I looked over at Cyrus and asked, “Anything strange about this man?”
“No.”
“Good. Smile politely, and let’s officially meet our host.”
We met Robert halfway.
“Bonsoir!” I said with a slight bow.
“Baron von Schmidt, it’s good to see you again,” Robert said cautiously. “I don’t believe I’ve met your companion.”
“This is my cousin, Cyrus. His father owns many large farms in Hungary and would like his son to be introduced to more refined cultures,” I replied.
“That’s very admirable,” he replied cordially. “I hope you enjoy your stay in Paris, Cyrus. My name is Count Robert d’Autry.” He nodded at both of us. “What brings you to my soiree, uninvited?” he asked with a smile. “My staff are too refined to deny a baron, and I don’t imagine your visit is unintentional.”
Robert’s wife approached us as he was talking, and he introduced her. “This is my wife, Paulette,” he said then gestured towards us. “This is Baron Darian von Schmidt and his cousin Cyrus Schmidt.” We bowed and I gently kissed her extended hand.
“I’m very glad to make your acquaintance,” she said.
“I actually did not know that you were the host of tonight’s event, but I had hoped to see you here,” I replied. “It is fortuitous that I arrived early. Do you have someplace with a little more privacy where we could speak, or could we arrange a meeting at a later time to avoid interfering with your duties as host?”
He looked down at Paulette’s round, delicate face. She didn’t possess the striking beauty of some of the nobility, but her intelligent eyes and soft features made her exquisite.
“It’s still rather early,” she said, looking up at her husband with concern. “I will greet the guests for the next few moments.”
He nodded and motioned us to follow him to a small balcony that overlooked the Jardin des Tuileries.
“Paris is a beautiful city with strong and passionate people,” I said, looking out over the gardens. Cyrus stood to my left, while Robert was on my right.
“Yes, we are a proud people who have endured much in the last twenty years,” Robert replied.
“The common people seem to be doing rather well. Most seem to be employed and able to support their families,” I said, trying to lead the conversation.
Robert turned towards me. “Why would an Austrian baron care about the wellbeing of France?” His expression was almost hostile.
I remained calm and impassive. “The strength of any nation lies with its people,” I replied, turning away from the gardens to look directly at him. “Napoleon will not last forever, but if you want France to continue after he’s gone, then you need to look to the people. I try not to harbor hatred towards the French, but it’s difficult to love a country that has destroyed my own.” He looked back at me with intrigue but said nothing. “France will need its leaders when Napoleon is gone. It’s my hope that the nobility will try to lead the French to reconcile with the rest of Europe.”
He laughed quietly and shook his head. “My wife said something similar after you left our room at the inn in Russia.” He looked at me suspiciously, and I could tell he would ask about what happened while we were there. “When you showed up in our room and told us that wild story about the lord of that castle, I thought you were crazy. I couldn’t get past the way you appeared and then disappeared, nor could I reason out how you knew so much about him.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued. “At first, I assumed you were a spy for him, testing our loyalty, but my wife insisted that your hatred for that man was genuine. I trust her opinion about people, as she has never led me astray. So, we made an excuse to postpone our meeting until the next day and snuck out of town that night.” He looked at me, expecting a reply.
“I’m glad you didn’t meet with him. He would only bring death to your family, but he’ll not be happy with your rejection,” I warned. “He has spies everywhere who will not hesitate to harm you. Which reminds me, we saw someone earlier today who is likely in his employ. Do you know someone named Simon, who would be escorting a young woman named Marie to tonight’s event?”
“Yes! Simon is one of Napoleon’s recently promoted nobility,” he replied with disgust. “What are you implying?”
“I’m only suggesting that you be careful around him. He is not what he seems.”
“Who are you?” he asked with frustration. “Are you really a baron? Because you aren’t what you seem either.”
“I am exactly who I said, but I’m also something more,” I replied vaguely. “There is more to this war than what you see on the surface. There are greater evils working in the background that would see all of us destroyed.”
“You’re referring to the man in Russia?” he asked, seeming to accept that I wouldn’t elaborate on my identity.
“Yes. He’s the one controlling everything behind the scenes, and not just in France, but all of Europe,” I replied.
Robert looked out over the Jardin des Tuileries. “We’ll do what we can to keep our people happy and to establish a leadership that can function when Napoleon is gone,” he said with determination. “Thank you for making the effort to find us, and for stopping us from making a grave mistake.” He held out his hand and I shook it.
“Enjoy the soiree,” he said with a smile. “Cyrus should be more social. There are many young ladies here looking for an evening of entertainment.” He winked at Cyrus, making him blush, and led us back to the party.
Chapter 21
While Darian and Cyrus were in Paris, Eli, Juana, and Adalina were on their way to the Council’s safe house in Warsaw. When they arrived, they were surprised by the underlying nervousness throughout the city. The Prussian government had just rejected the Treaty of Schönbrunn, which would have forced a defensive alliance with France and allowed Prussia to acquire Hanover. The Prussian government did not object to occupying Hanover until a true peace agreement could be made, but France wanted them to close the port to Britain. Closing the port would create an economic crisis for the people of Prussia, which prompted the rumblings they were hearing.
“I suggest we don’t linger here for very long,” Juana said quietly.
Eli was purchasing horses from the inn’s stables while Adalina and Juana waited just outside the inn. They chose to wear long pants, tall boots, and jackets rather than the typical dresses traditionally worn by ladies. This decision attracted more attention than they desired. Several women in long dresses and heavy wool overcoats were staring at them as they walked by.
“I agree, I’m tired of these silly women gawking at me,” Adalina grumbled.
“You don’t exactly blend into the crowd, Adalina,” Eli said, leading their horses towards them.
“Well, I wasn’t hiding inside while you took your time bartering with the stable hands,” Adalina responded.
Juana chuckled as she jumped on her horse. “Let’s go!”
Eli and Adalina followed suit, and they headed east into Russia. Mikel and Aneera had indicated that the small villages they were looking for were along the border with the Austrian Empire, so after they crossed into Russia, they turned south. It took them a day and a half before they came upon a small village that, at first glance, appeared abandoned. As they slowly led their horses into town, they realized there were few homes with smoke rising from the chimneys. It should have been the busiest time of day, but the streets were empty. The companions looked at one another with the same question.
“Let’s find someone who might open the door for us,” Eli suggested.
“I’ll go,” Adalina offered as she urged her horse towards one of the small homes.
“I don’t think that’s our best option if we’re trying to appear non-aggressive,” Juana called after her. “Eli’s large frame may also portray hostility, especially if these people have been victims of the Csökkent. I’ll go.” She steered her horse around Adalina’s and down the street towards the nearest house.
; “Do I really look aggressive?” Adalina asked self-consciously.
“You are a fairly imposing figure, especially for a woman,” Eli replied, trying to suppress a smile.
“Of course, I’m imposing,” she said indignantly. “I’m an Amazon warrior. But that doesn’t mean I’m aggressive. I can be very gentle as well.”
Eli laughed. “Only if there’s a man involved,” he said, making her laugh as well.
They watched Juana approach the door and knock. She waited for a few moments then knocked again. The thin piece of cloth on one of the windows shifted, and a small face appeared. Juana noticed the movement and spoke.
“We’re here to purchase supplies, if you have extras available,” she called out.
“We have none,” said a muffled voice.
“How close is the nearest town from here?” she asked, trying to draw the person into a conversation.
“Another half-day’s ride,” the muffled voice replied.
Juana looked over at her companions and shrugged.
“Where did all the townspeople go?” Juana called back through the door.
The door opened a crack, and a very old woman peered out. “The devil’s minions took them.”
“Can we come in out of the cold?” Juana asked her with compassion.
The old woman looked from Juana to her companions, who were still on their horses. She cautiously opened the door wider and motioned for them to enter. Adalina and Eli trotted up to the house and tied off their horses. When they entered the small space, they were greeted by the old woman and five small children.
“My name is Gretchen,” the woman said, motioning them to sit down at the table. The table and chairs were the only furniture besides a wood-burning cook stove. The children sat on the floor. “These children hid with me when the monsters came.” She looked at them with hollow eyes. “The men who fought against them were killed, and the remaining people were taken.”
“Are there no others left in the village?” Eli asked.
“There are two other homes, just like this one,” she replied. “We took the children to hide in the basement of the church. When we came out,” she paused with tears in her eyes, “we had to bury many of their parents.”
“I’m so sorry,” Juana said sadly.
“Do you know which way they went?” Adalina asked.
Gretchen looked at her with apprehension for a moment. “We didn’t see them leave, but their tracks led into the forest.” She pointed to the east.
“Do you have enough food to feed yourselves?” Adalina asked, looking at the thin frames of the children watching them.
“There are older boys in the home next door who try to hunt for us, but they are afraid to enter the woods,” Gretchen replied.
The companions looked at one another, knowing they would leave part of their rations here. They left enough food to feed the children for a couple days, but something would have to change for them to survive. They stood to leave, and Gretchen stopped them.
“Don’t you want to know what the monsters look like, so you can try to avoid them?” she asked.
“We already know what they are,” Adalina replied. “We have no intention of avoiding them.”
“If we find your people, we’ll bring them back,” Eli said with determination.
Gretchen looked at them with sadness, compassion, and hope, but said nothing as they left.
As they mounted their horses and headed out of the village, they saw several people peering out windows from the other two homes that weren’t empty.
“Do we go to the next village first, since it’s only a half-day’s ride?” Adalina asked. “Or should we go into the forest, looking for the Csökkent?”
“I think we should go to the next village and try to determine which direction they entered the forest,” Juana replied. “It will narrow down our area of search somewhat. We know they went east from here. If we continue south to the next town, it would make sense that the demons took the people northeast, but we should confirm it.”
“Hopefully we’ll find more survivors,” Eli said.
They only stopped once before the next village, to water their horses, and met no one on the road. When they arrived, the village was a little better than the last. There were a few more homes with smoke rising from the chimney, and the small inn appeared to be open as well. They approached the inn and tethered their horses.
“It appears they didn’t suffer the same losses as the last village,” Eli said as he opened the door to a welcoming heat.
The innkeeper looked up as they entered, and his expression moved from fear to apprehension and then settled on wariness.
“Good evening! Are you looking for a room for the night?” he asked with a cheerfulness that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Yes, we are,” Eli replied. “As well as dinner if you have it.”
“The rooms are definitely available, but we are short on food at the moment.” The innkeeper was clearly uncomfortable having to admit that he had nothing to offer.
“We’ll take two rooms then,” Eli replied with nonchalance, as if the lack of food didn’t matter.
“We’ve just come from your neighbors to the north,” Juana said as they waited for him to retrieve two keys.
The man looked up at them suspiciously. “They’re in a bad way right now,” he said. “I wish they would’ve brought the children here, at least they wouldn’t be starving.”
“We left our meager rations with them, but they won’t last for more than a day or so,” Adalina said.
“You’ve only prolonged the inevitable.” He shook his head and sighed. “We begged them to come here. There is more safety in numbers, but they wouldn’t listen. They should’ve at least brought the little ones.” He was evading the real reason, but they understood why.
“How is it that this village didn’t suffer the same losses?” Eli asked.
“Did she tell you what happened?” He looked at each of them, realizing that they knew what happened. “There are several farms between here and there. One of the boys rode a horse almost to death to get here and warn us. We still weren’t fast enough to get everyone to safety. Some of our folks refused to believe him.” Sadness and regret overwhelmed his features.
“Do you know which way they went into the forest when they left?” Adalina asked, not wanting to push his emotions over the edge.
He pointed to the northeast, as they suspected. “I don’t know what they were, or where they came from, but they were terrifying.” He looked at the three companions again with understanding. “You know what they are, don’t you?”
Eli nodded. “How long has it been since they left?”
“They attacked yesterday morning.”
“Are there any caves or abandoned mines in the area?”
“Yes, there’s an old mine north of here; about a day’s ride.”
Eli looked at Juana. “It’s been two days for these people, and likely three for the other villagers.”
Juana nodded. “We should probably go tonight rather than wait for morning.”
“I agree. We may already be too late,” Adalina added.
“You’re going after those monsters? Do you really think you can stop them?” the innkeeper asked with disbelief and hope.
“Can you stable our horses while we’re gone?” Juana asked.
“Yes, of course, but won’t you need the horses to get there?”
Eli put several coins on the counter, and the innkeeper looked at him, questioning.
“For the stables,” Eli answered the unspoken question. “The horses are safer here.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They gathered their belongings from the horses’ saddlebags and headed into the forest. The innkeeper had given them a small map indicating where the mine was located, so they sprinted in that direction. They stopped to rest every few hours and to ensure they were still en route—each of them feeling the urgency of the situation. The Csökkent had taken many pe
ople, which meant they intended to summon a large number of demons. The companions knew they needed to reach the mine before it was too late to save any of the villagers, and if they delayed too long, they would be greeted by an army of demons.
They arrived in the area just before sunrise. They knew they’d found the demons because of the foul smell that permeated the hillside. They slowed their approach, watching for patrols as they made their way towards the entrance to the mine. They reached a small ravine and climbed to the top, cautiously peering over. The mine entrance was just below them, with a half dozen demons roaming the area. They ducked back down behind the hill.
“I’m going to take a look,” Juana said. “You two keep watch.”
They nodded in confirmation as Juana closed her eyes and moved her mind towards the entrance. She passed dozens of demons as she traveled down the mineshaft to its end, which opened into a small cavern. Sadness overwhelmed her as she realized the Csökkent had just finished a summoning that killed the remaining villagers. She retreated back to her body with tears in her eyes.
“What is it?” Eli and Adalina asked simultaneously.
“The villagers are all dead,” she replied softly. “They killed all of them to summon at least two hundred demons.”
Her sadness turned to hatred and her hands started glowing. Eli laid his hand on her shoulder.
“We should think about this, Juana,” he began. “Was this our mission?”
“Yes!” Adalina replied with vengeance in her eyes.
Juana smiled at her, and they both leapt over the small hill to engage the demons at the entrance. Eli shook his head and rushed after them. “Women!”
Juana charged in first, throwing fireballs with precision until she was too close to be effective without injuring herself or her friends. Then she pulled a long, thin sword from her pack and yelled as she decapitated the first demon in her path, then swung around to block a lunge from the one next to it. Adalina pulled her two-headed axe and engaged a horned monster trying to flank Juana. Eli focused all his strength into jumping into the fray, crushing two demons with the force of his impact while pulling two huge swords from his back. He began a ferocious attack against two demons on the opposite side of Adalina. As soon as they had cleared the entrance, more started flowing out, like angry bees from their hive.
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