Chapter 2

Lyrissa Shander sipped her wine and watched Orthin dun Maltos as he ate another bite of his meal.

It was early evening in the city of Hacon’s Vision. Lyrissa and Orthin were seated together at a table in one of the city’s more exclusive restaurants. Lyrissa wore a blue evening gown while Orthin sported a dark jacket and a pair of gloves. Out of respect for Lyrissa’s usual desire for privacy, Belica Meadows, Lyrissa’s personal assistant, had ensured that the reservation was made for an isolated booth well away from the restaurant’s normal flow of traffic. Live musicians played melodies perfectly pitched to set the right atmosphere without being intrusive. Between the subdued music and the dim lighting, the only time Lyrissa and Orthin’s seclusion was disturbed was when the restaurant staff discreetly served the table.

Lyrissa put her wine down and continued where their conversation had left off.

“From what you’ve told me of your extensive technical background,” she said, “Eclipse is well served by your help.” Orthin raised his wineglass and dipped his head in thanks. “I didn’t realize that the Imperial Navy had need for such highly trained personnel. I know they need skilled people trained in combat, logistics and maintenance, obviously - but I didn’t think they’d also seek people versed in theory and research.”

Orthin dun Maltos nodded. “All branches of the Imperial Armed Forces maintain their own weapons testing and development facilities. There are also joint ventures; the biggest of which is located in the Province of Merth. Have you ever heard of ‘The Black Hole’?”

“I have. They award many contracts to Prism Corporation’s research and development subsidiaries. I assumed they just outsourced everything”

Orthin smiled “Part of that is because of your knack for ‘picking winners’ as you called it earlier,” he said and Lyrissa grimaced at his use of the phrase, “and to be perfectly frank another part is the aggressive lobbying done by your political allies.”

Lyrissa tilted her head to the side. “Does it bother you?” she asked. “The lobbying, I mean?”

“In general yes, it used to when I was younger,” Orthin admitted as he rubbed his chin with one of his gloved hands. “I felt that politics were somehow beneath the military and vowed to never fall into those kinds of games.” The former naval officer chuckled. “Look at me now, dining with one of the very ‘elitists’ I swore I’d never give the time of day. No offense,” he added as he held Lyrissa’s eyes and smiled.

“None taken,” Lyrissa murmured and smiled back. “To be equally honest, I never thought I’d become one of the so-called ‘elite’. When I was young, all I wanted was to get my photo in a few magazines. If I earned enough money to keep myself fed and pay the bills mostly on time while doing so, it would’ve been a bonus.”

“Until you told me about your modelling days, I always thought you started your career as an actress.”

“I was only ever a passable model but I had a good agent,” Lyrissa reflected. “He landed me in a few commercials and quickly recognized I had a talent for acting. He convinced me to give up modelling and focus on films - that’s when my career really took off.”

Orthin nodded. “I’ve seen several of your movies,” he admitted. “They’re very good. My favourite was definitely ‘Starborn‘. I’ve rarely met anyone who hasn’t at least heard the name and most had only good things to say.”

“Thank you,” Lyrissa said without false modesty. “That was my favourite, too.”

“Is that why you quit acting after ‘Starborn‘?” Orthin asked curiously. “Did you feel like it was your best work and that you’d never be able to top it?”

Lyrissa controlled her expression as Orthin’s curiosity sparked painful memories. She delayed momentarily by taking a mouthful of her vegetarian meal.

“That was a good part of it,” she eventually said. “I’m prideful enough that I wanted to end my career on a high note. By the time ‘Starborn‘ became ‘the highest grossing film of all time’ I was already quite wealthy. I discovered that my talent for managing wealth was just as strong and more engaging.”

Orthin studied Lyrissa thoughtfully for a moment then took a sip of his drink. Lyrissa suspected he might have caught a hint of something in her face after all.

“May I ask why you decided to drop out of the spotlight so completely though?” Orthin asked. “I’ve seen plenty of former celebrities still use their fame to their advantage, even after they stop acting.”

Lyrissa shrugged casually. “I wanted a clean break and to focus on expanding Prism. There were a lot of things I’d never tried that I didn’t have the time for while I was an actress. Now I’m at liberty to set my own schedule without the hassle of public appearances.”

Orthin dun Maltos waited as if he thought she would continue, then nodded. “That makes a lot of sense,” he said with a neutral expression on his face. Lyrissa could tell that he believed there was another reason that remained unsaid.

“Travel was one of my favourite parts of being in the Navy,” Orthin changed the subject of his own accord. “You must have travelled a lot as an actress, even more so now on business. Have you ever been to Merth?”

“Yes, several times in my acting career,” Lyrissa replied. “Beautiful landscapes but a little too rustic for my taste.”

“I can appreciate that,” Orthin said. “I grew up in Merth, so it’s rustic appeal is in my blood. Shame about the latest incursion.”

“There’s been another demonic incursion in Merth?” Lyrissa asked with surprise. “Since when?”

“The news broke today,” he replied. “They announced the evacuation while we were at the reception.”

“That’s terrible,” Lyrissa said with heartfelt sympathy, “I hope everyone got out alright.”

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case. There were reports that a plantation was attacked even before the Lightbringers got called in. May the Ancestors guide their souls.”

“Those poor people,” Lyrissa said sadly. “Is the military stepping in?”

“Not at this stage,” Orthin shook his head. “For the initial phase of an incursion, Imperial Rangers will be directing the evacuation while the Order of Lightbringers attempts to neutralize the threat. Within the Empire’s borders, demonic incursions rarely reach the point of needing military involvement. It hasn’t happened on Imperial soil in modern history.”

“I didn’t know that,” Lyrissa said.

“The Order of Lightbringers is over a thousand years old,” Orthin said, warming to his subject. “They’ve become very good at hunting demons. They were founded in the dying days of Old Soelanar. In fact Anica dun Lopen - one of the Lightbringer’s founding members - is said to have also been instrumental in the events surrounding Old Soelanar’s destruction and the quest to discover the next Avatar’s Heir.”

“The woman sounds like she was a force of nature,” Lyrissa said. Not normally much of a student of history, she nevertheless found herself drawn in by Orthin’s tale.

“She was a hero,” Orthin said simply, “a shining example to all who knew her. She didn’t act alone, though. It was a pivotal point in the Empire’s history and she travelled with a group of individuals who each went on to become equally famous - or infamous - in their own right.” Orthin made a sweeping gesture with his arm as if to encompass not only the restaurant but the entire city beyond the walls. “The namesake of Hacon’s Vision was another one of those legendary companions.”

“Sounds like the plot out of a movie,” Lyrissa teased.

“Their stories have been used in several, as well as many novels.” Orthin smiled. “There’s even an online role playing game based on the time period. I might be known to spend an idle hour or two playing it.”

The two laughed and took a break from the conversation to finish their meals. When they’d cleared their plates, the restaurant’s staff brought the next course and refilled their wine glasses.

“You mentioned that the Imperial military no longer needs to deal with incursions within the Empire’s borders,” Lyrissa said. “Haven’t there been incursions in other places around the world where we’ve become involved?”

“On occasion,” Orthin answered. “The Lightbringers operate internationally and are mostly welcomed with open arms, particularly in countries too small to have a strong military of their own. They aren’t present everywhere, though. The most notable place that they’re excluded is the troll homeland.”

“Vyk’tohl?” Lyrissa asked, naming the island continent that was the birthplace of troll civilization. “Why aren’t they welcome there?”

“As a species, trolls are inherently more capable at fighting demons than humans,” Orthin began and Lyrissa nodded. “Troll Clans are also heavily bound by tradition, particularly the Clans of Vyk’tohl. They prefer to deal with demonic incursions without what they consider to be outside interference. Normally it works out well but under extreme circumstances things can go horribly wrong.”

The former naval officer leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin. “Years back, I was stationed at an Imperial base on the Vyk’Tohl coast. There was an ugly, multi-sided little war going on nearby involving three major Clans and their vassals. Our base was on high alert in case any of the Clans got ideas about striking at the Empire’s assets in the area.

“In the middle of that mess a demonic incursion occurred. Between the chaos of the fighting and the breakdown in trust between the Clans, the incursion grew out of control. Thousands were consumed before surrounding Clans who hadn’t been involved in the war intervened. They allied together to force the combatants to stop killing each other long enough to focus on halting the spreading Blight. The Empire offered military assistance and in a rare gesture the allied Clans accepted.”

Orthin’s expression was grim. “I wasn’t directly involved in the fighting - the Navy provided logistical support and long range bombardment - but it got very bad before we stopped the demons. It was the most devastating demonic breakout anywhere in the world in centuries. From what I’ve heard of the public reports at the time, the media wisely toned down the seriousness of the situation. Even as far away as the base was from the fighting, the constant dread was almost palpable in the air. The demonic hordes seemed unstoppable. I’m not ashamed to admit I’d never before been so terrified in my life and only once since. The area will remain afflicted by Blight for years to come.”

Lyrissa had listened with horrified fascination as Orthin recounted his tale.

“I remember,” she breathed quietly. “I was filming on set at the time and everything ground to a halt whenever more information was released. We just gather around the television and watch. It seemed awful at the time but what you’re describing is infinitely worse. If those reports were toned down... !”

Orthin’s eyes were dark with troubled memories. “Even dragons came to help fight the demonic hordes in the end, nearly a dozen.”

Lyrissa was as impressed by that as she had been by the rest of the tale. “That seems incredible as well,” she said. “The one time I met a dragon in my life was when Path volunteered to help with ‘Starborn’. It was a singular honour and the producers were ecstatic, but the aura of her presence nearly overwhelmed us at times. A dozen dragons at once ... it must have been indescribable.”