Beneath a Crimson Sky

In the holy scripts of the Order of the Golden Sun, it is said that when the sky bleeds red, the heavens cry out in anger. The dark clouds that had blanketed the sky for our entire journey through the Spirit Kingdom receded as we approached the capital city of Lokanos, revealing the blood red sky above. The sun itself had turned a deep, angry crimson, throwing shadows long across the land as it rose in the east.

The sunlight painted the white marble spires of Lokanos a sickly orange. Scars on the fields showed where a grand battle was fought here, mounds of dirt alluded to the number of dead buried on that field. Lokanos itself was in the center of a grassy plain, along the north bank of the river Lok. High stone walls stretched two hundred feet high, though where the main gate of iron had once stood was a huge mound of stone rubble cemented into place, sealing the city from the outside.

“That must be where the demons made entry.” Ser Erik remarked as me and my command team surveyed the city from a distant hilltop. “If they’ve closed it up, it means they’ve intended to hold the city.”

“How many do you suppose are in there?” I asked.

“Our last count estimated fifteen thousand.” Ser Erik said, “Of course, that was back in Gemmen. We have no idea if Spineripper is capable of summoning more somehow.”

I nodded. We held the advantage in numbers, though only slightly. Our eighteen thousand had been joined by approximately seventeen hundred partisans, recruited from among the populous and former armies of the Spirit Kingdom. They told tales of a winged demon general who fought with ruthless efficiency, slaughtering garrisons of soldiers in the dead of night and single handedly tearing apart their military leadership. Some reports said that he was summoned from the Demonrealm to assist in the demon’s campaign, while others seemed to think that he was Spineripper’s son, born from the demon general and a common woman, though some sources had claimed the mother to be a dragon. In any case, this new general worried me greatly, for it indicated an ability to source reinforcements on the part of the demons.

“We can’t rely on such old accounts.” I stated, “We’ll need accurate intelligence if we are to attack. I want scout teams scouring the surrounding area, looking for weak points in the defenses, places it might be best to stage an attack from. I want their numbers, their armaments, the sigils on their banners, everything.”

Vexala nodded. “I’ll start arranging parties. By midday, you will have your intel.”

“Good. I want the rest of you to organize efforts into fortifying our position. We cannot discount the possibility that the demons may try to attack us while we are still preparing.” I ordered.

“Ah, leave it to us.” Imalor said, “Us dwarves are better diggers than the lot of you combined. You’ll have it all; moats, embankments, walls, pit traps, everything you need and more.”

“That leaves the elves,” I said, “have your casters had enough time to arrange those wards you spoke of?”

“Some, Legendary Hero,” replied Gwendolyn, “but we still require a while longer. If we could find more hands, the work might go quicker.”

“I can ask around the partisans we’ve recruited from the Spirit Kingdom,” Lynessa offered, “and I would be more than willing to lend my skills to the effort.” She looked to me for confirmation.

“Please, go ahead. We need as much help on that front as we can get.” I said. The magical wards proposed by Gwendolyn were grand in scale and required a large amount of energy to work, but they had the potential to protect our soldiers from illness. It was all but confirmed that Spineripper had managed to free the Lady of Plagues and Boils from the dungeons beneath Castle Resolve. The Lady was said to be the most disturbing of the Demonlord’s generals, a twisted, misshapen creature that took the guise of a mourning woman in order to fool her unsuspecting victims. It was her work that had infected the majority of the population of the Spirit Kingdom and nearly single handedly shut down all hopes of domestic resistance.

I sighed. If only they’d put down that monster instead of capturing her. Lynessa said that the decision had been made in a bid to pry information from the demon general, but that the move had proven unsuccessful and the Lady had been moved into the deepest cells and deprived of food and water. They’d thought she’d starved years ago.

Fools. All of them. I was beginning to learn that there were things in this universe with sterner wills and tougher bodies than any of these people realized. These demons didn’t seem wholly natural to me, and while I would have liked to learn everything about their race, I’d have to settle for exterminating them. It was clear that if we left this problem unchecked for any longer, that things would swiftly get out of hand.

We faced the threat of four generals now. A week ago it had been only two, down from three. Who knew how many we’d have to take down when worst came to worst? I watched the northern horizon anxiously and wondered when those dwarfs from Carcinex would arrive. They couldn’t be far behind, surely, but how long could we afford to wait for them? Not long, if the color of the sky was any indication.

Sometime in the late morning, Ser Erik and I were interrupted in our swordplay practice by an unexpected visitor. I was growing better and better with each passing day, and I hoped that eventually I could hold my own in combat. I’d just parried one of Ser Erik’s attacks and sidestepped to try to score a hit on his side, when I nearly ran into a small man dressed in red robes.

“Divine Speaker.” He said, “I was directed to speak with you.”

“Yes,” I said, sheathing my sword, “Who are you?”

“A messenger from Grand Inquisitor Halmon. He rides with all haste to join his force with yours. He expects to arrive at evenfall tonight with two thousand of his best.” The man bowed his head.

“So he managed to convince the Council of the Father to spare his life after all.” Ser Erik noted.

“Not quite.” The priest said, “The Council called for his head. His men disagreed. Suffice it to say, a new council leads the Church now.”

“Well that’s good news!” Ser Erik laughed, “Sounds to me like two of our problems solved in one moment!”

I disagreed, but held my tongue. Yet another violent coup as the result of my actions. I’d need to sort that business out after the demons were defeated. As much as I liked the Grand Inquisitor, the precedent needed to be set for peaceful changes in power.

Instead, I said, “Send him my way when he arrives. We have much to discuss.”

“Of course, Divine Speaker.” The priest said, before leaving us to our business.

“Right,” said Ser Erik, “Like I was saying, you need to work on your follow through. Don’t swing to the point where you expect to hit, swing as though you expect your blade to go farther. It’ll make your swings hit harder and cut deeper.”

“Alright,” I replied, “Let me try it again. I think I’ve got it this time.”

Noon came and went. Vexala returned with the scouts’ report. The eastern gate was still intact, though still heavily manned by demons. The Demonfather appeared to command the defenders, with the new general, Skythrasher, and the Lady of Plagues and Boils serving under him. There was no sign of Spineripper, nor was there indication of any additional forces acquired on the demons’ side. Their forces numbered just shy of fifteen thousand.

“Perhaps they’ve deposed him.” Ser Erik offered when he heard the news.

“Not likely.” I replied, “This stinks of one of Spineripper’s schemes. Since when has he appeared on the front lines of one of his battles? He’s got another plan. A hidden company of soldiers, a secret plan to cut our leadership off at the head, something. We just have to prepare ourselves for anything.”

“We’ve checked the surrounding area thoroughly.” Said Vexala, “We’ve seen nothing of him, no additional demon companies, nothing. Every demon in the area has been pulled back into the city. It’s highly likely that they already know we’re here.”

“Then where the hell is the spineripping Demonlord himself?” I asked, frustrated.

“There’s no sign of him inhabiting the capital. There were always rumors of tension between him and the Demonfather.” Vexala said, “And the demons we’ve sighted refer to the Demonfather as Demonlord. I think that it’s very plausible that Spineripper has been deposed.”

No. It couldn’t be. As much as I’d love to believe that Spineripper had been done in by his own cowardice, cut down by his own supporters, I just couldn’t believe it. Not after everything he’d done, not after all of his plans. No, I had full confidence that the demon general was out there somewhere. We just needed to know where to look.

“That new general, Skythrasher, was it?” I asked. Vexala nodded. “What information do you have about him?”

“Not much you haven’t heard already. He’s a proficient military commander. Big wings, reigns as the Demonfather’s right hand.” Vexala said.

“Think about it,” I said, “What are the chances that this new general appears around the same time that Spineripper drops off the face of the planet? A general whose skills in command match those of Spineripper, and whom several rumors say is his son?”

“That is a good point.” Ser Erik said, “But Spineripper never had wings. How do you explain that?”

“Maybe he’s transformed in some way.” I said, “Think about it, we found the Ashes of Creation in that village. Spineripper could have removed the demonlord’s horns from my truck and used their power to transform himself, and then seizing the opportunity, hid himself under the guise of a new lesser general. He can remain near the command element and advise the Demonfather, all while not being the primary target himself.”

Vexala narrowed her eyes. “That does make a certain amount of sense. But how does this information affect our plans?”

“The day of the battle, we’ll need to get ‘Skythrasher’ out alone.” I replied, “And strike swiftly and decisively with a special squad designed to take him down. Without his leadership, the demons will crumble. We can end this war in one fell swoop.”

“That sounds suspiciously similar to the Honoured Heroes’ plan to defeat the last Demonlord.” Ser Erik noted dryly.

“This is different.” I responded, “This time, we stand primed to wipe them all out. After Spineripper’s fall we will give the demons no quarter. All will be slain. We will end this here and now, so that no more demon wars will plague our descendants.”

“Good.” Said Vexala, “That’s what I like to hear. I’ll assemble the team. Who do you want on it?”

“We’ve already got who we need.” I replied, “You, me, Ser Erik, Lynessa, Atlas and Imalor. Oh, and Grand Inquisitor Halmon when he arrives. I need to do this myself. I need to know for sure that Spineripper is dead. I’ve been fooled by him before. It will not happen again.”

At evenfall, as promised, the Inquisitor Legion arrived at our encampment. Imalor’s dwarves had put in some hard work that day, and so the two thousand men in gleaming crimson armor had to enter two abreast as their horses trotted over the moat. Grand Inquisitor Halmon greeted me warmly as he crossed into our camp, and I explained to him the plan.

“So, we’re taking down another general together?” He asked, “Do I get to finish the bastard off this time, or do you reserve the right for yourself?”

“I don’t care who kills him.” I replied, “Just so long as Spineripper dies, I will be satisfied. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep easily until I can confirm it.”

“Tonight looks to be restless, then.” Halmon said, “Battle on the morrow?”

“It doesn’t look like any other choice.” I said, “The demons know that we’re here. We have to act now before they can respond.”

“Then you’d best find better company than me.” Halmon replied, “You don’t have much time left.”

I left him in the hands of Imalor, who was assigned to find the Inquisitors a place to bed for the night. I walked through the rows of tents aimlessly. There was someone I was looking for, the only person I wanted to speak to on this night.

I found him on a low dirt wall, lazily watching fireflies drift by in the twilight air.

“Tell me about the zoo.” I said.

Atlas turned his head slowly to look at me. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious.” I said, “I never asked. I suppose I regret not getting to know you sooner. We could have done things differently, saved some lives that could have been saved, maybe even gone home.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” The tip of Atlas’ tail flicked back and forth in anticipation, “We’ve committed to this path. Tomorrow there will be blood. Perhaps the blood of demons, perhaps yours, perhaps mine. It will taste sweet regardless.”

“Well, you’re cheerful.” I said.

Atlas laughed dryly. “It’s better than dying alone.”

And maybe, for once, Atlas was exactly right.