hunters_forest | Coldfire Reread 2021: Black Sun Rising

Three cheers for interesting secondary characters: Senzei Reese and Karril.

Plot Summary

Chapter 10
Senzei collects Damien from the ruins of the fae shoppe and takes him to his home. There they meet Senzei's fiancee Allesha Huyding, and Damien gets a few explanations for what happened. Most importantly, he finds out that Ciani is still alive, but that her knowledge and her adeptitude have been taken from her. He also meets Karril, a demon Senzei Summoned to help Ciani because he has helped her before in a similar situation, when she explored the rakhlands. He explains that Ciani has been attacked by demons which have evolved beyond simple fae constructs after the first time she was captured by them, and that to save her, the demon who has harmed her must be killed.

Chapter 11
Our stranger visits Karril's temple to ask Karril about the fae shoppe and what happened there. Karril does his best to avoid answering the question and only gives in once the stranger has promised to never harm Ciani.

Quotes

“I figured I could use the shop’s contents as a sacrifice, leave everything in there to burn... there’s power in that kind of destruction, you know that. And if I did it right... whoever was after her, they would think she was dead. And leave her alone.”

"This isn’t some godsawful accident that just happened to strike her with amnesia. They took her knowledge - they took her Vision! And they left her with just enough to understand what had been lost. No wonder she wanted to die!”

Damien took a deep breath, reminded himself where he was, and managed to unclench his fists. Nevertheless his heart was pounding, and adrenaline rushed through his system as if he were heading into battle. It’s just reflex for him to consult the faeborn. He doesn’t understand that each such contact serves to reconfirm man’s vulnerability on this planet.
But where do we draw the line? When do we start controlling this world, instead of just accepting it?

“My domain is pleasure - human pleasure, in all its manifestations. There are few kinds of pain that I can tolerate, fewer still that I can feed on. But apathy is my true nemesis. It is anathema to my being: my negation, my opposite, my destruction. You should understand this when I say that I did what I could for her, but I know little of what happened to her. A few whispered words, a few fleeting images. No more. To delve into her memo¬ries would have meant my dissolution - my death - and it would have done her no good in the long run.”

“They’ll make a god of me in truth someday - isn’t that the way it works? Rather awesome, to be at the receiving end of it. I keep wondering if I’ll feel it when it happens. Or if it will be a gradual conversion.”
“Spare me the pagan philosophy.”
“It’s your philosophy, my friend, not mine.”

“A lovely, overprotected flower, growing in the mud of a farm.”
A shadow passed over the demon’s face. “To be hunted?”
“Curiously, no. She caught me in a rare moment of magnanimity, and I’m afraid I promised her safety.”
“You’re getting soft.” The demon grinned.
“My pleasures vary. Although this one, admittedly, was . . . odd.”

The stranger’s eyes widened with sudden understanding. His voice, when it came, was a whisper. Seductive. “Do you really think I’d use you as an accessory to pain? After all these years, don’t you think I know better?”
“Your standards and mine differ somewhat.”
“You feed on the Hunt.”
“I feed on the Hunter. And if his pleasures changed tomorrow, I would celebrate.”

“As you wish. I will neither harm Ciani of Faraday, nor cause her to be harmed, until this matter is dealt with.”
“Ever.”
“All right - ever."

Thoughts

More details on the power of sacrifice. Our "mysterious stranger" also teaches us that, if one is skilled enough, some sacrifices can be undone. I'd forgotten that.

Two interesting tidbits about Ciani: she went into the rakhlands and came back, and she is the first to studly the Iezu closely. I'm guessing Karril was more amenable to her questions than he was to Gerald's? Or perhaps Gerald's studies in demonology were more general, while Ciani's went into specifics? In any case, interesting bits to ponder.

Gerald, what is it all of a sudden with the promises? Tsk tsk tsk...

Damien's initial revulsion to Karril and his willingness to accept unlikely allies. Also tsk tsk tsk...

Also, Karril's hint that Summonings might not work on him. I wonder if it depends on the person doing teh summoning. Ar if, by his very nature, he is resistant. Because if the latter, that means that Iezu are curious by nature and will come calling just to find out why. And that gives me all sorts of plot bunnies, and I don't have people to throw them at, so I shall have to feed them to my cat.

The Temple of Pleasure scene fascinates me on two levels: one is the additional information on non-Church cults and religion, the other one is the banter between Karril and Gerald, Gerald's hints of reactions, and his need to know.

Link to the previous discussion post (imported from LiveJournal).

And Saturday we tackle chapter 12, in which our unlikely heroes are planning their road trip.