Chapter XXXV

When Caleb awoke in the morning he found himself facing Khol's bedroll. Which was empty. His heart leaped into his throat and he jumped to his feet, taking his spear in hand. “Khol! Khol, where are you? Shamira, have you seen Khol?”

“I haven't,” said Shamira, rubbing her eyes. “Where could he have gone?”

They got their answer before Khol could even speak a word, though. Khol stood on the edge of the nearby cliff that overlooked Nihilus. There, floating in the air before him, was a demon. It had the head of a leopard, the body of a man, and the wings of a bird. Caleb had heard rumors of Khol's Familiar before, but there was a difference between listening to stories and seeing Sitri in person.

Caleb did not have long to marvel at the demon before Khol turned to face him and Caleb's heart sank. The boy had tears streaming from his eyes, but the angriest scowl on his face Caleb had ever seen on one so young.

“Tell me the truth,” Khol said.

Caleb glanced at the Familiar, at Shamira, and then back at Khol. “About what?”

Khol clenched his fists and stomped his foot. “You know what, liar!” he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger.

Caleb's heart stung at his words. He knew he couldn't keep the truth from the boy forever, he just wished it would have been longer before he had to tell him what had happened. “About your father?”

“Yes!”

Shamira gave Caleb a sympathetic look.

Caleb sighed. “You already know, then. The Archangel of archangels...Adon...he demanded your father's life. The only way he was going to let you escape alive was if Tamas gave up his own life. So...” Caleb scratched the back of his head and looked down at Khol's feet. “Tamas...your father...he let Adon...”

“Kill him?” Khol said, completing the words that Caleb could not speak aloud.

“Yes. Khol...I'm so sorry I didn't tell you...”

Just as Caleb started to step closer to Khol Sitri stepped between the two of them and pointed the tip of his sword at Caleb.

“Stay back!” Khol said.

Shamira placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. If this Familiar struck Caleb down she would have to act.

“Young prince,” Caleb said, raising his hands in surrender, “Please understand...your father ordered me to protect you...”

“You will not speak to me,” said Khol, his voice stern though his eyes still flowed with tears, “Neither will you follow me, until we have come to an understanding. You mark the words I speak today, for I have no need of a mere mortal's protection. Guarding me is not your duty, it is a privilege, which I may allow if you meet my conditions.”

Shamira interjected, “Khol, please understand, he was just trying to-”

“Silence!” Khol shouted at her. “You knew! You also knew what happened to my father, but you kept silent!”

“I couldn't...” Shamira trailed off, her voice wavering.

Khol turned back to Caleb. “From this moment on, Caleb, you swear that you protect me only from harm. Never again will you 'protect' me from the truth. Do you understand? You will be honest with me, no matter how hard the truth is to hear. Do you swear it?”

“I swear it!” said Caleb. “I'm so sorry I hid it from you!”

“I don't want to hear how sorry you are!” Khol shouted. “All I want to know is that it will not happen again!”

Caleb fell to his knees. “It will not happen again! I swear to you!”

“Do you swear that you will always follow my commands?” Khol asked.

Follow his commands? Caleb couldn't trust one so young to give commands! Could he? As he looked up Sitri's blade he realized, though, that this would be the only way Khol would allow him to fulfill his promise to Tamas. “Yes. I swear to follow your commands,” said Caleb.

“Even if my commands make no sense to you?”

“Aye, your highness. I swear it,” said Caleb, still on his knees.

Khol stepped forward and took the sword from Sitri's hand.

“No!” said Shamira, drawing her own sword. “You're just upset don't kill-”

“Trust me,” Khol told her.

Shamira closed her mouth and stepped back.

Khol tapped the blade down on Caleb's shoulder. “Sentinel of the Bastion, as of this moment I knight you. Sir Caleb,” Khol tapped his other shoulder with the blade. “Rise, first of the knights of the order of Sitri. You, like my Familiar, shall be my loyal protector. You are bound by your honor to never lie to me again.”

Caleb pushed himself to his feet. The more he thought about it now the more he felt like a fool for trying to hide anything from the young prince. Obviously, he was wise beyond his years.

“Now, let us continue east. After all,” Khol handed the sword back to Sitri, who faded from view, “I am the King of Nihilus now.”

. . .

“What do you want with Cilicia?” the blonde stranger asked, a curved blade in each hand.

Dario held tightly his own sword. He needed to be ready to fight back if this stranger turned on him. He wasn't wearing a witch hunter or inquisitor uniform. Perhaps a prisoner of the Inquisition? No. They wouldn't be so foolish as to leave a prisoner armed.

And something about this man's face looked familiar.

“Cilicia is my sister,” said Dario. “I seek to rescue her from the Inquisition's clutches.”

The blond stranger relaxed a little. “She did mention a brother...what is your name?”

“Dario.”

The stranger nodded in recognition, though he still held a skeptical look on his face. “Stay there. I will return shortly.”

The stranger walked off down an alleyway as Dario kept his feet firmly planted to that spot. A few moments later, the stranger emerged from the back alleys again with a young woman behind him. The shadows hid her from Dario, and he strained his eyes to see her.

“Is this your brother?” the stranger asked the young woman.

“Dario!” the young woman shouted before running over to him.

Dario sheathed his sword and held out his arms to embrace his sister for the first time in so many years. But his heart sank when she stepped into the moonlight and he saw her scar-covered face. “Cilicia...” What had happened to her over the years? She must have suffered so much since their father sold her. More than Dario would ever be able to comprehend.

Cilicia threw her arms around her brother, nearly knocking him over, and held him tightly. Dario, in turn, closed his arms around his precious sister. Gone for so long, and now finally reunited. Whatever suffering she had endured leading up to this moment would, hopefully, no longer matter. He was here with her, and he would protect her from now on.

He kissed her on the forehead, “I've been searching for you for so long!” he said.

“I know,” said Cilicia. “I always knew you'd come for me. The Divi Filius told me.”

“The Divi Filius?”

“Yes, I know it sounds crazy,” said Cilicia, rolling her eyes. “But he really did speak to me! In my dreams he told me that you were searching for me, and that one day you would find me. I always believed! And here you are!”

“It doesn't sound as crazy as you might think,” said Dario, scratching the back of his head. “It was Divi Filius who sent me to you. I've met him. After all the years I spent praying to the Father, hoping that he would one day help me rescue you, it was, in fact, his son who answered my prayers.”

The blond stranger approached the two of them. “I'm glad you're here,” he said. “My name is Kezib...and, by marriage, I am your brother. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

Dario shook hands with his new brother and smiled at him. “I have no doubt you kept Cilicia safe all those years she lived in slavery. Thank you so much for all that you did!”

Kezib smiled back. “I did what I could, but it was never going to be enough.” Kezib sighed. “I was foolish enough to think the Inquisition would actually help us, set us free. Now...well, I'm glad they're gone. Looking back on it all...I must be so naïve. I thought that once the siege was over they would let Cilicia and I go. Now...well, I'm almost certain they intended to kill us.”

“Siege?” Dario asked.

“You haven't heard?” asked Cilicia. “Yes, Nox has been under siege for days now!”

“By who?” Dario asked.

“Lord Kenaz,” said Kezib.

“Then there is one more enemy to deal with,” said Dario. “Lord Kenaz is as responsible for your suffering as the Inquisition was. He was involved in the slave trade.”

Kezib chuckled. “So...this whole battle was not a struggle between ideologies, but rather one corrupt lord trying to hold onto his purse strings?”

“More battles in Erets' history are fought over pocketbooks than ideas,” said Cilicia. “Frankly, I think the world would be better if there was no such thing as money!”

“For some black hearts in this world,” said Dario, “Gold is more important than anything. More than love. More than honor. More than gods. Emylas!”

As far as Dario knew, Emylas was not standing close by before he'd called for him, but the sorcerer always had a way of being exactly where he needed to be.

“Yes, sir!” said Emylas as he stepped out from behind one of the Akhs following Dario.

“Please lead my sister and her husband to safety underground,” said Dario. “Explain everything to them. I'm going to deal with Lord Kenaz.”

“Are you certain, sir?” said Emylas. “You want me to explain everything to Cilicia? Such words might be better received from your lips, and you've just reunited with your sister.” Emylas patted Dario on the shoulder. “You've done so much. You've more than earned your rest, my friend. Let me handle the corrupt lord.”

Dario nodded. “You make a fair point. Cilicia, Kezib, was it? Please, come with me. We have much to discuss.”

Emylas saluted Dario with his fist over his heart. “You've made the right choice.”

. . .

With Dario descending into the depths again with his sister and new brother, Emylas was free to do as he wished.

The sun hadn't peeked over the horizon yet, but a soft, dark, streak of blue crept across the eastern horizon. The chill of the night air was now accompanied by a warm wind.

The streets of Nox were littered with the bodies of inquisitors and witch hunters; the last of that twisted, self-righteous order. They were finally stamped out. “The Arxian Empire should reward us for dealing with such a threat so thoroughly,” thought Emylas. “But they won't. No matter. Arx is our enemy too. And they'll get theirs.”

With hundreds of Rahmit, a dozen Akhs, and countless spirits at his back, Emylas emerged from the city and walked out to Lord Kenaz's camp.

The scouts saw him coming, and appropriately sounded the alarm. Emylas did not falter for a moment, even as soldiers scrambled out of their tents and aimed arrows at him and those following him.

One of the scouts pointed a spear at Emylas and said, “Halt, stranger! Not another step!”

“I wish to speak with Lord Kenaz,” said Emylas, with his hands raised to show that he was unarmed.

“Turn your army of...freaks around right now! We have no quarrel with you, only with the Inquisition! Do not give us a reason to slaughter you!”

“The Inquisition has been destroyed,” said Emylas. He pointed at the army behind him. “Destroyed by the very army of 'freaks' you've just insulted. Now, will you grant me an audience with Lord Kenaz or not?”

The scout scanned over the army before him with obvious fear. Anyone rational would fear such a monstrous force. “I will...I'll see what I can do. Don't move from this spot until I return.”

“I wouldn't dream of it,” said Emylas.

As the scout left to find Lord Kenaz, Emylas whispered to the spirits following him. “Hide yourselves in the morning fog. Move throughout the camp. Be ready to act.”

The spirits crept along the ground, so low that none of Lord Kenaz's soldiers realized that they were being surrounded.

Soon, Lord Kenaz stepped forward, clad in armor and flanked by bodyguards.

Emylas bowed his head to the approaching nobleman. “Lord Kenaz. Nice to finally meet you. I am Emylas, and back there is the army of Duat.” Emylas pointed to the Rahmit and Akhs still at the edge of the camp. “We have crushed the Inquisition, our mutual enemy, and would like your leave to travel across your land.”

“I will not allow a foreign army to move on my land,” said Lord Kenaz. “Even if it is made up of monsters and freaks. However you got such an army here undetected...I don't care. You all can crawl back into whatever cesspit you slithered out of.”

“Oh! Such unkind words!” said Emylas, placing the back of his hand upon his forehead as if he were about to faint. “What would sweet Evalina think of such words?”

Lord Kenaz's eyes opened wider and his whole body tensed. Emylas knew he had him with that.

“Let us speak privately,” said Lord Kenaz.

“I'd be delighted,” said Emylas.

Emylas followed Lord Kenaz to his tent. To the nobleman and all of his soldiers Emylas must have appeared a fool, going so deep into a camp of potentially hostile soldiers. He must have looked defenseless, an easy target.

Perfect.

Once they were alone in Lord Kenaz's tent the nobleman poured two glasses of wine and held out one to Emylas.

“Wine so early in the morning?” Emylas asked. “My lord...surely you jest.”

“Drink,” Lord Kenaz said.

Emylas took the glass and pretended to sip from it, but he didn't dare drink a single drop. He'd need to be fully sober for what came next.

Lord Kenaz took a gulp of the wine. “So, the Vice Queen sent you, did she?”

“Indeed she did.”

“I suppose it makes sense. We always knew that if the slaves rose up against us we'd need to kill them all. Each one is a witness to our misdeeds.”

“The other slave cities won't dare rise up on their own after what happened in Nox,” said Emylas. “I know. Word will spread of the massacre and fear will keep them in line. That is...until they're rescued.”

“Rescued?” Lord Kenaz repeated.

In a flash Emylas pulled his dagger from inside his sleeve and shoved it up under the armor plates and under Lord Kenaz's ribs. Lord Kenaz gasped and coughed as blood filled his lungs, and Emylas kicked him onto the ground. “You've been useful to the Vice Queen for a long time, Lord Kenaz, but that time has passed. We're taking things in...a new direction, and you have no place in the Vice Queen's vision.”

Spirits gathered around Lord Kenaz and lapped up the blood from his wounds, even before it had touched the ground. Lord Kenaz stared on in horror as the spirits drank from him.

“We'll make sure that everyone knows you were the one leading the slavers in the West,” said Emylas “Though we'll also make sure they think you alone were its leader. Everyone will believe the Vice Queen a myth, a scapegoat you concocted to keep imperial agents off of your trail. Then, when we come in with our army, the slaves will be begging to join us. In time we'll have an army big enough to march all across Erets and take whatever we wish!”

Lord Kenaz struggled to choke out his words. “Kol...Kolobite...”

“Yes, I know,” said Emylas. “Many of the slaves are Kolobites and their children, and thus would want to start the Inquisition again. But, thanks to you, and a new friend I've made, they have no archangel to lead them. And no Grand Inquisitor. They haven't had access to their holy books in a generation, most of them probably don't even remember what was written there. The 'True Way' is gone for good, and with it their hope of standing together as a people. Unless, of course, they stand with us.

“We'll tell them that it was Lord Kenaz and his army who crushed the last Grand Inquisitor, and we who avenged her.” Emylas leaned forward and kissed Kenaz on the cheek. Lord Kenaz cringed and pushed Emylas away with what little strength he had left. “Thank you so much for playing along, my lord. This is your final reward; to be forever remembered as a monster.” Emylas slit Lord Kenaz's throat and shoved him down onto his back. The spirits drank up the blood until not a drop of red was left. They even licked it off of Emylas' own clothes.

As Emylas turned to leave the tent, he heard hundreds of screams, followed by the sounds of the battle. Lord Kenaz's soldiers, exhausted and sick as they were from the many-day siege, would never survive such an attack. Emylas opened the flap to take in the sweet pandemonium of his victory.