Half-Orcs: Book 06 - The Prison of Angels (35 page)

The feast began, and still Jessilynn could not force herself to look away. Her mind felt frozen, her emotions in shock. Tears ran down her face, yet she was unaware she was crying. A warm hand touched her shoulder, and she shivered.

“Come,” Silver-Ear said, gently taking the bow. “You will sleep at my side this night, but first we have many miles to walk.”

Jessilynn had no heart to respond, no words to say. She followed the shaman into the night, and though she was surrounded, she’d never felt so alone in all her life. Tearful eyes looking up at the stars, she wanted to scream at Ashhur, demand he answer for such abandonment.

It was then she saw Sonowin’s wings, the winged horse like a distant bird flying through the night. Dieredon sat atop her, just a dark speck. Still watching, still waiting for a chance to rescue her. Jessilynn wept, unable to cope with such a mixture of relief and torment, knowing she’d not been abandoned.

Knowing there was nothing he could do to save her.

“W
e should prepare our army,” said one of Harruq’s advisors as he sat on Antonil’s throne, hunched over and thoroughly miserable.

“What army?” he asked. “You mean the one that left with the king?”

“There are more soldiers in Mordan than just them,” said Sir Wess, captain of the guard in Mordeina and the man left in charge of keeping the peace during their king’s absence. The surly man spoke slowly, as if he thought Harruq a child. “Most lords kept retainers, especially the northern lords. Retaking a distant land is one thing, but this is Ker. This is our doorstep, and we cannot risk them retaliating while we’re unprepared.”

Harruq looked to the queen, who sat quietly beside him. Her hands were folded in her lap, and she shook her head when he caught her gaze.

“No,” Harruq said. “We’re not going to make this worse. I’ve already sent a messenger to apologize. If Bram’s got any shred of sense in him, he’ll accept it, and we’ll all pretend like this never happened.”

“But you don’t know what has happened,” said another of the advisors. “None of us do. Would it not be wiser to prepare?”

Before Harruq could answer, the doors slammed open, and in walked Ahaesarus in all his regal splendor. He pointed at Harruq.

“Come with me,” he said.

Harruq lifted an eyebrow.

“Uh…care to say please?”

Ahaesarus stared at him, then let out a sigh.

“Please,” he said. “I’ve called another gathering of the angels, and I would like you to bear witness.”

Harruq shot a look to Susan, unsure of what to do.

“We need to know what happened,” she said. “Go with him. I’m sure you’ll be safe.”

Probably
, Harruq thought as he stood. But he was taking his swords with him just in case. He wanted to ask outright about the incident in the south, but Ahaesarus didn’t appear to be in the talkative mood.

“If you need anything, Susan will handle it,” Harruq told his advisors, pushing through them. “As for me, I’ll be with tall and handsome.”

Ahaesarus led the way, out into the open courtyard, and then turned.

“Your hands,” he said. “We fly to Avlimar.”

“I want to know one thing before I go,” Harruq said, now that they were relatively alone. “Is my brother all right?”

Ahaesarus hesitated, then nodded.

“He battled Judarius for some length, but is otherwise unharmed, as is his wife. Now will you come with me?”

“Of course,” Harruq said, offering his hands. “Just don’t drop me, please. It’d be a poor ending to an already awful day.”

Ahaesarus grabbed him by the wrist, beat his wings, and into the air they soared. The land was a steadily shrinking blur beneath them as they approached the floating city. Harruq closed his eyes, knowing it helped with the vertigo. While he didn’t normally consider himself afraid of heights, he decided he could always make an exception when he was so high up that the castle looked like one of Aubrienna’s toys.

He opened his eyes when they set down on one of the many outer ledges of Avlimar. It was immediately apparent something was afoot, given the thousands of angels circling about the city. Harruq wondered what it meant. Qurrah was alive, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was free. For a terrified moment he thought he was being brought to witness his own brother’s execution. His hand drifted to his swords, and he tried not to show his sudden nervousness.

“So when do I hear exactly what happened in Ker?” he asked as nonchalantly as he could, which wasn’t very nonchalant at all.

“I stopped the attempt to punish your brother before Judarius could finish the execution,” Ahaesarus said. “King Bram’s soldiers fought to protect him, and both men and angels died in the conflict.”

“And so what is it we go to now?” Harruq asked as they walked down the pristine, golden streets.

“The forum.”

The half-orc couldn’t remember when he’d seen Ahaesarus so cranky. No, not that, he decided as the angel led him along. He wasn’t cranky, and he wasn’t being short-tempered…he was nervous. That realization made Harruq’s own nerves fray. What could someone as powerful and influential as Ahaesarus be nervous about? Was there something he wasn’t telling him? Just what did he plan on doing in this council? Sadly, he knew he’d get none of those answers, so he kept his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open.

The forum turned out to be an enormous oval building, open at the top and built with a multitude of rows steadily rising higher and higher, each seat facing a central point. There were no doors, for the angels all flew in from the sky to take their place. Ahaesarus helped Harruq over the wall, but instead of finding him a seat he kept the half-orc beside him on the smooth marble flooring of the forum. Looking about, seeing the thousands of angels watching, Harruq got an inkling as to why Ahaesarus was nervous. More surprising, though, was that Harruq was not the only non-angel to be there. On the other side of the dais stood Lord Maryll, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked unbothered by the numbers, and seeing Harruq, he only offered a polite nod.

“Harruq,” Ahaesarus said, the two of them alone in the center. He kept his voice a whisper, for it seemed even the slightest noise carried far. “When my angels flew about the nation to perform their new orders, you told me to do something. You told me it wasn’t right, and that I should know it. For that, I want to thank you. No matter what any priest, any scribe, and any king might say, I know in my heart that what you said was just. What I do now, I do because of you.”

With that he turned, spreading his arms and wings wide so he might address the gathered thousands. Harruq stepped aside to give him room, feeling awkward standing there with nothing to do. He almost joined Kevin just so he wouldn’t have to be alone, but quickly rejected that terrible idea. Better awkward and alone than near that pompous jackass.

“Before I begin, let us pray for wisdom, guidance, and mercy from our beloved Lord,” Ahaesarus said, and a heavy silence fell over the forum, so quiet that Harruq could hear every cough, every shift and rustle of feathers. A moment later, in eerie unison, the angels looked up, and Ahaesarus spoke his prepared words. Harruq listened, daring to hope something might be salvaged from the disaster down south.

“Angels of Ashhur,” Ahaesarus began. “Mere days ago we met to discuss our future in the land of Dezrel. We heard the thoughts of men, their ideas of justice. Mercy and forgiveness could still be for the soul, but the body must still be punished. And so we made our decision, and with heavy hearts carried that decision out.”

The angel shook his head, and he took a deep breath.

“I am here to tell you all that I am revoking that decision. We will not carry out justice in such a manner, not anymore.”

The following outburst was immediate and deafening. Harruq winced at the noise. Ahaesarus slammed his hands together, demanding attention, and it was granted.

“We will not be their executioners!” he cried to them. “We will not be their murderers! From here on out, we will judge as we have, determining their innocence or guilt. But then we shall turn them over to the humans, to let them see fit the punishment for their crime. We will not spare the guilty, but neither shall we execute them. We will wash our hands of all of it, and let mankind decide the fate of those who would harm one another, steal from one another, and let darkness overcome their hearts instead of grace and love.”

“We had a vote,” a voice cried out above the rest. Harruq spotted the source, and was not surprised to see it was Azariah. The priest stood, gesturing to the rest of those gathered in the forum.

“Do our thoughts no longer matter?” he asked. “Will you stand against the majority?”

“I will do more than stand against it,” Ahaesarus replied. “I will deny it to its very core. This is not what Ashhur brought us here for. This is not how we win over their hearts. Let no one fear the sight of an angel. If you think otherwise, so be it, but my word stands.”

“
Your
word?” Judarius asked, emerging from the crowd to stand before Ahaesarus. Harruq noticed he carried his mace, one of the few there who wielded a weapon. “And what of
our
words? What of our vote? Do you deny our say in such a matter? What if we are unwilling to let such things be?”

Ahaesarus stood to his full height. A hard edge entered his voice, and his message was chilling.

“Let any who would slay a human come forth now, and challenge my role as leader of our kind. Come forth, any of you. Show me how great your desire for blood truly is.”

A taut silence stretched over the thousands, and Harruq saw them glancing at one another. Judarius in particular looked ready to speak, staring eye to eye with the larger Ahaesarus. And then he turned away, spread his wings, and flew out of the forum.

“As I thought,” Ahaesarus said. “All of you, we are to represent the glory of Ashhur and perform his will. This is the best way I know how. Now go. There will be no debate, and I have nothing else to say.”

More rumbling, more discontent. The angels flew away in a great rustle of feathers and noise. Harruq looked across the marble and saw Kevin watching them fly away with a contemplative look on his face. Would this placate the man? Or would such capitulation only provoke him further? An angel came over, took him by the arms, and then they were gone.

Harruq waited, feeling more and more self-conscious as the forum grew steadily quieter. A few flew over to Ahaesarus to assure him of their support, but they were not many. At last they were alone, just Harruq and Ahaesarus. The angel approached, and he looked like he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders.

“Do you see why I wanted you here?” he asked.

“Not quite,” Harruq said, shaking his head.

“I wanted you to see this. I wanted you to know the changes we make, changes you must help enforce. We need more judges. We need clearer laws. I want you to tell us what to do with the guilty, and what to do with the repentant. In this, I hope we might better meet the desires of the people compared to the senseless violence we so recently spread throughout the night.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Harruq said, immediately thinking it was something Susan would be far better suited for. More than ever he was glad she’d stayed behind after Antonil’s departure. “Though I wouldn’t expect any miracles.”

“I never do,” Ahaesarus said. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t pray they happen. Do you think our actions will provoke a war?”

Harruq crossed his arms and frowned.

“I don’t know,” he said. “If one happens, I’m determined to make sure it doesn’t start on our end. I’ve given up predicting King Henley. If he wants a war, then we’ll have a war, but until he marches into our lands I’m going to do my best to prevent any further provocation.”

Ahaesarus reached for Harruq for the return flight. Before he could, Harruq looked away, feeling embarrassed.

“You saved my brother’s life,” he said. “Thank you.”

“And I think you might save the souls of my angels,” Ahaesarus said. “In that, Harruq, I think I owe you far more than you owe me.”

Harruq laughed.

“Well, in that case, remind me to call you on that sometime. Maybe you can listen to a few hundred petitioners. That might even things up a bit.”

Ahaesarus grinned as they soared into the air.

“Did you not just say to never expect any miracles?”

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