The chill that ran down Otto’s spine had nothing to do with the temperature. They were still in the tropics and sweat plastered his tunic to his back. No, this chill was entirely magical in nature. The ship eased its way through a thick fog that rose off the water as they moved toward the Land of the Demon Binders. At least, according to the charts Otto had found in his master’s library, they were headed toward that fabled land. He seriously doubted anyone living had ever visited the place.
“Master, why do I feel like I want to throw up even though my stomach is fine?” Corina had come to join him on deck the moment the strange fog appeared and with it the magical dread.
“Look closely at the ether. You can see the tiny threads of darkness running through it. That’s corruption, a sign that demons, undead, or something equally nasty is nearby. I’ve never seen it diffused like this. It must be some sort of barrier to dissuade those less determined than us. Wrap yourself in an ethereal barrier. That will block most of the effect.”
One of the sailors vomited noisily over the side. For those with no magic to protect them, the effect of the fog must have been far worse.
“My lord, should we turn back?” Captain Wainwright asked from the helm. The good captain, as stalwart a fellow as Otto had ever met, trembled when he spoke.
“Have you thought of another way to fix our forward mast?”
“No.”
“Then sail on. It can’t be much further.”
Less than a minute later, a rhythmic splashing sounded deeper in the fog. He couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from. The sound was muffled and indistinct.
Corina clutched his arm. “What is that?”
“Sounds like paddles. If there’s trouble, I’m going to need that arm. Why don’t you go fetch Hans and the guys? Tell Axel to stay below but to keep his ears open for sounds of trouble.”
“Yes, Master.” She hurried belowdecks.
Once he was alone, Otto allowed himself a single, deep, steadying breath. Looking terrified would do nothing to improve morale, but if he was honest, this whole situation scared the hell out of him. They had no idea what they were sailing into, no idea how the locals viewed uninvited visitors, no idea about anything really beyond the fact that they needed a port to do repairs.
“My lord?” Hans and the remaining four members of his squad emerged from below deck, swords drawn.
“Put those away,” Otto said. “I think we’re about to have visitors and we don’t want them thinking we’re spoiling for a fight.”
Hans hesitated, one of the few times he’d failed to obey an order instantly. “Having the blades out helps with the sickness.”
Otto frowned and studied the ether around Hans’s sword. Whenever one of the wisps of corruption touched the mithril, it went up in a puff of invisible smoke. Just the presence of mithril purified the corruption. How interesting.
“You can keep them drawn for now, but as soon as whoever’s coming gets here, put them away.”
“Yes, my lord.” After a moment Hans asked, “Are you certain it’s a who and not a what?”
“Unless the local monsters travel by boat, I’m pretty sure it’s a who.”
“It is.” Corina’s voice held a brittle note Otto hadn’t heard before. “But I’m not sure what sort of a who he is.”
Otto waved at Hans who reluctantly sheathed his sword then went to join Corina at the ship’s rail. From out of the murk, a canoe made of bone came toward them. What he had first taken for oars turned out to be fins attached to the side of the canoe that propelled it forward. A single man stood in the front. He wore an odd headdress made of some kind of leather stretched over a frame. The skull of a small animal stared out from just above the brim. His clothes were no less odd. He wore a black robe woven with barbed wire that dug into his flesh in places.
Just when Otto thought things couldn’t get any stranger, he spoke. “What is your purpose here?”
The stranger’s voice sounded like a multitude of voices all speaking slightly out of time. Just listening to it made Otto’s stomach churn.
“We’re travelers on our way to the Celestial Empire,” Otto said. “Our ship has been damaged and we need a port to make repairs. Yours was the nearest.”
The odd fellow stared at Otto without seeming to see him. At last he said, “You have goods to trade for your repairs?”
“We do.”
“Very well. The Cult of Astaroth agrees to sponsor your visit. You will restrict yourselves to their enclave. Anyone caught outside of that district will be sacrificed. Follow me.”
The canoe turned and headed back toward the fog. A path opened as it passed, making a tunnel through the mist for them to follow.
“Was that a person?” Corina asked.
“I wish I knew,” Otto said. If it was, he couldn’t help wondering what sort of person wore a robe woven with barbed wire. If that was the local fashion trend, Otto had no desire to follow it.
Something bumped the underside of the hull.
From his place at the helm Captain Wainwright said, “Something has us, Lord Shenk. I’m no longer in control of the ship.”
Otto refused to let the captain’s panic infect him. The moment that happened, he was doomed. Since discovering the corruption in the local ether, he’d been reluctant to extend his senses, but now he needed to know what they were dealing with. Whether he could do anything about it was another matter.
Resting a hand on his mithril sword, Otto sent his gaze out down toward the water. Pain stabbed his eyes, but he ignored it. Under the hull, a… creature had the Star in its grasp. It looked a bit like a whale, only with frills and tentacles coming out of its back. The tentacles looked purpose built for grasping ships. He guessed they measured a good foot in diameter and were probably strong enough to crush the hull should the beast be so inclined.
Otto released the spell and the pain vanished. His cheeks felt wet and when he went to brush the tears away his hand came back bloody.
“Corina, don’t touch the ether here unless it’s life or death.” Turning to the captain Otto said, “Everything’s okay. Have the sailors lower all sails. We’ll be taken to the dock automatically.”
Otto silently hoped he was right about that. Since meeting Lord Karonin, he’d been out of his depth plenty of times, but right now he felt like he was in the deepest, darkest hole ever.
Just as Otto predicted, the bizarre creature controlling the ship guided them right to a dock. So gently it barely made a sound, it eased the ship into place. At least the dock itself looked normal enough. Made of wood treated with tar for preservation, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in Lux.
The dock quickly disappeared into the fog. The city itself, assuming there was a city, remained hidden behind a vail of mist and corruption.
In the water beside them, their odd guide glared at Otto. “A representative of Astaroth’s cult will be here shortly. Do not leave your berth until they arrive.”
With an extravagant flourish of his leather headdress, the man and his canoe paddled off into the fog. A pair of sailors put the gangplank down and hurried to tie the ship up before scurrying back aboard.
“What should we expect, my lord?” Hans asked.
Otto had no idea. “The Cult of Astaroth worship the demon lord of disease and undeath, so a hale and hearty fellow with rosy cheeks and a big smile are unlikely. What little I know comes from a book nearly a thousand years old. We’ll have to keep our wits about us and remain calm.”
Corina’s laugh came out as a high-pitched giggle. “Keep calm? I can barely keep from leaping over the side and swimming away from this place. It’s wrong in ways I can’t begin to describe.”
“Given what I saw guiding the ship, I recommend staying out of the water. If you’d feel better, you can go below and stay with Axel. There’s no shame in being afraid, especially here. I’ll negotiate with whoever shows up and try to get us out of here as quickly as possible.”
She bit her lip and straightened. “I’m your apprentice. My place is at your side. I’ll be okay.”
Otto squeezed her shoulder. Corina’s courage and determination made him proud. “Good. You may notice something I miss.”
The conversation ended when the sound of hard boots on wood came echoing out of the fog. The mist parted, revealing the last thing Otto expected: a woman, and a beautiful one at that.
She dressed in a black robe that hung down to midcalf, but was slit in such a way that with every step her pale, smooth thighs appeared for a second before being obscured again by the cloth. A black metal chain served as a belt, cinching the robe tight to her narrow waist. It didn’t have barbs, which made him feel a little better about her sanity.
A cutout in the shape of a jagged symbol Otto didn’t recognize revealed the tops of her impressive breasts. Her eyes glimmered with crimson fire against skin so pale her black veins were visible underneath.
She stopped at the foot of the gangplank and smiled up at them, bloodred lips parting just enough to reveal slightly elongated eyeteeth. “Welcome to the Land of the Demon Binders. You should be honored to know that you are the first guests we have welcomed in a hundred years.”
Otto wasn’t certain what he felt, but honored wasn’t it. “Thank you. Please, won’t you come aboard?”
She climbed the gangplank, looking perfectly at ease on the swaying board.
“No need to beat around the bush,” she said. “You told The Voice that you had trade goods. Of what sort and how much?”
“We have mithril—”
She hissed and scowled. “You will find no one interested in the vile metal here. In fact, it will be better for all of you if you take none of it off this ship. Continue, please.”
Otto couldn’t have been more shocked by her reaction. Everyone valued mithril, or so he’d believed. “We have some fine liqueurs and high-quality weapons. Perhaps if I knew what you valued…”
Her smile returned. “Why don’t you just show me what you have and I’ll tell you what I want. Fair enough?”
He didn’t think it was fair at all, but they were desperate, so he nodded. “Follow me. All our trade goods are in the hold.”
They descended into the ship’s interior. Axel and the scouts must have retreated into their quarters as there was no sign of them. Otto led their guest to the modest hold and opened the door.
The mithril was locked inside wooden chests—a precaution that seemed especially prudent now. Swords, armor, and other items made by Garen’s finest smiths gleamed in the light of two Lux crystals.
She ignored them all and went straight to the giant feline hide they’d collected on the island. “Where did you get this? An intact skull with full cape of a six-legged leopard is very rare.”
“On the Island of Giant Beasts,” Otto said. “That’s also where the mast was broken.”
“I’ll trade you this pelt for a new mast, whatever help you need with repairs, and three months’ worth of rations.”
Otto stared at the woman but saw no sign she was joking. “I accept your offer. How soon can work begin?”
“An hour? I need only give the order.” She finally stood. “You are a wizard. Would you like to join me tonight for the summoning ritual? I’ll show you exactly why that pelt is so valuable.”
Never one to pass up the chance to learn new magic, Otto said, “I’d be delighted. May I ask your name?”
“Names have power. Only Lord Astaroth knows my true name now, but you may call me Lady White.”
“I’m Otto, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her laugh was rich with darkness and malice. “No one has been pleased to meet me in a very long time. The work crew will arrive within the hour and I will send a palanquin for you after dark. Be sure to leave your mithril behind.”
Otto nodded, led her back upstairs, and blew out a long breath after she’d gone.
“Are you sure going with her is a good idea, Master?” He’d nearly forgotten Corina was even there so distracted had he been by Lady White’s presence.
“Never let fear hold you back from learning something new. You’ll never advance like that. Besides, if she wanted us dead, I suspect we’d already be feeding the creatures of the deep.”
Even after sunset the fog showed no sign of thinning. Otto stood on deck examining the new forward mast. The workers Lady White had sent seemed human, albeit thin and poorly dressed. His first thought had been slaves, but they wore no irons and bore no brands. Nor did they speak, either to each other or to the crew. In the end, Captain Wainwright had ordered his people to stay out of the way and let the workers do their thing.
That proved to be a good decision and soon enough the new mast was in place. The captain, though troubled by the workers’ behavior, deemed their efforts acceptable. He assured Otto that they would be able to sail in the morning with no trouble.
Otto liked the sound of that. Though they had been treated hospitably enough, he had no desire to linger. On the other hand, he couldn’t deny his excitement at the prospect of learning a new form of magic. Whatever Lady White had planned, it was bound to be interesting.
The sound of loud, clattering footsteps approaching through the fog drew his attention. That must be his transport.
Hans and Corina waited beside the gangplank to see him off. Neither Axel or his scouts had set foot out from below deck since they arrived. He doubted his brother was scared, but maybe the corruption was proving too much for them. Otto couldn’t blame them if it was.
“Be careful, my lord,” Hans said.
“Yeah, that Lady White seems a little off,” Corina added.
“Both of you calm down. Everything’s going to be fine. Besides, I engraved a rune at the base of the gangplank in case I need to flee quickly. Getting out of the harbor in this fog and with the monsters guarding the water is another matter, but I have taken precautions.”
From out of the fog, a palanquin born by four creatures from your worst nightmare appeared. They had humanoid bodies, but that was where the resemblance ended. Each one had the head of a vulture; black, rotten wings; hands that ended in talons; and skeletal feet that should have crumbled under the weight of their burden.
The palanquin itself appeared to be an ordinary wooden box about six feet by eight and seven feet tall. Perfectly comfortable for a single passenger, as long as you didn’t dwell on what was carrying you.
With more confidence than he felt, Otto strode down the gangplank, never looking back lest he give Hans and Corina something else to worry about. One of the vulture creatures opened the door for Otto, who climbed inside. He felt naked without his mithril sword, but still had plenty of power at his disposal. If this was a trap, his enemies wouldn’t find him easy prey.
As soon as he was settled, the bearers picked the palanquin up and they set off at a brisk, but smooth, trot. Otto brushed the curtain back, but saw nothing but fog. It seemed like they traveled in a bubble surrounded by endless mist. Clearly his hosts were paranoid about him getting even a tiny look at their city, assuming there was a city. He could have been in the middle of nowhere for all he knew.
At last they stopped again and the bearers lowed him to the ground and opened the door. Otto stepped out in front of a black tower about five stories high. Gargoyles in the shape of vultures jutted from scores of ledges. When Otto looked closely, he would have sworn their eyes glowed red.
The tower’s front door opened and Lady White stepped out. The warm glow of firelight gave her pale skin a healthier appearance. She had changed from the black robe she’d worn earlier into something more formal. Calling it a gown seemed wrong. No one had ever worn such an outfit to a gala. It was all black of course, with red highlights. A high, stiff collar framed her face and tapered down to merge with a tight bodice and short skirt that left her legs bare from midthigh down to black leather shoes with four-inch dagger heels. A black cape that ended just above her ankles made a perfect frame for her.
“Welcome, Otto.” She bowed and smiled without it reaching her eyes. “I’m so pleased you decided to join me tonight. I believe you will gain a great deal from our ritual. It will certainly enhance my own power. If my superiors in the cult had any clue of the wondrous pelt you’d brought, they never would have put me in charge of greeting you.”
Again with the pelt. He still couldn’t understand how the skin of a dead animal was worth everything she claimed. “I’m looking forward to observing. Any sort of new magic is of great interest to me.”
“Please.” She beckoned him in and Otto stepped through the door which closed behind him with a rather final-sounding thud. “This way.”
She led him through empty passages that looked more like tunnels than the inside of a manmade structure. They encountered no one else, but more than once Otto would have sworn he sensed eyes on him.
From behind him came a powerful, burning rage. Otto spun but found only emptiness.
“Don’t mind my familiars,” Lady White said. “They’re jealous of anyone I bring for a visit. The poor things have never been good at sharing me. They’re harmless, unless I wish it otherwise.”
The subtle threat made Otto smile. Lady White was clearly a woman after his own heart. The featureless stone passage continued, along with the subtle flashes of malice, for another minute or so until they finally reached a door. She pushed it open revealing a round chamber with a symbol carved in the center. It wasn’t one Otto had seen before.
Wait. Yes, he had. It was the same design as the opening in Lady White’s dress from that morning. It must have some significance in the Cult of Astaroth. He made a point of memorizing it for future research.
She closed the door and spoke a word in a language unknown to Otto. The ether surged around them, forming a barrier.
“There, now we can begin. This is my private summoning chamber. It’s warded so that even my superiors can’t see what I’m doing. A girl needs her privacy now and then.”
“Especially when binding demons,” Otto said.
“You recognize its purpose? I’m impressed. I had assumed you knew nothing about our magic.”
“I don’t,” Otto said. “The name of this country is the Land of the Demon Binders. It didn’t take a genius to guess the purpose of your most secure room.”
She laughed and clapped her hands together, a rather girlish gesture considering what was about to happen. “True enough. Now, on with the demonstration. To bind a demon, you need something to bind it to. Your litter bearers, for instance, were stitched together from dead slaves and parts of giant vultures, a bird we have in great quantities. The power of the demon you can bind is directly related to the strength of the body you bind it to.”
“Do beasts make better hosts than humans?”
“Depends. If I want to create a warbeast, for example, an animal, specifically a powerful predator, is ideal. Echoes of its savagery linger in the remains, calling to a more powerful demon. If you want a subtle servant, humans tend to be better.”
Otto nodded. The explanation made sense, though he’d never heard that a corpse was anything more than an empty shell of flesh. “Is there anything I can do to assist you?”
“No. I must do this alone. Remain still and silent and whatever you do, don’t manipulate the ether. The slightest uncontrolled vibration will ruin the ritual and set free an insane warbeast.”
Otto appreciated the level of trust it must have taken for her to allow him to watch. Of course, it wasn’t like he wanted to fight a demonic warbeast. He didn’t even know what one was, much less what it could do.
Lady White moved to stand in the circle directly in front of the pelt. She threw her hands up and crimson light flowed from her fingertips into the magic circle. The light didn’t stop until every inch glowed.
In the ether, only the corrupt flecks responded to her magic. The pure ether acted only as a conduit for the corruption. He’d never seen anything like it.
The ritual continued.
Next she made a circle, combining the thumbs and forefingers of both hands. Inky blackness filled that circle then slowly oozed down into the pelt. The darkness was pure corruption. Looking at it made Otto nauseous. He couldn’t imagine actually touching it the way Lady White did.
When the darkness had fully engulfed the pelt, she lowered her hands. For the first time Otto saw something like strain on her beautiful features. Wrinkles creased her forehead and her lips were compressed in a tight line. Clearly the ritual took its toll.
The pelt now bobbed on top of the darkness. Slowly the two merged as the darkness gave the pelt dimension, restoring it to a semblance of life, though one far from natural.
When the ether calmed at last, a dark caricature of the six-legged leopard stood in the center of the circle, its eyes glowing red.
Lady White clapped once and the ominous aura that had filled the room vanished. “The summoning is complete.”
She pointed at her new warbeast, then at the floor. It sat on its haunches and looked up at her like a loyal pet; only the lolling tongue was missing.
“Congratulations. I’ve never witnessed anything like what you just accomplished.”
“The summoning is simple enough, the hard part is subjugating the demon to your will. Even an instant of doubt will result in you turned into a bloody lump of meat. Happily, I left my doubts behind long ago. Still, it’s thirsty work. Would you join me for a glass of wine?”
Otto nodded, his own mouth feeling as dry as a desert.
They left the warbeast in the summoning chamber and Lady White led him down a passage he hadn’t even noticed when they passed it earlier. It ended at a salon decorated in high style, the furniture all done in black leather, and a table carved from bone and ebony. She gestured to one of the tables then sat opposite him.
A bottle of wine and two glasses appeared out of nowhere, poured, and landed on the table. Lady White took the glass in front of her and drank deeply. Otto took a sip from his own glass and smiled at the high quality of the vintage. They should export it, such fine wine would bring an excellent price in Garen.
“I suppose this is where you try and recruit me to your cult,” Otto said.
Lady White set her glass down and the bottle topped her off. “Hardly. Your soul is of no interest to Astaroth. What little of your mortality remains is too mingled with the ether to be of use. No, I have another proposal for you.”
Otto took another sip to cover his surprise. He’d felt certain she would try and convince him to become a demon binder. “I’m happy to consider any proposal you’d like to make.”
“The Cult of Astaroth is currently in a poor position here. To increase our power, we have sought to expand outside of our homeland.”
Otto nodded, his expression neutral. If she imagined him welcoming demon worshippers into the empire, she was crazy. “Go on.”
“To that end, we’ve sent agents to the Celestial Empire. A small cell has established itself in their capital city. While they’ve gained some followers and created a modest force of undead warriors, the empire is too organized for us to truly thrive. I don’t directly oversee that operation and reports from my subordinate have been slow in coming. Hardly ideal, but far from a surprise given the forces opposing us. I know little of the details beyond what I’ve told you, but I believe we can help each other.”
“My interest in the empire is narrow. Getting deeply involved in local politics doesn’t concern me.”
“Exactly, that’s why you’re useful. The last message I received indicated that they want someone that can kill a high-ranking official thus clearing the way for someone allied with us to assume the post.”
“So you need an assassin. I have no problem taking on that role. But what can you do for me?”
“We can provide you with a way in.” She leaned forward so their faces were only inches apart. Up close she smelled of grave earth and decay. The lovely Lady White might be a bit less alive than he’d first thought. “You must understand, the empire is a sealed nation. They have only a single point of contact with the outside world and no foreigners are allowed in. Our agents can smuggle you across the border and into the capital. I assume that’s where you want to go.”
Otto didn’t know exactly where he wanted to go. Perhaps she could tell him. “I’m looking for the lab or workshop of their Arcane Lord. I don’t know where that is exactly.”
“Then you need our help even more. Kill the official, and we will help you complete whatever mission you’re on. I swear it in Lord Astaroth’s name.”
Was an oath sworn in the name of a demon lord worth anything? He didn’t know, but doubted he’d find a better offer.
“Agreed.”
“Excellent. One of our agents will meet you in the port city of Han. He or she, I can’t say which, will be dressed in all black with a single red flower somewhere visible.” She stood and held out her hand. “I believe Lord Astaroth guided you to us. Perhaps one day we will meet again.”
Otto gently grasped her hand. It felt cold, like the hand of a corpse. “Indeed, this has been an illuminating experience.”
They parted and soon enough he was on his way back to the ship, once again carried by the demon bearers. Illuminating or not, he’d had his fill of the Land of the Demon Binders.
After the rather harrowing events in the Land of the Demon Binders, Otto was glad to be back at sea. Their exit from the harbor had been accomplished by the same means as their entrance, the bizarre sea beast and the odd being Lady White called The Voice.
Now two days away from the fog-shrouded land and standing on deck in the bright, warm sun, Otto took a moment to consider the deal he’d made. At the time, accepting Lady White’s offer of help had seemed like the prudent move. But now he wondered.
Putting his fate in the hands of demon worshipers he wasn’t even sure were still alive seemed like pushing his luck. On the other hand, if the empire was as sealed off as she claimed, there might not be any other option. Once he’d had a look around the city and spoken with their agent, he’d make up his mind for sure.
Feeling a little better about his decision, Otto turned to find Corina staring at him. “Did you need something?”
“No, it’s just that you’ve seemed on edge since we left that awful place. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what happened?”
Otto had remained silent about his conversation with Lady White for the very simple reason that he didn’t feel like explaining his decisions. And there was no question in his mind that his apprentice and his bodyguards, not to mention his brother, would all disapprove of him doing business with the Cult of Astaroth. Which was fine, he didn’t especially care what they thought. Otto just didn’t want to have a debate.
“They offered me a way into the empire in exchange for helping them remove a local magistrate that’s causing them problems. It’s a last resort, so don’t worry about it.”
“They only offered you a way in? What about the rest of us?”
He’d been thinking about that. After what happened in Audin, he would actually prefer to leave them behind this time. Worrying about Hans and Corina getting into trouble was a distraction he didn’t need. If the price was having no one to watch his back, then so be it.
“You all will remain behind and prepare for the voyage home. The ship will need a full refit and maintenance. That’s plenty to keep you busy.”
“But you could get into trouble without us,” Corina said.
Otto shook his head. He appreciated the concern, but on this his mind was made up. “Not this time. Once I secure the Heart, I’m coming straight back here via the ether. I can’t take you or the guys with me. If it all falls apart, I can escape on my own more easily. It’ll be safer for all of us.”
She looked like she wanted to argue some more but he held up a hand. “I know you want to help. And I appreciate it, but this time, the best thing you can do is watch over the ship and make sure everything is ready for my return. Depending on how things go, we may need to leave in a hurry.”
“Hans isn’t going to like it,” she said.
“Of that I have no doubt.”