Chapter XXXVI

“Everything is proceeding according to your schedule, your grace,” said Sir Beres.

Nerissa looked out the window at the courtyard of her castle, where dozens of geomancers labored away to create an army of golems. With their wills they carved out all of the details of the golems' bodies to look almost perfectly human. Then they carved holes in the knuckles of the golems' fists and placed in each knuckle a sharp diamond shard.

“We'll have enough golems to attack Nihilus within a month?” Nerissa asked.

“That's what Shakran told me,” said Sir Beres. “He and his friends have been working almost non-stop for years to make this happen. He says he started work the day that Adon first appeared to him.”

“Good,” said Nerissa. “Undoubtedly Khol has already fled to Nihilus and will try to rally his people against us. Last time the Nihilites marched under a king's command they took Ten Red Pass in a matter of days and committed the most terrible atrocities...” Nerissa covered her mouth and held her tongue for a moment, remembering how her mother never returned from her battle with General Meriel. “They're vile! All of them!” she spat out. “General Meriel skinned our people and made their flesh into banners for her troops! We cannot allow it to happen again!”

“You really think Khol's capable of that?” Sir Beres asked. “I met the boy. I understand that he's a Nihilite and all, even that he has a demon protecting him, but do you really think he's capable of ordering people flayed alive?”

“I'm not really sure,” said Nerissa, pacing the stone floor. “But we can't take the risk. King Hadar made the mistake of failing to strike first. Funny, people always revere him as 'The Martyr King,' but really they should remember him as the king who made martyrs of the people of Muri! Our people were butchered because he failed to act!”

“I understand...” said Sir Beres. He was clearly cringing at Nerissa's every word, but it wasn't something Nerissa was about to worry about. “What about Empress Aryn's armies? Isn't she likely to send soldiers this way to stop your invasion of Nihilus? You sent her a letter telling her that you intended to break away from the empire. Surely she will not allow it.”

“I've already sent a new letter to her telling her that her mother and father are prisoners here in the castle, and if she's foolish enough to attack me I'll have them executed.” Nerissa casually swished the wine glass in her hand. “You know that's a bluff, of course, but she can't risk it. Besides, as word spreads that Adon is here in Muri many more Arxians will make their way here to join him. In time we'll have a large enough army to repel any invasion from the empire.”

“I see,” said Sir Beres, again cringing at her words.

“This is war, Sir Beres,” said Nerissa. “We do what we have to in order to win. That's what it takes to protect our people. To protect our children and our children's children! If you can't stomach that...well, I suggest you take up a different profession. Maybe try your hand at farming.”

“No, your grace,” said Sir Beres. “I understand. This needs to be done.”

“I'm glad to hear it, because I'm sending you along with a cadre of other knights to go into Nihilus and find Khol before he can get to any of his allies. Likely, he's going to seek out Farrah, a demon who wears human flesh. Yes, another one, just like his father. She'll help him launch an attack on Muri to retaliate for what's happened here. Make sure he never makes it that far.”

“Yes, Marquise, I will make sure he never arrives at Farrah's temple,” said Sir Beres. With a bow he turned to walk out the door.

“One more thing, Sir Beres.”

“Yes, your grace?”

“You called me 'Marquise.' Muri has seceded from Arx. My title is 'Queen' now. 'Queen Nerissa.' I suggest you remember that.”

. . .

Salt in his ears. Sand between his toes. How long had he been out?

“Oh, good, he's coming to,” said a voice in the room.

Tassos opened his eyes and looked around the room. Judging by the look of it, he was in some small hut. The sound of waves crashing on the beach told him they must be close to the ocean. He could smell fish and salt water in the air. And another scent he did not recognize.

Across the room there stood a man with white hair, golden eyes, and a young face. The stranger wore a white coat and a monocle over his left eye. In his hand he held vial of some strange liquid, which he promptly corked and set down on his desk.

Sitting in a chair near the stranger was a little girl with dark hair.

“Helloooooo!” said the stranger in the white coat.

“I t-t-told you he was s-s-still alive,” said the girl.

“Indeed you did,” said the man with golden eyes. “You most certainly did, dear girl. Good job.”

“Where am I?” Tassos asked.

“My home,” said the golden-eyed stranger. “On a small island off the Western Coast. Gili here found your body floating in the ocean. I thought you were dead for sure, but Gili insisted that you'd survive. My guess is you were dumped in the sea and left for dead. Most rude, that.”

Tassos looked up and sat around. The walls were lined with shelves, each filled with bottles with alchemical symbols marked on them. Tassos fancied himself an excellent alchemist, having brewed many poisons in his time, and yet most of the symbols were foreign to him.

“Your home?” Tassos said. “Are you an apothecary?”

The stranger laughed. “Oh dear, what sense would that make? To set up an apothecary shop on a tiny island? No, all my research is...well, it's personal curiosity, at this point.”

The stranger slipped over to the bedside and knelt down, resting his arms on the mattress. “What about you, hmmm? You're quite the curiosity. White hair, covered in scars, some which look like they came from wounds that should have killed you. You've passed through death and come out alive again, haven't you?”

Tassos pulled away from the stranger. “How do you know that?”

“Because I've done the same thing,” said the stranger. “Look at me! White hair, golden eyes, and such a young-looking face? Really, take a good look. Does any of this look natural to you?”

“I suppose not,” said Tassos. “Listen, I'm glad you're so amused by all of this, but I need to get back to the mainland. I have to find Azalea...”

“Say no more, say no more,” said the stranger. “I'll take you there myself. We'll use my boat.”

“Thank you...”

“First, however, I would know your name,” said the stranger. “Can't go transporting total strangers all over Erets.”

“My name is Tassos.” Tassos held out his hand to shake the stranger's.

The stranger grasped Tassos' hand tightly and said, “Pleasure to meet you, Tassos. I'm Dr. Nyx.”

. . .

Caleb awoke when the morning's light warmed his brow. Before him was spread out Khol's bedroll. Empty. Again. Caleb leaped to his feet and grabbed his spear. “Khol!” he shouted. “Khol! Where are you?” Curse it all! He wasn't answering! The boy had been taken!

Shamira was nowhere to be seen either. Had they captured her too and left Caleb behind? Why?

Caleb paced around frantically, trying to figure out which direction he may have gone, which direction he should go in pursuit.

“Calm down, idiot!” he thought to himself. “If he's been taken you just need to figure out where his captors went. Then track them down and slaughter them all for daring to lay a hand on the boy!” Anger. Better than panic, he thought. It could give him more focus. More strength.

He brought his face low to the ground and saw, much to his surprise, only two sets of footprints. Small feet. Khol and Shamira. Did they just wander off? Caleb sighed and followed the footprints.

He climbed further and further up the peak of the nearest mountain.

There Khol was, standing on the very summit of the nearest peak. Shamira stood right next to him. Caleb climbed faster, holding onto whatever rocks he could reach. Khol and Shamira must have heard him coming, but never once did they turn to see who climbed the mountain behind them. They kept their backs to Caleb. He might have expected that sort of lack of sense from Khol, but from Shamira? Appalling!

Yet, as Caleb reached the summit, he saw what it was that Khol and Shamira were staring at so intently, and suddenly it all made sense.

Floating in the air just before their eyes was an angel, but an unusual-looking one. The angel had a single, crystal horn protruding from its forehead, four wings spread out from its back, and something so strange floating above its head.

Re-telling the story later Caleb wasn't quite sure how to describe what it was that floated over the angel's head. It looked as if there was a hole in the sky floating just above the angel. Through that hole Caleb could see dozens of stars, as if a piece of the night sky hovered over the angel like a halo.

Caleb, Khol, Shamira, and the angel stared in silence at each other for what seemed like an eternity. What did this angel want? Caleb wanted to yank Khol away from it, for fear that the angel was working with Adon and plotting to kill him.

Yet, all of Caleb's fears turned instead into a slew of questions when he heard what Khol said as he stared at the bizarre angel standing in the air before them.

“...Pa?”