Exactly, said Nicosia. He looked at Gulamendis and said, Your demon-summoner can probably better serve you as to describing their abilities, but we are not aware of any demon possessing sufficient magical abilities to construct a portal, or even exploit an existing one unless it is left open for use.
All eyes turned to Gulamendis who glanced at Amirantha. Seeing no help coming from the mute human, the elf said, My lord, there is far more we dont know about demons than we do. He found himself bordering on falling into one of his favourite rants as to why that was: because those endeavouring to learn about demons were hunted down and persecuted under this Lord Regents command, and the Circle of Light, the only body in taredhel society dedicated to knowledge for the sake of knowledge, had been obliterated. We know some are magic-users, mostly battle-magic.
He glanced at Amirantha again, and this time the warlock gave him a slight nod of agreement.
Gulamendis continued, Since meeting Amirantha weve come to understand that the demon realm is a great deal more complex than we presumed.
The Lord Regent looked at the human warlock and it was clear he expected a comment from him.
My lord, said Amirantha, bowing his head slightly. It wasnt just that they were all taller by at least a head than he was, it was also that they were such cold, arrogant bastards: even the brothers, Gulamendis and Laromendis, were only less arrogant and more friendly in comparison to the rest. Since first you arrived
Returned, interrupted the Lord Regent.
returned, Amirantha amended, Gulamendis and I have had the opportunity to compare our studies and discover more about the demons than either of us knew before. We believe we have only rudimentary knowledge of the demon realm. As Gulamendis says, it appears it is a far more complex and varied realm than we realized. We think now there may be different societies, some far more like those in our realm than we suspected. So, in short, there may be creatures we call demons who may be intelligent enough and have the magic skills to open rift gates or even create new ones.
The Lord Regent looked as if something inside him had died. For all his faults, he passionately cared for his people. The idea of finally finding their ancestral home world, only to have to contend with the fear that once again the Clans of the Seven Stars might have to flee the Demon Legion, was devastating.
Sensing an opportunity, Amirantha continued, My Lord, it would be of immense benefit to all if we could uncover more about this terrible threat. Knowledge is the key.
The Lord Regents eyes narrowed. What do you propose, human?
Only that you allow Gulamendis to return with me for a time to my home island. There are other magicians, with different skills, who might be able to aid us in gaining more information on these demons. Seeing the Lord Regent begin to frown, he added quickly, More useful information, I should have said.
The Lord Regent glanced at the Warleader who barely moved, but Amirantha was beginning to learn to read the subtle expressions of the elves and suspected that the old warrior had just given his leader a shrug of uncertainty. Then the Lord Regent looked at his Loremaster.
Tanderae said, It cannot do any harm, my lord. While none live who are more gifted in constructing portals, (which was probably not true, Amirantha thought, but now was not the time to digress on the topic of Pugs knowledge of rifts compared to the Star Elves) the human magic-users are familiar with a great body of magical knowledge that has been for a time outside our areas of interest.
Both Gulamendis and Amirantha knew that for an elf, that was a dangerous statement, for implicit in it was that the reason the areas of magic study among the Taredhel were narrow was the Regents Meets obliteration of the Circle of Light. Magicians who were not in direct service to the Regents Meet were seen as a threat.
If the Lord Regent sensed the reference and the implied criticism, he ignored it. Very well. Leave at once.
Dismissed, Amirantha and Gulamendis turned and left the great hall. Moving down the stairs, Amirantha said, What just happened?
Taredhel politics, said Gulamendis. All of which is not of the moment. Now I get to study that damn odd book and talk to some people who might know a little more than I do. He actually smiled. This is good.
This was as enthusiastic as Amirantha had ever seen him get.
Once the two Demon Masters had departed, the Lord Regent turned to Tanderae. Now, what have you discovered about our exploration and why it was balked?
The Loremaster indicated that the Chief Galasmancer should answer.
The problems we have had were intermittent, said Nicosia, and there seemed little consistency in how they were impacting our
Holding up his hand, the Lord Regent said, I do not need to know the specifics. I need to know who interferes with our work. Is it demons?
I think not, said Nicosia. The magic used to reach out to find us is alien. It is nothing like the magic the demons use.
Some of our lost brethren? asked the Warleader with the slightest hint of hope in his voice.
Tanderae said, Probably not.
We would recognize our own magic, said Nicosia. This is nothing weve encountered before. We know our own and demon portal-magic well, and Ive studied some human craft, and would recognize that. This is different.
Then what do you propose? asked the Lord Regent.
It was the human who just left who gave me the idea, Lord: we can open a scrying portal, one which cannot be passed through, but one which would allow us a glimpse of what was on the other side, a window to use a metaphor.
The Lord Regent nodded. Im familiar with such. Laromendis the Conjurer used such to show me this world when he came back to Andcardia with word that he had found Home.
Just so, said Nicosia. But the difference here is that it is more difficult to do with a portal we didnt create. We are attempting to reach out and view the source of the interference, to see who reaches out to us. There was a hint of pride in their achievement in his voice.
Then begin, said the Lord Regent, obviously unimpressed. I want to know who is seeking us so that we may plan how to deal with them.
The two galasmancers turned and quickly set about placing crystals in receptacles at the base of the portal device. As they did so, the four sentinels moved as if to make ready to intercept any intruder. They had heard Nicosia say that nothing could come through but old training overrode logic.
The spell was quickly begun and a humming filled the air. Suddenly a grey void appeared within the confines of the two massive wooden poles that rose up from the portal devices base, and then suddenly between them there was an oval of darkness.
But there was nothing there.
What is that? asked the Lord Regent. Is it night there?
In a cavern, perhaps? Or an underground vault? We have used such in the past, suggested the Warleader.
Takesh, the younger of the two galasmancers, moved towards the device and peered closely into the darkness. I can see tiny hints of movement. Wherever this place is, there is almost no light
Suddenly a shape loomed in the portal and two things were instantly evident. First, that it was nothing previously perceived by any elf in the portal room; and second, that it was a thing of baleful aspect.
Suddenly a shape loomed in the portal and two things were instantly evident. First, that it was nothing previously perceived by any elf in the portal room; and second, that it was a thing of baleful aspect.
Size was impossible to judge as there was nothing else in the frame to lend it perspective, yet the Lord Regent and everyone else observing the creature sensed that it was large, even immense. It was a thing of black smoke and shadows, with a silhouette of roughly elf-like proportions, but massive of shoulder and arm.
Everyone but Tanderae found themselves blinking as if somehow their vision was betraying them; as if the image was a trick of the light. As it neared, two malevolent red glowing eyes were revealed and it peered into the room. The creature was a thing of pain and hopelessness and it seemed, terrifyingly, to look deep into their souls. Then it leaned forward, revealing a crown of flames circling its head, shimmering crimson and orange, alight yet seeming to cast no illumination on the beings features.
Can it see us? asked the Lord Regent in almost a whisper.
Tanderae acted and his sudden movement caused the sentinels to draw their silver blades and raise their golden triangular shields as if the thing might somehow step through the portal. The Loremaster pushed aside the two transfixed galasmancers and pulled a crystal from the base of the device, causing the image instantly to collapse in on itself.
What was that? asked the Lord Regent.
Tanderae was visibly shaken. My Lord, if I must speak with you alone.
Why? asked the Lord Regent.
The Loremaster leaned forward so that his face was next to his masters and whispered, It is Forbidden.
Leave us, commanded the Lord Regent and the galasmancers and the Sentinels departed at once. He looked at the other ministers from the Meet and said, You may go, too. All left but Kumal, whom the Lord Regent permitted to remain with another subtle nod.
Tanderae repeated, What I know is from the Forbidden.
The Forbidden was the ancient lore, stemming from the time of indenture to the Dragon Lords, the Valheru, and it was denied to any but the Loremaster. Even as heir to the office and senior assistant, Tanderae was not allowed to see it. Upon achieving his office, prime among those charged with conserving the history and culture of the Taredhel, he had delved into the documents and tomes. He understood why much of what was contained within was denied the Taredhel, because it spoke of centuries of crushing slavery, with the edhel being chattels, with all that entailed: death, rape, endless labour and brutality. The Valheru were cruel and capricious and any reminder of that history had been subsumed into a vague before in the history taught to the citizenry, which focused on the rise of the Clans of the Seven Stars since they departed Midkemia for other worlds.
I remember what I read in the Forbidden as if I had studied it all my life. What I fear is that which is seeking us is far worse than the Demon Legion. What you beheld was a child of the void, a member of a race known as the Dread.
The Dread? asked Kumal.
A Dreadlord is a thing to make a Demon King tremble, said Tanderae. Even the Valheru feared them.
Truly? said the Lord Regent.
My lord, what I have learned from those humans, such as Amirantha, that I have come into contact with, who know anything about the time before, is that that which is recorded in the Forbidden is true.
A single Dread is the equal of all but the most powerful demons we have encountered. A Master of the Dread would challenge a dozen of our best spell-casters and a score of Sentinels. A Dreadlord is a being who might challenge a great dragon or even the Valheru themselves
What else? asked the Lord Regent, visibly shaken.
As little as we know of demons after our years of struggle, we know a wealth about them compared to what we know of the Dread. Almost no one who has confronted one has survived, and their realm is outside the normal concepts we have of all the various realms, but we do suspect that out there he waved vaguely at the now lifeless portal, there exist even more powerful creatures, perhaps even a Dread King.
The Lord Regent was speechless. He stood silently for more than a minute forming his thoughts. Do you think he sensed or saw us?
It is impossible to know. Something drew the creature to the other side of the portal. It may be that it emitted a sound, or some energy that the creature sensed, but that it saw us, knew who we were, or where we were, I think not.
Again the Lord Regent was silent; then he said, We will stop all work on the portals now.
The Warleader nodded in agreement.
To Tanderae the Lord Regent said, Do what you must, but your task now is to seek out lore and knowledge about these creatures from whatever source you seek.
The Loremaster was thoughtful for a moment, then he said, Then I must begin with Lord Tomas.
An expression of pure displeasure greeted that remark. The Lord Regent was still unhappy with his peoples reaction to Lord Tomass visit to Ebar when first the Taredhel had returned to Home, as they called Midkemia. It was a foundation of his beliefs that the Taredhel reject anything remotely related to their subservience to the Valheru, all that was recorded in the Forbidden. Yet ancient ties of blood were still strong. It had taken steel-willed self-control not to drop to his knees in Tomass presence. It was clear to anyone who had any insight into that first meeting or perspective on the two leaders that a conflict would be inevitable.
Tanderae didnt fear that; he had no love for this Lord Regent and despised his Meet for their jealousy and obliteration of the Circle of Light. As a historian, he revered knowledge and learning. No, he feared what that confrontation would do to the Taredhel.
Finally, the Lord Regent said, If you must, then go speak to him. But only you. I have concerns about this so-called Queen and her consort and their designs on us.
Saying nothing, the Loremaster of the Clans of the Seven Stars bowed slightly and withdrew, then turned and hurried away. He needed to catch up with Gulamendis and the human, for he knew now that certain things needed to be accomplished and that these things needed to be put in motion now.
Then he realized that even now it might be too late.
He fled through the night with the image of a black shape with burning red eyes haunting him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Surrender
SHANDREENA GROANED IN PAIN.
She had been beaten, questioned, beaten again, drugged, and transported, to where she had no idea. She knew she was aboard a ship somewhere, deep in a dark, dirty, wet hold, chained to a wall. Something in the drugs she had been given had not only dulled her senses but seemed to deaden her ability to use some of the spiritual gifts her Order had given her.
Unlike the priesthood of Dala, who used magic on a daily basis, the Sisters and Brothers of the Martial Order of the Shield of the Weak had rare access to the prayer-power given by the Goddess. Most of that magic was dependent on rites practised in the temples, or on artefacts given by the Order, as well as some magic that was inherent in the training for combat. In fact, most of her training was in combat-magic, useful when avoiding a crazed magicians energy blast or in banishing a demon back to the demon realm, but fairly useless when it came to escaping from the hold of a ship.