"Eleza? You're going to trust her with our identity?"
"I don't see much choice," Altheus said. "She's the only human we have access to. And if we want Nila to trust her, then we're going to have to trust her as well."
Erynion grunted and threw the prince's words back at him. "Less than ideal, but a viable solution. So, let's say you meet with Nila, and she contacts Batar. What if he refuses to give himself up?"
"Then we go back to the original plan. And you'll have had some time to think about how exactly you're going to execute it…and him. So, are we in agreement?"
Erynion rubbed his chin. His preference was to punish Batar for what had happened, but if Batar made amends on his own, what would be the difference?
"I have two conditions," the demon lord said.
"I'm listening."
"Before leaving this area, I was planning to rebuild our twisted gate."
"Create the Foxhole. I heard."
"If you know all the spells, that means you can make it before you head to North Refuge."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Altheus said. "The roots of the old gate have been decaying ever since the priests destroyed the tree. It would make more sense to simply create a new gate with new seeds. The advantage of course being that we can plant it anywhere."
"How long does it take to create the seeds?"
"One night per seed if there are no interruptions. You need eight seeds to create a gate. I could start working on the first one tonight."
"Fine."
"Good. What's your other condition?"
"I promised to turn Dulo into an iymed," Erynion said.
"You want me to take care of that for you?"
"Just because we're following your plan, doesn't mean we can't keep working on mine on the side. If Batar refuses to cooperate, I don't want to be further behind on creating my army."
"Fair enough." Altheus stood up and extended his hand. "Let's shake on it."
Erynion slowly rose and eyed the human hand. Was there any chance this was a trick? It didn't feel like one. Altheus was just the other part of his mind. Though separated, they were still connected, and Erynion felt no deception. The demon lord grasped the prince's hand and gave it a firm shake. He briefly stumbled before regaining his composure. "Take care of our body. Are you going to tell the others?"
"I don't see a reason to. They don't know we're still human, right?"
"The Denhauli do, but I doubt they'll want you in charge."
"I agree." Altheus stepped back. "If you need me, just call out. I'll hear you."
✽✽✽
With Dolore beside him, Eriph closely followed Don Dorman through the halls of the rectory. As his fingers tapped the outside of his legs, he steadied his breathing. Eriph found it odd to feel such apprehension around someone he had been friends with for nearly thirty years. Dorman, Pike, and Eriph had grown up together in Light's Haven. The three were inseparable from an early age. They attended squire classes together and were even accepted into Candelux at the same ceremony. But a few months after their induction, Dorman's mother, Kyara, accepted the role of head archdon in Memorial City. Dorman and Pike went with her, and though Eriph had stayed behind in Light's Haven, the three had remained close friends.
Eriph had hoped to keep Dorman out of the current situation, but unfortunately Pike was no longer responding to his letters. The Death Gods needed an audience with Head Archdon Kyara, and so they were forced to engage Dorman. As they moved hastily through the rectory, Eriph resisted the temptation to make eye contact with anyone along the way, hoping their presence would go mostly unnoticed. There was no telling who could be a spy for the Brotherhood. When they reached the end of the hall, Dorman quickly knocked, opened the door, and ushered them in. The latch clicked as the door was swiftly shut.
Eriph's eyes drifted up. Head Archdon Kyara sat behind a desk. Her white scarf was pristine, without a wrinkle in sight. Held back by a white headband, her short hair matched the dark color of her robe. Her expression was flat, and she did not appear pleased to see them.
"Hello, Eriph," Archdon Kyara said.
"Hello, Your Grace."
"When I heard you were excluded, I didn't expect to see you again so soon." Kyara moved on to the leader of the Death God expedition. "Founder Dolore? I didn't expect to see you ever again."
Dolore offered a polite nod. "Nor did I, Head Archdon, but here we are."
"Yes, here we are. Now that we're through with the cloak-and-dagger portion, perhaps you'd be kind enough to explain what you're doing in my city? And in my office?"
"Would it be possible to speak with you in private?"
"You're the one who brought Eriph along."
Dolore gestured with her head. "I was referring to Don Dorman."
"Dorman stays," Kyara shot back. "Now, tell me why you're here."
"A few days ago, we lost contact with one of our scouts—"
"Spies." Kyara sharply interrupted. "One of your spies."
The room was silent. The hostility was palpable. Memorial City was home to many of the watchers who had guarded Deimor Outpost. Most of the people in the city knew someone who had died there.
Dolore pushed past the correction. "We came to Memorial City to find him."
"What makes you think he's here?" Kyara asked.
"I have a contact in the Brotherhood, an old friend, who exchanges information with me. He confirmed my suspicions."
"Who's this contact of yours?"
"I can't say. You know that."
Kyara growled. "You have spies everywhere, don't you? How about in my rectory?"
"No."
"No?" Kyara stared at Eriph. "Not even Don Pike?"
"What are you talking about?" Eriph asked.
"I know you met with him in Battle Square a couple of days ago."
"What?" Eriph was still stunned. He had tried to be so careful.
"Don Dorman spotted you, isn't that right?"
Dorman cleared his throat. "Yes. Pike didn't know, but I was following him. He'd been acting strangely for a couple of weeks now."
"And now, he's missing since yesterday. So, is Pike the spy you're looking for?" Kyara asked.
Dolore took hold of the chair in front of Kyara's desk. "May I sit?"
"If you wish."
"Thank you." The founder sat down and placed her hands in her lap. "Plain and simple, we need your help. The name of the man we're looking for is Aksilacarn. He's originally from Light's Haven, but four days ago, he was ordered to follow your ambassadors and keep an eye on them. The ambassadors are in possession of an artifact belonging to Shinigami. It was intended to be a peace offering when they arrived in Alovajj. We had concerns the Brotherhood might try to steal it."
"What artifact?"
"A dagger. When the caravan stopped in Zazima, we lost contact with our man, but not before he sent us two names we believe are associated with the Brotherhood. Greggor and Don Layola."
"Don Layola?" Kyara straightened up and shuffled through the papers on her desk before pulling one in front of her face. "I thought so. It seems Don Layola disappeared the same night as your spy. Why do you think she's with the Brotherhood?"
"At first, it was just suspicion aroused from Aksilacarn's report. But once we arrived in Memorial City, my contact confirmed Don Layola is working with one of the Brotherhood cells, and they're holding Aksilacarn captive."
"I find that hard to believe. This contact of yours. How do you know he's not deceiving you?"
"I've known him for many years." Dolore paused. "I would trust him with my life. Plus, he has something to gain by helping us."
"And what's that?" Kyara asked.
"His friend's been in prison in Memorial City for the last few years."
"And you're going to break him out?"
"No, we're here to ask you to release him."
Kyara stifled a smile. "I see. I can't wait to hear this one. This prisoner have a name?"
"Gladdak."
/> Kyara leaned forward on her elbows. "Out of the question."
"Don't you at least want to hear what I have to say?" Dolore asked.
"I feel like I've heard enough. You have a secret contact in the Brotherhood who's trying to take advantage of the new cooperation—I'm using the term loosely—between Candelux and the Death Gods. He's using you to get one of his Brothers released from prison. A Brother, in case you weren't aware, who masqueraded as a priest for nearly a decade before we tracked him down. You're trying to exchange one prisoner for another. In the end, who gets freed? A Death God spy and a Brother? In what kingdom do you think it'd be a good idea for me to help you?"
Eriph clenched his fist. "It's not that simple. You don't understand."
Dolore shot him a look. "Eriph."
The former Candelux priest clamped his lips shut and lowered his head.
"What don't I understand?" Kyara asked.
"There's more at stake here than just two prisoners," Dolore explained. "Have you ever heard the name Kolokajja?"
"No. Should I have?"
"What about deathroot?"
"Some sort of seed the Brotherhood has access to, but no one seems to know what it does."
Dolore tapped the desk as she spoke. "We believe Kolokajja is the source of the deathroot. We don't know if he's making them, but he appears to be supplying them to the Brotherhood. In Memorial City, we've identified three major cells fighting for the overseer position. The cell holding Aksilacarn is run by a man named Hable, and Hable has sworn his loyalty to Kolokajja."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, Hable probably knows what deathroot does, and it's powerful enough to get him to submit to Kolokajja. And if that's true, it'll only be a matter of time before the other two cells fall in line. We could be witnessing the early stages of the re-formation of the Brotherhood and the rise of the first Grand Overseer in sixteen years."
Kyara sighed. "That's a marvelous story, but for all I know, everything you just said is completely made up. Do you have any shred of evidence aside from the word of a Brother?"
"If you know about deathroot, you must know about what happened to Don Millan in Light's Haven."
"I do. I also know the seed was cleansed and he's no longer in danger."
Dolore leaned in. "That's true, but he's not the only one who's been infected."
"What are you talking about?"
Dolore glanced over her shoulder. "Don Dorman, you mentioned Don Pike was acting strangely. Would you care to elaborate on his behavior?"
"Uh…sure. Let's see. He's constantly late. He's forgetting people's names, people he knows. He just seems out of it, and I haven't seen him since yesterday."
Dolore faced Kyara. "These are the side effects of deathroot. Yes, you're right, there's still much we don't know, but based on what we do know, he's probably been infected for two to three weeks now."
"Two to three weeks?" Kyara asked. "How long does it last?"
"We're working with limited information, but I don't think this is something that just goes away, like an illness that runs its course. I suspect the Brotherhood has given Don Pike deathroot multiple times, and they'll probably continue to do so until they get what they want. We have to find him."
The head archdon was silent for a few moments as her eyes shifted from Dolore to Dorman, and finally locked on Eriph. "I heard you passed through Memorial City a few weeks ago. I don't suppose you have any idea how or why Pike was infected."
Eriph looked away. "No, Your Grace."
Of course, he knew. After all, he blamed himself. He'd given Pike the list of suspected Brothers, and Pike must have gotten caught trying to investigate the list. But, admitting this out loud would only hurt their chances of getting help from Candelux.
Kyara mused. "So, Dolore, how do we find Pike?"
"We start with Hable."
"The same guy who's holding your spy. Interesting. What are you proposing?"
"In exchange for the release of Gladdak, my contact will help us set a trap. If all goes as planned, we save Aksilacarn, find Don Pike, and capture a handful of Brothers including Don Layola and Hable. Then, we question Hable and get him to lead us to Kolokajja."
"I'm not completely convinced on Layola, and you really think Hable will give up his leader?"
"From what I've heard of Hable, loyalty may not be his strong suit. He might help us if it saves his skin. If we can get Kolokajja or the deathroot, we may be able to help Don Pike and prevent something catastrophic."
Kyara rubbed her lower lip. "I will request an audience with the Council and discuss this with them. I imagine they'll want to speak with Shinigami as well. How will I get a message to you?"
Dolore stood and joined Eriph. "Starting at twelve strikes noon, I'll send one of my people to Battle Square to look for Don Dorman at the top of every hour. This situation is quite urgent, and our window for putting this plan into motion will likely close within a day or two."
"I understand. You'll hear from me shortly."
Chapter 27
A black coat lay on the beach, the fur quivering in the breeze. Beside it, Millan basked in the midday sun.
"This feeling is incredible."
The sound of footsteps in the snowy sand drew closer, and Sundancer leaned over him. "Not cold at all?"
"Not even a little. How old were you when you were able to do this?"
"It's one of the first things we're taught after breathing, so pretty early on. Six, maybe?"
Millan propped himself up on his elbows. "Six? Hmm, what was I able to do at six?"
Sundancer offered her hand. "Get up. I want to speak with you about something."
The Nesinu priest gripped her wrist, pulled himself to his feet, and brushed off the snow and sand from the back of his robe. "Something wrong?"
"No, not wrong. In fact, just the opposite, I hope. There's a reason I taught you about staying warm this morning."
"Oh?"
"Our bodies are capable of incredible energy, but it means very little if you're not able to control it and keep it from escaping. When you learned about light blessings, you were taught how to focus on spells, visualize your goal, but little time was dedicated to conserving your energy."
Millan thought back to his lessons. "That's true. How do you know that?"
"It's a common flaw in both the teachings of Candelux and Summa Arcana. Something that's been lost over the last few centuries. I've seen both mages and priests waste so much energy. And something as simple as learning to prevent that can be enough to propel them into higher ranks."
"Higher ranks?"
The bloodseeker smiled. "Sorry, I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. Staying warm with only your body's natural heat and your mind is the simplest example of conserving energy. I needed to see if you were ready, and I think this morning proved to me that you are."
Millan's head began to replay the images of Sundancer's incredible fighting at Royal Oak. "Really? That's great. What technique are going to teach me next?"
"That's just it. It's one you already know."
The priest scratched his head. "More breathing?"
"It's not Dyato'aw. It's a holy blessing." Sundancer fished into her pocket and held up Don Skully's gift.
Millan glared at the bloodseeker. "You took my star?"
"Borrowed. I wanted to surprise you. I hope that's all right." Sundancer presented the conduit to him.
Millan delicately took it and cradled it in his palm. Who was he kidding? He couldn't stay mad at her. His infatuation wouldn't allow it. Not to mention, she was offering to help him with the most challenging blessing known to priests. "It's all right."
"Good. I know what happened to you at Royal Oak, how the blessing drained your strength and nearly killed you. I also remember Prima Mashira telling you to seek out her brother, Founder Mortis, once you get to Alovajj. But who knows when that will be. Everything you learned this morning can be directly applied to the Blessing of the Fallen Angel.
And if you trust me, I can help you cast it without losing so much energy. Are you interested?"
His leg shook and his heart swelled as adrenaline coursed through his body. "Absolutely."
✽✽✽
The memory of Verago's voice rang in Sonojj's head.
"Here he is, as you requested. You may speak for a few minutes now, but the sooner you leave and complete your purpose, the sooner you can return. Then, you can have all the time you want until he's set free."
"Nervous?" Jin asked.
The blind demon grunted. "A bit."
"You think they'll let you close enough to Agalia?"
"I have no idea, but this is the best thing I could come up with."
Jin mused. "And when they name Millan as your accuser?"
"The hope is that they won't want to ruin the diplomacy with Candelux, so I'll convince them there's a way to avoid an incident. They let me speak with Agalia, and it'll all be cleared up."
"That simple, huh?"
Sonojj tittered. "I never said it'd be simple, but it's all been set in motion. I can't exactly stop it now, can I?"
"You could always run if you wanted. You could come back to Djjatol with me."
Her offer was tempting. Sonojj knew the agony was going to be more painful than anything he'd ever experienced. But to kill Agalia, he'd have to release the purge stored inside him. "I have to see this through. The prize is too great."
"You never did tell me what Verago offered you for completing this mission. Is he setting your soul free?"
"As if the Devil would ever release a soul he has use for."
"Then?"
"My son. He's trapped in the Vault."
The Vault was an undisclosed location in the Depths where Verago locked away the souls of demons who had the misfortune of getting cleansed. As far as anyone knew, cleansing made it impossible for the Devil to turn those wanderers back into demons. But as a firm believer that any spell could be undone, Verago refused to release them in the hopes that he would one day reverse the cleansing process and re-create the bulk of his demon army.
Jin patted Sonojj on the shoulder. "That's really noble. Are you sure you're not already liberated?"
Liberated demons were a small subset of demons who had broken away from Verago's influence by having their spirits recombined with the help of a master sen'dya. Since they were still tethered to Verago, if a liberated demon died, they would end up back in the Depths facing a rather angry Devil. So, many of them lived on the Coast in peace, trying to avoid conflict.
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