Close Encounters of the Fey Kind, Part Two

JP with Rosmary

The youngling fae screamed in terror and scattered in all directions. Orla fearfully met Soularous's gaze and his blue light threw off such a brilliant glare that she felt as if they were caught in a spotlight. “What— Who?” she questioned.

“'Tis merely... a minor demon lord,” Maelwin said almost dismissively when he had regained sufficient composure. “If I am not very much mistaken, Lord Soularous.”

“Soularous?” Orla said, wide eyed. “Is he not one of the nine great demon lords, along with Aldous, Jynieth--”

“I see you've been keeping up with your studies,” Maelwin commented, forcing a smile. “Right then, all of you get behind me.” Chanting an Aetherian incantation, he made a warding gesture with a couple of fingers. He glanced around and saw that all but Orla and Jace had already taken flight into the trees. He chuckled nervously. “Well, I suppose it's down to us to greet this unexpected visitor to the Milthilnir Deepwood, and find out what it is he’s doing here. I have not met a demon lord before, so this should be rather interesting...”

Soularous approached and lightly tapped the magical border. Jace was speechless and froze in fear. Orla was in a state of mind that was not much different.

The demon lord gave them a smile, "Don't you think it's rude to put up a magical barrier when one simply wishes to discuss terms?" Soularous pulled out a pendant, which was a symbol of chaos, "I only want us to talk, if that's alright with you?" The storm slowly calmed down, only becoming a light breeze.

Maelwin regarded the pendant a moment, then nodded and dismissed the barrier, taking a half-step back, hoping he had not just made a fatal mistake. Chaos was the domain of Fernoia, who presided over the natural world above most other deities. Demons were creatures of a different order and most were inherently of evil disposition, but he knew the highest demons like Soularous were much more complex, much more interesting. He assumed a contrite expression. “I... I did not intend to be rude, but we are not accustomed to entertaining beings such as yourself and...”

“You gave us a proper fright,” Orla broke in with friendly honesty.

Maelwin glanced at her, appreciating the support. Despite her youth and limited experience, Orla had a mature and kindly personality that made her the Avatar's favourite among the maids though she was otherwise unexceptional, not like himself who was easily the most intelligent and magically gifted of his generation. He turned back and smiled to Soularous. “You do know how to make an entrance, my lord, I'll say that for you. What terms do you wish to discuss?”

Soularous chuckled, he altered the ground to make a chair, "Don't worry, it will go back to normal. Just wanted to sit."

“That's quite alright,” Maelwin said with a chuckle of his own. “By all means.”

Soularous smiled again and put the pendant away. "I would like to discuss our agreement. You know about the problem I've been having with the god of order, as well as my father The King in White? You know how he is, and that stupid vision! Oh, if you want, Yagin has been tamed for the moment, I know Fernoia likes chaos but not complete madness. The Jester of Madness is always the most chaotic of the three, Tiekious and Zanoth are not as chaotic." Soularous chuckled, then smiled at Orla, "I apologize for scaring you."

Orla bowed slightly, acknowledging his words with a shy smile in return. She thought his apology sincere, experiencing a feeling of bewilderment that there was no great sense of evil in his blue demonic aura. The topic of discussion was far beyond her sphere of knowledge and to her mind, matters she thought best left to Miss Xaulder.

Maelwin however relished the rare opportunity to chat with the great Lord Soularous, and his grey eyes sparked with interest at mention of all these other infernal beings, which heretofore he had only read of in books. Yagin was said to be closely aligned to the forces of Chaos whilst Zanoth was all about desire and Tiekious all about war and control. The King in White was an elder god said to be one of the first to emerge from the primordial foam in the beforetimes. Maelwin had not previously known that Soularous was that deity's son and filed that tidbit away for later consideration, surprised the demon lord had vouchsafed such information to someone of his low station. Did Soularous mistake him and Orla for fellow godlings? He supposed they were, after a fashion.

“We are all having problems with the other side of the coin,” Maelwin said, flipping a Verdish six pence into the air that had fallen out of Jace's bag. “As you know, Order is the force behind civilisation and human society, which has been on a path to domination since humans supplanted the elves as the premier race in Aeran a millenia ago. Everywhere you turn Order is encroaching on the natural world in the form of its pet humans that are burning forests, hunting animals and other races to extinction, and seeking to remake all the lands into a sterile, empty shell of what they once were. I can well understand why an independent and disruptive agent such as yourself chafes against the tyrannical power of Order, my lord, that which conspires to lift one race over every other and rigidly control the material world. But what problem do you have with the King in White? What is this vision you refer to? I confess, I thought your father long passed into dim legend.”

Soularous shook his head, "The King isn't the same as most divine beings. He is very ancient, and confusing. Most other old gods don't understand him. However he did show me something he wished me to see, and it troubles me. What I saw was, nothing. A white void, no order but no chaos either. It was nothing, I don't know if it's what he wishes or what has already passed, but that whiteness was frightening. Then the vision became something different, all races united as equals. Where elves, humans, orcs, dwarves, demons, and angels working in harmony, building their own cities together. It sounds great, that was until the vision twisted to all of them killing each other for dominance, and darkness consumed them all. The vision became twisted more so again, with all of them enslaved, bowing before some being of enormous power. They all had black chains around their necks connected to this unknown being." Soularous shifted in his seat uncomfortably, the vision left him scared, which was a feat to scare this demon lord.

“Our Being would not permit that to happen to us,” Maelwin said, trying to make light of such a horrifying scenario for Orla's sake, reassuring her, as well as reassuring himself, but then he noticed she had flown off and was even now returning with the discarded drinks for their guest, demonstrating her fine breeding and respect for good manners. She lowered the tray of delicious honey mead and he and the demon lord reached for the filled cups.

Soularous relaxed, "I believe that the adversary is approaching. My father wants the races united, but in harmony, like the old days. However the adversary wants them all enslaved by his will. I'm speaking of the being that is rejected to be mentioned, the one they call The Nameless One." The storms flickered back to a stronger breeze that sent chills to the back. Jace trembled at what he was seeing and hearing. Soularous looked at Jace. "Who is that?"

“This is fascinating and disturbing,” Maelwin said, hardly knowing what else to say. The first part of the divine vision sounded like an idealist's dream or the world advocated by the teachings of the Fair Lady whose main tenet was not order or chaos, but rather balance. The rest of what was described sounded like a bad mushroom trip transmitted by a senescent god of questionable sanity. Maelwin felt uncharacteristically out of his depth. This was a discussion he knew Soularous of course ought to be having with Mistress Avara. Still, the words haunted him. Was this Nameless One a real actual entity? Maelwin did not like the idea of a new player that could bolster the forces of order and stability that were already strong enough to oftimes check and defeat the forces of Chaos. Shaking his head, he belatedly heard the offhand question Soularous had asked about Jace who was still imprisoned in Orla's vines. “Hmm? The lad is just a human, a product of their foul civilisation, a petty thief of no consequence. He's no one. Let me take you to our leader, Avara Xaulder, the Avatar of Fernoia, the very manifestation of her spirit here in the Materium. She is surely aware of your presence already, Lord Soularous, and is awaiting you now even as we speak...”

Soularous looked at Jace, "If he is no one, then why do you bind him so? Surely if he isn't important, then you would let him go on his way? Binding someone like him, there has to be a reason. If you say he has no significance, then he shouldn't be bound like that. I believe you should release him and let him be on his way. Believe it or not, he isn't on the side of civilization. If he was, he wouldn't have broken their laws and ran here." Jace relaxed, having never felt so safe in his life hearing this powerful being stick up for him. Was the great King in Blue, Soularous, really his advocate?

Maelwin glanced over at Jace, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. Why would the demon lord care so much about this impudent little street urchin? “He may be an outlier just as you say, my lord, but the lad has seen things a mortal cannot see without paying a severe price. 'Tis just how it is, and I would be remiss in my duty if I did not see him properly punished.”

Soularous turned his head to Maelwin, "I won't go to your Avatar unless you release him immediately." The storm cracked some eldritch lightning and announced thunder, revealing that the demon lord was not happy about Jace being imprisoned.

Maelwin wanted to know what right Soularous thought he had telling them how to deal with an intruder. This wasn't one of the Nine Hells, it was the clear and undisputed domain of Fernoia, but his throat dried up and he momentarily forgot how to speak as the clap of thunder punctuated the demon lord's ultimatum. Orla was quick to acquiesce, and making a few subtle, arcane gestures, the vines uncoiled from around Jace and retreated away across the forest floor. There was a look of relief in her eyes, evidence of the deep discomfort she felt at being party to his capture.

“Is there anything else you wish to demand of us, my lord?” Maelwin asked, letting his displeasure show. “Would you have us make our territory open to every human criminal who sought refuge within our sacred wood?”

"Would you rather have order come marching in? Criminals are breakers of the laws, some should be forgiven, others should be purged. He is a thief, stealing from the rich, thus ruining the way of order. Now go, boy, now." Soularous motioned for Jace to take his leave.

Jace went to collect his fallen gold but stopped himself, saying disgustedly, "You know what, you can keep it. I'll remind myself never to come around here again and tell everybody that doesn't fit your ideas out as well, you racist piece of-"

Soularous glanced hard at Jace, causing the young boy to run. He ran as fast as his legs could take him, until he eventually reached a road that would ultimately lead him to his fate, and betrayal.

Present

Shade opened his eyes, a dark tear falling from his shadowed face. That was the day before he met the Guild, his first family. They betrayed him five years later, and ironically sacrificed him to Soularous, but now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn't Soularous, maybe it was this Nameless One, however he doubted that an entity like that would come into play, if it even existed. Shade began to move out, keeping to the shadows, something he now always had to do.