Prologue

In the twilight of the Tsenzhou Dynasty, there lived an emperor with a face as beautiful as the sun, but a heart as black as the night. Despite all his finery, he grew jealous of the crystal lotuses that bloomed throughout the land, fearing that his splendor paled in comparison.

He resolved that he must destroy all the lotuses so that he would be most beautiful of all. To this end, he sought out the crafty demon, Maha Sailig. The vile Maha struck a bargain with the emperor: she would sunder every blossom in the empire in exchange for an invitation to the New Year’s banquet.

On the appointed night, a terrible black-horned gate materialized on the grounds of the palace, and Maha Sailig and her train of demons swarmed in from beyond the Fell plane. They paid no mind to the roasted duck, the fragrant curries, or the honeyed fruits set on their delicate platters. For his vanity, the foolish emperor had made Maha Sailig his guest of honor—and his own people, the feast.

Cyrus dived, her boots skidding on the dusty slope of Cattlespine bluff. She fired once, twice, and both shots found their mark: the hog-sized varmint that had been fixing to take a bite out of Laru’s shoulder. Laru saluted in thanks for both dispatching the critter and for not taking his head off in the process, and immediately returned his attention to the hordes surrounding the two friends.

There were three hundred of them—at least—and each was ugly enough to back a buzzard off a meat wagon. Westerwild Gorge had never been known for its agreeable fauna, but these things championed a category all their own. Bulging eyes, great, gaping mouths with irregular teeth, and clammy flesh scrabbled on all sides. Hideous as sin, and so mean, they made a bar fight look like a prayer meeting.

“Where are these things coming from?” Laru cried, planting the heel of his spurred boot into the face of an oncoming beast. It yowled and staggered backward. A bullet between the eyes made it explode into noxious green foam. Cyrus and Laru both gagged.

“I dunno, but we gotta get to higher ground right quick,” Cyrus grunted back. Laru jerked his head toward the crest of the ridge, and the two made a break for it. A demon like an enormous infant leaped in their path with a gut-twisting laugh. Its entire torso was open, exposing pulsating entrails. The abomination advanced on them, sucking spittle through rows of tiny, sharp fangs. Cyrus and Laru took aim and fired as one, rendering the monstrosity into another plume of frothy slime.

Cyrus slapped Laru on the shoulder to urge him forward, and at last, they reached the peak looking over the expansive valley below. Their panting breaths both caught, and Laru and Cyrus stared.

Right at the very center of the valley stood a huge black gate, vomiting emerald vapor. Even at such a distance, its menacing aura was palpable. Every square pace surrounding the gate surged with demons.

Cyrus growled and cocked her firearm.

“I’m gonna need more ammo,” she grumbled.