all, gathered and milled upon the green, waiting. Kael waited with them, and he could sense the anticipation emanating from them. From time to time, he cast a glance up, toward the top of the mountain, to the highest tier of the fortress-city of Trueheart. There, beyond ring after ring of stout defensive walls constructed of huge stone blocks that ascended the sides of the mountain, stood the palace of Torm.
The knight's heart was glad to be there. He felt an old kinship with the fortress-city and its inhabitants that he had never quite mustered for the Court of Tyr.
I am a warrior, a servant of Torm. This is where I belong.
Thinking it made Kael feel a little better, but he knew that only time would heal the wounds he felt. He was content to move on, to turn the page to a new chapter of his life. But he mourned the decisions of the High Council, the severing of his relationship with Tauran.
If they had sentenced Tauran to death, that might have been better than this, he thought. Knowing he's out there, somewhere, wandering, lonely, without a deity or a cause to serve. That hurts more.
You were a good mentor, my friend. I will miss you. What the High Council decreed was shameful. You deserved better. You were a wise and noble servant, and they should have listened to you.
Kael caught himself growing angry all over again and reminded himself of his vow to leave it in the past.
Time to move on. Let it go.
He had tried repeatedly to tell himself that the anger and resentment was just another example of how much he had let himself become too involved in the affairs of the Tyrrans. Tauran had mentored him well, perhaps, but Tauran had also wandered from his path, and Kael had been dragged-albeit willingly-along, too.
It wasn't your fight. Don't continue to make it your problem.
Kael sighed and thought of his mother. In a way, he was thankful that she was gone from his life too. He understood her much better after the night they had spent talking, by the pool in the enchanted garden. He accepted that she had become much more than her heritage, just as he had always strived to overcome both the fiendish and drow blood in him. He no longer blamed her for what had gone wrong with Tauran's efforts. She had been, in many ways, just as loyal as Kael himself.
But at the same time, Kael saw her as turmoil incarnate. Everywhere she became involved, chaos followed.
It's her nature, he reminded himself. She is what she is in that regard, even when she tries not to be.
For that matter, the same could be said about Pharaun. A product of his society, all wrapped up in his strange games of intrigue, noble house battling noble house. Kael couldn't imagine playing such games, constantly awaiting some espionage or double cross to ruin his plans. He could never be a drow.
But the son of a drow… if they are creatures of their own nature, what does that make me?
They only sired and bore you, he argued. Nothing more. You are more than just the product of your parents. You are what you make of yourself. Be different. Stay true to your beliefs! Aliisza proved that it can be done. Honor her in that way.
Kael blinked and shook his head slightly to rid himself of the conflicting thoughts. Move on, he thought again. Remembering Pharaun's advice, he added, be true to who you are so you can answer to yourself at the end of your time.
Shaking off the morose thoughts, the knight turned his attention back to the gathering of soldiers. He scanned the pennants flapping in the warm breezes, seeking the one with the white hammer within a circle on a purple field. He suspected it would not be hard to spot, but thus far, it was not there. His new commander had not arrived, yet.
Come soon, Kael urged. This idleness gives me too much time to think.
A group of hound archons outfitted for battle strolled past the half-drow, deep in conversation. Their discussion was animated and loud, and he could not help but overhear parts of it.
'I don't understand why he waited as long as he did,' one of the dog-headed creatures said. 'It seems like his indecision has cost the House precious time and resources.'
'Why resources?' one of the archon's companions asked.
'Because so many deserted him already, and not all of them have come over to join us. If he had been more willing to-'
'You tread on dangerous footing,' another warned. 'Tyr has his own reasons for surrendering his power, and only he could comprehend when the right time was to do so. You should not be so quick to-'
'Excuse me,' Kael said, his voice shaking. The words he was hearing sent a shiver of cold fear through him. 'What did you just say? What did Tyr do?'
The archons slowed and turned to the knight. They looked puzzled at his question. 'You have not heard?' one of them asked.
Kael shook his head. 'No. I only just arrived. But I came from there, and I did not hear any news.'
'Indeed, it only happened this morning,' the hound warrior said. 'Tyr is abdicating his godhood. He has granted Torm his deific power and counseled his followers to offer their allegiances to the True One. Ilmater has returned to the House to aid him in this transfer.'
Kael swallowed, trying to absorb what he was hearing. 'Why?' Did our actions lead to all this? Did Tauran's wavering faith cause this crisis? No. That is not possible. We were trying to help!
The archon shrugged. 'They say it's because he has lost faith in himself, in his own ability to lead and judge,' he said. 'All the turmoil within the Court just took its toll, I suppose.'
Kael put his hands to his head. What have we caused? No! Zasian and Cyric did it! Not us!
The archon was still speaking. 'And now, with the invasion, maybe he felt it would serve everyone better. I do not pretend to understand the wisdom of the gods.'
Kael's head snapped up again, a surge of shock hitting him anew. 'Invasion?' he asked. 'What invasion?'
'Where have you been hiding, soldier?' the archon asked. 'Demons. Hordes of them are coming. The Abyss is disgorging them faster than our spies can count, and they march toward us. Haven't you seen the mustering?' The creature gestured at the gathering army on the green. 'What did you think all of this was for? We prepare to march to war, soldier. You'd better get to your unit.'
'Oh, by Torm,' Kael breathed. It was happening. What Vhok had suggested, half in a bluff, was coming to pass. The cambion had vowed to reveal what he knew, expose the weaknesses of the House, to the abyssal lords. Had he done it? Had he somehow reached them and convinced them to muster their armies?
That must be it. I have to find Tauran.
'Thank you,' Kael said, but his mind was already whirling with possibilities. He turned to the green and sought the standard of his new commander once more. He finally spotted it on the far side of the common. The officers had arrived. Kael sprinted for the flapping pennant, leaving the archons staring at him in puzzlement.
When Kael reached the point where his commander's staff officers had gathered, he gave the closest one a salute and said, 'I am Kael, Knight of the Order of the Vigilant and recently returned from the Court of Tyr. I am reporting for duty, but I beg leave to return to the Court. I just heard about Tyr's abdication, and I have urgent business there.'
The angel returned the salute and gave him a puzzled look. 'Of what do you speak?' he asked. 'We march soon, knight, and we will need every able blade we can muster.'
'I know, but I believe I am more needed there, where I can halt a great travesty from occurring.'
The angel shook his head. 'I'm sorry, soldier, but I can't grant you that leave. Everything is chaos over there right now, and whatever good you think you can do, you will be needed here more. Now, get ready to march.'
With that, the angel turned away and left Kael standing there. The half-drow clenched both his teeth and his fists. He wanted to argue with the angel, make the celestial understand how important it was to reach Tauran and the others.
He's still trying to reach the Lifespring, even after all this time. It's just the kind of thing he'd do, to spite all of us. And if he gets there and gains its power and energy-or worse yet, brings a company, a regiment…
We must stop him from doing that. It could turn the tide of battle against us!
But Kael's thought was a hunch, nothing more, and he knew no one would listen.
Grimacing in defeat, he turned away and made his way toward the gathering troops who were collecting their gear, donning tabards with the same hammer-and-circle symbol on them, and readying to go to war.
If Tauran were here, Kael thought, he would go anyway.
Yes, and that's why he is no longer a member of the Court. You must not abandon your own duty. You are a
