by Phil Tucker
“If it comes to it, I’ll cut my hand off,” said Elu. His voice was gaining strength. “Acharsis has already given too much. Now, up. Everybody. We can lose here, or we can lose fighting to get to the end. I know where I’d rather be. Up.”
Jarek took a deep breath. “Well said, Elu. Well said.” With a groan he rose to his feet, hefting Kish up in his arms. Her head lolled against his chest. Her bandages were soaked red.
Annara let down her braid, then carefully coiled it up once more and pinned it in place. “I’ll fight. I’ll do whatever I can to get us through. I believe in you, Elu.”
Acharsis wanted to laugh, to cry. To have given up his hand - for this? A paltry second attempt? “Why not? Beats sitting here or climbing down shamefacedly to face the Maganians. Let’s give it a second try. Lead the way, Senacherib.” His smile faded, no longer feeling appropriate. “I’ll follow.”
Ahktena looked away, biting her lip.
“Ahktena?” Elu stepped up to her, took her hand. “I know what you’re thinking. About whether you should have sided with Mahten or not. I’m glad you didn’t. Thank you. But we need you now. We have to keep going. Will you walk with us?”
“Fine,” she said. “Yes, fine. What else am I going to do?”
Sisu stood. “Nobody's going to try and convince me to come?”
Jarek shifted Kish’s weight in his arms. “Why bother? You’re coming.”
“All right.” Elu turned to face the lava that was nearly at his feet. “Together now. Follow me.” He stepped forward and the room and the lava disappeared.
Acharsis stumbled. They were back in the final chamber. The searing white light that had filled his vision constrained itself to a single band that was pulsing straight up from the central spire, blasting up to the distant ceiling. The others were positioned at the plinths, looking about themselves in shock and confusion.
A deep, aching rumble sounded from above, and Acharsis raised his good arm to shield his face. Instead, he saw the roof irising open, thick ledges of rock sliding back, revealing blue sky beyond. The platform on which the plinths stood shivered and began to climb.
“Acharsis!” Annara turned, hand outstretched. “Climb up! Hurry!”
He needed no second prompting. Using his elbow and good hand, he levered himself up onto the platform just as Annara grabbed his arm and hauled him up. She helped him stand, and together they looked up at the sky as they rose toward it.
“That was a final test,” said Acharsis. Then he laughed, amazement and delight suffusing him. “A final bloody test, and we did it!” He looked across the plinths to where Elu stood. “Elu! You did it!”
Elu grinned and raised a fist in response. He looked thunderstruck, and only then did Acharsis realize what this meant:
Elu, his son, was going to be the next pharaoh of Magan.
Annara laughed and covered her mouth, tears gathering in her eyes. “I don’t believe it.”
Acharsis slung his arm around her shoulders. “Well, luckily, you don’t have to. It’s still going to happen.”
The plinths emerged into the morning air. Everyone stepped down from theirs to gather around Elu, who was shaking his head in wonder.
“You did well,” said Jarek, reaching out to squeeze Elu’s shoulder. “At the end there, when it counted most. You came through.”
“I’m going to be the pharaoh of Magan,” said Elu, turning to Acharsis and Annara. “How the hell am I going to do that?”
“I’ll be there to help guide you,” said Ahktena. “And let me be the first to officially greet you as Pharaoh Senacherib, third of his name, Son of the Lamassu, High Priest of Every Temple, Lord of Magan.” She knelt before him and pressed her forehead to the stone floor.
“Do we all have to bow?” asked Sisu.
“You did it,” said Acharsis, stepping in and laying a hand on Elu’s shoulder in turn. “You did. Well done.” Son, he almost added, but bit it back at the last.
“Thank you,” said Elu. His voice shook. “Thank you, Acharsis. For believing in me. For your sacrifice.”
“I almost said 'any time',” said Acharsis. “But… that would have been a lie. I’d like to hang on to this last hand of mine if you don’t mind.” Then he smiled. “But you’re welcome. It might not mean much, but I’m proud of you, Elu. You proved yourself worthy. A leader. Well done.”
“Thank you,” said Elu again. “And – I’m sorry. For how I’ve behaved. These past weeks have been a nightmare. I promise you I will do better moving forward.”
Acharsis smiled. “I know you will.”
“Elu,” said Annara, and stepped forward to hug him. “Your father would be so proud. I’m so proud.”
Elu hugged Annara tightly, burying his face in her hair. “I’m sorry, mother. For how I’ve treated you. I’m sorry.”
“No, that’s behind us. Everything is behind us.” She held him tight. “A new life is beginning for you. And I’ll be there for you every step of the way for as long as you need me.”
Acharsis fought the wave of bitterness that flooded through him. In another world, he might have been the man to step up and hug them both; might have been the father that had never left Annara, that had raised Elu, that could claim them both as his own. But he couldn’t. He’d left. He’d lost that right. So instead he watched, pain tearing at his heart, as the woman he loved and the young man that could have been his son hugged each other tightly.
“You hear that?” Jarek turned toward one of the edges of the cube. “Sounds like a huge crowd cheering.”
“The beam!” Ahktena rose to her feet. “They see the light spearing into the heavens. They know a new pharaoh has been chosen!”
“Look!” Sisu pressed against Jarek. “The lamassu are coming!”
Six great winged figures were descending upon them.
“Prepare yourself, Senacherib,” said Ahktena. “These are your gods now. These are the six stars by which you shall forevermore navigate the course of your life. Kneel.”
Elu did so, stepping forward and dropping to his knees, then pressing his brow to the stone surface. The lamassu alighted in a circle around their group, the wind whipping up as they beat their powerful wings to arrest their descent, touching down lightly, haunches bunching as their legs took their weight.
Acharsis turned slowly, taking them in one at a time. All were of the same shape, leonine beings with eagle wings, but there their resemblance ended. They varied in size, in color, and each had as distinct a face as a disparate group of people. One lamassu stood head and shoulders above the others, its fur a sooty black, the gold in its braided hair gleaming, its face ebon like that of the people of Dilman. Another was slender, a gold so pale it was nearly white, its mane darkening to crimson at the tips, its face feminine, otherworldly, its eyes milky-white.
Acharsis focused on their lamassu. It moved forward, facing Elu, and there was in its harsh visage an air of exultation, of pride and triumph.
“Rise, Senacherib, third of your name, Child of the Everburning Sun and Ruler of Magan. You alone of all our subjects may greet us with a bow.”
Acharsis shifted his weight on his feet, painfully aware of his breach in decorum, but no. He was not a Maganian. These lamassu would not ferry his soul to the underworld. His father and god was Ekillos, his death goddess Nekuul, and he would not bow to them like a true worshipper.
Elu rose. His hands were clenched into fists, and his face was pale, but he met the lamassu’s gaze without flinching.
The massive black lamassu spoke, its voice akin to the rolling of summer thunder. “Do not grow accustomed to your successes, brother. Three times now your city has given us our ruler. You test the fates with your luck.”
Their lamassu’s lip curled into a mocking smile. “Gaze upon my flesh, brother, and see modesty and gratitude incarnate. It grieves me that your children did not win through. Were my joy not so dizzying, I would weep for you.”
The black lamassu drew back, eyes narrowing to slits,
but their lamassu turned back to Elu. “Now begins your true life. All that you have been, all that you were - your loves, loyalties, and life - are like dust blown from your open palm. You have been reborn, Senacherib. You shall soon feel the powers of the sun flow through your veins. We shall guide you in your reign, and under our patronage you shall learn both the art of ruling and the intricacies of Magan.”
Elu gave a jerky nod. It was clear he didn’t trust himself to speak yet.
“Fear not. The very fact that you stand before us means that you have the qualities necessary to lead Magan. Those qualities will only grow, and as long as you hold to the core truths, you and Magan shall prosper.”
“Faith,” whispered Elu. Then, in a stronger voice, “Obedience. Exaltation. Destiny.”
“Indeed.” The lamassu’s tail whipped back and forth. “Now, it is time for you to meet your people. Just as I bear the souls of the dead from this world to the next, so shall I bear you down from the heights to the land of the living. Mark well the symbolism. You have died, and we now bring you back to life. Drink deep of that truth. Nothing shall ever be the same again, but all shall be infinitely better. Come.”
The lamassu extended its front leg to serve as a ladder, and Elu, with great hesitation, moved forward and climbed to the god’s back. There, he settled beween its wings, eyes still wide with wonder.
The lamassu turned to the rest of the group. “For your role in the pharaoh’s ascension you are all blessed, and will bear the title of Royal Companion for the rest of your lives. My brothers and sisters shall attend to your injuries and fly you down to the ground, but know that forevermore a shard of your soul will remain in the heavens.”
Nobody spoke. Ahktena bowed low once more, and Annara held tight to Acharsis’ arm.
“Son of Ekillos,” said the lamassu. “You bear my amulet. I gift it to you as a token of my appreciation. Heed my warning and do not lose it.”
“Thank you,” said Acharsis, bowing low. “Thank you.”
“Now, Senacherib. Are you ready to meet your people?”
“I am,” said Elu. He swallowed and took hold of the lamassu’s mane. “I’m ready.”
“Then come! A new age dawns for Magan. Let it begin!” The lamassu leaped up, wings extending, and it took off into the peerless blue sky.
Annara raised her arm to shield her eyes, peering up after her son, and Acharsis saw tears running down her cheeks.
“We did it,” said Acharsis, unable to keep the wonder from his voice. “We actually pulled it off.”
Jarek joined them, watching as the white lamassu stepped up to where Kish lay. “And now the war begins. Elu’s going to have to summon his new army quickly if we’re to stop Irella.”
“He will,” said Acharsis. “I know he will. He’s got what it takes. With him as pharaoh, we can finally bring justice to the River Cities. Finally meet her on the field of battle and avenge our fallen gods.”
The sound of the crowd’s cheering erupted, a wall of rapturous acclaim.
“We’ve got an army to raise, a war to win, and nine dead gods to bring back from the dead,” said Acharsis. “Shall we get started?”
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The Godsblood Trilogy
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Glossary
God
Domain
Demigod
City
Cerash
Heaven/Firmament
Amelagar
Kasha
Iritak
Air
Ahsera
Namtar
Ekillos
Male Fertility/Knowledge
Acharsis
Narubtum
Nekuul
Netherworld
Irella
Uros
Scythia
Warfare, Female Sexuality
Numias
Takurtum
Kaptiya
Sea
Hamata
Zakir
Alok
Earth
Jarek
Rekkidu
Ninsaba
Moon
Sharyukin
Jalasha
Naban
Agriculture
Kinziru
Timesh
Qun
Sun
Golden Piamat
Nusku
Acharsis:Demigod and son of Ekillos
Agash: Adept of Nekuul
Ahassuna:Seeker of Nekuul
Ahsera:Demigoddess and daughter of Iritak
Akkodaisis:Undead lord and ruler of Rekkidu
Alok:God of earth
Amelagar:Demigod and son of Cerash
ammi shalash:Divine visitation from Nekuul
Annara:Resident of Eruk, former priestess of Scythia
Apsu:Shaman and exorcist
Athite:Nomad tribe from the Golden Steppe, former conquerors of the empire
Azu:Erkuian villager
Babati:Servant of Sisu in Rekkidu
Cerash:God of the heavens
Ekillos:God of male fertility and knowledge
Eruk:Small settlement west of Rekkidu
Godsblood:Descendant of a demigod
Hagash:Erukian villager
Hamata:Demigod and son of Kaptiya
Hracka:Nomad tribe from the Golden Steppe
Illi:Pepper native to the Aloros foothills
Illoi:Nomad tribe from the Golden Steppe
Irella:Demigoddess and daughter of Nekuul
Iroku:Master of Nekuul
Iritak:God of the air
Ishkirella:Former high priestess of Ninsaba, resident of Rekkidu
Jarek:Demigod and son of Alok, god of the earth
Jasha:Kenu’s sister and Erukian villager
Kaptiva:Goddess of the sea
Kasha:City formerly devoted to Cerash
Kenu:Annara’s husband, Erukian villager
Khartis:Sea to the north west of the empire
Kinziru:Demigod and son of Naban, god of agriculture
Kishtar:Scythian godsblood
Krucefer:Leader of the Athites, led invasion of the empire 20 years ago
Lakhar:Shapeshifting predators of the steppe
Lamasu:Human-headed lion goddesses of Magan
Leech:Derogatory name for Masters of Nekuul
Leonis:Great river that runs down the length of the empire
Magan:Rival empire to the far west
Master:Head priests of Nekuul
Meluhhua:Nation to the far south of the empire
Naban:God of agriculture
Narabtum:City formerly dedicated to Ekillos
Nekuul:Goddess of the netherworld
Ninsaba:Goddess of the moon
Numias:Demigoddess and daughter of Scythia
Nusku:City formerly devoted to Qun
Owlwoman:A practitioner of dark magic
Pantagr:A flower whose dried seeds provide an aromatic smoke
Piamat:Demigod and son of Qun
Purging:Irella’s ambush and murder of the demigods
Qun:God of the sun
Regash:Small settlement to the south west of Rekkidu
Rekkidu:City formerly devoted to Alok
Rexashas:Master of Nekuul
Seeker:Elite priests of Nekuul
Sharyukin:Demigoddess and daughter of Ninsaba
Shatra:Wading bird native to the Leonis
Sillush:Head Seeker of Nekuul
Sisuthros:Nekuulite godsblood and son of Irella
Takurtum:City formerly devoted to Scythia
Timesh:City formerly devoted to Naban
Thorn Gate:Ceremo
nial arch that cleanses pollution
Uddish:Seeker of Nekuul
Ulmani:Distant land to the far east of the empire
Uros:City dedicated to Nekuul and capital of the empire
Warad:Seeker of Nekuul
Yesu:Master of Nekuul
Zakir:City formerly dedicated to Kaptiya
The Path of Flames
Book 1 of the Chronicles of the Black Flame
Is available now. You can get your copy here.
The first book in the new epic fantasy series readers are comparing to David Gemmell and Raymond E. Feist.
A war fueled by the dark powers of forbidden sorcery is about to engulf the Ascendant Empire. Agerastian heretics, armed with black fire and fueled by bitter hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the empire - and in so doing destroy it.
Asho--a squire with a reviled past--sees his liege, the Lady Kyferin, and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy and betrayal, demons and an approaching army, the fate of the Kyferins hangs by the slenderest of threads. Asho realizes that their sole hope of survival may lie hidden within the depths of his scarred soul--a secret that could reverse their fortunes and reveal the truth behind the war that wracks their empire.
Unpredictable, fast paced, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Path of Flames is the first installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series. Grab your copy today!
Copyright © 2018 Phil Tucker
All rights reserved.