Hell's Ascendant (Mantles of Power Book 3) Page 15

  “I see! Welcome to the holy empire, then, and I hope you find yourselves properly inspired!” the knight replied, his voice growing even warmer and prouder as he spoke. “I highly recommend visiting the First Temple just before dawn, as the sight of it being first illuminated each day is glorious beyond measure!”

  “We’ll try to do that, sir,” Rose said, bowing as much as she reasonably could from horseback. “I’ve heard tales of Uthren’s Throne and wish to see it for myself at last.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. As for what we’re doing here, reports have come to our attention that bandits are preying on travelers and pilgrims along the road, so we’ve been dispatched to deal with the miscreants before they become a serious problem,” the knight explained, his good cheer fading as he spoke. “They’ve already killed at least a dozen travelers that we’re aware of, which means more probably have simply vanished without a trace. How was your journey? Did you have any trouble in the forest, in particular?”

  “As a matter of fact, we did. Four days ago, we spotted an ambush before it could close on us and had to fight our way out of it,” Yain said, nodding back at Isalla as she continued. “Lady Isabel was injured and we were forced to rest for a few days while she recovered, but we managed. There were close to two dozen of them, including a mage, but we caught them off guard and had a spellcaster of our own. We managed to deal with the majority of them, then we built a pyre to dispose of their remains.”

  “Two dozen of them, against seven of you? Even if you have better armor than they did, you did exceedingly well to take on that many bandits and come out victorious,” the knight exclaimed, straightening as the other knights began to murmur among themselves. From what Kitania could hear, they sounded both impressed and pleased that some of the bandits had been dealt with. Their leader wasn’t done, though, as he continued. “Unfortunately, based on our reports I doubt that was all of them, even if it may have been a large batch of the bandits. Where did you build the pyre, out of curiosity? So we can investigate it and see if we can’t track down more of the menaces.”

  “Of course, sir! It was just on the other side of the North Fork River that we rested, and I doubt you’d be able to miss the pyre, as recent as it was. The battle was no more than a quarter-mile past that on the road,” Yain said, and Kitania couldn’t help her relief that the woman was handling the talking. Yain obviously knew how to deal with the locals far better than Kitania would be able to.

  “Ah, I know precisely where that is! Thank you, good lady, the information will be quite helpful,” the knight said, bowing his head ever so slightly, then continued briskly. “Now, there’s a long way to go and little light to spare! May the heavens shine on you and bless you always!”

  “And may their wings shelter you from harm,” Yain replied, bowing reasonably deeply.

  The knight nodded, then flicked his reins as he led the band of knights past them. In the front Yain started forward as well, moving at a relatively sedate pace. Once they were past, the elven woman spoke dryly. “Well, that was certainly unexpected. Too bad the knights didn’t come through a week ago, as it would’ve saved us a rather lot of grief.”

  “Possibly, or the bandits may have simply avoided them and attacked us anyway,” Vinara said, her voice relatively calm as she glanced behind her. “The knights seemed reasonably skilled, but… they didn’t seem nearly as skilled as the elven soldiers I met when in the Forest of Sighs. That seems odd to me, since from everything I’ve heard knights are supposed to be quite skilled. Am I mistaken on that?”

  “That’s because those were journey knights, not full knights of the realm. They obviously didn’t expect us to know the difference, though it’s obvious to those who’ve interacted with Uthren before,” Isalla explained, smiling slightly.

  “Journey knights?” Kitania asked, her eyebrows rising. “I haven’t heard of those before.”

  “It’s a rank commonly used in Uthren, but not in many other nations. After becoming a knight, the men and women are considered journey knights until they’ve performed acts of sufficient valor and merit, and as such proved their value to the crown and gods,” Rose said, shrugging as she added, “I think it also is their way of weeding out useless nobles, though it’s only moderately successful, since that entire group was journey knights. I’ll bet you that most of them were hired to help a couple of nobles become knights of the realm.”

  “Ah, the true nature of people. No matter how many rules you create, someone will always find a loophole they can slip through,” Kitania said, smiling slightly as she shook her head, then nodded toward the switchbacks. “Given the look of that… are we stopping halfway, or going to the top before resting for the evening?”

  “That depends on how tired we are by the halfway point,” Yain replied, glancing back at Kitania as she continued. “Based on what I’ve seen, I suspect we’ll be able to reach the top and rest at an inn there, but I could be wrong.”

  “In that case, let’s find out, shall we? First one to admit they can’t keep going gets to buy dinner,” Vinara said brightly, grinning at she looked at Kitania and added, “Aside from you, Kim. Your body is unfair in contests like this.”

  “Spoilsport,” Kitania replied, rolling her eyes and letting out an exaggerated sigh.

  Everyone else laughed, including Eziel, though the angel’s laughter was barely audible, and they continued on the road while Kitania relaxed and admired the scenery.

  Chapter 19

  It took a while to reach the town, but as they did, Kitania realized there were several aeries for the riding drakes that had been mentioned, including a few larger breeds that looked more appropriate to carrying cargo to the top. They were limited in number and she doubted they could carry truly heavy loads, but they were probably useful and easier than trying to ascend the switchbacks with a wagon.

  It took almost no time for them to enter the town with the documentation that Alserah had provided, which was a relief. This was the first town they’d reached that was officially part of Uthren, and the locals took their duty to protect the borders seriously. Even so, they didn’t have the ability to see through Kitania’s disguise easily, so their group was allowed through quickly.

  Most of the people Kitania saw were human, though she was startled by the sight of a lower-built segment of the town nearest the plateau. Dwarves pervaded that section of the town, and after a few moments she realized that there appeared to be a mineshaft descending into the ground, though it was angled well away from the switchbacks.

  “Are dwarves common in Uthren?” Kitania asked softly, watching a trio of the stocky folk chatting alongside the road.

  Most people had the mental image of dwarves as being almost as wide as they were tall and with thick beards, but actually meeting them had disproved that to Kitania long ago. Dwarves tended to be between four and five feet in height, and their bone structure did tend to make them broader shouldered than most humans as well as having stronger physiques, but that didn’t make them fat or bearded by any means. The ones she saw were fit, while only one of the two men had a beard, which was trimmed short.

  “Um, if I remember my history right, they originally controlled one of the biggest mountain ranges east of the plateau and had expanded onto it when Uthren was formed. After a lot of negotiations, they were integrated into the kingdom as a whole, though they’re nominally independent,” Isalla said, frowning slightly as she pondered, glancing at the dwarves. “I don’t remember the full details, of course. I do know they’re about a tenth of the population of Uthren, though, far ahead of elves.”

  “There aren’t many forests on the plateau, which means there were never many elven communities there to begin with,” Yain chimed in, nodding in agreement. “I didn’t know the dwarves were independent, though. Honestly… I wonder if they do?”

  “In the end it really doesn’t matter,” Rose said, looking at the dwarves curiously before she focused on their approach to the switchbacks. “It’s been so l
ong that I doubt either side can imagine doing without the other. I never really thought about how common they were in Uthren when I visited before… it just was.”

  “Fair,” Kitania admitted, then flinched as she realized that Rose had slipped up in admitting that she’d been to Uthren before. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed, but she resolved to mention it in private later.

  As they reached the base of the ascent, Yain slowed to a stop, explaining, “We’d best dismount here. While we could ride the horses up the Ascent of Faith, it’d unnecessarily exhaust them.”

  Kitania nodded and dismounted, patting her horse as she did so. She was thankful that it hadn’t panicked at her scent, but a part of her wondered if others might find its relative calm surprising when she was supposed to have dragon blood. After a moment of thought she just shrugged, waiting for the others to be ready to climb the escarpment. Glancing at the gradual slope at the bottom of the switchbacks, which had both a footpath and a wider path for wagons, Kitania pursed her lips. Even if it was a gradual slope, it still would make it hard to talk before too long, especially if they kept a good pace.

  In short order they started up the path, and Kitania quickly found her prediction came true, as they kept a steady pace that quickly kept anyone from easily talking, beyond which they were also constrained by the path forcing them to go single file so that people descending could pass as well. Birds sang, the crash of water descending from one holding pool to the next echoed through the air, and the breeze cooled Kitania even as the sun radiated warmth on her, bringing understanding of why this was called the Ascent of Faith.

  With every step they took they were able to see more and more of the surrounding landscape, across the rolling hills and forests to their south and the distant peaks of mountains. It was a breathtaking sight, and the environment as one slowly moved upward was conducive to contemplation, especially with the wide viewing platforms that were at each end of a switchback. Kitania saw other travelers paused there, many of them raptly looking at the world stretched before them, and she could understand why. If it weren’t for how much of a hurry they were in, Kitania would be tempted to linger on a railing herself, to feel the wind on her face as she mused.

  Even so, the ascent was exhausting, and Kitania found herself breathing hard by the time they were only a quarter of the way up the switchbacks. They took a break at about that point, but only briefly before they continued until they reached the inn halfway to the summit. The inn was large, with an expansive stable for mounts and wagons, while plenty of rooms appeared to be available for travelers. They stopped for lunch and to water the horses, but no one suggested they stay the night, even if Maura looked a little more under the weather than the others, and Kitania suspected Vinara was hiding her fatigue.

  They didn’t linger long, and soon enough they continued the climb. It took half the day before reaching the top of the plateau, and when they did Kitania let out a sigh of relief, her legs aching ever so slightly as she looked at the town laid out in front of them. If her legs felt like this, she didn’t want to think about how the others might feel, and Kitania resolved not to even hint at complaining.

  The sun was also well on its way toward the horizon, so Kitania didn’t complain when Yain led the way toward an inn wearily. As she did so, Rose slowly fell back until she was walking alongside Kitania, which prompted the demoness to blink, looking at the angel curiously.

  After a minute Kitania asked, “Is something the matter, Lynn?”

  “The matter? No, of course not, I was just considering what to say,” Rose said, shaking her head as she smiled slightly, letting out a soft laugh as she murmured, “I’d have thought this would be easier after all the time apart, but it isn’t.”

  “Distance isn’t always a good thing. It can lead to people growing apart, and things have changed immensely since we first met,” Kitania said, her curiosity growing stronger. “That said… sometimes it’s best to just say something and damn the consequences. At least then it’s said.”

  “I suppose you may be right,” Rose admitted, looking at Kitania as she smiled, which sent a surge of warmth through the demoness. Rose spoke softly, her voice gentle. “Might you be willing to have company tonight? Possibly with Isabel, too. I know that things haven’t been the best lately, but… if we don’t talk and associate with one another, we can’t try to fix things.”

  Kitania blinked, opened her mouth, then closed it again, looking at Rose in a little surprise, surprise that quickly turned into happiness as she smiled, murmuring quietly, “Now that isn’t what I expected, after everything. I thought you weren’t quite as sure about me as she was.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. I like to take my time to make up my mind. However, it does help that a part of me identifies rather strongly with you,” Rose said, smiling even more as she continued, running a finger down Kitania’s arm. “My time with Anna and your mother… well, let’s just say that I’ve been forcing myself to keep my distance more than anything else.”

  “Ah, I… wasn’t aware of that, though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” Kitania said, her smile growing still warmer, but she glanced at Isalla, raising an eyebrow as she added, “I should mention, though… Isabel doesn’t look like she’s going to be up for anything but sleeping tonight.”

  Isalla was definitely under the weather, her skin flushed as she breathed hard, an ever so slight limp to her stride. As a matter of fact, Kitania suspected one of her salves was in order, to keep Isalla from being completely miserable the next day.

  “Yes, but that’s half the point, at least in this case,” Rose said, her eyes glittering as she glanced at Isalla in amusement. “The idea is to make the two of you talk, instead of letting her brood on things more. She won’t have the energy to argue as much as she might want to, which is rather important.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Kitania admitted, smiling even more as she glanced around, then asked, “Yain, I don’t suppose the inn we’re heading to has baths, does it?”

  “After that climb it’d better,” Vinara muttered, prompting a chorus of chuckles and laughter.

  “It does,” Yain confirmed, smiling wryly as she added, “For some reason, baths are rather popular after the climb, so we’re also going to be paying a bit more for them than I’d like, but that’s the way it goes.”

  “At least they have them,” Isalla groaned, wincing as she rolled a shoulder. “I’m sore.”

  Kitania laughed softly, smiling even more as she relaxed. Some days, life was good.

  “Ugh… even after the bath I still hurt,” Isalla groaned, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door of her room. Well, her room and Rose’s, anyway. Her body was more relaxed than it had been, but the time she’d spent in a saddle, followed by the ascent, had not been kind to her body. She’d never even been on a horse before they left Port Hope anyway, which made her discomfort worse.

  “It sounds like you need a salve massaged into your legs, then,” Kitania replied calmly, and Isalla stopped halfway into the room, blinking owlishly at the demoness.

  Kitania was still in her disguise, but she was wearing light clothing and had a towel wrapped around her hair, showing that she’d gone to the baths as well. The demoness had a bag out and had several jars sitting on the nightstand next to the large bed, which confused Isalla, though not as much as Kitania’s presence did.

  “Kit—Kim? What’re you doing here? I thought you were rooming with Violet?” Isalla demanded, then yelped as she was bumped from behind. Rose gently pushed her into the room and closed the door behind them.

  “No, Violet is sharing with Emma. Kim is sharing with us, at my invitation,” Rose said, smiling slightly as she glanced at Kitania in amusement. “That said… dare I ask if you’re good at massaging? I have high standards, after all.”

  “I’m decent, though not as good as those you’re familiar with. I learned as part of my studies as a healer and tried to keep reasonably in practice,” Kitania said,
smiling as she raised an eyebrow at Isalla in a way that made the angel flush in embarrassment, asking curiously, “Now… do you want me to leave? I was just planning to make you as comfortable as I reasonably could.”

  “No!” Isalla exclaimed, and blushed more deeply as Rose giggled, moving past her to set her clothing down on a small table. Isalla tried to regain her composure as she swallowed and cleared her throat, continuing as her cheeks felt like they were about to ignite. “I just… I didn’t expect you in here, is all. I thought… well, what about Niadra?”

  “I said we needed to figure things out, and we haven’t really had time,” Kitania replied, shaking her head. “Niadra and I… I don’t know. The way she reacted to Cecilia makes me wonder still more, and I… well, I don’t want to lose you. You or Lynn, for that matter. I can’t let myself be stopped by wondering how she’ll react.”

  “Besides which, we aren’t on the safest of journeys,” Rose added, her voice soft as she took a seat, letting out a soft, almost pained sigh. “Either way… Isa, either lay down or choose not take Kim up on her offer. If you won’t, I will.”

  “Geez, just hold on a second! You spring this on me, then expect me to react quickly?” Isalla demanded, flushing brightly as she quickly stepped toward the bed, stripping off her clothing as she went. “Of course I’m taking her up on it! I don’t want to be aching and groaning all night and tomorrow, too.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Rose murmured in satisfaction, and Isalla quickly got onto the bed to hide how she blushed still more.

  “I intend to speak with Niadra when we get back,” Kitania said mildly, her voice soft as could be. “Until then, I’m going to just go with whatever feels right. Now, try to relax. This is going to feel a touch cool, Isabel.”

  “I can deal with cool,” Isalla said, relaxing at last as she realized that Kitania was almost back to how she remembered her in the hells, which was incredibly comforting.