Satan's Gambit (The Barrier War Book 3)

by Brian J Moses

  Garnet had managed not to cry during their initial reunion with Gerard and Trebor, but now his stoic face threatened to crack open as he wiped at his eyes.

  Mikal walked over to their group, and Birch had appeared from somewhere and walked at the Seraph’s side.

  “You said the war is going well?” Mikal asked earnestly.

  “Yes, holy Thanatos,” Gerard said, bowing deeply.

  Mikal scowled at him.

  “Don’t call me that,” the angel said angrily. “I am Mikal; Thanatos no longer and never again.”

  A powerful, melodic voice sounded from somewhere above them, “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that, old friend.”

  Michael looked up for the source of the musical voice, and saw another six-winged Seraph drifting down from the cloudy sky. He held aloft two people who looked vaguely familiar, but at such a great distance Michael couldn’t make out their faces well enough.

  Garnet, however, identified them immediately.

  “Anolla!” Garnet bellowed. “Bradley! What in San’s name do you think you’re doing here? Up there!”

  Almost immediately, Garet was on the scene, staring at his twin children aloft in the hands of a Seraph. “Satan’s teeth!” he cried. “Get down here, both of you!”

  “We’re not exactly steering him, dad,” Anolla called back.

  “Down! Now!” Garet roared.

  The angel who held their hands drifted slowly down and gently deposited the twins on the soft, white ground. They were immediately caught up in a rough embrace by both their father and older brother, and various swear words could be heard from within the emotional huddle.

  “Uriel, you’re here?” Mikal asked.

  “None other,” Uriel replied with a certain cockiness that reminded Michael of Flasch. He liked the newcomer immediately.

  “And the fact that you’ve come here with living mortals and are calling yourself Mikal once more gives me hope,” Uriel said, striding forward. He stopped short of the other angel and peered at him speculatively. “Is it misplaced, or have you come to see the truth?”

  “My eyes are clear, my friend,” Mikal said, and he quickly reached out to embrace the other angel. Uriel’s wings flared in momentary alarm, but they quickly settled as he returned the gesture.

  Flasch stared at them with a comical frown. He glanced at Trebor and ducked out from under his arm. “There is just way too much male hugging going on around here,” he said. “We’re all friends and all, but come on.”

  He then backed right into Garnet’s family, and the Red paladin quickly reached out and smacked Flasch upside the head. Flasch turned angrily, but his protest died unvoiced on his lips as he saw Anolla in the group. He snapped his jaw shut and quickly turned away, his cheeks slightly flushed.

  Mikal and Uriel separated and stared at each other appraisingly. Finally, Mikal drew his crystalline sword and held it out to Uriel. The intricately wrought hilt gleamed in the light of Heaven as though glad to be home and eager to be used.

  “This, I believe, is yours,” Mikal said.

  “That is a sword of death,” Uriel said, shaking his head. “I gave it up for a reason.”

  “And a good reason it was,” Birch said, stepping forward, “but it once had a purer purpose and now it’s lethal edge has another target. Demons have invaded the holy plane, and the Sword of Light will sing in justice and exact the price of their folly from their hides.”

  “Who…” Uriel stared at Birch with a perplexed expression. His eyes widened when he saw the flames dancing in the depths of Birch’s gaze. “How do you know the sword’s name? And who… what are you?”

  “Long ago you named the sword after yourself, Light of God,” Birch said with a smile, “a presumption for which we mocked you mercilessly. Only the six of us ever used that name.”

  “The six…” Uriel whispered.

  “Look at him, Uriel,” Mikal urged him. “Can you not recognize our old friend?”

  Uriel stared intently at Birch and looked unflinchingly into his eyes.

  “Kaelus?” he said in amazement. “Is that you? Inside a mortal host?”

  Birch nodded.

  “We have much to discuss,” the Gray paladin said. “Much indeed.”

  - 2 -

  Despite Garet and Garnet’s anxiety about the presence of the twins, Anolla and Bradley brought vital information and a necessary relief to the members of Shadow Company. They confirmed that most of the women and youths who had accompanied them to the Binding had escaped the demon ambush, thanks to the efforts of the paladins and Moreen. Garet was relieved that Nuse and James were among the five paladins who had survived, even as he mourned the loss of Atalik, the Orange paladin whom they’d seen fall. Brican had already pulled the news of Caeesha’s safety from Brad’s mind, but he smiled in thanks when the twins told him.

  “We saw Alicia get away,” Anolla told Danner, who closed his eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks for her safety. A few feet away, that prayer was echoed by Marc, who was doubly thankful that both Janice and his sister had both gotten away safely. Danner almost felt guilty, knowing that so many others had died while he was relieved over the safety of his beloved. The conversation moved on and everyone ignored him as he stared morosely into the distance.

  “It’s a natural reaction,” Trebor said, placing a hand on Danner’s shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. You’ve carried enough guilt for far too long.”

  “Trebor… I…” Danner’s throat tightened and he couldn’t force any more words out.

  “Danner, I don’t blame you at all,” the denarae said. “The heat of battle takes us all. Heaven knows I was incensed myself at the sight of what those demons were doing, and so I can understand what came over you. It happened,” he said with a shrug.

  Danner’s mouth worked silently as he tried to straighten out the conflicting thoughts and emotions in his head.

  “And besides,” Trebor continued with a pleasant smile, “I’ve come here, to Heaven. How could I possibly regret leaving my life under any circumstances when I have this wonderful, beautiful place surrounding me?”

  Danner stared at him in perplexity.

  “You’re serious?” he asked.

  Trebor nodded enthusiastically.

  “You’ll see when you get around some more,” he said. “It’s a wonderful, peaceful place here.”

  Peaceful? Danner thought. Isn’t there a war going on?

  Trebor frowned and shook his head as though ridding it of an unwelcome thought, then his smile came back.

  “Am I interrupting anything?”

  Danner looked over his shoulder and saw Brican standing behind him, a slightly wooden smile on his face.

  “No, not at all,” Trebor said. “Come, join us, cousin.”

  Trebor and Brican almost immediately started reminiscing about family, so Danner’s attention quickly wandered. Across the fire, Garnet and his father were talking with Gerard Morningham, who smiled at some comment Garet had just made. Danner shifted a little so he could hear the trio more clearly.

  “I must tell you,” Gerard was saying to Garnet, “I was very pleased with how you handled Malith after my death. He was a truly vile man, and I’m glad he received justice.”

  “The bastard killed you, Gerard,” Garet said in irritated wonder. “I’d have thought you’d have a bit more to say about him than that.”

  “Why?” Gerard asked. “It’s over with, it’s passed.”

  “True enough,” Garnet said. He looked up and caught Danner staring at him. He shifted his eyes deliberately toward Brican, and a second later Danner received a kythed summons routed through their denarae friend.

  “I’ll hand off Trebor with some of the company and meet you all in a second,” Brican told Danner. “Garnet wants current Shadow Company officers to meet over where the dakkans are resting.”

  Danner frowned at the emphasis on “current” members, but complied with the order without comment. He excused
himself and quickly made his way to the area where most of the dakkans were bedding down.

  - 3 -

  It was still light outside, and Mikal had told them that would never change. There was no “night” in Heaven, because angels and the blessed dead didn’t need to sleep. Occasionally they entered a dormant state, but it was independent of a day-night cycle. Already they’d slept once since crossing the Binding, and they used gnomish time-clocks to keep track of the hours. When it was time to sleep, those who couldn’t ignore the light either draped their cloaks over their heads or else covered their eyes with makeshift blindfolds.

  A wave of manure smell drifted past Danner as he approached the dakkans, and he was reminded that while none of them truly had to eat while on the immortal plane, they had brought enough provisions to last for months if they ate sparingly. No matter the convenience of not needing to eat, there was something comfortable and… mortal about taking the time out to consume a meal.

  Unfortunately, in the dakkans’ case especially, there were some unavoidable results, the most pungent of which Danner had just experienced first-hand.

  “Lovely place you chose for our little meeting, Garnet,” Flasch complained as everyone gathered.

  “You’d rather be somewhere else?” Garnet asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Good, so will everyone else, which will ensure us a few moments of privacy,” Garnet pointed out.

  “Damn your logic,” Flasch muttered.

  Guilian and Brican were the last two to show up, and both men wrinkled their noses as they came closer, but neither commented.

  “So what’s all this about?” Marc asked.

  “There’s something wrong here,” Garnet said. “Most of you have probably noticed it, too, but I can’t seem to put my finger on what it is.”

  “Trebor and Gerard are acting a little strange,” Brican said.

  “Especially Gerard,” Michael said, frowning. “I felt it right away, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out what it is.”

  “Gerard hasn’t sworn once since he’s been here,” Guilian said quietly. They all stared at him in amazement.

  “Thank you,” Michael practically exploded.

  “Dear God, you’re right,” Danner said fighting back a laugh. “I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that. Gerard not cursing?”

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t exploded yet,” Flasch said, grinning.

  “It may not be a laughing matter,” Marc said seriously. Six pairs of eyes shifted to look at the Orange paladin.

  “What do you mean?” Garnet asked.

  “Look, we all know Gerard firsthand,” Marc said, “and the five of us know him even better than you two,” he said, indicating the two denarae, who hadn’t trained to be paladins under the abrasive Red. “I don’t know what it signifies that he won’t or can’t curse, but I do know that is not the man we knew. He’s so pleasant and relaxed, it’s like they’re not even really aware there’s a war going on. It’s creepy. And he acted almost subservient to Mikal when he first saw him. He and Trebor both practically bow when one of the angels comes anywhere near them.”

  “That sort of creeped me out, too,” Brican said. “Anolla and Bradley mentioned something about when they first met Uriel that caught my attention. I asked Uriel about it, and he said most of the angels think of the blessed dead as lesser beings, and the dead souls tend to take that sort of role with the immortals. He said…”

  “I said,” Uriel said, appearing from behind a group of dakkans, “that it was refreshing to speak to mortals who didn’t bow all the time and who could still think for themselves.”

  Marc snapped his fingers and pointed at Uriel.

  “Yes,” the Seraph said sadly, “you’re right.”

  “What?” Michael asked, staring from one to the other.

  “That’s what’s wrong with Gerard and Trebor,” Marc said. “They’re not thinking for themselves, at least not totally. It’s like all their negative thoughts and feelings have been wiped away.”

  “Suppressed, to be more accurate,” Uriel said, “by Maya. And it’s more than just their thoughts, it’s their ability to choose or act differently. She has suppressed their free will somehow. Her influence grows every day, it seems, and even my Archangels have succumbed. Right now nearly every being in Heaven is under her sway, be they mortal souls or immortal angels. You saw what she did to Mikal.”

  They all nodded soberly.

  “That’s what it’s like everywhere here,” the seraphim said. “One of the blessed dead, an Orange paladin, has been interviewing the recently dead souls and has confirmed the worst of my fears, that Mikal was murdering innocents. He’s also looked into the state-of-mind of the blessed dead, and because of Vander, I’ve been able to keep careful track of events here. He’s no doubt as much under Maya’s sway as the rest, but until recently she hasn’t hindered his reports to me.”

  “Vander,” Danner said slowly, “Vander Wayland?”

  Uriel nodded.

  “He was a companion of my uncle while he was hunting The Three,” Danner said.

  “Vander’s here?” Marc asked in excitement. “Well, of course he would be. Why didn’t I think of that before?”

  Flasch murmured something about having a wild guess, but the Orange paladin either didn’t hear him or else just ignored his friend.

  “Where is he?” Marc asked. “I’ve got so much I want to ask him.”

  Uriel shook his head. “I lost contact with him several days ago, and from several hints Maya has dropped, I believe she’s imprisoned him somewhere within Medina. The city is too immense and labyrinthine for me to ever find him by myself, and I can’t spare the time or resources away from the war.”

  Marc looked crestfallen.

  “So many things she has to answer for,” Uriel said grimly, “the foremost offense is her dampening of the mortal right to choose. I don’t know why she’s done it, she’ll only tell me it’s for some greater good. She’s proclaimed herself the Metatron.”

  “The Voice of God?” Marc exclaimed. “There’s never actually been a Metatron, has there?”

  “Maya seems to think she’s always been it,” Uriel said, “she’s just only now been given permission to proclaim it to the rest of us. Unfortunately, she’s got so much power there’s no one capable of standing up to her, at least not if they want to survive the experience.”

  They stared at each other silently for a moment.

  “Well,” Flasch said at last, “we’re going to Medina now, aren’t we?”

  Garnet nodded.

  “So we confront her,” Flasch said. “We’ve got you and Mikal, and we’ve got Danner and Birch, or Kaelus, I guess. Well, both, really, since Birch has that demon āyus, too.”

  “He what?” Uriel exclaimed.

  “Schneik,” Flasch muttered.

  Garnet glared at Flasch, but turned to Uriel and explained. “During the Barrier War, Birch was fatally wounded and may have even crossed the point of death. Kaelus gave him a sliver of his āyus, which bonded to Birch and brought him back. Now Birch has the essence of a demon as a part of him, much the way that Danner has an angelic āyus.”

  “I was told about you,” Uriel said, looking at Danner, “but Kaelus seems to have left out a few rather important details. If you’ll excuse me, I may need to saw down that demon’s horns before they get too big for his head.”

  They all stared at him a moment, then Michael and Flasch both laughed aloud.

  Uriel spread his wings and leapt into the air. They saw him soaring above the camp, peering about in search of Birch and the demon housed within him.

  “I didn’t think angels knew how to joke,” Marc said in amazement.

  Danner cleared his throat.

  “Oh, not you, Danner,” Marc said, “but you know what I mean. Mikal’s about as funny as a stick in the mud. Kaelus doesn’t have a whole lot of personality either, for all that they’re both nice enough.”

  “You have to
admit,” Michael said, “our first-hand experience with real immortals is rather limited.”

  Danner looked insulted.

  “Oh, sorry, Danner, you know what I meant.”

  “Enough,” Garnet said shortly. “Look, I don’t care if immortals are a laugh a minute or duller than spots on cows. Uriel brought up a very important point, and it raised a couple hard questions. We’ve always thought we’d be coming here as welcome warriors, appreciated and even thanked for our sacrifice and presence. But if the blessed dead are being treated as second-class around here, where does that leave us? If the dead are being influenced to be nice and pleasant, how is that going to affect us?”

  Garnet looked significantly at Marc, who frowned in thought and shrugged.

  “Here’s how we do this,” Garnet said. “We keep an eye on each other, watching for changes in behavior or signs of… undue pleasantness,” Garnet said with a wry twist of his mouth. “Shadow Company watches everyone. We watch our companies, and we watch each other. Anyone starts stopping to smile and watch the pretty sky, clout him over the head and start an argument or something. Understood? Agreed?”

  “Yes sir,” they said in quiet chorus.

  “You know,” Brican said dryly, “this trip just keeps getting better and better. When this whole war is over, I may just have to slit my wrists and come back for a little vacation.”

  Chapter 19

  “We must have their numbers, and so they must die. And yet suicide is a mortal sin, and being thus refused they would war on the side of our enemies. No, it is terrible, but we must have their strength. We must kill them for the greater good. It is necessary.”

  - Maya (recounted by Mikal),

  “Collected Accounts from the Pandemonium War”

  - 1 -

  Two days later, the expedition reached the city of Medina, jewel of the angels, beautiful wonder of the immortal plane, and the lone city in Heaven.

  Crystal spires soared toward the clouds overhead, and the tallest towers were lost from sight as they pierced the omnipresent cloud cover. The outer walls of most buildings were built from shimmering white angelstone, while other buildings were constructed solely of the iridescent crystal seen across the heavenly landscape. No building was less than ten stories, and most were at least thirty. Balconies and upper-story doorways were common in a city designed for angels, while bridges and upper-level walkways were primarily for decoration. The city was laid out in seven empyreans,[19] all radiating out from the center, where lay the Hall of the Throne.