The Gods' Games Volume 1 & 2: Graphic Edition (The Gods' Games Series)

by Quil Carter

  “M-Malagant?” Korivander stammered. “Malagant Ahris? Is that really you?”

  Malagant smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Yeah, it is Uncle Kori.”

  The king laughed and embraced Malagant tightly. “Two years, two years! You foolish boy, where have you been? You can’t disappear for that long while times are so hard!” Korivander exclaimed. “You better not tell me it’s been that long since you’ve seen your father.”

  When they broke their embrace Malagant’s face was radiant with his smile, the ordeal they’d just come from seemed distant when looking at just how happy he was. “Dad would never let me stay away from home for that long. He’d track me down and whip me all the way to Birch. No, I suppose it’s been almost a year now since I was home – but we’ll be crossing Lazarius so we can bypass the worst of winter.”

  At the mention of Lazarius King Korivander’s eyes widened and he looked to Ben, or more specifically, the Jewel of Elron.

  “That’s right,” Korivander’s voice dropped. He walked over to the bed and looked at Ben. “May I touch it, young one?”

  For a moment all Ben could do was gawk at the Lelan king. King Korivander was asking him if he could touch the Jewel of Elron? It was technically Teal’s, Ben had just put on Teal’s Aryd wolf cloak on by accident that morning.

  Ben nodded, assuming that Teal wouldn’t mind. “Sure.” Ben picked it up and handed it to King Korivander.

  As soon as the king touched it the jewel gave a small flare, as if welcoming the king, and at this welcome a reminiscent smile appeared on his face. “It’s been a long time since I saw this jewel. When Anea’s jewel was in the last prophecy it took the form of rings.” Korivander looked over at Malagant. “It’s true then, Malagant? The gods have finally answered our prayers?”

  “It seems so,” Malagant said, taking a sip of the ambiar root tea. “I’ve only been with these two for several weeks but Tee over here –” Malagant motioned to Teal, respecting Teal’s wish to not have Korivander know who he is. “He says Kelakheva came to him and said we must take the jewel to…”

  Korivander raised a hand before he turned to Tass and Satcha. “I would ask for you two to give me a private moment with my nephew and his friends.”

  The physician and the squire both bowed and quickly left the room.

  “You know where the king is then?” Korivander turned to Teal; he was turning the jewel around in his hand.

  Teal nodded. “King Calin is hiding out with his family, his court that was able to escape, and some members of the highborn Houses in the Garas caves.”

  Then Korivander’s face became troubled. “If the prophecy has already started though… why hasn’t the Anean Prophecies started writing?”

  Ben’s face fell and at the same time Malagant and Teal’s did too.

  “N-nothing?” Malagant said with a look of shock, though that expression quickly turned to nausea. He looked like he was about to throw up, and Teal did too. “But–”

  “–we have the Jewel of Elron. I’ve seen and spoken to the demigod!” Teal exclaimed. He buried his face into his hand and groaned. “How can the Anean Prophecies say nothing of this? When was the last time you checked, King Korivander?”

  “My auchtr checks the prophecies every day, it’s part of his routine of worship,” Korivander said. He had an air of disappointment as well but he was hiding it better than Ben, Teal, and Malagant were. Ben felt a nauseous pit form in his stomach and his friends looked faint.

  But what did this mean? Ben didn’t know enough about how the prophecies worked to even hint to an answer to that question. From the sounds of it as soon as these odd events started happening the prophecy was supposed to start guiding the prophecy walkers. Teal had made it sound like they just needed to find a copy of the prophecies and their guide would be right there.

  So what now? They had no guide? Did they just need to blindly go to Garas now or was there a way to, well, get it to write?

  Ben felt absolutely clueless; he decided to just keep his mouth shut and listen to what his friends and the king were saying.

  “Dad always said the prophecy’s riddles and scripture can only properly be deciphered by the prophecy walkers – it just appears as random lines of text to everyone else, ones that eventually turns into stories once it’s concluded,” Malagant said. “Is it possible that the auchtr just missed it?”

  Korivander handed the jewel back to Ben and crossed his arms over his silk robe. “It hasn’t written in well over two decades so it’s possible.” Then he nodded to himself. “It’s late now and you’re not in the state for such matters – tomorrow you’ll join me and my children for the afternoon meal and I’ll bring our copy of the prophecies.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Malagant said, his face was still troubled. “I just don’t understand this – Tee has been around the demigod. Kelakheva gave him the jewel to keep, and that’s how he found Ben. This is a prophecy; Kelakheva even helped us with this blizzard. Which reminds me…” Malagant continued. “We had a bounty hunter malkah on our backsides and a kessiik. I don’t expect anything to happen in this snowstorm, and the kessiik I’m hoping will be incapacitated for now… just tell your patrol to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

  Korivander’s lips tightened. “No Dashavian scum will step foot in Lelan territory. You’re safe here to stay as long as you please. And when you decide to carry on with your journey I will be more than happy to provide you with supply and coin. Actually you couldn’t have come at a better time.”

  “Why do you say that?” Malagant asked.

  “I sent some of my elves out several months ago to the surviving lords of Alcove,” Korivander explained. “My daughter had decided we were overdue for a get-together that did not include council meetings and I can never deny her when she gives me that look.”

  Malagant chuckled. “We all know that look. That sounds wonderful, Uncle. I’m overdue on visiting a lot of old friends and we could use our spirits lifted. But you know we cannot tell them about this, right?”

  Korivander waved a hand, looking annoyed that Malagant would even need to state that. “I was fighting battles beside Anagin and Cruz when they were prophecy walkers, Malagant. I know how they work. My lips are sealed. We may not be able to hide that they’re writing, but we can hide just to who they are writing to.”

  “Thanks, Uncle,” Malagant said with a smile.

  The king embraced Malagant again and nodded to Teal and Ben.

  “You three rest then, we will talk further tomorrow,” he said with a warm smile, and with that King Korivander left the room.

  “I missed this place,” Malagant sighed, then looked to Ben. “Are you sure you’re okay? Everything went well?”

  Ben nodded and got under the blankets, and as Malagant put a dark shade that was attached to the lit lamp over the brilliant light, he yawned. “I was more afraid for you two. The horse died then?”

  Teal shuddered. He put the Jewel of Elron into the pocket of the robe Satcha had given him. He never did like having the jewel far from his reach. “It was scary. He dropped dead not too soon after and Malagant and I just huddled together for warmth. Luckily Malagant is a furnace.”

  “I sleep sandwiched between you two in the canvas tent, I know.” Ben smirked. “He also kicks like a jackrabbit though.”

  “I’ll be careful then, you might eat me, pretty little kitty,” Malagant said with a scrunch of his face. “Want a pet behind the ears, mittens?”

  “One day, Malagant, one day,” Ben said and closed his eyes. “I’m just glad you two are okay. That being said, Tass is rather easy on the eyes. I wouldn’t mind saving the world with him.”

  Ben yelped as a pillow hit his face. He laughed and threw it back to Teal.

  “Good night, you coidogs,” Ben said.

  “Good night, mittens,” Malagant and Teal said at the same time.

  19

  That night Ben was dead to the world, he hadn’t slept this long and thi
s deep since he’d left the cabin back in the Forest of Jare. Teal, who was only a few feet away from him, seemed to have slept the entire night too, or if he had whimpered and tossed around it wasn’t enough to wake Ben up.

  They woke up that morning to servants bringing them breakfast in bed. A thick porridge with nuts and dried fruit and toasted bread lathered with creamy butter. To wash it down they had more of Satcha’s ambiar tea and sweet-tasting honey water which Malagant explained was a Lelan staple.

  The Lelanders were kind and hospitable and the fact that Malagant was the king’s nephew had all three of them being treated like royalty. More than several elves dressed in flowing surcoats with patterned, brightly-coloured shirts and trousers came in after they had eaten to speak with them, introduce themselves, and give them presents ranging from food and tea for their journey, expensive, well-made winter clothing, vials full of serums (Teal quickly took those with bright eyes radiating enchanted excitement), and Malagant’s favourite: two leatherskins of buckleberry wine which, once the merchant elf realized Teal had his magic backpack, quickly tripled into six wineskins.

  Malagant shook his head after a merchant left, one who had given them a gift of warm undershirts made from an Evercovian sheep that was supposed to have thick, waterproof wool. “You know the only reason they’re all rushing to give us gifts is because they want to suck up to King Korivander,” he said with a chuckle. Then he brought the wineskin up to his lips, he had been ‘testing its contents’ for the last half hour. “But I really don’t mind reaping the benefits of their politics. Elronday has come early it seems.”

  Ben chewed a candied peach. They had received several bulging bags from a ladyelf who Satcha said had been eyeing up King Korivander’s only chedni son, Prince Taugis. “We’re going to eat like kings once we leave – if we don’t eat it all here. I love this place, I really really love this place.”

  There was a knock on the door and as Malagant had requested, to maintain appearances, they quickly hid all the presents they had been eating and drinking, and smoothed out the robes that Satcha had given them to wear. Then, as Malagant quickly ran his fingers through his black hair, he turned to the door. “You may enter.”

  Tass, King Korivander’s squire and the elf who had brought Ben into Lelan, appeared with a kind smile on his face. “Malagant, Tee, Ben.” Tass bowed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good as new,” Malagant replied. “We’re feeling better not worse so it seems none of us will come down with any sickness. Is it time for our afternoon meal with King Korivander and my royal cousins?”

  “Almost,” Tass replied, then he glanced over his shoulder. “King Korivander of House Luceon has requested your audience, yes, but as you know, it is customary when you dine with the king and his family – you will need to look the part.”

  Malagant groaned to Ben’s confusion, and the reason for his displeasure was soon realized, though not explained, when two Lelanders appeared in the doorway. They were both older elves who held matching looks of disapproval on their faces. Ben wouldn’t be surprised if they were fraternal twins, brothers at least that was for sure.

  The two were dressed alike as well and their clothing looked not only expensive but painstakingly made. They were both wearing dark green robes of silk with embroidered gold clovers that made up the trim, and matching silk hats on top of greying blond hair that was pulled back in a ponytail.

  “Get out of here, you crows. King Korivander is my uncle, he doesn’t care how we look!” Malagant waved his hands in a shoo’ing manner. “Go, off with you!”

  “He’s his father’s son,” one of them leaned over and muttered to the other; the other one tsked and nodded in agreeance.

  “Orders are orders and customs are customs, Malagant, son of Anagin,” the second one said rather crisply. He nodded to Tass as the squire, stifling his laughter, took his leave. “Although King Korivander is your uncle, he is still the king, and if you wish to dine with a king you cannot look like a vagrant. Come along now.”

  Malagant let out an exasperated, and over-embellished, groan and wiped both hands down his face. “Fiiine!” he groaned and started walking towards the door. The two Lelanders moved aside and nodded their approval.

  “What’s – what’s happening?” Ben asked Malagant when all three of them were following the Lelanders down a corridor. Teal was walking so close to Ben their shoulders were almost rubbing together. The poor socially anxious Teal was looking stressed out and confused at the sudden change. Ben knew Teal enough to know that he liked notice when he had to deal with new things, time to prepare himself; especially if it involved other elves.

  “These two goats are the castle tailors,” Malagant explained. “They’ve been stuffing me into silk robes and surcoats since I was four.”

  “And his father before him,” the first one said as they led them down a tapestry-covered hallway. “The other son, the blond one, was always so much nicer.”

  “And appreciative.”

  “Never covered in dirt, always helped clean up after.”

  “Which is why Josiah stayed at home to be clean and I decided to serve my kingdom,” Malagant said back curtly.

  “So we’re getting new clothes?” Ben smiled at the thought. They’d been getting gifts all day but hadn’t received any everyday clothes, just winter clothing. He was looking forward to something tailored for him. The tunic he’d gotten from Hakire had been shredded after the confrontation with Tseer, and their other clothing were all in sad states from their rough travelling.

  “They’re going to toss us to the she-wolves first,” Malagant said.

  “He means you’re getting bathed,” the second one said to Ben.

  “Then stick us with pins.”

  “Fit you for proper clothing.”

  “Then make us look like bloody peacocks.”

  “Like civilized elves.”

  Ben couldn’t help but laugh. Malagant might not like the tailors, but Ben thought they were hilarious. He could practically see four-year-old Malagant getting dragged off to be bathed.

  However his laughter dissipated when he saw the nervous look on Teal’s face deepen. Ben looked down and, sure enough, Teal was clawing his arms through his robes.

  “Not used to all this, are you?” Ben asked. He knew Teal’s anxiety was from not being used to being around elves and social situations, but he did feel a bit better knowing that Teal also had no idea how to act around royalty.

  Teal shook his head and looked around nervously. “I’m glad Malagant is here; he can be the center of attention and I can be the quiet hibrid that goes along with everything,” he whispered.

  Ben chuckled. “We would’ve been screwed without Malagant. Especially if the demigod had commanded us to go to Lelan to read the prophecies.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to see the reason why Kelakheva sent him to us,” Teal said. He had a faint smile on his face but Ben could tell he felt a little dejected at the thought.

  So Ben decided to cheer him up. “Nah, we could have done it. He’s just here for entertainment purposes and social situations.” Ben winked, half-hoping Malagant would hear him just to see his reaction.

  Teal’s face brightened. Ben knew he needed to hear that. Teal had poured his heart into getting him to Alcove, then getting him used to being in Alcove, then keeping him alive in Alcove. He knew Teal probably felt worthless at the thought that they couldn’t have done it on their own or that the demigod didn’t have faith that they could. Ben wasn’t sure if they really could have, but who knows… he was learning quickly in this world; he had already killed his first elf.

  Even if I defaulted to my ‘smash the ever-loving fuck out of them’ method for killing things.

  The next hour was filled with many new experiences for Ben. To his horror one of the tailors, whom Ben was finally introduced to as Laugin stripped all of his clothes off and ordered him into a large stone tub that was filled with warm water. Then out came three older ladyelves, who B
en realized were the ‘she-wolves’ that Malagant had mentioned. The three had an arsenal of scrub brushes, oils, and soaps. With Teal looking like he was in the middle of being violated and Ben pretending he was someplace else, the she-wolves bathed all three of them in the stone tub as Laugin and his brother Léaun started picking out fabrics and going over patterns.

  Malagant’s unhinged laughter at his and Teal’s horrified expressions told Ben that this was a normal thing to have happen, though that didn’t make it any less traumatic for him. Why it couldn’t have been the nice-looking male Lelanders washing them, Tass preferably, was a mystery to him.

  After a few layers of skin had been scrubbed off, they stood in their skivs for the next half hour getting measured and having fabric pinned and draped over them.

  Laugin and Léaun were all business now, talking to each other and comparing prints, arguing over which skin tone went with which colour and what trim complimented Teal and Ben’s green eyes.

  “Watch this, you two; here comes the neat part,” Malagant said when the two tailors had finally agreed on their fabric choices. They were standing around yards and yards of different types of fabric, some silk, some wool, some linen, some types Ben had never seen before; all of it in every colour Ben could imagine.

  “Show him, Léaun,” Malagant said, then he clapped Ben on the back. “This is a Galan hibrid; they grow up underneath rocks.”

  “And yet you’re still dirtier than him,” Léaun murmured through lips that were pursuing a dozen pins.

  To Ben’s awe he watched as the elf took a piece of the fabric that was draped over Malagant’s side and pinched it into a piece beside it. As the Lelander moved his pinched fingers down the fabric the pieces mended themselves together.

  “Holy damn,” Ben said in shock. Seeing magic in action never ceased to amaze him. “How did you do that?”

  “Mage magic of course,” Malagant said as both of the tailors started doing the same trick on what was going to become his new surcoat.

  “This magic seam is a lot stronger than any stitch would be,” he continued. “It takes a long time to learn, and it’s taken them this many years to do it half-decent.” Malagant smirked, then let out a loud ouch as Laugin deliberately stuck him with a pin.