Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) (69 page)

The knight said nothing for some time.  Rupert hoped he hadn't overdone it.  The knight's hand on his shoulder hadn't moved or changed.  Then suddenly
, it was patting him.  "There lad.  While I certainly didn't see the demon carrying anyone."  Rupert froze.  He hadn't thought of that.  If the man could see well enough to shoot him, he surely could have seen anything he might have carried.  Rupert mentally cursed himself.  The whole story was worthless.  What an idiot he was!  Why hadn't he thought of that angle?

Talarius continued, unaware of Rupert's internal recriminations, "It was dark and my view wasn't that good.  I certainly could have missed seeing you.  After the demon moved out of the moonlight, all I could see was a dark spot in the sky. 
Certainly, I wouldn't have done any pronouncement that would have injured you if I'd realized you were there with the demon.  I'm sorry for that lad.  Truly, but the important thing is," Talarius strengthened his grip on Rupert's shoulder, "that we got it to release you, albeit unknowingly.

"You are safe with us.  In due time
, we will return you to your family.  However, for tonight, I think you need rest.  In the morning, I'd appreciate it if you could repeat your story for the Arch-Vicar General and a few other good men.  We will need all the help we can get in ferreting out the vile minions of deceit.  Fear not though, I Talarius will personally see to it that the demons are all slain and routed.  They will not have their wicked way with good people like yourself anymore.  This is my word."  With the last words, he lifted Rupert's chin again and smiled kindly.  Rupert would have been relieved, felt protected, if only the man wasn't talking about slaying him.

 
~

As Ethen led the boy off to a tent for a good night's rest, Talarius turned his eyes back to the construction of the Runic Gateway.  He cursed himself for unknowingly endangering the child.  He shouldn't have aimed at a target that wasn't fully resolved.  While the Light of Heaven wouldn't hurt anything but creatures of evil, if he had killed the demon, the fall could certainly have killed the child.  Of course, this presumed the child was telling the truth.  The only doubts he had were from not having seen the child being carried, and the curious behavior of such a demon. Why it would be kidnapping the child.  Human sacrifice perhaps?  Talarius wouldn't put it past a demon.  Further, why would it fly directly over the Rod's campsite?

The boy had seemed sincere.  Actually, rather coherent for a child in that state, admirable.  Talarius had known many an older man to be completely insane with fear from lesser experiences with demons.  Unfortunately, he'd had no way to determine if the child was telling the truth short of his own instincts and experience.  Barabus or Verigas could easily have done so; however, they were busy.  Both priests were busy constructing the gateway.  That had paramount importance.

This incident tonight only further served to increase Talarius' determination to get reinforcements.  They were certainly going to need them.  Talarius rubbed his chin.  He'd have Barabus or one of the other priests listen to the boy's story tomorrow.  All the priests would be tired after the night's work, but they needed to know all they could learn.  The priests could verify the boy's story, and perhaps Talarius could probe for more information when the child had had time to rest.  Perhaps Ver
igas could help him with it.

Lord Protectator Wing Arms Master Heron of Treage surveyed his Command from the command deck of his flagship, the OSS Keeper
of Law.  He used the telescoping glass to survey the progress upon the decks of the other ships as the preparations for getting underway were being made on each and every vessel in his command.  Twenty-one of Oorstemoth's finest resting now in their berths outside of Keeper's City, he was proud of each one.  He only wished he'd had more to spare.  Unfortunately, these craft were in extremely high demand, and short of abandoning other critical interests of Oorstemoth, he could spare no more.

His command was just now finishing the loading of men and supplies as the sun finally peeked above the horizon.  Just in time for the dawn launch.  Protocol dictated that the Leave Taking occur with the sun's first full light.  It had been a tight call, getting fully mobilized on such short notice.  Wylan's messages had reached Keeper's City in good time and made their way up the bureaucratic layers until the Council of Justice saw them, and called on Heron to interpret and respond.  It had actually taken Heron more than a few passes over Wylan's missive to fully understand all the ramifications and legal import of the message.  Unfortunately, in Heron's opinion, both Wylan and his assistant Fiernon seemed caught up in the recent court trend of  hyper-verbalization.  Heron just shook his head, the younger generation, he sometimes feared that their dedication to legalistic flowery language might sometime override or cloud their vision of the Justice.  Heron preferred the short and direct.  Lately, however, his style seemed to be falling out of fashion.  As it was it had taken him a couple of hours to come up with a legally binding set of charges from Wylan's report.  Perhaps if he'd been there first hand it would have been easier.

Seeing that the ready flags were now raised on all vessels, Heron adjusted the Amulet of Amplification upon his breast and raised his Warrant of Commission and Letter of Command.  Formally, he held it before him with both hands, the right above, the left below to hold the scroll in the prescribed manner of execution.  He received the nod of readiness from his second.

  "Hear all, here-to-fore present and accounted for!  For the High Crimes of Piracy, Destruction of Governmental Property, Murder of Constabulary Officers, Flight of the Due Process of Law into Extraterritorial Lands; for the Cardinal Crimes of Illicit Demonic Association, Alliance with Enemy Powers and Conspiracy to Escape Justice by Demonic Methods; for the Treasonous Crimes of Conspiracy with Foreign Powers to Threaten Oorstemothian Sovereignty, for Subversion of Foreign Nations in Manners Inconsistent with Oorstemothian Sovereignty, for Conspiracy for World Domination by Powers Not Oorstemothian and for Crimes of High Import Yet To Be Determined and Specified, is this
Warrant of Forcible Extradition and Necessary Eradication issued upon one Edwyrd the Animage, lately of Gizzor Del, Maelen the Seer, known to be of the Free City of  Seren, the Wizard Gastropé late of the Command of the Mage Exador, Jenn Rean, Journeyman of the Lenamare’s Academy of Wizardry, Rupert, Novitiate, also of the Lenamare’s Academy of Wizardry; and upon all personages seeking to aid or abet these individuals in criminalistic actions counterproductive to the cause of Justice.  This Warrant is further comprehensive over previously issued, longstanding Warrant 31234556 regarding the Judicial Prosecution of one Asmeth the Pirate and the villainous crew of Asmeth's vessel, as well as Inquisitorial Warrant I1432179 regarding the theft of Oorstemothian Artifacts by Individuals  Suspected of Collusion with the Wizard Lenamare.

"In pursuit of this
Warrant and observant of the Due Process of Law, do I Heron of Treage, Wing Arms Master of the Oorstemothian Fleet, Lord Protectator of Oorstemoth and the Council of Justice, Duly Recognized Agent of High Justice, hereby assume from this date forth, the High and Sole Command of the One-Thousand Four-Hundred and Thirteenth Sky Fleet of Oorstemoth.  Said Command and Commission is to last until such time as the Warrant of Forcible Extradition and Necessary Eradication is considered fulfilled and duly executed by the Council of Justice.  This do I swear and affirm on this the 25th day of Asim, in the One Thousand-Six Hundred and Thirty-First year of Oorstemothian Sovereignty, before the duly recognized witnesses of said Command, the One Thousand-Four Hundred and Thirteenth Sky Fleet.  So let the Law be Enacted, so let Justice be Done before the Honorable High Lord of Oorstemoth and Justice."  Heron bowed his head for a moment of respect and observation of import, as did the members of his Command.  He drew his sword, raising it above his head, staring into the newly risen sun.

"Fleet Ho!" 
Called his second.  "All stations ready!  Prepare for lift off.  Unfurl the sails."  As word was given to the fleet via his second's amulet, the glorious golden sails of Oorstemoth began to unfurl from the masts of each vessel in the fleet.  All in perfectly timed unison, on each ship, three sails per mast, three masts per ship.  The banners of Oorstemoth riding proudly atop the center mast of each ship.  Heron balanced himself on his experienced legs as the ship rocked in its berth.

His crew, nay, his entire fleet operated as a
well-oiled machine.  He had no fear on this cause.  As one, the twenty-one Sky Ships of Oorstemoth rose stately and majestically into the air above the Plain of Justice.  Heron turned to look over his own ship.  The crew moving in precise, never wasted motions brought the great airship into the morning sky.

At two hundred feet, Heron nodded to his second, who waved his arm, giving the order for the ships to proceed forward over the city.   Tethers were released allowing the ships to move forward.  The ships continued to climb, naturally, needing the altitude to clear the Seven Towers of Law, five hundred feet tall each.  As the ships began to move forward in formation, the Beloved Anthem of Oorstemoth swelled as if from the very bosoms of the ships.  In reality, it was the combined voices of all the sailors singing the hymn together as one voice of many parts.

As his flagship crossed over the Gate of Peace on the Boulevard of Right, Heron could see the cheering citizens of the city.  Up early to see the Leave Taking.  Crowds lined the boulevard, cheering and singing the anthem themselves.  Heron was proud of his people, proud of his men and women, proud of the support from the populace.  Even on such extremely short notice, the citizens had come forth to bid the fleet Law's Speed.  As tears threatened to flow from his eyes, Heron had to reprimand himself for being an old fashioned sentimentalist.  These ancient traditions always threatened to choke him, ever since he was a small lad on the boulevard below watching his first Leave-taking, the 1371st Fleet.  Twenty years ago, when he'd led his first fleet, the 1400th, he'd thought the moment could never be recaptured.  He'd since learned that every Leave Taking under his command would leave him with the same feelings.

Heron squinted at the sunlight reflecting off the Towers of Law ahead.  They were now approaching rapidly.  The ships would cross over the top of the Towers, still following the boulevard and then exit over the Gate of War.  At that point they would change course slightly, heading north over the sea, and continue to gain altitude in order to sail over the mountains north of Hoggensforth.  They wouldn't have to climb too fast.  It would be a while before they even reached Hoggensforth.  In all, Heron calculated they should be able traverse the nearly twelve hundred miles and arrive in Freehold at about sunset tomorrow.  He would have to rely on Wylan and Fiernon to ensure the suspects didn't flee again, or if they did, to track them.

~

Rupert sat in the tent, worrying about what to do.  He was in a nice tent, he'd had a nice cot to sleep on, and been given new clothes.  Clothes of a Rod member, but clothes nonetheless.  A little bit
ago, a soldier had come in and delivered him some food for breakfast.  The soldier had also courteously inquired if he could get Rupert anything.  At the time there was nothing else Rupert needed.  There had been water for washing and a separate curtained off area with a chamber pot.  A very nice tent overall.  Rupert really had to contrast the way the Rod treated prisoners with the way Exador's people treated prisoners.  For comfort, he'd take the Rod any day.

Everyone had gone out of their way to be polite, kind and understanding.  Certainly a strange way to treat prisoners.  Of course, he wasn't exactly sure he was a prisoner.  There didn't seem to be a guard outside of his tent, on the other hand, with so many attentive soldiers all over the place, it didn't seem necessary.  The soldier who'd brought breakfast had asked if Rupert would mind if Talarius and a priest were to interview him a bit later in the morning.  Rupert had been nervous about that, wondering belatedly if a priest could detect lies.  Rupert didn't see much choice but to agree to the interview.  The young man had been polite about the whole thing though. The Rod were really nice guys.  If only, Rupert mused, they weren't a bunch of genocidal maniacs dedicated to slaying
his people.

~

"You say you haven't seen Rupert since yesterday?"  Maelen asked Edwyrd over breakfast.  Edwyrd had just raised his concern to the seer as they sat down to eat.  This morning it was Gastropé, Edwyrd and Maelen eating breakfast.  Jenn and her friends had been commandeered early by Lenamare for some task.  Edwyrd was thankful for that.  He didn't relish having to tell Jenn that Rupert was missing.

Maelen bit into a piece of melon he was eating.  He seemed to be thinking for a moment. "I don't know, I can try and search the palace for him, but it will take a while to cover the whole place."

"Would you?"  Edwyrd asked.

"Certainly, I'd have to do it anyway, given what I've seen around here."

"Given what you've seen!  We forgot to tell you about what we've seen!"  Gastropé stated.  Gastropé looked around the dining room to make sure no invisible demons were near and proceeded to relate the previous day's events to Maelen.  He spoke softly and quickly, trying to avoid any demons noticing them from a distance and getting closer.  Maelen raised his eyebrows several times.  At first he seemed skeptical, but when Gastropé got to the part where Damien had seen them as well, he became more convinced.  When they mentioned what the Rod had told Damien, Maelen got positively pale.  "This will certainly require investigation."  Maelen said as Gastropé finished. 

~

"I was beginning to think they'd never leave."  Antefalken told Damien as the last of the council filed out of Damien's quarters.  Damien had sent all of the councilors, with the exception of Lenamare, Jehenna, Exador and Randolf, who were suspect, and Zilquar who was still unaccounted for, a sudden and urgent request to join him for breakfast.  Each one thought they were individually invited to some urgent private meeting.  When they'd all arrived, surprised to see each other, Damien had explained why he'd invited them.  Damien hadn't wanted to hold a normal session because of the possibility of alerting the demons.  When he'd explained about the demons' presence, there had naturally been the expected uproar.  After about half an hour, he'd managed to convince them to at least believe him until they had a chance to verify for themselves that the palace was infested.

That had been the easy part, what followed was three hours of typical discussion about where the demons came from and what they were doing.  Damien had also felt obliged to point out what the Rod had said about archdemons.  He had not been disappointed by the shock in the others' faces.

Even without this shock, they were still at a loss as to what to do.  They could try and eliminate all the demons, but this would certainly notify the master of the demons. That could bring retaliatory action.  More precisely, if they didn't get rid of the root of the problem first, they'd run the risk of a blood bath in the palace.  For one thing, they'd also have to move very fast to eliminate the demons, before any could go on a rampage, even if they did take out the master first.

The problem, of course, had been the fact that no one knew who owned the demons.  What was somewhat clear, was that the demons had something to do with Lenamare and Exador's fight.  Probably the book, Damien had thought, but
he did not mention this to the others.  One suggestion that had been popular for a while was to have a full inquisition with Lenamare and Exador and get the whole issue on the table.  Then Trevin D'Vils had brought up the possibility that either Exador or Lenamare could be in league with the archdemons, or under the control of the archdemons, which Damien himself feared but had been unwilling to voice.

That had made the room quiet for a moment.  If either of the two wizards was linked to all the demons, or to archdemons, forcing the issue in a council session might not be the best idea.  Damien, actually, thought it might not be a bad idea, no one else seemed to agree.  As was often the case on anything important, the council ended up deciding nothing.  Damien wasn't surprised, he'd come to expect it, he just hoped they could come to some agreement before it was too late.  However, he had done his job, he'd notified
every one of the problem.  Now people could wring their hands over it and not do anything more than if they hadn't known.

Damien just shook his head, looking at his bard, he gestured for Antefalken to follow him as he left the room to climb the stairs to his tower study.  At least the councilors were gone.  At the top of the stairs was an ironwood door.  Damien muttered the requisite key words over the handle, then opened the door to admit himself and Antefalken to the tower room.

Damien looked to the piles of messages still waiting on his desk.  Shaking his head, he went to open a window and look out upon the city.  Antefalken took up his normal perch.  "Do you plan to go ahead and do something without them?"