Promotion

Orvma was on the brink of panic. Never before had the supernatural dared to attack their beloved Temple. The news of the preacher’s sermon in the market, against the King, spread through the city. No word came from the Temple mount. A pillar of black smoke rose from the center of the Temple. What it meant no one could say.

A caravan captain left the palace with a donkey load of goods. He was joined by three others on camels. A dozen other merchants followed him to the serai outside town. The great caravans began to prepare to move early.

A courier brought news of this to the King. He muttered under his breath, realizing the onslaught by dragons was exactly what the Queen had planned. There was nothing he could do about it. Now he had to hold his city together. What Ignatius had told Danan and Clee was perfectly true: the Temple stood, but kings came and went.

He summoned his captains to him: Mark, Lucas, Bartolo, John, Jebed. “Mark, take your company to the serai and seize the caravans. Do not attack but meet force with force. The rest of you, form up, and take the city gates. Lucas, you take the North. Bartolo, take the East. John, take the South. Jebed, take the West. Seal Ormva. Let none exit the town.”

“What about the Temple mount, sire?” asked Mark.

“Secure the city first. I will deal with the Temple mount after the city is secured.” King Jason knew this was a dangerous course, but keeping the Army separated and containing the populace was probably his best course, he reckoned. Damn that infidel Queen and her meddling!

“Ho! Riders!” Two couriers with naked blades raced frothing horses into the camp. The naked swords were a signal that their news was urgent and secret. Men grabbed their horses and the couriers dismounted, sheathed their swords, and moved towards the King.

“Stand aside there!” called Jason, and his bodyguard parted to let the couriers through. The elder of the pair came up to the King, knelt, and put his lips to the King’s ear: “The Xee are moving on the city from the East. They will be here in two day’s time.”

Queen Pelena could not summon any demon. She was effectively blind and powerless in the Palace, and vulnerable.

Mobs had begun to assemble in the city. So far they were just talking, but no mob ever gave up without a show of force. The Army was occupying the Gates. Presumably the King would enter the City again with some troops, but the time might come when that would trigger the riot instead of quell it.

And the demons Nun and Argomath did not answer her. Supposedly her powers were equal to that lout who had impressed Argomath so much. And where was he? Still in the prison tower? That at least was something she could adjust in her favor.

“Summon the sorcerer and his apprentice from the prison tower,” she ordered a weeping handmaid. The woman ran on her errand. Pelena stood staring across the City at the Temple mount, its top wreathed in smoke and flame. How long before the rest of the City started to burn?

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Danan and Clee saw the door open and the head guard approach them. “You’re summoned to see the Queen,” said the guard. “Get up!”

They were hustled back up the stairs and through the Palace. Danan fell on his face, slapped Clee on the ankle to signal him to copy the prostration. Clee fell forward.

’Get up,” said Pelena. “You, boy, why can I not summon demons? I have your powers.”

“I don’t know,” said Clee.

Danan said, “A demon can only be in one place at a time. Perhaps they are busy.”

“Too busy to answer a Queen?” asked Pelena. “I have summoned Nun and Argomath four times. Now you try. On the life of your friend here, summon me a demon.”

Clee looked at Danan. “Do it, as she commands,” said the sorcerer.

“Give me some flour,” said Clee.

A sack of powdery cornmeal was quickly brought. Clee had one corner pricked. He drew a circle on the floor, then two triangles making a six-pointed star, then five pointed stars around it. “I, Clee, son of Adam, conjurer of Eden, summon Gathrak, demon of Life, to come to me, and coming, obey!”

A great leathery demon apported above the circle. “Greetings, Clee.”

“Gathrak! Where are all the other demons? We need their aid!”

The demon faced Clee but spoke to the queen behind him, without turning. “O foolish mortal, you seek for dragons and expect to command the situation?”

“I, Pelena, daughter of Eve, conjurer of Eden, invoke thee, Gathrak,” said Pelena formally.

“It was well that you left the Henren, Pelena,” said the demon. “Your antics would not be appreciated. I knew you were a hellion, but I had no idea you’d go so far as seek a dragon’s help.”

“O Gathrak, seek into the City and bring back reports. What is said in the streets of the City? Where is the King and the Army?”

The demon half turned, shook its head. “Such an errand Argomath is pleased to run, but not I.”

’Then tell me who to command! I, a Henren noble, invoke thee!”

Gathrak faced her. “You invoked a Higher Authority than any demon. They are prepared to be quite unpleasant to any challenge. The most I’ll do for you is let them know you’re impatient, if you like.”

“Let them know that Pelena, Queen of Orvma, begs them condescend to appear,” said Pelena.

“Very well, said the demon, and vanished.

There was a silence in the room, and then Danan said, “You summoned a dragon? How?”

’Be quiet, old man,” said the Queen. “You are alive because that boy is fond of you. I promised not to harm the boy, but nothing was said about you. Your life hangs by a thread. If you dare question me again in that tone of voice, I will have you flogged to death in the market square!” she spat. “Sorcerer! The mob would like your blood!”

’I won’t help you if you harm Danan,” yelled Clee.

“Quiet Clee,’ said Danan kindly. “Her majesty is quite right about mobs and sorcerers. We’d be torn apart. Let’s see what help we can be to her.”

The sound of rams horns came faintly from the west gate. “The King marches on the city,” said Pelena. “He may be in time to quell a riot.”

A scream drew their attention to the north. From the smoke of the Temple mount, a humanoid form flew southwards towards the Palace. As it neared, Clee saw it was a demon.

“Argomath! You have returned to me!” called Pelena.

Argomath stopped outside the Palace, floating easily in midair. “You are summoned, daughter of Eve. Come out.”

A storm of wind swept through the Palace, knocking over everything weighing less than three hundred pounds. Clee and Danan were thrown to the floor. Pelena screamed as she was wafted aloft and out the window to join Argomath. The storm abated. Argomath and Pelena flew towards the Temple mount.

Danan and Clee watched from the wrecked Palace. “What now?” asked Clee.

Danan had nothing to say.

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Pelena entered through a roiling coil of black smoke. Instantly she was bathed in a cool breeze and the odor of lavender.

The interior of the Temple was pleasantly clean, shining as if waxed. The odors of honeysuckle and lavender mingled pleasantly. She was wafted along to a meeting room before the Inner Sanctum. There, she saw two golden humanoids seated on the bench reserved for priests.

“Greetings, daughter of Eve,” said one of the figures in a melodious contralto. “I am

Skol, servant of Baal.”

“And I am Corir, servant of Omto,” said the other figure. “Be seated, daughter.”

Pelena sat, glanced around, saw Argomath was gone. “I, Pelena, daughter of Eve, conjurer of Eden—“

And as she concentrated, suddenly the room was a smoldering ruin, strewn with corpses of priests, and reeking of death and smoke. Before her reclined two winged lizards, twenty feet long, one red, and other green.

“Well done,” growled the red dragon. “For a mortal, very well done.”

“Too well done,” growled the green dragon. He sniffed at the choking Queen. “Hmmm…interference.”

“Who did this for you?” said the red dragon.

“Who did what? I mean – Nun, the demon, granted me the boy’s powers. I mean, the boy impressed Argomath, and I wanted to have the same power, so I summoned—“

“Nun,” roared the green dragon. Nun appeared in midair, and made obeisance.

“Yes, O Corir?”

“How dare you augment the power of a human? This is unheard of impertinence.”

“To assist the cause of Chaos, O Corir,” said Nun, unabashed.

“And the boy she speaks of? You aided a boy?” asked the red dragon.

“A sorcerer’s apprentice, O Skol. To enhance his powers among the humans.”

“Impertinence,” growled Corir.

“May I explain, my lords?” asked Nun.

“Stand there receptive, said Corir, and closed his eyes. Nun stared back at him, unafraid.

“Ahhh,” said Corir, opening his eyes.

“Share,” demanded Skol.

The dragons faced each other, closed their eyes, and paused.

Skol opened his eyes. “Dangerous,”

Corir opened his eyes. “But ingenious.”

“Yes. Argomath!”

“Yes, O Skol?”

“Fetch us the boy and his master.”

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King Jason marched around the city, horns blaring, whips crashing, arrested commoners streaming in his wake. Round and round he marched, until the press of the mob was broken, and the danger of riot quelled. For now.

“Mark, O captain, keep the men formed up in the market. Detach a guard to bear our prisoners to the prison tower. Handle them correctly but firmly. Do not allow any assembly larger than three persons until further notice. I and my bodyguard ride to the Palace.’ He turned and spurred his horse, his three best men following.

As he neared the entrance to the palace, shouts drew his attention to the north. A storm of wind startled his horse. As he reined in, Jason saw three figures fly northwards to the burning Temple.

“Sorcery!” He leapt off his horse and ran, stumbling, forgetting himself in his rush to stop Pelena from further madness. He dashed down the halls of the Palace, calling for her, and stopped at last in the wind-strewn wreck of a durbar. Beyond the Temple smoldered.

“Where is my wife? Where is the Queen?” he roared, and no one dared answer. Finally a handmaid pointed north to the Temple.

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Clee saw through the illusion without starting an invocation. He stood horrified in the midst of carnage, facing two ferocious dragons, while Danan serenly contemplated two golden humanoids with dignity. Pelena knelt and retched off to one side of the room.

“So,” said Corir. “You cannot be deceived.”

“Impressive,” said Skol.

“What…what do you want of me?” stammered Clee.

“Don’t address them, boy,” said Danan. “My lords, if you have questions of my apprentice, have the courtesy to address his master, myself.”

Choking laughter stopped him. “He doesn’t know,” laughed Pelena. “He cannot see—“

“Silence,” said Skol. “Boy, do you know of the Xee?”

“The Xee are coming…my lord. They cannot be halted.”

“Perhaps,” said Corir. “Would you like to save the city?”

“What can this boy do to save the city?” asked Danan.

“I should have said, help, save the city,” said Corir. “Will you enlist with us?”

Clee hesitated, remembering Danan’s warning about helping dragons. “What must I do?”

Skol chuckled like an amused twenty-foot carnivorous lizard. “Very good.”

Corir said, “You accepted the help of Nun to cast magic. Will you accept both our help to do more?”

“What must I do?”

Skol said, “We will make you a Necromancer. You will summon the dead to assist you.”

Corir said, “It is a power my friend and I find quite useful. The dead are a powerful ally.”

“And just think how many people you know will die someday.”

“All that power, right at your fingertips.”

“You’re saying someday I could help,” said Clee. “But I’m an orphan shepherd boy. I don’t know any dead.”

“You know this sorcerer and the queen.”

“They’re not—“

Flame engulfed them all.