by Joe Jackson
“That I killed more of them than you? Or that I did it faster and with less effort?” she challenged him. “Maybe you’re just used to me being useless, so seeing me help and contribute has you confused?”
“Sonja,” Aeligos piped in. “Don’t talk like that. No one has ever thought you were useless.”
There was a quiet pause, and Erik strode up to stand nearly face-to-face with his sister. There was fury in her eyes, and he wondered where it had come from. It wasn’t even that their father had joined them, because Erik had seen the hardness and furor in his sister’s expression before they’d even engaged the necromancers. It was possible the number and condition of the animated dead had triggered her sudden anger, but Sonja had always been so much better at controlling her emotions than this. Erik worried it was the arcane power that was changing her.
“Look, don’t take this the wrong way, Sonja,” he said carefully, gesturing for her to remain calm. That only seemed to irritate her further, and Erik wondered why telling someone to calm down always seemed to have the opposite effect. “I just…Sonja, you were so hesitant to ever kill anyone, even during the Apocalypse! You were always the one trying to find the easier, non-violent solution, and making every effort not to have to kill anyone if you could help it. But what the hell happened back there?”
“I was never strong enough to really help during the War,” she said. “You were trained to fight – all of you except Grakin – and I felt completely useless. At least he was able to patch us all up and keep us going. All I had were parlor tricks and a half-assed proficiency with a sword, and like you said, I hardly ever killed anything.”
“Sonja, being willing to kill people isn’t strength,” Erik said. “It’s a burden; what you might call a necessary evil. I don’t like killing people, but sometimes, it’s what we’ve got to do to protect others. But…I don’t know how else to say this, but what you did back there wasn’t justice. That was vengeance. I can’t argue with your results, but you didn’t do that to protect people. You did it because you were furious.”
“Of course I was furious!” she shouted. “I’m tired of chasing down people that hurt and kill on a whim! And after he…after…oh, gods.”
Sonja fell to her knees, her eyes shut tight and her hands pressed firmly to her temples. The others hesitated, but Erik and Aeligos both crouched down beside her and touched her on the shoulders to try to comfort her. Tears flowed freely down the length of Sonja’s snout, and Erik wondered what was torturing her. He knew he’d missed a lot between her trip to the underworld and the encounter with Taesenus, but there was no way for him to fully understand what she was going through. Sonja was empathic, and possibly slightly telepathic, and she saw and felt things no one else did. The battles and the trials Erik and his siblings went through had to weigh much more heavily upon his sister, and only now was she giving any indication of that.
“Sonja, what’s wrong?” he asked softly.
“That’s how he killed her,” she whispered, fresh tears following their predecessors down the tracks upon her snout. “That was how he killed her.”
“Who?”
Sonja sniffled loudly and let out a low growl, but after a few more moments, she took a deep breath, her emotions seemingly under control. “Sekassus,” she said. “That was how he killed the mallasti girl we traveled with. He tore her in half, and I thought it was a fitting way to repay those necromancers for their evil. But now I’m a monster, just like him. I wish I had never learned to use this stupid ‘gift’ in the first place.”
“Don’t say that,” Aeligos said.
“You’re not a monster, Sonja. We all make mistakes. Come on, look at me and think about how I first got to know Kari,” he said. That worked; there was a twinge in the corners of Sonja’s eyes and mouth, and then she let out a single, biting chuckle. “You have a wonderful, powerful gift, but that gift comes with a lot of responsibility. I know you’re not one of us and you’re not under my command, but try to keep our motto in mind: Love justice, but do mercy.”
“I’m sorry,” Sonja said.
“You don’t have to apologize,” Erik returned, but she shook her head.
“No, I do,” she countered. “Maybe I should return home. I don’t want to be a danger to the rest of you, and if I get tempted to unleash my arcane power, I may do just that.”
“That you even recognize the issue is already a large part of solving it,” Corbanis said from behind Erik. “We need you, Sonja. Keep your mind on protecting first, and you’ll do what you need to without letting hatred get the better of you.”
Aeligos looked at their father over Erik’s shoulder, but the rogue’s expression softened and he didn’t spit out any retorts. “We need you, Sonja,” the rogue said to his sister. “Come on, only you can give us an idea of what we’re going to be dealing with before it’s upon us. Cast up your eagle eye enchantment again, and let’s track down this demon.”
Sonja took in a deep breath and let it out in a loud sigh. “All right,” she said, and Erik and Aeligos helped her to her feet. Her eyes began to glow golden again, and she shifted her gaze side to side. “There’s another small farming community smoldering ahead, but it doesn’t look like there’s any dead in the area. I don’t see the Tilcimer, but I can sense its presence; it was there recently, perhaps last night, and continued west.”
“Atta girl,” Erik said, clapping her shoulder. She shook away the eagle eye enchantment, and the group continued forward. Katarina laid her hand on Sonja’s shoulder as they walked, and Erik saw the two women exchange smiles.
As Sonja had described, there was another small farming village, but though there were signs of fire and destruction, there were no bodies. A quick search of the village turned up no dead or undead whatsoever, which had Erik concerned. Was it possible the Tilcimer had allied itself with some of the necromancers and now had an army in its wake? It seemed unlikely; all the signs of struggle around the village pointed to a flight rather than a fight.
“The villagers seem to have fled south, by the tracks,” Gabrius said. He had dismounted and was kneeling down in the grass on the southern edge of the village. “It would seem they had advance warning of what was coming, likely from the previous plumes of smoke to the east.”
“Good,” Erik said, but he turned when Katarina came riding up hard behind him.
“Erik, there’s an armed force coming this way from the north, but I think it may be one of the baronies’ garrisons,” the paladin said. “It’s probably best if you and Corbanis come out with me to meet them, so they know we’re not the attackers.”
Erik glanced at his father, who nodded and pulled his dog tags out to sit over his chest. Erik did the same, but turned to his siblings and Gabrius first. “Sonja – keep checking to see if you can spot the Tilcimer or update us on its direction. Jol– protect Sonja while her eyes are elsewhere. Aeligos and Gabrius – check the houses and see if you can find any evidence that there’s anyone or anything else either helping the Tilcimer or following in its path,” he ordered.
The others went to do as they were told, and Erik and his father strode out of the north end of the village on either side of Katarina’s horse. He tried not to laugh at the thought of what he and his father walking out of a recently-burned town might look like to a predominantly human garrison. Certainly, a pair of half-demons that were six-foot-eight and six-foot-ten, armed, and armored would give just about anyone pause, no matter what Serenjols might have to say about them being “serilian-rir now.”
Katarina hailed the squad of soldiers from a good distance, and they slowed and returned her hand gesture before their final approach. Whoever had sent them was taking no chances; there were twenty-five footmen in steel breastplates over leathers, each carrying a pike, with a longsword at their hip and lightweight shields on their backs. They were led by a single officer on horseback, and he was apparently important enough to wear banded mail with decorative spaulders and a winged helm. The officer brought his
men to a halt, and he sat astride his horse for a minute, scrutinizing Erik and his companions.
Erik stepped forward but kept a respectable distance, and he saluted the officer in the typical demonhunter way. Corbanis followed suit, and Katarina dismounted and stood beside them. Once he got a good look at them and their dog tags, the officer ordered his men to wait at ease. He dismounted as well, approaching Erik and his companions, and the human officer took off his winged helm to reveal short, graying hair, with a beard to match. His eyes were dark brown and intense, and his posture while wearing the heavy armor suggested he held himself with a great deal of dignity.
“Identify yourselves, please,” the officer said. Despite the demanding nature of the request, he kept his tone light and respectful.
“Erijinkor Tesconis, Demon Slayer, by Zalkar’s Grace,” Erik said with another salute.
“Corbanis Tesconis, Devil Slayer, by Zalkar’s Grace,” his father intoned with a salute of his own.
“Katarina Moreville, a paladin under–”
“Earl Lajere, yes,” the officer said with a brief smile. “I am Lord Jeremy Tyler. I own a good portion of the farmland this village maintains, and grew concerned when I saw the smoke on my own lands. What can you tell me about what’s going on, hunters?”
Erik looked to his father, but Corbanis simply returned his stare, content to let Erik do the talking despite outranking him. “Strange as it sounds, my lord, we’re chasing a single demon,” Erik said. “We’re tracking it westward, though from what we can tell, it’s not headed toward any of the major cities. But these farmlands and the people working them may be in danger until we can confront the demon.”
“What are your recommendations?” the baron asked.
Corbanis spoke up. “Evacuate your people into the most defensible positions you can,” he said. “Send messengers to your neighbors and advise them to do the same, and keep your lines of communication open. We’re chasing this thing west, but it’s extremely fast, and there’s no guarantee it won’t double back past us and return this way.”
“As you say,” the noble said with a grateful bow of his head. He stepped past the three warriors, took off his leather riding gloves, and gestured toward the village. “How bad are the casualties?”
“There aren’t any, so far as we’ve seen,” Erik answered. “It looks like your people saw what was coming and fled south before it got here. You may be best served going that way and escorting them to safety.”
Lord Tyler nodded and blew out what had to be a grateful sigh. Corbanis asked him, “What news do you have, my lord?”
“Not much that will be of help to you, I’m afraid,” he answered. He turned and gestured his men to follow. One took the reins of his horse, the others fell into formation and marched behind the two demonhunters, the paladin, and the noble as they made their way to the village. “The reports I have received suggest that this creature, if it is indeed only one, had little success trying to attack the walled city of Bantry to the north. It does, however, pose a significant risk to unprotected villages, or to even superior forces caught out in the open. Earl Pendergast was slain out in the open, even with his honor guard with him. I believe many of my fellow barons have lost some smaller units that were caught outside the cities, and, as you can see, a few of our villages have been burned. You say it is a demon? Is it one of Seril’s, or from the underworld?”
Erik deferred to his father. “We’re not even sure, my lord,” Corbanis answered. “My wife and I hunted one of these many years ago; we thought it was a unique creature, but that is obviously not the case. It seems only vaguely like any of Seril’s other creations, though, so as to who exactly created it, I cannot say for certain.”
“Is that your wife there?” Lord Tyler asked, pointing into the village.
Corbanis laughed. “No, that’s our daughter,” he answered. “My wife is in DarkWind.”
The baron laughed as well. “My apologies.”
The others approached, and quick introductions were made. Gabrius explained what he had found in the tracks, and Lord Tyler was able to infer where the villagers would have fled to. He offered his soldiers to help chase the demon, but Erik knew it was a token gesture more than anything else. The extra soldiers would only slow them down, and the baron needed them to help safeguard the villagers when he found them. He politely refused the offer, and directed Gabrius and Katarina to mount up and prepare to leave.
“We should get moving; we’re already far behind this thing,” Erik said. He turned to Sonja. “Any updates on our target?”
“It’s out of my range, but that means it hasn’t doubled back, at least,” she answered.
“That’s good,” Erik said. “Gabrius, Katarina: you two take point, about a hundred yards ahead.”
“And remember, the Tilcimer moves incredibly fast, so if you think you see it, return to us as quickly as possible,” Corbanis said. “It will be difficult enough to confront it here in the open, but if we are spread out, we’re doomed.”
“By your leave, my lord,” Erik said.
Lord Tyler smiled and gestured for them to go. “Don’t wait upon me; you’ve important work to be done. Go with the gods.”
They continued westward, and were able to cover a fair amount of ground before night fell and the horses had to be rested. They had encountered a few travelers headed north toward Bantry, but none of them had seen any sign of the Tilcimer. Katarina and Gabrius were both tired, so they opted against walking the horses a little farther, and instead built a camp. Erik was hopeful that Sherman and Sharyn would return to them before long, but he wasn’t sure they could make up ground any faster than the rest of the group.
Content after their fill of dinner, Erik looked around at his companions. Aeligos had been unusually quiet since their father joined them, and Erik wished he could corner his brother alone and ask him what the issue was. He was hesitant to cause another scene in front of Gabrius and Katarina, but he wondered if his father might be willing to talk. Erik wanted to clear the air between his family, and the split between their parents was still a dark shadow that shrouded everything else in awkwardness.
“Hey dad, can I ask you something?” he ventured.
Corbanis was oiling the joints of his armor with some direction from Serenjols, but he looked up, his brows raised. “Of course,” he said.
“Why did you let mom leave?”
The crackle of the fire and the soft sound of the wind through the grass were the only sounds for what felt like an hour. After staring into the fire, Corbanis went back to oiling the joints of his armor. He shook his head briefly, sighed, and said, “I didn’t let your mother do anything. She walked out on me. There was no discussion. There was no second chance. She up and left, and chasing her down wasn’t an option with the six of you to take care of.”
“But you two were fighting for a long time,” Erik countered, trying not to sound too condescending or accusatory. “What was it all about? Were there just too many of us?”
Corbanis straightened out and pointed a finger right at his son’s face. “No. Stop that right there. What happened between us was between us; it had nothing to do with any of you,” he said, and he looked around at each of his children. “All right? Are we clear about that? Your mother and I split because of our differences, not because of you or anything any of you ever did. You were just…the unfortunate victims.”
“I know I wasn’t a great father,” he continued, putting down his breastplate. He took his sword out of its scabbard with a distinctive and dramatic ring, and laid it across his lap. His blue eyes fell over each of his children again, and he added, “But I can tell you this much: when I look at each of you, and what you’ve become, I know I wasn’t a complete failure. I am proud of all of you, and I hope you know that. As a father, I could not ask for better children.”
“Amen to that,” Katarina said, and her declaration drew a few chuckles from Erik’s three siblings. Gabrius smiled, but didn’t add anythin
g to the conversation.
“I’d still like to know what it was,” Erik said, and his sentiments were echoed by Sonja and Aeligos. Serenjols didn’t seem too intent on dredging up old memories or prying into their parents’ affairs, but then Erik had to remind himself that his brother had only become talkative at all in the last few months.
Corbanis sighed, and began polishing the already-gleaming blade of his sword. Erik had to take a moment to admire the weapon. Its name was the Edge of the Victor, and was given to Corbanis as a gift, presumably after he and their mother had killed the first Tilcimer. The edge of the sword sprouted a short flame in a brilliant shade of the pantheon’s blue when there were demons present, whether “true” demons, serilis-rir, or the creatures of the “underworld,” even if what Kari had said about those was factual. While it wasn’t crafted by Terx – the harmauth smith who armed the celestials – it was an amazing weapon, and well-known amongst the ranks of the Demonhunter Order.
“The short answer is Kaelariel,” he said at last, which clearly confused everyone else in the camp. “It’s hard to explain. You have to bear in mind, the Kaelariel we know now hasn’t always been the way we think of him, and there was a lot of suspicion amongst much of our pantheon – and especially the Koryonite pantheon – in the years leading up to the Apocalypse. Kaelariel was mixed up with several of the underworld demon kings, and his relationship with Celigus Chinchala was always of great concern to Zalkar. Even after the Fifth Demon War, and leading up to the Apocalypse, there was always nagging doubt among some of the gods that Kaelariel was going to turn traitor or usurp his father’s throne.”
Sonja scoffed. “That’s ridiculous,” she said.
“It’s easy to say that now,” Corbanis countered. “But Kaelariel walked a dark road for parts of his life, and his involvement with the demon kings was much more damning before the Apocalypse. When his mate was killed and he fell into despair for a time, we didn’t know if he’d ever be the same. And we didn’t always trust him to begin with, so it was a tense time for all of us, especially those of us in the Order. Bear in mind, the only ‘proof’ anyone had before the Fifth Demon War that Kaelariel was what we wanted him to be was the ancient prophecy of a blue-eyed demon. That prophecy had been foiled before, with the guardian demon Erijinkor. Even after Gori Sensullu acknowledged Kaelariel as his son, he still walked that dark path and treated with demon kings. So we had to wonder if the prophecy was real, or if we were trying to force it to happen as written.”