The Forgotten Queen

by Matt Glicksman

  "Yeah, I've seen them."

  "Got any favorites?"

  Pike pursed his lips. "Uh, no, not that I can remember. Sorry."

  Eriph waved it off. "That's all right."

  "So, how long are you in the city for? Where are you staying?"

  "I'm here for as long as I have to be. And I can't really say much more than that."

  "I get it. Very hush-hush." Pike winked. "Look, your secret’s safe with me. How can I help you?"

  "Well, I'm dying to know how you got on with that list I left you a few weeks ago."

  "And what list would that be?"

  Eriph leaned in. "You're joking, right?"

  Pike smiled. "Yeah, yeah, of course. No, the list was very helpful."

  "Did you show it to Dorman?"

  "To who? Dorman? Not a chance. If he even thinks the words 'Death Gods' in the rectory, his mother would be on him so fast. I didn't need her breathing down my neck. Why? Did you want me to include him?"

  "No, that's good. Leave him out for now. So, did it help? Have you captured anyone or learned anything?"

  "Hard to say. I have a couple buddies in the guard. At first, we were doing some investigating on our own. We were closing in on this butcher in the southeast part of the city, the name escapes me at the moment. But then, after Nolka was attacked, the decree went out to start rounding up suspected Brothers. So, my friends insisted we turn your names over to the head watcher to be added to the master list."

  "And then what?"

  Pike shrugged. "I haven't really checked back with them. I've been busy with some of my own things. But I have to tell you, I saw the master list. It's huge compared to yours."

  Eriph scoffed. "Yeah, probably because there are a lot of fake accusations on there. Did you tell them where my list came from?"

  "Are you kidding? No way. I tell them that and all the questions start rolling in. Questions I don't have answers for. I also didn't want to implicate you."

  "Why not? My exclusion was announced at the same time."

  Pike mused. "Hmm, I suppose that's true. Look, I'll get in touch with my friends in the guard and see what they can tell me. Maybe we can all meet up, you know, quietly."

  "I'll consider it. So, aside from the list, you haven't heard any news related to the Brotherhood?"

  "Nothing important comes to mind. Why? What's your interest with them? And why here?"

  "We have reason to believe they have one of our people, and they're holding him somewhere in Memorial City."

  Pike scratched his head. "As in, they abducted him from Alovajj?"

  "No."

  "Ah! Got it." Pike leaned in and whispered. "He's a spy?"

  "Will you help us find him?"

  "For you, of course. But why don't you just go straight to the head archdon? Aren't we supposed to be allies now?"

  Eriph shook his head. "That relationship is so damaged, it'll be a while before we trust one another. Look, I just need you to be my eyes and ears in the rectory."

  "Your spy, you mean." Pike winked.

  "I need you to let me know immediately if you hear about a man named Greggor or a woman named Don Layola. They're both very likely Brothers and very connected to our man. Got that?"

  "Maybe you should write that down for me. Been having some trouble remembering names lately. Dorman thinks I go to the pub too often."

  Eriph narrowed his eyes. He knew Pike enjoyed a drink now and then, but never knew him to be an alcoholic. "I'll have a note left for you in the usual spot with the names."

  "Let me know about meeting my friends too."

  "Absolutely."

  Pike put his hands on his hips. "It's really good to see you again. Things just haven't been the same since we moved out here to Memorial City and you stayed in Light's Haven."

  "Yeah, I'm sorry I wasn't able to stay longer when I dropped off the list. I was in a bit of a hurry."

  "No, I get it. But maybe after this is over, and you get your guy to safety, you can stick around and we can catch up proper, you know?"

  Eriph knew a real visit was long overdue. "Definitely. I'll even get the first round."

  "Deal." Pike casually backed away, proclaiming, "And may the angels watch over you, kind sir."

  "Thank you. And you as well."

  As Pike disappeared into the crowd, Eriph took a moment to collect his thoughts. He hoped his friend would have more valuable information in their next meeting. Eriph was curious about Pike's contacts in the watchers. If he had been alone on this mission, he would've jumped at the chance to meet them but knew such a decision should be made by Dolore.

  Eriph stepped back to get a good look at the stone memorial. The wall towered over the civilians beneath it, its size symbolic of the number of lives lost on that day. So many lives. Of all the names carved into the stone, Eriph found himself gazing at one near the top. Its size and placement were a clear indication of an honor bestowed upon the undeniably greatest fighter of the battle. However, the name was unreadable, violently scratched out by those who had felt his betrayal. It was no mystery who had once sat proudly atop the memorial. After all, without his sacrifice on the Plains of Deimor, hope for humanity would have undoubtedly been snuffed out. And yet, in spite of that sacrifice, the name of Prince Verago had been etched out.

  Chapter 21

  Erynion found himself at the edge of Lake Ivorus with no idea how he ended up there. He squinted at the sun's reflection in the calm blue water as if the yellow orb held the key. His ears twitched at the sound of someone clapping, and he spun around.

  "Well done." Verago stood farther up the bank. It was another memory.

  "What's happening? Where am I?" the demon lord asked.

  "Stay calm. You finally did it. The first time is always a bit disorienting."

  "First time for what?"

  "Casting your mind into someone else's. You'll remember it all once we leave, but you have successfully entered the mind of one of my most-trusted demons."

  "Is he here?"

  "He can hear us, if that's what you mean. He's very good at mind spells. I need you to become better than him."

  "What do I do?"

  "We'll keep practicing. You must be able to get into a person's mind and have control of the situation. Someone else's mind is foreign territory for yours. If you're inexperienced, well…"

  As Verago's voice trailed off, Erynion noticed the ambient light disappearing. When he faced the lake, a massive wave hurtled toward him and blocked out the sun.

  "What the—" The demon lord spun around to find Verago had vanished. "No. No. No. No. NO!"

  As the wave crashed down on him, Erynion was jolted awake. A familiar face hopped in front of him.

  "You all right?" Flinch asked.

  Erynion took a deep breath and nodded. It was late morning, and he was sitting in the middle of a green patch of grass surrounded by a vast field of ash. The violence of the memory had brought him out of his meditation, but he quickly recalled where they were.

  True to his word, Archdon Feranis had enchanted the chains and left them in the road north of Nolka. Once Erynion retrieved them, the Denhauli insisted they get as far away from the city as possible. Eyzora suggested they head north to where Nesinu once stood. Since Erynion had chosen his purge site as the staging area in his mind, it might help his meditation to physically be there as well.

  "Bless my heart, you gave me quite a start." Flinch cocked his head. "So, did you learn the spell yet?"

  "No. I'm only getting fragments of Verago's lessons, that is, when memories of my old life aren't trying to force their way in. And then, sometimes the memories freeze in place, but only for a few moments. I'm not sure why that happens."

  "Odd. How much longer you think it'll take?"

  "Eyzora says it should be quick. Ojjuk seems to have less faith in me. No surprise there. Where are they anyway?"

  Flinch stretched his back. "Watcher duty. They think the priests may try to come get you during the day, so
Ojjuk is scouting the south road to Nolka. Eyzora is patrolling the woods to the west."

  "And our wanderer friend?"

  "Dulo pops in and out, here and there, but I haven't seen him in a while."

  "I suppose I should keep trying to meditate."

  "Well, don't mind me," Flinch said. "I'll be quiet, unless you need my help."

  "With meditating? How?"

  Flinch grabbed his chin as if he were in deep thought. "Yes, how? Excellent question."

  Erynion closed his eyes. "Just try not to think too loudly."

  "Well, you did ask, and so it would be a shame if I didn't mention this one thing."

  The demon lord's left eyelid slowly lifted. "And what one thing would that be?"

  "I know the Seductress isn't our favorite demon, but I believe it was she who suggested you meditate near the twisted gate where you emerged. Perhaps, that would be a better location for you."

  Erynion was stunned by the usefulness of the suggestion. "That's interesting. I did have a rather vivid memory there, and this was before I knew the first thing about meditation. But the priests would've destroyed the gate after we left."

  "Sure, they destroy what's above the ground, but I doubt they bothered to cleanse all the roots that dig down to the Depths. That would take ages. So, the energy's probably still there. Best to go back to where it all started."

  "I agree. The only problem is I don't know where the gate is from here."

  Flinch pointed to himself. "Ah, but I do. The day the Seductress found you in Nolka, we passed your purge on the way to your gate. I can take you there."

  Erynion stood. "Lead the way."

  The jester walked east across the black field with the demon lord in tow. "So, your chains were pretty bright last night. Did you feel the agony at all?"

  "Hardly. This enchantment from Feranis really did the trick."

  "Speaking of tricks, I'm surprised Candelux didn't try any. Did you feel anything suspicious last night?"

  "Such as?"

  Flinch tossed his hands up. "No idea. I've never walked around with a holy enchantment before."

  "It felt just like Millan's but much stronger. And I feel much better about removing the chains at night, knowing I can rely on them to curb the agony if need-be."

  "And that makes me feel better knowing I don't have to fear for my life. So now that you have the enchantment, what's next?"

  "What do you mean? Once I learn all of Verago's lessons, I'll turn Dulo into a demon."

  "Yeah, sure, I get that part. But what's after that? Your whole goal is to kill Batar, tucked away safely behind the walls of Light's Haven and protected by an artifact that will instantly cleanse any demon it touches. So, any thoughts on how you're going to kill him?"

  "I'm working on it," the demon lord said.

  Flinch maintained a lead of a couple of steps as the pair departed from the soot and entered the lush green forest. As they walked in silence, Erynion further reflected on the question. Since his arrival on the Surface, he had periodically considered the different avenues for fulfilling his purpose, but he never had much time to dedicate to it. Whether it was meditating, healing, or worrying about the agony, something else had always taken priority. But Flinch was right. With a clear mind, and allies by his side, it was time to start figuring out his plan.

  The jester stopped and held up his hand.

  Erynion whispered, "What is it?"

  "There's something up ahead." Flinch moved to a nearby tree and put his back to it. Sliding along the trunk, he subtly peeked out.

  The demon lord pushed up the cloth covering his Devil's Eye and made out two auras. The first was faint and green, meaning it was likely an animal of some kind. The second was gray, which indicated a human with no discernible magic abilities.

  Flinch slinked back. "I can see a horse up ahead, but nothing else. What about you?"

  "Looks like a human." Erynion spun around to look in all directions. "Alone, apparently."

  "The twisted gate isn't much farther past them. Even if we go around, we'll likely be discovered."

  "Then let's find out who it is."

  "Are you sure? We could just go back to the field and wait for the fleabags."

  Erynion eyed the jester. "You're not afraid of one human, are you? It's not even a priest."

  "Afraid? No, I just thought you might want to play it safe."

  "It's one person. You want to play it safe? Get up into the trees and keep an eye out for me."

  "You got it, boss." Flinch shuffled up the trunk and disappeared into the leaves.

  Erynion pulled the cloth back over his Devil's Eye and made his way toward the campsite. As he drew closer, the demon lord spotted a horse tied to a tree and a woman sitting on a rock with her back to him. Her sleeveless shirt left her tanned skin exposed, while a blue bandana held back her black hair. Erynion inched closer but halted when he saw her head twitch.

  In one lightning-quick motion, the woman whirled around and produced a crossbow from behind the rock. "Who are you?" the woman demanded.

  Erynion froze with an arrow pointed at his face. Though he'd been shot with arrows before with no risk to his life, he wasn't keen on reliving the pain. His lips moved cautiously as he spoke the demon tongue. "I mean you no harm."

  "You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" The woman's finger caressed the trigger. She appeared to understand Kisejjad.

  "Erynion. And you are?"

  The woman refused to blink. "Erynion? As in…the demon lord?"

  "Yes. And you are?"

  "Eleza. I'm with the Brotherhood."

  Erynion stepped forward.

  "Don't move! Stay where you are."

  The demon lord held up his hands. "As I understand it, the Brotherhood is supposed to help me. I don't think shooting me is going to do me any good."

  "You look like him, I'll give you that. But I have to make sure."

  "You know what I look like?"

  Eleza nodded. "I helped the Seductress rescue the demon lord in Nolka."

  "I see. I'm sorry to say I don't remember much from that night. If you're truly a Brother, I don't want to harm you. Put the crossbow down."

  "My friend should be back soon. He's met the demon lord too. He'll tell me if you're him."

  "You have a friend? That's good. I have one as well. Allow me to introduce him."

  Eleza took a step back as her eyes darted around the forest.

  From directly above her, Flinch descended. With one hand, he grabbed her crossbow so it could not be fired, and with the other, he rested his dagger against her throat.

  Eleza carefully lowered and released her weapon, allowing the iymed to disarm her.

  Erynion moved in to join them. "Thank you, Flinch. Now, maybe we can talk like civilized people."

  Flinch tossed the crossbow on the ground and returned his dagger to the Depths.

  Eleza collapsed to her knees and covered her face with her hands. "Forgive me. Please. I haven't had any decent sleep in over a week. I can barely think straight."

  Erynion sat on the rock in front of her. "Why's that?"

  "You arrived in Nolka the same night as a man named Don Eriph. I'm not sure how, but he had a list of Brothers in Nolka. As the overseer, I was at the top of the list. Luckily, my source in the watchers tipped me off, and I barely escaped capture. But ever since that day, I've been hiding in the woods, afraid someone will find me."

  "If she's really from the Brotherhood, that means she's on our side. And it might come in handy to have a human with us," Flinch suggested. "What do you think?"

  Erynion mused. "Not sure. I don't know if I can trust her."

  "I'm really sorry about earlier, but you can trust me," Eleza pleaded. "I've committed my entire life to the Brotherhood, to Verago. I've had to flee my home twice because of it. Please, let me help."

  "And your friend?"

  "Oh, right! Alejjir will vouch for me."

  Flinch gasped. "Did you just say 'Alejjir'?"<
br />
  Eleza rose to her feet. "That's right. The Marksman. You've met him, right?"

  "He's only my best friend, well, second best friend." The jester glanced at the demon lord. "Sorry, third best friend."

  "We've met," Erynion said. "How do you know him?"

  "I ran into him a couple days ago. We nearly shot each other. I explained what happened in Nolka, and he agreed to help me with food."

  "Did he say what he's doing this far north?"

  "Yeah. He's trying to track down the Foxhole."

  "What?!" Flinch shouted. "The Foxhole is real?"

  Eleza shrugged. "No clue, but he's trying to find it all the same."

  Erynion groaned. Why did everyone seem to know these terms but him. "So, what's the Foxhole?"

  "It's a natural passage between the Depths and the Surface, sort of like the Den, but smaller. They think it's somewhere in the north."

  "But no one's ever found it?"

  "Nope."

  "Then why do they think it exists?" Erynion asked.

  "Stories!" Flinch could hardly contain his excitement. "Stories about people who got lost in the woods mysteriously appearing in the Depths. But they can't tell anyone how they got there because the dark energy makes them all insane by the time they're found. Oh man, discovering the Foxhole would change everything."

  "It certainly would," the suave voice of the Marksman called as he sashayed into the camp, a limp rabbit in his grasp.

  "Marksy!"

  Alejjir suppressed a smile as he lowered his catch on a nearby rock and joined Eleza. "Devil help me, I hate that name. Erynion, good to see you again. I like the chains. Nice touch."

  "I'm surprised you're not running the other way," the demon lord said.

  "I know you're harmless during the day."

  "At night, too, now, thanks to these." Erynion rattled the metal links.

  "So, Marksy, you think the Foxhole's around here somewhere?" the jester asked.

  "I'm not really sure. Just seemed like a good use of my time while I sorted things out. I'm really sorry I left you both with Serey—"

  "Nope! Nope!" Flinch interrupted. "We don't use that name. Around us, she's the Seductress."

  "Well, regardless, I'm sorry I left you both with her, but in my current state, there was nothing I could do to stop her."