Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

Chapter 29: An Unexpected Complication

"They came as Gods from the realm of Light,

Cast out by an angry Maker for their hubris.

In their arrogance, they declared themselves

To be the new Masters of the Abyss

And demanded all should kneel.

We refused."

- From the forbidden chronicles of the Black Princes

Nerin Kahl grimaced as yet another round of screaming echoed through hallways already painted liberally in the blood of the fallen. Thankfully she was well-hardened to such pain-filled cries from her long cycles as one of the Crimson Council's most powerful sorceress's or they would give her pause as she gave in to her own fearful anticipation of impending death. As it was, the screams quickened her hands in her efforts to pack her meager possessions in a small scrip, all the while keeping the most potent of her killing spells perched on the edge of her lips for when their newly-minted enemies came for her.

The time for the alliance between the sorcerers under Bren's command and the Kaal Eran demons from the Abyss had come to an end in fire and blood. From what she had heard from panicked witnesses, the end had come unexpectedly with demons in the streets suddenly turning towards nearby sorcerers at some silent signal to cut them down in a flurry of dark light and deadly black lightning. Dozens died in the first moment or two of the savage attack. Then dozens more began dying when the demons began to converge on the sorcerers' enclave built on the border between the rebuilt part of Maedorin around the gate, and the ruins of the old city.

It had come as a shock to most of Bren's followers, confident in their master's negotiated arrangement with the demons, catching them completely unaware. Nerin, on the other hand, had known the end was inevitable. Why? Because she had a part in engineering the betrayal that was intended to turn the demons against Bren.

She twitched in startled surprise as demon lightning crackled out in the hallway beyond the door to her chamber's despite her hardened sensibilities. They were close, Abyss take them, moving faster than even she had imagined. Nerin was a great many dark and evil things, but most of all, she was loyal to the Crimson Council, the shadowy group of sorcerers Bren had left to govern the empire's return. So when they commanded she betray her former master and turn the demons against them, she did so without hesitation.

In helping other council agents create the betrayal, Nerin knew that the demons, far more astute than Bren gave them credit for, would eventually discover the subterfuge. Instead of taking time to weed out the traitors, however, they did what they did to failed members of their own society: they would purge them all. She had hoped they had taken just a bit longer before beginning their purge. Her escape plan was in place but it needed time to unfold. The purge had come just as she was in the middle of her preparations and now even she was in danger.

Grimly Nerin put the last of her belongings in place and turned towards the window where a rope ladder would take her to the ground. Only to find it blocked by a figure wreathed in shadow.

Her teeth bared in a rictus of fear and determination, she began to launch her first spell even as she clutched the scrip to her. Only to find the words frozen in her mouth.

"Curious that your kind would seek out an alliance with my former kin only to betray them," a soft voice commented in flawless Taren from within the dark hood hiding the newcomer's features. The shadows swirled before parting to reveal the rest of the unmistakable form of a Kaal Eran, cloaked from head to toe in black, the lean figure almost casually propped against the window frame. Then her rope ladder was dropping on the floor without the figure moving.