Interlude 2

Zarin

The ceremony had ended, we were in the great hall having heard her prattle on about some nonsense. It was not like she actually knew what an adventurer would have to face, she was just a pretty face to put on the throne and act like she ruled. The flock of adventurers swarmed to me as she left having spoken about forming parties. They were all so ****, weak pathetic excuses that simply wanted to leech from my power, thinking that they could shine in my shadow. I sighed and endured it, it would do no good to ignore them, I would let them vie for my attention and I would use them however I saw fit.

I was growing tired of them, I turned to Becker, one of the adventures in my group. I liked the man, he was brutal. I asked him to deal with the throngs of admirers whilst I left. I put my hand on Elsie’s waist, she flinched at the touch. I got annoyed, I had tried being nice to her at the beginning, that had worked for a bit until she attempted to pull away from me. Since then I had had to rely on her slavery to keep her in check, in time perhaps I could convince her that I had changed. She seemed to like me when I was injured, maybe I could have a near **** experience on a contract.

“Lord Zarin” the whine of a boy came from the hallway, his soft slippers padding on the stone as he hurried towards me. I tilted my head to look at him, he was young and seemed to be carrying a sheet of paper in his hand as it waved through the air.

“Yes?” I asked sternly, looking at him square in his eyes. He slunk backwards at the sight of me before recovering himself fairly quickly.

“A letter sir” he gasped for air, clearly having rushed to me, “It bears your father’s seal” he explained as he foisted the sheet of paper upon me.

I snatched it from his hand and nodded my head, “You can go” I said as he stood there waiting. I swept him from my mind and ripped open the letter, reading the contents.

Son,

I have received news of your bonding to the lion spirit, it pleases me to hear that you still have potential for your future. I expect that you will receive this letter towards the end of your training, that nonsensical practice that her majesty has started. You will require resources to thrive in the city as I once did, you may use the manse as you wish. I left a small group of staff there; they will arrange everything you need though I suggest you take on a larger household. I am also giving you access to the funds in the account at the Banking House of Vorant, they should be sufficient for your needs. For now, I want you to bring the adventurers to you, buy their loyalty if you can, make them fear you, earn it if that works. I also wish for you to grow closer to the queen, as a lion spirit you are one of the few adventurers that should be able to do so with ease. I do not care how you do it, just get close to her, gain her ear, and make her value your counsel. I have plans for the future of our house, you have done well, you have given us another chance for greatness. Try not to bring everything burning down before we can prosper.

Lord Harod Motten

His words looked as though they had been written without any care to who would read them, no particular notice given to the lettering, in other words it was clearly written by my father. The stamp of his crest was planted at the bottom of the page. I read it once more then folded it up, sliding it into a pocket in my suit.

No matter what my father suggested, I would not be moving into the manse. He wanted me to gain the loyalty of the adventurers and I could not do that away from them, I would take a room in the temple of Tallaque. Being seen would grow my reputation, people would come to me, and I would grow my followers. I would use the manse for events and functions, I should host one tonight. For the new adventurers and I could see which ones were already loyal to me, or at least **** enough to serve.

I turned to one of the men besides me, I wasn’t sure of his name “You” I said, his attention quickly focusing on me, “I want you to arrange a party for this evening. I have a manse in the Amber district, go there and tell them that Lord Zarin sent you. They will make the preparations” I said.

He nodded his head so quickly that I thought it would fall off, I gestured for him to leave, and he sped off down the halls to do my bidding. I couldn’t help but smile at the effect that I had on people; how did they get by without a spirit as strong as my own.

I sighed and stopped in the hallway, my entourage halting quickly behind me. “Go on, continue with your business. I have to see the queen” I said, the message quickly spreading among the others. I knew that I would grow tired of being followed by so many, I would have to make sure they each knew their places.

I left them and proceeded down the polished stone towards the royal quarters. The queen’s office was across from her bedchambers, though from what I had seen it was more of a war room than an office. A guard was stood in front of the door, as I approached it, he turned his stare on me and lowered his hand to his sword as I continued forward.

“State your business” his voice bellowed.

“Oh move aside, I wish to see the queen” I said, annoyed by his insolence

He refused to move, standing steadfast in his guard post. I continued to stand there, being refused entrance to the room until the door opened, and a head looked out at the disturbance. It was Calendis, the spineless leech had seemed to latch onto power and was somehow managing to stay there. “You. Let me into the room, I have business with the queen” I ordered him.

He sighed and returned into the room, closing the door on me. I heard voices on the other side and eventually it opened once more, “Her majesty will see you now” he said, sounding annoyed.

I showed him a brief smirk and brushed passed him, entering the chamber. The queen was stood over a large desk that encompassed most of the space in the room. A map of the kingdom was painted onto it with figures scattered around, indicating the strength of various forces. She was dressed in a functional outfit that clung to her incredible curves, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was still a virgin, the queen’s virginity would certainly be something to aim for.

“Your majesty” I said eloquently, offering her a gracious bow. She offered me her hand and I planted a kiss upon it.

“Zarin” she nodded her head to me; I had grown used to being addressed as _lord _recently and the lack of the title made me a little irate. I didn’t let it show. “What is it that you wished to speak of?”

“My father wishes me to extend his best wishes to you, I trust that you are doing well?” I said politely. She nodded her head but didn’t say anymore.

I cleared my throat, “Yes, well he wishes to ask your leave to raise the taxes on his lands. I am sure that you have heard of the recent troubles there, funds will be required for him to rebuild” I asked her, we had discussed the idea before I had left, but in truth he had no intentions to rebuild.

She was quiet for a moment, and I thought I would have to speak some more until she answered me, “Yes, he has my leave to raise them. It will do no good to allow monsters to roam wild in our lands, he will however focus on the defences during the rebuilding” she paused for a moment in thought, “And I would make a request from you in turn” she said

I raised my eyebrow, “Of course my queen, I would be honoured to serve” I said, feeling nauseous at how pathetic I sounded.

“Here” she said, pointing to a clump of figures on her table. They were to the north, a few miles from the spire. “There have been numerous sightings of a large group of monsters here. I want you and your party to go there and wipe them out before they can pose a true threat”

I looked at the location she was pointing to, “hmm, yes. It should be manageable; I’ll arrange a party soon. It’s what? A bit more than a week on horseback?” I asked

She nodded, “Come to the citadel when you’re ready, we’ll be happy to equip your party with mounts to ride there. For now, thank you for your visit but I have much more work to be doing”

“Of course. It has been a pleasure your majesty, your company is always refreshing” I replied, giving her a charming smile.

She nodded her head and turned to the papers that lay on the table, forgetting about me as I left the room. Calendis’ stare followed me until the door shut on me and I proceeded down the hallway.

My mind wondered as I thought about what awaited me. I couldn’t help but think of Aucus, that bastard had insisted on frustrating me here with his presence. He seemed to refuse to die, even despite Gaedon’s best efforts. Something would have to be done. Perhaps I could find a way to keep him from taking a contract and gaining a reputation.

The Devil in Disguise

I stood in the Citadel looking down at the city before me. It was disgusting. The humans had torn up this world and perverted it, attempting to mimic the glories of our past and achieving in only wounding the earth with a gruesome scar.

There was still one hope though, that boy, Aucus. When I had first touched him and entered his mind, he had relit the fire within me that had burned out centuries ago. I had long since lost hope of seeing the return of the mother, but he… he was filled with her energy. He had been a familiar comfort of the past. Since the great treachery of the humans, I had spent time searching the world for any sign of the mother, when I had reached the shadow gates, I had done everything in my power to open them and failed.

There was hope, but for now I would have to retain my disguise. It had been useful in the years; they hadn’t seen through my guise, and I had managed to survive their purge of my brethren. As the years went on, I had burrowed closer to their seat of power, learning their secrets, and observing how their war techniques had changed over the times. When I was called upon, I would stand behind the mother, giving her what she needed to wage war on these parasites.

Aucus though… he was the future of our race. The mother was watching him closely, looking out for him but the humans were dangerous things. They had made this world into a viscous place, they created monsters and let their rot fester, infecting all that was once good. I sighed and looked upwards towards the sky, one thing that they hadn’t managed to destroy yet. I couldn’t blame them though, not really. They were just children, guided by the hands of the sisters, it was they who were truly responsible for the carnage.

I would rise up with my brethren when the time came, taking vengeance for the centuries I was **** to live in exile. But for now, I would have to remain hidden, I reminded myself. It had been too long since I had hope for anything. The humans would be calling on me more and more in the coming days, I would sabotage their efforts of genocide against my kin, weakening them so that we could strike back.

I turned from the balcony, there was a tapestry in the room of a human warrior cutting through a devil. It made me seethe every time I saw it, they relished in their crimes. The war had begun centuries ago, they had simply let themselves believe it had ended.

Sephenia

My eyes cracked open, the blue glow illuminated the small room from the crystal that sat behind a cage. On one of my first days in my cell I had tried to rip the metal from its setting within the walls, but it was stuck in firmly. My new home wasn’t quite long enough for me to lie down when I slept, forcing me to either curl up or risk waking up with an ache in my shoulders and back, its width was about twice the size of the door that separated me from my freedom. In my weeks of captivity I could feel how much my muscles had atrophied, I had no way to work them properly and I had grown much weaker.

I sat up in my cell, rolling my shoulders in their sockets as I tried my best to bring life back into them. There was a foul odour in the air, at the beginning I had attempted to keep my business in one corner, but the floor of the room was designed so that no matter where it went it would drain into the centre of the room, a place I couldn’t avoid. My body was covered in my own piss as a result and the scent of shit came from the corner where it sat.

My captors would open the door every few days and take me out for a beating. They would not ask me any questions, they would not even speak to me, they simply pounded their fists against me. It was intended to cause me pain without breaking anything and I would receive more before my wounds could heal. The break between beatings was long enough that I could not get used to the pain but short enough that I could not remember the days where I was not in pain. Sadly though, I looked forward to the pain as when I was brought back the shit had been cleaned out of my cell.

The cells under Motten’s manor had been used as a storage space by Lord Beckront, keeping herbs, furniture, decorations, clothing, and a variety of items that he held in excess. Since Motten’s appointment as Lord of these lands, he had made a point of replacing the doors on the cells and setting them to their original purpose.

The sound of steel armour clanged on the stone outside of my cell, I backed towards the far wall as they came to a halt outside my door. It sounded like a man on the other side, he spat at something. The slot on my door slid open and a tray dropped in, it clanged to the ground, the slop that I was served splattering onto the floor.

I was not proud of myself; pride was something I had let go a long time ago. It was a luxury reserved for those who possessed freedom, those who had things that they could afford to lose, it was a thing of the past. I scurried towards where the tray had fallen and scooped up what I could of the slop, it trickled down my fingers as I heaped it into my mouth. I swallowed as soon as it hit my tongue, there wasn’t need to chew, if the meal had any less substance it would be a soup. I gathered up more from the floor of my cell and devoured it, the only taste to be found in it was the rancid taste of my cell floor.

I was starving, I couldn’t remember a time when I wasn’t deafened by the sound of my own stomach. I lowered myself and began to lick up the remnants of my meal, there wasn’t much there but I was **** to eat something.

I heard a chuckle and looked up to see the eyes of Harod Motten on me, watching as I demeaned myself. He was looking through the opened hatch that gave him access to see into my cell. “You really are an animal aren’t you” he said with distaste, “ look at you, licking up food from the ground and wallowing in your own filth”

I hissed at him, backing up to the rear wall. I hated him but there was nothing I could do against him, I was weakened from my time as a prisoner, I had no weapons, and he was the Lord in this house. I glared up at him, keeping my mouth shut but hoping he could see the message in my eyes.

“It’s been a while since we had a chat, hasn’t it?” he said, speaking as though I was just another servant who had disappointed him, “You know, my son has became an adventurer now? Yes, he bonded with one of the lion spirits”

My eyes darted up at him, I tried to hide it, but I saw the smirk on his face as he looked at my widened eyes. It wasn’t possible, of all the spirits how did he end up with one of the most powerful.

He continued, “I’m sure with time someone like him can earn the queen’s favour, we all know how much that whore likes her pretty things. I swear she’s like a child, she has no grasp of the real world, thinking that everything is as perfect as her precious Citadel” he sounded angry as he spoke about the woman, “Do you think that with time she can’t be persuaded to turn over that bastard of yours?”

No, I wouldn’t let Aucus come to harm. She wouldn’t turn him over to a monster like Motten, I had to get out, I had to protect him. I barrelled towards the door and banged into it, reigniting the pains of the bruises that my beatings had given me. I fell to the ground, smearing my clothes in shit.

He chuckled again at the sight of me, “You’re pathetic” his voice turned softer, almost a whisper. “Almost as pathetic as that man of yours. I had him in one of my cells for years, he always screamed too quickly though. Before I could really enjoy the pain that I was giving him”

My blood ran cold, the man of mine? I thought, _who could he be talking about? _He had never had Canis in a cell, Aucus was free, Davrech? He had died in a dungeon, gone missing anyway, it was the same thing. Had Motten done something to him? No, it wasn’t possible. He must have heard about him, he was lying, trying to break me.

I rolled over onto my side, turning away from him and closing my eyes. My stomach still rumbled, I needed to eat more. I felt his presence lingering for a moment, watching me as I lay down until I heard him snort and slam the hatch on my door shut. His footsteps faded as he left me.

Lord Commandant Horst of Karatir

I was overwhelmed with paperwork; every time one issue was resolved it seemed as though it birthed a hundred more. The influx of men and supplies had not helped either, it seemed I was expected to find somewhere to house thousands of people without their presence being noticed, as well as that I had to securely store so many armaments, supplies, and materials. If the herculean task had not been foisted upon me, I would have said that it was not possible.

I pushed open the window in my office and looked out upon the city of Karatir. Unlike Alynthir, the buildings here were short and stocky, the stones used in their construction were thicker than what was necessary. Stretching out beyond me were the three rings of walls that secured everyone within them, at no point in history had they ever fallen. The walls had stood long before I was born, and I would be damned if they would be lost in my lifetime.

As magnificent as the sight of the walls, the towers, the turrets that comprised the defences were, they had fallen into disrepair. There had been little need for walls as strong as had once stood in their place, what was there now was enough to hold out any wandering monsters and it was beyond imagination that anything more dangerous would need to be kept out. It was once a least.

I heaved a sigh as the breeze stroked my face, the work called me back to it. I shut the window and returned my papers to their proper place after they had finished fluttering around on my desk. The Elven delegation would be arriving soon, they were due today with their best mages and would be aiding in the repair of the arcane seals on the walls.

Without the seals the walls would simply be great layers of stone, there was no telling what kind of destruction the devils were capable of. I doubted that any amount of rock would keep their ilk out, no, without the arcane seals they would have no trouble breaking through and slaughtering the masses. If the histories were to be believed, that is.

When my sister had sent word of the shadow gates opening, I had not believed her, preferring to be of the mind that she was playing some sort of sick jest, or perhaps had lost her wits. It wasn’t until the deaths of those adventurers at the hands of a devil that I had found the courage, or desperation, to visit the shadow gates in person. I had taken a band of my best men with me and when I saw the sliver of an opening, I had grown more terrified than I had ever been in my life. The simple sight of it, leading into the home of creatures of nightmares, unimaginable monsters that would revel in the burning of the world had made me want to flee.

Since then I had barely slept a wink, kept up with the thoughts of all I had to do before that crack widened. Karatir would be the first place that their infernal army hurled themselves at, it was the closest place of any import to the shadow gates and had stood long before the thousand wars. After their time imprisoned there, they would want a victory against mankind.

Our defences had to be ready, those people below depended upon me for their very survival. It wouldn’t be enough. The thought constantly bounced across my mind. I knew that my call for adventurers to be stationed in the city had to be answered soon, every day we grew closer and closer to doom, without them and their abilities we wouldn’t stand a chance.

My door cracked open, and Sam entered, I was relieved to have my mind drawn elsewhere, “Sir” he said in his meek voice, “The Elven delegation have arrived, they are in the Orach suite and awaiting your convenience”

I groaned; it was a sort of break I supposed. “Very well Sam, let’s be on our way then. I know how much elves love their punctuality” I said as I returned the important documents on my desk to their drawer and locked it. I glanced around the room one more time before leaving, goddesses, send me help.