“Was she attacked?” Aeligos asked.
“No, not at all,” Tor answered. “It was Lady Morrigan’s spirit. She was simply trapped there, though she knew not why, nor did we ever figure it out. She was still completely aware of who she was despite how long her spirit had lingered in that place, and she remembered exactly where she’d fallen. Once we found and properly buried her remains, her spirit was released. But that Lake is a place of great power—something your Order and its priesthood should investigate as time permits. If something in the water or around the lake can capture spirits, it could be very useful with the type of work your Order does.”
Kari considered what he meant, and she realized he was suggesting the lake could capture the spirits of slain demons to prevent their rebirth in the underworld. While such seemed to only happen for the more powerful demon lords—and their kings, no doubt—it might serve as an impromptu prison for demons’ spirits. On the other hand, Kari considered it might also be a target of interest to the demons, who could capture souls for whatever purpose using the lake’s power. Tor nodded, and she guessed the latter was likely what he was referring to.
“Well, thank you,” Kari said, and the gnoll bowed his head politely once again. “I’ll pass that information along to the Order and suggest they send the right people to look into it. As for Jason’s work, I understand why you won’t break your word. Thank you for directing me to someone who might help.”
“I doubt you truly understand, but I appreciate your patience,” Tor said, and he rose to his feet as his guests prepared to leave. “I am an orphan and an outcast; a gnoll trying to live in a society that does not put much stock in my species. My word is everything: If it means nothing, so too does my life.”
“I wouldn’t say that, but I can accept it,” Kari said, and she shook the gnoll’s hand before the two saluted each other and Kari departed with Aeligos.
They walked back to Kyrie’s house so Kari could pack her things for her trip. Aeligos promised he would re-read Bosimar’s journal while she was gone until he could offer her more clues to its mysteries. Kari could see Aeligos was curious to what she knew and had felt regarding Taesenus, but Kari kept those thoughts and feelings to herself. Few knew of her encounter with the Demon Prince, and being the private person she was, that was one thing Kari was determined to keep a secret.
5
Murky Waters
At Kari’s suggestion, the Order sent a couple of priests and a pair of demonhunters to investigate Dryad’s Lake. With Emma and who knew how many other demons running unchecked across Citaria, Kari was determined to stop them at every possible turn. The Order now had guards at the Temple of Archons and would likely also start watching Dryad’s Lake. Kari would continue to post guards at every place of power of interest to the demons as she found them. Kari doubted Emma would be concerned with Dryad’s Lake, given her interest in the Temple, but it wasn’t hard to imagine that something would take an interest in the lake.
The family wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of Kari going into danger without them, but Aeligos’ approval of her plans put them mostly at ease, as did the fact that she had sworn a Blood Oath and was carrying Zalkar’s power with her. Kari wouldn’t be going alone, either, and after three years of tutelage under Count Markus Garant, her in-laws were satisfied that the Moreville twins would be well-trained and of great help. Kari guessed that had there been more than one assassin, the push for her in-laws to accompany her would’ve been much stronger—especially if Erik wasn’t away in Ceritopolonis.
Kyrie, Aeligos, Typhonix, Grakin, and Little Gray accompanied Kari to see her off at the docks. Thankfully, Little Gray didn’t make too much of a fuss over her departure. Kari was concerned that he might get upset; after all, she hadn’t been away from him for any extended periods since he was born. Little Gray didn’t want Kari to leave, but when she explained to him that she was going to fight monsters, he became excited. He was still too young to understand just what it was she did for a living, but he knew that she wasn’t afraid of monsters and protected him and other children from them. Kari was satisfied that her son considered her a hero. She told Little Gray to ask the Fuzzy Man to watch over him while she was gone, and he agreed.
Grakin stood on the end of the dock holding their son and watched the ship sail away, and Kari was sharply reminded of how much it had ached to be apart from him during their mission on Tsalbrin. As she sorted through the memories, she waved a teary goodbye and tried to keep perspective, to remember her promises to return to his side, both then and now. Kari still wasn’t sure what she faced, but she was confident that she would emerge victorious and keep her promise. She was carrying Zalkar’s spirit into battle once more, and the spirit of Sakkrass was never far from her mind; the syrinthian had only hatred and skill with swords to counter that. Kari was driven by many things, and as the ship began to sail swiftly down the coast toward Lajere, she realized her concerns over her motivations were incorrect. She went to protect the people of Barcon and the rest of the world from an underworld incursion, and to make the world a safer place for her child and everyone else.
The journey to Lajere was a short one. The coastal currents, coupled with the swiftness of the sleek sailing vessel she rode, cut down what would’ve been a much longer overland trip. While Lajere was still a good distance from Barcon, she imagined it wouldn’t be difficult to convince the Count to loan her a horse to speed her travel. Kari wasn’t an accomplished rider, but she had ridden her share of horses in her previous life and was at least proficient. An overland trip could’ve taken a month or more depending on the severity of the spring weather, but the faster water route coupled with the swift southern horses would mean she could arrive in Barcon in a couple of weeks.
Lajere was an impressive city on the southeast coast of Askies Island, sometimes referred to as the Tower City. During the Apocalypse it was one of the most important cities not captured by the Devil Queen, having an abundance of farms around it and a deep-water port that allowed the Light forces to use it as a beachhead when assaulting the heartlands. Lajere sat at the mouth of a deep river, and Kari took in the sight as the ship was guided into its harbor just before sundown.
The city’s main attraction and the reason for its nickname was a black tower with no apparent entryways. It was rumored to be the home of an oracle spirit that opened an entryway for those it chose to speak to. Kari was never one to put stock in such things; the gods and their priests were much more reliable, in her mind, than some unknown spirit picking and choosing who it wanted to communicate with. Even still, the tower marked the center of the city, both physically and in the minds of those who spoke of it.
The city itself was clean and calm from what she could see, and the docks were patrolled by uniformed officers. The officers wore white tabards with an intricate coat of arms upon them, and Kari understood that the Count’s position not only as ruler, but a paladin, meant that he took order in his city seriously. The thought of the nobleman led Kari’s gaze to where a castle stood in silent vigil on a hilltop south of the river’s mouth. The castle was large but simple, and she took that to mean it served as a defensive keep and not a demonstration of wealth and power, as might be the case with other nobles. A stone bridge linked the castle on the south with the city on the north, and also served to keep tall sailing ships from heading upriver, something Kari understood was a defensive tactic, based on things Aeligos had told her.