‘Is that why you ambushed us?’
The First raises a gauntleted hand to point at Vesper. ‘You are displaying your power. I am simply displaying mine. It interests me that you have told your followers not to attack and yet you have drawn the Malice.’
Vesper blinks, surprised to find that this is true. The sword is in her hand, humming, ready to act. She thinks quickly. ‘Not drawn in anger. The Malice is part of this discussion too.’
She closes her eyes, letting the sword show her a different vision of the First. Through its eye, she sees the infernal dwelling within the human body. Swirling essence that moves in alien ways, discomfiting. Within the strangeness lurk more recognizable emotions. Rapid fluctuations that betray anxiety, a lightening of colour one moment, perhaps curiosity, in the next a change of shade that suggests bitterness. There is no sign of aggression, at least not yet.
Opening her eyes again, Vesper beckons the First forward, inviting it on deck.
Lightly, it steps down. ‘Are you ready to begin?’
‘I am.’ She lowers the sword but does not sheath it.
‘You do not wish to discuss our … business in private? If you wish, we could return to my ship.’
‘No. We can talk freely here. My knights understand what we’re trying to do.’
The First reaches up, unclasps its featureless helmet, and removes it. A face is revealed, hard, female, the features rendered slightly odd through a lifetime of minor alterations in service to the Empire of the Winged Eye.
Vesper gasps. She knows that face. Once it belonged to two people, both called Duet. The face stirs many memories, of her betrayal of one of them, of being betrayed by the other. Ultimately, Duet was taken by the infernals, though only one of her went willingly.
At the sight, Scout throws back his head and howls.
The First studies Vesper. ‘You may be wondering why it is I chose this particular body for our meeting. There are many reasons. I wanted to remind you that people of your Empire have desired alliance with me in the past. I wanted to acknowledge the … history that exists between us.’
‘Is she still,’ Vesper waves a hand, ‘in there?’
‘No. Her body was fresh enough for me to occupy, but by the time I arrived, her essence had already dissipated.’
Vesper looks down. ‘Good.’
‘Is it? For whom is it good? Had you not interfered, the woman would have realized her dreams through me. Now she is nothing more than a memory. Look at this face and remember the past. If you do not accept my offer, only death will follow.’
The threat makes the knights tighten their grip on their weapons. Unlike the other orders of the Seraph however, these knights no longer carry singing swords, having sacrificed them long ago. As such, they pose little threat to the First.
Scout glares up at the infernal and begins to growl.
‘Stop that!’ snaps Vesper, shaking her head at Samael. The half-breed does not reply but the Dogspawn lowers its head, abashed. ‘You were saying something about an offer?’
‘Yes. I have no quarrel with your kind. Many of them live … happily in my cities. For years now, we have proven an ability to coexist. It is only your Empire that resists me. Disband it, destroy the weapons made to cause my kind suffering, and I will make peace.’
Vesper bites her lip and looks out to sea. In her hand, the sword begins to shake. ‘That’s it? That’s your offer?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I agree on one thing; if we can’t negotiate, there will be war.’
‘Then let us negotiate.’
‘Alright. I don’t have any quarrel with your kind either.’ She gestures to Samael. ‘I can, how did you put it? Coexist. I’m on good terms with New Horizon, West Rift, Red Rails, Verdigris and Slake. That’s only a first step. I intend to negotiate with all of them, not as individuals, but as a collective. I want you to be part of that collective. Come south with me. Take part.’
‘I have heard of this gathering of yours.’
‘It’s no secret.’
‘These things are not mutually exclusive. If you agree to my offer, then I would come with you.’
An eye narrows and Vesper’s voice rises. ‘How can you be so blind?’ She holds up the sword and the First flinches away. ‘The Malice is alive, just as much as you are! It deserves to live just as much as you do. The Seraph Knights’ swords that you try so hard to break also live. They’re not as complex or as clever but they are alive. If you want me to look at you and see more than just an enemy, you have to do the same for me.
‘You’re offering me the chance to submit to you or be destroyed. That’s no choice at all. I’m offering you the chance to be part of something bigger.’
The First’s face does not react, its expression disconnected from its feelings. ‘This is … surprising.’
Vesper allows herself a small smile. ‘The Usurper is gone and I speak for the Empire now. There’s no need for us to fight anymore.’
‘So you say. I remain unconvinced but, I am intrigued.’
Vesper shifts the sword to her left hand and holds out her right. ‘A truce then? You’ll come with me and take part?’
‘I will travel with you, I will observe. Perhaps I will engage. I promise no more than that.’
‘That’s all I’m asking.’
The First takes her hand, mimicking the human gesture perfectly. ‘I accept.’
A few days pass as the Wavemaker and The Commander’s Rest speed along the sea together. From under the water, a new vessel moves to join them, then another. Both part of the First’s fleet.
Vesper and the sword exchange a concerned look.
It does not stop there. A fourth ship comes, a fifth, and so on, until a war fleet of nine follows them, just under the surface. When a half dozen sky-ships drop from the clouds to fall into position above, Vesper demands another audience with the First.
It comes in multiple bodies. Some arriving from the sky-ships, others swimming up from the depths. Vesper watches them through the sword’s eye, and begins to appreciate how big the First truly is. A single being, divided into bitesized human chunks. Though the First has a diverse collection of shells, they dress the same, move the same, making the differences in height and weight hard to remember. Vesper guesses that perhaps a quarter of its strength is here, the rest of the infernal spread out across the world.
They line up along the rail, like a line of ravens watching, waiting for an animal to die.
Vesper gestures to the ships all around them. ‘What is this?’
One of figures breaks from the others, jumps down. It removes its helmet, revealing Duet’s face. ‘You wished for me to come south with you.’
She frowns. ‘For talks. We don’t need an invasion fleet.’
‘I am not here to invade. We have made a truce.’
‘I just don’t understand why we need all of these ships.’
‘You seem displeased. I do not understand. Surely your gathering is important enough to warrant my full attention.’
‘Wait. You’re calling all of, um … you, here?’
