‘But there is one passage without a hint of obscurity, as clear as a clarion ringing in the cold dawn air: demons, beings of the deeper realms, were summoned to fight in that battle, and in answer, beings of light, from the higher realms, appeared. They came unbidden, for when a creature from the depths transcended, his counterpart would seek him out. When they met, they were both destroyed, or returned to their home realm, we don’t know which.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ whispered Gulamendis. He knew he was hearing something very important.
‘These higher beings, those in opposition to the demons, have many names, but they are most commonly called angels. Their glory is blinding and their power equal to their opposing demons.’
Gulamendis’s mind raced; he had summoned demons for years, yet this was the first he had heard of other beings, these angels.
Tandarae smiled. ‘You see the obvious question, don’t you?’
Gulamendis nodded. ‘Where are the angels?’
Tandarae shrugged. ‘Unless this ancient tome is a work of a master storyteller, then it suggests that the balance of our universe has been skewed since the time of the Chaos Wars. The host of demons who have destroyed our worlds should have been stopped by an equal number of angels, and the taredhel should have continued to live in peace.’
‘Why do you tell me this?’
Tandarae shrugged. ‘There may be no answer, or the tome may be apocryphal at best. But what if it is true?’ He placed his hand on Gulamendis’s shoulder and gently turned him back towards the gate, indicating the conversation was at an end. ‘You are about to travel widely, while the rest of us labour to build our glorious new city and plan our conquest of this world. You may meet all manner of beings on your travels, some may be wise, or powerful, or have access to ancient knowledge, and you need to know the right question to ask. Journey safely.’ He walked away from the stunned Demon Master without another word.
Gulamendis left the nascent city, unsettled by what he had just heard, and by what he knew was coming. He sighed to himself as he trudged up the hill, unsure if his tasks had just got easier or more difficult.
CHAPTER NINE - Warning
Brandos paced.
Amirantha sat patiently in an anteroom, expecting a summons that seemed never to come. This was his fourth day spent waiting for an audience with General Kaspar, Chancellor to the Maharajah of Muboya. The new palace in Maharta was an exercise in ostentation, something Amirantha had come to expect from royalty, but he was forced to admit that the ostentation around him came with a fair dose of beauty. Some of the decor was actually tasteful, a rarity among those whose first priority was usually to display how much gold it cost to build something.
They had arrived at last in the capital of the vibrant new Kingdom of Muboya. The Maharajah had ended over twenty years of campaigning and annexation when he reached the sea, having united all of the city states along the River Veedra, from the western grasslands to the City of the Serpent River in the east. It was now the largest political entity on the continent of Novindus, and like all young and sprawling nations, was comprised of diverse cultures, nearly impossible to govern.
While waiting, Amirantha had gained some sense of the size of the tasks set before this Lord Kaspar. Nobles from many parts of the nation, envoys from other states in the Westlands and even from across the sea, paraded through his antechamber into his reception hall or private chambers or whatever was behind those massive wooden doors.
He and Brandos had presented themselves four days earlier, both wearing their finest clothing, so there was nothing of the vagabond or poor petitioner about. They had simply told the secretary, a fussy and self-important little man, that they wished to speak to Lord Kaspar on a matter of some urgency and importance to the Kingdom.
And for three days they had been soundly ignored.
Brandos sat down next to his friend for about the fifth or sixth time, although Amirantha had lost count, and said, ‘Do you think we need to bribe the secretary?’
‘Tried it yesterday and almost got us arrested.’ He turned to look at his companion and in low tones said, it seems that what we’ve heard about this Kaspar of Olasko is true; he’s running a very principled state.’ He leaned back against the wall carefully, conscious of the need to keep his white robes free of dirt, and said, ‘Given the rogues and mountebanks who pass as government agents in most places, it’s a surprise, but I’m not sure if it’s a pleasant one or simply unsettling.’
‘Well, since you can’t bribe our way in to see this General, and we seem to be growing moss just waiting for something to happen, do you have any other ideas? Not that I mind doing nothing for days on end . . .’
Amirantha said, ‘Very well. I suppose I could send him a more compelling message.’