Zion: Light of the New Moon, Myrh Milestone 1a
Zion - Light of the New Moon Milestone One
Myrh Demon Hunter, Part 1
The winning vote among the contributing readers of Myrh was to face the third individual who helped the Myrhean clergy perpetuate the legend of the Demon of Ashlai... so very unfortunate. Let's tune in and see the results of this decision.
Chase closed his eyes, feeling the draw of the wind as it was caught by his wings. He reveled in the freedom of flight, slowly banking first to the left, and then to the right. His broad, sinewy tail trailed out behind him, occasionally curving in either direction to help maintain his heading. Rarely released from his obligations at the temple, the wiry reptilian reveled in any assignment he received that took him beyond the walls of the city; Mother Alisha had told him he had inherited his love of the Wild Lands from his mother.
While flying, Chase felt a part of him awaken in ways that were impossible when he was stuck on the ground. Very few city dwellers flew, at least, that's what Brother Tomal had told him on more than one occasion... but that was decades ago; Mother Alisha never let Chase speak with the old hound any longer. The gray-muzzled priest had always had a way of explaining things in a simple and non-accusatory way, not like Mother Alisha, who was very quick to add the moral imperative to any discussion. Flight, she told him, was never for the city. That was a perfectly good reason for him to enjoy the special assignments he received from the temple, which invariably took him beyond Myrh's inner walls.
In the last few years Chase had been sent out into the portions of Myrh that had been surrendered back to the Wild Lands. Sometimes he went out to capture escaped fugitives and sometimes to hunt down brigands. On occasion the temple sent him into the Wild Lands to find some rare item abandoned along with the numerous blocks and fields of the ruined city. Decades ago, back before the war ended, Chase was sent out to do battle with the troops from other temples; he missed it.
That, of course, was another reason why Chase felt so alive; armor he hadn't worn for two decades graced his body with its comforting weight and the promise of a battle to come. He had never felt inconvenienced by the heft of his plate armor; to him it could easily have been a second skin. After twenty years of his skills being put to use as a glorified bounty hunter, Chase was overjoyed when he was called into the waiting room at the temple, summoned by Mother Alisha.
It had been five days ago, but the warrior's picture-clear memory recalled it as if it had been that very morning. Chase had arrived early and waited patiently, standing in a corner to get a better view of the empty room; maintaining vigilance was second-nature to him. Ten minutes before the appointment, an aging, but still attractive jackdaw limped her way into the room. Her feathers were jet black, save for a long, light-gray streak running down the back of her neck. Despite the fact that she had aged since he had last seen her, he could still recognize the aquamancer, "Miss Monedula." he nodded his head.
"Chase..." the jackdaw inspected him down the length of her beak, "You haven't changed."; though she had aged, her personality hadn't altered one bit; the warrior could not think of anyone else alive that could look down at someone who was that much taller than she.
"The world has." he countered.
"So it has..." the jackdaw acknowledged, her feathers fluffing as she settled down into one of the sitting chairs, "so it has..."
The warrior flexed his wings and settled them against his back. He had never much cared for the jackdaw, but Mother Alisha considered her an important acquaintance. Chase was unable to count the number of times she reinforced in him the importance of gleaning favor from the powerful and influential members of the city; unfortunately, Monedula was both and thus, he remained cordial.
A young doe opened the large, double-doors leading to Mother Alisha's meeting room, "The Priestess will see you now." she announced.
Chase waited patiently, letting Miss Monedula enter first before following the hobbling jackdaw into the adjoining meeting room. The warrior's heart rate increased when he laid his eyes upon Mother Alisha; she so very rarely met with him since the war ended-- he always seemed to receive her words through an underling. She looked older, which made sense to Chase; not everyone aged as well as he... another thing that Mother Alisha attributed to his breeding. Despite her advancing age, he still found her regal, majestic, and beautiful.
The white wolf motioned to the three spots prepared at the meeting table, "Welcome." she offered in an official tone, "Please... join me," she invited.
"Thank you, Mother Alisha." Chase noted obediently, choosing the seat to her right.
"I would feel more welcome if I hadn't been kept waiting for twenty minutes." Miss Monedula stated, lowering herself into one of the seats. Chase did not bother pointing out that she had only been waiting ten.
"I've called you here to discuss the Demon of Ashlai." the priestess got straight to the point.
"Me?" Chase inquired, feeling his scales quiver at the mention of a name he hadn't heard in decades.
"No." the aquamancer interjected before Mother Alisha could answer, "This is about the other two... isn't it?" the jackdaw stared at the priestess as if she didn't need confirmation to know she was right.
"Mother Alisha?" the warrior inquired.
"Artemisia and Ephram." the white wolf confirmed.
"Ephram survived... didn't he?" the jackdaw inquired; despite her hard beak, Chase could still identify the bird's self-important smile.
"And was discovered by the second caravan." Mother Alisha confirmed, "I received a message confirming it."
"How did you even convince the old fool to send her?" Miss Monedula inquired flatly.
"Despite the fact that he considers himself beyond reach, I make certain he understands just how far my arm extends." the priestess noted, "Brother Tomal can be very reasonable if negotiated with."
"Who's life did you threaten?" the jackdaw asked.
Mother Alisha scowled at the comment, "You are a frightening creature, Monedula, if you think everything is resolved with the threat of violence."
"I learned from the best." the jackdaw answered without emotion, staring right back.
"Why do they matter, Mother Alisha?" Chase asked. His patience was near limitless, but he was not excited about the prospect of sitting in on a conversation involving Miss Monedula; her voice grated on him.
"Aren't you familiar with the annual gathering within Zion, boy?" the aquamancer inquired of him with an obviously condescending tone to her voice.
"It's a peace gathering." Chase snorted in response, "That shouldn't have anything to do with the Demon of Ashlai."
"But it does, my sweet." Mother Alisha offered with a calming smile, "You see... Ephram joined the first caravan to join the dialogue in Zion. He was going without his armor and without his legend... the Demon of Ashlai as a mortal wishing to offer contrition for the acts committed during the war."
"It was war." Chase answered simply, "There shouldn't be a need for apologies."
"That was not my choice to make, my dear." Mother Alisha answered, the slender fingers of her right paw gingerly tracing the intricate markings on her holy symbol, "It was a popular gesture among the representatives from the other cities and I could not refuse it."
"You should have brought him to heel ages ago." Miss Monedula noted, "That alligator is as unstable emotionally as some of his brothers and sisters were biologically."
The priestess stood immediately, "Do not overstep your place, Monedula." her voice was cold and unyielding. Chase smiled inwardly at that; he had to admit that he enjoyed seeing the aquamancer squirm.
"I only meant to say--" the jackdaw began, but was interrupted by the wolf.
"I know what you meant, Monedula... but I will remind you that Ephram Zoari was the first progeny of the temple's great ritual acknowledged as a success."
"After thirty three failures, I'm certain it was a great joy for the priests to celebrate a success." the aquamancer offered. She was obviously pushing her limits, but the priestess let it pass.
"He was beyond all expectations." Mother Alisha stated reverently.
"Except he was Moon Crazed." Chase interjected, feeling a tinge of jealousy when the priestess spoke so well of his older 'brother'.
"But a success nonetheless." Mother Alisha noted calmly to him before looking back to the bird, "And Artemisia was created using the same ritual, allowing us to improve upon Ephram's design."
"You make them sound almost like a piece of equipment... a sword or a suit of armor." Miss Monedula pointed out. She glanced pointedly at Chase after the comment; he didn't bother rising to the bait.
"Artemisia? Perhaps. Ephram? Decidedly." the priestess explained.
"And your golden child?" the jackdaw motioned to Chase, who managed to avoid hissing at her blatant disrespect.
"Chase is like a son to me..." Mother Alisha stated neutrally, "Do NOT put him in the same class as Ephram or Artemisia."
"Well... Priestess... please enlighten me then... how is he that different?" the jackdaw inquired with mock enthusiasm.
"Ephram was a discarded egg... he would have died without the temple's interference. He was imbued with draconic essence and cared for until he hatched. It was a success... but not as much as we had truly desired. While he showed elements of that draconic influence he was still merely an alligator. A powerful, excellent specimen of one, but an alligator nonetheless."
"So you tried with another egg to produce Artemisia and had a better result." the bird proposed, tapping her clawed fingers on the table.
"No." the priestess answered, "We created her."
The jackdaw's feathers puffed up at that, "Created?" she demanded, "How can you just create--"
"We did." the wolf answered, obviously not interested in providing details, "And she was that much closer to our ideal draconic warrior."
"And I assume you created Chase as well?" Monedula inquired.
"Yes." Mother Alisha noted, looking to the warrior with a smile, "I did, in fact."
Chase smiled back.
"And I assume you take pride in the fact that he is far more draconic than either of his predecessors." the jackdaw answered smugly.
"You have no idea how right you are on both points." the priestess smiled. Chase chuckled to himself as well, "but we're off-task." she announced, resting her paws on the table, "Let me get to the point: there cannot be two Demons of Ashlai at Zion."
"Then why did you convince Brother Tomal to send Artemisia?" Lady Monedula asked.
"We had no way of knowing that Ephram Zoari was still alive." the wolf answered calmly, "Artemisia was supposed to be the mute stand-in. Now, if they both show up then we will have... problems."
"So you plan on sending a third?" the bird questioned.
"I plan on creating a solution to our problem." Mother Alisha answered, "We are at peace... so three Demons are entirely unnecessary."
"You plan on 'retiring' the others..." Lady Monedula accused.
"They are redundant." the priestess responded, "Chase is the peak of what we were attempting to accomplish... he is the only one of the three who has wings. He can channel the dragon-blood magic. And... of course..." Mother Alisha looked to Chase and smiled; he smiled back.
"And what?" the jackdaw demanded.
Chase chuckled at her confusion, feeling the warmth fill the back of his throat as his entire body tingled, "Other things, that very few others get to know about." he let wisps of flame trail up as he spoke, tendrils of smoke rising from his nostrils.
"And those who do," Mother Alisha smiled pleasantly, "never experience it first hand and live."
"So THAT's where the myth of the Demon of Ashlai breathing fire came from." the jackdaw murmured, "I was wondering about that."
"They each had their own specialties..." the wolf acknowledged, "Ephram was a beast on the battlefield... Artemisia had her rage... but neither of them are anything compared to my dear Chase." the priestess motioned to the dragon, who swelled with pride at the praise.
"And now you're not so concerned with those unique gifts." Lady Monedula noted blandly.
"Ephram has become something of a liability in the last few years... he's becoming harder and harder to clean up after." Mother Alisha noted.
"He's a monster." Chase stated.
"So the Wild Lands becomes the best place to dispose of him then?" the jackdaw questioned, "and what about Artemisia?"
"Too unpredictable." the wolf answered, absently rubbing at her chest, "Having her out of the equation will resolve many open-ended issues."
"And it has nothing to do with Tomal?" the aquamancer questioned with a knowing smirk on her beak. The priestess immediately stopped rubbing her chest, and Chase received an inkling that Miss Monedula knew something that he didn't. It certainly wasn't the last time Chase felt that way during the meeting.
An errant pre-dawn current caught the dragon as he soared above the woodlands, forcing him to alter his flight pattern. Opening his eyes, Chase gazed around at the darkened landscape, admiring the simplicity of nature and the beauty of the world's design. Although he could appreciate the fine craftsmanship put into the production of the buildings in Myrh, no mortal structure could match the wonder of the gods' creation. That thought made him consider his task.
Mother Alisha had told him time and time again that he was the greatest of his siblings. Ephram was created through the interference of mortals; Artemisia was created by mortal design; Chase, and Chase alone was imbued with the divine spark... only he was an instrument of the Goddess. His orders were clear: he was to kill them both. It had been a long time since Chase had been sent into what he knew would be a real battle and his heart was granted renewed vigor with the knowledge that he would accomplish far more than the priestess expected... or asked for.
She had ordered him to present himself before the leaders of the caravan and explain that the alligator and the dragoness were marked as enemies of the temple. He would see to their executions personally, and then take their place as the Demon of Ashlai. Chase would make a showing of himself at the negotiations and seek forgiveness for the acts of war... at least, this is what Mother Alisha asked of him. The dragon, however, had a better plan.
The land passed quickly below him and it took far less time for him to travel the many miles than the much slower caravan. It came into sight by the time the sun had risen off the horizon and it was still well before noon when the mounts and beasts of burden grew distressed by his presence as he soared overhead.
The caravan guards were already on alert as he circled, but he didn't announce himself until he identified the carriage marked as the ones carrying travelers from the temple. "I come from Myrh!" he shouted to those below, beginning a spiraling descent. While many of the guards were visibly uncertain about the introduction, those with bows held their fire. Fortunate for them, Chase thought, because that meant he'd also hold his own.
It took less than ten minutes before Chase was granted an audience with Priestess Fanewatcher, the apparent head priestess of the caravan. The wagons had stopped and a camp was being erected; the dragon was guided to the jackal's pavilion. She waited for him inside, back to him as she prepared a drink. Her scantily clad body was a stark contrast to the conservative robes worn by Mother Alisha; he found that he didn't mind the difference in the least.
"What news from Myrh?" she asked, slowly turning to regard the warrior. The jackal stopped mid-turn the moment she laid eyes upon him, and his blood red armor; Chase could tell she was familiar with the design.
"Ephram Zoari and Artemisia have been marked." Chase explained simply.
"What?" the priestess inquired, one of her ears turning at that but her expression otherwise unreadable, "Why?"
"By word of Mother Alisha." the dragon noted.
"I didn't ask who ordered it." the Priestess stated, crossing her arms, "I asked why."
"And I've told you all that is required." Chase answered, "Where will I find them?"
"You won't." the jackal countered, "They are under my protection and you will not touch them until I verify your words."
"You are ordered to turn them over to me. They may put up a fight if they wish, but you will not deny me." Chase stated quite simply.
"That's the funny thing about me..." Anya Fanewatcher noted simply, "I don't do very well with orders." she tapped a sandaled foot.
"I will give you one chance to aid me, and if you do not, then I will consider you a foe of the temple." the dragon threatened. He could not have planned for a better response; he was going to have an easier time than he first thought.
"I don't do well with threats either." the priestess stated flatly.
The dragon brandished a talon, the claws on it glowing for just a moment, "Mother Alisha..." Chase spoke softly, "I regret that the caravan harbored the fugitives and they resisted the temple's decree to the last man." he looked to Priestess Fanewatcher, "I regret to inform you that I was required to defend myself." he smiled slowly when he saw the jackal's eyes widen in surprise, "There are no survivors." he closed his talon, the glow disappearing from his claws.
"You can't--" the priestess began, but she was sent flying across the pavilion by a ball of force conjured by Chase with little more than a blink.
"Do not tell me what I can't do." the dragon stated, "When I discover my limitations I will send a copy of them to your grave."
Anya rose to her feet, blood coming from her muzzle. Chase waited patiently as she pulled out her holy symbol and shouted out a prayer to Tah'Aveen. "I'm in the service to the temple, you stupid bitch." he laughed openly, "Your prayers won't affect me."
"Mother Alisha would never condone--"
"You're correct." Chase agreed, "But forgiveness is easier to seek than permission. Your unwillingness to comply with her demands were all I needed to guarantee the destruction of your entire caravan."
"There are loyal followers of Tah'Aveen here." the jackal growled, "Are you insane?"
"Yes." the dragon answered simply, "This peace has driven me crazy... and now it's time to do something about that." he pulled out two giant two-handed sword, one for each talon. He didn't miss the fact that she was doing a relatively decent job of hiding her gestures while she was casting a spell; he didn't care, "Once the Demon of Ashlai slaughters the temple city delegates in Zion peace will be a thing of the past."
"I won't let you." Anya Fanewatcher announced, holding her paws out at him, and she released a powerful blast of Focus magic, the spell designed to knock his life essence right out of him. It didn't work, of course.
Chase smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth as he stepped forward. "You don't have a choice."
The rest of the caravan had no idea anything was wrong until Anya's bloodied body was sent flying through the fabric of her pavilion. She landed on the ground, unmoving. Chase followed her out, the jackal's blood dripping from both of his blades, "Tell me!" he roared, "Who here HASN'T heard of the Demon of Ashlai?!?" His heart swelled with pure elation; he was back... and it was just the beginning.
* * * * *
It's been two weeks, but here it is: the first part of Myrh's Milestone!
Remember: readers have until midnight on September 30th to place their vote(s) to save their favorite character(s). Go here for details:
http://www.sofurry.com/page/288668/
Since so much survival in the Wild Lands is about perception, I suppose I will mention here that Brother Johan, the ocelot priest from the Cathedral of Her Light MIGHT have stowed away in the caravan and is an optional character that may be added to the Myrhian Caravan! What will it take? Every Contributing Reader in this chapter will have to vote:
1) Spend 1 Luck and add Brother Johann to the party! 2) Earn +1 Luck and to heck with that plot device! 3) Forget Brotehr Johann... we want to save instead!
Here's the clencher: votes must be unanimous. Talk amongst yourselves if you wish-- you may not change your vote after voting.
That's all there is to it! Now sit tight; the Milestone concludes next week!