by A F Kay
“What do you mean, cover?” Ruwen asked.
Ky pulled a sheet of paper from her Dimensional Bag and Rami dragged her donut to the side. Ky placed the sheet on the table face down. “We need an excuse for us all to be in Malth.” Ky pointed to each person as she named them. “Xavier is the sponsor, I’m the coach, Lylan is the chef, and Hamma is the training Healer.”
“What are we?” Sift asked.
Ruwen had a bad feeling. After everything that had happened since his Ascension, he wanted to relax and avoid attention. He guessed the other side of that paper promised neither.
Ky flipped the paper over, revealing an invitation written in large flowing script. “You’re the Step team, of course. You two will fight in the Championship Tournament.”
Epilogue
Naktos stepped out of the ring of stones, the air colder than he remembered, and glanced at the setting sun. Fog half covered the rolling green hills, and he strode toward the sound of crashing waves.
This planet was one of Lalquinrial’s strongholds. Ironic, as Naktos knew Uru loved this world, especially this island, and still visited, walking the cliffs not far from here. Even the Master had grown attached to its beauty, although the inhabitants had been more primitive back then. It amazed him with a Universe so large, how one planet could gather the attention of so many gods.
Naktos crested a small hill, and a lonely tavern appeared, its windows shining uselessly into the twilight. He hated talking to the Blight Clan, but Simandreial was the worst. For him, this had always been about business and mutual benefit, but the Plague Siren enjoyed the suffering of others, even her allies.
Of all the disciples, Naktos got along best with Lalquinrial. He had begged his friend to join the Pact, but Lalquinrial never liked peace, and had gone his own way. Nibbling on the souls of others, however, was no path to power, and as the millennia passed, Lalquinrial’s desperation had finally moved Naktos to action.
They couldn’t chance being seen together, not when discussing tonight’s topic. If the other disciples discovered their activities, it would have devastating consequences for them both. Instead, his friend sent the Scarecrow, his most trusted companion.
Faint music escaped the wood structure, and Naktos opened the door. Four Infernal Realm Butchers sat at the long bar, their forms masked to look like locals. A young woman sat at a table by herself, and Naktos ignored her as he searched for the Plague Siren.
The young woman stood. “Greetings to you, Father of Stone.”
Naktos studied the girl. Her white hair barely reached her shoulders, and she hadn’t bothered to mask her black eyes or fangs. She had the fierce beauty of a Plague Siren, softened by Lalquinrial’s features. He hadn’t realized his friend had sired a child. It was nearly impossible for gods to create offspring, and he realized how much trust Lalquinrial placed in him by revealing this secret.
Naktos walked to the table. “I had expected the Scarecrow.”
“Mother is transitioning and unavailable.”
Naktos hid his horror. The thought of Simandreial as a Divine being terrified him almost as much as the fact she’d had a child. The girl’s stance gave her Step training away, but Naktos wasn’t an expert on such things. He would need to see her fight to determine her Step Clan. The girl, born from such powerful parents, even if her Core connections numbered less than seven, would still be formidable.
Naktos sat, and the girl did the same. “What should I call you, child?”
“Some call me, Echo.”
“Send my regards, and congratulations, to your father.”
Echo blushed. “He said you’d know.” She pushed a plastic menu toward him with a list of fermented drinks. “The local stout is very good.”
Naktos had no need for nourishment, but he wanted to develop his relationship with Echo. “That sounds nice.”
Echo smiled and raised two fingers.
Naktos wondered how much of Echo’s behavior was an act. He remembered how charming her mother could be when the situation warranted it.
Echo’s smile faded. “Your defeat saddened Father.”
“It saddens me as well.”
One of the Butchers brought two glasses filled with dark liquid. Foam topped the glass, which had a stylized gold harp etched into it. Echo took a sip, the foam giving her a mustache. She laughed and rubbed it away. “Father wonders how this affects our operations.”
“It forces us further south. Haffa and I have already begun tunneling.”
“The mines near New Eiru had the richest Order and Light concentrations. The essence further south is diluted.”
The young woman’s knowledge impressed Naktos. “That is an unfortunate truth.”
“This will severely impact Father’s plans for expansion.”
“It affects us all.”
Echo nodded and took another sip of her drink. This time she used her lower lip to clean off the foam. “It dismays him that six Executioners might have been observed by the one they call Overlord. If descriptions of the battle are accurate, he would have passed them.”
“I too believe that likely.”
“He must be executed before he spreads this knowledge. If any of the other disciples learn of our arrangement, it will be disastrous.”
“Agreed, but it is not so simple. He is Ascended, not a Harvester, so he must be incapacitated to avoid revival.”
Echo looked confused. “From descriptions of the event, I assumed only a Harvester could produce those results.”
Naktos sipped his drink, astonished by its smoothness, and the balance between the sweet and bitter accents. “Ten of my people witnessed the explosion. This Overlord used a rune stone. Likely some type of Mana bomb.”
“Then we will find the most distant portal available and send him through,” Echo said. “What else can you tell me about this Overlord?”
“What is your intention?” Naktos asked.
“Father wants me to assassinate him, of course,” Echo said and sipped her beer.
“Excellent,” Naktos said. “He has proved problematic.”
Echo locked eyes with Naktos. “I know. If left to me, only your death would offset your failures.”
Naktos no longer wondered who she took after. Few people in the Universe could speak to him like that and live. He nodded at Echo. “Then I’ll count myself lucky you aren’t in charge.”
Echo smiled. “You can make up for part of your disaster by helping me find this Overlord.”
“Of course,” Naktos said. “I expect him to remain out of sight near New Eiru for the foreseeable future. Too many of the disciples know his identity, and any exposure will draw their assassins.”
Echo nodded and sipped her beer.
Naktos continued. “Male, approximately sixteen. Ascended and bound to Uru about two months ago. She made him her Champion, and his base Class is Worker, a type of generic support Class. His secondary Class is currently the Fighter branch. He’s always seen with a cloak and has three known associates. There are rumors he has bound a dungeon and that the Master’s Companion has shown some interest in him.”
“Why would the Adjudicator show interest?”
“Miranda has always been a mystery to us. Perhaps your father might have some insight. My theory is it relates to the Step Masters she shelters.”
The last comment caused a brief increase in the girl's heart rate. Naktos wondered if Echo also had a connection to those Masters.
“I would like the details of his companions,” Echo said. “I will be the first to find and kill him.”
“Of course,” Naktos said, sensing Echo’s desire for her father’s approval.
“What is his name?” Echo asked.
“Ruwen Starfield.”
Echo’s breath caught for just a moment, but Naktos noticed. Interesting that she already knew his name and reacted so strongly to it.
Naktos pulled a small book from his inner coat pocket and placed it on the table. “Sketches and all know details
of Ruwen and his companions.”
Echo acted uninterested as she flipped through the journal, but she lingered on Ruwen’s picture, and Naktos studied the young woman’s face for clues.
Echo gently placed the book on the table and gave Naktos a brilliant smile, only slightly ruined by her fangs. “Thank you for coming. I know my father treasures your friendship.”
Naktos stood. “And I, his. It was nice to meet you, Echo. I look forward to seeing you again.”
Echo stood as well and gave Naktos a small bow. “Until we meet again.”
Naktos left the tavern, his mind racing.
Halfway to the stones he heard a primal scream and the sounds of a short fight. It seemed Echo had her mother’s temper and the four Butchers had suffered for it.
Naktos wanted to know why Ruwen’s name had upset Echo, and he intended to find out.
Thank you so much for reading this book. I hope my love for this story made it onto the page. If you wish to stay informed about the future books in the Divine Apostasy series, please join the newsletter: www.afkauthor.com/subscribe
Being an independent author has many challenges, one of which is visibility. Please consider leaving a review. Thank you!
Appendix
Item QualityInventory Color
CommonWhite
UncommonBrown
FineGreen
RareYellow
SpecialOrange
EpicBlue
LegendaryPurple
Metals
Bronze
Iron
Steel
Titanium
Obsidian
Terium
ClassSymbolColor
WorkerHandsBrown
MageBrainBlack
ObserverEyesGreen
OrderHeartWhite
FighterBodyBlue
MerchantMouthRed
Fortifying Levels
Metal Levels
Lead
Copper
Silver
Gold
Gem Levels
Jade
Topaz
Sapphire
Diamond
Divine Levels
Angel
Archangel
Demigod
Deity
Meridian Location
BodyHeart
Stone Right Leg/Foot
Order Spine
Water Right Shoulder/Arm/Hand
Light Head/Neck
Life Groin/Hips/Abdomen
Mind Brain
Air Left Shoulder/Arm/Hand
Chaos Torso
Fire Left Leg/Foot
Dark Organs
Death Intestines
Money
Copper
Silver (100 Copper)
Gold (100 Silver)
Platinum (100 Gold)
Terium (100 Platinum)
Rank Level
Novice1-9
Initiate10-19
Apprentice20-29
Journeyman30-39
Acolyte40-49
Disciple50-59
Expert60-69
Adept70-84
Master85-99
Grand Master100
Level StartExperienceLevel End
110002
23,0003
36,0004
410,0005
515,0006
621,0007
728,0008
836,0009
945,00010
1055,00011
1166,00012
1278,00013
1391,00014
14105,00015
15120,00016
16136,00017
17153,00018
18171,00019
19190,00020
20210,00021
.
.
.
974,753,00098
984,851,00099
994,950,000100
1005,050,000101
Acknowledgments
First, and most importantly, I want to thank you. Life places insane demands on your time, but 2020 brought an incredible new level of stress. I’m so thankful that despite the hurdles of this past year, you chose to spend some of your precious time with this series. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Megan, tragedy has already smothered you in its terrible embrace. I love you more than I can express, and you are stronger than you feel. Remember you are rarer than being struck by lightning and that your magic is so powerful it made hippos fly. Your creativity echos my own, and while your poetry is darker than mine, it is also vastly better. You inspire me to do better.
Zachary, as you tell me often, you basically wrote these books (aside from the small task of turning ideas into sentences). Even though I know you’ll never read these books, or even this acknowledgment, your fingerprints are scattered through it all. Thank you for helping me add wonder to this series.
Nicole, you have done more for this series than any other person. You have read early drafts, late drafts, and everything in between. You listen to the audio over and over and help me keep the series consistent. When it comes to figuring out a tough scene you are always there for me. The best ideas in these books are always our ideas as we discuss everything that could be. Thank you so much.
Liam, your smile and laughter warm my heart. You have been such a blessing and I’m so thankful that circumstances have allowed us to spend so much time together. There is always a silver lining in every situation, even a pandemic.
Erika, so much has happened to us in the eight months its taken to write this book. Through it all, you’ve been incredibly supportive of my writing. I know how critical that is for success, and I don’t take your sacrifices for granted. You are an amazing mother and Liam is so lucky to have you. I’m lucky, too. Thank you so much for your love and support.
Jason, it is exciting to see you become an author in your own right. Your advice has always been great but since you’ve taken your writing seriously it has become more precise and granular. I appreciate all you’ve done for me, and look forward to the day you publish your own work.
Coral, Samantha, Oz, Kellye, and Lisa, you are all an inspiration to me. 2020 has sucked in many ways, one of which was that we haven’t gotten to see each other. Zoom just isn’t the same. Even though I haven’t submitted much to critique group lately, I love reading your amazing stories. Thank you all so much for making me a better writer.
Isaac, I can always count on your enthusiasm and insightful comments and they have made this story better. More importantly, they have provided me critical support. Ranking so high on your favorite author list is something I am very proud of. Thank you so much for your help.
I said this in all my acknowledgments, but it remains the truth: my Patrons are special people. All the authors I know battle self doubt and the incredible resistance to not only writing your inner thoughts, but placing them where everyone can tell you how much they suck. The antidote to those people and to the inner demons that want you to stop, are the superfans of this series. My patrons hold a special place in my heart. You keep me motivated to continue. I know for a fact this book would not exist without you. Thank you so so much.
Mom, previously I have talked about how from the beginning you supported me and allowed me to believe I was good enough to do this. Your continued support and your enthusiasm for this series, which you listen to while driving to see your grand kids, means the world to me. Thank you for always being there for me. Literally from the start.
Special Thanks
The following people deserve special thanks, as their support for the series has made a significant difference in my ability to tell this story.
N
Daemon Shade
Derek Morgan
Michael Stephens
Matt Alonso
Zach Hoeken
Austin Weinreber
Clinton Johnson
Richar
d Burris
Tim V
Mage
Thank you all so much!
Author’s Note
It makes me so happy that this series has resonated with others. Thank you for supporting this story.
In my last Author’s Note I told you my goal was to produce books faster while keeping the same (or better) level of quality. Unfortunately, the The Fourth Secret has taken me almost eight months to release, the opposite of what I intended. I learned a lot of lessons writing this book, and I hope that the fifth book takes half the time.
I don’t take any of this for granted, and I’m grateful every day that we have found each other.
Sincerely and truly, I appreciate you taking the time to read this story.
Shade’s First Rule: move fast alone, travel far together.
Let’s go far.
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