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Voidguards are all the same.<\/em><\/p>\n Kentaris stepped back, snapping her knife up. \u201cWhat do you mean, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n The Voidguard\u2019s face was a solemn mask. \u201cBy the Covenant of the Church of Creation, within the Holy City of Amarantopolis I cannot permit a witch to live.\u201d He pressed his lips together. \u201cLeave now, and I shall pursue this no further.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t do that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She shifted, extending her arm and aiming her witchblade at his throat. The Voidguard clearly had some kind of fencing experience, though she hadn\u2019t seen any fencing school that integrated firearms. On the other hand, all she knew about blades was how to direct the point at the opponent and drive it in. She didn\u2019t even like blades, and the only reason she\u2019d grown her witchblade was because she suspected Simon would have neutralized her long-distance magic.<\/p>\n The Voidguard kept his arms high, almost like a boxer. His soulblade was made entirely of quintessence. It brimmed with energy, yearning to release it all in a single flash. And he had more quintessence on him, too. Spare ammunition, it seemed. If she had to take him, she would fake high, fake low, buying time to launch a dart of detonation. And she had to strike first.<\/p>\n \u201cI have my duty, hexe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo do I, Voidguard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what is your duty?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have business to finish here. And I must tend to my dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so long as I am within the city limits, I cannot permit a witch to live.\u201d<\/p>\n Her arm grew tired, but she dared not let it show. \u201cThat\u2019s a common mistranslation. The actual word means poisoner, not witch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow that is a common mistake. You gain your power by imbibing what your people call ambrosia, yes? This makes you a\u00a0pharmakeus<\/em>. One who makes potions with magical effects. From that word we derive poisoner. And witch.\u201d<\/p>\n She licked her lips. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to debate theology, then at least acknowledge that the original word was\u00a0k\u2019shaphim<\/em>, and the intent behind it refers to magic that cuts off life and property. Hence, \u2018poisoner\u2019 as a metaphor. I have done nothing that falls under this proscription.\u201d<\/p>\n The Voidguard chuckled, once, but kept his guard up. \u201cThe destruction you have wrought today speaks otherwise. Leave the city, or face the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n Her arm betrayed her, wavering in his face. \u201cI can\u2019t walk away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither can I.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat leaves us in an interesting position, does it not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. And we can\u2019t stay here forever.\u201d<\/p>\n She was getting tired. If she had to act, it had to be now. And yet…<\/p>\n …And yet, he didn\u2019t have to warn her. Warn the coven.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you warn us?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were about to be ambushed by Voidspawn. And I vowed to use my gifts to serve all mankind, be they believers or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich means?\u201d<\/p>\n He stepped back, lowering his guard ever so slightly. \u201cThis blade is for monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d she asked, also taking another step back.<\/p>\n Now they were both out of each other\u2019s range. He lowered his soulblade even further. \u201cAnd I have not gathered enough evidence to prove that you\u2019re one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s generous of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have my Covenant to keep.\u201d He lowered his blade to his hip. \u201cTruce?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTruce. Let\u2019s put our our weapons away on the count of three.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgreed. One.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree,\u201d they said together.<\/p>\n The soulblade glowed and shrank, collapsing into a fist-sized lump. She sent a touch of entropy through her, breaking down her withblade and scattering it to the winds.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is your name?\u201d she asked. \u201cI don\u2019t want to keep thinking of you as \u2018the Voidguard\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n He made a soft, indistinct sound. \u201cAlan Beringer. And yours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeraphina Kentaris.\u201d She narrowed her eyes. \u201cAnd before you ask, that\u2019s my cover name. Unconnected to my real one.\u201d<\/p>\n He laughed. \u201cI expected nothing less. Tell me, why did you come to this city?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy coven and I heard that a Fellbeast haunted Amarantopolis. We came to investigate, and if necessary, handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean \u2018demon\u2019. Or \u2018Voidspawn\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugged. \u201cSame difference.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of a witch-cult hunting Voidspawn.\u201d<\/p>\n She prickled. \u201cFollowers of the Tradition prefer harmony and non-violence. We don\u2019t \u2018hunt\u2019 Fellbeasts. We send them from this world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich was why you set up an ambush for the ghouls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGhouls aren\u2019t intelligent enough to negotiate with. The fastest way to send them is to destroy their shells.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Defiled?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey belong to the Fallen now. We simply returned them home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a funny definition of harmony and non-violence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe terms we use don\u2019t translate cleanly. Let me rephrase. Everything we do is in line with the All. We did not corrupt the world. We simply restored harmony by utilizing natural processes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, so long as it helps you sleep at night. Are there any other creatures in Amarantopolis that we need to worry about?\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugged. \u201cHey, this is my first foray into your fair city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot my city. I just got here myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLucky us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. But back to the original question: why did you come here to \u2018handle\u2019 the demon? The Holy City falls under the jurisdiction of the Church. You have no business here.\u201d<\/p>\n She pressed her lips together. \u201cBecause Fallen like Simon need a human conduit to cross over. If…when the Voidguard locates and eliminates Simon, there will be panic. Demands for answers. Your superiors will need a scapegoat. A\u00a0pharmakon<\/em>.\u201d She smirked. \u201cWho do you think they\u2019ll blame?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou deny that the Tradition is responsible for calling Simon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no central leadership and no formalized doctrine. What we do have is the Creed, and through it we are bound by oath to do no harm. I cannot see how bringing over a Fallen harms none.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have seen quite a few witches summon Voidspawn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWitches? Or warlocks? They violated the Creed and they broke their oaths. They are not followers of the Tradition. Unlike your paedophile patriarchs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot all of us are in line with the Supreme Ecclesiastic Court on that matter, nor do we all ensure that these monsters escape justice. But I take your point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo we finally agree on something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. All the same, I cannot take your words at face value.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you\u2019d like to see what\u2019s in my backpack then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShow me. Slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n Very, very slowly, she eased it off her shoulders and set it on the ground. She noticed that he stooped over and picked up his pistol. As she unzipped it he fumbled with the weapon, uttered a soft curse, and holstered it. She opened her bag and stepped back, letting its contents glow.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d he asked. \u201cA paling-stone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Our second oath is to restore the world to harmony, and the paling-stone prevents the Fallen from crossing over. When we learned that the cemetery\u2019s paling-stone was gone, we decided to replace it. I imagine you do not wish to be plagued by wights.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. Let\u2019s go replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n She retrieved her bag, and together they headed for the paling-tower. She sipped a little more ambrosia, just enough to maintain her Dark Vision. She kept her head on a swivel, watching for signs of the Fallen. None. She heaved a soft sigh of relief. The paling-stone hadn\u2019t been gone for too long.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alone?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems you are. Odd, really, in the city that founded the Voidguards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne crisis, one Voidguard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery funny.\u201d<\/p>\n The paling-tower was in the heart of the necropolis. It was a stone obelisk covered in inscriptions. At eye level on every side was a hexagram. She\u2019d read in old books that witches shunned holy symbols. She found that both sad and hilarious; some witches she knew incorporated the hexagram into their own practices.<\/p>\n The access hatch to the paling stone was locked. Beringer placed a small aethertool up against the lock. In moments it transmuted into a key. He unlocked the hatch and opened it. Kentaris retrieved the paling-stone, and very carefully set the giant crystal on the receptor within the tower. When the paling-stone was in position, the hexagrams glowed a pure, brilliant white. In her dark vision, a curtain of white descended upon the area, washing away the presence of death, replacing it with a calm serenity.<\/p>\n Out the corner of her eye, she caught Beringer staring at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it? Expecting me to burst into flame?\u201d<\/p>\n He chuckled. \u201cPerhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou, sir, are a wicked, wicked, man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. So, is our business done here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still have to tend to my dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do not sound particularly saddened by their deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were thrown together at the last minute. I barely knew them. But they were good people and I will see them treated properly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLeave their bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLeave their bodies,\u201d he repeated. \u201cI need to explain battle to my superiors, and they won\u2019t believe me if I said I killed them all by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese are people we are talking about. You know how the Church handles the bodies of witches.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and by your faith, if they were good people then their essence would have returned to the All. The bodies are just sacks of meat now.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a lie. She had seen what Simon had done to them. Still…she suspected he was doing his damnedest to grant her leeway. She had to work with him too. \u201cVery well. But they will be treated humanely.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled. \u201cWe are not monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n They trudged to the direction of the exit in silence. The Voidguard maintained his vigil, watching every nook and cranny. His vision was enhanced like hers, but in a different way. The energies within him were a raw, roiling, chaotic mess that sought to convert everything into itself. It was what the Church called the Void, she supposed, and not so different from the Fallen. In the face of naked evil, what were differences in dogma?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your number?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a telecrystal, do you not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what if I do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are here to neutralize the Greater Demon, yes? We have the same goal. We should work together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t mind working with a witch?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy organization\u2019s mandate is to protect humans from monsters. And, I suspect, so is yours.\u201d<\/p>\n She whirled around. \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t look at me like that. You knew of a Greater Demon here, you brought guns and a paling-stone, and you clearly know how to handle yourself in a fight. That means training, resources and intelligence. That implies an organization. Secretive, yes, informal, perhaps, but clearly an organization.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n He smiled. \u201cI knew it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not saying anything to the likes of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe that as it may, I don\u2019t want to hunt a Greater Demon alone, and neither would you. We have to work together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you said something about not permitting a witch to live?\u201d<\/p>\n He laughed. \u201cI cannot permit a witch to live in the Holy City of Amarantopolis. Therefore, if you finish your business in the City, you will move on, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good enough for the law, and therefore good enough for me.\u201d<\/p>\n She laughed too. \u201cI\u2019ll hold to your word, Voidguard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI intend to keep it, hexe.\u201d He extended his hand. \u201cEnemies?\u201d<\/p>\n She took his hand. \u201cEnemies.\u201d<\/p>\n They shook.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Previous parts:\u00a01<\/a>,\u00a02<\/a>,\u00a03<\/a><\/p>\n If this story looks familiar, it’s the original concept of my Covenant Chronicles series. To see how it really turned out, check out my latest novel\u00a0HAMMER OF THE WITCHES<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Cheah](\"https:\/\/steemitimages.com\/0x0\/https:\/\/cdn.steemitimages.com\/DQmcSX4MiYdPvqUChc7eBRiaSvNLAb2vT71wFubG75cArg8\/Cheah%20Git%20San%20Red.jpg\")
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