The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (34 page)

Asotos went livid, his face clouding with
anger. ‘
Bitch!
Whoremaster over lost souls! To the…’

Lowenah’s eyes burned into Asotos’ as a
voice echoed quiet in the back of his head, asking, ‘Are you
addressing me,
little boy
?’

Although he maintained his outward
composure, Asotos was outraged, especially at being called
‘
little boy’
. Gathering up his inner strength, he managed to
make no reply, realizing that Lowenah’s question was much more than
just that. Should Asotos respond, she would automatically become
included in today’s proceedings. Did she think him such a fool? He
looked into Lowenah’s face, her laughing eyes expressing her
ridicule. Well, he would not fall for such a simple trick!

Attempting to ignore her, Asotos turned his
attention to the party in front and toward his right. Only seconds
had passed since the wagon team had halted, though it felt to be
ages. He smiled, thinking of his coming surprise, but the man first
was to be caught up in peculiar wonderment.

Mihai noticed Asotos wince, but paid little
heed to it. After all, she had far more important matters on her
mind than what minor irritation might cause him to do that. Mihai
must figure out a way to abide by a very rigid protocol that Asotos
demanded at all of his moots, and also manage to push this little
wart weed
out of the proceedings. She must find a way to
force a dialog between herself and the opposition’s chief council,
bypass the heralds and speak strategos - meaning ‘archon’- to
strategos.

Oh, how she missed Gabrielle! For so long,
her former mentor and cherished companion had stood her side during
such events. So much the ally was she that Mihai often felt that
she and Gabrielle shared the same soul and heart. Gabrielle would
know what to do, always knew just what to do. Legend spoke of the
woman as being one of the foremost Ancients, yet Gabrielle’s
history was an enigma, and those with any secret knowledge of the
woman remained silent. Indeed! Where had Gabrielle come from? Even
her name could not be found in the historical record, though it did
appear in rune writings and long-forgotten children’s songs.

Mihai first recalled the woman, staring up
into those ghostly gray eyes as she awoke from her coma after being
attacked by Asotos and his wicked agents. So familiar she appeared,
but radiant with power and glory. She remained by the girl’s side
through her many months of healing, and then, later, lifted her up
to the arts of war, her personal mentor in that craft. Chief agent
against the wicked she was, and most powerful, to the point that
Asotos even feared the woman’s presence. There were whispers that
she was a mortal god, born and raised up in the secret worlds of
the Cherubs…a fable Mihai did not believe.

It was Gabrielle who taught Mihai in the
secret ways of lovemaking, the ‘
Cherubs’ Way’
, the woman
called it. She could be ever so tender and sweet, filling the
girl’s mind with unimagined delights. Or the woman could become
cruel and harsh, angry and aggressive, to the point of causing deep
mental, emotional, and physical pain. Yet, when her passionate
ecstasy had swept on and past, Mihai’s heart was left yearning,
craving more love, and the girl’s after-dreams were always sweet
and restful.

When Gabrielle stood the battle line,
whether in combat or debate, her enemies often quailed in silent
dread. It was that quality about her that Mihai was missing so this
day. Few could successfully master the power of archon against
Asotos, yet Gabrielle, standing in the position of herald,
intimidated the man, thus often saving Mihai from involvement in
the proceedings. You could see the disquiet in his eyes, a hidden
fear. Yet, never had Mihai seen Gabrielle intimidated by him or
others...never.

Mihai puzzled as she thought about it.
Mother treated Gabrielle differently than the others, more as a
peer than one of her children. Was Gabrielle really one of the
fabled Cherubs she had been told stories about?

The snorting of one of the QuanSandoos
startled Mihai back to the present. All was quiet, everyone staring
at her. It was obvious that Asotos was not going to start
proceedings. After all, Mihai’s party had come to him. He had
orchestrated it that way. Mihai would have to begin, or should it
be said, protocol declared that Mihai’s herald should begin. The
thought of that
reckless
urchin
, Trisha, attempting
to carry on diplomatic protocol was ludicrous! Something must
surely be wrong with Mother’s head for her to have made this… this
thing
the field marshal.

Protocol… Protocol… It was all about
protocol
. One little misstep, one wrong word, one false
movement, and the entire Prisoner Exchange could end in
catastrophe. How could Mihai trust this important moment to a
person so arrogant, not to mention ignorant of their customs, and
with no experience at negotiations?

Mihai’s heart began to race, as her
breathing grew labored. Asotos was slowly becoming impatient. The
silence was crushing. Trisha started to step forward. As she took
that step, Mihai made her move, her hand reaching out gripping
Trisha’s arm, forcing the woman to a jolting halt. Trisha whipped
her head around, perplexed.

Asotos looked up, surprised. What was this
all about? He smiled when observing the consternation on Mihai’s
face.

Mihai did not hesitate. Squeezing Trisha’s
arm, signaling her to stop, Mihai stepped out in front of her
people. Looking directly at Asotos, she mustered up her courage,
nearly shouting, “Too important is this day for lieutenants to
debate what leaders should carry out. It is better that chiefs
should discuss these future fates of men and nations. Come, let us
hold moot, you and me.”

Silence! Complete silence! Even the
whispering breeze fell away to nothing while shocked faces screamed
out disbelief. Hands involuntarily flew to mouths agape, while some
people stepped back as if warding off a blow. Asotos did not
flinch, slowly raising an eyebrow while studying the trapped pigeon
opposing him. He smiled to himself. She was closer to the edge than
he had expected. Now to push her over it...

Mihai’s heart began to ache with remorse,
waiting for Asotos to reply. He just stood there, staring, saying
nothing. Nothing! And Mihai could do nothing but watch matters
unfold. She had changed procedures, broken protocol. Now she must
wait silently to see if the opposing side would accept her
proposal. The remorse in the her heart turned to panic as she
recalled Trisha’s warning words that had sounded in her head at the
last council meeting, ‘Be silent and your sister may live.’

What had Trisha known that she was unable to
see? What power in this universe led her to disregard Mother’s
council? Why did she believe that her wisdom was greater than the
Maker of Worlds? Was all hope lost? Could this day be saved? What
could she do to correct matters? Nothing! Nothing could be done.
Trisha was driven from the proceedings with no hope of a return.
No. Mihai had tendered the offer to the League’s ruler. It was
Asotos’ choice whether he would accept it or not.

A voice echoed its laughter in the back of
Mihai’s head. ‘Remember? Remember? Yes, little foolish thing, do
you remember now? Our party...our fun, little party? Done just for
you, it was. It was.’ The laughter erupted, maniacal, gradually
drifting away quietly while stirring up old memories.

Another voice crashed upon Mihai’s mind,
shattering all hope within her - Legion’s powerful voice like
raging waves upon a tortured shore in her head. “
Does the fly
dare speak to the spider? What does this insect want? Answer! For
to me you shall make reply
.”

Mihai looked over to see a broad grin
growing on Legion’s face. He took a half step forward, his grin
turning into an angry frown. “Deceit and treachery are the foul
odors I smell! We have not come here to discuss or debate matters!
A party is not in our making this day, or the love from beast or
demon! Go back to your thorny pillow and recall your dastardly
deeds committed against all living kind. Then you will know why you
have come here this hour.”

The indignation in Legion’s voice carried
upon it a musical lilt that bored deep into Mihai’s subconscious,
awaking within her mind words spoken far in the past and the real
meaning of the man’s cryptic words. ‘
Deceit and treachery, foul
odors and the love from beast and demon... Go back to your thorny
pillow and recall dastardly deeds committed against you this
hour
.’

It was as if the chimes of Gradian’s Clock
rang loud upon Mihai’s ears, the same as it had done those several
millennia ago when, at that very instant, all the demon hosts of
the Underworld tore her apart. The woman’s head began to twirl in
dizzying confusion, her heart falling into painful palpitations at
recalling that sordid moment. With a cry, she reached up, clutching
her head, collapsing onto her knees, her helmet tumbling from her
head as she fell forward on her hands in uncontrolled vomiting.

Trisha stepped up to Mihai’s side, bending
down to place a hand on her shoulder. Planetee started to move
forward, but thought better of it, watching the field marshal
closely. Mihai paid little heed to anyone. Too sick she was to
notice the world around her, and too weak to fight off the demon’s
onslaught within. ‘It’s come to this! To this! What you deserve!
What you deserve! Evil you are, always have been. Now go to the
damned, as you so deserve! So deserve! Leave us go! Leave us go,
evil thing, back to our master who is so near to us. Go to our
master and obey his voice so that we may leave your
wretchedness!’

Mihai struggled to retain any sanity. Her
head throbbed with a blinding ache. All the while the
ghosts of
Christmas past
tormented her with visions of blood and gore,
rape and humiliation, betrayal and hopelessness. Garish faces
screamed obscenities as ghoulish mouths, ever hungry, went about
biting and a chewing on skin and muscle. Nearby, deformed kelpie
with jackals heads, ridden by headless wraiths, pranced about a
raging blaze, the beasts crying out, ‘Leave us poorly ones a morsel
for our feasts, and saves its flesh so that we may satisfies our
lust.’

The haunting demons in Mihai’s head were
ever pressing in to destroy her sanity. As hard as she struggled to
resist, the woman found no power within strong enough to hold back
these forces of evil.

“My lord…” Trisha bent low, squeezing
Mihai’s shoulder while offering whatever assistance possible.

The churlish tone of Trisha’s voice grated
on Mihai. “Get away from me!” She angrily choked, jerking her
shoulder to free it of the woman’s grasp. “Leave me go! Get!” she
sputtered, while wiping vomit from her mouth.

Oh, such an evil cure, but it worked. Mihai
had forgotten about her demons, they quickly melting back into the
shadows. The spell was broken, and would not return. The beastly
demons quietly faded into the forgetful gloom, Mihai’s burning
hatred for some other foe extinguishing their power. Although not
knowing it yet, Asotos’ little scheme was failed, broken by the
touch of another even
more contemptible
creature - at least
to Mihai. He had envisioned contending with a broken mind filled
with insane delirium. Now that mind, still confused and desperate,
was focused on the enemy in her midst. Asotos’ glory was already
diminishing.

Trisha had supposed there might well be a
subliminal attack charged against Mihai this day, and was prepared
to take whatever blow necessary in order to break its spell. Well,
her plan had worked, oh, but at such a cost to heart. ‘All for the
better.’ Trisha thought as she fought down the urge to weep. She
quietly stood back, saying nothing.

Anna moved in quickly to lend support as
Mihai struggled to stand, assisting her as well as may be.
Abandoning her chunder-laden helmet to the desert sands, she
struggled to her feet on wobbly legs. She thanked Anna for her
kindly service, while attempting to ignore the
creature
standing her other side, and faced Legion.

Now Mihai must pay the piper. Since she had
broken official protocol by seeking a parlay with Asotos instead of
offering such a suggestion through her herald, Asotos could change
the procedural policy to suit his whim. It was obvious that he was
not going to enter the conversation, at least at this time. Legion
was now elevated to archon, or Mihai demoted to herald. Either way,
she was greatly diminished in the eyes of her adversaries, thus
forcing lopsided negotiations, ending in her surrendering up the
greater of the prizes to win her people back, that is, if she could
gain their release at all.

Wiping a hand across her mouth, Mihai stared
forlornly into Legion’s face. Looking a pitiable sight, she could
only imagine what her adversary was thinking. She was not kept
waiting long.

Legion’s face was contorted in a
condescending sneer while his eyes laughed haughtily. Silently he
stood there, contemplating this frightful looking waif, hair and
face befouled with filth, a sickly pallid face, and standing on
wobbly legs. What he could not see was Mihai’s powerful inner
strength, and that her horrid visions were vanished. She was still
a very dangerous adversary. What he did know, had witnessed
countless times over the ages, was Mihai’s impetuous
unpredictability. Indeed! He planned for her unpredictability,
wanted to use it to his advantage, had used it to his advantage
many times. The woman was already stretched… and with a very
unwelcome ally at her side. The water was already risen to gush
forth. Legion need only keep the pump primed until just the right
moment, and then…and then...

Trisha spoke not a word, but remained close,
much to Mihai’s consternation. The watchman stood the ramparts
because she also understood Mihai’s state of mind. She, too, waited
upon the moment, but in her bosom was carried the fire of righteous
indignation. These
beast-men
standing before her were the
demons personified of her old world. Death was too generous a gift
for them! Today notice was being given that the hammers forged in
Hell’s earthly depths were being visited upon them here, in their
heavenly
abode. Quiet is the adder waiting to strike, shrewd
the second mouse, and deadliest the lightning that strikes from the
blue. Trisha silently watched, waiting.