The Demon Akahaziel: Spirit Link

The carriage bumped and rattled its way through the gates to the city. The driver, Strinder was once again at the reins and Judith and Dmitri were in the back. The two men that had held Dmitri were sitting on the tailgate and the two remaining horsemen led the way. Dmitri was looking around at the sights that made up the city. As they had passed through the Market Gate, they were in Market District. All around them; the street was filled with stalls, hawkers and buyers. The sound could only be described as a din, men and women cried out their wares, the sound of a blacksmith hammer resounding from somewhere and the general hubbub of people talking and haggling. Some stalls had all their wares spread out in front of them; others had wicker cages full of animals, chickens, geese, sheep and more. Other stalls were butchers, they stood calmly chopping off choice meats of various animals. It was nothing like the village Dmitri had been in last. Something else he found distinctly different was the health of the people here; they were completely healthy, there was no sign of the disease that was ravaging other villages and towns. Here, people are walking tall, not afraid to get close to one another, nothing like the village.

Judith saw Dmitri’s reaction to all this, “Are you alright?” She asked and then added smugly, “Is the city too big for you?”

“No I, no the city is fine,” Dmitri replied, “I’ve been in cities a lot larger than this.” Judith’s smug expression fell, “It’s the people, they’re healthy and they’re happy.”

“Yes, it is one of the things that Lord Draycott is getting right, the people are surprisingly happy,” she said dryly, then she looked at him, “Weren’t the people in the larger city healthier then?” she asked hopefully, after all not all cities could be bigger and better than this one.

“What? Oh, no, they were fine,” replied Dmitri distracted, “It’s just the village I came from was very diseased, the water supply was polluted. It’s why I was asked to go there.”

“By who? Did you help them?” Judith asked, interested.

“The priest there asked me to come,” Dmitri replied, then his face fell, “And I don’t think I did help them in the end, I think it would have gotten worse.”

“What? How?” Judith asked.

Dmitri was about to reply when one of the horsemen came alongside the carriage.

“We’re home my Lady,” he informed.

Judith looked around as if she was startled, so intent had she been in Dmitri’s tale.

“Come,” she said beckoning Dmitri, “Let us go inside and we can continue your story over refreshments.”

Judith had Dmitri shown to a small audience chamber where he was to wait while she dealt with matters pertaining to her trade. He looked around at the decorations, trying to fathom where he was. One tapestry caught his attention most of all; it depicted a battle scene. In intricate detail it showed a massive force of mounted knights leading a charge, opposing them was a significantly smaller force of pikemen and archers.

“I see you’re admiring my tapestry,” observed Judith, walking into the room. “I paid quite the sum of money to acquire that piece. You recognise the battle of course?”

Dmitri shook his head, indicating otherwise. Judith raised an eyebrow in surprise, “My my, you must be from far off. That was the battle fought at Agincourt. King Henry was being shepherded out of France after a string of defeats. We’re the smaller force, there you see?” she said indicating on the tapestry. “We met on a plain near Agincourt and we fought back against a force many times our number.”

Dmitri nodded, listening in rapt attention.

“We won. I’m not sure how, but we won. Some say luck, some say skill or fate or many other things. But King Henry decided it was the will of God that we won. A few of his officers took up the cry, but none with the zeal of Lord Draycott. He has been driven to frenzy levels of belief and in his mind; he is the recipient of a divine edict to wipe out the French.”

She saw Dmitri’s expression and laughed, “Don’t worry Dmitri; we won’t have any battles anytime soon, even though we are on their land.”

“We’re in France? Do you know of the bloodline Destria?” asked Dmitri in a rush, remembering why Uriel had sent him here.

“Destria? Yes, they’re in a village to the west, a French village actually. The man is the apothecary I believe.”

“Does he have a son? Born recently?” Dmitri asked excited.

“A son? No. He does have a daughter though, but she is an adult in her own right nowadays. But she disappeared recently, shortly after a ‘raid’ on the village by ‘bandits’. Or so they say.”

“And who is they?” Dmitri asked, “And where can I find her, the Destria girl I mean?”

“’They’ is Lord Draycott and his men,” replied Judith dryly. “Why the interest in this woman? You still haven’t told me your story.”