‘Ah, that would explain her attitude when she looks at you,’ said the elf.
‘In many ways she’s as strong a woman as one can imagine -certainly the better of most men when it comes to skill at arms - but strong of mind and will, too. What is not so apparent is that she’s easily hurt.’ His voice trailed off at the end of his remark and the elf remained silent. Amirantha eventually went on. ‘Her strength hides the vulnerable nature of her heart. She was ill used by men as a child, and I assumed that would have made her callous; quite the opposite, in fact. I do not know how it is with your race, Gulamendis, but with us such matters are often confounding, and out of all the goals my race pursue, finding love can bring the most harm.’
‘It is not that different, though we have much more time than humans to discover what we should truly value. My brother and I are both counted young by our people, barely halfway through our first century of life. And like you we live on the fringe of our society, so finding a woman who will bear that social stigma is even more difficult.’ He glanced over to where Sandreena stood and said, ‘Perhaps all of this will help you heal the breach between you?’
‘I will never repair that breach,’ Amirantha said quietly, ‘but I can choose to live a better life.’
‘Upon that we can agree,’ said the elf. ‘All should wish to live a better life.’
‘Come, let us return and make plans to help where we can.’
They returned to the discussion taking place and found Pug giving detailed instructions as to what must be done and how quickly. He turned to Gulamendis and said, ‘Return to your people and let them know of Tomas’s arrival, for he will come within three days and speak to your council. We will not wait upon your leaders to act, but we will welcome them as allies should they choose to join with us.’ To Amirantha he said, ‘I have a difficult task for you, should you be willing.’
‘I’m not prone to taking needless risk, but under the circumstances, I am willing to serve.’ He glanced around, ‘I like what I see, Pug, and would gladly linger here to study, and share what I know.’
‘After,’ said Pug, and Amirantha did not need to be told what that meant. To his wife, the sorcerer said, it would be valuable if you took the Warlock with you, as well as Sandreena,’ Amirantha tried hard not to wince, ‘and discover what you can of where that bolt of fire came from. Whoever sent it here knew we were questioning the imp, and that worries me in several ways.’
Miranda said, ‘Who can overhear what is said here?’
‘Someone who has links to that imp,’ said Amirantha. ‘You may not understand fully, but those like Gulamendis and myself who master demons, have always believed we were utterly in control; for another entity to be able to eavesdrop on what is said by a demon under our sway is most disturbing.’
‘Very well,’ said Miranda, hugging her husband. ‘Do I dare ask where you and Magnus will be?’
‘I must return to Shila,’ said Pug, and the colour drained from Miranda’s face. She had stood alongside her husband and watched her father battle the Demon King on that world. Macros had held Maarg at bay just long enough for Pug to destroy the rift that led to the demon realm, or so he had thought.
Strange alien creatures, the Shangri, had constructed the rift in the ancient city of Ahsart, the Saaur holy city. Pug and she had entered the rift, collapsing it from within. But something Pug had said to her years ago on that world returned now: if the rift somehow survived, it could be reopened. She said, ‘What if the rift to Midkemia closed as we planned, but the one to Shila from the demon realm did not?’
Pug closed his eyes and said, ‘I have feared the same. When I first saw that rift I did not understand how unique it was. Since I’ve visited the Dasati world on the next plane of existence, I now realize what a feat it was to create a rift to reach down to the Fifth Circle. I underestimated the nature of that invention, I fear.’
‘Still,’ said Magnus, who had listened to his parents’ discussion, ‘even if the rift between the demon realm and Shila existed, how did the demons leave that world to raid the elves’ worlds?’
‘What if Shila was the world they reached, the one where the demons swarmed into their rift, reaching their portal hub?’ said Miranda.
‘We’ll know soon enough,’ said Pug. To Magnus he said, ‘You are coming with me. Pick two others who are adept at keeping their wits about them.’ He kissed his wife on the cheek and said, ‘I’ve got to see what damage has been done before I leave, and speak to a few others, but we shall be gone before night falls. I suggest you do likewise.’
She watched him walk away and Miranda said to Magnus, ‘Now he will miss Nakor like he hasn’t in ten years.’
Her son could only nod silently.