A perpetual unmoving, red sun beat down on us day in and day out. All that would change was the shade, from a deep maroon during nightfall and an apricot orange throughout the day. We came across scores of demons occupying Juna villages and townships, turning women into sex slaves and men into work horses. As much as I wanted to liberate them, a new batch of demons would stroll right in once we left. There was little we could do but focus on the overarching task at hand— defeating Edith.
The tall walls of Semiramis came quickly into view first as we crested over the mountains that formed its border with Parthun. It felt like it was only a few days ago we were here disguised as prostitutes. However, much has changed since we left.
There were a greater number of soldiers manning the walls atop the battlements. The gate entrances were shut, and hundreds of people outside, many of them transients and refugees seeking shelter within the capital, had been abandoned by their own. Everyone looked worse for wear. If demons made a coordinated effort against Semiramis and its beaten armies, the city would surely fall were it not for its high walls.
Part of me was amused to know that King Uldrin was likely cowering inside his keep. My greatest worry at the moment was the witch that flew past us last time we were here.
"The friend you are searching for can't possibly be here, could she?" Thelia asked, scanning the sprawling city of gothic architecture that appeared to interest her.
"No," I answered.
The reason being that it was essentially two armies I was in search of— the Silver Cross and the Principality of Ors' army distinguishable by their sigil of a sparrow carrying a ribbon. A city under lockdown couldn't possibly feed so many more people. Neither would Quinny's insurgents pass up a chance to seize Semiramis during its most weakened state. Since the city still stands and had yet to see battle, it reasoned that Quinny had her people elsewhere.
Thelia and I landed in a filthy alleyway in a rundown portion of the lower wards, an area where buildings in disrepair were buttressed up against the wall and saw more shade than shine. We didn't see the homeless man sitting against the wall and picking his nose. He gawked at us, mouth floundering to make words.
"Allow me." The erinyes went for her whip until I stuck a hand out to stop her.
"We're here to help them, not threaten them to keep quiet." I inched toward the man and offered a tart that Noelle had baked. He snatched the tart and stuffed it into his mouth whole, nearly choking on it as he swallowed. "It must have been tough with all that's been going on. I hope you can answer some questions for me. Could you tell me what happened here?"
"Whole world suddenly turned bloody red. Hell if I know what happened. King Uldrin's not been seen for a week." He spat off to the side from a missing tooth in his mouth.
"Who's in charge and leading the defenses?" I asked.
The man scratched his unkempt beard in thought. "You should know better than me. She a witch like you after all. Dunno her name."
I was being too hopeful that an ordinary subject of this kingdom would know who the witch was. Most of Parthun didn't know who I was. This left us at a disadvantage not knowing which cardinal sin she was. The last I remembered was that she appeared older. Perhaps of similar appearance to Headmistress Anora.
An older witch spelled trouble. If I thought Eudora and Mira were bad news, I could only fathom decades down the line how much stronger they might become. Only a handful of witches continued practicing witchcraft as they got older, those typically became faculty or elected to become members of the Elder Board.
"One more question— a while back, a large army parked itself in front of Semiramis. They displayed the banner of a sparrow holding a ribbon. Do you know what happened to them?" I gave him another tart as encouragement.
"Them folks from Ors, eh? I remember that uproar. The witch turned them away at the gate. Told them to go south. Careful, lass. The levees might flood this time of the year." He ate the second tart and stuck his hands into his pocket.
That was probably about as much as I was going to get out of him. I thanked him, but as I turned to leave, he grabbed my hand and pressed something into my palm. It was a silver cross. Before I could thank him again, he was already walking away.
Thelia glared at the man's back as she walked up to me. "Did we learn of their location?"
"I think I do," I answered.
The Silver Cross' influence ran deeper than I expected. King Uldrin's reign wouldn't last much longer if it hadn't already been taken over by the witch who resided here already.
We flew south, following a river that was framed by two levees branching off to the adjacent farmlands. One in particular was seeing an overflow. The excessively wet soil and a layer of water on the surface were signs of recent flooding, evidence of a lack of maintenance in the area. Juna's mountain ranges were unique in that the closer it got to the winter season, the more the ambient heat from Parthun's forests rises to the top and melts the snow at higher elevation.
An encampment came into view, surrounded by spiked wooden barricades. Hundreds of tents were raised outside of a city, both of which looked untouched by the demon menace. I caught sight of Quinny's fiery mane of hair. She and several others were knee deep in mud fastening a barricade that had come loose from the main line.
"Quinny!" I shouted from above.
The leader of the Silver Cross glanced left and right, and became confused when she saw nothing. The men around her saw us first but were startled by the demon at my side. When she finally glanced up, her frown creased into a smirk.
"Now ain't you a sight," Quinny remarked.
After Quinny washed off of mud and grime, she invited us to speak within the privacy of her personal room in the town's only tavern. Though even for being the sister of a princess, it was far less extravagant than I'd like. It was only a rickety bed and wood burner stove to provide both heat and light.
"Looks like you and your people had it rough," I said, taking a chair Quinny had pulled out for me and Thelia.
"Rough doesn't begin to describe it. First of all, I can't believe I was associating with a witch of all things, and now you have a demon fighting for you? But I guess that doesn't matter anymore, seeing as we're on the same side and got bigger trouble now." She chewed on a piece of jerky as she spoke. Her sunken cheeks told me she hadn't eaten a full meal in days. If she was suffering, I couldn't imagine what her people were going through.
"Demons are only a small part of the problem. My people in Parthun are getting ready to strike at Thanreas to end this once and for all," I explained.
Quinny grimaced. "And you need my army to join? Believe me if I could partake in a siege on the Eternal City for a chance to gut that councillor bitch, I would. Leaving Juna means I condemn these poor folks to the mercy of demons, and demons ain't got mercy to show."
I didn't come all this way for nothing. There had to be a way to convince her. What could I do or say?
"Wouldn't have to worry if you were hiding behind those big walls like those humans back in the other city," Thelia suddenly chimed in.
A light went off in my head. I grabbed Thelia's face and kissed her, surprising her and Quinny.
"Thelia. You're a genius!" I exclaimed.
"I-I am? May I receive a reward for it?" she asked, panting heavily.
"Later. If we get your people into Semiramis, would that be enough for you to consider joining me?" I asked Quinny.
She cleared her throat. "Last I heard the old fuck raised the gates. If you can get us safely from here to Semiramis, ensure these people are safe from the king and his witch, you have mine and my sister's sword."
The two of us shook on it, and she looked more relieved than when I first arrived.
"No one said it was going to end peacefully. There is only one way this can go down— subdue the witch and hold King Uldrin hostage," I suggested.
"I like where this is going. It's time the Silver Cross pay their dues." Quinny cracked her knuckles.
