Jommy spoke of being harried by strange humanoid creatures that rode on the backs of wolf-like mounts, and who were almost impossible to see as anything other than dark spaces in his field of vision.
Miranda had been silent for the entire narrative, but she said, ‘I helped obliterate them.’ She described their camp and turned to her husband.
‘As best we can tell, they are creatures of the void, something akin to the Dread, like wraiths or spectres,’ said Pug. ‘I’ve encountered the Dread on two occasions and their lesser kin a few more times.’
‘My respect for you is now without limit,’ said Amirantha with no humour or irony intended. ‘No man living, to the best of my knowledge, has encountered the Dread.
‘Wraiths and spectres are also not of the demon realm. They are . . . something else.’
‘What?’ asked Jommy.
‘We don’t know,’ said Pug. ‘We only know that they come from somewhere beyond the Seven Hells or Heavens.’ He looked at Amirantha and said, ‘They are creatures of the Void.’
Amirantha said, ‘I have a feeling there’s more to this than I’m being told, which is certainly your prerogative.’ He narrowed his gaze as he studied Pug. ‘And you already know a great deal about the demon realm, I warrant.’
Pug was silent as those around the table studied him. Miranda asked a silent question, but everyone else had an expectant look. Sandreena put down her spoon, as Father-Bishop Creegan did with his goblet. Pug saw two students standing ready to serve, and a pair conducting some independent study on the other side of the dining hall while they snacked on fruit and cheese. Pug called to them and said, ‘You may leave us, and ask them to find another place for their studies, as well. Thank you.’
The two students hurried across the room, and soon the dining hall was empty save for those at Pug’s table.
Miranda finally said, ‘Tell them. Tell them all. They deserve to know.’
Quietly Pug began. ‘You all know of the invasion of the Kingdom of the Isles by the armies of the Emerald Queen. To most of you, it’s ancient history; Miranda and I, however, lived through it.’
Amirantha remained quiet; he had witnessed the devastation wrought by the Emerald Queen’s armies in his homeland, too, when he had been a young man.
‘There are things about those times, of which I will not speak. There are questions I will not answer. But what I will tell you is truth.’ No one spoke, but there was a general acceptance of those statements in their expressions.
Miranda knew what he referred to, for she had been there. She remembered everything Nakor had said about the Fifth Circle and what transpired as they stood on the devastated world of Shila, how she had seen her father, Macros, battle the Demon King Maarg, and how she had spoken with the possessed demon controlled by the Saaur lorekeeper, Hanam. Only Miranda, Pug and Magnus knew that although Nakor had been one of their closest confidants, he had also been a tool of Ban-ath, also called Kalkin, the God of Thieves and Liars.
Pug said, ‘One of the reasons your high priest in Rillanon introduced us, many years ago, Father-Bishop, was because much of what occurs here is in service to a much higher order, a fact not known by the majority of those who labour here.’ He looked from face to face, seeing his wife, the Warlock, the prelate, his foster grandson, and the Knight-Adamant. ‘You have all come into this for different reasons, or so you assume.’ He looked for a long moment at Amirantha and said, ‘Your role is not yet clear to me, but I suspect it is vital that we found you.
‘Demons have begun appearing in unexpected locations, without being summoned.’ At that Amirantha’s eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing.
Pug fell silent for another moment, then said, ‘Father-Bishop Creegan, Jommy, and Miranda, know this, but you two do not.’ He pointed to Amirantha and Sandreena. ‘Within the community of this island some of us serve a higher calling, through an organization called the Conclave of Shadows.
‘We are by necessity a highly secret organization that has a very special relationship with the rulers of the three mightiest nations here on Triagia.’
Creegan added, ‘Which also means they have influences in all the lesser kingdoms as well.’
‘And given Kaspar’s role in conducting me here,’ said the Warlock, ‘its influence stretches as far as the Kingdom of Muboya on the other side of the world.’ He sounded impressed.
‘We are also well established with other groups, including several of the major Temples. Our purpose is not to subvert or even influence these entities, political and secular, but rather to keep open our lines of communication, to serve a greater good.’