Do the Gods Despise Us?

by Jeff Henrikson

  “I lost a father and a King, so I wouldn’t complain if I were you.”

  “Oh, I am not complaining. If it makes you feel any better, your father and your King very nearly won the day, even without reinforcements.”

  “It doesn’t, but thanks for sharing.” Evisar knew he should remain silent, but his pride wouldn’t allow it. “I’ll feel much more vindicated when you’re dead.”

  Gram gave a little smile acknowledging his bravery and his stupidity at the same time. “You may find it difficult to satisfy your vengeance while you are here, in my keeping and at my mercy.”

  Evisar was only too happy to let the raw emotions continue to flow. “Your day will come, just as it did for Ramon at my hand.”

  Gram actually threw his head back and laughed. “I like talking to you, elf; you make me chuckle. You think I am evil? I am only trying to get what is mine. What I deserve. Besides, everyone dies, especially the good. They are weak because they are slaves to a code of righteousness. It is so limiting. In any event, let us not talk about philosophy and personal choices.” At this point, Gram seemed torn between getting the answers he wanted and tormenting his prisoners for his amusement. A smile came over his face as he seemed to decide there was no harm in gaining some amusement. “You may recall there was one other person who survived the battle with your father.” Gram turned purposefully to his right and said, “It was a shame to lose Cyrone during that battle, wasn’t it?”

  A figure Evisar hadn’t seen until now stepped out of the dark and into the light, grinning widely as he played along. “It was a great loss. I can honestly say I’ve missed him lately.”

  Evisar recognized Gaston immediately from their encounter at Austen’s Tower and couldn’t contain his surprise. “Gaston, I presume.”

  Gaston bowed low in good humor and said, “In the flesh.”

  Evisar didn’t feel like playing games with the ones who murdered his father, so he shot back with a surprise of his own. “I remember you from your failed attack on us at Austen’s Tower. It’s fortunate for you I didn’t recognize you as a murderer then, or I would’ve done a lot more than simply push you into that portal.”

  Gaston’s familiarity and good cheer disappeared immediately as he remembered his near death experience. “That was you? You pathetic little parasite!” In the blink of an eye, Gaston drew the two morning star weapons from his belt that Evisar remembered so well and flung them. The weapons passed through the bars like butter and narrowly missed Evisar as he dove to the floor. The weapons embedded themselves deep into the back wall, and then reappeared in Gaston’s hand.

  Gaston was moving to throw the weapons again when Gram bellowed loudly, “Enough!” Gaston seemed to regain control of himself and stood down. “Gaston, there are questions that must be answered and you are not helping matters. I did not call you here in order to kill our prisoners; I am quite capable of doing that on my own. Now either stand there and help me or leave the dungeon.” Gaston stood in defiance for a moment and then acquiesced by taking a step back as Gram turned his attention back to the cell, by which time Evisar had managed to regain his footing. “Yes, Gaston was there with me at that glorious battle. Your father was a great man, there can be no doubt, and it may please you to know that the King’s death was not his fault. There was no way he could have been prepared for the attack that killed him.”

  Evisar’s brow creased in confusion. Was there some sort of traitor in the high ranks of Armena, or was Gram just trying to confuse the situation? “Oh, why do you say that?”

  “I just thought you would like to know.” With that Gram offered nothing else and changed subjects. “Unfortunately for you, you have been traveling with the traitor you call Xander. He stole a gem from the Guild, and we would like it back.”

  “Why do you think the gem belongs to you?”

  “Because we created it, and he stole it from us. Unfortunately, after the battle Xander was not forthcoming about the gem’s location.”

  Evisar couldn’t resist jabbing his opponent. “Yes, it’s a real shame he had to die, isn’t it?”

  Gram did not rise to take the bait. “Yes. I was forced to kill him, which is what brings me to you. Do you know where the gem is?”

  “No, I have no idea where Xander hid it.”

  Gram stood still, analyzing the answer and the elf who gave it. Not satisfied with what he just heard, Gram leaned in closer and whispered, “If you tell me what I want to know then I will let you go, along with your brother’s body and the big warrior as well.”

  Evisar didn’t even consider it for a moment. “That’s very thoughtful of you and a tempting offer, but first of all I don’t believe you, and second, I don’t leave my people behind.”

  “And that is why the good will always lose. You are not willing to make the hard choices. In the end you will tell me where the gem is. It is only a matter of time. And believe me, Evisar, we have plenty of time. I can afford to work on you every day until you tell me what I want to know. Do you know what it is like to be tortured all day, every day?”

  Evisar didn’t budge an inch. “That will take time, and perhaps you will run out of time. There is always that hope.”

  Gram sighed and tried a different approach. “What if I tell you that I will kill your friend unless you tell me why you came to my fortress?”

  Evisar shook his head, seeing the bluff. “From what I’ve seen, magic-users have some kind of value to you. I’m willing to wager you won’t kill my magic-user friend and risk losing him for your purpose.”

  Behind Gram, Gaston cursed out loud and stepped out of the shadows and up to the bars in front of Gram, “This is ridiculous. Guards, take the dead elf and string him up in the shackles.”

  The guards looked to Gram, but Gram made no move to stop Gaston. The four remaining human guards quickly went to the back wall and dragged Jefon’s body over to the shackles, and put each limb in irons. Evisar looked on with tears threatening to take his vision as Jefon’s body hung limp from the shackles on the wall.

  Gaston looked at Gram mockingly and said, “If I’m not mistaken, I believe the preservation of the body is very important to elves, is it not?”

  Gram caught on to what Gaston was saying and added, “I believe you might be right. I believe the custom among surface elves is that if you cut off a limb in this life, they go into the afterlife as a cripple?”

  Gaston continued mockingly, “Yes, yes, that was it. That’s why you’re smart enough to be a wizard and I’m only a lowly thief.” Gaston moved meaningfully over to the pile of weapons next to Xander and Tristan’s bodies and picked up Neverlost. Gaston said nothing as he buckled the scabbard around his waist and drew the sword in one fluid motion with the sound of metal on metal. He examined the sword in the light and said, “This is an excellent sword. I can tell it has heavy magical properties, but is the blade still sharp?”

  Evisar charged toward the cell door like a bull. He hit the bars again and again, desperate to break free, knowing in the back of his mind how futile his efforts were.

  Gram looked at Evisar and said, “Tell me where the gem is or I will have Gaston cut off your brother’s arm.”

  Evisar ran into the bars again, out of his mind. “I don’t know where the gem is.” Evisar broke down and began to cry. “Please don’t hurt my brother. It won’t make any difference. I don’t know anything. Please, I beg you, don’t hurt him.”

  Gram shook his head and said, “I am truly sorry, Evisar, but I do not have any choice.” He turned to Gaston and gave a curt nod of his head.

  Without hesitation, Gaston moved in front of Jefon’s body. Valihorn screamed for mercy, and Evisar looked on as Gaston swung a mighty cut and took off Jefon’s right arm at the bicep. Jefon’s arm separated cleanly from his body and his torso slumped forward, held upright now only by his left arm.

  Tears streamed down Evisar’s face as Gram spoke to him again. “Tell me where the gem is and I will have Arun fasten his arm back on.”


  Evisar thought long and hard before he responded. In the end what he said was, “I am Evisar Talisman, son of Lacrue, and I swear by my father’s blade that you have cursed yourself. You will never be safe, and killing me will not make you so. I promise I will hunt you down and kill you in this life or in the next.”

  Gram merely turned to Gaston and nodded his head again. Gaston smiled with pleasure and took another hack at Jefon with Neverlost. This time Gaston took off Jefon’s left arm at the bicep. Valihorn looked away as Jefon’s body swung forward, but Evisar looked on, remembering all. With nothing to hold Jefon’s body upright, he fell face first into the stone floor with a sickening smack. His teeth scattered across the floor like pebbles.

  Gaston didn’t look away from Jefon as he yelled, “Tell us where the gem is, elf, or by Evona’s hand, your brother will enter the afterlife without a head. You have to the count of ten.” Evisar stood by as the count ticked down, and then watched as an emotionless shell as Gaston took his brother’s head off with a single stroke.

  Time strung out for what seemed like days as nobody said anything. The silence was finally broken as the dungeon door opened and a guard hurried down the stairs to whisper something in Gram’s ear. Gram looked at the guard with curiosity and said, “Enough, Gaston. Guards, take the body out of the shackles and put it against the wall with the other two.” He turned to Evisar with sympathy in his voice. “Evisar, this will continue until you tell me what I want to know. I leave you now to consider your position.” Gram turned without ceremony and headed commandingly up the stairs to the right. “Gaston and Arun, with me please.” Gaston sheathed Neverlost, obviously intending to keep it, and followed Arun and Gram up the stairs. They all exited through the heavy steel door.

  Evisar crashed to the floor amidst his own thoughts. His brother had been dismembered before him and he hadn’t done a thing to stop it. And for what? So Gaston and Gram wouldn’t find the gem? It was all going to be moot anyway. They would eventually find it. Then Gram would kill him and Valihorn would be taken into the Underworld for gods know what purpose. He had sacrificed his brother’s eternity for nothing. Forgive me, brother. Forgive my stubbornness.

  Chapter 55: Stranger at the Fortress

  Gaston waited until the steel door to the dungeon was securely closed and Arun had excused herself to go upstairs before he turned to Gram and said, “Why did you pull me out of there? We should press Evisar until he gives us the information. By leaving the dungeon, you are only giving him time to recover.”

  Gram walked quickly out the door and into the bright sunlight. He squinted at the mid-afternoon sun as he replied, “First of all, by giving Evisar time, I think it is more likely he will tell us what we want to know, not less. Second, the guard told me one of the Thirteen is in the Noble’s Keep.”

  Gaston accepted the explanation and walked alongside Gram. He turned his head curiously and asked, “If Evisar had told us where the gem was, were you really going to let him go with the two bodies?”

  “Of course. I told him I would.”

  The two reached the Noble’s Keep, opened the door, and walked into the first level. Gaston shook his head and chuckled, “Gram, we’ve been friends for twenty years and I still don’t understand you.”

  The two began to climb the stairs and Gram said, “That is why we make such a good team. You handle all of the underhanded dealings, while anyone with a sense of honor comes to me. You play one half of the game, and I play the other. Together, we cannot be stopped.”

  Another voice chimed in as Gaston and Gram reached the top of the stairs. “Can I be a part of this unstoppable force as well?” Gaston and Gram stopped dead in their tracks as they looked up to see Nero standing across the room. Nero strode forward and shook Gram’s hand.

  Gaston said, “What are you doing here?”

  ___________________________________

  Nero frowned and said, “The Guildmaster told the entire Inner Circle I would be joining these elves in order to recover the gem. It can’t be that much of a shock to see me here, since you do have the elves down in your dungeon as we speak.”

  Gaston said, “Yes, yes, of course. Well, in any event, it’s good to see you again, Nero.” Gaston moved to shake Nero’s hand as well, but Nero could tell from his expression that it was, in fact, not good to see him. Gaston was still hoping to obtain the gem for himself in order to satisfy the Guildmaster's wrath. Nero’s presence was a painful reminder the Guildmaster had contingency plans, and Gaston was not as trusted as he used to be.

  Nero put his thoughts aside as Gram looked him over and said, “You are well met, Circle member Nero. Congratulations by the way.”

  Gaston and Gram had been friends for a long time. Nero thought they were of one mind about everything, but while his rift with Gaston seemed to be widening, Gram seemed to be taking an active interest in forming a friendship with him. But then again, Gram had chosen to tell Gaston he had captured the companions, possibly retaken the gem, and chosen to leave Nero out of it.

  Nero said, “It’s a burdensome title, but I think I can get used to it.” Nero looked back and forth between the two men and said, “It’s good to see the two of you again. It makes me wonder when was the last time three of the Thirteen were in one place outside of Locus?”

  Gram said, “Actually, it used to happen a lot more when the Guild was first founded; the Inner Circle handled assignments on their own and the Guildmaster did more than dispense policy decisions from on high. Now the Guild is so large we are forced to spread out across Tellus and take to task our separate missions. To tell the truth, I miss the days when things were much less certain and the caliber of those working for the Guild was much higher, but soon we shall be bigger still.” Nero watched with interest as Gram divulged his inner feelings and couldn’t remember a time when Gram had talked so openly about anything but business. Maybe his new place in the Inner Circle meant he was a member of the club, and Nero thought to himself once again that rank did indeed have its privileges.

  Gram shook off the coil of the past and changed subjects. “We just began questioning the leader of the companions a short time ago, and he is already beginning to crack. With any luck, we will have the gem in our possession shortly.”

  Nero shook his head, unconvinced. “The guards told me you battled with the companions and ended up killing three of them, including Xander. If the leader you are questioning doesn’t know the gem’s location then it seems to me the gem may be beyond our reach.”

  Gram gave Nero a snort of laughter. “Beyond our reach? You rogues have no appreciation for the magical arts. Nero, very few things are beyond the Guild’s reach. The Thirteen comprises every race that has any worth and even consults with the undead. Death cannot stop us.”

  Nero was somewhat surprised. Gram’s reputation for getting results was unchallenged in the Guildmaster’s eyes, but maybe he needed to be taken even more seriously? “I still have trouble believing you captured the companions after all the trouble they’ve caused. After Gaston and I chased them for a moon, I thought they were made of tougher stuff. I’m glad you were finally able to deal with them.”

  He was even more impressed when Gram deflected the credit away from himself. “It is a lot easier when the enemy delivers himself to your doorstep. By sheer luck we captured a member of their group; then we just stood back and let them come to us. In any event, hopefully it will not be necessary for you to join with these companions. I am confident Gaston and I will recover the gem ourselves. You should stay holed up here in the Noble’s Keep as a contingency. Make yourself at home while Gaston and I work to recover the gem.”

  Nero accepted Gram’s comments with good humor and said, “Then I shall leave it in your capable hands and wish you good luck.” Nero moved to a plush chair in what used to be Ramon’s room and said, “Well, you gentlemen seem to have your work cut out for you, while I am in need of a meal and a good night’s sleep. Tell me, are there any women of questionable character ab
out?”

  Gaston and Gram both snickered at him in good humor and walked back down the stairs.

  Nero chuckled and made himself at home in Ramon’s old quarters.

  Chapter 56: Our Time Here is Finished

  After Gram left the dungeon, Evisar and Valihorn sat in uninterrupted silence for a long time. There was nothing left to do. Nothing left to say. They had failed in their sworn quest and now they would die for it. Evisar would die an ordinary death. Valihorn would live long enough to see the Underworld for himself before Gram sacrificed him for some evil purpose.

  They had tried so hard, struggled so much, and fought for so long. And what was their reward? They found the First Heir, only to have him taken into the Underworld by the same enemy that killed three fifths of their party. Evisar and Valihorn were all that remained. He felt cursed; cursed and worthless. His mother and father were dead, his father was disgraced in the eyes of his people, and his little brother lay dismembered against the dungeon wall. Evisar was all that remained of the Talisman family, subject to the whims of a power hungry wizard.

  Valihorn finally turned toward Evisar and said, “I did not think our quest would end this way.”

  Evisar didn’t even look up as he said, “No. How did you think it would end?”

  “I thought destiny was on our side. I thought we would become heroes of legend after finding the First Heir of Armena and returning him to the throne.”

  Evisar smiled ironically and let out a snort of laughter. “That was never going to happen. We were cursed from the start. What chance did we honestly have?”

  “I did not care about the odds. I thought the gods were on our side.”

  Evisar shook his head in despair. “What gods? There are no gods – at least not any who care about us. I worshipped Invictus my entire life, and my brother worshipped Martel.” Evisar looked at Valihorn and spread his arms out wide. “Look what our faithfulness purchased.”