CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Krayson thought himself prepared, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Teleportion using the connections binding him to this place was unaffected by the destruction of the tower, but his heart was struck by the sight far more than he anticipated.

This was my home, he thought while looking over an ocean of rubble. Krayson stood on a pile of broken rock five paces tall and took in the full magnitude of what Elise had done to his Order.

As if a giant had come through and cleared away spires like unwanted shrubs in his field, a swath of emptiness lay in the center of Westrun. The equivalent of twenty city blocks were now piles of rock, metal, and refuse, and only a few cleared lanes provided the means of walking through what was once the center of the magocracy.

The surrounding spires were the agricultural hubs Westrun was famous for. Platforms hung from the spires at all angles, each covered in gardens, pastures, and irrigated crop fields. The hiss and steam of thousands of massive pumps could be heard as they carried water up to the platforms, struggling and failing to fill the needs of the kingdom. Surrounded by the hanging gardens of Westrun, the crater where the Sanguine Tower used to be appeared as a scar within the city.

"They've come a long way," Devara said quietly, climbing the rubble to stand next to Krayson. The assassin was pensive as she surveyed the ruins. "Not quite five months, but the worst is gone."

"Still further left to go," Krayson said.

Devara sighed. "At least the pyres aren't burning through the night anymore. We lost so many. Forty-four thousand dead at last count."

"A thousand were my brothers," Krayson murmured. "You needn't remind me of what was lost here."

Devara nodded slowly. "I suppose not. Tell me, Krayson, what was it like, mourning the Sanguine Tower and the blood runners while sharing a city with the monster who did this?"

Krayson grit his teeth. "Bad."

"Yet you worked with her."

Krayson took in a breath through his nose. "I feared how many more would die if I didn't. Elise murdered thousands. The old masters will kill millions before the end."

"As you say." Devara's words didn't convey agreement, only acknowledgement. "We should start looking. Heron's friends should already be here, but there's a lot of area they could be in."

Krayson grunted and turned away to head back to the others. Devara remained where she was for a heartbeat longer, scowling as she gave the ruins one last look before following.

Starra and Reyn waited down below in a cleared passage between the rubble. Reyn knelt while searching through her bags and muttered to herself, and Starra stood with her arms crossed a pace away while looking down Reyn's shirt.

"Something missing?" Starra asked without changing where her eyes landed.

"My writing pallet," Reyn grumbled. "I could have sworn I packed it with my leggings."

"Thought to do some scribing while we're here?"

Reyn's rummaging came to an end, and she wrinkled her nose. "I suppose not."

Starra smiled fondly. "Old habits, as they say. You know, dear one, you've effectively resigned as first minister, so you can finally kick this troublesome mantle you've acquired."

"As a scribe?"

Starra's grin widened. "If you wish. I'd say you should take a whirl at being a little more indolent. You're to be my pampered trophy wife, after all."

Reyn stared at her, and by degrees, her cheeks got redder. "I can admit there is... appeal."

"Then again, I don't really have a house anymore. I suppose I really should come up with some way to fund our lifestyle." Starra's eyes widened, and she affected a horrified gasp. "Bloody hell, I'm not a lady anymore. Goodwife Starra? By every spirit in the Ethereum..."

Reyn gave her a flat look. "How awful."

"Forgive me, dear one, but I think I need to sit down a moment."

It appeared that Reyn was mustering up a rebuke, but she apparently thought better of it. Her expression softened to sympathy as she stood up from her bags.

Krayson felt guilty interrupting, but they'd come to the Spired City with a purpose. He dropped onto the path from the rubble and approached Reyn. "Has there been any sign of others in the area?"

Reyn's eyes flickered towards him, then to Devara hopping down from the rubble behind him. "No. Pacifica and Adar are yet to return. Perhaps they will have had better luck."

Starra brushed dust from a fallen stone before ordering her skirt to sit down. "A shame none of us have met these people we're to meet. Brother Joshuan, you have more skill with divination than the rest of us. Could you scry the area?"

"I've attempted it," Krayson replied. "There are work teams combing through the ruins east of here, another few groups to the south. If any of them are Heron's fiend hunter, I can't tell."

"Fiend hunter," Starra said thoughtfully. "I daresay that's precisely the skill set to be of use to us." She cast an eye towards Devara. "It appears your coterie's goals and ours are in alignment, Duchess."

Devara nodded. "Heron is acting on the intelligence the Cabal brought to her. We have you to thank for knowing there are fiends in the lower city in the first place."

"Still, it seems more a job for the Home Legion, not royal assassins."

Devara grimaced. "There've been... developments, since you were last here."

Starra raised an eyebrow. "Such as what?"

"They are in greater number than you believed. You suspected Vintus of bringing a few handfuls of fiends to the Spired City. Over the last month, more and more people have been disappearing without a trace. The goodfolk talk of vicious creatures stalking the Eastrun slums, and watchmen we send to investigate return to tell us the lower levels are deserted. The slummers are nearly all gone, either packed up and left or..."

She let the implication hang in the air.

"Brazen," Starra growled. "I remember the old days when demons bothered to hide what they do. So, seeing as Vintus is off doing undead depravity elsewhere, who's bringing fiends here now?"

"That's another development," Devara said. "They're not being brought. They're coming all on their own."

Krayson narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Reyn clutched at her collar. "My lady, are you saying the fiends are being summoned?"

Devara nodded. "Summoned back, yes."

Starra stood up sharply. "Back?"

"I'd rather the expert fill you in," Devara said. "I don't know enough about them to explain their behavior."

"No one does," Krayson said. "Fiends are uniform in their uniqueness. No two are the same. It's the nature of what they are."

"That... is another thing that's changed," Devara said. "These aren't fiends like we know them. They weren't cobbled together in some biomancer's lab to be a guard dog, and they aren't hapless wildlife who stumbled into a convergence. They rove in packs, if you believe the rumors. The fiends are similar to one another, as if they're breeding, but there are too many of them to account for a natural birthrate."

Krayson didn't like how the arrival of dusk cast Westrun into deepening shadows. An ill omen, if he believed in such things.

Reyn sniffed and turned her head toward the northeast. Her back straightened. "Pacifica is coming back."

Starra glanced that way. "Bloody hell, you can smell her?"

Reyn blushed. "Her parfum is distinctive."

"Well, if you say so, I won't argue. Are she and Adar alone, or is she bringing our contact?"

Reyn shifted her feet. "I am not a fey, and selkie noses are not as sharp as a were's."

Starra grinned and nudged Krayson with an elbow. "She means to say that once she scents her paramour, there's no room in her nostrils for anyone else."

Reyn pursed her lips, and Pacifica came around the bend in the path before a proper retort could be delivered. The princess was covered in dust after her brief foray into the rubble fields, as was Adar at her side. The Ascendant wore his human form, and in addition, he'd altered the pigmentation of his body to a ruddy Altieri complexion. His fine clothes had been replaced by a workman's attire, baggy shirt and loose pants, and there was a good amount of mud splattered across it.

Dirtier still were the man and woman following Pacifica and Adar.

Krayson, Reyn, and Starra turned to face the new arrivals. Devara appeared to match them to the description given by Heron and relaxed.

The man was Althandi. He was average height for his race, still a good deal taller than Krayson. He was athletic, well-muscled, and could've been anywhere from late-thirties to early fifties. His hair was entirely black without a hint of gray, and his eyes were a dark shade of brown that almost matched his hair. A large crossbow sat carried on his shoulder, and it was a massive beast of a weapon, maybe two-thirds as long as the man was tall. He wore a kit of battered leather armor bearing a mess of patches, gouging claw marks, scuffs, and worn edges. The rest of him fared little better than his gear, maybe a good deal worse.

He was missing half his left ear. A deep scar put a cleft in his upper lip and twisted his mouth into a permanent scowl. The right side of his face was covered in a horrific, ropey mess of scar tissue from a burn, and a purple ridge ran around his neck where it looked like someone once tried hanging him. The ends of his ring and middle fingers on the left hand were missing, and he walked with a slight limp as he favored his right leg.

All in all, Rex Hunter seemed one stiff breeze away from falling to ribbons. Krayson took that as a sign that if everything that'd tried to kill him so far had failed, there was a good chance he might be immortal.

Walking beside Rex, the woman was different from the fiend hunter in every way possible. Firstly, she was young, perhaps of an age with Krayson or maybe a year or two older. She was taller than Rex by a few inches, which meant she towered over a lean blood runner. The woman was almost stereotypically Altieri, with fair skin, sea blue eyes, and auburn hair worn in a tail with long bangs framing her face. She had a few freckles on her cheeks, her jawline was wide and defined, and she walked with a slight hunch in her shoulders as if fearing the spires were about to topple down on her head. Unused to the city, likely born and raised in a rural setting.

Like her associate, she came to the meeting in armor. Hers was chain and mail, old and battered, and seemed an incomplete set. She had a chain hauberk and shoulder guards, plate bracers, and a few scattered pieces armoring her legs, but she was relatively unprotected compared to the armsmen Krayson knew of. For weapons, she kept a worn half blade in its scabbard, but the most impressive item she possessed had to be the masterfully crafted full blade hanging from a sling on her back. The enormous sword was nearly as tall as she was, as broad as two palms held together, and bore gilded engravings on the hilt and cross guard. It was a nobleman's weapon— the sword of a paladin— and Krayson imagined the story of how she acquired such a blade was quite the tale.

Krayson next noticed the young woman's build. Her arms were thick with muscle, her shoulders were broad, and her calloused hands made no pretenses of her being anything but someone who knew hard labor. Then again, she might've been a soldier, which was fairly common with Altieri women. Between her incomplete kit of armor and her weapons, she might've once been a part of some armed force or another.

An unusual pair, but fiend hunters were unlikely to be common sorts.

Devara stepped forward to greet them. "Master Rex, Mistress Irsa, thank you for coming. I'm at your service."

Rex grunted. He enunciated his words clearly when he spoke, a curious melding of rural and urban accents. "You can start by cutting out that master business. Name's Rex. Goodman Hunter, if you're feeling formal."

The other shrugged before speaking up. "Just Irsa. No formal stuff applies."

"No surname?" Starra asked while giving a new female person all due attention.

Irsa shook her head. "No, my lady. Irsa of Makurov. Little shepherd's outpost, maybe three hundred leagues into the hinterlands from Ecclesia."

Starra grinned. "Yet you've avoided the accents I've heard come from that way."

"Eh?" Irsa appeared to understand, then scratched at the back of her neck. "Ah, no, we all try to keep that hinterland jargon under wraps. Y'can't much understand a thing those guys go on about."

"Wind's mercy," Devara chuckled. "I met Dragon Lord Grellin. Was something of a learning experience." She gestured to herself and everyone in turn to give introductions. "I'm Duchess Devara Algara, lady of Stonehallow. That's Princess Pacifica Romov of Ecclesia, Lady of Diamonds. Her partner dragon, Adar the Ascendent, Eldest of the gold chroma. This is Brother Joshuan Krayson of the Sanguine Fraternal Order, and this is Lady Starra Nolaas of Shan Alee."

"Formerly," Starra corrected with only a touch of bitterness.

While Rex took the string of high titles without batting an eye, Irsa's grew wider with every introduction. She kept on her guard while she looked to Reyn, as if expecting to hear she was queen of the moon.

"Reyn of Rosewater," Reyn said to introduce herself. "A pleasure, Irsa."

Irsa let out a relieved breath.

Starra was unable to resist adding a small amendment. "Formerly the first minister and lady regent of Shan Alee."

Any relief Irsa might've felt was summarily erased.

Krayson would've preferred not to remain in the ruins of his old home longer than necessary. He picked up his one satchel from the pile belonging to Reyn and her lovers and slung it over his shoulder. "If there are no further questions, I believe we should go meet with Lady Heron."

Rex gave a shake of his head. "No time, Blood Runner, sir."

Irsa's brow knit together. "Blood Runner? Is that why his eyes are red?"

Rex gave his companion a sidelong look. "Aye, lass. Not many of them around anymore, but Heron said this one's willing to help with the fiends."

"That's as of yet undetermined," Krayson said, raising a palm. "We came to the Spired City to do what's necessary in stopping the attacks on Althandor."

"Brother Joshuan is right," Starra said. She assisted Reyn and Pacifica with their luggage as she spoke. "We left our lives in Shan Alee to fight demons, now that the Dragon Empress has switched allegiances to the wrong side. I hope you can understand that the old masters must remain our highest priority."

"Haven't you heard?" Rex asked. "Fiends, girl. Eastrun's lousy with the monsters. That ain't something you can ignore."

"We understand that, Goodman Hunter," Reyn said. "Of course we recognize the threat, but the old masters are adept at misdirection. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted."

"Then you'd better stay with us," Irsa said, her tone growing hard. "We know a thing or two about demons."

"Such as?" Adar asked.

Irsa glanced his way, then averted her gaze as it seemed dragons made her anxious, before looking Krayson in the eye. "Few months back, a fiend came to my town. Started killing livestock and taking children."

"My condolences," Krayson said, "but..."

Irsa shook her head and interrupted. "It wasn't killing the kids," she said. "It was taking them. The thing was trying to-" She swallowed her gorge before finishing. "-trying to make them eat off of bits of dead people. You understand? It wanted them to go cannibal."

Pacifica made a revolted face. "In the hinterlands? That'd almost certainly attract a dark fey."

"Wendigos," Rex said with a nod. "Best we could figure, the fiend was purposefully trying to get those kids possessed and turned into wendigos."

"Why would a fiend possibly want that?" Pacifica asked, clearly disturbed by what was going on back in her homeland.

Irsa and Rex exchanged a pointed look. Rex shrugged and nodded towards Krayson and the rest. Taking a deep breath, Irsa reluctantly gave the rest.

"Fiends are acting weird all over the Five Kingdoms," she said, "or so Rex tells. Things like the one near Makurov, other fiend hunters say there's been lots of kidnappings. They all involve fey. Rex's old teacher said fiends take fey as often as humans anymore, like they're up to something."

"Any idea of what that might be?" Adar asked.

"I've a notion," Irsa said. "Like with trying to make wendigos, the other attacks ended up with hunters finding parts of fey and humans... sewn together. It's like the fiends are trying to make something that's part mortal and part fey."

Pacifica took in a breath and looked to Reyn. "Feylings."

"What's that?" Irsa asked.

Reyn swallowed. "A feyling is a person with both human and fey ancestry." She looked to Devara. "Such as osteomancers."

Starra started pacing, wrinkling her nose and holding her chin in her fingers. "No, it doesn't make sense. The Great Spider was freed. Even if they really were trying to artificially create a workaround for entry into Kumo's prison, the demons have no need of a feyling anymore."

"And they have Shan Alee now," Krayson said. "There's at least one feyling within easy reach at their disposal."

Pacifica gave him a sharp look. "The feyling you refer to is my godson, Brother Joshuan. Furthermore, Ban would never let them anywhere near Nikos."

"I hope you're right," Krayson murmured.

Rex snapped his fingers to draw their attention. "You're not hearing us. The fiends aren't doing that anymore. As I said, they're making their way back here. You said they don't need these... feylings, so they're getting called back by the madman what made them. There's something else they're needed for."

Krayson frowned. "Are you saying these fiends you've been dealing with originated from the Spired City to begin with?"

"Aye, Blood Runner. That's what I'm saying."

"How could you know that?"

For whatever reason, Rex looked to Irsa. She must've communicated something to him, because Rex then looked away from her as if he'd never done so. "I'm a fiend hunter, lad. I track the beasts. I know them. These creatures don't behave the way anything sane ever does, so when they start acting with a purpose, I take notice. They came from this city, and now they've come back to this city. Don't much know about you, but I'm not about to let that slide and hope it fixes itself."

"Heron agrees," Devara said, speaking up. "She believes the fiends are another tool of the old masters. If you truly are here to help Althandor in dealing with demon threats, this is the most pressing one. We have measures in place to safeguard against an external attack, but we don't have much to counter an army of fiends springing up from underneath our feet."

Starra sighed heavily. "I'd prefer to convene with the Cabal on the matter, but if things are as dire as Goodman Hunter says, I don't see that we have much of a choice."

Reyn grimaced. "I would like to know what you believe we can do to assist you, my lady."

Devara blinked. "Are you joking? Aren't you the group that turned the tide against the Crescent Legion in Moran Valley?"

"That's a rather generous way of putting it," Starra said.

"I was dead at the time," Pacifica said in a flat tone.

"And the Miracle Expanse?" Devara pressed.

Krayson, Starra, Adar, and Pacifica all pointed at Reyn.

"That was mostly her," Krayson said.

"Darian supplied the elder magic," Reyn grumbled. "I do not understand why everyone is set on giving me all the credit."

"Because we like you more than Derpy," Starra said.

"The fact is," Devara said, "Shan Alee has proven itself to have, if not the most powerful, the most resourceful arcanists in the world. You five account for a large portion of the Dragon Empress' recent successes."

"I get it," Krayson growled. "We're not hedge wizards, and Althandor has to focus on the coming attack. That leaves you to ask us for help."

"We need allies, Krayson," Devara said. "Now more than ever, and they aren't exactly coming out of the woodwork to lend a hand. We'll take what we can get, and you're our first choice."

"Second choice, actually," Starra said. "I'm sure you'd rather have Enfri and the Arcane Knights."

"Sure, we'd have liked her, too, but that's no longer an option. Isn't that right?"

Starra shrugged. "That does seem the case, yes."

Krasyon narrowed his eyes at Starra. He supposed Starra had begun pretending to believe in Enfri's betrayal, at least while she was around those she couldn't be certain of.

"Very well," Starra said. "As the current master of the Cabal, House Algara can expect our full support in this matter. That being said, I really must return to my associates at once. Fiends are all well and good, but they're not what's going to lose this war for us. I have to deal with the largest threat."

"Enfri," Reyn said.

"Quite so," Starra agreed. "One way or another, the Dragon Empress needs to be pacified."

"How do you mean to do that?" Pacifica asked. "Are you really going to..."

"If I have to, my dear," Starra said. "If I can't bring her to her senses, and if I can't remove whatever controls the Jade Empire has over her that are making do what she's doing, then I'll have no choice but to remove her from power. By any means."

"She's our friend," Pacifica said quietly.

"She was our friend," Starra replied. "We can't afford friendship for thralls. Or mercy."

Krayson wondered if they really thought this necessary for the fiend hunters' benefit or if it was for Devara. Either way, he didn't believe they were truly plotting Enfri's downfall. It was a performative farce, but Krayson wasn't as certain as he believed they were of Enfri's intentions.

He didn't know much of emotions or what they could drive someone to do, and that was precisely why he could only move forward as if Enfri was now his enemy. Had it been him in Enfri's place, perhaps he would seen capitulating with demons as a fair price for revenge on Jin.

All in all, he was sometimes grateful for his cracked imprint.

"I will go with the fiend hunters," Krayson said. "I would like to speak with Lidya and learn what she's heard, but I believe I will be of the most use against the fiends."

Starra nodded. "As you say. I think Reyn would be better off with me than fighting fiends. What do you think, dear one?"

Reyn actually appeared torn. "I am more familiar with the Spired City than I think you give me credit for?"

"Ah, I do sometimes forget your... clandestine... background."

"However, I believe you are correct, ma trésor. My spellcraft is not of much use in fighting monsters."

"I'll stay with Krayson," Pacifica said. "My cryomancy could be useful if we come across large packs of the monsters. If nothing else, I can give my ether stores to Adar for his battlefield spellcraft."

Adar nodded in agreement. "As you say, love. Together, we are more than a match for a few fiends."

Devara frowned. "I'd prefer we not split up, but I understand you have other leads to follow."

"Don't worry, my lady," Starra said. "I have every intention of contacting Lady Heron. I can't promise much, but I will see to it the Cabal sends what resources we can spare to assist with the fiends. With luck, you'll have the things rooted out of your city before you need the help."

"And before the Horde and Jade Empire arrive," Krayson added. He looked to Rex and Irsa. "I've been away. Are any of the elevated rail lines in Westrun still in service?"

Rex shook his head. "Nah, they're reserved for what comes off the crop platforms. We'll have to hoof it to Southrun and take the train to Eastrun from there."

Krayson exhaled heavily. "That will make this a long trek, and I don't know that area well enough to get us there faster."

Irsa frowned. "How could you manage that?"

"I can't. That's what I'm saying."

"Going by dragonback is probably not an option," Pacifica said. "I imagine the armsmen around the city won't check if the mighty they see flying through the spires is on their side before loosing arrows."

"Not yet," Devara said, looking to Adar, "but I'll send word to the palace. We've already the Executioner on our side, and I think our soldiers will be relieved to hear more than one dragon's turned against the empress. Still, might take some time before I'd risk showing my scales, if I were you."

Adar inclined his head to Devara. "Understood, my lady."

Krayson looked away while farewells were exchanged between Pacifica, Reyn, and Starra. Irsa did no such thing and stared in fascination as Reyn kissed Pacifica goodbye while holding onto Starra's hand.

"The city's crazy," Irsa murmured under her breath.

"Western influence," Krayson said as he sidled next to her. "It's not only accepted to have multiple lovers in Espalla, it's expected."

Irsa made a sound like pfft. "Well, ain't that just annoying. Here I am, and the only interested fella is that one, wanting me promised to his son." She indicated towards Rex.

The fiend hunter shot her a glower before returning to a conference with Devara.

"Are you Rex's apprentice?" Krayson asked.

"I suppose you could say that," Irsa said with a shrug. "Nothing official, really. I helped him out when that fiend came to Makurov. He needed someone what knew the area and could lend a hand when it came time to fight the thing. I did. Got the killing blow, even. When Rex got word more fiends were heading north, I asked to come along. I wanted to see it through, and I guess I impressed Rex enough that he wasn't against it."

Krayson glanced towards the hilt of her full blade. "Are you a paladin?"

Her reaction was unexpected. By the way her expression sobered, Krayson thought the question made her sad.

"No, Blood Runner, sir. I don't know any magic. I'm just a village protector who found a sword in a hole somewhere. I'm no one."

"No one is no one," Krayson replied.

She turned her head towards him and arched an eyebrow. "Some are less no one than others."

"I can only hope," Krayson said. "I miss people not knowing who I am. I didn't always have royal assassins asking for my help, you know."

Irsa blinked, and the corner of her mouth quirked up into a little smile. "You got a tale or two about how that happened?"

"At least four tales so far," Krayson grumbled. "Perhaps four and a half."

Irsa chuckled. "Waves, but I think you're alright, Blood Runner. I kept expecting a bunch of lords when Rex said we're helping out Lady Heron." She indicated with her chin towards the rest of Krayson's party. "There's a flock of high ladies if I ever seen them, but you sound like you know what it's like on the ground level."

"I do," Krayson said. "So do they, for the most part, even if they don't always sound like it." He furrowed his brow and decided he'd rather not give off the wrong impression. "I should mention that my mother was Lady Vilas Krayson. I do come from social privilege."

Irsa shrugged. "So long as you're not an arse about it, we can get along fine." She turned to walk off, but she paused to flash Krayson a winning smile over her shoulder. "If you stay that charming, too. Always been a fan of lean boys."

Rocked back on his heels, Krayson could only stare after her in stupefaction. "Someone finally didn't say scrawny," he mumbled under his breath.

It bothered him that he could feel Kumo chuckling inside his head.