Chapter 30: Catching Up

Perspective: Lorelei

“Markus, how in heaven’s name are you able to stand this heat in all that armor?” I fanned myself in a desperate and useless bid to cool off.

“I’m just as miserable as you are, Lor.” Markus, helmet off, walked beside me.

The whole dang country was far too hot for my comfort. I’d taken to wearing an overlarge sun hat just so I wouldn’t turn as red as a cherry. The local clothing was supposed to help. If it did, I sure didn’t notice. All this after I’d only just gotten used to the heat in Cavenze!

“At least it’s a dry heat?” Markus tried to comfort me.

I pouted. “Yeah, like an oven! At least in the tropics we were surrounded by water!”

“We were on a river until yesterday,” Markus replied, then saw my frustrated look and deflated. “The sand does get in my armor,” he conceded.

“That’s the spirit!” I clapped him on the back with a dull clang, “The sooner we can go home, the better. Why did that demon and the traitor have to run here of all places, anyway?”

I looked up at the sky between the buildings and groaned. We’d taken a riverboat from Ivlaet to Baetnal. The demon and that traitor Seyari had managed to slip out of our net back in Port Princely. I should have suspected she’d had pirate connections. Seyari was far too crass not to have something shady in her background.

Markus and I stopped for some street food that wouldn’t destroy my insides and found a shady spot to sit and rest. I got to thinking about all the dumb reasons I was in this stupid desert.

I called her a traitor, but Seyari probably just got enthralled by the demon that nearly fooled us. To think I hadn’t even been sure until the day before we left the island! She was insidious. Something like that demon could easily gather enough power to hurt a lot of people.

And she was patient, too. We’d not seen any evidence of her trying to corrupt the people of Navanaea. She even managed to fake being bound by the human she’d (probably) enthralled! Oh, the irony!

Honestly, we’d gotten lucky to have tracked the pair to Navanaea. Until we’d received the report from our contact in Ivlaet, we’d assumed their destination to be in the Turquoise Coast. The ship Markus and I were on had to change course mid-route to Liseu.

Since the ship was going on to Liseu straight after, we didn’t have time to get proper supplies. I had to eat nothing but hardtack with the rest of the crew for half a week!

Ugh, my mouth still felt dry. No wait, that was probably the baking heat. Seriously, why Navanaea!?

Well, in fairness, we did find the answer to that in Ivlaet. Their ship had been attacked by pirates and forced to harbor or risk capsizing in rough conditions. For once, brigands may have done the world a service by delaying that demon.

I was certain the captain knew “Renna” was really a demon in disguise, but the crafty bastard didn’t let anything slip. He’d said he’d only found out near end of the trip and that the demon, Zarenna apparently, was already bound.

The pirate captain wasn’t even doing anything truly illegal! Legally gray certainly, but under the stupid vague Turquoiser laws, he was in the clear.

The crew said about as much, but they weren’t sure about the binding. Not like they’d know what to look for either. I decided we wouldn’t push the issue. We weren’t after him anyway, and I wasn’t about to cause a mess in a nation where the Church was only just starting to make inroads.

“Hey Marky, what do you think that demon’s up to?” I put a hand to my chin.

“No idea, Lor. Demons aren’t rational; they don’t think like us.” Markus replied drily.

I sighed. “Well yeah, duh. But some greater demons sometimes have patterns, yeah? This “Renna” demon’s playing some kind of long game and I can’t figure it out!”

“We’ll put a stop to whatever it is, don’t you worry.”

“Yeah, I guess. She probably didn’t try anything with us because she knew she couldn’t win.” I shrugged and kept walking toward the city’s center.

I wondered how the demon had corrupted Seyari. Yeah, she was a bitch, but she wasn’t evil or anything.

We’d been informed the demon had met the Third Prince of Navanaea who had tried to buy her. I imagined the meeting to be clandestine, but I’d overestimated Prince Malich because of his title. The tantrum he threw was known to most all the city.

Our agents had contacted the Third Prince, offering him the location and known abilities of the “bound” demon, Zarenna, as payment in exchange for using his political weight to snare her and her “binder”, Seyari, for us. We’d also mentioned that Seyari was wanted and we could make sure he’d be able to get the demon if he gave Seyari over to us. Basically, he could strongarm his way to what he wanted and not get in trouble for it.

Not only had Third Prince Malich jumped at the offer without hesitation, but the moron had press-ganged the next ship into taking after the two who had been seen leaving with a merchant caravan headed south. Unfortunately, this also meant he’d left without Markus and I, forcing us to take the next ship south and delaying the entire operation.

Of course, we’d no intention of letting him have the demon. If the demon didn’t deal with Malich, we’d make sure there was an accident. I always hated this kind of work, but it needed to happen. It was all the fault of demons anyway. Binding was a blasphemy and risked the safety of everyone.

The Third Prince was, despite his less than impressive tendencies, one of the major proponents of demon binding in Navanaea. He supported his brother, the First Prince, for the throne. The First Prince was the favorite to succeed the King, but his deep influence undoubtedly came with secrets that, should they come to light, could damage his claim. Like all of his brother Malich’s poorly concealed dirty laundry. The Royal Family of Navanaea could only cover up so much.

The Second Prince, who preached some nonsense about demonic cooperation, was an even worse candidate. But he had virtually no support. The Church probably wanted to put some sycophant on the throne. Whatever.

Honestly, I hated all this politicking enough when all I had to do was read reports on it. Now that it’s forced me into the depths of a hot, heathen nation working for an imbecile, it made my blood boil. This stupid heat made it so much easier to get myself worked up!

Markus, the sweet man, saw my ugly expression and tried to help.

“Lor, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, love, just uncomfortable in this heat,” I replied absentmindedly.

Markus rolled his broad shoulders. “We could move to someplace indoors. Our contact hasn’t reported capturing our quarry yet.”

“Do you think that monster would even give him the chance to?” I tapped a finger on my chin.

Markus shook his head. “I’m not sure. She’s been laying low so far. Wouldn’t fit the pattern.”

“Well, I hope she takes him out. I haven’t met him, but the reports on his hobbies give me the creeps.” I stood up and dusted myself off. “Let’s go someplace cool. We’ll go meet him in the morning.”

Markus stood up beside me, “We really should go early, Lor.”

He knew me too well. I’d planned to stall until noon. I still might, but the oppressive climate and the thought of leaving sooner made my resolve waver.

I sighed. “Fiiiiine. I’m taking a cold bath tonight though. Find us a place to stay that has one, will you?”

Markus smiled lightly. “Sure, Lor. Thanks for humoring me. I just think this quarry’s unusually dangerous, so I don’t want to take risks. Our contact didn’t check in last night, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s missed two nights already so he’s probably just off doing something gross.” I started walking in a direction that I hoped had nicer looking buildings. “Hey, you ever wonder what Mordwell’s real goal is? Like, he hired Seyari and that Salvador guy even though they’re outsiders and has had us running all over Varra for years now…”

I didn’t get a response, so I turned to look back. Marcus was still standing by the bench we’d been sitting on, looking over a poorly-folded map. He looked up. “Sorry Lor, I didn’t catch that.”

I plodded back over to him. “Ugh, never mind. Come on, let’s go!”

I grabbed an arm.

Markus put away the map then looked around before pointing in a direction away from where I was tugging him. “Best hotels are that way.”

“Oh,” I replied, then smiled. “Lead the way then! Cool bath here I come!”