The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📕

wasn’t one to act on mererumor, but the fact that Stephen was Earl Balistair’s oldest soncast him in a suspicious light. His solution had been to lock theman away, but for some reason he couldn’t fathom Ariadne forbadeit. She believed Stephen’s claim of ignorance and shame at hisfather’s actions.

Since then they had gathered severalhundred armed men, remnants of the city guard, the palace guard,and the retainers of some of the local nobility who hadn’t beeninvolved in the plot. They were woefully outnumbered, but theinvaders hadn’t yet been able to organize properly. Sir Egan andSir Dorian had also proven remarkably effective at dissuadingTremont’s men from trying to force them into a head onconfrontation, but their luck couldn’t hold out for muchlonger.

“Forgive me, Penelope,” repliedStephen courteously.

“Penny. Only my fathercalls me Penelope,” she returned. AndMordecai sometimes, when he was angry or tense. She cut that thought off immediately.

Dorian spoke up as she entered themain hall, “Are you sure we did the right thing?” The ‘right thing’he was referring to was letting Mordecai remove the She’Harwoman.

“We obviously couldn’t do anythingwith her,” she observed.

“That’s not what I mean. We don’t knowwhat his motivations are. Nor do we know what will happen if hereleases her. Her race wasn’t known for being friendly to humankindafter all,” he responded.

“Your mother thinks we should trusthim,” Penny replied.

The large warrior grimaced for amoment, “She’s never seen some of the things I have. In Gododdin wefound whole villages, men, women, children—everyone. They look likeus, but they aren’t people. Sometimes they seemed to rememberthings, or have knowledge from their former lives, but they onlyused it to get close to their next victims.”

“You think it’s just a ruse? That he,or it, whatever you want to call him—just wants to get closer to usso he can devour us?” she asked, careful to keep her toneneutral.

Stephen spoke up, “That’s whathappened with Katherine.” He was referring to his now deceasedwife.

Dorian nodded. “I tend to agree withStephen, but I’ve never seen anything quite as complicated asthis.”

“Complicated?”

“Usually, even the ones that have somememories only pursue short term goals. If he’s one of them, he’sacting in a whole range of ways that are uncommon. Mother’s storyabout this woman, it doesn’t make sense. I’ve never heard of oneletting someone go,” explained Dorian.

“Yes you have,” reminded Penny, “us.”Years ago, she and Dorian had been captured and used as bargainingchips when the shiggreth made a deal with King Edward.

“What?” Stephen Balistair hadobviously never heard that story.

Penny retold the tale of their timewith their undead captors, leaving out some of the moreembarrassing details. “Anyway, that clearly shows that they aresometimes capable of advance planning,” she added when she hadfinished.

“You ignore the fact that their goalat that time was to get leverage against Mordecai,” notedDorian.

“Well they’ve got a lot better thanleverage now,” said Stephen. “They have the wizardhimself.”

“Mordecai was only a means to an endfor them,” declared Moira Centyr, walking into the hall and joiningthe discussion. Her new body had perfect hearing and she had beenlistening from the kitchen. “Their goal has beenaccomplished.”

“We’re still alive,” argued Dorian.“As far as I am aware, they were created to destroymankind.”

“That statement has some truth. Fromwhat I have learned, they were a vengeful accident on the part ofthe last of the She’Har, but there is another purpose that theyhave helped to fulfill,” Moira told them.

Penny interrupted, “You said Mordecaiwas still himself. Why would he be serving their interests? Andwhat is this purpose?”

“I would like to know that as well,”said Ariadne, stepping up beside Moira Centyr.

Moira dipped her head in deference tothe princess. “As you wish, Your Highness. My knowledge is limitedbut I will share what I can.”

“We shouldn’t talk in the hall whenthere are seats aplenty in the next room,” suggestedAriadne.

After they had taken seats and gottenmore comfortable, Moira continued, “I doubt most of you are awareof this, but I was originally responsible for part of the creationof what we now call the ‘Shining Gods’. Well, not me exactly, butthe woman whose name and memories I bear. She created me as well,but for simplicity’s sake I refer to myself as ‘Moira’.”

“Pardon—what?” asked Stephen, alreadyconfused.

“I can clarify some of that later,”Penny told him. “For now please continue, Moira.”

“The Centyr wizards specialized increating magical intelligences. Artificial minds, crafted purelyfrom magic. At that time, there was an Illeniel wizard, a giftedenchanter, who devised an enchantment to make those mindspermanent. His goal, and mine, was to create an immortal servant,powerful and ever vigilant, to protect humanity.” Moira leanedforward as she warmed to her subject.

“To some degree, we succeeded. Thoughas most of you are aware, our success has since been overshadowedby what became of our creations after we were gone.”

Penny interrupted, “What does thishave to do with Mort?”

“He has in many ways become somethingsimilar. When he fought Thillmarius, the shiggreth leader, hedestroyed him by removing the magic that maintained him. As a humanhe was incapable of directly changing or controlling the She’Harmagic, but as an archmage he was able to subvert the magic,replacing the mind it held with his own,” said Moira.

Dorian broke in, “And that made himinto one of them?”

“Not directly,” corrected MoiraCentyr. “He imprisoned his soul within the She’Har spellweaving,severing its connection with the living world. After that his bodydied, though magic continues to sustain it.”

“Severing its connection…,” mumbledPenny quietly to herself.

“So he is one of them,” saidDorian.

“Yes and no,” said Moira. “I won’tsugar coat this. The man you knew is trapped, locked within thecreature you just met. He isn’t in control either. He may not evenbe aware of the outside world.”

“Huh?” interjected Dorian.

“His body is now a type ofsoulless animate construct. His brain, his memories, they’ve becomea magical awareness, similar to the sort the Centyr wizards used tocreate. Initially the construct wasn’t even aware of thatfact, it thoughtit was him.”

“So there are two Mordecai’s?” Pennyasked.

“There you have it,” said Moira,pointing at Penny as if she had won a prize. “We have two, theoriginal living soul, which is now trapped in a magical prison, andthe present Mordecai, who has renamed himself ‘Brexus’.”

Stephen Balistair groaned, holding hishead in his hands as though