do to not chortle and give away their private conversation.
“Well, what time does the session end?” Kari asked, trying to mask their telepathic chat to anyone paying attention. The foyer was mostly clear when Kari had returned from Morduri’s chambers, but now, the various retainers and scribes of the kings were filtering in, preparing to watch the meeting from above. And when and where can you and I talk?
“The session typically is brought to a close when the kings share the evening meal,” Emma answered in polite tones. “Many of them retire to their personal quarters after supper, but sometimes one can request a private meeting if the kings remain behind to play chess, to speak among themselves, or otherwise choose to stay on the meeting hall floor.”
Kari turned, walked over to the railing, and looked down onto the floor of the Meeting Hall. Mor
duri had made his way to the grand table in the short time since Kari had left him in his chambers, though he was the only king there so far. Kari’s thoughts were interrupted when Emma turned and walked away, but her reply finally came in typically silent fashion.
Lady Vanador, this one is not certain what you expect should we talk. The Master’s wants and desires are not things this one can or will share with you, and the answer to your initial question should be more than obvious. This one has a task to complete, and your own task is to stop her at all costs. The prospect of being captured means this one will do anything she must to remain free from you and your Order, just as you should be willing to do the same to remain free from the kings.
You know what I am? Kari prodded before the mallasti girl could get too far away.
This one knows that you are Salvation’s Dawn, came Emma’s reply. The question, Lady Vanador, is whether you truly understand what that means.
What do you mean? Kari asked, but this time there was no response. Emma disappeared around the far side of the foyer, and soon reappeared down below on the meeting hall floor, alongside a creature that made Kari’s breath catch.
In Kari’s mind, he immediately registered as a male version of King Koursturaux, but at the same time, she understood that he was so much more. This was undoubtedly the Overking, Emma’s master and the undisputed ruler of all of Mehr’Durillia. An imposing, stalwart figure of about eight feet in height, he looked much like Koursturaux, though his features were more angular, his horns rose upward instead of curving back, and his face was long and comprised of striking lines and deep-set golden eyes, and not black pools like those of his female counterpart. In the sureness and evenness of his stride, there was a majesty and a confidence that demanded Kari’s respect, and for some odd reason, she found herself nearly hypnotized by the sway of his ebon robe. It was all she could do to not drop to a knee just looking at him from a distance, and from the corner of her eye, she saw many around the perimeter genuflect toward him; apparently, it wasn’t just her.