by Jake Yaniak
At that moment a young girl was brought to the altar, one of the virgins of the nunnery, dressed as a bride but with a face as somber as death, and with weeping parents in her train.
The Dark Gods Tremble
Outside the temple, under a dark canopy of trees on the northern side of the hill there sat many of the invisible gods of Amlaman. Their chief was named Gheshtik, who towered above the others both in size and in wisdom. At his side was hung a mighty blade, twice the breadth of a mortal's sword and nearly twice the length. He wore a dark cape that shrouded him in darkness, hidden from all eyes. Near at hand was his dark messenger, Zefru, whose swift feet could pass over field and stream faster than a hurricane's gale. There were many others besides them in the shadows of the forest, watching with great interest and concern as the revelers worshipped their ancient lord.
Gheshtik broke the long silence. Though silent to mortal ears, his voice shook the other spirits as it passed from his lips. He said, 'Gods of Amlaman, what strange days these be! The ancient prisoner is worshipped anew, yet we have neither seen nor heard of him for more than a millennium. Could it be that the fell lord Agonistes has returned, unbeknownst to us, who were, in ancient times, his warriors and servants?'
There was a great murmur among the spirits, then Zefru spoke. His voice was smooth and his words poured out swiftly and confidently. 'My lord Gheshtik, I have for all these thirteen hundred years been your eyes and your ears in both Ramlos and Amlaman, yet I have not so much as heard a whisper of the dark god's return. By all accounts Lord Pelas' mighty servant yet guards the paths of Razzun, both preventing Agonistes' escape and keeping us, who were once his thralls, from aiding him, however far that may be from our desires.'
'Then what is this spectacle that we witness before us at the Altar of Agonistes? Why are the men and women of Ramlos and Amlaman gathered together thus?' Gheshtik almost sounded frantic as he spoke. His uneasiness set the other spirits to panic and they began to move about restlessly as though they feared he would punish them.
Zefru spoke once again, trying to calm his master, 'My lord, you have no need to be upset. Your strength has grown in the long years of the devil's exile, while his strength is sure to have waned. Even if this marvel heralded his return we have naught to fear from him while you are our captain.'
'As ever you speak softly and cunningly, Zefru,' Gheshtik said, calming down a little. 'But I cannot help but think that you would be saying the same to the devil if it were he that trembled and I that had wandered the lonely subterranean paths for all these years.'
'You are wise, my lord,' Zefru bowed low, 'You know as well as I that there is nothing in this world but power. And that is why I am your servant, because in your hands that power resides in fullness.'
'Your tongue is as clever as your feet, Zefru. But there is something more at work here than mere men. This great gathering is no mere rebirth of tradition. I can sense some dark power at work, and something ancient.'
Suddenly as he spoke a tiny spark of fire appeared before them, hovering eerily in the still night air. 'What is the meaning of this?' Gheshtik demanded.
A gruff but quiet voice came from the fiery spirit. 'I am Fuehar, lord of this temple. It is by my flames that the Altar is lit, and I preside over everything that is sacrificed before the image of Agonistes.'
'And why have you come before us now?'
'I was lord of this temple in the ancient days, when Lord Agonistes reigned from the eastern forest and had his temple on this mountain as well as in the dark parts of the land of Noras. My brother once kindled the holy flame in that place, but alas, his light has been long extinguished!'
'Then you are one of the elementals,' Ghestik said with a nod. 'Tell me all that you know, little fire.' At those words the fire seemed to grow angry. It grew bright and hot and sprung up to a great height, taking the form of a man, towering over even Lord Ghestik.
'Little Fire?' the flame cackled. 'There are many elementals in this world, young Ghestik!' he said insultingly. 'All of them are older than you, and none of them are under your command. I trust that I needn't remind you of that!'
Ghestik bowed slightly and spoke softly to the pillar of fire, 'And neither are the immortal spirits under your command, lord of smoke, and neither can you harm us, or even so much as touch us. Grow as big as a mountain if you wish, we cannot be burned by you!'
The flame seemed to die down at those words and shrunk back to a mere spark of flickering fire. 'I have come not for rivalry, but to council you. For I have seen your confusion from afar and I thought it would be good to share what knowledge I have with the servants of my ancient friend.'
'Tell us all that you know,' Ghestik said, 'and we will insult you no further.'
'I am the lord of this temple, as I've already said. In the ancient days my brother and I presided over all of the temple sacrifices. Many victims were fed to us, and there were priests to tend us and to keep us healthy and strong. But in the fall of your dark master we were both destroyed and our ashes and embers were scattered. The temple that was built in Noras was destroyed and buried under a great mound in the darkest part of the forest. There my brother is doomed to lie for as long as Agonistes' punishment endures, which will continue until the end of the world if Lord Pelas has his way. My own light was snuffed out not long after, when the demons of Noras pillaged this temple, stole away the virgins and set the whole mountain ablaze. It was not long afterward that the people of Amlaman lost their faith in the god of their fathers.'
'Yet still you live,' Ghestik said.
'I live because the Altars of Agonistes have once more been lit. When my fires were extinguished I was forced to wander in lonely places of darkness and bewilderment; places known only to the souls of the damned. Places where neither mortal nor immortal feet can tread without perishing. But after many years in those desolate lands, I have been summoned to the living world again by the strange Knight of Amlaman.'
'Who is that man?' Ghestik interrupted.
'You do not know?' the fire cackled.
Gheshtik grew angry, 'Mock me not, lord of campfires! I cannot harm you with my sword or fist, but were I to set my will against you there would be little hope of your fires escaping the torrent of my servants for long.'
The fire once more diminished and listened soberly as the spirit lord spoke.
'I have eyes that can pierce the heavens and see the mysteries of the distant stars. I have seen from afar the mighty astral lords and their fierce weapons of war that would make short work of even the mightiest of the flame-lords. I have wandered through the desert places in Kharku and the Deplund of the delvers in the south. I have seen the hidden throne of Bralahi, though no others, whether mortal or immortal, can pass through his gates. I have seen the slumbering face of his brother Kolohi, buried deep beneath the earth in the secret ruins of the eastern lands. I know the names and lineage of every mortal man in this whole land of Amlaman, and the names of each and every person, whether they are nobles, kings or peasants, in Ramlos as well. Yet this man I know not. I have watched him now for many years and I cannot tell his lineage nor can I divine his purposes. Tell me now, if there is any purpose for your visit, tell me who this man is.'
The fire died down to a spark, 'I am as much at a loss as you are, my lord,' the fire said softly. Gheshtik snorted and looked away.
'Then be gone, little fire. Return to your coals and warm the priests of Agonistes. But ere you depart, I have but one more question: Has the Devil-King returned?'
The fire grew bright for a moment and answered, 'I have not seen him. But I do not think it will be long before he returns.'
'Then Achil, the high priest, is no oracle,' Zefru said with a hiss. 'His whole prophecy was a farce!'
'A fraud?' the fire cackled, 'I would not say so, for the arm of Agonistes is long and his voice thunders across the heavens. If he has escaped his prison, he may well have spoken to Achil. At any rate, all that was said by the high priest was true to the de
vil's purposes. For there are none who doubt that Agonistes will want revenge against his foe Pelas. And if Agonistes returns to find a ready and faithful people at his command, he will care nothing for the farce of the priest. My guess is that this is the very thing the dark knight is counting on. When Agonistes returns, he will find an army ready to march at his first command.'
'You seem to be of one and the same mind with this mysterious man,' Gheshtik said.
'And why not?' the fire said, 'Who else but Lord Agonistes can restore the dark religion to Noras and rekindle the flames of the eastern temple. I cannot be blamed for wanting my brother to live again. Even as I have been restored to the living world, so may he be rekindled, if Agonistes once again crosses the mountains.'
With those words the fire left them and vanished into the air, returning to its place in the temple. Ghestik was silent for a moment as he considered all that had been said. 'Zefru, you must make all haste to the gates of Razzun and bring what news you can of the Devil-King. Tell me if the Gigas still lives, and whether he has seen his charge.'
Zefru bowed and then vanished from the council with great haste. Gheshtik gave other commands to his servants and then turned once more to look upon the glowing temple of Agonistes. His servants darted off in every direction, doing their master's will with haste. Soon the great spirit was alone in the darkness of the forest, contemplating all that was spoken.
A shrill voice broke out from the branches above him and spoke, 'Master Gheshtik, you seem troubled.'
Gheshtik looked up and saw the large crow of Lord Havoc perched on the gnarled boughs of a great oak tree. 'Little bird,' he said, 'I have not yet learned your name, nor the name of your master?'
'I am Arus, the Lord of Crows,' he said with a laugh. 'My master? Nay, I am the master. But I have found the strange knight to be quite useful. He is called Lord Havoc by the men of Amlaman, though doubtless you've already discovered that much. Who he is by birth, I have yet to discover. He is so mysterious that I wonder if he himself remembers. But if you know him not, o lord of spirits, then doubtless it is because he wishes not to be known, and not because you have not known him.'
'Don't mock me, little one,' Gheshtik warned. 'There are many immortals wandering the subterranean labyrinths in penance to this day for naught more than an ill timed jest.'
'That I do not doubt,' the crow said. 'And I am not mocking you; there are many, both among the immortals and the mortals, who have forgotten their histories; and many more would so forget were they able. But whether his is such a case or not, I cannot tell. He has never spoken anything that would give me an idea one way or another. And there are some, I dare say, who have strength of spirit enough to conceal their histories even from the gods.'
'Yet you put so much faith in him as to follow him here and there while he carries out his own plans?'
'His own plans are very similar to mine, but we will see in the end how far together we can walk. There comes a place where every servant must forsake his master and every student must part with his instructor. That, I trust, you know very well,' the crow laughed.
'Indeed,' Gheshtik said soberly, 'And mark it well, little crow, that our own paths might cross someday; and in that moment I will not hesitate to use my full might to accomplish my desire.'
'I have heard your warning,' the crow laughed again, 'But of that day I am not afraid, at least not yet. There is a great deal of work to be done ere our diverse motives come into opposition one with the other.'
With those words the Lord of Crows flew away and left Gheshtik to himself once more.
Chapter III:
The Children of Vulcan
The Childhood of Leonara
Late in the night on the fourteenth of Paschest, Leonara, princess of Amlaman, was dedicated to Agonistes in the temple on Mount Sten-Agoni. To the people she became a symbol of their new devotion to their fiery god. When she was brought before the public the cry went out, 'Behold the blessed daughter of Agonistes!' The people would crowd around her and smother her with their adoration were it not for the guards that Vulcan kept about her at all times.
As the years passed she grew in both grace and beauty, so that many of the people began to believe that she truly was, in some sense, the daughter of their god. Her skin shone like bronze under the light of the sun and her hair was the color of pure gold. Her eyes, it was said, gleamed like the dance of the sun over a cold mountain stream. Her beauty and elegance so captivated the people that legends and fables began to spread concerning her parentage. Each year, on the anniversary of the temple's dedication, her father and mother would bring her up the road to the temple and repeat the ceremonies that had once roused the people to piety. When the rituals were complete Leonara herself was brought before the people and dedicated anew to the dark god.
Volthamir, on the other hand, remained aloof from the new religious rites. On occasion he would attend the festivals and the ceremonies, but these he found to be dull and uninteresting. On many occasions he managed to avoid the temple completely by feigning illness. Had his sister attempted this she would have been dragged along despite, but Vulcan's heavy heart would not allow him to push his nephew to do anything against his will.
It was well known that during her childhood Leonara was envious of Volthamir's freedom. She also felt considerable embarrassment at being such a spectacle while her cousin seemed wholly exempt from the rites of the renewed religion. But her attempts to find equity were met with stone silence by her father and angry fits by her mother. It became clear that she would not be allowed the same freedoms that Volthamir was granted.
This was not helped by Volthamir's actions. Through his whole life he laughed very little, but he laughed heartily at the sight of the tiny princess 'dressed like a peacock' on her way to this or that sacrifice. Her face would turn red with anger and embarrassment and he would laugh yet more. But it seemed that as she grew older and fairer even Volthamir's hard heart softened and he treated her with more kindness. By that time, however, Volthamir spent very little time at the palace with his uncle.
When Volthamir reached the age of sixteen he began training for the royal guard. Of the eight men who stormed his father's bed-chamber on the night of his sixth birthday, now only Vars and Kellin remained, along with Lord Havoc and the King himself. Volthamir was made a squire to Lord Vars, who taught him to wield a blade and a spear.
Volthamir proved an excellent student and soon mastered each of these weapons. By the end of his eighteenth year he was numbered among the greatest warriors in Amlaman, his reputation rivaling even the great generals themselves.
Lord Havoc returned to Amlaman that winter and spent a considerable amount of time in council with the King. 'What council do you have for me, my faithful guardian?' Vulcan asked as they sat among his generals and advisors.
'You have ever taken my advice to heart, and for that I am honored deeply, my King,' Lord Havoc said. 'But there is one thing which you have long ignored. You will recall the harsh words with which I upbraided you some twelve years ago when you chose to show mercy to your little nephew. As natural as such a deed may have been, and however noble your intentions, it still remains that the son of Voltan has a claim upon your throne and upon your blood also. For you cannot imagine that he has forgotten his father's killer.'
The King sat up and his face went pale. His voice sounded broken as he spoke, 'I have tried to show the lad as much kindness as I could. I have been like a father to him, and I do not think that he will return my kindnesses with treachery. He is a sullen young man, but I trust him. As for his claim on this throne, however, you need not fear. For he knows that he is my heir, and that of this kingdom I have only been a guardian. The Dual Crown will pass to him in due time.'
'I pray for the King's sake that it will be so,' Lord Havoc said solemnly. 'But one last time I bring before you and your council my proposal of old: that the prince be made to drink the Cup of Trial in the Temple of Agonistes. If his heart is true, as you beli
eve, then there is nothing to fear. He will drink the fateful wine and his heart will be proved forever. But if he dies, then so be it. But let Agonistes be the judge, for there is no other that can see into the hearts of men.'
'I hear your words, and I acknowledge your wisdom; and I must confess that you have ever been my ally and friend. But my heart is against this.' The King lowered his head and looked at the floor. 'Nevertheless,' he continued, 'I will let my counselors decide.'
His councilors quickly agreed to Lord Havoc's plan (Lord Havoc knew that they had long been of the same mind as he) and they set about deciding the time and the date of the Trial.
The Cup of Trial
On the eve of his nineteenth birthday, Volthamir was summoned to the Temple of Agonistes to drink the Cup of Trial. He was escorted there by Lord Vars and Lord Kellin along with many other strong warriors. These were followed by hordes of noblemen and citizens who had been invited to witness the ceremony. There were seven other men and three women brought to the mountain on that same day to taste the fateful wine. When they had all arrived they were brought to the nunnery and prepared for the ceremony. Each of them was bathed in the pool of living water and given a bright white robe to wear. The women were adorned with earrings of gold and the men were given belts of silver. There, surrounded by the songs of the virgins, they were kept until night began to fall.
The Cup of Trial was a ceremony of the old religion that had been revived at Lord Havoc's command. There was a great chalice of gold filled with sacred wine blessed by Agonistes. Those who were accused or suspected of some secret evil would be forced to drink from the cup. If they were unharmed, then their innocence was declared publicly with the authority of god and king. But if they perished or were in any other way harmed by the draught they would be publicly condemned. The ceremony had a questionable reputation among the men and women in Amlaman. There were some who believed in the ceremony without question, but these were by far the minority. Most seemed to think it was just a convenient way of doing away with the spurious accusations of jealous husbands and gossiping women. There were some who saw it as no more than an easy way for the king to make a spectacle of his rivals and opponents. Finally, there were those who held all of these opinions at once.