“Not much, other than probably walking around wondering why she’s even randier than usual,” Eli quipped, and Kari put her hand over the end of her snout.
Markus and the Moreville twins chuckled. “One thing I have always appreciated about you is your self-deprecating sense of humor,” the earl said, and Eli cocked a half-smile. Markus turned back to Kari and added, “So, this succubus came to Lajere simply to harry you?”
“I think so,” Kari answered. “If she really wanted to kill me, I think she would’ve made a better effort by now. I’m starting to suspect she might want me in Barcon; my brother-in-law seemed to think this entire situation—from the initial killings to Lord Black showing up at the campus—is just a plot to kill me. We think it may have something to do with the fact that I killed a demon prince a few years ago, and his father may be looking for revenge. It’s possible there’s something else—something more powerful—waiting for me in Barcon.”
“You killed a demon prince?” Eli asked.
Kari didn’t answer. She glanced at him briefly but then considered the earl. “How much have the twins told you about Tsalbrin?”
“Everything they know,” he replied, glancing to each of the Morevilles and being answered with nods. “Though obviously, since neither accompanied you on your mission with Erijinkor, the tale has never quite been complete.”
Kari explained everything that had happened during her mission with Erik on Tsalbrin, from their initial encounter with Makauric to Kari slaying the sylinth, and then her encounter with Sakkrass and the blessing they had received. The twins knew most of the major points, but even they seemed surprised as Kari spent a while filling in the details.
The earl was impressed by the passion in Kari’s descriptions of the czarikk, and her desire to help them and avenge their loss. Eli took in the entire conversation with great interest, and in the set of his eyes Kari could tell he was becoming less guarded where her questions about his past were concerned. Once she finished the tale and voiced her suspicions about the plot to kill her again, she took a long sip of her fruit juice and waited for the earl to speak.
“So, you believe this assassin was sent by Sekassus the Calculating; but why such an elaborate scheme to kill you?” Markus queried. “Why did she not just go to DarkWind and kill you? Why all the subterfuge in Barcon?”
“We’re not sure, but if there is something more powerful in Barcon, it could turn out to be another of Sekassus’ sons, or a higher-ranking servant. The council seems to think that Lord Black may be getting sub… er, forced to help whatever demon king is behind this, whether it’s Sekassus or someone else,” she said. “The Cobra Lord is our obvious guess, but I learned a long time ago that when it comes to underworld demons, the most obvious guess is usually wrong.”
“Indeed. So then, tell me what it is you would like us to do to help,” the earl prompted.
“Well, I was just going to ask the twins to come help me track down the succubus in Barcon, but my lord, if you’re willing, I think I could use your help as well,” Kari said. The earl didn’t bother to correct her form of address. The three paladins waited patiently to hear her out. “Since you’re a fellow earl, you may be able to keep Lord Black busy while I’m doing my work. Based on what happened in DarkWind, it seemed pretty obvious that Lord Black is somehow mixed up with this succubus, as much as he’d like to pretend otherwise. If you’re in his city bothering him with meetings, it may throw the two of them off and make killing the succubus—and finding if there’s a third person or demon involved—a lot easier.”
“As much as I dislike Earl Southwick and loathe being in his presence, that is a more than reasonable request. How do you plan to use my students?”
Kari tried to imagine what Aeligos would do, and the others gave her a few minutes to think while they finished their meals. At last, Kari looked up and said, “Like I said, originally, I was just going to have them help me track down the succubus, but they may be better suited to flushing her out and finding out if she has a partner other than Black. As we agreed, if she wanted to kill me, she would’ve done so by now, or at least tried a lot harder. I think she needs me in Barcon for some reason, and once I’m there, I’m likely to be her focus. If you’re spending a lot of time with Lord Black, she won’t be able to hide around him; she’ll be forced to blend in with the rest of the city. And if the twins are organizing witch-hunts, as it were, they might flush her out and expose her, and then I can take it from there.”
“Barcon is a very large city; what you are suggesting could take some time, if it is even feasible,” Markus commented. “I would like to help you in any way possible, so I will do as you have requested. My students, of course, are free to make their own decisions.”
“We’ll stand with you, of course, my friend,” Katarina said, and Sherman nodded.
“The plan’s not perfect; I’m not a tactician,” Kari said. “But we can im… improvise along the way if it turns out there’s something else involved. The other thing I needed to ask of you, my lord, is some form of transportation. I’ve heard you have some of the finest horses here in the south…”
“Indeed, we do,” Markus said. “My family also has a faster mode of transportation. If you have noticed the markings on my coat of arms, my family has raised griffons for over five generations. We can shorten the journey considerably by taking an aerial route, though we will need to discuss a schedule so that we do not all arrive at once.”
“Of course, my lord; thank you,” Kari said with a bow of her head. She was astounded. She’d seen griffons on many occasions in and around the desert lands near Aurun Ch’Gurra, but never had she dealt with one in combat or gotten a close-up look at one, much less encountered domesticated breeds. Griffons were large, powerful hybrids of eagle and lion, and were reputed to be fierce predators with a taste for horse meat—which made Kari wonder how the earl’s family could be famous for breeding both.
“What about me?” Eli asked. Kari wasn’t the only one to stare at him in surprise. He elaborated, “You brought this problem to me, now I’m going to help you solve it.”
Kari was speechless for the better part of a minute. She finally did the easy thing: She nodded and patted Eli’s forearm. “We can figure that out on the road,” she said. “You’ll be less out of place with me than the twins, so you can work with me when we get there.”
“You’ve got it,” Eli responded simply.
There was an air of satisfaction about the table, and the earl excused himself and his students to go begin the day’s studies.
“You are quite welcome to join us in our horseback riding if you like,” Markus said as they prepared to leave. “Or, you may go to the griffon stables and become acquainted with one of them. My servants will need several days to properly bond you and Mr. Sorivar with your respective mounts.”
“Then we’ll get started on that. Thank you, Your… Markus,” Kari answered.
The earl smiled, and the meal came to a close as they went to their respective tasks.