Page 15 of Red Demon (Oria #1)

Mahakal

T wo days later, I sought Mahakal out at the temple, a tall, ornate structure that had likely been at the center of town since its inception. Inside, the air tasted smoky—the scent of the incense burning in little metal grates was altogether foreign to me, but soothing.

Candles flickered shadows across the stark Asri marble walls and the frescoes high above.

Along the alcove that led to offices and private rooms, however, the temple gave the Chaeten a voice, vibrant art depicting war heroes and half-remembered history from our lost planet.

I paused at a painting of the day my ancestor’s planet died, a bright corona around the once shining globe.

On one side, the planet was stark and black as the surrounding void.

On the other, the webs of golden lights held out long enough for vessels to escape.

I made myself keep moving, feeling watched.

Maybe I was being watched. I turned to see two acolytes drifting through the sanctuary toward me, slithering with seductive grace.

What sheer fabric they wore let me see everything the man and woman were not wearing underneath.

Voids. Their eyes gleamed in unison with a practiced welcome at my tall, muscled form.

But I was no soldier from the nearby barrack looking to buy some time with them.

Once they were close enough to see my face through the smoke, their smiles vanished, replaced by what might be pity.

Sorry. Too young to fuck either of you, even if I could afford the donation.

Shame flamed hot in my cheeks when the man turned back, catching me leering at his muscled back and ass.

I looked away. Across the sanctuary was an open door, and then I saw who I came for, and that set both my heads straight.

Inside, Major Mahakal leaned against an intricate marble pillar, whispering with two red-armored soldiers.

He crossed muscular arms and frowned, his black and silver tunic stark against the white room, with a sash mimicking the green and violet sheen of his raven.

Two other high-ranking Z’har sat near him at a table, their faces torn with thin scars, their conversation punctuated with grim nods.

As I approached, their voices trailed off, replaced by a mute chorus of three hard stares.

“Major Mahakal.” I forced my feet forward.

An assessing frown creased his brow. “Friend, find a priest for your questions.” Captain Havoc took a step forward to direct me away. Major Mahakal raised a hand in quiet, his green eyes squinting at me.

“Did you know the Red Demon attacked Crofton?” The words tumbled out in a rush. Mahakal scarcely adjusted his posture, but I felt a wave of emotion shift in the little room. “She’s responsible for the Crofton Mine collapse, and I think all the deaths in that town.”

Major Mahakal smiled, and although I found the intensity of his grin a bit terrifying, it felt like he was listening. “You’ve seen this firsthand?”

I squinted my eyes shut, clenching and unclenching a fist. To admit that I had would mean I’d come from below the Bend, that I escaped the quarantine efforts. “Yes.”

“I see,” he said, his voice deep and honeyed.

“Major,” Captain Havoc said, and the silent conversation that took place between him, Mahakal and the other Asri officer made all the hairs on my neck stand up.

I’d said goodbye to Ash and Galen just in case, and Asher had hugged me so tight.

Mahakal cleared his throat, and his strange pale eyes bore into me.

This time, there was a hint of warmth in his voice.

“Would you join me for lunch? There’s a little restaurant across the street with a few decent Chaeten dishes.

I think we both might be more comfortable hearing your story there. ”

I managed to hide my shock. “Yes. Thank you, Major Mahakal.”

I followed Mahakal, his gait too fluid to be anything but unsettling.

I tamped down my bigotry when the word “inhuman” sprang to mind, hating myself a little for thinking like that.

He served the queen. Across the bustling street, a sign with a vibrant splash of gold and violet stood out among the weathered white-stone buildings.

RYU’S HARMONY TAVERN. Inside, I perused colorful Chaeten-style murals depicting Asri life: families harvesting painted rice paddies, children chasing butterflies across violet-blue skies, the mycelial webs of the Oria bionetwork reaching deep into the earth.

On another wall, the gleaming city of Thebos, that even I could tell must have come from an illustration rather than someone who’d seen it first-hand.

Still, I appreciated the attempt to make it seem like we all belonged in the same world, even though they couldn’t make us fit on the same wall.

Ginger and spices met my nose, and the familiar scent of Asri flatbread.

Cushions occupied the space around low Asri tables, topped with spring wildflowers.

On the opposite side of the room were a couple of wooden booths with mismatched chairs.

I supposed that was the nod to the Chaeten way of doing things. Mahakal led me to an empty booth.

A kind-faced old man with a neatly trimmed auburn beard approached. His green and blue ringed eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, that smile flickering when he looked at me. “Welcome back, Major! And how lovely to meet your new … recruit.”

“Thank you, Ryu,” Mahakal said. “Two of whatever your Chaeten special is today, please.”

“Ah! Today we’ve had some river-caught trout, spring greens—”

“That will be excellent Ryu, thank you,” Mahakal cut him off with an apologetic smile.

Ryu stood firm on exchanging pleasantries, though.

He wasn’t satisfied until he had my name along with my drink order, my opinions on the weather, and my plans for the upcoming Rain Festival.

Mahakal turned to me with a wry smile as soon as Ryu turned away.

“If any man could talk his way out of a battle, it’s Ryu.

His skills are underutilized in a place like this. ”

“Yeah, he’s nice,” I said, although my mind lingered in a colder and darker place, where the ground rumbled from mining equipment and Mal lay twitching in the snow.

I looked up to see Mahakal studying me, and I wilted under his gaze—how similar his features were to the first Chaeten-sa I’d met.

To my surprise, Mahakal reached across the table and gave my shoulder a familiar pat, strong and measured.

“Don’t be so tense, friend. I can tell you’ve been living rough for a while. But it seems your luck turned around?”

I nodded. “Elder Galen Eirini gave me a job at his forge. He’s the one who told me I should talk to you.”

“Ah. I’m glad you’ve found some stability after your hardship. I hope you can trust that I want to help you in any way I can.”

I blinked. Voids, he was nothing like the Red Demon. I studied his earnest, intelligent gaze. “Thank you, but I’m not looking for charity. I just wanted to tell you what I know, to do the right thing.”

“I recognize that.” Mahakal leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You saw her first. That’s why I terrify you, isn’t it? Or is it because you don’t want to be the only Chaeten in a refugee camp?”

I froze, then considered running out the door. But Ryu arrived with the drinks then, and Mahakal smiled as he brought a frothy beer to his lips. My breath hitched.

“Please don’t be afraid.” He set down his glass.

“If you told a half-witted priest where you are from—yes, he’d ship you off for breaking past the quarantine line.

But I’ll run a blood test in the temple to confirm what I suspect, that you aren’t capable of catching or spreading the South Bend Outbreak: SBO.

If you are putting innocent people at risk, well then—” His eyes were on fire.

“I never got sick.” A deep breath calmed my racing heart.

“I trust you. And I’m going to need you to trust me back, Jesse.” Mahakal met my gaze, his jaw hard. “If I don’t have the whole truth, I may not be able to find her. Every fact helps, no matter how small. Hold nothing back. Nothing.”

I frowned. “Okay.”

He studied my expression, unsatisfied. “There’s a reason I named myself Mahakal when I came of age,” the Major said, his tone reflective.

“I was off to war, and I needed a symbol the Attiq-ka and their Asri loyalists could understand. They like mythology from forgotten worlds—the more obscure, the better.” He waved his hand in a loop to show what he thought of that.

“My name and my raven stand for justice. To those that do evil, I bring death, swift or slow, depending on the crime. Someone with Chaeten code killing their own kind en masse deserves the worst side of me, as do the Asri mages my elite soldiers hunt,” he finished with a solemn nod.

“Justice sounds good.” I felt I could match the intensity he radiated. The world bent around me with an unspoken promise, vengeance simmering in the blaze of Mahakal’s eyes.

“But I also represent peace.” The Major leaned forward.

“The righteous, I’ll reward within my sphere of influence, give them power to do more.

To the innocent who have suffered, I’ll protect them; give them boons where I can.

You are someone that deserves my favor.” Hope sprouted in me like the first flowers in the morning training grounds.

I took in a sharp breath. “Let’s create justice together,” Mahakal whispered.