to win the day. The cyclops is already mine. I control every aspect of the world within the lens. I control every aspect of the Relentless itself, down to the finest detail. And now, thanks to eons of effort, I extend my control even to the waters surrounding the ship. And through those waters I control the fate of a nation. You should have known better than attempt to bargain with a demon, Korm Calladan. We are not limited by human frailties, weaknesses, or desires.”
There it was again. The demon controlled every aspect not just of this gloomy underworld, but of the ship that surrounded it. Korm smiled. His sword might not be up to the challenge of killing a demon, but perhaps another avenue presented itself.
“Who was Durvin Gest?” asked Korm.
“No one of consequence,” snapped Juval, in a manner that suggested otherwise. After a moment’s consideration, it continued. “You remind me of him. Lean like a predator. Sword on the right hip, though Gest’s was a true blade and not a needle like yours. He was a stronger man than you, from a better era, but the prototype is the same.
“You even have his eyes. Sharp as a forest drake. Gray as a wolf.”
“You sound very familiar with those eyes,” said Korm. Juval’s own eyes flared, but the demon kept its face placid, as if it had barely noticed the comment. The calm extended only as far as its brow, where its serpentine hair writhed in disdain, each tiny ophidian face registering its personal disgust at his impudence. Behind Juval, on the small rise at the center of the valley, the burning manor house flared mightily. Korm felt its warmth on his cheeks.
“I knew him well. In the fifty centuries since a wizard’s treachery left me formless and bound eternally within the lens, hundreds of visitors have ventured here—many of them human like you. Pathetic creatures. Frail. Singularly obsessed with protecting their lives yet incapable of doing anything meaningful with them. A human will always, always sell out its principles to preserve its life, but so few manage to think beyond petty concerns like family and community.
“But Durvin Gest was unfettered from sentimentality. He sought to use his ephemeral human life exploring the world, taking in its marvels, and leaving his mark in the form of deeds and tales that would long outlive him.
“A quest of limitless scope requires a vessel of limitless capability, and so Durvin Gest claimed the Relentless by virtue of sword and guile. And in time…” Juval turned to glance at the burning home behind it, “In time, he even conquered me.”
Korm raised an eyebrow.
“I led the conquering hero all over the world. Around the Horn of Garund, through the straits of lost Azlant, and to the far shores of Arcadia. After every stop, Gest returned here to our home together. He told me of the people he had defeated and the mysteries he had solved. He brought me funerary masks and axeblades and bones and books, eagerly sharing the panorama of a larger world beyond the Relentless. A world I would never truly see. His triumphs became my triumphs. As his image of the world exploded with mystery and wonder, so did mine extend beyond the confines of my eternal prison. Our lives became linked.”
Aebos snapped his fingers, finally understanding what Korm was driving at. “The symbol on the dining room wall! That’s your doing! You and Durvin Gest had a partnership!”
“We had a bond. I knew that the captain of the Relentless was a truly exceptional human, and so I took on more than just a human form. I attempted to think like a human thinks. To aspire as the greatest of humans might aspire. To be the companion that this exceptional human desired. To be exceptional together.”
“Plenty of exceptional humans are trapped on Nex’s seas,” said Korm. “Because of you I even ate a couple of them. Many more exceptional humans will starve when ships can’t reach port. You’ve got to put an end to this.” Slowly,
There it was again. The demon controlled every aspect not just of this gloomy underworld, but of the ship that surrounded it. Korm smiled. His sword might not be up to the challenge of killing a demon, but perhaps another avenue presented itself.
“Who was Durvin Gest?” asked Korm.
“No one of consequence,” snapped Juval, in a manner that suggested otherwise. After a moment’s consideration, it continued. “You remind me of him. Lean like a predator. Sword on the right hip, though Gest’s was a true blade and not a needle like yours. He was a stronger man than you, from a better era, but the prototype is the same.
“You even have his eyes. Sharp as a forest drake. Gray as a wolf.”
“You sound very familiar with those eyes,” said Korm. Juval’s own eyes flared, but the demon kept its face placid, as if it had barely noticed the comment. The calm extended only as far as its brow, where its serpentine hair writhed in disdain, each tiny ophidian face registering its personal disgust at his impudence. Behind Juval, on the small rise at the center of the valley, the burning manor house flared mightily. Korm felt its warmth on his cheeks.
“I knew him well. In the fifty centuries since a wizard’s treachery left me formless and bound eternally within the lens, hundreds of visitors have ventured here—many of them human like you. Pathetic creatures. Frail. Singularly obsessed with protecting their lives yet incapable of doing anything meaningful with them. A human will always, always sell out its principles to preserve its life, but so few manage to think beyond petty concerns like family and community.
“But Durvin Gest was unfettered from sentimentality. He sought to use his ephemeral human life exploring the world, taking in its marvels, and leaving his mark in the form of deeds and tales that would long outlive him.
“A quest of limitless scope requires a vessel of limitless capability, and so Durvin Gest claimed the Relentless by virtue of sword and guile. And in time…” Juval turned to glance at the burning home behind it, “In time, he even conquered me.”
Korm raised an eyebrow.
“I led the conquering hero all over the world. Around the Horn of Garund, through the straits of lost Azlant, and to the far shores of Arcadia. After every stop, Gest returned here to our home together. He told me of the people he had defeated and the mysteries he had solved. He brought me funerary masks and axeblades and bones and books, eagerly sharing the panorama of a larger world beyond the Relentless. A world I would never truly see. His triumphs became my triumphs. As his image of the world exploded with mystery and wonder, so did mine extend beyond the confines of my eternal prison. Our lives became linked.”
Aebos snapped his fingers, finally understanding what Korm was driving at. “The symbol on the dining room wall! That’s your doing! You and Durvin Gest had a partnership!”
“We had a bond. I knew that the captain of the Relentless was a truly exceptional human, and so I took on more than just a human form. I attempted to think like a human thinks. To aspire as the greatest of humans might aspire. To be the companion that this exceptional human desired. To be exceptional together.”
“Plenty of exceptional humans are trapped on Nex’s seas,” said Korm. “Because of you I even ate a couple of them. Many more exceptional humans will starve when ships can’t reach port. You’ve got to put an end to this.” Slowly,
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