Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan)

by Langland, J.

  "Not my friend." Damien corrected his bard.

  Chapter 64

  "My book!" Lenamare exclaimed grabbing the book right out of Jenn's hand. Almost the first question out of the man's mouth when he'd seen them was, "Where's my book, girl?" Not, "Hi, glad to see your still alive," but rather "where's my book?" Edwyrd had to admit, he didn't like the way the man treated humans any better than he liked the way the man treated demons.

  The summoning at dawn had proven no problem. They'd come through on schedule with no problem. Jenn had sobbed with joy and hugged Rupert, before yelling at him for running off. After they'd gotten such amenities out of the way, they'd proceeded across the plane to the city gates.

  They'd gotten there just as the gates were opening. The guards had questioned them about their business in the city fairly carefully. Actually, Maelen had told them the guards wouldn't have cared at all except that they were bringing a demon in. Tizzy had presented something of a problem.

  The demon had had no desire to wait outside, and couldn't just fly over the walls due to some sort of wards on them. Thus he'd been forced to accompany the party. They'd decided they'd pass him off as Gastropé's slave. Gastropé had donned a cloak, and Tizzy carried the tail of it above the ground. The guards, naturally, were leery of the demon, but seemed to have no major objections. As long as Gastropé signed in with his full name and promised to report his and his demon's whereabouts to the city constable each day.

  After that they'd marched down the main street of the city and up to the Council's Palace in the center. It was actually a remarkable place. It was, to all intents and purposes, a large fortress composed of nearly a hundred towers of various shapes and sizes. There were several large cathedral-like buildings between towers, as well as just long buildings connecting the whole thing into a single edifice. It was certainly the largest building Edwyrd had seen in Astlan. Also given the sheer area it encompassed on the ground, it would probably count as the largest building he personally had ever been in.

  They'd walked in and up to a central information desk. Jenn had asked the elf, Edwyrd was certain the being could be nothing else, where they might find Lenamare. Surprisingly enough, the elf didn't even have to look that up. He knew immediately where Lenamare's quarters were. Thus wasting no time they'd followed the elf's directions and soon found themselves knocking on Lenamare's door.

  Edwyrd had wondered about such lax security. The front desks in all large buildings he was familiar with required ID’s to get into. Although he supposed one would have to be pretty sure of oneself to walk up and knock on Lenamare’s door.

  The wizard had opened it himself. He'd taken one look at Jenn and shouted, "Jehenna!" The woman had come up to the door behind Lenamare. Lenamare stepped out of the way, indicating they should enter. They did and Lenamare quickly shut the door behind them. It was at that point, he'd demanded, "Where's my book, girl?"

  Jenn, apparently as shocked as the rest of them by the greeting, had simply reached into her robe and pulled the book out. She tried to hand it to Lenamare. He grabbed it out of her hand, saying, "My book!" Jehenna also was staring intently at the book. For a few moments both of them ignored the rest of their guests as they hungrily examined the book to verify its existence.

  Jehenna sighed and looked at Jenn. "Girl. I am so happy to see this book safe back in our possession, that I am willing to overlook the fact that you caused the whole problem in the first place."

  "Me?" Jenn asked shocked.

  "Certainly you," Jehenna said unemotionally, "if you hadn't switched your adolescent scribblings with this book, we'd have never lost it. You don't know how Lenamare and I have worried and fretted over this book." Jenn just opened and shut her mouth a couple of times, speechless.

  "You’re damn lucky to get this book back to us, Jenn." Lenamare said. "More people than you can imagine would be more than willing to kill you for it."

  "Kill me for it?" Jenn asked in a small voice, nearly dazed out of her mind by the reception.

  "Certainly, Exador to name only one." Jehenna stated.

  "Exador?" Jenn said weakly.

  "Not to mention, I don't know how you avoided the archdemon."

  "Archdemon?" Jenn looked about ready to faint. Both Edwyrd and Gastropé propped her up with their hands.

  "Certainly." Jehenna stated matter-of-factly, "Trisfelt has reported to us most reliably, that as we speak there is an archdemon advancing on Freehold with its horde."

  "Intent on this book, I guarantee you." Lenamare stated. "You don't know how lucky you are to get it to us where we can keep it safe."

  "If either had caught you, this book would have been forfeit. Your life as well, of course." Jehenna told her. Edwyrd had to swallow; he could imagine what was running through Jenn's mind. Exador's people had caught her. It was only blind luck Rupert had grabbed the book back. Further given Jenn's opinions on demons she couldn't like the idea of an archdemon hunting for the book.

  Edwyrd wasn't sure what an archdemon was, but he'd heard himself referred to as a greater demon, an archdemon must be like a fifth order demon or so. He really wouldn't have wanted to meet one of those on the road. That would have been unpleasant to say the least. Much worse than the Rod. He wondered where the archdemon was and what it would do when it got to Freehold.

  Lenamare and Jehenna both seemed to notice the rest of the party at the same time. They looked at Rupert, who they recognized. The rest of the party they didn't know and were frowning over. "Who are your friends, girl?" Jehenna asked. She was staring at Tizzy most intently.

  "Uhm," Jenn could hardly think she was so stunned, so Edwyrd spoke up.

  "I'm Edwyrd, Rupert's cousin." He stuck out his hand. Both Lenamare and Jehenna just stared at him coldly, making no move to take it. Needing to do something with it, he pointed to the others. "This is Maelen a Seer and Healer," Maelen nodded coldly. Edwyrd pointed to Gastropé, "This is the wizard Gastropé who we encountered and was of great assistance in returning. And that's his demon." He pointed last to Tizzy. He didn't want to give Lenamare any indication of Tizzy's name, full or not.

  The two simply stared at them for a moment. "Seer and Healer, hmm?" Jehenna said turning her attention to Maelen. Maelen stared her straight in the eyes. Neither blinked. Finally, Lenamare intervened as it began to look like it would go on forever.

  "Yes, well. We can always use another lightning bolt in the fray that's coming," he nodded to Gastropé. "And healers are always welcome in a battle." He stepped so as to block the stares between Jehenna and Maelen. Maelen nodded to him. "Rupert is one of ours of course. Do you do anything useful?" He asked Edwyrd.

  Edwyrd had really had it with this asshole. He nearly turned to flame right then and there and gave the guy a bear hug, but he restrained himself, somehow. He frowned at Lenamare and said very sternly, "I am not without my own...talents." While Lenamare might be a super-powerful wizard, and Edwyrd a sixteen year old boy, Tom was a greater demon who'd gone head to head with Lenamare before and made the man sweat. He wasn't going to be intimidated at this point.

  Whatever Lenamare saw or heard was apparently sufficient for he shrugged and said, "Very well, I'm sure we'll find uses for your...talents. I'll arrange rooms for you. I suppose at the same time I should see about some for Trisfelt and his students. They'll be arriving sometime in the next few days."

  Perhaps an hour later, Lenamare had gotten them rooms. Nothing quite so fancy as Lenamare's own, of course. However, still much nicer than what they'd had on the ship. As on the ship after the battle, it was once again two to a room. Rupert and Edwyrd took one, Gastropé and Maelen another. Jenn got one of her own. Tizzy got shoved in with Gastropé and Maelen, since he was theoretically Gastropé’s demon. The rooms were in a part of the palace that was about fifteen minutes’ walk from Lenamare's quarters. Edwyrd did not object too much to the close proximity, he figured it could have been worse; it could have been a lot closer.

  As they left Lenamare with a steward t
o show them the way, Lenamare told them that he'd expect them for dinner in the evening and would send someone for them. After they were out of sight, Jenn had remarked "How generous of him to allow us to dine with him. Maybe then he'll bother to ask how Rupert and I managed to survive being abandoned by his girlfriend." She just shook her head. Edwyrd felt about the same way.

  The steward showed them to their rooms and gave them directions to the closest cafeteria where they could charge food to their rooms and Lenamare’s account. Jenn smiled at that, obviously planning for a feast.

  After they settled into their rooms, deciding to get some long deserved rest. Rupert jumped in his bed, smiling at Edwyrd. "Thanks again for the flying lesson, Father. I really enjoyed them." Rupert seemed a bit tired, and ready to close his eyes at any moment.

  "Me too." Edwyrd smiled back. He, of course, was not the least bit tired. He leaned back in his bed anyway. He didn't have much else to do. Actually, he could think about strategies, he supposed. If an archdemon was coming, guess who'd get shoved into battle. Not to mention the Rod. They'd still probably have to deal with them. At least for the moment they were in a slightly safer position.

  Edwyrd supposed he should practice some of his demonic abilities. For one thing, he should practice them in his true form, and in his Edwyrd form too. For all out battle, he'd have to revert to his true form, but for little things it would be good to know his limits. Actually, it would be good to know his true form limits as well.

  The room was just big enough that he could change back, but he wasn't too thrilled. There didn't seem to be a lock on the door and if someone walked in it could be awkward to say the least. He looked over to Rupert, who'd fallen fast asleep. Having been up all night had been hard on his companions. He'd really have to break Rupert of this sleeping habit though. Or maybe he should figure out some way of developing one. He smiled to himself, looking around the room for some candles to practice lighting.

  About an hour and a half after they'd settled in a knock came at Edwyrd's door. Edwyrd got up and went over to the door, mentally extinguishing the four candles he'd lit. He opened the heavy oak door to find a young man on the other side wearing some sort of uniform.

  "Good day," said the young man.

  "Good day," Edwyrd returned.

  "Sir, my lord Councilor Damien has sent me to convey his wishes that you and your party might join him for lunch today, if it would be convenient for you."

  "I don't believe I know Councilor Damien." Edwyrd said puzzled. He certainly didn't know anyone other than Lenamare and Jehenna in Freehold.

  "Certainly, I'm sure. However, Councilor Damien does know of your party and is most desirous of meeting you all. I believe he simply wishes to conduct a short informal interview over lunch. Simply to help him in his investigation over the complaints raised by the wizards Exador and Lenamare. I've already taken the liberty of speaking with the young lady, she had no objection."

  "OK then, I suppose." Edwyrd shrugged. "At what time and where should we meet him?"

  The young man smiled, "I will return in about three hours to show you the way." Edwyrd nodded and the young man told him, "Until then." The servant then moved on towards Gastropé and Maelen's room. He wondered if Tizzy was also invited.

  "Who was that?" Rupert asked groggily from his bed as Edwyrd shut the door and returned to his own. The morning sun outlining the window on his pillow as he adjusted it to keep the light out of his eyes.

  "Our lunch invitation, I guess." Edwyrd said.

  ~

  "Welcome! Be seated." The wizard named Damien told them as they were shown into a garden dining room, open to the sky above. They'd introduced themselves in the other room. The council member really didn't look like what Edwyrd had expect a member of a wizard's council to look like. For one thing, he was younger than Lenamare. Damien only appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties and had long dark blond hair and a short beard and mustache of the same color. His clothing was also not the traditional wizard's robes, but rather a nice set of brown leather riding pants and a large billowy shirt with gold embroidery that matched his hair coloring.

  In all, Edwyrd decided, he looked more like one of the three musketeers than a wizard. While the wizard wore no sword, he did have a rather long dagger at his hip. Damien was gesturing at the six chairs around a glass top table set in an iron frame. Almost like standard patio furniture at home, Edwyrd thought. The five travelers took the seats indicated.

  Tizzy it seemed, according to a slightly worried Gastropé, had decided to go out exploring the fortress and the city. Edwyrd could only hope that the demon would be discrete and not get into too much trouble. He suspected the city guards were not going to appreciate a lone wandering demon in the city.

  "Thank you so much for joining me on such short notice." Damien told them as he took the sixth seat after his guests had been seated. "I know you're all tired from your journey, and would probably prefer to just rest quietly rather than get wrapped up in council affairs so quickly. Unfortunately, I felt that the sooner I had the opportunity to speak with you, before important details might be forgotten, the better.

  "You see," Damien continued spreading his hands out over the table, "I am the council member charged with investigating the claims being made by Lenamare and Exador. If I am to be able to get a complete idea of the situation, then I need to talk with all parties involved, as soon after the incident as possible."

  "So," Jenn asked, "you're in charge of making the ruling as to who is in the wrong or right?"

  "No," Damien shook his head, "I am simply in charge of finding out all the facts of the situation and presenting them to the council. Obviously, Lenamare and Exador both have stories, but they do contain several contradictions. Thus someone must determine where fiction ends, and reality begins."

  "Exador has been here? Explaining his side?" Gastropé asked worriedly.

  Damien looked over to him and smiled. "Yes, in fact, he is still here." Gastropé turned one of his more subtle shades of pale white. "However, since Freehold is neutral ground, the palace in particular, neither Lenamare nor Exador are free to continue their struggles here." Damien assured Gastropé. "At least not directly or overtly, they can still plan and scheme and direct things elsewhere, of course." Damien added with a sad frown.

  At this point servants had arrived and begun pouring water and wine into glasses already set on the table. Others brought out plates of some form of vegetable salad. Edwyrd supposed it was the local version of a tossed salad. Damien seemed to note that Gastropé was not appearing to relax despite his assurances. "You are worried about Exador continuing his war on Lenamare?"

  "No," Gastropé said nervously, "uhm, actually, you see, I am a former employee of Exador's and we didn't part on such good terms. In fact, he's out to remove me from the painting all together."

  "Really?" Damien asked intrigued. "Did you part some time ago? Before the current situation began?"

  "No, actually, afterwards. It must have been just before Exador arrived here." Gastrope' told him.

  "Ahh, and now you work for Lenamare. I can see why Exador would want you out of the way. Did you by any chance work for Lenamare at the same time you were working for Exador?"

  Gastropé appeared shocked. "No! No, nothing like that! Although our falling out was over the handling of the whole situation." Gastropé hedged. "And really, I'm not so much working for Lenamare as I'm with Jenn and the others here." Damien just nodded his head.

  "Perhaps what would be best, is if you told me your version of what happened. First up until the siege, then the siege and then what happened afterward." Jenn nodded as she took a bite of the salad. The others were doing likewise. Edwyrd reluctantly ate his.

  It had been so long, it felt a little strange. He'd tried eating again on the road from Hoggensforth. He'd eaten an apple. Everything had seemed to work fine. Just as he'd remembered it. The apple seemed to pass through in the normal manner. Thus he guessed anything would. Rupert cert
ainly had no trouble.

  Jenn began to tell the story leading up to the attack. She avoided, however, any mention of Tom at this point. Damien interrupted a few times with questions, but then urged her to continue. When she got to the point where Exador's army arrived, the main course, some form of venison, Edwyrd guessed, Damien had Jenn break and began quizzing Gastropé.

  Gastropé's story went back a bit further then Jenn's, essentially a month earlier. Mainly it consisted of the standard things needed to get an army ready to move. When he got to the part about Abyssal Switching, Damien hardly blinked an eye. Edwyrd thought this was a little strange that the wizard was so familiar with the spell, but maybe it wasn't that uncommon. After Gastropé reached the point of arrival at Lenamare's castle, Damien did go back and ask a few questions about the movement through the Abyss. More it seemed, to verify the fact that it had been done and that Gastropé had been there, rather than to question the fact.

  At this point Jenn and Gastropé took turns describing the siege of the castle, each giving their own perspective. Damien seemed particularly interested in Tom's attack on the wards. Edwyrd just sat there silent and uncomfortable during this part. When Jenn described it as just spiteful action on the part of the demon, Edwyrd almost said something to defend himself. He held his words though. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't give him away.

  Damien also probed quite a bit at Lenamare's escape plans and his explosive spell. Unfortunately, Jenn could only tell him what she knew. When Jenn got to the part about the ambush, Damien looked at Gastropé with a raised eyebrow. The young wizard just shrugged, embarrassed.

  "So why," Damien asked Jenn, "do you think the demon stayed around?"

  "I'm not sure. It may have been some former instruction of Lenamare's or its own evil machinations."

  "He stayed," Rupert interjected, "because we, or I, asked him too. We needed protection from Exador's people, so I asked him to stay and he did."

  "Really?" Damien turned his attention to Rupert. "You just asked it like you would some soldier or something?"